Story of Parīkṣit

śaunakauvāca

yadapṛcchattadā rājā mantriṇo janamejayaḥ

pituḥ svargagatiṁ tanme vistareṇa punarvada

Śaunaka said: Tell me again in detail all that king Janamejaya asked his ministers to say about his father ̍s ascension to heaven.

sautiruvāva

śṛṇu brahmanyathāpṛcchanmantriṇo nṛpatistadā

yathā cākhyātavantaste nidhanaṁ tatparīkṣitaḥ

Sauti said: O Brāhmaṇa! Hear all that king asked his ministers and all that they said about the death of Parīkṣit:

janamejaya uvāca

jānanti sma bhavantastadyathā vṛttaṁ piturmama

āsīdyathā sa nidhanaṁ gataḥ kāle mahāyaśāḥ

Janamejaya said: You know all that happened to my father and how my illustrious father met with his death.

śrutvā bhavatsakāśāddhi piturvṛttamaśetaḥ

kalyāṇaṁ pratipatsyāmi viparītaṁ na jātucit

hearing from you all about my father, I shall do what is proper and good. I shall not do otherwise.

sautiruvāca

mantriṇo ̍thābruvanvākyaṁ pṛṣṭāstena mahātmanā

sarve dharmavidaḥ prājñā rājānaṁ janamejayam

Sauti said: Being asked by that high souled king Janamejaya, virtuous and wise ministers thus replied:

mantriṇaḥ ūcuḥ

śṛu pārthiva yadbrūṣe pitustava mahātmanaḥ

caritaṁ pārthivendrasya niṣṭhāṁ gataśca saḥ

Ministers said: Hear, O king, what you have asked. Hear an account of that king of the world, your illustrious father ̍s life and how he left this world.

dhrmātmā ca mahātmā ca prajāpālaḥ pitā tava

āsīdiha yathāvṛttaḥ sa mahātmā śṛṇuṣva tat

Your father was virtuous and noble and protector of his subjects. Hear, how that high souled king conducted himself on the Earth.

cāturvarṇyaṁ svadharmasthaṁ sa kṛtvā paryarakṣata

dharmato dharmavidrājā dharmo vigrahavāniva

That virtuous king, virtuously inclined, protected, like Virtue and Justice themselves, 4 castes, keeping them in the duties of their respective orders.

rarakṣa pṛthivīṁ devīṁ śrīmānatulavikramaḥ

dveṣṭārastasya naivāsansa ca dveṣṭi na kaṅcana

Blessed with fortune and with matchless prowess, he protected the goddess Earth. He hated none and had none to hate him.

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu prajāpatirivābhavat

brāhmaṇaḥ kṣatriyā vaiśyāḥ śūdrāścaiva svakarmasu

Like Prajāpati he looked at all creatures with equal eyes. Brāhmaṇas, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, Śūdras.

sthitāḥ sumanaso rājaṁstena rājñā svadhiṣṭhitāḥ 

vidhavānāthavikalānkṛpaṇāṁśca babhāra saḥ

Engaged in their respective duties, O king, were all impartially protected by him. He maintained windows, orphans, maimed and poor.

sudarśaḥ sarvabhūtānāmāsītsoma ivāparaḥ

tuṣṭapuṣṭajanaḥ śrīmānsatyavāgdṛḍhavikramaḥ

He was handsome and was like a second moon to all creatures. All were contained and blessed with good fortune by that truthful and greatly powerful king.

dhanurvede tu śiṣyo bhūnnṛpaḥ śāradvatasya saḥ

govindasya priyaścāsītpitā te janamejaya

He was the disciple of Śāradvata in the science of arms. O Janamejaya, your father was beloved of Govinda - Kṛṣṇa.

lokasya caiva sarvasya āsīnmahāyaśāḥ

parikṣīṇeṣu kuruṣu sottarāyāmajījanat

He was favourite of all men and was gretly renowned. He was born in the womb of Uttara when Kuru race was almost destroyed.

parikṣidabhavattena saubhadrasyātmajo balī

rājadharmārthakuśalo yuktaḥ sarvaguṇairvṛtaḥ

Therefore mighty son of Abhimanyu was called Parīkṣit. He was learned in the treatise on duties of kings and was adorned with all noble qualities.

jitendriyaścātmavāṁśca medhāvī dharmasevitā

ṣaḍvargajinmahābuddhirnītiśāstraviduttamaḥ

He had his passions under control, he was intelligent, he was gifted with great memory, he was practiser of all virtues, a conqueror of 6 passions, a great intelligent man, fully acquainted with the science of ethics.

prajā imāstava pitā ṣaṣṭivarṣāṇyapālayat

tato diṣṭāntamāpannaḥ sarveṣāṁ duḥkhamāvahan

tatastvaṁ puruṣaśreṣṭha dharmeṇa pratipedivān

idaṁ varṣasahasrāṇi rājyaṁ kurukulāgatam

bāla evābhiṣiktastvaṁ sarvabhūtānupālakaḥ

Your father ruled over his subjetcts for 60 years. When he died, all the people were extremely sorry. After him, O best of men, you have acquired this hereditary kingdom of Kurus, who have been ruling over it for 1,000 years. O protector of every creature, you was installed when you was a child.

janamejaya uvāca

nāsminkule jātu babhūva rājā

yo na prajānāṁ priyakṛtpriyaśca

viśeṣataḥ prekṣya pitāmahānāṁ

vṛttaṁ mahadvṛttaparāṇānām

Janamejaya said: None was born in our dynasty who did not look after good og his subjects and who was not beloved by them. See specially the conduct of my grandfathers - 5 Pāṇḍavas, who were ever engaged in great deeds.

kathaṁ nidhanamāpannaḥ pitā mama tathāvidhaḥ

ācakṣadhvaṁ yathāvanme śrotumicchāmi tattvataḥ

How did my such a noble father meet with his death? Describe it to me. I am desirous of hearing it.

sāṁtiruvāca

evaṁ saṁcoditā rājñā mantriste narādhipam

ūcuḥ sarve yathāvṛttaṁ rājñaḥ priyahitaiṣiṇaḥ

Sauti said: Thus asked by king, ministers, well wishers of king, told him everything as it had happened.

mantriṇaḥ ūcuḥ

sa rājā pṛthivīpālaḥ sarvaśastrabhṛtāṁ varaḥ

babhūva mṛgayāśīlastava rājan pitā sadā

yathā pāṇḍurmahābāhurdhanurdharavaro yudhi

asmāsvāsajya sarvāṇi rājakāryāṇyaśeṣataḥ

O king! That monarch, lord of the world, greatly obedient to all Śāstras like first of all beings, became addicted to sports like the best of bowmen, great warrior and exceedingly powerful Pāṇḍu. He made over to us all state affairs.