Harivamsha MahA PurANam - bhaviShya Parva
atha ShaDadhikashatatamo.adhyAyaH
haMsaDimbhakayormR^igayA

harivamsha in the mahAbharata - bhaviShyaparva
Lesson 106 - hamsa and Dimbhaka go ahunting

tataH kadAchittau vIrau mR^igayAmaTatuH kila |
janArdanena sahitau rathairashvagajairapi ||3-106-1

(O janamejaya!) Afterwards, once those valiants went for hunting animals along with janArdana, accompanied by chariots, horses as well as elephants.

vanaM gatvA tu tau vIrau siMhavyAghrAMshcha jaghnatuH |
shitairbANairmahArAja varAhAnatha sarvashaH ||3-106-2

O great king! (janamejaya!vaishampAyana continued) Those valiants went to the forest and started killing many lions, tigers and boars with sharp arrows.

O king! (janamejaya!vaishampAyana continued) Along with (hunting)dogs, they hunted savage animals saying:

eSha AyAti vipulo varAho dIrghalochanaH ||3-106-3
enaM bANena sa~nChindhi yAti chAyaM mR^igAdhipaH |
ayamanyo.atha mahiShaH shR^i~NgaprotasarIsR^ipaH ||3-106-4

"Here comes a huge boar having large eyes. Let us cut him by shooting an arrow. Here goes the king of animals. Here is another buffalo having a serpent on his horns.

ete khalu mR^igAH sArdhaM shAvairbAdhanti sarvashaH |
etadbhramati sarvatra bhItaM shashakulaM mahat ||3-106-5

Here are deer running away along with their young ones in all directions. Here large groups of hares are running around with fear.

shAvaM stanaM pibatsAdhu na hantavyAmidaM shubham |
grahItavyamidaM sarvaM nirudhya shvagaNairiva ||3-106-6

Here calves are sucking the breasts. Not killing these animals will be auspicious. All these animals should be surrounded with groups of (hunting) dogs and caught".

ityAdishabdaH sumahAnmR^igayAM kurvatAM nR^ipa |
kShatriyANAM nR^ipashreShTha vyAdhAnAM chaiva dhAvatAm ||3-106-7

O king! (janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued) Loud voices such as these, of those warriors (kShatriya-s) and hunters running about, engaged in hunting, O the best among kings! (janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued), were heard (from the forest).

hatvA mR^igAnsubahusho vyAghrAn siMhAnnR^ipottamau |
shramaM cha jagmaturvIrau madhyaM yAte divAkare ||3-106-8

The best among kings (haMsa and Dimbhaka) killed many deer, tigers and lions. As the sun reached the middle of the sky (at noon) the valiant became tired due to their efforts.

alaM hi mR^igayAsmAkaM shramaH samupajAyate |
ityUchaturmahArAja puShkaraM jagmatuH saraH ||3-106-9

"Let us stop. Hunting is enough for us. We are feeling tired." Saying thus, O great king! (O janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued) they went to the lake puShkara.

saraH samIpamAgamya munisiddhaniShevitam |
vIjanmArutasAnUpaM shramAttatra sukhasthitau ||3-106-10

They came to the banks of the lake, served by the sages and siddha-s. They rested comfortably on the sand banks where a breeze was blowing mildly and were relieved of their tiredness.

tato janAH saraH sarve vigAhya shramakarShitAH |
bisAnpravAlAnpadmAnAM bhakShayAmAsurArtavat ||3-106-11

All the men who were tired were relieved of their tiredness by bathing in the lake. Then as if distressed by hunger, they started eating the stalk and tender leaves of lotus.

(See Translator's Note)

janArdanena sahitau haMso Dimbhaka eva cha |
saraH kvachitsamAshritya shramaM saMtyajya tiShThataH ||3-106-12

haMsa and Dimbhaka, along with janArdana entered somewhere in the lake, relieved their tiredness and sat on the banks.

vishramya sarasastIre tadA.a.asAte sukhaM nR^ipau |
ashR^iNvAtAM paraM brahma munimukhyaiH samIritam ||3-106-13

The kings (haMsa and Dimbhaka) rested comfortably on the banks of the lake. They heard the words praising the brahma (recital of veda), recited by the prominent sages.

madhyaMdinaM tathA sarvaiH savanaM sasvaraM nR^ipau |
tataH prItau nR^ipau bhUtvA shrutvA vedadhvaniM tadA ||3-106-14

While all the sages were performing the noon service (madhyamdinasavanaM) by reciting the veda, both the kings heard the good voices. Hearing the sound of veda, both the kings became pleased.

sthApayitvA tataH senAM sarvAM mR^igasamanvitAm ||3-106-15
AdAya cha mahAchApe sharAnkatichideva cha |
janArdanastadA vIrau haMso Dimbhaka eva cha ||3-106-16
padAtinau mahArAja jagmatushchAshramaM kila |

Making all the army stay along with the animals, taking the great bow and some arrows, janArdana, as well as the valiants haMsa and Dimbhaka, O great king, (janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued ) went to the hermitage by walking.

maharSheH kAshyapasyAtha satraM vaiShNavasaMj~nakam |
yajanto munibhiH sArdhaM japahomaparAyaNaiH ||3-106-17

In the hermitage sage kashyapa was performing a sacrifice for viShNu along with sages who were engaged in chanting and offering oblation to the sacrificial fire.

iti shrImahAbhArate khileShu harivaMshe bhaviShyaparvaNi haMsaDimbhakopAkhyAne mR^igayAvarNane ShaDadhikashatatamo.adhyAyaH

This is the one hundred and sixth lesson of bhaviShyaparva, harivaMsha, khila of mahAbhArata, in the episode of haMsa and Dimbhaka, hamsa and Dimbhaka go ahunting

Translator's Note:
In connection with the eating of lotus stalks when oppressed by hunger, see the enlightening and mystifying bisastanyopAkhyAna, chapter 92, anushAsana parva, mahAbhArata.

3-106-1 tata iti ||
3-106-5 bAdhanti | bAdhamanubhavanti shAvaiH potaiH sahitaH ||
3-106-10 anUpaM sajalapradeshastena sahitaM sAnUpaM vIjanmArutavata.atmana sAnUpaM cheti vigraha ||
3-106-17 satraM yajataH anutiShThataH ||

iti shrImahAbhArate khileAShu harivaMshe bhaviShyaparvaNi TIkAyAM ShaDadhikashatatamo.adhyAyaH

##i-translated by G. Schaufelberger, schaufel @ wanadoo.fr January 16 2009
Proof-read by K S Rmachandran, ramachandran_ksr @ yahoo.ca.
If you find any errors compared to Chitrashala Press edition, send corrections to A. Harindranath harindranath_a @ yahoo.com
Translated to English by A. Purushothaman [purushothaman_avaroth @ yahoo.com] and A. Harindranath
May 9, 2013##