Mahabharata, Book 7, Section LIद्रोणपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 7.51.

51Sanskrit adhyāya 7.51 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

सञ्जय उवाच।
हते तस्मिन्महावीर्ये सौभद्रे रथयूथपे।
विमुक्तरथसन्नाहाः सर्वे निक्षिप्तकार्मुकाः।।
उपोपविष्टा राजानं परिवार्य युधिष्ठिरम्।
तदेव युद्धं ध्यायन्तः सौभद्रगतमानसाः।।
ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा विललाप सुदुःखितः।
ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा विललाप सुदुःखितः।
अभिमन्यौ हते वीरे भ्रातुः पुत्रे महारथे।।
युधिष्ठिर उवाच।
एनं जित्वा कृपं शल्यं राजानं च सुयोधनम्।
द्रोँणं द्रौणिं महेष्वासं तथैवान्यान्महारथान्।।
द्रोणानीकमसम्बाधं मम प्रियचिकीर्षया।
`हत्वा शत्रुगणान्वीरानेष शेते महारथः।।
कृतास्त्रयु द्धकुशलान्महेष्वासान्महाबलान्।
कुलशः पूणैर्युक्ताञ्छूरान्विख्यातपौरुषान्।।
द्रोणेन र्प्राहेतं व्यूहमभेद्यममरैरपि।
अदृष्टपूर्वमस्माभिः पद्मं चक्रायुधप्रियः'।।
भित्त्वा मध्यं प्रविष्टोऽसौ गोमध्यमिव केसरी।
`विक्रीडितं रणे तेन निघ्नता वै परान्वरान्'।।
यस्य शूरा महेष्वासाः प्रत्यनीकगता रणे।
प्रभग्ना विनिवर्तन्ते कृतास्त्रा युद्धदुर्मदाः।।
अत्यन्तशत्रुरस्माकं येन दुःशासनः शरैः।
क्षिप्रं ह्यभिमुखः सङ्ख्ये विसंज्ञो विमुखीकृतः।।
स तीर्त्वा दुस्तरं वीरो द्रोणानीकमहार्णवम्।
प्राप्य दौःशासनिं कार्ष्णिः प्राप्तो वैवस्वतक्षयम्।।
कथं द्रक्ष्यामि कौन्तेयं सौभद्रे निहतेऽर्जुनम्।
सुभद्रां वा महाभागां प्रियं पुत्रमपश्यतीम्।।
`हतवत्सां यथा धेनुं तद्दृर्शनकृतोन्मुखीम्'।
किंस्विद्वक्ष्याम्यपेतार्थमक्लिष्टमसमञ्जसम्।
तावुभौ प्रतिवक्ष्यामि हृषीकेशधनञ्जयौ।।
अहमेव सुभद्रायाः केशवार्जुनयोरपि।
प्रियकामो जयाकाङ्क्षी कृतवानिदमप्रियम्।।
न लुब्धो बुध्यते दोषाँल्लोभान्मोहात्प्रवर्तते।
मधुलिप्सुर्हि नापश्यं प्रपातमहमीदृशम्।।
यो हि भोज्ये पुरस्कार्यो यानेषु शयनेषु च।
भूषणेषु च सोऽस्माभिर्बालो युधि पुरस्कृतः।।
कथं हि बालस्तरुणो युद्धानामविशारदः।
सदश्व इव सम्बाधे विषमे क्षेममर्हति।।
नो चेद्धि वयमप्येनं महीमनुशयीमहि।
बीभत्सोः कोपदीप्तस्य दग्धाः कृपणचक्षुषा।।
अलुब्धो मितमान्हीमान्क्षमावान्रूपवान्बली।
वपुष्मान्मानकृद्वीरः प्रियः सत्यपराक्रमः।।
यस्य श्लाघन्ति विबुधाः कर्माण्यूर्जितकर्मणः।
निवातकवचाञ्जघ्ने कालकेयांश्च वीर्यवान्।।
महेन्द्रशत्रवो येन हिरण्यपुरवासिनः।
अक्ष्णोर्निमेषमात्रेण पौलोभाः सगणा हताः।।
परेभ्योऽप्यभयार्थिभ्यो यो ददात्यभयं विभुः।
तस्यास्माभिर्न शकितस्त्रातुमप्यात्मजो बली।।
भयं तु सुमहत्प्राप्तं धार्तराष्ट्रान्महाबलान्।
पार्थः पुत्रवधात्क्रुद्धः कौरवाञ्शोषयिष्यति।।
क्षुद्रः क्षुद्रसहायश्च स्वपक्षक्षयकारकः।
व्यक्तं दुर्योधनो दृष्ट्वा शोचन्हास्यति जीवितं।।
न मे जयः प्रीतिकरो न राज्यं
न चामरत्वं न सुरैः सलोकता।
इमं समीक्ष्याप्रतिवीर्यपौरुषं
निपातितं देववरात्मजात्मजम्।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते द्रोणपर्वणि अभिमन्युवधपर्वणि
एकपञ्चाशत्तमोऽध्यायः।। 51 ।।

English Ganguli

“‘Sthanu said, “O lord, thou hadst taken great care for creating diverse creatures. Indeed, creatures of diverse kinds were created and reared by thee. Those very creatures, again, are now being consumed through thy fire. Seeing this, I am filled with compassion. O illustrious lord, be inclined to grace."

“‘Brahma said, “I had no desire of destroying the universe, I desired good of the earth, and it was for this that wrath possessed me. The goddess Earth, afflicted with the heavy weight of creatures, always urged me for destroying the creatures on her. Urged by her, I could not however, find any means for the destruction of the infinite creation. At this wrath possessed me."

“‘Rudra said, “Be inclined to grace. O lord of the universe, cherish not the wrath for the destruction of creatures. No more let creatures, immobile and mobile, be destroyed. Through thy grace, O illustrious one, let the threefold universe, viz., the Future, the Past, and the Present exist. Thou, O Lord, hadst blazed up with wrath. From that wrath of thine, a substance like fire sprang into existence. That fire is even now blasting rocks and trees and rivers, and all kinds of herbs and grass. Indeed, that fire is exterminating the immobile and the mobile universe. The mobile and the immobile universe is being reduced to ashes. Be inclined to grace, O illustrious one! Do not give way to wrath. Even this is the boon I solicit. All created things, O divine Being, belonging to thee, are being destroyed. Therefore, let thy wrath be appeased. Let it be annihilated in thy own self. Cast thy eye on thy creatures, inspired with the desire of doing them good. Do that by which creatures endued with life may not cease to be. Let not these creatures, with their productive powers weakened be exterminated. O Creator of the worlds, thou hast appointed me their Protector, O Lord of the universe, let not the mobile and the immobile universe to be destroyed. Thou art inclined to grace, and it is for this that I say these words unto thee.”’

“‘"Narada continued, ‘Hearing these words (of Mahadeva) the divine Brahma, from desire of benefiting creatures, held in his own inner self his wrath that had been roused. Extinguishing the fire, the divine Benefactor of the world, the great Master, declared the duties of Production and Emancipation. And while the Supreme Deity exterminated that fire born of his wrath, there came out from the doors of his diverse senses a female who was dark and red and tawny, whose tongue and face and eyes were red, and who was decked with two brilliant ear-rings and diverse other brilliant ornaments. Issuing out of his body, she smilingly looked at those two lords of the universe and then set out for the southern quarter. Then Brahma, that controller of the creation and destruction of the worlds, called after her by the name of Death. And Brahma, O king, said unto her, “Slay these creatures of mine! Thou hast been born of that wrath of mine which I cherished for the destruction (of the universe). By doing this, kill all creatures including idiots and seers at my command. By doing this, thou wilt be benefited.” The lotus-lady, called Death, thus addressed by him reflected deeply, and then helplessly wept aloud in melodious accents. The Grandsire then caught the tears she had shed, with his two hands, for the benefit of all creatures, and began to implore her (with these words).’”’"