Mahabharata 4.64: catuḥṣaṣṭhitamo'dhyāyaḥ

4.64.1

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
tato rājñaḥ suto jyeṣṭhaḥ prāviśatpṛthivīṃjayaḥ |
so'bhivādya pituḥ pādau dharmarājamapaśyata || 1 ||

"Vaisampayana said, 'Then Bhuminjaya, the eldest son of the king, entered, and having worshipped the feet of his father approached Kanka. And he beheld Kanka covered with blood, and seated on the ground at one end of the court, and waited upon by the Sairindhri. And seeing this, Uttara asked his father in a hurry, saying, 'By whom, O king, hath this one been struck? By whom hath this sinful act been perpetrated?'

"Virata said, 'This crooked Brahmana hath been struck by me. He deserveth even more than this. When I was praising thee, he praised that person of the third sex.'

"Uttara said, 'Thou hast, O king, committed an improper act. Do thou speedily propitiate him so that the virulent poison of a Brahmana's curse may not consume thee to thy roots!'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having heard the words of his son, Virata, that enhancer of the limits of his kingdom, began to soothe Kunti's son, who was like unto a fire hid in ashes, for obtaining his forgiveness. And unto the king desirous of obtaining his pardon the Pandava replied, 'O king, I have long ago forgiven it. Anger I have none. Had this blood from my nostrils fallen on the ground, then, without doubt, thou, O monarch, wouldst have been destroyed with thy kingdom. I do not, however, blame thee, O king, for having struck an innocent person. For, O king, they that are powerful generally act with unreasoning severity.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'When the bleeding had stopped, Vrihannala entered (the council-room) and having saluted both Virata and Kanka, stood silent. And the king, having appeased the chief of the Kurus, began to praise, in Savyasachin's hearing, Uttara who had returned from the battle. And the king said, 'O enhancer of the joys of Kekaya's princess, in thee have I truly a son! I never had nor shall have, a son that is equal to thee! How, indeed, couldst thou, O Child, encounter that Karna who leaveth not a single mark unhit amongst even a thousand that he may aim at all at once? How couldst thou, O child, encounter that Bhishma who hath no equal in the whole world of men? How also couldst thou, O child, encounter Drona, that foremost of all wielders of weapons, that preceptor of the Vrishnis and Kauravas, twice-born one who may be regarded as the preceptor of all the Kshatriyas? How couldst thou meet in battle the celebrated Aswatthaman? How couldst thou, O child, encounter that Duryodhana, the prince who is capable of piercing even a mountain with his mighty arrows? My foes have all been thrashed. A delicious breeze seems to blow around me. And since thou hast recovered in battle the whole of my wealth that had been seized by the Kurus, it seems that all those mighty warriors were struck with panic. Without doubt, thou, O bull amongst men, has routed the foe and snatched away from them my wealth of kine, like his prey from a tiger.'"

"Vaisampayana said, 'Then Bhuminjaya, the eldest son of the king, entered, and having worshipped the feet of his father approached Kanka. And he beheld Kanka covered with blood, and seated on the ground at one end of the court, and waited upon by the Sairindhri. And seeing this, Uttara asked his father in a hurry, saying, 'By whom, O king, hath this one been struck? By whom hath this sinful act been perpetrated?'

4.64.2

sa taṃ rudhirasaṃsiktamanekāgramanāgasam |
bhūmāvāsīnamekānte sairandhryā samupasthitam || 2 ||

4.64.3

tataḥ papraccha pitaraṃ tvaramāṇa ivottaraḥ |
kenāyaṃ tāḍito rājankena pāpamidaṃ kṛtam || 3 ||

4.64.4

virāṭa uvāca |
mayāyaṃ tāḍito jihmo na cāpyetāvadarhati |
praśasyamāne yaḥ śūre tvayi ṣaṇḍhaṃ praśaṃsati || 4 ||

"Virata said, 'This crooked Brahmana hath been struck by me. He deserveth even more than this. When I was praising thee, he praised that person of the third sex.'

4.64.5

uttara uvāca |
akāryaṃ te kṛtaṃ rājankṣiprameva prasādyatām |
mā tvā brahmaviṣaṃ ghoraṃ samūlamapi nirdahet || 5 ||

"Uttara said, 'Thou hast, O king, committed an improper act. Do thou speedily propitiate him so that the virulent poison of a Brahmana's curse may not consume thee to thy roots!'

4.64.6

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
sa putrasya vacaḥ śrutvā virāṭo rāṣṭravardhanaḥ |
kṣamayāmāsa kaunteyaṃ bhasmacchannamivānalam || 6 ||

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having heard the words of his son, Virata, that enhancer of the limits of his kingdom, began to soothe Kunti's son, who was like unto a fire hid in ashes, for obtaining his forgiveness. And unto the king desirous of obtaining his pardon the Pandava replied, 'O king, I have long ago forgiven it. Anger I have none. Had this blood from my nostrils fallen on the ground, then, without doubt, thou, O monarch, wouldst have been destroyed with thy kingdom. I do not, however, blame thee, O king, for having struck an innocent person. For, O king, they that are powerful generally act with unreasoning severity.'

4.64.7

kṣamayantaṃ tu rājānaṃ pāṇḍavaḥ pratyabhāṣata |
ciraṃ kṣāntamidaṃ rājanna manyurvidyate mama || 7 ||

4.64.8

yadi hyetatpatedbhūmau rudhiraṃ mama nastataḥ |
sarāṣṭrastvaṃ mahārāja vinaśyethā na saṃśayaḥ || 8 ||

4.64.9

na dūṣayāmi te rājanyacca hanyādadūṣakam |
balavantaṃ mahārāja kṣipraṃ dāruṇamāpnuyāt || 9 ||

4.64.10

śoṇite tu vyatikrānte praviveśa bṛhannaḍā |
abhivādya virāṭaṃ ca kaṅkaṃ cāpyupatiṣṭhata || 10 ||

"Vaisampayana continued, 'When the bleeding had stopped, Vrihannala entered (the council-room) and having saluted both Virata and Kanka, stood silent. And the king, having appeased the chief of the Kurus, began to praise, in Savyasachin's hearing, Uttara who had returned from the battle. And the king said, 'O enhancer of the joys of Kekaya's princess, in thee have I truly a son! I never had nor shall have, a son that is equal to thee! How, indeed, couldst thou, O Child, encounter that Karna who leaveth not a single mark unhit amongst even a thousand that he may aim at all at once? How couldst thou, O child, encounter that Bhishma who hath no equal in the whole world of men? How also couldst thou, O child, encounter Drona, that foremost of all wielders of weapons, that preceptor of the Vrishnis and Kauravas, twice-born one who may be regarded as the preceptor of all the Kshatriyas? How couldst thou meet in battle the celebrated Aswatthaman? How couldst thou, O child, encounter that Duryodhana, the prince who is capable of piercing even a mountain with his mighty arrows? My foes have all been thrashed. A delicious breeze seems to blow around me. And since thou hast recovered in battle the whole of my wealth that had been seized by the Kurus, it seems that all those mighty warriors were struck with panic. Without doubt, thou, O bull amongst men, has routed the foe and snatched away from them my wealth of kine, like his prey from a tiger.'"

4.64.11

kṣamayitvā tu kauravyaṃ raṇāduttaramāgatam |
praśaśaṃsa tato matsyaḥ śṛṇvataḥ savyasācinaḥ || 11 ||

4.64.12

tvayā dāyādavānasmi kaikeyīnandivardhana |
tvayā me sadṛśaḥ putro na bhūto na bhaviṣyati || 12 ||

4.64.13

padaṃ padasahasreṇa yaścarannāparādhnuyāt |
tena karṇena te tāta kathamāsītsamāgamaḥ || 13 ||

4.64.14

manuṣyaloke sakale yasya tulyo na vidyate |
yaḥ samudra ivākṣobhyaḥ kālāgniriva duḥsahaḥ |
tena bhīṣmeṇa te tāta kathamāsītsamāgamaḥ || 14 ||

4.64.15

ācāryo vṛṣṇivīrāṇāṃ pāṇḍavānāṃ ca yo dvijaḥ |
sarvakṣatrasya cācāryaḥ sarvaśastrabhṛtāṃ varaḥ |
tena droṇena te tāta kathamāsītsamāgamaḥ || 15 ||

4.64.16

ācāryaputro yaḥ śūraḥ sarvaśastrabhṛtāmapi |
aśvatthāmeti vikhyātaḥ kathaṃ tena samāgamaḥ || 16 ||

4.64.17

raṇe yaṃ prekṣya sīdanti hṛtasvā vaṇijo yathā |
kṛpeṇa tena te tāta kathamāsītsamāgamaḥ || 17 ||

4.64.18

parvataṃ yo'bhividhyeta rājaputro maheṣubhiḥ |
duryodhanena te tāta kathamāsītsamāgamaḥ || 18 ||

4.64.19

uttara uvāca |
na mayā nirjitā gāvo na mayā nirjitāḥ pare |
kṛtaṃ tu karma tatsarvaṃ devaputreṇa kenacit || 19 ||

"Uttara said, 'The kine have not been recovered by me, nor have the foe been vanquished by me. All that hath been accomplished by the son of a deity. Capable of striking like a thunderbolt, that youth of celestial origin, beholding me running away in fear, stopped me and himself mounted on my car. It was by him that the kine have been recovered and the Kauravas vanquished. The deed, O father, is that hero's and not mine. It was he that repulsed with arrows Kripa and Drona and Drona's son of powerful energy, and the Suta's son and Bhishma. That mighty hero then spoke unto the affrighted prince Duryodhana who was running away like the leader of a head of elephants, these words, 'O prince of the Kuru race, I do not see that thou art safe by any means even at Hastinapura. Protect thy life by putting forth thy might. Thou shalt not escape me by flight. Therefore, make up thy mind for fight. If victorious, the sovereignty of the earth will be thine, or if slain, heaven itself will be thine.'

"Uttara said, 'The kine have not been recovered by me, nor have the foe been vanquished by me. All that hath been accomplished by the son of a deity. Capable of striking like a thunderbolt, that youth of celestial origin, beholding me running away in fear, stopped me and himself mounted on my car. It was by him that the kine have been recovered and the Kauravas vanquished. The deed, O father, is that hero's and not mine. It was he that repulsed with arrows Kripa and Drona and Drona's son of powerful energy, and the Suta's son and Bhishma. That mighty hero then spoke unto the affrighted prince Duryodhana who was running away like the leader of a head of elephants, these words, 'O prince of the Kuru race, I do not see that thou art safe by any means even at Hastinapura. Protect thy life by putting forth thy might. Thou shalt not escape me by flight. Therefore, make up thy mind for fight. If victorious, the sovereignty of the earth will be thine, or if slain, heaven itself will be thine.'

'Thus addressed, king Duryodhana--that tiger among men surrounded by his counsellors,--sighing on his car like a snake turned back, showered arrows endued with the speed and force of thunderbolts. Beholding all this, venerable sire, my thighs began to quake. Then that celestial youth pierced with arrows the Kuru army consisting of leonine warriors. And having pierced and afflicted that crowd of cars, that youth, stout as the lion, laughed at them and robbed them of their clothes and attires. Indeed, the six great car-warriors of the Kurus were vanquished by that hero alone, even like herds of animals ranging in the forest by a single tiger in rage.'

"Virata said, 'Where is that mighty-armed and famous youth of celestial origin, that hero who recovered in battle my wealth that had been seized by the Kurus? I am anxious to behold and worship that mighty warrior of celestial origin who hath saved thee and my kine also.'

"Uttara replied, 'The mighty son of a deity disappeared there and then. I think, however, that he will show himself either tomorrow or the day after.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Virata, that owner of a large army, remained ignorant of the son of Pandu who was thus described unto him by Uttara, and who was living in the palace in disguise. And permitted by the high-souled Virata, Partha presented with his own hands the garments he had brought, unto Virata's daughter. And the beautiful Uttara, obtaining those new and costly clothes of diverse kinds, became highly glad, along with the son of the Matsya king.'"

4.64.20

sa hi bhītaṃ dravantaṃ māṃ devaputro nyavārayat |
sa cātiṣṭhadrathopasthe vajrahastanibho yuvā || 20 ||

4.64.21

tena tā nirjitā gāvastena te kuravo jitāḥ |
tasya tatkarma vīrasya na mayā tāta tatkṛtam || 21 ||

4.64.22

sa hi śāradvataṃ droṇaṃ droṇaputraṃ ca vīryavān |
sūtaputraṃ ca bhīṣmaṃ ca cakāra vimukhāñśaraiḥ || 22 ||

4.64.23

duryodhanaṃ ca samare sanāgamiva yūthapam |
prabhagnamabravīdbhītaṃ rājaputraṃ mahābalam || 23 ||

4.64.24

na hāstinapure trāṇaṃ tava paśyāmi kiṃcana |
vyāyāmena parīpsasva jīvitaṃ kauravātmaja || 24 ||

4.64.25

na mokṣyase palāyaṃstvaṃ rājanyuddhe manaḥ kuru |
pṛthivīṃ bhokṣyase jitvā hato vā svargamāpsyasi || 25 ||

4.64.26

sa nivṛtto naravyāghro muñcanvajranibhāñśarān |
sacivaiḥ saṃvṛto rājā rathe nāga iva śvasan || 26 ||

'Thus addressed, king Duryodhana--that tiger among men surrounded by his counsellors,--sighing on his car like a snake turned back, showered arrows endued with the speed and force of thunderbolts. Beholding all this, venerable sire, my thighs began to quake. Then that celestial youth pierced with arrows the Kuru army consisting of leonine warriors. And having pierced and afflicted that crowd of cars, that youth, stout as the lion, laughed at them and robbed them of their clothes and attires. Indeed, the six great car-warriors of the Kurus were vanquished by that hero alone, even like herds of animals ranging in the forest by a single tiger in rage.'

4.64.27

tatra me romaharṣo'bhūdūrustambhaśca māriṣa |
yadabhraghanasaṃkāśamanīkaṃ vyadhamaccharaiḥ || 27 ||

4.64.28

tatpraṇudya rathānīkaṃ siṃhasaṃhanano yuvā |
kurūṃstānprahasanrājanvāsāṃsyapaharadbalī || 28 ||

4.64.29

ekena tena vīreṇa ṣaḍrathāḥ parivāritāḥ |
śārdūleneva mattena mṛgāstṛṇacarā vane || 29 ||

4.64.30

virāṭa uvāca |
kva sa vīro mahābāhurdevaputro mahāyaśāḥ |
yo me dhanamavājaiṣītkurubhirgrastamāhave || 30 ||

"Virata said, 'Where is that mighty-armed and famous youth of celestial origin, that hero who recovered in battle my wealth that had been seized by the Kurus? I am anxious to behold and worship that mighty warrior of celestial origin who hath saved thee and my kine also.'

4.64.31

icchāmi tamahaṃ draṣṭumarcituṃ ca mahābalam |
yena me tvaṃ ca gāvaśca rakṣitā devasūnunā || 31 ||

4.64.32

uttara uvāca |
antardhānaṃ gatastāta devaputraḥ pratāpavān |
sa tu śvo vā paraśvo vā manye prādurbhaviṣyati || 32 ||

"Uttara replied, 'The mighty son of a deity disappeared there and then. I think, however, that he will show himself either tomorrow or the day after.'

4.64.33

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
evamākhyāyamānaṃ tu channaṃ satreṇa pāṇḍavam |
vasantaṃ tatra nājñāsīdvirāṭaḥ pārthamarjunam || 33 ||

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Virata, that owner of a large army, remained ignorant of the son of Pandu who was thus described unto him by Uttara, and who was living in the palace in disguise. And permitted by the high-souled Virata, Partha presented with his own hands the garments he had brought, unto Virata's daughter. And the beautiful Uttara, obtaining those new and costly clothes of diverse kinds, became highly glad, along with the son of the Matsya king.'"

4.64.34

tataḥ pārtho'bhyanujñāto virāṭena mahātmanā |
pradadau tāni vāsāṃsi virāṭaduhituḥ svayam || 34 ||

4.64.35

uttarā tu mahārhāṇi vividhāni tanūni ca |
pratigṛhyābhavatprītā tāni vāsāṃsi bhāminī || 35 ||

4.64.36

mantrayitvā tu kaunteya uttareṇa rahastadā |
itikartavyatāṃ sarvāṃ rājanyatha yudhiṣṭhire || 36 ||

4.64.37

tatastathā tadvyadadhādyathāvatpuruṣarṣabha |
saha putreṇa matsyasya prahṛṣṭo bharatarṣabhaḥ || 37 ||