The Great Epic of the Bhārata dynasty 2.23: trayoviṃśo'dhyāyaḥ

2.23.1

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
pārthaḥ prāpya dhanuḥśreṣṭhamakṣayyau ca maheṣudhī |
rathaṃ dhvajaṃ sabhāṃ caiva yudhiṣṭhiramabhāṣata || 1 ||

(Digvijaya Parva)

Vaisampayana said,--Arjuna, having obtained that best of bows and that couple of inexhaustible quivers and that car and flag-staff, as also that assembly-house, addressing Yudhisthira said,--Bow, weapons, great energy, allies, territory, fame, army-those, O king, difficult of acquisition however desirable, have all been obtained by me. I think, therefore, that what should now be done is for the swelling up of our treasury. I desire, O best of monarchs, to make the kings (of the earth) pay tributes to us. I desire to set out, in an auspicious moment of a holy day of the moon under a favourable constellation for the conquest of the direction that is presided over by the Lord of treasures (viz. the North)."

Vaisampayana continued,--"King Yudhisthira the just, hearing these words of Dhananjaya, replied unto him in a grave and collected tone, saying,--O bull of the Bharata race, set thou out, having made holy Brahmanas utter benedictions on thee, to plunge thy enemies in sorrow and to fill thy friend with joy. Victory, O son of Pritha, will surely be thine, and thou wilt surely obtain thy desires fulfilled.

"Thus addressed, Arjuna, surrounded by a large host, set out in that celestial car of wonderful achievements he had obtained from Agni. And Bhimasena also, and those bull among men, the twins, dismissed with affection by Yudhishthira the just set out, each at the head of a large army. And Arjuna, the son of the chastiser of Paka then brought under subjugation that direction (the North) which was presided over by the Lord of treasures. And Bhimasena overcome by force the East and Sahadeva the South, and Nakula, O king, acquainted with all the weapons, conquered the West. Thus while his brothers were so employed, the exalted king Yudishthira the just stayed within Khandavaprastha in the enjoyment of great affluence in the midst of friends and relatives."

"Bhagadatta, hearing this, said,--'O thou who hast Kunto for thy mother, as thou art to me, so is Yudhishthira also. I shall do all this. Tell me, what else I may do for thee."

Vaisampayana said,--Arjuna, having obtained that best of bows and that couple of inexhaustible quivers and that car and flag-staff, as also that assembly-house, addressing Yudhisthira said,--Bow, weapons, great energy, allies, territory, fame, army-those, O king, difficult of acquisition however desirable, have all been obtained by me. I think, therefore, that what should now be done is for the swelling up of our treasury. I desire, O best of monarchs, to make the kings (of the earth) pay tributes to us. I desire to set out, in an auspicious moment of a holy day of the moon under a favourable constellation for the conquest of the direction that is presided over by the Lord of treasures (viz. the North)."

2.23.2

dhanurastraṃ śarā vīryaṃ pakṣo bhūmiryaśo balam |
prāptametanmayā rājanduṣprāpaṃ yadabhīpsitam || 2 ||

2.23.3

tatra kṛtyamahaṃ manye kośasyāsya vivardhanam |
karamāhārayiṣyāmi rājñaḥ sarvānnṛpottama || 3 ||

2.23.4

vijayāya prayāsyāmi diśaṃ dhanadarakṣitām |
tithāvatha muhūrte ca nakṣatre ca tathā śive || 4 ||

2.23.5

dhanaṃjayavacaḥ śrutvā dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ |
snigdhagambhīranādinyā taṃ girā pratyabhāṣata || 5 ||

Vaisampayana continued,--"King Yudhisthira the just, hearing these words of Dhananjaya, replied unto him in a grave and collected tone, saying,--O bull of the Bharata race, set thou out, having made holy Brahmanas utter benedictions on thee, to plunge thy enemies in sorrow and to fill thy friend with joy. Victory, O son of Pritha, will surely be thine, and thou wilt surely obtain thy desires fulfilled.

2.23.6

svasti vācyārhato viprānprayāhi bharatarṣabha |
durhṛdāmapraharṣāya suhṛdāṃ nandanāya ca |
vijayaste dhruvaṃ pārtha priyaṃ kāmamavāpnuhi || 6 ||

2.23.7

ityuktaḥ prayayau pārthaḥ sainyena mahatā vṛtaḥ |
agnidattena divyena rathenādbhutakarmaṇā || 7 ||

"Thus addressed, Arjuna, surrounded by a large host, set out in that celestial car of wonderful achievements he had obtained from Agni. And Bhimasena also, and those bull among men, the twins, dismissed with affection by Yudhishthira the just set out, each at the head of a large army. And Arjuna, the son of the chastiser of Paka then brought under subjugation that direction (the North) which was presided over by the Lord of treasures. And Bhimasena overcome by force the East and Sahadeva the South, and Nakula, O king, acquainted with all the weapons, conquered the West. Thus while his brothers were so employed, the exalted king Yudishthira the just stayed within Khandavaprastha in the enjoyment of great affluence in the midst of friends and relatives."

2.23.8

tathaiva bhīmaseno'pi yamau ca puruṣarṣabhau |
sasainyāḥ prayayuḥ sarve dharmarājābhipūjitāḥ || 8 ||

2.23.9

diśaṃ dhanapateriṣṭāmajayatpākaśāsaniḥ |
bhīmasenastathā prācīṃ sahadevastu dakṣiṇām || 9 ||

2.23.10

pratīcīṃ nakulo rājandiśaṃ vyajayadastravit |
khāṇḍavaprasthamadhyāste dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ || 10 ||

2.23.11

janamejaya uvāca |
diśāmabhijayaṃ brahmanvistareṇānukīrtaya |
na hi tṛpyāmi pūrveṣāṃ śṛṇvānaścaritaṃ mahat || 11 ||

2.23.12

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
dhanaṃjayasya vakṣyāmi vijayaṃ pūrvameva te |
yaugapadyena pārthairhi vijiteyaṃ vasuṃdharā || 12 ||

2.23.13

pūrvaṃ kuṇindaviṣaye vaśe cakre mahīpatīn |
dhanaṃjayo mahābāhurnātitīvreṇa karmaṇā || 13 ||

2.23.14

ānartānkālakūṭāṃśca kuṇindāṃśca vijitya saḥ |
sumaṇḍalaṃ pāpajitaṃ kṛtavānanusainikam || 14 ||

2.23.15

sa tena sahito rājansavyasācī paraṃtapaḥ |
vijigye sakalaṃ dvīpaṃ prativindhyaṃ ca pārthivam || 15 ||

2.23.16

sakaladvīpavāsāṃśca saptadvīpe ca ye nṛpāḥ |
arjunasya ca sainyānāṃ vigrahastumulo'bhavat || 16 ||

2.23.17

sa tānapi maheṣvāso vijitya bharatarṣabha |
taireva sahitaḥ sarvaiḥ prāgjyotiṣamupādravat || 17 ||

2.23.18

tatra rājā mahānāsīdbhagadatto viśāṃ pate |
tenāsītsumahadyuddhaṃ pāṇḍavasya mahātmanaḥ || 18 ||

2.23.19

sa kirātaiśca cīnaiśca vṛtaḥ prāgjyotiṣo'bhavat |
anyaiśca bahubhiryodhaiḥ sāgarānūpavāsibhiḥ || 19 ||

2.23.20

tataḥ sa divasānaṣṭau yodhayitvā dhanaṃjayam |
prahasannabravīdrājā saṃgrāme vigataklamaḥ || 20 ||

2.23.21

upapannaṃ mahābāho tvayi pāṇḍavanandana |
pākaśāsanadāyāde vīryamāhavaśobhini || 21 ||

2.23.22

ahaṃ sakhā surendrasya śakrādanavamo raṇe |
na ca śaknomi te tāta sthātuṃ pramukhato yudhi || 22 ||

2.23.23

kimīpsitaṃ pāṇḍaveya brūhi kiṃ karavāṇi te |
yadvakṣyasi mahābāho tatkariṣyāmi putraka || 23 ||

2.23.24

arjuna uvāca |
kurūṇāmṛṣabho rājā dharmaputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ |
tasya pārthivatāmīpse karastasmai pradīyatām || 24 ||

2.23.25

bhavānpitṛsakhā caiva prīyamāṇo mayāpi ca |
tato nājñāpayāmi tvāṃ prītipūrvaṃ pradīyatām || 25 ||

2.23.26

bhagadatta uvāca |
kuntīmātaryathā me tvaṃ tathā rājā yudhiṣṭhiraḥ |
sarvametatkariṣyāmi kiṃ cānyatkaravāṇi te || 26 ||