01.063
Library: Dushyanta’s hunting expedition described, that results in large-scale destruction of animals.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana spoke:
sa kadācinmahābāhuḥ prabhūtabalavāhanaḥ। vanaṃ jagāma gahanaṃ hayanāgaśatairvṛtaḥ ॥1-63-1॥
Once, the mighty-armed hero, with a great force and many vehicles, went into the dense forest surrounded by hundreds of horses and elephants.
khaḍgaśaktidharairvīrairgadāmusalapāṇibhiḥ। prāsatomarahastaiśca yayau yodhaśatairvṛtaḥ ॥1-63-2॥
He proceeded, surrounded by hundreds of warriors, bearing swords, spears, maces, clubs, javelins, and lances in their hands.
siṃhanādaśca yodhānāṃ śaṅkhadundubhinisvanaiḥ। rathanemisvanaścāpi sanāgavarabṛṃhitaiḥ ॥1-63-3॥
The battlefield resounded with the roars of lions, the blaring of conches and drums by the warriors, the rumbling of chariot wheels, and the trumpeting of noble elephants.
heṣitasvanamiśraiśca kṣveḍitāsphoṭitasvanaiḥ। āsītkilakilāśabdastasmingacchati pārthive ॥1-63-4॥
As the king proceeded, there was a loud clamor of mixed neighing, shouting, and bursting sounds.
prāsādavaraśṛṅgasthāḥ parayā nṛpaśobhayā। dadṛśustaṃ striyastatra śūramātmayaśaskaram ॥1-63-5॥
The women standing on the grand peaks of the palace, adorned with the great splendor of the king, saw the hero who was the source of his own glory.
śakropamamamitraghnaṃ paravāraṇavāraṇam। paśyantaḥ strīgaṇāstatra śastrapāṇiṃ sma menire ॥1-63-6॥
The groups of women there thought of the armed one as being like Indra, a destroyer of enemies and protector of others.
ayaṁ sa puruṣavyāghro raṇe'dbhutaparākramaḥ| yasya bāhubalaṁ prāpya na bhavantyasuhṛdgaṇāḥ ॥1-63-7॥
He is a formidable warrior, a tiger among men, whose incredible strength in battle ensures that he has no enemies.
iti vāco bruvantyastāḥ striyaḥ premṇā narādhipam। tuṣṭuvuḥ puṣpavṛṣṭīśca sasṛjustasya mūrdhani ॥1-63-8॥
Thus, those women lovingly spoke to the king, praised him, and showered flowers upon his head.
tatra tatra ca viprendraiḥ stūyamānaḥ samantataḥ। niryayau parayā prītyā vanaṃ mṛgajighāṃsayā ॥1-63-9॥
In various places, being praised by the foremost of the Brahmins from all sides, he left with great affection for the forest, driven by the desire to hunt deer.
sudūram anujagmus taṃ paurajanapadās tadā। nyavartanta tataḥ paścād anujñātā nṛpeṇa ha ॥1-63-10॥
The citizens and villagers followed him to a far distance, and then, having been permitted by the king, they returned afterwards.
suparṇapratimenātha rathena vasudhādhipaḥ। mahīmāpūrayāmāsa ghoṣeṇa tridivaṃ tathā ॥1-63-11॥
The king, riding a chariot like Garuda, filled the earth and the heavens with his sound.
sa gacchandadṛśe dhīmānnandanapratimaṃ vanam। bilvārkakhadirākīrṇaṃ kapitthadhavasaṅkulam ॥1-63-12॥
The wise man, while traveling, saw a forest resembling the celestial Nandana, abundant with Bilva, Arka, and Khadira trees, and teeming with Kapittha and Dhava trees.
viṣamaṃ parvataprasthair aśmabhiś ca samāvṛtam। nirjalaṃ nirmanuṣyaṃ ca bahuyojanamāyatam ॥ mṛgasaṅghair vṛtaṃ ghorair anyaiś cāpi vanecaraiḥ ॥1-63-13॥
The terrain was uneven, covered with mountain plateaus and rocks, devoid of water and humans, stretching over many yojanas, and inhabited by herds of deer and other fierce forest creatures.
tadvanaṃ manujavyāghraḥ sabhṛtyabalavāhanaḥ। loḍayāmāsa duḥṣantaḥ sūdayanvividhānmṛgān ॥1-63-14॥
Duṣyanta, the tiger among men, along with his servants, army, and vehicles, shook the forest, hunting various animals.
bāṇagocarasamprāptāṃstatra vyāghragaṇānbahūn। pātayāmāsa duḥṣanto nirbibheda ca sāyakaiḥ ॥1-63-15॥
Duḥṣanta, with his arrows, brought down many groups of tigers that had come within range, piercing them skillfully.
dūrasthān sāyakaiḥ kāṃścid abhinat sa nararṣabhaḥ। abhyāśam āgatānś cānyān khaḍgena nirakṛntata ॥1-63-16॥
The valiant warrior, like a bull among men, shot arrows at those who were far away and cut down those who approached him with his sword.
kāṃścid eṇān sa nirjaghne śaktyā śaktimatāṃ varaḥ। gadāmaṇḍalatattvajñaś cacārāmitavikramaḥ ॥1-63-17॥
He, the best among the powerful, killed some antelopes with his power; being knowledgeable in the principles of mace combat, he moved with immense prowess.
tomarairasibhiścāpi gadāmusalakarpaṇaiḥ। cacāra sa vinighnanvai vanyāṃstatra mṛgadvijān ॥1-63-18॥
Armed with spears, swords, maces, clubs, and daggers, he roamed there, indeed killing the wild animals and birds.
rājñā cādbhuta-vīryeṇa yodhaiśca samara-priyaiḥ। loḍyamānaṃ mahāraṇyaṃ tatyajuśca mahāmṛgāḥ ॥1-63-19॥
The great beasts abandoned the great forest, which was being shaken by the king with wonderful strength and warriors fond of battle.
tatra vidruta-saṅghāni hata-yūtha-patīni ca। mṛga-yūthāny athautsukyāc chabdaṃ cakrus tatas tataḥ ॥1-63-20॥
There, scattered groups and slain leaders of herds of deer, then out of curiosity, made sounds from here to there.
śuṣkāṃ cāpi nadīṃ gatvā jalanairāśyakārśitāḥ| vyāyāmaklāntahṛdayāḥ patanti sma vicetasaḥ ॥1-63-21॥
They went to the dry river, weakened by the lack of water, and with hearts wearied by exertion, they fell unconscious.
kṣutpipāsāparītāśca śrāntāśca patitā bhuvi| kecittatra naravyāghrairabhakṣyanta bubhukṣitaiḥ ॥1-63-22॥
Overcome by hunger and thirst, exhausted, they collapsed on the ground. There, some of them were devoured by ravenous men who were like tigers.
kecid agnim athotpādya samidhya ca vanecarāḥ। bhakṣayanti sma māṁsāni prakuṭya vidhivat tadā ॥1-63-23॥
Some forest-dwellers, after producing fire and kindling it, properly cooked and ate the meat at that time.
tatra kecidgajā mattā balinaḥ śastravikṣatāḥ। saṅkocyāgrakarānbhītāḥ pradravanti sma vegitāḥ ॥1-63-24॥
There, some strong and intoxicated elephants, wounded by weapons, contracted their forelimbs in fear and swiftly ran away.
śakṛnmūtraṃ sṛjantaśca kṣarantaḥ śoṇitaṃ bahuḥ। vanyā gajavarāstatra mamṛdurmanujānbahūn ॥1-63-25॥
The wild elephants, producing excrement and urine, and flowing much blood, crushed many humans there.
tad vanaṃ balameghena śaradhāreṇa saṃvṛtam। vyarocanmahiṣākīrṇaṃ rājñā hatamahāmṛgam ॥1-63-26॥
The forest, enveloped by dense clouds and showers of arrows, appeared resplendent, teeming with buffaloes, where the king had slain a great beast.
