Mahabharata, Book 14, Section LXXXIVआश्वमेधिकपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 14.84.

84Sanskrit adhyāya 14.84 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

वैशम्पायन उवाच।
मागधेनार्चितो राजन्पाण्डवः श्वेतवाहनः।
दक्षिणां दिशमास्थाय चारयामास तं हयम्।।
ततः स पुनरावर्त्य हयः कामचरो बली।
आससाद पुरीं रम्यां चेदीनां शुक्तिसाह्वयाम्।।
शरभेणार्चितस्तत्र शिशुपालसुतेन सः।
युद्धपूर्वं तदा तेन पूजया च महाबलः।।
ततोऽर्चितो ययौ राजंस्तदा स तुरगोत्तमः।
काशीनङ्गान्कोसलांश्च किरातानाथ तङ्गणात्।।
पूजां तत्र यथान्यायं प्रतिगृह्य धनंजयः।
पुनरावृत्त्य कौन्तेयो दशार्णानगमत्तदा।।
तत्र चित्राङ्गदो नाम बलवानरिमर्दनः।
तेन युद्धमभूत्तस्य विजयस्यातिभैरवम्।।
तं चापि वशमानीय किरीटी पुरुषर्षभः।
निषादराज्ञो विषयमेकलव्यस्य जग्मिवान्।।
एकलव्यसुतश्चैनं युद्धेनि जगृहे तदा।
तत्र चक्रे निषादैः स सग्रामं रोमहर्षणम्।।
ततस्तमपि कौन्तेयः समरेष्वपराजितः।।
जिगाय युधि दुर्धर्षो यज्ञविघ्नार्थमागतम्।।
स तं जित्वा महाराज नैषादिं पाकशासनिः।
अर्चितः प्रययौ भूयो दक्षिणं सलिलार्णवम्।।
तत्रापि द्रवीडैरान्ध्रै रौद्रैर्माहिषकैरपि।
तथा कोल्लगिरेयैश्च युद्धमासीन्किरीटिनः।।
तांश्चापि विजयो जित्वा नातितीव्रेण कर्मणा।
तुरङ्गमवशेनाथ सुराष्ट्रानभितो ययौ।
गोकर्णमथ चासाद्य प्रभासमपि जग्मिवान्।।
ततो द्वारवतीं रम्यां वृष्णिवीराभिपालिताम्।
आससाद हयः श्रीमान्कुरुराजस्य यज्ञियः।।
तमुन्मथ्य हयश्रेष्ठं यादवानां कुमारकाः।
प्रययुस्तांस्तदा राजन्नुग्रसेनो न्यवारयत्।।
ततः पुराद्विनिष्क्रम्य वृष्ण्यन्धकपतिस्तदा।
सहितो वासुदेवेन मातुलेन किरीटिनः।।
तौ समेत्य कुरुश्रेष्ठं विधिवत्प्रीतिपूर्वकम्।
परया भारतश्रेष्ठं पूजया समवस्थितौ।
ततस्ताभ्यामनुज्ञातो यतयौ येन हयो गतः।।
ततः स पश्चिमं देशं समुद्रस्य तदा हयः।
क्रमेणि व्यचरत्स्फीतं ततः पञ्चनदं ययौ।।
तस्मादपि स कौरव्य गन्धारविषयं हयः।
विचचार यथाकामं कौन्तेयानुगतस्तदा।।
ततो गान्धारराजेन युद्धमासीत्किरीटिनः।
घोरं शकुनिपुत्रेण पूर्ववैरानुसारिणा।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते आश्वमेधिकपर्वणि
अनुगीतापर्वणि चतुरशीतितमोऽध्यायः।। 84 ।।

English Ganguli

"Vaisampayana said, 'The heroic son of Sakuni, who was a mighty car-warrior among the Gandharas, accompanied by a large force, proceeded against the Kuru hero of curly hair.[200] That force was properly equipt with elephants and horses and cars, and was adorned with many flags and banners. Unable to bear and, therefore, burning to avenge, the slaughter of their king Sakuni, those warriors, armed with bows, rushed together at Partha. The unvanquished Vibhatsu of righteous soul addressed them peacefully, but they were unwilling to accept the beneficial words of Yudhishthira (through Arjuna). Though forbidden by Partha with sweet words, they still gave themselves up to wrath and surrounded the sacrificial steed. At this, the son of Pandu became filled with wrath. Then Arjuna, carelessly shooting from Gandiva many shafts with razor-like heads that blazed with splendour, cut off the heads of many Gandhara warriors. While thus slaughtered by Partha, the Gandharas, O king, exceedingly afflicted, set free the horse, moved by fear and desisted from battle. Resisted, however, by those Gandhara combatants who still surrounded him on every side, the son of Pandu, possessed of great energy, felled the heads of many, previously naming those whom he thus despatched. When the Gandhara warriors were thus being slain all around him in battle, the royal son of Sakuni came forward to resist the son of Pandu. Unto the Gandhara king who was fighting with him, impelled by Kshatriya duty, Arjuna said, "I do not intend to slay the kings who fight with me, in consequence of the commands of Yudhishthira. Cease, O hero, to fight with me. Do not court defeat." Thus addressed the son of Sakuni, stupefied by folly, disregarded that advice and covered with many swift arrows the Kuru hero who resembled Sakra himself in the feats he accomplished in battle. Then Partha, with a crescent-shaped arrow, cut off the head-gear of his foe. Of immeasurable soul, he also caused that head-gear to be borne along a great distance like the head of Jayadratha (after he had cut it off in the battle of Kurukshetra). Beholding this feat, all the Gandhara warriors became filled with wonder. That Arjuna voluntarily spared their king was well understood by them. The prince of the Gandharas then began to fly away from the field, accompanied by all his warriors who resembled a flock of frightened deer. The Gandharas, through fear, lost their senses and wandered over the field, unable to escape. Arjuna, with his broad-headed shafts, cut off the heads of many. Many there were who lost their arms in consequence of Arjuna's arrows, but so stupefied were they with fear that they were not aware of the loss of that limb. Verily, the Gandhara army was exceedingly afflicted with those large shafts which Partha sped from Gandiva. That army, which then consisted of frightened men and elephants and horses, which lost many warriors and animals, and which had been reduced to a rabble and put to rout, began to wander and wheel about the field repeatedly. Among those foes who were thus being slaughtered none could be seen standing in front of the Kuru hero famed for foremost of feats. No one could be seen who was able to bear the prowess of Dhananjaya. Then the mother of the ruler of the Gandharas, filled with fear, and with all the aged ministers of state, came out of her city, bearing an excellent Arghya for Arjuna. She forbade her brave son of steady heart from fighting any longer, and gratified Jishnu who was never fatigued with toil. The puissant Vibhatsu worshipped her and became inclined to show kindness towards the Gandharas. Comforting the son of Sakuni, he said, "Thou hast not, O mighty-armed hero, done what is agreeable to me by setting thy heart upon these measures of hostility. O slayer of heroes, thou art my brother, O sinless one.[201] Recollecting my mother Gandhari, and for the sake of Dhritarashtra also, I have not taken thy life. It is for this, O king, that thou livest still. Many of thy followers, however, have been slain by me. Let not such a thing happen again. Let hostilities cease. Let not thy understanding again go astray. Thou shouldst go to the Horse-sacrifice of our king which comes off on the day of full moon of the month of Chaitra."'"