01.217
Pancharatra: Kandavaforest set on fire protected by Arjuna and Krishna.
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
तौ रथाभ्यां नरव्याघ्रौ दावस्योभयतः स्थितौ। दिक्षु सर्वासु भूतानां चक्राते कदनं महत् ॥१-२१७-१॥
Those two heroes, like tigers among men, stood with their chariots on either side of the conflagration and wrought great slaughter of all beings in every direction.
यत्र यत्र हि दृश्यन्ते प्राणिनः खाण्डवालयाः। पलायन्तस्तत्र तत्र तौ वीरौ पर्यधावताम् ॥१-२१७-२॥
Wherever the living beings of Khāṇḍava were seen fleeing, there the two heroes rushed after them.
छिद्रं हि न प्रपश्यन्ति रथयोराशुविक्रमात्। आविद्धाविव दृश्येते रथिनौ तौ रथोत्तमौ ॥१-२१७-३॥
Because of the swift movement of the chariots, they do not perceive any gap; those two excellent charioteers appear as if pierced (together).
खाण्डवे दह्यमाने तु भूतान्यथ सहस्रशः। उत्पेतुर्भैरवान्नादान्विनदन्तो दिशो दश ॥१-२१७-४॥
But as the Khāṇḍava forest was burning, thousands of creatures arose, uttering terrible cries that echoed in all ten directions.
दग्धैकदेशा बहवो निष्टप्ताश्च तथापरे। स्फुटिताक्षा विशीर्णाश्च विप्लुताश्च विचेतसः ॥१-२१७-५॥
Many were burnt in one part, others were completely scorched; some had burst eyes, some were shattered, some dissolved, and some were unconscious.
समालिङ्ग्य सुतानन्ये पितृन्मातृंस्तथापरे। त्यक्तुं न शेकुः स्नेहेन तथैव निधनं गताः ॥१-२१७-६॥
Some, having embraced their sons, others their fathers and mothers likewise, and others, unable to abandon them out of affection, thus went to their deaths.
विकृतैर्दर्शनैरन्ये समुत्पेतुः सहस्रशः। तत्र तत्र विघूर्णन्तः पुनरग्नौ प्रपेदिरे ॥१-२१७-७॥
Others, with deformed appearances, arose by the thousands; here and there, whirling about, they again entered into the fire.
दग्धपक्षाक्षिचरणा विचेष्टन्तो महीतले। तत्र तत्र स्म दृश्यन्ते विनश्यन्तः शरीरिणः ॥१-२१७-८॥
Creatures with burnt wings, eyes, and feet, moving about on the ground, were seen here and there, perishing.
जलस्थानेषु सर्वेषु क्वाथ्यमानेषु भारत। गतसत्त्वाः स्म दृश्यन्ते कूर्ममत्स्याः सहस्रशः ॥१-२१७-९॥
O Bhārata, in all water bodies, as they were being boiled, thousands of lifeless turtles and fishes were seen.
शरीरैः सम्प्रदीप्तैश्च देहवन्त इवाग्नयः। अदृश्यन्त वने तस्मिन्प्राणिनः प्राणसङ्क्षये ॥१-२१७-१०॥
In that forest, living beings, their bodies blazing like fire, appeared as if at the end of their lives.
तांस्तथोत्पततः पार्थः शरैः सञ्छिद्य खण्डशः। दीप्यमाने ततः प्रास्यत्प्रहसन्कृष्णवर्त्मनि ॥१-२१७-११॥
Arjuna (Pārtha), seeing them rise, cut them into pieces with his arrows, and then, smiling, hurled the blazing weapon onto the path of Kṛṣṇa.
ते शराचितसर्वाङ्गा विनदन्तो महारवान्। ऊर्ध्वमुत्पत्य वेगेन निपेतुः पावके पुनः ॥१-२१७-१२॥
They, their entire bodies covered with arrows, let out great roars, leapt up swiftly, and again fell into the fire.
शरैरभ्याहतानां च दह्यतां च वनौकसाम्। विरावः श्रूयते ह स्म समुद्रस्येव मथ्यतः ॥१-२१७-१३॥
The cries of the forest-dwellers, struck by arrows and burning, were heard, like the sound of the ocean being churned.
वह्नेश्चापि प्रहृष्टस्य खमुत्पेतुर्महार्चिषः। जनयामासुरुद्वेगं सुमहान्तं दिवौकसाम् ॥१-२१७-१४॥
From the delighted Agni, great flames arose into the sky, causing immense disturbance among the dwellers of heaven.
ततो जग्मुर्महात्मानः सर्व एव दिवौकसः। शरणं देवराजानं सहस्राक्षं पुरंदरम् ॥१-२१७-१५॥
Then all the great-souled dwellers of heaven went to take refuge with the king of the gods, the thousand-eyed Purandara (Indra).
देवा ऊचुः॥
The gods said.
किं न्विमे मानवाः सर्वे दह्यन्ते कृष्णवर्त्मना। कच्चिन्न सङ्क्षयः प्राप्तो लोकानाममरेश्वर ॥१-२१७-१६॥
O lord of immortals, are all these humans truly being consumed by the dark path? Has destruction not come upon the worlds?
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
तच्छ्रुत्वा वृत्रहा तेभ्यः स्वयमेवान्ववेक्ष्य च। खाण्डवस्य विमोक्षार्थं प्रययौ हरिवाहनः ॥१-२१७-१७॥
Having heard that, the Vṛtra-slayer, after personally observing them, went for the release of Khāṇḍava, being Hari's vehicle (Arjuna).
महताऽ मेघजालेन नानारूपेण वज्रभृत्। आकाशं समवस्तीर्य प्रववर्ष सुरेश्वरः ॥१-२१७-१८॥
Indra, the lord of the gods and wielder of the thunderbolt, covered the sky with a vast and varied network of clouds and began to rain.
ततोऽक्षमात्रा विसृजन्धाराः शतसहस्रशः। अभ्यवर्षत्सहस्राक्षः पावकं खाण्डवं प्रति ॥१-२१७-१९॥
Then Indra, the thousand-eyed, released streams of rain, each the size of dice, by the hundreds of thousands, pouring them down upon the fire at Khandava.
असम्प्राप्तास्तु ता धारास्तेजसा जातवेदसः। ख एव समशुष्यन्त न काश्चित्पावकं गताः ॥१-२१७-२०॥
But those streams, before reaching, were completely dried up in the sky by the brilliance of Jātavedas (the fire); none of them reached the fire.
ततो नमुचिहा क्रुद्धो भृशमर्चिष्मतस्तदा। पुनरेवाभ्यवर्षत्तमम्भः प्रविसृजन्बहु ॥१-२१७-२१॥
Then Namuci, enraged and blazing intensely, once again released a great quantity of water upon him.
अर्चिर्धाराभिसम्बद्धं धूमविद्युत्समाकुलम्। बभूव तद्वनं घोरं स्तनयित्नुसघोषवत् ॥१-२१७-२२॥
That forest became dreadful, joined by streams of flame, filled with smoke and lightning, and resounding with the noise of thunder.
