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MAHABHARATA
THE BOOK OF THE ASSEMBLY HALL The Building of the Hall
And before Krishna’s face to great Arjoon Maya with clasped hands bending, mild and boon His voice as gratitude’s: “Me the strong ire Had slain of Krishna or the hungry fire Consumed: by thee I live, O Kunti’s son: What shall I do for thy sake?” And Arjoon, “Paid is thy debt. Go thou and prosper: love Repays the lover: this our friendship prove. “Noble thy word and like thyself,” returned The Titan, “yet in me a fire has burned Some deed to do for love’s sake. He am I, The Titan architect and poet high, The maker: something give me to create.” Arjoon replied, “If from the grasp of Fate Rescued by me thou pray’st, then is the deed Sufficient, Titan: I will take no meed. Yet will I not deny thee: for my friend Do somewhat and thy debt to me shall end.” Then by the Titan questioned Vasudev Pondered awhile what boon were best to have. At length he answered: “Let a hall be raised Peerless, thou great artificer high-praised, — If thou wilt needs do somewhat high designed, — For Yudhisthere such hall as may thy mind Imagine.Wonderful the pile shall be, No mortal man shall copy although he Labour to grasp it, nor on transient earth Another equal wonder shall have birth. Vast let it be. Let human and divine And the Titanic meet in one design.” Joyful the builder took the word and high The Pandav’s hall he made imperially. (But first the heroes to the King repair, Just Yudhishthere, and all their story there Page – 27 Tell out. The Titan also they present, Their living proof of great accomplishment. Nobly he welcomed was by that just King. There in high ease, befriended, sojourning The life of elder gods dethroned of old The Titan to the Pandav princes told. Short space for rest took the creative mind And inly planned and mightily designed A hall imperial for those mighty ones. With Krishna then consulting and the sons Of Pritha on a day of sacred light All fate-appeasing ceremonies right He ordered and with rice in sugared milk Sated the priests, silver and herds and silk. In energy of genius next he chose Ten thousand cubits, mapped a mighty close, Region delightful where divinely sweet The joy of all the seasons seemed to meet. Four were the sides, ten thousand cubits all. This was the measure of the Pandav’s hall.
But in the Khandav plain abode in ease Janardan mid the reverent ministries Of the great five: their loves his home renew. But for his father’s sight a yearning grew And drew him thence. He of the monarch just And Pritha craved departure. In the dust His head he lowered at her worshipped feet, He for the whole world’s homage only meet. Him she embraced and kissed his head. Next he His sister dear encountered lovingly. Wet were his eyes as with low words and few, Pregnant and happy, admirably true He greeted that divine fair girl and heard Of her sweet eloquence many a tender word That to her kin should travel; reverent She bowed her lovely head. And Krishna went To Draupadie and Dhaum and took of these Page – 28 Various farewell, — soft words her heart to ease, But to the priest yielded the man divine Obeisance just and customary sign. (Thereafter with Arjoon the hero wise His brothers met and in celestial guise, Like Indra with the great immortals round, All rites that to safe journeying redound Performing, bath and pure ablution made And worship due with salutation paid, Garlanded, praying, in rich gems arrayed, All incenses that breathe beneath the sun To Gods and Brahmans offered. These things done Departure now was next. Stately he came Outward and all of venerable name Who bore the sacred office, had delight Of fruit and grain yet in the husk and white Approved curds, much wealth; and last the ground He trod and traced the gyre of blessing round.) So with a fortunate day and fortunate star And moment in his chariot built for war, Golden, swift-rushing, with the Bird for sign And banner, sword and discus, bow divine And mace round hung, and horses twin of stride, Sugrive and Shaibya went the lotus-eyed. Next in his love the monarch Yudhishthere Mounted, and Daruk, the great charioteer, He put aside. Himself he grasped the rein, Himself he drove the chariot o’er the plain. And great Arjoona mounted, seized the white Wind-bringer with the golden staff and bright And called with his strong arm the circling wind; And Bheema and the princes twin behind Followed, and citizen and holy priest: With the horizon the procession ceased. All these with the far-conquering Krishna wend, As a high sage whom his disciples tend, So for a league they journeyed; then no more He suffered but Yudhishthere’s will o’erbore Page – 29 And forced return; then grappled to his breast Arjoon beloved. Greeting well the rest Religiously the monarch’s feet embraced Govinda, but the Pandav raised and kissed The head of Krishna beautiful-eyed. “Go then,” He murmured, yet even so the word was vain Until reunion promised. Hardly at length He stayed them with entreaty’s utmost strength From following him on foot; so glad has gone Like Indra thundering to the immortal’s town. But they stood following with the eyes their light Until he vanished from the paths of sight. Ev’n then their hearts, though distance now conceals, Run yet behind his far invisible wheels. But the swift chariot takes their joy and pride, Too swift, alas! from eyes unsatisfied With that dear vision, and reluctant, slow, In thoughts that still with Krishna’s horse-hooves go, Ceasing at last to their own town again Silent they wend, the lion lords of men. So entered the immortal Yudhishthere Girt round with friends his glorious city; here He left them and in bowers for pleasure made With Draupadie the godlike hero played. But Krishna, glad of soul, in whirling car Came speeding to his noble town afar With Daruk and the hero Satyakie Swift as the great God’s winged favourite he Entered, and all the Yadav lords renowned Came honouring him, with one the chief and crowned. And Krishna stayed his father old to greet And Ahuk and his glorious mother’s feet And Balaam, his brother. His own sons He next embraced and all their little ones. Last of his elders leave he took and went To Rukminie’s fair house in glad content, In Dwarca he; but the great Titan Mat Still pondered and imagined cunningly Page – 30 A jewelled brightness in his thought begun, An audience hall supreme for Hades’son. (So with the conqueror unparalleled, Arjoon, the Titan now this discourse held: “To the great hill I go and soon return, Whose northern peaks from Coilas upward burn. There when the Titans sacrifice of yore Intended by the water Bindusor, Rich waste of fine material was left, Wondrous, of stone a variegated weft That for the mighty audience hall was stored Of Vrishaparvan, the truth-speaking lord. Thither I wend and make, if yet endure All that divine material bright and pure, The Pandav’s hall, a glory to behold, Admirable, set with jewelry and gold Taking the heart to pleasure. These besides A cruel mace in Bindusor abides,) Massive endurance, studded aureate, Ponderous, a death of foes, commensurate With many thousand more in murderous will. There after slaughter huge of foes it still Lies by a king relinquished. This believe For Bheem created as for thee Gandeve. There too the mighty conch Varunian lies: Thunders God-given swell its ocean voice. Expect these from my hand infallibly.” Thus saying went the Titan hastily To the north-eastern edge of heaven where high Soars Mainac hill into the northward sky From Coilas. Golden soar its ridges large And noble gems it stores and bright the marge Of Bindusor. The high conceiving Lord, King of all creatures and by worlds adored, Here grandiose offerings gave and sacrifice By hundreds, and with excellent device, For beauty not to old tradition, made Pillars of sacrifice with gems inlaid Page – 31 And monumental temples massed with gold. Long here enduring Bhagiruth the bold Through tedious seasons dwelt, yearning to see Ganges, his self-named river Bhagirathie. Nor these alone, but he, the Argus-eyed Lord of imperial Sachi, to his side Victory by sacrifice compelled. Creating World systems, energy irradiating He sits here whom the awful ghosts attend, Shiva, who no beginning has nor end. Nar and Naraian there and Brahma there And Hades and the Immovable repair, — Revolving when a thousand ages wend, To absolve with sacrifice the cycle’s end. Here now ambitious of religion gave Long years his mighty offerings Vasudev, Devoutly, and bright temples raised their head, Memorial columns golden-garlanded, Unnumbered, multitudinous, immense. Thither went Maia and recovered thence Conchshell and mace and for the audience hall The old Titanic stone marmoreal. All mighty wealth the servile giants guard, The Titan genius gathered and prepared This famous hall unparalleled, divine, Where all the jewels of the earth combine. To Bheem he gave that mighty mace, the shell God-given called, whose cry unutterable When from the great conch’s ocean mouth ‘tis hurled Far borne, trembling of creatures fills the world, To great Arjoona. But immense the hall Ten thousand cubits spread its bulk and all Its sides ten thousand, upon mighty boles Columnar elevate: nor either rolls • The sun through heaven, moon nor vast fire so bright. Slaying the sunshine with superior light It blazed as if aflame, most luminous, white, Celestial, large, raised like a cloud to soar Page – 32 Against the heavens whose lustre it o’erbore. Nor weariness nor sorrow enter might That wide and noble palace of delight. Of fair material was it made, the walls And arches jewelled were of those rich halls. Such wonder of creative genius won The World’s Designer to companion, For neither Brahma’s roof nor Vishnu’s high Might equal this for glorious symmetry. Nor yet Sudharma, Indra’s council hall, , With Maia’s cunning strove. At Maia’s call Eight thousand Helots of the Giants’ blood Upbore the pile and dreadful sentries stood, Travellers on wind, huge-bodied, horrible, Shell-eared, far-strikers, with bloodshot eyes and fell. And in the middle a lotus-lake he made Unparalleled, white lotuses displayed, And birds innumerable and all the stems Of that fair blossom were of beauteous gems And all the leaves were sapphires: through them rolled Gold tortoises and wondrous fish of gold. Marble mosaic was the stair: the wave Translucent ran its edges fine to lave, Wrinkled with soft cool winds that over it sped. A rain of pearl drops on the floor was shed, And seats from slabs of precious stone combined The marble banks of that fair water lined. And all around it ever-flowering trees Of various race hung dark and huge with ease Of cool delightful shade, sweet-smelling woods And quiet waters where the white swan broods And ducks and waders of the ripples. Sweet The wind came from them, fragrance in its feet The lotus gave and lily of the land, And with its booty the great brothers fanned. Full fourteen months he laboured: the fifteenth Saw ready jewelled arch and luminous plinth. Then only came the Titan, and declared Page – 33 To the just King his mighty hall prepared.
Ceremony of entrance Yudhishthere Then held. Thousands of Brahmins luscious cheer Of rice with sugared milk enjoyed wherein Honey was mingled; flesh besides they win Of boar and stag and all roots eatable And fruits and sesamum-rice that tastes full well And grain of offering and pedary Yea, meats of many natures variously Eaten and chewed, of drinks a vast array; And robes brought newly from the loom that day Were given, all possible garlands scented sweetly To Brahmins, from all regions gathering, meetly Presented, and to each a thousand cows. O then was air all thunder with their vows: The din of blessing touched the very skies. With these the notes of instruments arise Varied, celestial, and sweet fumes untold. Before the son of Hades mighty-souled Wrestlers and mimes made show and those who play With fencing staves and jongleurs. For that day He who installed the deities, worshipping, Was the greatest of the Kurus and a king. He by his brothers hemmed, high worship done, With saint and hero for companion, In that his palace admirably bright, Like Indra in his heaven took delight. Sabhaparva, Adhyayas 1-3, Adhyaya 4 incomplete Page – 34 |
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