03.168
arjuna uvāca॥
Arjuna said.
tato'śmavarṣaṃ sumahat prādurāsīt samantataḥ। nagamātrair mahāghorais tan māṃ dṛḍham apīḍayat ॥03-168-1॥
Then a very great shower of stones arose all around. Those, being mountain-sized and very terrible, firmly oppressed me. (03-168-1)
tad ahaṃ vajrasaṅkāśaiḥ śarair indrāstra-coditaiḥ। acūrṇayaṃ vegavadbhiḥ śatadhaikaikam āhave ॥03-168-2॥
Then I, with arrows as brilliant as thunderbolts, driven by Indra's missile, shattered each one into a hundred pieces with speed in the battle. (03-168-2)
cūrṇyamāne'śmavarṣe tu pāvakaḥ samajāyata। tatrāśmacūrṇamapatatpāvakaprakara iva ॥03-168-3॥
While the stone-rain was being pulverized, however, fire emerged. There, stone-dust fell like masses of flames. (03-168-3)
tato'śmavarṣe nihate jalavarṣaṁ mahattaram। dhārābhir akṣamātrābhiḥ prādurāsīn mamāntike ॥03-168-4॥
Then, when the hail of stones was checked, there appeared near me an even greater shower of water with streams as large as dice. (03-168-4)
nabhasaḥ pracyutā dhārās tigmavīryāḥ sahasraśaḥ। āvṛṇvan sarvato vyoma diśaś ca upadiśas tathā॥03-168-5॥
Thousands of streams of fierce power, falling from the sky, covered the sky on all sides, as well as all the directions and intermediate directions. (03-168-5)
dhārāṇāṃ ca nipātena vāyor visphūrjitena ca| garjitena ca daityānāṃ na prājñāyata kiñcana ॥03-168-6॥
Nothing at all could be perceived because of the fall of streams, the roaring wind, and the thunderous cries of the Daityas. (03-168-6)
dhārā divi ca sambaddhā vasudhāyāṃ ca sarvaśaḥ। vyāmohayanta māṃ tatra nipatantyo'niśaṃ bhuvi ॥03-168-7॥
The streams, connected both in the sky and everywhere on the earth, bewilder me there as they continuously fall upon the ground. (03-168-7)
tatropadiṣṭamindreṇa divyam astraṃ viśoṣaṇam। dīptaṃ prāhiṇavaṃ ghoram aśuṣyat tena taj jalam॥03-168-8॥
There, the divine weapon for drying, instructed by Indra—shining, terrible, and fearsome—by that, the water was dried up. (03-168-8)
hate'śmavarṣe tu mayā jalavarṣe ca śoṣite. mumucur dānavā māyām agniṃ vāyuṃ ca mānada ॥03-168-9॥
But after I destroyed the stone rain and dried up the rain of water, the Dānavas, O bestower of honor, released magical fire and wind. (03-168-9)
tato'ham agniṃ vyadhamaṃ salilāstreṇa sarvaśaḥ। śailena ca mahāstreṇa vāyor vegam adhārayam ॥03-168-10॥
Then I repelled the fire completely with the water-weapon; and with the mountain and the great missile, I restrained the force of the wind. (03-168-10)
tasyāṃ pratihatāyāṃ tu dānavā yuddha-durmadāḥ। prākurvan vividhā māyā yaugapadyena bhārata॥03-168-11॥
But when she was repulsed, O Bhārata, the Dānavas, intoxicated by the fury of battle, began at once to employ various magical illusions. (03-168-11)
tato varṣaṃ prādurabhūtsumahallomaharṣaṇam। astrāṇāṃ ghorarūpāṇāmagnervāyostathāśmanām॥03-168-12॥
Then there arose a tremendous, terrifying, hair-raising rain of weapons having the dreadful forms of fire, of wind, and of stones. (3-168-12)
sā tu māyāmayī vṛṣṭiḥ pīḍayāmāsa māṃ yudhi. atha ghoraṃ tamastīvraṃ prādurāsītsamantataḥ ॥03-168-13॥
But that illusion-made rain afflicted me in battle. Then, intense and terrible darkness appeared on all sides. (03-168-13)
tamasā saṁvṛte loke ghoreṇa paruṣeṇa ca। turagā vimukhāś cāsan prāskhalac cāpi mātaliḥ॥03-168-14॥
When the world was enveloped in darkness, terrible and cruel, the horses turned away, and even Mātali stumbled. (03-168-14)
hastādd hiraṇmayaś cāsya pratodaḥ prāpatad bhuvi। asakṛc cāha māṃ bhītaḥ kvāsīti bharatarṣabha ॥03-168-15॥
The golden goad fell to the ground from his hand. Frightened, he kept saying to me, "Where are you?" O best of the Bharatas. (03-168-15)
māṃ ca bhīrāviśattīvrā tasminvigatacētasi। sa ca māṃ vigatajñānaḥ santrasta idamabravīt ॥03-168-16॥
Intense fear entered me also as he lay unconscious. He too, deprived of knowledge and terrified, said this to me. (03-168-16)
surāṇāmasurāṇāṃ ca saṅgrāmaḥ sumahānabhūt. amṛtārthe purā pārtha sa ca dṛṣṭo mayānagha ॥03-168-17॥
O Partha, a very great battle between gods and asuras once took place for the sake of amṛta; O sinless one, I saw that battle myself (03-168-17)
śambarasya vadhe cāpi saṅgrāmaḥ sumahānabhūt। sārathyaṃ devarājasya tatrāpi kṛtavānaham ॥03-168-18॥
There was a very great battle during the slaying of Śambara; there too, I acted as the charioteer for the king of the gods. (03-168-18)
tathaiva vṛtrasya vadhe saṅgṛhītā hayā mayā। vairocaner mayā yuddhaṃ dṛṣṭaṃ cāpi sudāruṇam॥03-168-19॥
In the same way, at the slaying of Vṛtra, I assembled the horses. I also saw the dreadful battle of Vairocana. (03-168-19)
ete mayā mahāghorāḥ saṅgrāmāḥ paryupāsitāḥ। na cāpi vigatajñāno bhūtapūrvo'smi pāṇḍava॥03-168-20॥
These very terrible battles have been encountered by me. O Pāṇḍava, never before have I been devoid of sense. (03-168-20)
pitāmahen saṃhāraḥ prajānāṃ vihito dhruvam। na hi yuddham idaṃ yuktam anyatra jagataḥ kṣayāt॥03-168-21॥
Destruction of beings has certainly been ordained by the grandsire. Indeed, this battle is justified only for the destruction of the world. (03-168-21)
tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā saṃstabhya ātmānam ātmanā| mohayiṣyāmi dānavānāṃ ahaṃ māyāmayaṃ balam ॥03-168-22॥
Having heard his words, steadying myself by my own self, I will confound the illusory power of the Dānavas. (03-168-22)
abruvaṁ mātaliṁ bhītaṁ paśya me bhujayorbalam। astrāṇāṁ ca prabhāvaṁ me dhanuṣo gāṇḍivasya ca ॥03-168-23॥
I said to Mātali, who was frightened, "Look at the strength of my arms, and the power of my weapons and my bow Gāṇḍīva." (03-168-23)
adyāstramāyayaitēṣāṁ māyāmētāṁ sudāruṇām। vinihanmi tamaścōgraṁ mā bhaiḥ sūta sthirō bhava ॥03-168-24॥
Today, by the magic of weapons, I will utterly destroy this most terrible illusion of these (enemies) and this fierce darkness; do not be afraid, charioteer – remain steadfast. (03-168-24)
evam uktvā aham asṛjam astram āyām narādhipa। mohanīṃ sarvaśatrūṇāṃ hitāya tridivaukasām ॥03-168-25॥
Having thus spoken, O king, I released the illusory weapon that confounds all enemies, for the good of the heavenly beings. (03-168-25)
pīḍyamānāsu māyāsu tāsu tāsvasureśvarāḥ। punarbahuvidhā māyāḥ prākurvannamitaujasaḥ॥03-168-26॥
While being afflicted by those illusions, the lords of the asuras, of immeasurable might, once again created many kinds of illusions. (03-168-26)
punaḥ prākāśam abhavat tamasā grasyate punaḥ। vrajati adarśanam lokaḥ punar apsu nimajjati॥03-168-27॥
Once again, light appears, but is again swallowed by darkness. The world vanishes from sight and once more sinks into the waters. (03-168-27)
susaṅgṛhītair haribhiḥ prakāśe sati mātaliḥ। vyacaratsyandanāgryeṇa saṅgrāme lomaharṣaṇe ॥03-168-28॥
Mātali, with his chariot drawn by well-harnessed horses, moved about in the hair-raising battle when there was light. (03-168-28)
tataḥ paryapatannugrā nivātakavacā mayi। tānahaṃ vivaraṃ dṛṣṭvā prāhiṇvaṃ yamasādanam॥03-168-29॥
Then the fierce Nivātakavacas converged all around me. Seeing an opening, I sent them to the abode of Yama (death). (03-168-29)
vartamāne tathā yuddhe nivātakavacāntake। nāpaśyaṃ sahasā sarvān dānavān māyayāvṛtān ॥03-168-30॥
Though present there in the battle, O destroyer of the Nivātakavaca demons, I suddenly could not see any of the demons, as they were concealed by illusion. (03-168-30)
