01.217
Pancharatra: Kandavaforest set on fire protected by Arjuna and Krishna.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
tau rathābhyāṃ naravyāghrau dāvasyobhayataḥ sthitau। dikṣu sarvāsu bhūtānāṃ cakrāte kadanaṃ mahat ॥1-217-1॥
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.
yatra yatra hi dṛśyante prāṇinaḥ khāṇḍavālayāḥ। palāyantastatra tatra tau vīrau paryadhāvatām ॥1-217-2॥
Wherever the living beings of Khāṇḍava were seen fleeing, there the two heroes rushed after them.
chidraṃ hi na prapaśyanti rathayor āśuvikramāt। āviddhāv iva dṛśyete rathinau tau rathottamau ॥1-217-3॥
Because of the swift movement of the chariots, they do not perceive any gap; those two excellent charioteers appear as if pierced (together).
khāṇḍave dahyamāne tu bhūtānyatha sahasraśaḥ। utpeturbhairavānnādānvinadanto diśo daśa॥1-217-4॥
But as the Khāṇḍava forest was burning, thousands of creatures arose, uttering terrible cries that echoed in all ten directions.
dagdhaikadeśā bahavo niṣṭaptāś ca tathāpare। sphuṭitākṣā viśīrṇāś ca viplutāś ca vicetasaḥ ॥1-217-5॥
Many were burnt in one part, others were completely scorched; some had burst eyes, some were shattered, some dissolved, and some were unconscious.
samāliṅgya sutānanye pitṝnmātṝṃstathāpare। tyaktuṃ na śekuḥ snehena tathaiva nidhanaṃ gatāḥ ॥1-217-6॥
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.
vikṛtairdarśanairanye samutpetuḥ sahasraśaḥ। tatra tatra vighūrṇantaḥ punaragnau prapedire ॥1-217-7॥
Others, with deformed appearances, arose by the thousands; here and there, whirling about, they again entered into the fire.
dagdhapakṣākṣicaraṇā viceṣṭanto mahītale। tatra tatra sma dṛśyante vinaśyantaḥ śarīriṇaḥ॥1-217-8॥
Creatures with burnt wings, eyes, and feet, moving about on the ground, were seen here and there, perishing.
jalasthāneṣu sarveṣu kvāthyamāneṣu bhārata। gatasattvāḥ sma dṛśyante kūrmamatsyāḥ sahasraśaḥ ॥1-217-9॥
O Bhārata, in all water bodies, as they were being boiled, thousands of lifeless turtles and fishes were seen.
śarīraiḥ sampradīptaiś ca dehavanta iva agnayaḥ। adṛśyanta vane tasmin prāṇinaḥ prāṇasaṅkṣaye ॥1-217-10॥
In that forest, living beings, their bodies blazing like fire, appeared as if at the end of their lives.
tāṃs tathotpatataḥ pārthaḥ śaraiḥ sañchidya khaṇḍaśaḥ। dīpyamāne tataḥ prāsyat prahasan kṛṣṇavartmani ॥1-217-11॥
Arjuna (Pārtha), seeing them rise, cut them into pieces with his arrows, and then, smiling, hurled the blazing weapon onto the path of Kṛṣṇa.
te śarācitasarvāṅgā vinadanto mahāravān। ūrdhvamutpatya vegena nipetuḥ pāvake punaḥ ॥1-217-12॥
They, their entire bodies covered with arrows, let out great roars, leapt up swiftly, and again fell into the fire.
śarair abhyāhatānāṃ ca dahyatāṃ ca vanaukasām। virāvaḥ śrūyate ha sma samudrasyeva mathyataḥ ॥1-217-13॥
The cries of the forest-dwellers, struck by arrows and burning, were heard, like the sound of the ocean being churned.
vahneścāpi prahṛṣṭasya khamutpeturmahārciṣaḥ। janayāmāsarudvegaṃ sumahāntaṃ divaukasām ॥1-217-14॥
From the delighted Agni, great flames arose into the sky, causing immense disturbance among the dwellers of heaven.
tato jagmurmahātmānaḥ sarva eva divaukasaḥ। śaraṇaṃ devarājānaṃ sahasrākṣaṃ puraṃdaram ॥1-217-15॥
Then all the great-souled dwellers of heaven went to take refuge with the king of the gods, the thousand-eyed Purandara (Indra).
devā ūcuḥ॥
The gods said.
kiṁ nvime mānavāḥ sarve dahyante kṛṣṇavartmanā। kaccinna saṅkṣayaḥ prāpto lokānām amareśvara ॥1-217-16॥
O lord of immortals, are all these humans truly being consumed by the dark path? Has destruction not come upon the worlds?
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
tacchrutvā vṛtrahā tebhyaḥ svayamevānvavekṣya ca। khāṇḍavasya vimokṣārthaṃ prayayau harivāhanaḥ ॥1-217-17॥
Having heard that, the Vṛtra-slayer, after personally observing them, went for the release of Khāṇḍava, being Hari's vehicle (Arjuna).
mahatā meghajālena nānārūpeṇa vajrabhṛt। ākāśaṃ samavastīrya pravavarṣa sureśvaraḥ ॥1-217-18॥
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.
tato'kṣamātrā visṛjandhārāḥ śatasahasraśaḥ। abhyavarṣatsahasrākṣaḥ pāvakaṃ khāṇḍavaṃ prati॥1-217-19॥
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.
asamprāptās tu tā dhārās tejasā jātavedasaḥ। kha eva samaśuṣyanta na kāścit pāvakaṃ gatāḥ॥1-217-20॥
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.
tato namucihā kruddho bhṛśamarciṣmatastadā। punarevābhyavarṣattamambhaḥ pravisṛjanbahu ॥1-217-21॥
Then Namuci, enraged and blazing intensely, once again released a great quantity of water upon him.
arcir-dhārābhi-sambaddhaṃ dhūma-vidyut-samākulam। babhūva tad vanaṃ ghoraṃ stanayitnu-saghoṣavat॥1-217-22॥
That forest became dreadful, joined by streams of flame, filled with smoke and lightning, and resounding with the noise of thunder.
