Shloka 473
Subhadrā-vilāpaḥ — Subhadrā’s Lament for Abhimanyu
Droṇa-parva 55
श्रद्धधानो जिताँललोकान् गत: पुण्यदुहो$क्षयान् । सूंजय! अविक्षितके पुत्र राजा मरुत्त भी मर गये, ऐसा हमने सुना है। बृहस्पतिजीके साथ स्पर्धा रखनेके कारण उनके भाई संवर्तने जिन राजर्षि मरुत्तका यज्ञ कराया था, भाँति-भाँतिके यज्ञोंद्वारा भगवानका यजन करनेकी इच्छा होनेपर जिन्हें साक्षात् भगवान् शंकरने प्रचुर धनराशिके रूपमें हिमालयका एक सुवर्णमय शिखर प्रदान किया तथा प्रतिदिन यज्ञकार्यके अन्तमें जिनकी सभामें इन्द्र आदि देवता और बृहस्पति आदि समस्त प्रजापतिगण सभासदके रूपमें बैठा करते थे, जिनके यज्ञमण्डपकी सारी सामग्रियाँ सोनेकी बनी हुई थीं, जिनके यहाँ उन दिनों सब प्रकारका अन्न, मनकी इच्छाके अनुरूप और पवित्र रूपमें उपलब्ध होता था और सभी भोजनार्थी ब्राह्मण एवं द्विज जहाँ अपनी इच्छाके अनुसार दूध, दही, घी, मधु एवं सुन्दर भक्ष्य-भोज्य पदार्थ भोजन करते थे, जिनके सम्पूर्ण यज्ञोंमें प्रसन्नतासे भरे हुए वेदोंके पारंगत दिद्वान् ब्राह्यगोंको अपनी रुचिके अनुसार वस्त्र एवं आभूषण प्राप्त होते थे, जिन अविक्षितकुमार (राजर्षि मरुत्त)-के घरमें मरुद॒गण रसोई परोसनेका काम करते थे और विश्वेदेवणण सभासद् थे, जिन पराक्रमी नरेशके राज्यमें उत्तम वृष्टिके कारण खेतीकी उपज बहुत होती थी, जिन्होंने उत्तम विधिसे समर्पित किये हुए हविष्योंद्वारा देवताओंको तृप्त किया था, जो ब्रह्मचर्यपालन और वेदपाठ आदि सत्कर्मोंद्वारा तथा सब प्रकारके दानोंसे सदा ऋषियों, पितरों एवं सुखजीवी देवताओंको भी संतुष्ट करते थे तथा जिन्होंने इच्छानुसार ब्राह्मणोंको शय्या, आसन, सवारी और दुस्त्यज स्वर्णणशशि आदि वह सारा अपरिमित धन दान कर दिया था, देवराज इन्द्र जिनका सदा शुभ चिन्तन करते थे, वे श्रद्धालु नरेश मरुत्त अपनी प्रजाको नीरोग करके अपने सत्कर्मोंद्वारा जीते हुए पुण्यफलदायक अक्षय लोकोंमें चले गये
nārada uvāca | śraddadhāno jitāṁl lokān gataḥ puṇyaduho'kṣayān | saṁjaya! avikṣitake putro rājā maruttaḥ api mṛtaḥ, iti śuśruma | bṛhaspati-saha spardhā-kāraṇāt tasya bhrātā saṁvartaḥ yena rājarṣi-maruttasya yajñaḥ kāritaḥ | nānā-vidhaiḥ yajñaiḥ bhagavantaṁ yajanecchāyāṁ sati sākṣāt bhagavān śaṅkaraḥ himālayasya suvarṇamayaṁ śikharaṁ prabhūta-dhana-rāśi-rūpeṇa dadau | tasya sabhāyāṁ pratidinaṁ yajña-karmānte indra-ādayo devāḥ bṛhaspati-ādayaḥ sarve prajāpati-gaṇāś ca sabhāsada-rūpeṇa niṣīdanti sma | tasya yajña-maṇḍapa-sāmagrī sarvā suvarṇamayī āsīt | tadā tasya gṛhe sarva-vidham annaṁ manasā yathā-iccham śuci-rūpeṇa labhyate sma; bhojanārthinaḥ brāhmaṇāḥ dvijāś ca yathā-iccham kṣīra-dadhi-ghṛta-madhu-sundara-bhakṣya-bhojyāni bhuñjate sma | tasya sarveṣu yajñeṣu prītā vedapāraga-vidvāṁso brāhmaṇāḥ sva-rucyā vastra-ābharaṇāni prāpnuvanti sma | avikṣitakumārasya (rājarṣi-maruttasya) gṛhe marudgaṇāḥ rasoi-paroṣaṇa-kāryaṁ kurvanti sma, viśvedevāḥ sabhāsadaḥ āsan | tasya vīrasya rāṣṭre uttama-vṛṣṭyā kṛṣi-phalaṁ bahu āsīt | sa samyak-samarpitebhyo haviṣyo devān tṛptavān | sa brahmacarya-veda-pāṭhādi-satkarmabhiḥ sarva-dānaiś ca sadā ṛṣīn pitṝn sukha-jīvinaś ca devān santoṣayām āsa | sa brāhmaṇebhyaḥ yathā-iccham śayyā-āsana-yāna-dustyaja-suvarṇa-rāśy-ādi aparimitaṁ dhanaṁ dadau | devarāja indraḥ tasya sadā śubha-cintanaṁ karoti sma | sa śraddhāluḥ nṛpaḥ maruttaḥ prajāṁ nīrogāṁ kṛtvā sva-satkarmabhiḥ jitān puṇya-phaladān akṣayān lokān jagāma |
Narada said: “O Sañjaya, we have heard that King Marutta, the son of Avikṣit, has also passed away. Yet, being full of faith, he departed to the imperishable worlds that yield the fruits of merit—worlds he had won by his righteous deeds. Because his brother Saṁvarta rivaled Bṛhaspati, it was Saṁvarta who conducted the royal sage Marutta’s sacrifice. When Marutta longed to worship the Lord through sacrifices of many kinds, Lord Śaṅkara himself granted him a golden peak of the Himalaya as an immense treasury. Each day, at the close of the sacrificial rites, Indra and the other gods, along with Bṛhaspati and all the Prajāpatis, sat in his assembly as honored members. The entire equipment of his sacrificial pavilion was made of gold. In those days, every kind of pure food was available in his house according to one’s wish; Brahmins and other twice-born guests ate as they pleased—milk, curds, ghee, honey, and fine foods and drinks. In all his sacrifices, learned Brahmins, masters of the Vedas, joyfully received garments and ornaments according to their taste. In Marutta’s household the Maruts themselves served the meals, and the Viśvedevas sat as courtiers. In his realm, thanks to excellent rains, agriculture yielded abundantly. By properly offered oblations he satisfied the gods; by celibate discipline, Vedic study, and other good works, and by every kind of gift, he continually satisfied sages, ancestors, and the gods. He bestowed on Brahmins—according to their desire—beds, seats, conveyances, and vast stores of hard-to-part-with gold and wealth. Indra ever thought of him with auspicious regard. Thus, having kept his people healthy and prospering, King Marutta went to the undecaying realms earned by his virtuous conduct.”
(नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Righteous kingship is measured not by conquest but by dharma: sustaining sacrifice and social order, protecting the people’s health and prosperity, honoring sages and ancestors, and practicing generous giving. Such conduct ‘wins’ enduring spiritual reward (akṣaya lokas) and earns even the gods’ esteem.
Nārada tells Sañjaya about King Marutta (son of Avikṣit): his extraordinary sacrifices officiated by Saṁvarta, the divine support he received from Śiva (a golden Himalayan peak as wealth), the gods attending his assembly, the abundance in his realm, and his vast gifts to Brahmins—culminating in his departure to merit-earned imperishable worlds.