नन्दनादीनि देवानां वनानि बहुलान्य् उत ॥
दर्शयाम् आस मे प्रीत्या मातलिः शक्रसारथिः ॥
ततः शक्रस्य भवनम् अपश्यम् अमरावतीम् ॥
दिव्यैः कामफलैर् वृक्षै रत्नैश् च समलंकृताम् ॥
न तां भासयते सूर्यो न शीतोष्णे न च क्लमः ॥
रजः पङ्को न च तमस् तत्रास्ति न जरा नृप ॥
न तत्र शोको दैन्यं वा वैवर्ण्यं चोपलक्ष्यते ॥
दिवौकसां महाराज न च ग्लानिर् अरिंदम ॥
न क्रोधलोभौ तत्रास्ताम् अशुभं च विशां पते ॥
नित्यतुष्टाश् च हृष्टाश् च प्राणिनः सुरवेश्मनि ॥
नित्यपुष्पफलास् तत्र पादपा हरितच्छदाः ॥
पुष्करिण्यश् च विविधाः पद्मसौगन्धिकायुताः ॥
शीतस् तत्र ववौ वायुः सुगन्धो जीवनः शुचिः ॥
सर्वरत्नविचित्रा च भूमिः पुष्पविभूषिता ॥
मृगद्विजाश् च बहवो रुचिरा मधुरस्वराः ॥
विमानयायिनश् चात्र दृश्यन्ते बहवो ऽमराः ॥
ततो ऽपश्यं वसून् रुद्रान् साध्यांश् च समरुद्गणान् ॥
आदित्यान् अश्विनौ चैव तान् सर्वान् प्रत्यपूजयम् ॥
ते मां वीर्येण यशसा तेजसा च बलेन च ॥
अस्त्रैश् चाप्य् अन्वजानन्त संग्रामविजयेन च ॥
प्रविश्य तां पुरीं रम्यां देवगन्धर्वसेविताम् ॥
देवराजं सहस्राक्षम् उपातिष्ठं कृताञ्जलिः ॥
ददाव् अर्धासनं प्रीतः शक्रो मे ददतां वरः ॥
बहुमानाच् च गात्राणि पस्पर्श मम वासवः ॥
तत्राहं देवगन्धर्वैः सहितो भुरिदक्षिण ॥
अस्त्रार्थम् अवसं स्वर्गे कुर्वाणो ऽस्त्राणि भारत ॥
विश्वावसोश् च मे पुत्रश् चित्रसेनो ऽभवत् सखा ॥
स च गान्धर्वम् अखिलं ग्राहयाम् आस मां नृप ॥
ततो ऽहम् अवसं राजन् गृहीतास्त्रः सुपूजितः ॥
सुखं शक्रस्य भवने सर्वकामसमन्वितः ॥
शृण्वन् वै गीतशब्दं च तूर्यशब्दं च पुष्कलम् ॥
पश्यंश् चाप्सरसः श्रेष्ठा नृत्यमानाः परंतप ॥
तत् सर्वम् अनवज्ञाय तथ्यं विज्ज्ञाय भारत ॥
अत्यर्थं प्रतिगृह्याहम् अस्त्रेष्व् एव व्यवस्थितः ॥
ततो ऽतुष्यत् सहस्राक्षस् तेन कामेन मे विभुः ॥
एवं मे वसतो राजन्न् एष कालो ऽत्यगाद् दिवि ॥
nandanādīni devānāṃ vanāni bahulāny uta ||
darśayām āsa me prītyā mātaliḥ śakrasārathiḥ ||
tataḥ śakrasya bhavanam apaśyam amarāvatīm ||
divyaiḥ kāmaphalair vṛkṣai ratnaiś ca samalaṃkṛtām ||
na tāṃ bhāsayate sūryo na śītoṣṇe na ca klamaḥ ||
rajaḥ paṅko na ca tamas tatrāsti na jarā nṛpa ||
na tatra śoko dainyaṃ vā vaivarṇyaṃ copalakṣyate ||
divaukasāṃ mahārāja na ca glānir ariṃdama ||
na krodhalobhau tatrāstām aśubhaṃ ca viśāṃ pate ||
nityatuṣṭāś ca hṛṣṭāś ca prāṇinaḥ suraveśmani ||
nityapuṣpaphalās tatra pādapā haritacchadāḥ ||
puṣkariṇyaś ca vividhāḥ padmasaugandhikāyutāḥ ||
śītas tatra vavau vāyuḥ sugandho jīvanaḥ śuciḥ ||
sarvaratnavicitrā ca bhūmiḥ puṣpavibhūṣitā ||
mṛgadvijāś ca bahavo rucirā madhurasvarāḥ ||
vimānayāyinaś cātra dṛśyante bahavo 'marāḥ ||
tato 'paśyaṃ vasūn rudrān sādhyāṃś ca samarudgaṇān ||
ādityān aśvinau caiva tān sarvān pratyapūjayam ||
te māṃ vīryeṇa yaśasā tejasā ca balena ca ||
astraiś cāpy anvajānanta saṃgrāmavijayena ca ||
praviśya tāṃ purīṃ ramyāṃ devagandharvasevitām ||
devarājaṃ sahasrākṣam upātiṣṭhaṃ kṛtāñjaliḥ ||
dadāv ardhāsanaṃ prītaḥ śakro me dadatāṃ varaḥ ||
bahumānāc ca gātrāṇi pasparśa mama vāsavaḥ ||
tatrāhaṃ devagandharvaiḥ sahito bhuridakṣiṇa ||
astrārtham avasaṃ svarge kurvāṇo 'strāṇi bhārata ||
viśvāvasoś ca me putraś citraseno 'bhavat sakhā ||
sa ca gāndharvam akhilaṃ grāhayām āsa māṃ nṛpa ||
tato 'ham avasaṃ rājan gṛhītāstraḥ supūjitaḥ ||
sukhaṃ śakrasya bhavane sarvakāmasamanvitaḥ ||
śṛṇvan vai gītaśabdaṃ ca tūryaśabdaṃ ca puṣkalam ||
paśyaṃś cāpsarasaḥ śreṣṭhā nṛtyamānāḥ paraṃtapa ||
tat sarvam anavajñāya tathyaṃ vijjñāya bhārata ||
atyarthaṃ pratigṛhyāham astreṣv eva vyavasthitaḥ ||
tato 'tuṣyat sahasrākṣas tena kāmena me vibhuḥ ||
evaṃ me vasato rājann eṣa kālo 'tyagād divi ||
'Matali, Shakra's charioteer, lovingly showed me Nandana and the other many groves of the gods. Then I saw Amaravati, the abode of Shakra, adorned with divine trees that grant desired fruit, and with jewels. No sun illumines it; there is no cold and no heat, no weariness, no dust, mire, or darkness, no old age. There is no sorrow to be seen there, no wretchedness, no change of color, no feebleness; no anger, no greed, and nothing inauspicious. The beings in the abode of the suras are always content and joyful. The trees there always bear flowers and fruit, with green foliage; the many varied lakes are filled with lotuses and saugandhikas. A cool, fragrant, life-giving, pure wind blows there; the ground, adorned with flowers, gleams with every jewel. There are many beautiful beasts and birds with sweet voices; many immortals move about on vimanas. Then I saw the Vasus, the Rudras, the Sadhyas together with the Maruts, the Adityas, and both Ashvins, and I honored them all. They acknowledged me for my valor, fame, splendor, strength, weapons, and victory in battle. Entering that beautiful city, served by gods and gandharvas, I came before the thousand-eyed king of the gods with joined palms. Shakra, best of givers, pleased, gave me half his seat, and out of high regard touched my limbs. There, among gods and gandharvas, I lived in heaven for the sake of weapons, and fashioned weapons. The son of Vishvavasu, Chitrasena, became my friend and taught me the whole art of the gandharvas. So I lived, O king, armed, honored, happy in the house of Shakra, surrounded by every desire. I heard the sound of songs and the loud sound of instruments, and saw the finest apsaras dancing, scorcher of foes. But without disdaining any of this, and knowing the truth, Bharata, I accepted it all as it came and remained fixed only upon the weapons. With this desire of mine the thousand-eyed, all-powerful one was pleased. Thus, O king, my time in heaven passed.'
049deba2cc70 · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:13:49 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Amaravati is full of delights, yet Arjuna does not lose sight of his purpose. Renunciation here lies not in aversion to beauty but in faithfulness to his charge: amid heaven's abundance he remembers why he has come.