वैशंपायन उवाच
प्रविशन्तं महाराज सूतास् तुष्टुवुर् अच्युतम् ॥
जनाश् चापि महेष्वासं तुष्टुवू राजसत्तमम् ॥
लाजैश् चन्दनचूर्णैश् चाप्य् अवकीर्य जनास् तदा ॥
ऊचुर् दिष्ट्या नृपाविघ्नात् समाप्तो ऽयं क्रतुस् तव ॥
अपरे त्व् अब्रुवंस् तत्र वातिकास् तं महीपतिम् ॥
युधिष्ठिरस्य यज्ञेन न समो ह्य् एष तु क्रतुः ॥
नैव तस्य क्रतोर् एष कलाम् अर्हति षोडशीम् ॥
एवं तत्राब्रुवन् के चिद् वातिकास् तं नरेश्वरम् ॥
सुहृदस् त्व् अब्रुवंस् तत्र अति सर्वान् अयं क्रतुः ॥
ययातिर् नहुषश् चापि मान्धाता भरतस् तथा ॥
क्रतुम् एनं समाहृत्य पूताः सर्वे दिवं गताः ॥
एता वाचः शुभाः शृण्वन् सुहृदां भरतर्षभ ॥
प्रविवेश पुरं हृष्टः स्ववेश्म च नराधिपः ॥
अभिवाद्य ततः पादौ मातापित्रोर् विशां पते ॥
भीष्मद्रोणकृपाणां च विदुरस्य च धीमतः ॥
अभिवादितः कनीयोभिर् भ्रातृभिर् भ्रातृवत्सलः ॥
निषसादासने मुख्ये भ्रातृभिः परिवारितः ॥
तम् उत्थाय महाराज सूतपुत्रो ऽब्रवीद् वचः ॥
दिष्ट्या ते भरतश्रेष्ठ समाप्तो ऽयं महाक्रतुः ॥
हतेषु युधि पार्थेषु राजसूये तथा त्वया ॥
आहृते ऽहं नरश्रेष्ठ त्वां सभाजयिता पुनः ॥
तम् अब्रवीन् महाराजो धार्तराष्ट्रो महायशाः ॥
सत्यम् एतत् त्वया वीर पाण्डवेषु दुरात्मसु ॥
निहतेषु नरश्रेष्ठ प्राप्ते चापि महाक्रतौ ॥
राजसूये पुनर् वीर त्वं मां संवर्धयिष्यसि ॥
एवम् उक्त्वा महाप्राज्ञः कर्णम् आश्लिष्य भारत ॥
राजसूयं क्रतुश्रेष्ठं चिन्तयाम् आस कौरवः ॥
सो ऽब्रवीत् सुहृदश् चापि पार्श्वस्थान् नृपसत्तमः ॥
कदा तु तं क्रतुवरं राजसूयं महाधनम् ॥
निहत्य पाण्डवान् सर्वान् आहरिष्यामि कौरवाः ॥
तम् अब्रवीत् तदा कर्णः शृणु मे राजकुञ्जर ॥
पादौ न धावये तावद् यावन् न निहतो ऽर्जुनः ॥
अथोत्क्रुष्टं महेष्वासैर् धार्तराष्ट्रैर् महारथैः ॥
प्रतिज्ञाते फल्गुनस्य वधे कर्णेन संयुगे ॥
विजितांश् चाप्य् अमन्यन्त पाण्डवान् धृतराष्ट्रजाः ॥
दुर्योधनो ऽपि राजेन्द्र विसृज्य नरपुंगवान् ॥
प्रविवेश गृहं श्रीमान् यथा चैत्ररथं प्रभुः ॥
ते ऽपि सर्वे महेष्वासा जग्मुर् वेश्मानि भारत ॥
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
praviśantaṃ mahārāja sūtās tuṣṭuvur acyutam ||
janāś cāpi maheṣvāsaṃ tuṣṭuvū rājasattamam ||
lājaiś candanacūrṇaiś cāpy avakīrya janās tadā ||
ūcur diṣṭyā nṛpāvighnāt samāpto 'yaṃ kratus tava ||
apare tv abruvaṃs tatra vātikās taṃ mahīpatim ||
yudhiṣṭhirasya yajñena na samo hy eṣa tu kratuḥ ||
naiva tasya krator eṣa kalām arhati ṣoḍaśīm ||
evaṃ tatrābruvan ke cid vātikās taṃ nareśvaram ||
suhṛdas tv abruvaṃs tatra ati sarvān ayaṃ kratuḥ ||
yayātir nahuṣaś cāpi māndhātā bharatas tathā ||
kratum enaṃ samāhṛtya pūtāḥ sarve divaṃ gatāḥ ||
etā vācaḥ śubhāḥ śṛṇvan suhṛdāṃ bharatarṣabha ||
praviveśa puraṃ hṛṣṭaḥ svaveśma ca narādhipaḥ ||
abhivādya tataḥ pādau mātāpitror viśāṃ pate ||
bhīṣmadroṇakṛpāṇāṃ ca vidurasya ca dhīmataḥ ||
abhivāditaḥ kanīyobhir bhrātṛbhir bhrātṛvatsalaḥ ||
niṣasādāsane mukhye bhrātṛbhiḥ parivāritaḥ ||
tam utthāya mahārāja sūtaputro 'bravīd vacaḥ ||
diṣṭyā te bharataśreṣṭha samāpto 'yaṃ mahākratuḥ ||
hateṣu yudhi pārtheṣu rājasūye tathā tvayā ||
āhṛte 'haṃ naraśreṣṭha tvāṃ sabhājayitā punaḥ ||
tam abravīn mahārājo dhārtarāṣṭro mahāyaśāḥ ||
satyam etat tvayā vīra pāṇḍaveṣu durātmasu ||
nihateṣu naraśreṣṭha prāpte cāpi mahākratau ||
rājasūye punar vīra tvaṃ māṃ saṃvardhayiṣyasi ||
evam uktvā mahāprājñaḥ karṇam āśliṣya bhārata ||
rājasūyaṃ kratuśreṣṭhaṃ cintayām āsa kauravaḥ ||
so 'bravīt suhṛdaś cāpi pārśvasthān nṛpasattamaḥ ||
kadā tu taṃ kratuvaraṃ rājasūyaṃ mahādhanam ||
nihatya pāṇḍavān sarvān āhariṣyāmi kauravāḥ ||
tam abravīt tadā karṇaḥ śṛṇu me rājakuñjara ||
pādau na dhāvaye tāvad yāvan na nihato 'rjunaḥ ||
athotkruṣṭaṃ maheṣvāsair dhārtarāṣṭrair mahārathaiḥ ||
pratijñāte phalgunasya vadhe karṇena saṃyuge ||
vijitāṃś cāpy amanyanta pāṇḍavān dhṛtarāṣṭrajāḥ ||
duryodhano 'pi rājendra visṛjya narapuṃgavān ||
praviveśa gṛhaṃ śrīmān yathā caitrarathaṃ prabhuḥ ||
te 'pi sarve maheṣvāsā jagmur veśmāni bhārata ||
Vaishampayana said: "As he entered, great king, the sutas praised the unwavering one, and the people praised the best of kings, the mighty archer. Showering him with parched grain and sandalwood powder, the people said: 'It is fortunate, O king, that your rite has been completed without hindrance.' Others, the vatikas, said to the king: 'This sacrifice is not equal to Yudhishthira's sacrifice, and does not deserve even a sixteenth part of it.' Some spoke thus, but the friends said: 'This rite surpasses all others. Yayati, Nahusha, Mandhata and Bharata, having performed this rite, were purified and went to heaven.' Hearing these auspicious words of his friends, the king, bull of the Bharatas, joyfully entered the city and his own house. Having bowed to the feet of his mother and father, of Bhishma, Drona, Kripa and the wise Vidura, he received the greetings of his younger brothers and, surrounded by them, sat down upon the foremost seat. Then the son of the charioteer rose and spoke these words: 'It is fortunate, best of the Bharatas, that your great rite has been completed. When the Parthas have been slain in battle and you have performed the rajasuya, then, best of men, I shall honor you again.' The greatly renowned son of Dhritarashtra replied to him: 'This is true, hero. When the wicked Pandavas have been slain and I have attained the great rite, the rajasuya, you, hero, will exalt me again.' Having said this, the wise Kaurava embraced Karna, O Bharata, and began to think of the rajasuya, the foremost of rites. He said to the friends standing beside him: 'When, O Kauravas, having killed all the Pandavas, shall I perform this best and most precious rajasuya?' Then Karna said to him: 'Hear me, elephant among kings. I will not wash my feet until Arjuna has been slain.' When Karna had vowed to slay Phalguna in battle, the mighty archers, the sons of Dhritarashtra, raised a great shout and considered the Pandavas already conquered. Duryodhana, O lord of kings, having taken leave of the foremost of men, entered his splendid house as a lord enters Chaitraratha, and all the great archers likewise went to their own homes."
0888e914e93e · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:28:43 PM UTC
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The celebration turns once again toward a murderous desire. The rite is complete, but its fruit in Duryodhana's heart is not peace but a fresh vow of violence.