Mahabharata, Book 14, Section XIआश्वमेधिकपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 14.11.

11Sanskrit adhyāya 14.11 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

वैशम्पायन उवाच।
इत्युक्ते नृपतौ तस्मिन्व्यासेनाद्भुतकर्मणा।
वासुदेवो महातेजास्ततो वचनमाददे।।
तं नृपं दीनमनसं निहतज्ञातिबान्धवम्।
उपप्लुतमिवादित्यं सधूममिव पावकम्।।
निर्विण्णमनसं पार्थं ज्ञात्वा वृष्णिकुलोद्वहः।
आश्वासनन्धर्मसुतं प्रवक्तुमुपचक्रमे।।
वासुदेव उवाच।
सर्वं जिह्मं मृत्युपदमजिह्मं ब्रह्मणः पदम्।
एतावान्ज्ञानविषयः किं प्रलापः करिष्यति।।
नैव तेऽनुष्ठितं कर्म नैव ते शत्रवो जिताः।
कथं शत्रुं शरीरस्तमात्मनो नावबुध्यसे।।
अत्र ते वर्तयिष्यामि यथाधर्मं यथाश्रुतम्।
इन्द्रस्य सह वृत्रेण यथा युद्धमवर्तत।।
वृत्रेण पृथिवी व्याप्ता पुरा किल नराधिप।
दृष्ट्वा स पृथिवीं व्याप्तां गन्धस्य विषये हृते।
धराहरणदुर्गन्धो विषयः समपद्यत।।
शतक्रतुश्चुकोपाथ गन्धस्य विषये हृते।
वृत्रस्य सततः क्रुद्धो घोरं वज्रमवासृजत्।।
स वध्यमानो वज्रेण सुभृशं भूरितेजसा।
विवेश सहसा तोयं जग्राह विषयं ततः।।
अप्सु वृत्रगृहीतासु रसे च विषये हृते।
शतक्रतुरतिक्रुद्धस्तत्र वज्रमवासृजत्।।
स वध्यमानो वज्रेण तस्मिन्नमिततेजसा।
विवेश सहसा ज्योतिर्जग्राह विषयं ततः।।
व्याप्ते ज्योतिषि वृत्रेण रूपेऽथ विषये हृते।
शतक्रतुरतिक्रुद्धस्तत्र वज्रमवासृजत्।।
स वद्यमानो वज्रेण तस्मिन्नमिततेजसा।
विवेश सहसा वायुं जग्राह विषयं ततः।।
व्याप्ते वायौ तु वृत्रेण स्पर्शेऽथ विषये हृते।
शतक्रतुरतिक्रुद्धस्तत्र वज्रमवासृजत्।।
स वध्यगानो वज्रेण तस्मिन्नमिततेजसा।
आकाशमभिदुद्राव जग्राह विषयं ततः।।
आकाशे वृत्रभूतेऽथ शब्दे च विषये हृते।
शतक्रतुरभिक्रुद्धस्तत्र वज्रमवासृजत्।।
स वध्यमानो वज्रेण तस्मिन्नमिततेजसा।
विवेश सहसा शक्रं जग्राह विषयं ततः।।
तस्य वृत्रगृहीतस्य मोहः समभवन्महान्।
रथन्तरेण तं साम्ना वसिष्ठः प्रत्यबोधयत्।।
ततो वृत्रं शरीरस्थं जघान भरतर्षभ।
शतक्रतुरदृश्येन वज्रेणेतीह नः श्रुतम्।।
इदं धर्म्यं रहस्यं वै शक्रेणोक्तं महर्षिषु।
ऋषिभिश्च मम प्रोक्तं तन्निबोध जनाधिप।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते आश्वमेधिकपर्वणि
अश्वमेधपर्वणि एकादशोऽध्यायः।। 11 ।।

English Ganguli

"Vaisampayana said, 'When Vyasa of wonderful achievements had concluded his speech to the king, the highly-puissant son of Vasudeva (Krishna) also addressed him. Knowing the king, the son of Pritha, afflicted in mind, and bereft of his relatives and kinsmen slain in battle, and appearing crest-fallen like the sun darkened eclipse, or fire smothered by smoke, that prop of the Vrishni race (Krishna), comforting the son of Dharma, essayed to address him thus.

"'Vasudeva said, "All crookedness of heart leads to destruction (perdition?) and all rectitude leads to Brahman (spiritual excellence). If this and this only is the aim and object of all true wisdom, then what can mental distraction do (to one who understands this)? Thy Karma has not yet been annihilated, nor have thy enemies been subjugated, for thou dost not yet know the enemies that are still lurking within thine own flesh. I shall (therefore) relate to thee truly as I have heard it, the story of the war of Indra with Vritra as it took place. In ancient times the Prithivi (earth), O king, was encompassed by Vritra, and by this abstraction of earthly matter, the seat of all odour, there arose bad odours on all sides, and the Performer of a hundred sacrifices (Indra), being much enraged by this act, hurled his thunderbolt at Vritra. And being deeply wounded by the thunderbolt of mighty Indra, Vritra entered into the (waters), and by doing so he destroyed their property. The waters being seized by Vritra, their liquid property left them. At this Indra became highly enraged and again smote him with his thunderbolt. And he (Vritra) smitten by the thunderbolt by the most powerful Indra betook himself to the Jyoti (luminous matter) and abstracted its inherent property. The luminous matter being overwhelmed by Vritra and its property, colour and form being thereby lost, the wrathful Indra again hurled his thunderbolt at him. And thus wounded again by Indra of immeasurable power, Vritra entered all on a sudden into the Vayu (gaseous matter). and thereafter made away with its inherent property. And this matter being overpowered by Vritra and its property, viz., touch being lost, Indra became again filled with wrath and flung his thunderbolt at him. And wounded therein by the mighty (Indra), he overwhelmed the Akasa (ether), and took away its inherent property, and the Akasa being overwhelmed by Vritra, and its property, sound being destroyed, the god of a hundred sacrifices highly incensed, again smote him with his thunderbolt. And thus smitten by the mighty Indra, he suddenly entered into his (Sakra's) body, and took away its essential attributes. And overtaken by Vritra, he was filled with great illusion. And, O venerable sir, the mightiest of Bharata's race, we have heard that Vasishtha comforted Indra (when he was thus afflicted) and that the god of a hundred sacrifices slew Vritra in his body by means of his invisible thunderbolt, and know, O prince, that this religious mystery was recited by Sakra to the great sages, and they in turn told it to me."'"