03.175
janamejaya uvāca॥
Janamejaya said.
kathaṁ nāgāyutaprāṇo bhīmaseno mahābalaḥ। bhayam āhārayat tīvraṁ tasmād ajagarān mune ॥03-175-1॥
O sage, how did Bhīmasena, whose strength is equal to ten thousand elephants and is greatly powerful, experience such intense fear from that python? (03-175-1)
paulastyaṃ yo''hvayadyuddhe dhanadaṃ baladarpitaḥ। nalinyāṃ kadanaṃ kṛtvā varāṇāṃ yakṣarakṣasām ॥03-175-2॥
Who, being proud of his strength, challenged Dhanada (Kubera), the descendant of Pulastya, in battle and, in the lotus-lake, slaughtered the best among yakṣas and rākṣasas. (03-175-2)
taṃ śaṃsasi bhayāviṣṭam āpannam arikarṣaṇam। etad icchāmy ahaṃ śrotuṃ paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi me॥03-175-3॥
You recount that the destroyer of enemies was overcome by fear and afflicted. I wish to hear this, for I indeed have great curiosity. (03-175-3)
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
bahvāścarye vane teṣāṃ vasatām ugradhanvinām। prāptānām āśramāt rājan rājarṣeḥ vṛṣaparvaṇaḥ ॥03-175-4॥
O king, when those fierce bowmen dwelling in the marvelous forest had come from the hermitage of the royal sage Vṛṣaparvan. (03-175-4)
yadṛcchayā dhanuṣpāṇir baddhakhaḍgo vṛkodaraḥ। dadarśa tad vanaṃ ramyaṃ devagandharvasevitam॥03-175-5॥
Vṛkodara, with his bow in hand and sword at his side, happened upon that beautiful forest frequented by gods and gandharvas. (03-175-5)
sa dadarśa śubhān deśān gireḥ himavataḥ tadā। devarṣi-siddha-caritān apsaro-gaṇa-sevitān ॥03-175-6॥
He then saw the auspicious regions of Mount Himavat, frequented by divine sages and siddhas, and attended by groups of apsarases. (03-175-6)
cakoraiś cakravākaiś ca pakṣibhir jīva-jīvakaiḥ। kokilaiḥ bhṛṅga-rājaiś ca tatra tatra vināditān ॥03-175-7॥
There, everywhere, the place was made resound by chakora birds, cakravāka birds, other birds, jīvajīvaka birds, cuckoos, and black bees. (03-175-7)
nityapuṣpaphalair vṛkṣair himasaṃsparśa-komalaiḥ। upetān bahula-chāyaiḥ manonayana-nandanaiḥ॥03-175-8॥
(The place) was endowed with trees constantly bearing flowers and fruits, soft to the touch like snow, with plentiful shade, and delightful to both mind and eyes. (03-175-8)
sa sampaśyan giri-nadīr vaiḍūrya-maṇi-saṃnibhaiḥ salilaiḥ hima-saṃsparśaiḥ haṃsa-kāraṇḍava-ayutaiḥ ॥03-175-9॥
He beheld the mountain rivers, their waters resembling beryl jewels, chilled by contact with snow, and filled with swans and ducks. (3-175-9)
vanāni devadārūṇāṃ meghānām iva vāgurāḥ. haricandanamiśrāṇi tuṅgakālīyakāni api ॥03-175-10॥
Forests of deodar trees, like nets of clouds, intermingled with haricandana, also contained lofty Kālīyaka trees. (03-175-10)
mṛgayāṃ paridhāvans sameṣu marudhanvasu। vidhyan mṛgāñ śaraiḥ śuddhaiś cacāra sumahābalaḥ॥03-175-11॥
Roaming about during the hunt, running swiftly in the open plains and deserts, and shooting deer with pure arrows, the very powerful one wandered. (3-175-11)
sa dadarśa mahākāyaṃ bhujaṅgaṃ lomaharṣaṇam। giridurga samāpannaṃ kāyena āvṛtya kandaram ॥03-175-12॥
He saw a huge, fearsome serpent in the mountain stronghold, whose massive body covered the cave. (03-175-12)
parvatābhogavarṣmāṇaṃ bhogaiś candrārkamaṇḍalaiḥ। citrāṅgam ajinaiś citrair haridrāsadṛśacchavim ॥03-175-13॥
It had a form the size of a mountain by its coils, decorated with the circles of the moon and sun, a variegated body, adorned with many-colored skins, and a sheen resembling turmeric. (03-175-13)
guhākāreṇa vaktreṇa caturdaṃṣṭreṇa rājatā। dīptākṣeṇātitāmreṇa lihantaṃ sṛkkiṇī muhuḥ ॥03-175-14॥
With a mouth shaped like a cave, four fangs, shining, with blazing and exceedingly red eyes, licking the corners of its mouth again and again. (03-175-14)
trāsanaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ kālāntakayamopamam। niḥśvāsakṣveḍanādena bhartsayantamiva sthitam ॥03-175-15॥
Standing there causing fear to all beings, resembling Kāla and Antaka (Yama), as if frightening (them) with the sound of its breath and neighing. (03-175-15)
sa bhīmaṃ sahasābhyetya pṛdākuḥ kṣudhito bhṛśam। jagrāhājagaro grāho bhujayor ubhayor balāt॥03-175-16॥
That Pṛdākuḥ, exceedingly hungry, suddenly approached Bhīma and, as a powerful python, forcefully seized both of his arms. (03-175-16)
tena saṁspṛṣṭa-mātrasya bhīmasenasya vai tadā। sañjñā mumoha sahasā varadānena tasya ha ॥03-175-17॥
Then, as soon as Bhīmasena was touched by him, his consciousness suddenly became bewildered by the boon he had granted. (03-175-17)
daśa nāgasaḥasrāṇi dhārayanti hi yadbalam। tadbalaṃ bhīmasenasya bhujayor asamaṃ paraiḥ॥03-175-18॥
The strength which ten thousand elephants indeed possess is unequalled by others to the might of Bhīmasena's two arms. (3-175-18)
sa tejasvī tathā tena bhujagena vaśīkṛtaḥ। visphuran śanakaiḥ bhīmaḥ na śaśāka viceṣṭitum ॥03-175-19॥
Bhima, though powerful, being subdued by that serpent, and twitching slowly, was unable to move. (03-175-19)
nāgāyutasamaprāṇaḥ siṃhaskandho mahābhujaḥ। gṛhīto vyajahātsattvaṃ varadānena mohitaḥ ॥03-175-20॥
With the strength of a multitude of elephants, lion-like shoulders, and mighty arms, when seized he, bewildered by the boon, gave up his life. (03-175-20)
sa hi prayatnam akarot tīvram ātma-vimokṣaṇe। na ca enam aśakat vīraḥ kathañcit pratibādhitum ॥03-175-21॥
He indeed put forth great effort to free himself, and the hero could not obstruct him by any means. (03-175-21)
