Harivamsha MahA PurANam - bhaviShya Parva
atha dvaviMshAdhikashatatamo.adhyAyaH
sa~Nkulayuddham
harivamsha in the mahAbharata - bhaviShyaparva
Lesson 122 close combat
vaishampAyana uvAcha
dve sene sa~Ngate rAjansadhvaje saparichChade |
mahAparighasa~NkIrNe gadAshaktisamAkule ||3-122-1
vaishampAyana said:
O king! (O janamejaya!) Both the armies met along with flags as well as
other paraphernalia. Both armies had huge iron clubs, maces as well as
spears.
bherIjharjharasaMpUrNe DiNDimArAvasa~Nkule |
pragR^ihItamahAshastre shUlAsivarakArmuke ||3-122-2
Both armies were full of sounds of kettle drums and other drums such as
jharjharI and DiNDima. Both armies had great weapons, spears, swords as well
as best bows.
parasparakR^itotsAhe chakrAte yuddhamulbaNam |
Both armies fought a tumultuous battle against each other with enthusiasm.
te sharAH kArmukotsR^iShTA nirbhidyAtha sharIriNAm ||3-122-3
sharIrANi mahArAja jagmurdUraM sahasrashaH |
The arrows coming from the bows, split the bodies, O king, (janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued)
and entered deep into many bodies.
bhaTabAhuvinirmuktAH khaDgA nirbhidya vakShasi ||3-122-4
sphurantashcha tathA rAja~nCharAMsyAhR^itya khaM yayuH |
The swords released from the powerful arms of the soldiers, split the chests,
O king (janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued), cut off the heads and
entered the sky.
parighAshcha tathA rAj~nAM bAhubhiH parichoditAH ||3-122-5
tilashashchakruratulaM sharIraM nR^iparakShasAm |
The iron clubs released from the powerful arms of the kings powdered the
bodies of kings and rAkShasa-s like the seeds of sesame.
daityAnAM kurvatAM nAdamanyonyavadhakA~NkShiNAm ||3-122-6
The sons of diti, desiring to kill their enemies roared loudly.
daityA rakShAMsi rAjendra rAjAnashcha samantataH |
anyonyaM parighairjaghnushchApamuktaiH shilAshitaiH ||3-122-7
O the indra of kings! (janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued) The sons of
diti, rAkShasa-s as well as kings all over attacked each other with iron
clubs as well as arrows, sharpened on the grinding stone and released
from the bows.
sharaishcha bhogibhogAbhaistIkShNamanye mahAbalAH |
rAkShasA dAnavAshchAnye mattamAta~NgavikramAH ||3-122-8
anyonyaM jaghnire rAjaMshchApamuktairmahAsharaiH |
The highly powerful rAkShasa-s, sons of danu and other fighters valiant as
elephants in rut, killed each other, O king, (janamejaya! vaishampAyana
continued) with great sharp arrows, splendorous as serpents,
released from their arrows.
nAgA nAgairmahArAja hayA ashvaiH samantataH ||3-122-9
rathA rathaiH samAjagmuH sAdinaH sAdibhirtathA |
O great king! (janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued) Elephants fought
against elephants and horses fought against horses, chariots fought against
chariots and horsemen fought against horsemen.
paTTishAsisharavrAtaiH kuntaiH sAyakakarShaNaiH ||3-122-10
sashaktiparighaprAsaparashvadhasamAkulaiH |
bhindipAlairmahAraudrairjaghnuranyonyamAhave ||3-122-11
anyonyaM jaghnire rAjaMshchApamuktaiH shilashitaiH |
In the battle, O king! (janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued) they killed
each other with spears having sharp edges (paTTisha), swords, groups of
arrows, spears and dragging arrows, spears, iron clubs, barbed missiles
and hatchets and highly terrible bhindipAla-s (short sharp arrows) as well
as arrows sharpened on the grinding stone and released from bows.
rAkShasA dAnavA rAja~NkShatriyAshcha samantataH |
itashchetashcha dhAvantaH kurvanto visvaraM ravam ||3-122-12
O king! (janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued) rAkShasa-s, the sons of
danu as well as kings ran here and there (everywhere) in the battle field
roaring in strange voices.
hatAH kechinmahArAja petururvyAM mahAsibhiH |
kechinmathitamastiShkA gadAbhirvIryavattamAH ||3-122-13
O king! (janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued) Some were killed,
struck by the great swords. Some most valiant fighters were killed with
their skulls shattered by maces.
bhinnagrIvA mahArAja parighaiH parighAyudhaiH |
yamarAShTraM gatAH kechitkechitsvargaM samAyayuH ||3-122-14
O great king! (janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued) Some, holding iron
clubs, went to the kingdom of the god of death with their necks broken
by iron clubs and some went to heaven.
apsarobhiH samAseduH pashyantaH svakalevaram |
They (those who went to heaven) saw their own bodies (in the battle field)
along with the divine women.
kechitsvAMshcha parAMshchaiva hatvA bhrAntA ivAbhavan ||3-122-15
Some became confused and killed their own men and their enemies during
the battle.
etasminnantare rAja~nsha~NkhA bheryaH sahasrashaH |
sasvanuH sarvataH sainye mR^ida~NgA bahavastathA ||3-122-16
During this time, O king! (janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued) Thousands
of conches and kettle drums along with many drums (mR^ida~Nga-s)
sounded all over in the armies.
madhyaMdinagate sUrye tApaM dadhati ghoravat |
tataH pishAchA vikR^itAH karAlavitatodarAH ||3-122-17
rAkShasAshcha mahAghorAH pishitam keshashAdvalam |
muditA bhakShayAmAsuH pibantaH shoNitaM bahu ||3-122-18
As the sun blazed terribly at the middle of the day, pishacha-s,
deformed and having swollen bellies as well as highly terrible
rAkShasa-s happily ate many dead bodies along with nails and hairs and
drank lots of blood in the battle field.
sa~nchitAni shavAnyAsankabandhAH khaDgapAtitAH |
vibhajya deshaM bahusho yuddhabhUmau shavAshinaH ||3-122-19
Those eating dead bodies, collected lots of headless dead bodies felled by
sword, demarking territories in the battle field.
atha shyenA mR^igAshchaiva ka~NkA gR^idhrAstathA pare |
tuNDaiH shavAnviniShkR^ishya bhakShayanti tatastataH ||3-122-20
In the battle field, hawks, animals as well as herons and other vultures
ate dead bodies by pulling and dragging them with their beaks here and
there.
saptAshItisahasrANi hatA nAgA nR^ipottama |
triMshatsahasramayutaM nihatA hayasattamAH ||3-122-21
O the best among kings! (janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued) Seventy seven
thousand elephants and three thousand, ten thousand, best horses
were killed in the battle.
hataM lakShaM mahArAja rathAnAM rathibhiH saha |
triMshatkoTyo hatAstatra sAdinaH sayudhA bhR^isham ||3-122-22
O great king! (janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued) Hundred thousand chariots
and charioteers perished in the battle along with thirty crore armed horsemen.
madhyaMdinagate sUrye hatAH kechana nirgatAH |
kechichcha tR^iShitA rAjanvivishuH puShkaraM saraH ||3-122-23
As the sun proceeded to the middle of the day, some were killed and left
this world and O king, (janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued) some became
thirsty and entered the lake puShkara.
kechidbhUmiM samAli~Ngya bhItA ityabruvanraNe |
muktakeshAH patanti sma rathAnsaMtyajya kechana ||3-122-24
Some embraced the earth saying that they are terrified due to the battle.
Some fell down loosening their hair and some abandoned their chariots
saMdaShTauShThapuTAH kechitsAdinaH purato hatAH |
Some bit their lips and some horsemen in the front were killed.
atyadbhutaM mahAyuddhamAsitpuShkaratIrthake |
yathA devAsuraM yuddhamAsItpUrvaM nR^ipottama ||3-122-25
O the best among kings! (janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued) A most
wonderful great battle took place in the holy place puShkara which was like
the battle between deva-s and asura-s which happened before.
iti shrImAbhArate khileShu harivaMshe bhaviShyaparvaNi
haMsaDimbhakopAkhyAne sa~Nkulayuddhe
dvaviMshtyadhikashatatamo.adhyAyaH
This is the one hundred and twenty lesson chapter of bhaviShyaparva,
harivaMsha, khila of mahAbhArata, in the episode of haMsa and Dimbhaka,
close combat
##i-translated by G. Schaufelberger, schaufel @ wanadoo.fr
January 29 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
14th July 2013##