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Mahābhārata • Parva 14 (Aśvamedhikaparva) • Adhyāya 73

Aśvamedhikaparva Adhyāya 73

अश्वमेधिकपर्व • अध्यायः 73

Aśvamedhikaparva Adhyāya 73 of the classical Mahābhārata with 35 verses.

Total: 35 Verses • Citations: MBh 14.73.1–35 • 250 Lexicon Terms
त्रिगर्तैरभवद्युद्धं कृतवैरैः किरीटिनः । महारथसमाज्ञातैर्हतानां पुत्रनप्तृभिः ॥
English Translation
Vaishampayana said A battle took place between the diademdecked (Arjuna) and the sons and grandsons of the Trigartas whose hostility the Pandavas had incurred before and all of whom were wellknown as powerful car-warriors.
ते समाज्ञाय संप्राप्तं यज्ञियं तुरगोत्तमम् । विषयान्ते ततो वीरा दंशिताः पर्यवारयन् ॥
English Translation
Having learn that, that foremost of horses, which was intended for the sacrifice, had come to their kingdom, those heroes, accoutring themselves in coats mail, surrounded Arjuna.
रथिनो बद्धतूणीराः सदश्वैः समलंकृतैः । परिवार्य हयं राजन्ग्रहीतुं संप्रचक्रमुः ॥
English Translation
Mounted on their cars, drawn by excellent and well-decked steeds and with quivers on their backs, they surrounded that horse, O king, and tried to capture it.
ततः किरीटी संचिन्त्य तेषां राज्ञां चिकीर्षितम् । वारयामास तान्वीरान्सान्त्वपूर्वमरिंदमः ॥
English Translation
Thinking of that attempt of theirs, the diadem-decked Arjuna, forbade those heroes, with conciliatory words, ochastiser of enemies.
तमनादृत्य ते सर्वे शरैरभ्यहनंस्तदा । तमोरजोभ्यां संछन्नांस्तान्किरीटी न्यवारयत् ॥
English Translation
Disregarding Arjuna's message, they attacked him with their arrows. The diadem decked Arjuna resisted those warriors who were under the control of darkness and passion.
अब्रवीच्च ततो जिष्णुः प्रहसन्निव भारत । निवर्तध्वमधर्मज्ञाः श्रेयो जीवितमेव वः ॥
English Translation
Jishnu, addressed them smilingly and said, 'Desist, you unrighteous ones! Life is a blessing.'
स हि वीरः प्रयास्यन्वै धर्मराजेन वारितः । हतबान्धवा न ते पार्थ हन्तव्याः पार्थिवा इति ॥
English Translation
At the time of his starting, he had been earnestly ordered by king Yudhishthira the just not to kill those Kshatriyas whose kinsmen had been killed before on the field of Kurukshetra.
स तदा तद्वचः श्रुत्वा धर्मराजस्य धीमतः । तान्निवर्तध्वमित्याह न न्यवर्तन्त चापि ते ॥
English Translation
Remembering these behest's of king Yudhishthira the just who was gifted with great intelligence, Arjuna asked the Trigartas to forbear. But they disregarded Arjuna's injunction.
ततस्त्रिगर्तराजानं सूर्यवर्माणमाहवे । वितत्य शरजालेन प्रजहास धनंजयः ॥
English Translation
Then Arjuna defeated Suryavarman, the king of the Trigartas, in battle, by shooting countless arrows at him and laughed in scorn.
ततस्ते रथघोषेण खुरनेमिस्वनेन च । पूरयन्तो दिशः सर्वा धनंजयमुपाद्रवन् ॥
English Translation
The Trigarta warriors, however filling the ten points with the sound of their cars and carwheels, rushed towards Dhananjaya.
सूर्यवर्मा ततः पार्थे शराणां नतपर्वणाम् । शतान्यमुञ्चद्राजेन्द्र लघ्वस्त्रमभिदर्शयन् ॥
English Translation
Then Suryavarman, showing great lightness of hand, pierced Dhananjaya with hundreds of straight arrows, O king!
तथैवान्ये महेष्वासा ये तस्यैवानुयायिनः । मुमुचुः शरवर्षाणि धनंजयवधैषिणः ॥
English Translation
The other great bowmen, who followed the king and who were all desirous of bringing about the destruction of Dhananjaya, shot showers of arrows on him.
स ताञ्ज्यापुङ्खनिर्मुक्तैर्बहुभिः सुबहूञ्शरान् । चिच्छेद पाण्डवो राजंस्ते भूमौ न्यपतंस्तदा ॥
English Translation
With numberless arrows shot from his own bowstring, the son of Pandu, O king, cut off those clouds of arrows upon which they fell down.
केतुवर्मा तु तेजस्वी तस्यैवावरजो युवा । युयुधे भ्रातुरर्थाय पाण्डवेन महात्मना ॥
English Translation
Gifted with great energy, Ketuvarman, the younger brother of Suryavarman, and gifted with youthful vigour, fought, for the sake of his brother, against Pandu's son endued with great fame.
तमापतन्तं संप्रेक्ष्य केतुवर्माणमाहवे । अभ्यघ्नन्निशितैर्बाणैर्बीभत्सुः परवीरहा ॥
English Translation
Seeing Ketuvarman approaching towards him for battle, Bibhatsu, that destroyer of hostile heroes, killed him with many sharppointed arrows.
केतुवर्मण्यभिहते धृतवर्मा महारथः । रथेनाशु समावृत्य शरैर्जिष्णुमवाकिरत् ॥
English Translation
Upon Ketuvarmana's fall, the powerful carwarrior Dlıritavarman, rushing on his car towards Arjuna, showered a perfect downpour of arrows on him.
तस्य तां शीघ्रतामीक्ष्य तुतोषातीव वीर्यवान् । गुडाकेशो महातेजा बालस्य धृतवर्मणः ॥
English Translation
Seeing that lightness of hand shown by the youth Dhritavarman, Gudakesha of great energy and great prowess became highly pleased with him.
न संदधानं ददृशे नाददानं च तं तदा । किरन्तमेव स शरान्ददृशे पाकशासनिः ॥
English Translation
The son of Indra could not see when the young warrior took out his arrows and when he placed them on his bowstring aiming at him. He only saw showers of arrows in the air.
स तु तं पूजयामास धृतवर्माणमाहवे । मनसा स मुहूर्तं वै रणे समभिहर्षयन् ॥
English Translation
For a brief space of time, Arjuna pleased his enemy and mentally admired his heroism and skill.
तं पन्नगमिव क्रुद्धं कुरुवीरः स्मयन्निव । प्रीतिपूर्वं महाराज प्राणैर्न व्यपरोपयत् ॥
English Translation
The Kuru hero, smiling the while, fought with that youth who took after an angry snake. The mighty-armed Dhananjaya, glad as he was in seeing the courage of Dhritavarman, did not take his life.
स तथा रक्ष्यमाणो वै पार्थेनामिततेजसा । धृतवर्मा शरं तीक्ष्णं मुमोच विजये तदा ॥
English Translation
While, however, Partha of immeasurable energy fought mildly with him without wishing to kill him, Dhritavarman shot a burning arrow at him.
स तेन विजयस्तूर्णमस्यन्विद्धः करे भृशम् । मुमोच गाण्डीवं दुःखात्तत्पपाताथ भूतले ॥
English Translation
Deeply pierced in the hand by that arrow, Vijaya became stupefied and his bow Gandiva dropped down on the Earth from his relaxed grasp.
धनुषः पततस्तस्य सव्यसाचिकराद्विभो । इन्द्रस्येवायुधस्यासीद्रूपं भरतसत्तम ॥
तस्मिन्निपतिते दिव्ये महाधनुषि पार्थिव । जहास सस्वनं हासं धृतवर्मा महाहवे ॥
English Translation
When that great and celestial bow dropped down, O king, Dhritavarman laughed loudly in battle.
ततो रोषान्वितो जिष्णुः प्रमृज्य रुधिरं करात् । धनुरादत्त तद्दिव्यं शरवर्षं ववर्ष च ॥
English Translation
At this, Jishnu, worked up with rage wiped the blood from his hand and once more taking up his bow, showered a perfect downpour of arrows.
ततो हलहलाशब्दो दिवस्पृगभवत्तदा । नानाविधानां भूतानां तत्कर्मातीव शंसताम् ॥
English Translation
Then a loud and confused noise arose, filling the sky and touching the very heavens, as it were, from various creatures who spoke highly of that feat of Dhananjaya.
ततः संप्रेक्ष्य तं क्रुद्धं कालान्तकयमोपमम् । जिष्णुं त्रैगर्तका योधास्त्वरिताः पर्यवारयन् ॥
English Translation
Seeing Jishnu inflamed with wrath and loO king like Yama himself as he appears as the end of the cycle, the Trigarta warriors hastily surrounded him, rushing from their posts and desirous of rescuing Dhritavarman. Seeing himself surrounded by his enemies, Arjuna became more angry than before.
अभिसृत्य परीप्सार्थं ततस्ते धृतवर्मणः । परिवव्रुर्गुडाकेशं तत्राक्रुध्यद्धनंजयः ॥
ततो योधाञ्जघानाशु तेषां स दश चाष्ट च । महेन्द्रवज्रप्रतिमैरायसैर्निशितैः शरैः ॥
English Translation
He then quickly despatched eighteen of their foremost warriors with many arrows of hard iron which resembled the arrows of the great Indra himself.
तांस्तु प्रभग्नान्संप्रेक्ष्य त्वरमाणो धनंजयः । शरैराशीविषाकारैर्जघान स्वनवद्धसन् ॥
English Translation
The Trigarta warriors then began to fly. Seeing them retreat, Dhananjaya, quickly shot many shafts at them which resembled angry snakes of dreadful poison, and laughed aloud.
ते भग्नमनसः सर्वे त्रैगर्तकमहारथाः । दिशो विदुद्रुवुः सर्वा धनंजयशरार्दिताः ॥
English Translation
The powerful car-warriors of the Trigarlas, with dispirited hearts, fled in all directions, greatly afflicted by Dhananjaya with his arrows.
त ऊचुः पुरुषव्याघ्रं संशप्तकनिषूदनम् । तव स्म किंकराः सर्वे सर्वे च वशगास्तव ॥
English Translation
They then addressed that foremost of men, that destroyer of the Samsaptaka army, saying, 'We are your slaves! We yield to you.
आज्ञापयस्व नः पार्थ प्रह्वान्प्रेष्यानवस्थितान् । करिष्यामः प्रियं सर्वं तव कौरवनन्दन ॥
English Translation
Do you command us, O Partha! Lo, we wait here as the most docile of your servants! O delighter of the Kurus, we shall execute all your commands.'
एतदाज्ञाय वचनं सर्वांस्तानब्रवीत्तदा । जीवितं रक्षत नृपाः शासनं गृह्यतामिति ॥
English Translation
Hearing these words expressive of their submission, Dhananjaya said them, 'Do you, O kings, save your lives, to and accept my dominion.'
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