04.040
uttara uvāca॥
Uttara said.
āsthāya vipulaṃ vīra rathaṃ sārathinā mayā। katamaṃ yāsyase'nīkamukto yāsyāmyahaṃ tvayā॥04-40-1॥
O hero, having mounted the great chariot with me as your charioteer, to which division of the army will you go when I am told? I will go wherever directed by you. (04-40-1)
arjuna uvāca॥
Arjuna said.
prīto'smi puruṣavyāghra na bhayaṃ vidyate tava. sarvān nudāmi te śatrūn raṇe raṇaviśārada ॥04-40-2॥
I am pleased, O tiger among men; you need not fear anything. I will drive away all your enemies in battle, O expert in warfare. (04-40-2)
svastho bhava mahābuddhe paśya māṃ śatrubhiḥ saha। yudhyamānaṃ vimarde'smin kurvāṇaṃ bhairavaṃ mahat ॥04-40-3॥
Remain steady, O great intellect; behold me, together with the enemies, fighting in this conflict and performing a great, terrifying act. (04-40-3)
etān sarvān upāsaṅgān kṣipraṃ badhnīhi me rathe। etaṃ ca āhara nistriṃśaṃ jātarūpapariṣkṛtam ॥ ahaṃ vai kurubhiḥ yotsyāmi avajeṣyāmi te paśūn ॥04-40-4॥
Quickly bind all these harnessings for me to the chariot. Also bring this sword adorned with refined gold. I will indeed fight with the Kurus and will defeat your cattle. (04-40-4)
saṅkalpapakṣavikṣepaṃ bāhuprākāratoraṇam। tridaṇḍatūṇasambādhamanekadhvajasaṅkulam ॥04-40-5॥
Spreading the wings of intention, with arms as ramparts and gateways; crowded with triple staffs and quivers, filled with many banners. (04-40-5)
jyākṣepaṇaṃ krodhakṛtaṃ nemīninadadundubhi. nagaraṃ te mayā guptaṃ rathopasthaṃ bhaviṣyati ॥04-40-6॥
The stretching of the bowstring, done in anger and accompanied by the sound of drums like the rumble of chariot wheels. Your city will be protected by me; the seat of the chariot will be (so). (04-40-6)
adhiṣṭhito mayā saṅkhye ratho gāṇḍīvadhanvanā। ajeyaḥ śatrusainyānāṃ vairāṭe vyetu te bhayam॥04-40-7॥
Since the chariot, mounted by me in battle and bearing the wielder of the Gāṇḍīva bow, is invincible to enemy armies in Virāṭa, let your fear be dispelled. (04-40-7)
uttara uvāca॥
Uttara said.
bibhemi nāhameteṣāṃ jānāmi tvāṃ sthiraṃ yudhi। keśavenāpi saṅgrāme sākṣādindreṇa vā samam॥04-40-8॥
I am not afraid of these; I know you to be steadfast in battle. You are a match even for Keśava in battle, or for Indra himself. (04-40-8)
idaṃ tu cintayanneva parimuhyāmi kevalam। niścayaṃ cāpi durmedhā na gacchāmi kathaṃcana॥04-40-9॥
But as I keep thinking about this, I am only entirely bewildered. With poor intellect, I am unable to reach any resolve by any means. (04-40-9)
evaṃ vīrāṅgarūpasya lakṣaṇair ucitasya ca। kena karma-vipākena klībatvam idam āgatam ॥04-40-10॥
How has this impotence come to one who, with the form of a hero and fitting characteristics, thus? (04-40-10)
manye tvāṃ klībaveṣeṇa carantaṃ śūlapāṇinam। gandharvarājapratimaṃ devaṃ vāpi śatakratum॥04-40-11॥
I think you, who are moving about in the disguise of an impotent man, holding a spear, are like the king of Gandharvas or even the god Indra. (04-40-11)
arjuna uvāca॥
Arjuna said.
bhrātur-niyogāj-jyeṣṭhasya saṃvatsaram-idaṃ vratam। carāmi brahmacaryaṃ vai satyam-etad-bravīmi te ॥04-40-12॥
By my elder brother's command, I have undertaken this vow for a year; I practice celibacy indeed—this is the truth, I tell you. (04-40-12)
nāsmi klībo mahābāho paravān dharmasaṃyutaḥ। samāptavratam uttīrṇaṃ viddhi māṃ tvaṃ nṛpātmaja ॥04-40-13॥
O mighty-armed prince, know me not to be an impotent or dependent man attached to others' will; I am one endowed with righteousness, who has completed his vow and crossed over. (04-40-13)
uttara uvāca॥
Uttara said.
paramo'nugraho me'dya yatpratarko na me vṛthā। na hīdṛśāḥ klībarūpā bhavantīha narottamāḥ ॥04-40-14॥
The greatest favor to me today is that my judgment has not been futile; for indeed, those of such unmanly nature are never the best of men here. (04-40-14)
sahāyavān asmi raṇe yudhyeyam amarair api. sādhvasam tat pranaṣṭam me kiṃ karomi bravīhi me ॥04-40-15॥
I have allies in battle and could fight even the immortals. That fear has been destroyed for me. What should I do? Tell me. (04-40-15)
ahaṁ te saṅgrahīṣyāmi hayāñ śatrurathārujaḥ। śikṣito hy asmi sārathye tīrthataḥ puruṣarṣabha ॥04-40-16॥
O best of men, I will drive the horses for you, O conqueror of enemy chariots; for I am indeed trained in charioteering by a master. (04-40-16)
dāruko vāsudevasya yathā śakrasya mātaliḥ। tathā māṁ viddhi sārathye śikṣitaṁ narapuṅgava ॥04-40-17॥
Just as Dāruka is to Vāsudeva and Mātali is to Śakra, so too, O best of men, know me as one trained in the art of charioteering. (04-40-17)
yasya yāte na paśyanti bhūmau prāptaṃ padaṃ padam। dakṣiṇaṃ yo dhuraṃ yuktaḥ sugrīvasadṛśo hayaḥ ॥04-40-18॥
The horse, yoked to the right, resembling Sugrīva, whose footsteps cannot be seen on the ground when he moves.
yo'yaṃ dhuraṃ dhuryavaro vāmaṃ vahati śobhanaḥ। taṃ manye meghapuṣpasya javena sadṛśaṃ hayam ॥04-40-19॥
This beautiful and excellent draught-horse who pulls the yoke to the left, I consider to be a horse equal in speed to Meghapushpa. (04-40-19)
yo'yaṃ kāñcanasaṃnāhaḥ pārṣṇiṃ vahati śobhanaḥ। vāmaṃ sainyasya manye taṃ javena balavattaram ॥04-40-20॥
That splendid one in golden armor, who carries the heel, I think he is on the left of the army and is more powerful in speed. (04-40-20)
yo'yaṁ vahati te pārṣṇiṁ dakṣiṇāmañcitodyataḥ। balāhakād api mataḥ sa jave vīryavattaraḥ ॥04-40-21॥
He who carries your right heel raised and bent is considered, even compared to a cloud, more powerful in speed. (04-40-21)
tvām evāyaṁ ratho voḍhuṁ saṅgrāme 'rhati dhanvinam। tvaṁ cemaṁ ratham āsthāya yoddhum arho mato mama ॥04-40-22॥
Only you are worthy to drive this chariot in battle for an archer; you, having mounted this chariot, are considered by me to be fit to fight. (04-40-22)
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
tato nirmucya bāhubhyāṃ valayāni sa vīryavān। citre dundubhi-saṃnāde prati amuñcat tale śubhe॥04-40-23॥
Then, having removed the bracelets from his arms, the mighty one, with the splendid sound of the drum, placed them down on the auspicious ground. (04-40-23)
kṛṣṇān bhaṅgīmataḥ keśāñ śvetena udgrathya vāsasā | adhijyaṃ tarasā kṛtvā gāṇḍīvaṃ vyākṣipad dhanuḥ ॥04-40-24॥
Having bound up his black, curling hair with a white cloth, he swiftly strung the Gandiva and drew back his bow. (04-40-24)
tasya vikṣipyamāṇasya dhanuṣo'bhūnmahāsvanaḥ। yathā śailasya mahataḥ śailenaivābhijaghnuṣaḥ॥04-40-25॥
As his bow was being drawn, a great sound arose, like that of a great mountain struck by another mountain by one who strikes. (04-40-25)
sanirghātābhavadbhūmirdikṣu vāyurvavau bhṛśam। bhrāntadvijaṃ khaṃ tadāsītprakampitamahādrumam॥04-40-26॥
The earth shook with thunder, the wind blew forcefully in all directions, the sky filled with agitated birds, and the great trees trembled. (04-40-26)
taṁ śabdaṁ kuravo'jānan visphoṭam aśanera iva। yad arjuno dhanuḥ-śreṣṭhaṁ bāhubhyām ākṣipad rathe॥04-40-27॥
The Kuru warriors did not recognize that sound, like the explosion of a thunderbolt, when Arjuna drew back his excellent bow with his arms on the chariot. (04-40-27)
