अध्याय 23
1 [व]
राज्ञस तु वचनं शरुत्वा धृतराष्ट्रस्य संजयः
उपप्लव्यं ययौ दरष्टुं पाण्डवान अमितौजसः
“Markandeya continued, ‘When the night had passed away, and the solar orbhad risen, those ascetics, having performed their morning rites,assembled together.
एक गांव में लक्ष्मीनारायण का मंदिर था। उसके दूसरी ओर ही शिवालय था। इन मंदिरों के बाहर एक वृद्धा फूल बेचती थी। एक दिन वृद्धा के पास फूल कम पड़ गए। तभी वहां एक शिवभक्त आया और फूल मांगने लगा।
“Yudhishthira said, ‘Thou hadst referred to the dispute between Time,Mrityu, Yama, Ikshvaku, and a Brahmana. It behoveth thee to narrate thestory in full.’
1 [मन्त्रिणह]
ततः स राजा राजेन्द्र सकन्धे तस्य भुजंगमम
मुनेः कषुत कषाम आसज्य सवपुरं पुनर आययौ
Vaishampayana said: “As Arjuna entered the asylum of the truthful Rishi,he beheld the son of Satyavati seated in a secluded spot.
Sauti said, ‘And Ruru, on hearing those words, replied, ‘My wife, dear tome as life, was bit by a snake; upon which, I took, O snake, a dreadfulvow, viz., that I would kill every snake that I might come across.Therefore shall I smite thee and thou shalt be deprived of life.’
“Sanjaya said, ‘Then the mighty and heroic bowman Karna began to smitethe Pandava army in that battle, with his straight shafts.