Duṣyanta finds a hermitage in the forest

 vaiśampāyana uvāca

tato mṛgasahasrāṇi hatvā sabalavāhanaḥ

rājā mṛgaprasaṅgena vanamanyad viveśa ha

Vaiśampāyana said: King with his soldiers, having killed thousands of animals, entered another forest following an animal.

eka evottamabalaḥ kṣutpipāsāśramānvitaḥ

sa vanasyāntamāsādya mahacchūnyaṁ samāsādat

Alone, fatigued witn hunger and thirst, he came to a large desert at the end of the forest.

taccāpyatītya nṛpatiruttamāśramasaṁyutam

manaḥprahlādajananaṁ dṛṣṭikāntamatīva ca

Having passed over this herd bless desert, king came to a forest full of holy hermitages. It was beautiful to the eyes and delightful to the heart.

śītamārutasaṁyuktaṁ jagānānyanmahad vanam

puṣpitaiḥ pādapaiḥ kīrṇamatīva sukhaśādvalam

vipulaṁ madhurārāvairnāditaṁ vihagaistathā

puṁskokilaninādaiśca jhillīkagaṇāditam

It was cool and it breathed delightful breeze. It was full of trees covered with flowers. It extended far and wide in green soft grass. It echoed with sweet songs of birds. It resounded with sweet notes of male Kokila and the shrill cries of cicadas.

pravṛddhaviṭapairvṛkṣaiḥ sukhacchāyaiḥ samāvṛtam

ṣaṭpadāghūrṇitatalaṁ lakṣmyā paramayā yutam

It contained magnificient trees with stretched out branches, which had formed pleasant shady canopies. Bees hovered over flowery creepers and beautiful groves were everywhere.

nāpuṣpaḥ pādapaḥ kaścinnāphalo nāpi kaṇṭakī

ṣaṭpadairnāpyapākīrṇastasmin vai kānane ̍bhavat

There was no tree without flowers and fruits. There was no shrub with prickles on them. There was no plant that had no bees swarming around it.

vihagairnāditaṁ puṣpairalaṁkṛtamatīva ca

sarvatukusumairvṛkṣaiḥ sukhacchāyaiḥ samāvṛtam

Whole forest resounded with sweet songs of the birds. It was decked with all beautiful flowers of all seasons. It was full of plasant shades of blossoming trees.

manoramaṁ maheṣvāso viveśa vanamuttamam

mārutākalitāstatra drumāḥ kusumaśākhinaḥ

puṣpavṛṣṭiṁ vicitrāṁ tu vyasṛjaṁste punaḥ punaḥ

divaḥspṛśo ̍tha saṁghuṣṭāḥ pakṣibhirmadhurasvanaiḥ

Such was charming and excellent forest that great bow man Duṣyanta entered. Trees, decked with flowers and waved with soft breeze, showered sweet flowers, again and again, on the head of king.

virejuḥ pādapāstatra vicitrakusumbarāḥ

teṣāṁ tatra pravāleṣu puṣpabhārāvanāmiṣu

ruvanti rāvān madhurān ṣaṭpadā madhulipsavaḥ

tatra pradeśāṁśca bahūn kusumotkaramaṇḍitān

latāgṛhaparikṣiptān manasaḥ prītivardhanān

sampaśyan sumahātejā babhūva muditastadā

Clad with flowery attire of many colours, sweet singing birds sitting on their branches hanging with the weight of flowers, busy bees tempted by honey buzzing in sweet chorus around their blossoms, stood many trees in that forest. There were innumerable bowers of creepers covered with thick clusters of flowers. Greatly energetic king was much pleased and charmed with scenery.

parasparāśliṣṭaśākhaiḥ pādapaiḥ kusumānvitaiḥ

aśobhata vanaṁ tat tu mahendradhvajasaṁnibhaiḥ

Trees, with its flowery branches, entwining with one another, looked exceedingly beautiful and appeared like so many Indra ̍s poles.

siddhacāraṇasaṁghaiśca gandharvāpsarasāṁ gaṇaiḥ

sevitaṁ vanamatyarthaṁ mattavānarakinnaram

It was abode of Siddhas, Cāraṇas, various sorts of Gandharvas, Apsaras, monkeys and Kinnaras, all drunk with joy.

sukhaḥ śītaḥ sugandhī ca puṣpareṇuvaho ̍nilaḥ

parikrāman vane vṛkṣānupaitīva riraṁsayā

Pleasant, cool and fragrant breezes, mixed with effluvia of sweet flowers, blew everywhere and appeared as if they had come there to play with trees.

evaṁguṇasamāyuktaṁ dadarśa sa vanaṁ nṛpaḥ

nadīkacchodbhavaṁ kāntamucchritadhvajasaṁnibham

King saw that forest endued with such beauties. It was situated in delta of a river and looked like a pole erected in Indra ̍s honour.

prekṣmāṇo vanaṁ tat tu suprahṛṣṭavihaṅgamam

āśramapravaraṁ ramyaṁ dadarśa ca manoramam

King saw in the forest abode of ever cheerful birds, charming and delightful hermitage of ascetics.

nānāvṛkṣasamākīrṇaṁ samprajvalitapāvakam

taṁ tadāpratimaṁ śrīmānāśramaṁ prtyapūjayat

It was surrounded by many trees and holy fire was burning within it. Duṣyanta worshipped that matchless hermitage.

yatibhirvālakhilyaiśca vṛtaṁ munigānvitam

agnyagāraiśca bahubhiḥ puṣpasaṁstarasaṁstṛtam

He saw innumerable Tātis, Vālakhilyas and other Munis sitting there in that hermitage. It was adorned with rooms containing sacrificial fire. Flowers, dropping from the trees, had made beautiful carpet on the ground.

mahākacchairbṛhadbhiśca vibhrājitamatīva ca

mālinīmabhitorājan nadīṁ puṇyāṁ sukhodakām

naikapakṣigaṇākīrṇāṁ tapovanamanoramām

tatra vyālamṛgān saumyān paśyan prītimavāpa saḥ

Place looked very beautiful with tall trees with their large trunks. O king! Transparent and sacred river Mālinī flowed by it. River was charming to ascetics and abounded with every species of water fowls. Duṣyanta was much delighted to see innocent deer cubs playing on her banks.

taṁ cāpratirathaḥ śrīmānāśramaṁ pratyapadyata

devalokapratīkāśaṁ sarvataḥ sumanoharam

Thereupon king, whose chariot no foe could obstruct, entered that charming hermitage, exceedingly beautiful all over and which was like region of heaven.

nadīṁ cāśramasaṁśliṣṭāṁ puṇyatoyāṁ dadarśa saḥ

sarvaprāṇabhṛtāṁ tatra jananīmiva dhiṣṭhitām

He saw that hermitage was situated on the banks of the river, most sacred one and she followed as the mother of all creatures living there.

sacakravākapulināṁ puṣpaphenapravāhinīm

sakinnaragaṇāsāṁ vānararkṣaniṣevitām

Milk white waves played on her breast. Cakravākas sported on her banks. It was abode of Kinnaras and it was frequently by monkeys and bears.

puṇyasvādhyāyasaṁghuṣṭāṁ pulinairupaśobhitām

mattavāraṇaśārdūlabhujagendraniṣevitām

Holy ascetics, engaged in study and meditation, lived there on the beautiful banks of that river. It was frequented by intoxicated elephants, tigers and great snakes.

tasyāstīre bhgavataḥ kāṣyapasya mahātmanaḥ

āśramapravaraṁ ramyaṁ maharṣigaṇasevitam

On the banks of that river, stood excellent and charming hermitage of illustrious Ṛṣi, descendant of Kaśyapa, frequented by many great ascetic Ṛṣis.

nadīmāśramasambaddhāṁ dṛṣṭvā āśramapadaṁ tathā

cakārābhipraveśāya matiṁ sa nṛpatistadā

Having seen the river and hermitage he desired to enter into that sacred place.

alaṁkṛtaṁ dvīpavatyā mālinyā ramyatīrayā

naranārāyaṇasthānaṁ gaṅgayevopaśobhitam

River was studded with many islands with beautiful and charming shores. It looked like abode of Nara and Nārāyaṇa, beautified with the river Gaṅgā.

mattabarhiṇasaṁghuṣṭaṁ praviveśa mahad vanam

tat sa caitrarathaprakhyaṁ samupetya nararṣabhaḥ

Best of men then entered that hermitage, which was resounding with notes of intoxicated peacocks and which appeared like gardens of Citraratha of Kubera.

atīvaguṇasampannamardeśyaṁ ca varcasā

maharṣiṁ kāśyapaṁ draṣṭumatha kaṇvaṁ tapodhanam

He desired to see great ascetic Ṛṣi, illustrious Kaṇva, of lineage of Kaśyapa, possessor of all virtue and who was too effulgent to be looked at.

dhvajinīmaśvasambādhāṁ padātigajasaṁkulām

avasthāpya vanadvāri senāmidamuvāca saḥ

Halting his army of flag holders, cavalry, infantry and elephants at the outskirt of the forest, king spoke to soldiers thus: 

muniṁ virajasaṁ draṣṭuṁ gamiṣyāmi tapodhanam

kāśyapaṁ sthīyatāmatra yāvadāgamanaṁ mama

I shall go to see mighty ascetic, son of Kaśyapa, who is free from Rajoguṇa. Stay here till I return.

tad vanaṁ nandanaprakhyamāsādya manujeśvaraḥ

kṣutpipāse jahau rājā mudaṁ cāvāpa puṣkalām

King forgot his hunger and thirst and derived infinite pleasure as soon as he entered that forest, like Nandana, garden of Indra.

sāmātyo rājaliṅgāni so ̍panīya narādhipaḥ

purohitasahāyaśca jagāmāśramamuttamam

King, having laid aside all sighs of royalty, entered that excellent hermitage with his Minister and Priest only.

didṛkṣustatra tamṛṣiṁ taporāśimathāvyayam

brahmalokapratīkāśamāśramaṁ so ̍bhivīkṣya ha

ṣaṭpadodgītasaṁghuṣṭaṁ nānādvijagaṇāyutam

He desired to see that Ṛṣi, who was indestructible mass of ascetic merit. He saw that hermitage was like region of Brahmā. Bees were sweetly buzzing and birds were pouring forth their melodies.