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Mahābhārata • Parva 14 (Aśvamedhikaparva) • Adhyāya 80

Aśvamedhikaparva Adhyāya 80

अश्वमेधिकपर्व • अध्यायः 80

Aśvamedhikaparva Adhyāya 80 of the classical Mahābhārata with 23 verses.

Total: 23 Verses • Citations: MBh 14.80.1–23 • 250 Lexicon Terms
तथा विलप्योपरता भर्तुः पादौ प्रगृह्य सा । उपविष्टाभवद्देवी सोच्छ्वासं पुत्रमीक्षती ॥
English Translation
Vaishampayana said Ceasing to lament, the cheerless queen, taking upon her lap the feet of her husband, sat there, sighing heavily and desiring also for the restoration of her son to life.
ततः संज्ञां पुनर्लब्ध्वा स राजा बभ्रुवाहनः । मातरं तामथालोक्य रणभूमावथाब्रवीत् ॥
English Translation
King Babhruvahana then, regaining consciousness, saw his mother seated in that guise on the field of battle. Addressing her he said, What can be more painful than the sight of my mother, who has been brought up in luxury, lying on the naked Earth beside her heroic husband stretched thereon.
इतो दुःखतरं किं नु यन्मे माता सुखैधिता । भूमौ निपतितं वीरमनुशेते मृतं पतिम् ॥
English Translation
King Babhruvahana then, regaining consciousness, saw his mother seated in that guise on the field of battle. Addressing her he said, What can be more painful than the sight of my mother, who has been brought up in luxury, lying on the naked Earth beside her heroic husband stretched thereon.
निहन्तारं रणेऽरीणां सर्वशस्त्रभृतां वरम् । मया विनिहतं संख्ये प्रेक्षते दुर्मरं बत ॥
English Translation
Alas, this destroyer of all enemies, this foremost of all wielders of weapons, has been killed by me in battle. It is clear that men do die, till their hour comes.
अहोऽस्या हृदयं देव्या दृढं यन्न विदीर्यते । व्यूढोरस्कं महाबाहुं प्रेक्षन्त्या निहतं पतिम् ॥
English Translation
Oh, the heart of this princess seems to be very hard since it does not break even on seeing her mighty-armed and broad-chested husband lying dead on the ground.
दुर्मरं पुरुषेणेह मन्ये ह्यध्वन्यनागते । यत्र नाहं न मे माता विप्रयुज्येत जीवितात् ॥
English Translation
It is clear that one does not die till one's hour comes, since neither myself, nor my mother is deprived of life.
अहो धिक्कुरुवीरस्य ह्युरःस्थं काञ्चनं भुवि । व्यपविद्धं हतस्येह मया पुत्रेण पश्यत ॥
English Translation
Alas, alas, the golden coat of mail of this foremost hero of Kuru's race, killed by me, his son, knowingly, is lying on the ground, cut off from his body.
भो भो पश्यत मे वीरं पितरं ब्राह्मणा भुवि । शयानं वीरशयने मया पुत्रेण पातितम् ॥
English Translation
Alas, you Brahmanas, see my heroic father lying prostrate on the Earth, on a hero's bed, killed by his son.
ब्राह्मणाः कुरुमुख्यस्य प्रयुक्ता हयसारिणः । कुर्वन्तु शान्तिकां त्वद्य रणे योऽयं मया हतः ॥
English Translation
What benefit is done to this hero, killed by me in battle, by those Brahmanas who were commissioned to attend upon this foremost one of Kuru's race engaged in following the horse?
व्यादिशन्तु च किं विप्राः प्रायश्चित्तमिहाद्य मे । सुनृशंसस्य पापस्य पितृहन्तू रणाजिरे ॥
English Translation
Let the Brahmanas direct what expiation should now be done by me, a cruel and sinful wretch, who has killed his own father in battle.
दुश्चरा द्वादश समा हत्वा पितरमद्य वै । ममेह सुनृशंसस्य संवीतस्यास्य चर्मणा ॥
English Translation
Having killed my own father, I should, suffering every sort of misery, wonder over the Earth, cruel that I am, covering myself with his skin.
शिरःकपाले चास्यैव भुञ्जतः पितुरद्य मे । प्रायश्चित्तं हि नास्त्यन्यद्धत्वाद्य पितरं मम ॥
English Translation
Give me the two halves of my sire's head today, for there is no other expiation for me who have killed my own father.
पश्य नागोत्तमसुते भर्तारं निहतं मया । कृतं प्रियं मया तेऽद्य निहत्य समरेऽर्जुनम् ॥
English Translation
See, O daughter of the foremost of Snakes, your husband killed by me. Indeed, by killing Arjuna in battle I have accomplished what is pleasant to you.
सोऽहमप्यद्य यास्यामि गतिं पितृनिषेविताम् । न शक्नोम्यात्मनात्मानमहं धारयितुं शुभे ॥
English Translation
I shall today follow in the track by which my father has gone. O blessed one, I cannot comfort myself.
सा त्वं मयि मृते मातस्तथा गाण्डीवधन्वनि । भव प्रीतिमती देवि सत्येनात्मानमालभे ॥
English Translation
Be happy today, O mother, seeing myself and the wielder of Gandiva both, embrace death today. I swear to you by truth itself.
इत्युक्त्वा स तदा राजा दुःखशोकसमाहतः । उपस्पृश्य महाराज दुःखाद्वचनमब्रवीत् ॥
English Translation
Having said these words, the king, sorely afflicted with grief, O monarch, touched water, and exclaimed in sorrow, Let all creatures, mobile and immobile, listen to me! Do you also listen to me, O mother! I say the truth, O best of all daughters of the snakes.
शृण्वन्तु सर्वभूतानि स्थावराणि चराणि च । त्वं च मातर्यथा सत्यं ब्रवीमि भुजगोत्तमे ॥
English Translation
Having said these words, the king, sorely afflicted with grief, O monarch, touched water, and exclaimed in sorrow, Let all creatures, mobile and immobile, listen to me! Do you also listen to me, O mother! I say the truth, O best of all daughters of the snakes.
यदि नोत्तिष्ठति जयः पिता मे भरतर्षभः । अस्मिन्नेव रणोद्देशे शोषयिष्ये कलेवरम् ॥
English Translation
If this best of men, Jaya, my father does not rise up, I shall emaciate my own body, sitting on the field of battle.
न हि मे पितरं हत्वा निष्कृतिर्विद्यते क्वचित् । नरकं प्रतिपत्स्यामि ध्रुवं गुरुवधार्दितः ॥
English Translation
Having killed my father, there is not rescue for me. Afflicted as I am with the sin of patricide, I shall, forsooth, have to sink in Hell.
वीरं हि क्षत्रियं हत्वा गोशतेन प्रमुच्यते । पितरं तु निहत्यैवं दुस्तरा निष्कृतिर्मया ॥
English Translation
By killing a heroic Kshatriya one becomes cleansed by a gift of a hundred kine. By killing my father, however, so dreadful has been my sin that my rescue is impossible.
एष ह्येको महातेजाः पाण्डुपुत्रो धनंजयः । पिता च मम धर्मात्मा तस्य मे निष्कृतिः कुतः ॥
English Translation
This Dhanajaya, the son of Pandu, was the one hero gifted with mighty energy. Possessed of righteous soul, he was the creator of my being. How can I be rescued after having killed him?
इत्येवमुक्त्वा नृपते धनंजयसुतो नृपः । उपस्पृश्याभवत्तूष्णीं प्रायोपेतो महामतिः ॥
English Translation
Having bewailed thus, the great son of Dhananjaya, king Babhruvahana, touched water and became silent, vowing to starve himself to death.
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