07.028
Pancharatra and Core: Instructed and protected by Krishna, Arjuna kills Bhagadatta.
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca॥
Dhritarashtra spoke:
tathā kruddhaḥ kimakarodbhagadattasya pāṇḍavaḥ। prāgjyotiṣo vā pārthasya tanme śaṁsa yathātatham ॥7-28-1॥
Tell me exactly what the angry Pāṇḍava did to Bhagadatta, or what happened between Prāgjyotiṣa and Pārtha.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
prāgjyotiṣeṇa saṁsaktāvubhau dāśārhapāṇḍavau। mṛtyorivāntikaṁ prāptau sarvabhūtāni menire ॥7-28-2॥
Both Dāśārha and Pāṇḍava, engaged by Prāgjyotiṣa, were perceived by all beings as if they had arrived at the brink of death.
tathā hi śaravarṣāṇi pātayatyaniśaṃ prabho। bhagadatto gajaskandhātkṛṣṇayoḥ syandanasthayoḥ ॥7-28-3॥
Bhagadatta, from the back of his elephant, continuously showers arrows upon the two Krishnas who are standing on their chariot, O lord.
atha kārṣṇāyasairbāṇaiḥ pūrṇakārmukaniḥsṛtaiḥ। avidhyaddevakīputraṃ hemapuṅkhaiḥ śilāśitaiḥ ॥7-28-4॥
Then, with arrows tipped with iron and released from a full bow, he struck Devaki's son with those that were golden-feathered and sharpened on stone.
agnisparśasamāstīkṣṇā bhagadattena coditāḥ। nirbhidya devakīputraṃ kṣitiṃ jagmuḥ śarāstataḥ ॥7-28-5॥
The arrows, driven by Bhagadatta, were as sharp as fire and pierced the son of Devaki, falling to the earth thereafter.
tasya pārtho dhanuśchittvā śarāvāpaṃ nihatya ca। lāḍayanniva rājānaṃ bhagadattamayodhayat ॥7-28-6॥
Arjuna, having cut his bow and destroyed his quiver, fought King Bhagadatta as if teasing him.
so'rkaraśminibhāṃstīkṣṇāṃstomarānvai caturdaśa। prerayatsavyasācī tāṃstridhaikaikamathācchinat ॥7-28-7॥
He, like the rays of the sun, sent forth fourteen sharp spears. Arjuna then cut each one of them into three pieces.
tato nāgasya tadvarma vyadhamatpākaśāsaniḥ। śarajālena sa babhau vyabhraḥ parvatarāḍiva ॥7-28-8॥
Then Indra, with his shower of arrows, pierced the serpent's armor and shone like a majestic mountain without clouds.
tataḥ prāgjyotiṣaḥ śaktiṃ hemadaṇḍāmayasmayīm। vyasṛjadvāsudevāya dvidhā tāmarjuno'cchinat ॥7-28-9॥
Then Pragjyotisha released a weapon made of gold and iron towards Vasudeva, but Arjuna cut it into two.
tataś chatraṃ dhvajaṃ caiva chittvā rājño'rjunaḥ śaraiḥ। vivyādha daśabhis tūrṇam utsmayan parvatādhipam ॥7-28-10॥
Then Arjuna, smiling, swiftly cut down the king's umbrella and flag with his arrows and pierced the lord of the mountains with ten arrows.
so'tividdho'rjunaśaraiḥ supuṅkhaiḥ kaṅkapatribhiḥ। bhagadattastataḥ kruddhaḥ pāṇḍavasya mahātmanaḥ ॥7-28-11॥
Bhagadatta, deeply pierced by Arjuna's well-feathered arrows, became angry at the noble Pandava.
vyasṛjattomarānmūrdhni śvetāśvasyonnanāda ca। tairarjunasya samare kirīṭaṃ parivartitam ॥7-28-12॥
He hurled spears at the head of Śvetāśva and let out a roar. In the battle, Arjuna's crown was turned by them.
parivṛttaṃ kirīṭaṃ taṃ yamayanneva phalgunaḥ। sudṛṣṭaḥ kriyatāṃ loka iti rājānamabravīt ॥7-28-13॥
Arjuna, while adjusting his crown, told the king to ensure that the world is well-observed.
evamuktastu saṅkruddhaḥ śaravarṣeṇa pāṇḍavam। abhyavarṣatsagovindaṃ dhanurādāya bhāsvaram ॥7-28-14॥
Having been thus addressed, the enraged warrior attacked the Pandava with a shower of arrows, wielding his shining bow alongside Govinda.
tasya pārtho dhanuśchittvā tūṇīrānsaṃnikṛtya ca। tvaramāṇo dvisaptatyā sarvamarmsvatāḍayat ॥7-28-15॥
Arjuna, with great speed, cut off his bow, approached the quivers, and struck all the vital parts with seventy-two arrows.
viddhas tathāpy avyathito vaiṣṇavāstram udīrayan। abhimantryāṅkuśaṃ kruddho vyasṛjat pāṇḍavorasi ॥7-28-16॥
Despite being pierced, he remained unperturbed and invoked the weapon of Vishnu, angrily releasing the goad onto the chest of the Pandava.
visṛṣṭaṃ bhagadattena tadastraṃ sarvaghātakam। urasā pratijagrāha pārthaṃ sañchādya keśavaḥ ॥7-28-17॥
Krishna, covering Arjuna, received the all-destroying weapon released by Bhagadatta with his chest.
vaijayantyabhavanmālā tadastraṃ keśavorasi। tato'rjunaḥ klāntamanāḥ keśavaṃ pratyabhāṣata ॥7-28-18॥
The Vaijayanti garland transformed into a weapon on Keshava's chest. Then, Arjuna, feeling weary, addressed Keshava.
ayudhyamānasturagānsaṃyantāsmi janārdana। ityuktvā puṇḍarīkākṣa pratijñāṃ svāṃ na rakṣasi ॥7-28-19॥
O Janardana, I am the charioteer of the horses, not fighting. Having said thus, O lotus-eyed one, you do not keep your promise.
yadyahaṁ vyasanī vā syāmaśakto vā nivāraṇe। tatastvayaivaṁ kāryaṁ syānna tu kāryaṁ mayi sthite ॥7-28-20॥
If I am either addicted or incapable of prevention, then the responsibility should be yours, not mine when I am present.
sabāṇaḥ sadhanuścāhaṃ sasurāsuramānavān। śakto lokānimāñjetuṃ taccāpi viditaṃ tava ॥7-28-21॥
I am equipped with arrows and a bow, and I have the power to conquer these worlds along with gods, demons, and humans; this is something you are already aware of.
tato'rjunaṃ vāsudevaḥ pratyuvācārthavadvacaḥ। śṛṇu guhyamidaṃ pārtha yathā vṛttaṃ purānagha ॥7-28-22॥
Then Vasudeva spoke to Arjuna, saying: "Listen, O Arjuna, to this secret tale of the past, O sinless one."
caturmūrtirahaṃ śaśvallokatrāṇārthamudyataḥ। ātmānaṃ pravibhajyeha lokānāṃ hitamādade ॥7-28-23॥
I, in my fourfold form, am eternally committed to protecting the worlds. By dividing myself here, I ensure the welfare of all worlds.
ekā mūrtistapaścaryāṃ kurute me bhuvi sthitā। aparā paśyati jagatkurvāṇaṃ sādhvasādhunī ॥7-28-24॥
One form is engaged in penance on my behalf on earth, while another observes the world performing both good and bad deeds.
aparā kurute karma mānuṣaṃ lokamāśritā। śete caturthī tvaparā nidrāṃ varṣasahasrikām ॥7-28-25॥
Another being performs human actions while residing in the world, while the fourth one indeed sleeps for a thousand years.
yāsau varṣasahasrānte mūrtiruttiṣṭhate mama। varārhebhyo varāñśreṣṭhāṃstasmin kāle dadāti sā ॥7-28-26॥
At the end of a thousand years, my form arises and grants the best boons to those who are deserving at that time.
taṁ tu kālamanuprāptaṁ viditvā pṛthivī tadā। prāyācata varaṁ yaṁ māṁ narakārthāya taṁ śṛṇu ॥7-28-27॥
Then, realizing that the time had come, the earth requested the boon that would send me to hell, listen to that.
devānāmasurāṇāṃ ca avadhyastanayo'stu me। upeto vaiṣṇavāstreṇa tanme tvaṃ dātumarhasi ॥7-28-28॥
"Let my son be invincible to both gods and demons, endowed with the weapon of Vishnu. You are worthy of granting that to me."
evaṃ varamahaṃ śrutvā jagatyāstanaye tadā। amoghamastramadadaṃ vaiṣṇavaṃ tadahaṃ purā ॥7-28-29॥
"Thus, upon hearing the boon, I once gave the infallible weapon of Vishnu to the son of the earth."
avocaṃ caitadastraṃ vai hyamoghaṃ bhavatu kṣame। narakasyābhirakṣārthaṃ nainaṃ kaścidvadhiṣyati ॥7-28-30॥
I have declared that this weapon shall indeed be infallible, O forgiving one. It is meant for the protection of hell, and no one shall destroy it.
anenastrēṇa tē guptaḥ sutaḥ parabalārdanaḥ। bhaviṣyati durādharṣaḥ sarvalōkēṣu sarvadā ॥7-28-31॥
With this weapon, your son will always be invincible and a destroyer of enemies in all the worlds.
tathetyuktvā gatā devī kṛtakāmā manasvinī। sa cāpyāsīddurādharṣo narakaḥ śatrutāpanaḥ ॥7-28-32॥
The wise goddess, having fulfilled her desire, departed after saying thus. Meanwhile, Naraka, the tormentor of enemies, remained invincible.
tasmātprāgjyotiṣaṃ prāptaṃ tadastraṃ pārtha māmakam। nāsyāvadhyo'sti lokeṣu sendrarudreṣu māriṣa ॥7-28-33॥
Therefore, O Arjuna, the weapon I obtained from Pragjyotisha is invincible in all the worlds, even against the likes of Indra and Rudra, O honorable one.
tanmayā tvatkṛtenaitadanyathā vyapanāśitam। viyuktaṃ paramāstreṇa jahi pārtha mahāsuram ॥7-28-34॥
By my action, this has been destroyed otherwise by your act. Separated by the supreme weapon, slay the great demon, O son of Pritha.
vairiṇaṃ yudhi durdharṣaṃ bhagadattaṃ suradviṣam। yathāhaṃ jaghnivānpūrvaṃ hitārthaṃ narakaṃ tathā ॥7-28-35॥
In the battle, I vanquished the formidable Bhagadatta, the enemy of the gods, just as I had previously slain Naraka for the greater good.
evamuktastataḥ pārthaḥ keśavena mahātmanā। bhagadattaṃ śitairbāṇaiḥ sahasā samavākirat ॥7-28-36॥
After being addressed in this manner by the great soul Keshava, Arjuna swiftly showered Bhagadatta with sharp arrows.
tataḥ pārtho mahābāhurasambhrānto mahāmanāḥ। kumbhayorantare nāgaṃ nārācena samārpayat ॥7-28-37॥
Then Arjuna, the mighty-armed and great-minded, calmly placed the serpent between the humps with an arrow.
samāsādya tu taṃ nāgaṃ bāṇo vajra ivācalam। abhyagātsaha puṅkhena valmīkamiva pannagaḥ ॥7-28-38॥
The arrow, having approached the elephant, struck like a thunderbolt against the mountain, just as a snake enters an anthill.
sa tu viṣṭabhya gātrāṇi dantābhyām avaniṃ yayau। nadann ārtasvaraṃ prāṇān utsasarja mahādvipaḥ ॥7-28-39॥
The great elephant, having braced his limbs with his tusks, went to the ground, roaring in distress, and released his life-breaths.
tataś candrārdhabimben śareṇa nataparvaṇā। bibheda hṛdayaṃ rājño bhagadattasya pāṇḍavaḥ ॥7-28-40॥
Then, the Pandava shot an arrow with a crescent-shaped tip, piercing the heart of King Bhagadatta.
sa bhinnahṛdayo rājā bhagadattaḥ kirīṭinā। śarāsanaṃ śarāṃścaiva gatāsuḥ pramumoca ha ॥7-28-41॥
King Bhagadatta, with his heart pierced by Arjuna, released his bow and arrows as he lay lifeless.
śirasas tasya vibhraṣṭaḥ papāta ca varāṅkuśaḥ। nālatāḍanavibhraṣṭaṃ palāśaṃ nalinādiva ॥7-28-42॥
The excellent hook fell from his head, just like a leaf is dislodged from a lotus by the blow of a stalk.
sa hemamālī tapanīyabhāṇḍā; tpapāta nāgādgirisaṃnikāśāt। supuṣpito mārutavegarugṇo; mahīdharāgrādiva karṇikāraḥ ॥7-28-43॥
Hemamali, adorned with golden vessels, fell from the serpent that resembled a mountain, just like a well-flowered Karnikara tree is broken by the swift wind from the mountain peak.
nihatya taṁ narapatimindravikramaṁ; sakhāyamindrasya tathāindrirāhave। tato'parāṁstava jayakāṅkṣiṇo narā; nbabhañja vāyurbalavāndrumāniva ॥7-28-44॥
After slaying the king, who was as powerful as Indra and a friend of Indra in battle, the strong wind shattered your other men who were eager for victory, just like it would break trees.
