01.178
Core-Pancharatra: Several kings cannot string the bow.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
te'laṅkṛtāḥ kuṇḍalino yuvānaḥ; parasparaṃ spardhamānāḥ sametāḥ। astraṃ balaṃ cātmani manyamānāḥ; sarve samutpeturahaṅkṛtena ॥1-178-1॥
The young men, adorned with earrings, assembled together, each competing with one another. Thinking themselves possessed of weapons and strength, all of them rose up, filled with pride.
rūpeṇa vīryeṇa kulena caiva; dharmeṇa caivāpi ca yauvanena. samṛddhadarpā madavegabhinnā; mattā yathā haimavatā gajendrāḥ ॥1-178-2॥
By their form, strength, lineage, righteousness, and youth, prosperous and proud, broken by the force of intoxication, they are intoxicated just like the lordly elephants of the Himalayas.
parasparaṃ spardhayā prekṣamāṇāḥ; saṅkalpajenāpi pariplutāṅgāḥ. kṛṣṇā mamaite-iti abhibhāṣamāṇā; nṛpāsanebhyaḥ sahasa upatastuḥ ॥1-178-3॥
They looked at each other with rivalry, their bodies agitated by resolve; saying, "This Kṛṣṇā is mine," they suddenly rose from the royal seats.
te kṣatriyā raṅgagatāḥ sametā; jigīṣamāṇā drupadātmajāṃ tām| cakāśire parvatarājakanyā; mumāṃ yathā devagaṇāḥ sametāḥ ||1-178-4||
Those warriors, assembled in the arena and eager to win Drupada's daughter, shone like the hosts of gods gathered around Uma, the daughter of the mountain king.
kandarpa-bāṇa-abhinipīḍita-aṅgāḥ; kṛṣṇa-āgataiḥ te hṛdayaiḥ narendrāḥ। raṅga-avatīrṇā drupada-ātmaja-artham; dveṣyān hi cakruḥ suhṛdaḥ api tatra ॥1-178-5॥
Afflicted by the arrows of love, the kings, their hearts drawn by Kṛṣṇa, entered the arena for Drupada's daughter; there, even friends became enemies.
athāyayur devagaṇā vimānai; rudrādityā vasavo'thāśvinau ca। sādhyāś ca sarve marutas tathaiva; yamaṃ puraskṛtya dhaneśvaraṃ ca ॥1-178-6॥
Then the hosts of gods arrived in their aerial cars: Rudras, Ādityas, Vasus, the Aśvins, Sādhyas, and all the Maruts likewise, with Yama and the lord of wealth at their head.
daityāḥ suparṇāś ca mahoragāś ca; devarṣayo guhyakāś cāraṇāś ca। viśvāvasur nāradaparvatau ca; gandharvamukhyāś ca sahāpsarobhiḥ ॥1-178-7॥
The Daityas, Suparṇas, and great serpents; the divine sages, Guhyakas, and Āraṇas; Viśvāvasu, Nārada, and Parvata; and the chief Gandharvas together with the Apsarases (celestial nymphs) were present.
halāyudhas tatra ca keśavaś ca; vṛṣṇy andhakāś caiva yathā pradhānāḥ। prekṣāṃ sma cakrur yadu puṅgavās te; sthitāś ca kṛṣṇasya mate babhūvuḥ ॥1-178-8॥
Halāyudha (Balarāma), Keśava (Kṛṣṇa), and the chief Vṛṣṇis and Andhakas assembled there; as leaders, they observed the scene. The foremost of the Yadus stood firm, acting according to Kṛṣṇa's counsel.
dṛṣṭvā hi tān-mattagajendrarūpān pañcābhipadmāniva vāraṇendrān bhasmāvṛtāṅgāniva havyavāhān pārthān pradadhyau sa yadupravīraḥ ॥1-178-9॥
Seeing the Pāṇḍavas, who appeared like intoxicated lordly elephants, five like lotuses, like lordly elephants, with bodies covered in ashes like fire-gods, Kṛṣṇa, the foremost of the Yadus, contemplated them.
śaśaṁsa rāmāya yudhiṣṭhiraṁ ca; bhīmaṁ ca jiṣṇuṁ ca yamau ca vīrau। śanaiḥ śanaistāṁśca nirīkṣya rāmo; janārdanaṁ prītamanā dadarśa ॥1-178-10॥
He praised Rāma, Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma, Arjuna, and the heroic twins. Then, after slowly observing them, Rāma saw Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa) with a pleased heart.
anye tu nānā-nṛpa-putra-pautrāḥ; kṛṣṇāgataiḥ netra-manaḥ-svabhāvaiḥ। vyāyacchamānā dadṛśur bhramantīṃ; sandaṣṭa-danta-cchada-tāmra-vaktrāḥ ॥1-178-11॥
But others—various kings, their sons and grandsons—whose eyes, minds, and natures were darkened, saw her wandering, displaying coppery faces with bitten lips.
tathaiva pārthāḥ pṛthubāhavaste; vīrau yamau caiva mahānubhāvau. tāṃ draupadīṃ prekṣya tadā sma sarve; kandarpabāṇābhihatā babhūvuḥ ॥1-178-12॥
In the same way, the sons of Pṛthā, broad-armed and heroic, the two sons of Yama, men of great dignity, when they saw Draupadī at that moment, all were struck as if by Cupid's arrows.
devarṣigandharvasamākulaṃ tatsuparṇanāgāsurasiddhajuṣṭam। divyena gandhena samākulaṃ ca divyaiśca mālyairavakīryamāṇam ॥1-178-13॥
That place was crowded with divine sages and gandharvas, enjoyed by Garuḍa, nāgas, asuras, and siddhas. It was also filled with divine fragrance and was being strewn with divine garlands.
mahāsvanair dundubhināditaiś ca; babhūva tat saṅkulam antarikṣam। vimānasambādham abhūt samantāt saveṇuvīṇāpaṇavānunādam॥1-178-14॥
The sky was filled with great sounds and the beating of drums; it became crowded with aerial cars, and everywhere resounded with the music of flutes, lutes, and drums.
tatastu te rājagaṇāḥ krameṇa; kṛṣṇānimittaṃ nṛpa vikramantaḥ। tatkārmukaṃ saṃhananopapannaṃ; sajyaṃ na śekustarasāpi kartum ॥1-178-15॥
Then, O king, those groups of kings, one after another, striving for the sake of Kṛṣṇa, were not able, even with force, to string that bow endowed with strength.
te vikramantaḥ sphuratā dṛḍhena; niṣkṛṣyamāṇā dhanuṣā narendrāḥ। viceṣṭamānā dharaṇītalasthā; dīnā adṛśyanta vibhagnacittāḥ ॥1-178-16॥
The kings, striding forward with firm but quivering bows, were dragged and struggled on the ground; dejected and with broken spirits, they were seen.
hāhākṛtaṃ taddhanuṣā dṛḍhena; niṣpiṣṭabhagnāṅgadakuṇḍalaṃ ca। kṛṣṇānimittaṃ vinivṛttabhāvaṃ; rājñāṃ tadā maṇḍalamārtamāsīt ॥1-178-17॥
The field resounded with cries of distress caused by the firm bow; armlets and earrings were crushed and broken. Because of Kṛṣṇa, the kings' emotions subsided; then the circle of kings was afflicted.
tasmiṃstu sambhrāntajane samāje; nikṣiptavādeṣu narādhipeṣu। kuntīsuto jiṣṇur iyeṣa kartuṃ; sajyaṃ dhanus tat saśaraṃ sa vīraḥ ॥1-178-18॥
But in that assembly, when the kings had set aside their arguments and confusion prevailed, Kuntī's heroic son Arjuna, the conqueror, desired to act; he strung his bow with an arrow.
