01.179
Core-Pancharatra: Arjuna wins Draupadi.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
yadā nivṛttā rājāno dhanuṣaḥ sajyakarmaṇi। athodatistiṣṭadviprāṇāṃ madhyājjiṣṇurudāradhīḥ ॥1-179-1॥
When the kings withdrew from the contest of stringing the bow, then from among the Brāhmaṇas, the noble-minded and victorious one arose.
udakrośan vipramukhyā vidhunvanto'jināni ca। dṛṣṭvā samprasthitaṃ pārtham indraketu-samaprabham ॥1-179-2॥
The chief Brāhmaṇas cried out loudly, shaking their deerskins, when they saw Pārtha (Arjuna) departing, radiant like Indra's banner.
kecid āsan vimānasaḥ kecid āsan mudā yutāḥ। āhuḥ parasparaṃ kecin nipuṇā buddhijīvinaḥ॥1-179-3॥
Some were dispirited, while others were filled with joy. Some skilled intellectuals spoke among themselves.
yat-karṇa-śalya-pramukhaiḥ pārthivair loka-viśrutaiḥ। nānataṃ balavadbhiḥ hi dhanurveda-parāyaṇaiḥ ॥1-179-4॥
That bow, which even kings like Karna and Śalya, famed throughout the world and mighty warriors devoted to the science of archery, could not bend.
tatkathaṃ tvakṛtāstreṇa prāṇato durbalīyasā| baṭumātreṇa śakyaṃ hi sajyaṃ kartuṃ dhanurdvijāḥ ॥1-179-5॥
So how, O Brāhmaṇas, could it be possible for you, unskilled in weapons, alive, weak, and merely a boy, to string the bow?
avahāsyā bhaviṣyanti brāhmaṇāḥ sarva-rājasu। karmaṇy-asmin na saṃsiddhe cāpalād aparīkṣite ॥1-179-6॥
Brāhmaṇas will be ridiculed by all kings when actions are left unaccomplished and unexamined due to impulsiveness.
yadyeṣa darpāddharṣādvā yadi vā brahmacāpalāt। prasthito dhanurāyantuṃ vāryatāṃ sādhu mā gamat ॥1-179-7॥
If this person, whether out of pride, arrogance, or brahminical recklessness, has set out to string the bow, restrain him, O noble one; do not let him proceed.
nāvahāsyā bhaviṣyāmo na ca lāghavam āsthitāḥ। na ca vidviṣṭatāṃ loke gamiṣyāmo mahīkṣitām ॥1-179-8॥
We will not become objects of ridicule, nor will we resort to triviality; nor will we come to be hated among the kings of the world.
kecid āhur yuvā śrīmān nāgarāja-karopamaḥ। pīna-skandha-uru-bāhuś ca dhairyeṇa himavān iva ॥1-179-9॥
Some described him as a young, prosperous man, whose hands resembled those of the serpent king, with thick shoulders and broad arms, and whose fortitude was like that of the Himalaya.
sambhāvyam asmin karma idam utsāhāt ca anumīyate। śaktiḥ asya mahat utsāhaḥ na hi aśaktaḥ svayam vrajet ॥1-179-10॥
This action is inferred in this person from his enthusiasm; his great enthusiasm shows his power, for indeed, a powerless person would not go on his own.
na ca tad vidyate kiñcit karma lokeṣu yad bhavet। brāhmaṇānām asādhyaṃ ca triṣu saṃsthānacāriṣu ॥1-179-11॥
There is no action in the worlds that is impossible for Brāhmaṇas, even among those who perform the three sacred rites.
abbhakṣā vāyubhakṣāś ca phalāhārā dṛḍhavratāḥ। durbalā hi balīyāṃso viprā hi brahmatejasā ॥1-179-12॥
Those Brāhmaṇas who eat only water, subsist on air, or live on fruits, and are firm in their vows, though physically weak, are indeed stronger by the power of Brahman.
brāhmaṇo nāvamantavyaḥ sadvā sadvā samācaran। sukhaṃ duḥkhaṃ mahaddhrasvaṃ karma yat samupāgatam ॥1-179-13॥
A Brāhmaṇa should never be despised, whether he acts well or poorly. Whatever happiness, sorrow, great or small deed has come to him.
evaṃ teṣāṃ vilapatāṃ viprāṇāṃ vividhā giraḥ। arjuno dhanuṣo'bhyāśe tasthau giririvācalaḥ ॥1-179-14॥
As the Brāhmaṇas lamented in various voices, Arjuna stood near his bow, unmoving like a mountain.
sa taddhanuḥ parikramya pradakṣiṇam athākarot। praṇamya śirasā hṛṣṭo jagṛhe ca parantapaḥ ॥1-179-15॥
He joyfully circumambulated that bow to the right, bowed his head, and the scorcher of foes took it.
sajyaṃ ca cakre nimiṣāntareṇa; śarāṃś ca jagrāha daśārdhasaṅkhyān। vivyādha lakṣyaṃ nipapāta tacca; chidreṇa bhūmau sahasātividdham ॥1-179-16॥
He strung the bow in the blink of an eye, took ten and a half arrows, pierced the target, and it fell to the ground through the hole, having been struck straight through.
tato'ntarikṣe ca babhūva nādaḥ; samājamadhye ca mahānninādaḥ। puṣpāṇi divyāni vavarṣa devaḥ; pārthasya mūrdhni dviṣatāṃ nihantuḥ ॥1-179-17॥
Then, a sound arose in the sky and a great uproar in the midst of the assembly. The god showered divine flowers on the head of Pārtha, the destroyer of his enemies.
celāvedhāṃstataścakrurhāhākārāṃśca sarvaśaḥ। nyapataṃścātra nabhasaḥ samantātpuṣpavṛṣṭayaḥ ॥1-179-18॥
Then they made banners and raised cries of lamentation everywhere; and here, showers of flowers fell from the sky in all directions.
śatāṅgāni ca tūryāṇi vādakāś cāpy avādayan। sūta-māgadha-saṅghāś ca astuvaṁs tatra susvanāḥ ॥1-179-19॥
Various kinds of musical instruments and their players also played. Groups of bards and panegyrists praised there with melodious voices.
taṃ dṛṣṭvā drupadaḥ prīto babhūvāri-niṣūdanaḥ। saha-sainyaś ca pārthasya sāhāyyārtham iyeṣa saḥ ॥1-179-20॥
Seeing him, Drupada was pleased and, as the destroyer of enemies, with his army, he wished to aid Pārtha.
tasmiṃstu śabde mahati pravṛtte; yudhiṣṭhiro dharmabhṛtāṃ variṣṭhaḥ। āvāsamevopajagāma śīghraṃ; sārdhaṃ yamābhyāṃ puruṣottamābhyām ॥1-179-21॥
But as that great sound arose, Yudhishthira, the foremost among the upholders of dharma, quickly went to the residence together with the two best of men, the two Yamas.
viddhaṃ tu lakṣyaṃ prasamīkṣya kṛṣṇā; pārthaṃ ca śakrapratimaṃ nirīkṣya। ādāya śuklaṃ varamālyadāma; jagāma kuntīsutam utsmayantī॥1-179-22॥
Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī), after carefully observing the pierced target and glancing at Arjuna, who was like Indra, took the white, excellent garland and, smiling, approached the son of Kuntī.
sa tām-upādāya vijitya raṅge; dvijātibhis tair abhipūjyamānaḥ। raṅgān nirakrāmad acintyakarmā; patnyā tayā cāpy anugamyamānaḥ ॥1-179-23॥
He took her after his victory in the arena, and, being highly honored by the twice-born, the man of wondrous deeds departed from the arena, followed by his wife.
