Shloka 21
Draupadī’s Rebuke of Jayadratha and Dhaumya’s Admonition (Āraṇyaka-parva, Adhyāya 252)
मनसोपचितिं कृत्वा निरस्य च बहिःक्रिया: । धृतराष्ट्रपुत्र नृपश्रेष्ठ दुर्योधन अपने निश्चयपर अटल रहकर आचमन करके पवित्र हो पृथ्वीपप कुशका आसन बिछा कुश और वल्कलके वस्त्र धारण करके बैठा और स्वर्गप्राप्तिकी इच्छासे वाणीका संयम करके उपवासके उत्तम नियमोंका पालन करने लगा। उस समय उसने मनके द्वारा मरनेका ही निश्चय करके स्नान-भोजन आदि बाहा क्रियाओंको सर्वथा त्याग दिया था ।। १९-२० ई || अथ तं निश्चयं तस्य बुद्ध्वा दैतेयदानवा:,दुर्योधनके इस निश्चयकों जानकर पातालवासी भयंकर दैत्यों और दानवोंने, जो पूर्वकालमें देवताओंसे पराजित हो चुके थे, मन-ही-मन विचार किया कि इस प्रकार दुर्योधनका प्राणान्त होनेसे तो हमारा पक्ष ही नष्ट हो जायगा; अतः उसे अपने पास बुलानेके लिये मन्त्रविद्यामें निपुण दैत्योंने उस समय बृहस्पति और शुक्राचार्यके द्वारा वर्णित तथा अथर्ववेदमें प्रतिपादित मन्त्रोंद्वारा अग्निविस्तार-साध्य यज्ञकर्मका अनुष्ठान आरम्भ किया और उपनिषद् (आरण्यक)-में जो मन्त्रजपसे युक्त हवनादि क्रियाएँ बतायी गयी हैं, उनका भी सम्पादन किया
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca | manasopacitiṃ kṛtvā nirasyaca bahiḥkriyāḥ | dhṛtarāṣṭraputra nṛpaśreṣṭha duryodhanaḥ svaniścayapar aṭalaḥ san ācamya pavitraḥ pṛthivīpapa kuśakā āsanaṃ bicchāya kuśa-valkala-vastrāṇi dhṛtvā upaviśya svargaprāptikāmyaṃ vāgniyamaṃ kṛtvā upavāsasya uttamān niyamān anutiṣṭhati sma | tadā sa manasā maraṇaniścayaṃ kṛtvā snāna-bhojanādibāhyakriyāḥ sarvathā tyaktavān | atha taṃ niścayaṃ tasya buddhvā daiteyadānavāḥ—pātālavāsinaḥ bhayaṅkarāḥ—ye pūrvakāle devaiḥ parājitāḥ, te manasā vicārayāmāsuḥ: “evaṃ duryodhanasya prāṇānte asmākaṃ pakṣa eva naśyet” iti | ataḥ taṃ svapārśvaṃ ānetuṃ mantravidyākuśalā daityāḥ tasmin kāle bṛhaspati-śukrācāryābhyāṃ varṇitān atharvavede pratipāditān mantrān āśritya agnivistārasādhyaṃ yajñakarma ārabdhavantaḥ, upaniṣatsu (āraṇyakeṣu) ca mantrajapayuktāḥ havanādikriyāḥ yāḥ proktāḥ tā api sampādayāmāsuḥ |
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having gathered his mind into inward composure and casting aside all outward acts, Duryodhana—the son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, best of kings—remained firm in his resolve. After sipping water for purification, he spread a seat of kuśa-grass upon the earth, donned kuśa and bark garments, and sat down. Desiring to attain heaven, he restrained his speech and began to observe the excellent disciplines of fasting. At that time, having decided in his heart upon death itself, he completely abandoned external routines such as bathing and eating. When the Daiteyas and Dānavas—terrible beings dwelling in the netherworld, once defeated by the gods—came to know of his resolve, they reflected: “If Duryodhana’s life ends in this way, our own side will be ruined.” Therefore, to summon him to their presence, those demons skilled in mantra-lore began a sacrificial rite requiring the spreading of sacred fire, employing Atharvavedic mantras described by Bṛhaspati and Śukrācārya; and they also performed the oblations and related acts taught in the Upaniṣadic/Āraṇyaka tradition, accompanied by mantra-recitation.
वैशम्पायन उवाच