01.063
Library: Dushyanta’s hunting expedition described, that results in large-scale destruction of animals.
Vaiśampāyana spoke:
Once, the mighty-armed hero, with a great force and many vehicles, went into the dense forest surrounded by hundreds of horses and elephants.
He proceeded, surrounded by hundreds of warriors, bearing swords, spears, maces, clubs, javelins, and lances in their hands.
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.
As the king proceeded, there was a loud clamor of mixed neighing, shouting, and bursting sounds.
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.
The groups of women there thought of the armed one as being like Indra, a destroyer of enemies and protector of others.
He is a formidable warrior, a tiger among men, whose incredible strength in battle ensures that he has no enemies.
Thus, those women lovingly spoke to the king, praised him, and showered flowers upon his head.
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.
The citizens and villagers followed him to a far distance, and then, having been permitted by the king, they returned afterwards.
The king, riding a chariot like Garuda, filled the earth and the heavens with his sound.
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.
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.
Duṣyanta, the tiger among men, along with his servants, army, and vehicles, shook the forest, hunting various animals.
Duḥṣanta, with his arrows, brought down many groups of tigers that had come within range, piercing them skillfully.
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.
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.
Armed with spears, swords, maces, clubs, and daggers, he roamed there, indeed killing the wild animals and birds.
The great beasts abandoned the great forest, which was being shaken by the king with wonderful strength and warriors fond of battle.
There, scattered groups and slain leaders of herds of deer, then out of curiosity, made sounds from here to there.
They went to the dry river, weakened by the lack of water, and with hearts wearied by exertion, they fell unconscious.
Overcome by hunger and thirst, exhausted, they collapsed on the ground. There, some of them were devoured by ravenous men who were like tigers.
Some forest-dwellers, after producing fire and kindling it, properly cooked and ate the meat at that time.
There, some strong and intoxicated elephants, wounded by weapons, contracted their forelimbs in fear and swiftly ran away.
The wild elephants, producing excrement and urine, and flowing much blood, crushed many humans there.
The forest, enveloped by dense clouds and showers of arrows, appeared resplendent, teeming with buffaloes, where the king had slain a great beast.
