PUSHKARAMAALINI – THE INDRA SABHA

SRIMAD MAHABHARATA - SABHA PARVA - LOKAPALA SABHAKHAYANA (UPA) PARVA - CHAPTER 7 - PUSHKARAMAALINI: THE INDRA SABHA

“Narada said, ‘The divine Sabha of Shakra (Lord Indra) is full of brightness. He has obtained it as the fruit of his own acts. O descendant of the Kuru race (Lord Indra), possessed of the splendour of the Sun, it was built by Shakra (Lord Indra) Himself. Capable of going everywhere at will, this Sabha is full one hundred and fifty yojanas in length, and hundred yojanas in breadth, and five yojanas in height. Dispelling weakness of age, grief, tiredness, and fear, auspicious and giving good fortune, furnished with rooms and seats and adorned with divine trees, it is delightful in the extreme. There sits in that Sabha, O Paartha (Yudhishthira), on an excellent seat, the Lord of Devas (Lord Indra), with His wife Shachi endowed with beauty and affluence. Assuming a form incapable of description for its vagueness, with a crown on His head and bright bracelets on the upper arms, attired in garments of pure white and decked with floral arrangement of many colours, there He (Lord Indra) sits with beauty, fame, and glory by His side.

“The illustrious deity (Mahatma is Sanskrit) of a hundred yagnas is daily waited upon. O monarch (Yudhishthira), in that Sabha by the Marutaas in a body, each leading the life of a householder in the protection of His family. The Siddhaas, Deva Rishis, the Saadhyaas in all, Devas, Ganas, and Marutaas of brilliant complexion and adorned with golden garlands – all of them in divine form and decked in ornaments, always wait upon and worship the illustrious chief of Amaraas (Lord Indra), that mighty represser of all enemies.

“O Paarthaa (Yudhishthira), the Deva Rishis also, all of pure souls, with sins completely washed off and brilliant as the fire, possessed of energy, without sorrow of any kind, freed from the fever of anxiety, and all performers of the Soma yagna, also wait upon and worship (Lord) Indra. Paraasharaa, Parvata, Saavarni, Gaalavaa; Shankha, Likhita, Muni Gaurashiraa; Durvaasaa, Krodhana, Shwena and the Muni Dhirghatapa; Pavitrapaani, Saavarni, Yaagnavalkyaa and Bhaaluki; Uddaalaka, Shwetaketu, Tandya, and also Bhandayani; Havishmaa, Gavishta, king Harischandra; Hridya, Udarshaandilya, Paaraasharya, Krishivala; Vaataskandhaa, Vishaakha, Vidhaataa and Kaala. Anantadanta, Tvashta, Vishwakarmaa, and Tumburu; and other Rishis, some born of women, and others living upon air, and others again living upon fire, these all worship (Lord) Indra, the wielder of Vajra, the lord of all the worlds.

“Sahadeva, Suneetha, Mahaa Tapaswi Vaalmeeki; Sameeka of truthful speech, Prachetaa – ever fulfilling their promises; Medhaatithi, Vaamadeva, Pulastya, Pulaha and Kratu; Marutta, Mareechi, Mahaa Tapaswi Sthaanu; Kaksheevaan, Gautama, Taarkshya, and also the Muni Vaishwaanara; Muni Kaalakavriksheeya, Aasraavya, and also Hiranyada; Samvarta, Devahavya, and Vishwaksena of great energy; O king (Yudhishthira), Kanwa, Katyayana, Gargya, and Kaushika – all are present there along with the divine waters and plants; faith, intelligence, Saraswati, Arthaa, Dharma, Kaamaa; and lightning, O Paandavaa (Yudhishthira).

“O Bharata (Yudhishthira), the rain-charged clouds, the winds, and all the loud-sounding forces of heaven; the eastern point, the twenty seven fires conveying the yagna butter, Agni and Soma, the fire of (Lord) Indra, Mitra, Savitaa, and Aryamaan; Bhagaa, Vishwa, the Saadhyaas, the Guru (Brihaspati), also Shukra; Vishwavasu, Chitrasena, Sumanas, and also Taruna; the Yagnas, Dakshinaa, the planets, the stars, and the mantras that are uttered in yagnas – all these are present there.

“O King (Yudhishthira), many Apsaraas and Gandharvaas, by various kinds of dances and music both instrumental and vocal, and by the practice of auspicious rites, and by the exhibition of many feats of skill, please the lord of Devaraja Shatakratu (Lord Indra) – the illustrious slayer of Vala and Vritra. Besides these, many other Brahma Rishis, Raja Rishis, Devas Rishis, all brilliant as the fire, decked in floral arrangement and ornaments, frequently come to and leave that Sabha, riding on divine chariots of various kinds. Brihaspati and Shukra are present there on all occasions. O king, these and many other illustrious Rishis of rigid Vrata, Bhrigu, the seven Rishis (The set of Rishis that are recognised as Sapta Rishis change every Manvantara; The present batch of the Sapta Rishis is Bhrigu, Atri, Angirasa, Vasistha, Pulastya, Pulaha and Kratu; One Manvantara equals 306,720,000 human years) who are equal to (Lord) Brahma Himself, come to and leave that Sabha, riding on Vimaana beautiful as the Vimaana of Soma (the Moon), and themselves looking as bright therein as Soma himself. This, O mighty armed monarch (Yudhishthira), is the Sabha, called Pushkaramaalini, of (Lord) Indra of a hundred yagnas that I have seen. Listen now to the account of Yama’s Sabha.’”