Tirthayatra Parva — Entering Gandamadana

Yudhishthira said : O Bhima, let this powerful and heroic Rakshasha chief, your own begotten son, ever devoted to us and always truthful, carry (his) mother (Draupadi) without any delay.

O greatly powerful hero, by your strength of arins I shall go with the Panchala princess to Gandhamadana.

Vaishampayana said : Having heard the words of his brother, that foremost of men Bhimasena spoke thus to that chastiser of foes, Ghatotkacha.

Bhima said: O invincible hero, O son of Hidimba, O child, O ranger of skies, you are capable of going everywhere at will. Your mother is worn out with fatigue; therefore, O strong hero, carry her.

On your shoulder and go with us adopting a course not far overhead, so that you may not make her feel uneasy. Let blessings be on you.

Ghatotkacha said : I can myself alone carry Dharmaraja (Yudhishthira), Dhaumya, Krishna (Draupadi) and the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva), what wonder is then there that I shall today carry them when I have others to help me!

O sinless one, hundreds of other heroes (Rakshasas), capable of ranging in the skies and of assuming any form at will, will carry you with all the Brahmanas.

Vaishampayana said: Having said this, Ghatotkacha carried Krishna (Draupadi) in the midst of the Pandavas. The other (Rakshasas) carried the Pandavas.

Lomasha of matchless effulgence proceeded in the path of the Siddhas by virtue of his own (ascetic) prowess, like a second sun.

Being ordered by the Rakshasas chief, other greatly powerful Rakshasas took up all the Brahmanas (on their shoulders) and proceeded along.

Blazing up many highly charming forests and woods, they went towards the great Badari tree.

Being carried by the greatly swift and heroic Rakshasas, who were capable of going great distance within the shortest time, they passed over a long way as if it were but a short one.

They saw (on their way) many regions crowded with Mlechas, many mines of gems, many hillocks full of various minerals,

Thronged with Vidyadharas, abounding on all sides in the monkeys and the Kinnaras, the Kimpurushas and the Gandharvas,

Full of peacocks, Chamaru cows, apes, Rurus, bears, Gavayas and buffaloes,

Intersected by many rivulets and abounding in a large number of birds of various kinds and also in various sorts of beasts, beautified by elephants.

Adorned with various trees and enraptured birds. Having passed many such regions and also the country of Uttara-Kurus.

They then saw that best of mountains, the Kailasa, full of wonderful sights. They then saw the hermitage of Nara and Narayana.

Adorned with celestials trees bearing fruits and flowers in all seasons of the year. They then saw that charming Badari of large trunk.

It was full of freshness, of deep shade, of excellent beauty and of thick, soft and green foliage; it was blessed and healthful,

With gigantic and wide spreading boughs of matchless lustre, it bore full grown, tasteful and holy fruits.

All dropping excellent honey. It was frequented by the great Rishis and it was always inhabited by various birds maddened with animal spirits.

It grew in a place where there were no mosquitoes and gad flies and it abounded in fruits, roots and water, it was covered with green grass, inhabited by the celestials and the Gandharvas.

It stood on a smooth surface of land which was naturally blessed and healthful it was thronless, beauteous and cool and pleasant in touch.

Having reached the place with those foremost of Brahmanas, the illustrious (Pandavas) all slowly alighted from the shoulders of the Rakshasas.

O king, the Pandavas, accompanied by those best of Brahmanas, saw the charming hermitage of Nara and Narayana.

It was free from darkness, it was holy, it was untouched by the solar rays, it was free from all the miseries, namely hunger and thirst, heat and cold; it destroyed all sorrows.

It was crowded by the great Rishis and adorned with the grace of the Vedas. It was inaccessible to those men who were beyond the pale of religion.

It was adorned with offerings and havyas, it was holy, well swept and daubed with fragrance. It shone beautiful with the offerings of celestials blossoms all around.

It was covered over with sacrificial altars, sacred ladles and posts and graced with large water jars and baskets.

It was the refuge of all creatures, it echoed with the recitations of the Vedas. It was heavenly and a fit place for a holy hermitage; it destroyed all fatigue.

It was full of splendour, it produced matchless merits, it was majestic with divine qualities. It was inhabited by many great Rishis living on fruits and roots, having their passions controlled, wearing black deer skins, looking as effulgent as the sun and Agni, possessing souls magnified by asceticism and mind intent on emancipation, leading the Vanaprastha life, identifying themselves with the Supreme Soul and reciting the Vedas. That greatly effulgent of Dharma, Yudhishthira, with his brothers, restraining his senses and purifying himself, went to those Rishis, who, having seen by their supernatural knowledge the arrival of Yudhishthira,

Received him with joy. Those Rishis, engaged in the recitation of the Vedas conferred blessings on him.

Those fire-like ones gladly gave him a fitting, teçeption in due form. They gave him pure water, fruits, flowers and roots,

Dharmaraja Yudhishthira gladly received with subdued soul the offerings offered by the great Rishis for his reception. son

O sinless one, the Pandava (Yudhishthira) with Krishna (Draupadi) and his brothers and with also thousands of Brahmanas, learned in the Vedas and the Vedangas, entered that sacred hermitage which was like the abode of Indra, resembling heaven itself, beautiful and full of celestials fragrance.

Then the virtuous-minded (Yudhishthira) saw the hermitage of Nara and Narayana, adored by the celestials and the celestials Rishis and beautified by the Bhagirathi.

Seeing it frequented by the Brahmana Rishis and abounding in fruits dropping excellent honey, those foremost of men, the Pandavas, were filled with great delight.

Having arrived there those high-souled ones lived at that place with the cheerfully sported there.

Seeing the Mainaka mountain with golden peaks and also the auspicious Binda lake abounding in various sorts of birds.

The Pandavas with Krishna (Draupadi) derived great pleasure in roaming in those excellent and charming woods blossomed with flowers of all seasons.

They were beautiful on all sides with trees bearing brown blossoms, bending down with the weight of their fruits, frequented by numerous male Kokilas,

With glossy and beautiful foliage, with cool shade and with beautiful loveliness, with various lakes of crystal waters,

Adorned all around with lotuses and lilies. Seeing this charming scene, the Pandavas derived great delight.

O lord, a balmy breeze with holy fragrance always blew there, delighting all the Pandavas with Krishna (Draupadi).

The high-souled ones saw near the great Badari tree, the Bhagirathi of easy descent and cool water, adorned with beautiful lotuses, with stairs made of rubies and corals, beautified with trees and scattered over with celestials flowers and giving great pleasure to the mind.

Those sons of Kunti, after having purified themselves, offered oblations to the Pitris, the celestials, the Rishis, in the sacred waters of the Bhagirathi in that extremely inaccessible place, frequented by the celestials Rishis. Those perpetuators of the Kuru race thus offered oblations and passed their time in reciting holy writs.

Those foremost of men, those heroes then lived there with the Brahmanas. Those best of men, the celestials-like Pandavas, seeing the various scenes with Krishna (Draupadi) derived great pleasure.