Chapter 40

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sūta uvāca |
evamuktāni tīrthāni viṣṇudehāni suvratāḥ |
eṣāmanyatamā saṃgānmukto bhavati mānavaḥ || 1 ||
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tīrthānuśravaṇaṃ dhanyaṃ dhanyaṃ tīrthaniṣevaṇam |
pāparāśinipātāya nānyopāyaḥ kalauyuge || 2 ||
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vāsaṃ kuryāmahaṃ tīrthe tīrthasparśamahaṃ tathā |
evaṃ yo'nudinaṃ brūte sa yāti paramaṃ mahat || 3 ||
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pāpāni tasya naśyaṃti tīrthālāpanamātrataḥ |
tīrthāni khalu dhanyāni dhanyasevyāni suvratāḥ || 4 ||
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tīrthānāṃ sevanādeva sevito bhavati prabhuḥ |
nārāyaṇo jagatkartā nāsti tīrthātparaṃ padam || 5 ||
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brāhmaṇastulasī caiva aśvatthastīrthasaṃcayaḥ |
viṣṇuśca parameśānaḥ sevya eva sadā nṛbhiḥ || 6 ||
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brāhmaṇānāṃ viśeṣeṇa sevanaṃ munipuṃgavāḥ |
sarvatīrthāvagāhāderadhikaṃ viduragrajāḥ || 7 ||
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tasmāddvijapadaṃ sākṣātsarvatīrthamayaṃ śubham |
bhajetānudinaṃ vidvāṃstatra tīrthādhikaṃ bhavet || 8 ||
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aśvatthasya tulasyāśca gavāṃ kuryātpradakṣiṇam |
sarvatīrthaphalaṃprāpya viṣṇuloke mahīyate || 9 ||
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tasmādduṣkṛtakarmāṇi nāśayettīrthasevanāt |
anyathā narakaṃ yāti karmmabhogāddhi śāmyati || 10 ||
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pāpināṃ narake vāsaḥ sukṛtī svargamaśnute |
tasmātpuṇyaṃ niṣeveta tīrthaṃ khalu vicakṣaṇaḥ || 11 ||
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ṛṣaya ūcuḥ |
śrutāni kila tīrthāni samāhātmyāni suvrata |
idānīṃ śrotumicchāmaḥ prayāgasya viśeṣakam || 12 ||
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prayāgaṃ tu purā proktaṃ saṃkṣepātsūta yattvayā |
viśeṣācchrotumicchāmaḥ sūta naḥ kathyatāmiti || 13 ||
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sūta uvāca |
sādhu pṛṣṭaṃ mahābhāgāḥ prayāgaṃ prati suvratāḥ |
haṃtāhaṃ tatpravakṣyāmi prayāgasyopavarṇanam || 14 ||
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mārkaṃḍeyena kathitaṃ yatpurā pāṃḍusūnave |
bhārate tu yadā vṛtte prāptarājye pṛthāsute || 15 ||
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etasminnaṃtare rājā kuṃtīputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ |
bhrātṛśokena saṃtaptaḥ ciṃtayaṃstu punaḥ punaḥ || 16 ||
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āsīdduryodhano rājā ekādaśacamūpatiḥ |
asmānsaṃtapya bahuśaḥ sarve te nidhanaṃ gatāḥ || 17 ||
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vāsudevaṃ samāśritya paṃcaśeṣāstu pāṃḍavāḥ |
kathaṃ droṇaṃ ca bhīṣmaṃ ca karṇaṃ caiva mahābalam || 18 ||
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duryodhanaṃ ca rājānaṃ bhrātṛputrasamanvitam |
rājāno nihatāḥ sarve ye cānye śūramāninaḥ || 19 ||
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vinā rājyena kartavyaṃ kiṃ bhogairjīvitenavā |
dhikkaṣṭamiti saṃciṃtya rājā vihvalatāṃ gataḥ || 20 ||
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niśceṣṭo'tha nirutsāhaḥ kiṃ cittiṣṭhatyadhomukhaḥ |
labdhasaṃjño yadā rājā ciṃtayānaḥ punaḥ punaḥ || 21 ||
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kaṃ care vidhinā yogaṃ niyamaṃ tīrthameva vā |
yenāhaṃ śīghramāmucye mahāpātakakilbiṣāt || 22 ||
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yatra snātvā naro yāti viṣṇulokamanuttamam |
kathaṃ pṛcchāmi vai kṛṣṇaṃ yenedaṃ kāritaṃ mahat || 23 ||
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dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ kathaṃ pṛcche yasya putraśataṃ hatam |
vyāsaṃ kathamahaṃ pṛcche yasya gotrakṣayaḥ kṛtaḥ || 24 ||
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evaṃ vaiklavyamāpanno dharmaputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ |
rudaṃtaḥ pāṃḍavāḥ sarve bhrātṛśokapariplutāḥ || 25 ||
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ye ca tatra mahātmānaḥ sametāḥ pāṃḍavāśritāḥ |
kuṃtī ca draupadī caiva ye ca tatra samāgatāḥ || 26 ||
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bhūmau nipatitāḥ sarve rodamānāḥ samaṃtataḥ |
vārāṇasyāṃ tu mārkaṃḍastena jñāto yudhiṣṭharaḥ || 27 ||
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yathāviklavamāpanno rodamānaḥ suduḥkhitaḥ |
acireṇaiva kālena mārkaṃḍastu mahātapāḥ || 28 ||
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hastināpura saṃprāpto rājadvāre sa tiṣṭhati |
dvārapālo'pi taṃ dṛṣṭvā rājñaḥ kathitavāndrutam || 29 ||
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tvāṃ draṣṭukāmo mārkaṃḍo dvāre tiṣṭhatyasau muniḥ |
tvarito dharmaputrastu dvārametyāha tatparaḥ || 30 ||
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yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
svāgataṃ te mahāprājña svāgataṃ te mahāmune |
adya me saphalaṃ janma adya me pāvitaṃ kulam || 31 ||
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adya me pitarastṛptāstvayi dṛṣṭe mahāmune |
siṃhāsana upasthāpya pādaśaucārcanādibhiḥ || 32 ||
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yudhiṣṭhiro mahātmā vai pūjayāmāsa taṃ munim |
tatastamūce mārkaṇḍaḥ pūjito'haṃ tvayā vibho || 33 ||
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ākhyāhi tvarito rājankimarthaṃ tvaritaṃ tvayā |
kena vā viklavībhūtaḥ kathayasva mamāgrataḥ || 34 ||
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yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
asmākaṃ caiva yadvṛttaṃ rājyasyārthe mahāmune |
etatsarvaṃ viditvā tu bhagavāniha cāgataḥ || 35 ||
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mārkaṃḍeya uvāca |
śṛṇu rājanmahābāho yatra dharmo vyavasthitaḥ |
naiva dṛṣṭaṃ raṇe pāpaṃ yudhyamānasya dhīmataḥ || 36 ||
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kiṃ punā rājadharmeṇa kṣatriyasya viśeṣataḥ |
tadevaṃ hṛdaye kṛtvā tasmātpāpaṃ na ciṃtayet || 37 ||
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tato yudhiṣṭhiro rājā praṇamya śirasā munim |
pṛcchāmi tvāṃ muniśreṣṭha sadā traikālyadarśanam |
kathayasva samāsena mucye'haṃ yena kilbiṣāt || 38 ||
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mārkaṃḍeya uvāca |
śṛṇu rājanmahābhāga yanmāṃ pṛcchasi bhārata |
evaṃ sāṃkhyaṃ ca yogaṃ ca tīrthaṃ caiva yudhiṣṭhira || 39 ||
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kiṃ punarbrāhmaṇaiḥ puṇyaiḥ kīrtitaṃ vai purā vibho |
prayāgagamanaṃ śreṣṭhaṃ narāṇāṃ puṇyakarmaṇām || 40 ||
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iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe svargakhaṃḍe catvāriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ || 40 ||
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