Mahabharata, Book 14, Section LXXIVआश्वमेधिकपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 14.74.

74Sanskrit adhyāya 14.74 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

वैशम्पायन उवाच।
त्रिगर्तैरभवद्युद्धं कृतवैरैः किरीटिनः।
महारथसमाज्ञातैर्हतानां पुत्रनप्तृभिः।।
ते समाज्ञाय सम्प्राप्तं यज्ञियं तुरगोत्तम*****
विषयान्तं ततो वीरा दंशिताः पर्यवारयन्।।
रथिनो बद्धतूणीराः सदश्वैः समलङ्कृतैः।
परिवार्य हयं राजन्ग्रहीतुं सम्प्रचक्रमुः।।
ततः किरीटी सञ्चिन्त्य तेषां तत्र चिकीर्षितम्।
वारयामास तान्वीरान्सान्त्वपूर्वमरिंदमः।।
तदनादृत्य ते सर्वे शरैरभ्यहनंस्तदा।
तमोरजोभ्यां संछन्नांस्तान्किरीटी न्यवारयत्।।
तानव्रवीत्ततो जिष्णुः प्रहसन्निव भारत।
निवर्तध्वमधर्मज्ञाः श्रेयो जीवितमेव च।।
स हि वीरः प्रयास्यन्वै धर्मराजेन वारितः।
हतबान्धवा न ते पार्त हन्तव्याः पार्थिवा इति।।
स तदा तद्वचः श्रुत्वा धर्मराजस्य धीमतः।
तान्निवर्तध्वमित्याह न न्यवर्तन्ति चापि ते।।
ततस्त्रिगर्तराजानं सूर्यवर्माणमाहवे।
विनद्य शरजालेनि प्रजहास धनंजयः।।
ततस्ते रथघोपेण रथनेमिस्वनेन च।
पूरयन्तो दिशः सर्वा धनंजयमुपाद्रवन्।।
सूर्यवर्मा ततः पार्ते शराणां नतपर्वणाम्।
शतान्यमुञ्चद्राजेन्द्र लघ्वस्त्रमभिदर्शयन्।।
तथैवान्ये महेष्वासा ये च तस्यानुयायिनः।
मुमुचुः शरवर्षाणि धनंजयवधैषिणः।।
स ताञ्ज्यामुखनिर्मुक्तैर्बहुभिः सुबहूञ्शरान्।
चिच्छेद पाण्डवो राजंस्ते भूमौ न्यपतंस्तदा।।
केतुवर्मा तु तेजस्वी तस्यैवावरजो युवा।
युयुधे भ्रातुरर्थाय पाण्डवेन यशस्विना।।
तमापतन्तं सम्प्रेक्ष्य केतुवर्माणमाहवे।
अभ्यघ्नन्निशितैर्बाणैर्बीभत्सुः परवीरहा।।
केतुवर्मण्यभिहते धृतवर्मा महारथः।
रथेनाशु समुत्पत्य शरैर्जिष्णुमवाकिरत्।।
तस्य तां शीघ्रतामीक्ष्य तुतोषातीव वीर्यवान्।
गुडाकेशो महादेजा बालस्य धृतवर्मणः।।
न संदधानं ददृशे नाददानं च तं तदा।
किरन्तमेवं स शरान्ददृशे पाकशासनिः।।
स तु तं पूजयामास धृतवर्माणमाहवे।
मनसा तु मुहूर्तं वै रणे समभिहर्षयन्।।
`न विव्याध रणे क्रुद्धः कुन्तीपुत्रो हसन्निव।
सौभद्रस्येव तत्कर्म दृष्ट्वा बालस्य विस्मितः।।
तं पन्नगमिव क्रुद्धं कुरुवीरः स्मयन्निव।
प्रीतिपूर्वं महाबाहुः प्राणैर्न व्यपरोपयत्।।
स तथा रक्ष्यमाणो वै पार्थेनामिततेजसा।
धृतवर्मा शरं दीप्तं मुमोच विजये तदा।।
स तेन विजयस्तूर्णमासीद्विद्धः करे भृशम्।
मुमोच गाण्डिवं मोहात्तत्पपाताथ भूतले।।
धनुषः पततस्तस्य सव्यसाचिकराद्विभो।
बभूव सदृशं रूपं शक्रचापस्य भारत।।
तस्मिन्निपतिते दिव्ये महाधनुषि पार्थिवः।
चकार सस्वनं हासं धृतवर्मा महाहवे।।
ततो रोषार्दितो जिष्णुः प्रमृज्य रुधिरं करात्।
धनुरादत्त तद्दिव्यं शरवर्षैर्ववर्ष च।।
ततो हलहलाशब्दो दिवस्पृगभवत्तदा।
नानाविधानां भूतानां तत्कर्माणि प्रशंसताम्।।
ततः सम्प्रेक्ष्य संक्रुद्धं कालान्तकयमोपमम्।
जिष्णुं त्रैगर्तका योधाः परीताः पर्यवारयन्।।
अभिसृत्य परीप्सार्थं ततस्ते धृतवर्मणः।
परिवव्रुर्गुडाकेशं तत्राक्रुद्ध्यद्धनंजयः।।
ततो योधाञ्जघानाशु तेषां स दश चाष्ट च।
महेन्द्रवज्रप्रतिमैरायसैर्बहुभिः शरैः।।
तान्सम्प्रभग्नान्सम्प्रेक्ष्य त्वरमाणो धनंजयः।
शरैराशीविषाकारैर्जघान स्वनवद्धसन्।।
ते भग्नमनसः सर्वे त्रैगर्तकमहारथाः।
दिशोऽभिदुद्रुवू राजन्धनंजयशरार्दिताः।।
`हतावशिष्टा हि पराः पार्थं दृष्टपराक्रमाः।'
तमूचुः पुरुषव्याघ्रं संशप्तकनिषूदनम्।।
तवास्म किंकराः सर्वे सर्वे वै वशगास्तव।
आज्ञापयस्वः नः पार्थ प्रह्वान्प्रेष्यानवस्थितान्।
करिष्यामः प्रियं सर्वं तव कौरवनन्दन।।
एतदाज्ञाय वचनं सर्वांस्तानब्रवीत्तदा।
जीवितं रक्षत नृपाः शासनं प्रतिगृह्यताम्।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते आश्वमेधिकपर्वणि
अनुगीतापर्वणि चतुःसप्ततितमोऽध्यायः।। 74 ।।

English Ganguli

"Vaisampayana said. 'A battle took place between the diadem-decked (Arjuna) and the sons and grandsons of the Trigartas whose hostility the Pandavas has incurred before and all of whom were well-known as mighty car-warriors. Having learnt that that foremost of steeds, which was intended for the sacrifice, had come to their realm, these heroes, casing themselves in mail, surrounded Arjuna. Mounted on their cars, drawn by excellent and well-decked horses, and with quivers on their backs, they surrounded that horse, O king, and endeavoured to capture it. The diadem-decked Arjuna, reflecting on that endeavour of theirs, forbade those heroes, with conciliatory speeches, O chastiser of foes. Disregarding Arjuna's message, they assailed him with their shafts. The diadem-decked Arjuna resisted those warriors who were under the sway of darkness and passion. Jishnu addressed them smilingly and said, "Desist, ye unrighteous ones. Life is a benefit (that should not be thrown away)." At the time of his setting out, he had been earnestly ordered by king Yudhishthira the just, not to slay those Kshatriyas whose kinsmen had been slain before on the field of Kurukshetra. Recollecting these commands of king Yudhishthira the just who was endued with great intelligence, Arjuna asked the Trigartas to forbear. But they disregarded Arjuna's injunction. Then Arjuna vanquished Suryavarman, the king of the Trigartas, in battle, by shooting countless shafts at him and laughed in scorn. The Trigarta warriors, however, filling the ten points with the clatter of their cars and car-wheels, rushed towards Dhananjaya. Then Suryavarman, displaying his great lightness of hand, pierced Dhananjaya with hundreds of straight arrows, O monarch. The other great bowmen who followed the king and who were all desirous of compassing the destruction of Dhananjaya, shot showers of arrows on him. With countless shafts shot from his own bow-string, the son of Pandu, O king, cut off those clouds of arrows; upon which they fell down. Endued with great energy, Ketuvarman, the younger brother of Suryavarman, and possessed of youthful vigour, fought, for the sake of his brother, against Pandu's son possessed of great fame. Beholding Ketuvarman approaching towards him for battle, Vibhatsu, that slayer of hostile heroes, slew him with many sharp-pointed arrows. Upon Ketuvarman's fall, the mighty car-warrior Dhritavarman, rushing on his car towards Arjuna, showered a perfect downpour of arrows on him. Beholding that lightness of hand displayed by the youth Dhritavarman, Gudakesa of mighty energy and great prowess became highly gratified with him. The son of Indra could not see when the young warrior took out his arrows and when he placed them on his bow-string aiming at him. He only saw showers of arrows in the air. For a brief space of time, Arjuna gladdened his enemy and mentally admired his heroism and skill. The Kuru hero, smiling the while, fought with that youth who resembled an angry snake. The mighty armed Dhananjaya, glad as he was in beholding the valour of Dhritavarman, did not take his life. While, however, Partha of immeasurable energy fought mildly with him without wishing to take his life, Dhritavarman shot a blazing arrow at him. Deeply pierced in the hand by that arrow, Vijaya became stupefied and his bow Gandiva fell down on the Earth from his relaxed grasp. The form of that bow, O king, when it fell from the grasp of Arjuna, resembled, O Bharata, that of the bow of Indra (that is seen in the welkin after a shower). When that great and celestial bow fell down, O monarch, Dhritavarman laughed loudly in battle. At this, Jishnu, excited with rage, wiped the blood from his hand and once more taking up his bow, showered a perfect downpour of arrows. Then a loud and confused noise arose, filling the welkin and touching the very heavens as it were, from diverse creatures who applauded that feat of Dhananjaya. Beholding Jishnu inflamed with rage and looking like Yama himself as he appears at the end of the Yuga, the Trigarta warriors hastily surrounded him, rushing from their posts and desirous of rescuing Dhritavarman. Seeing himself surrounded by his foes, Arjuna became more angry than before. He then quickly despatched eight and ten of their foremost warriors with many shafts of hard iron that resembled the arrows of the great Indra himself. The Trigarta warriors then began to fly. Seeing them retreat, Dhananjaya, with great speed, shot many shafts at them that resembled wrathful snakes of virulent poison, and laughed aloud. The mighty car-warriors of the Trigartas, with dispirited hearts, fled in all directions, exceedingly afflicted by Dhananjaya with his arrows. They then addressed that tiger among men, that slayer of the Samsaptaka host (on the field of Kurukshetra), saying, "We are your slaves. We yield to thee.[190] Do thou command us, O Partha. Lo, we wait here as the most docile of thy servants. O delighter of the Kurus, we shall execute all thy commands." Hearing these words expressive of their submission, Dhananjaya, said unto them, "Do ye, O kings, save your lives, and accept my dominion."'"