10.006
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca॥
Dhritarashtra said:
dvāradeśe tato drauṇimavasthitamavekṣya tau। akurvatāṃ bhojakṛpau kiṃ sañjaya vadasva me ॥10-6-1॥
O Sañjaya, tell me, what did Bhoja and Kṛpa do when they saw Aśvatthāman standing at the gate?
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
kṛtavarmāṇam āmantrya kṛpaṃ ca sa mahāratham। drauṇir manyuparītātmā śibiradvāram āsadat ॥10-6-2॥
After speaking to Kṛtavarman and Kṛpa, the mighty charioteer, Droṇa's son, his mind filled with rage, went to the entrance of the camp.
tatra bhūtaṃ mahākāyaṃ candrārkasadṛśadyutim। so'paśyaddvāramāvṛtya tiṣṭhantaṃ lomaharṣaṇam ॥10-6-3॥
There he saw a being of enormous size, shining like the moon and sun, standing at the door and blocking it, whose appearance made one's hair stand on end.
vasānaṃ carma vaiyāghraṃ mahārudhiravisravam। kṛṣṇājinottarāsaṅgaṃ nāgayajñopavītinam ॥10-6-4॥
He was dressed in a tiger skin, stained with much blood, with a black antelope skin as his upper garment, and wore a serpent as his sacred thread.
bāhubhiḥ svāyataiḥ pīnair nānā-praharaṇodyataiḥ। baddhāṅgada-mahāsarpaṃ jvālā-mālā-kulānanam ॥10-6-5॥
He had long, strong arms raised with various weapons, adorned with great armlets resembling serpents, and his face was surrounded by a garland of flames.
daṃṣṭrā-karāla-vadanaṃ vyāditāsyaṃ bhayāvaham। nayanānāṃ sahasraiś ca vicitrair abhibhūṣitam ॥10-6-6॥
Its face was terrible with fangs, mouth wide open and fearful, adorned with thousands of strange eyes.
naiva tasya vapuḥ śakyaṃ pravaktuṃ veṣa eva vā। sarvathā tu tadālakṣya sphuṭeyurapi parvatāḥ ॥10-6-7॥
It is not possible to describe his form or appearance at all. In fact, just seeing it, even mountains would shatter.
tasyāsyānnāsikābhyāṃ ca śravaṇābhyāṃ ca sarvaśaḥ। tebhyaścākṣi-sahasrebhyaḥ prādurāsan-mahārciṣaḥ ॥10-6-8॥
From his face, from his nostrils and ears, and from all directions, and from the thousand eyes, great flames arose.
tathā tejomarīcibhyaḥ śaṅkhacakragadādharāḥ। prādurāsan hṛṣīkeśāḥ śataśo'tha sahasraśaḥ ॥10-6-9॥
Thus, from the rays of light, countless forms of Hṛṣīkeśa, each bearing a conch, discus, and mace, appeared by the hundreds and thousands.
tad atyadbhutam ālokya bhūtam lokabhayaṅkaram। drauṇir avyathito divyaiḥ astravarṣaiḥ avākirat ॥10-6-10॥
Seeing that most astonishing and terrifying being for the world, Drauni (Aśvatthāma), undisturbed, showered it with divine weapons.
drauṇimuktāñśarāṃstāṃstu tadbhūtaṃ mahadagrasat। udadheriva vāryoghānpāvako vaḍavāmukhaḥ ॥10-6-11॥
But that mighty being devoured all those arrows shot by Droṇa's son, just as the submarine fire swallows the waves of the ocean.
aśvatthāmā tu samprekṣya tāñśaraughānnirarthakān। rathaśaktiṃ mumocāsmai dīptām agniśikhām iva ॥10-6-12॥
But Aśvatthāman, seeing that those masses of arrows were useless, released at him a blazing chariot-spear like a flame of fire.
sā tadāhatya dīptāgrā rathaśaktiraśīryata। yugānte sūryamāhatya maholkeva divaścyutā ॥10-6-13॥
She then struck with her blazing-tipped chariot-spear, which was shattered. At the end of the age, like a great meteor falling from the sky after striking the sun, she fell from the heavens.
atha hematsaruṃ divyaṃ khaḍgam ākāśavarcasam। kośāt samudbabarhāśu bilād dīptam ivoragam ॥10-6-14॥
Then he quickly drew the divine sword, shining like the sky, from its golden scabbard, just as a radiant serpent emerges from its hole.
tataḥ khaḍgavaraṃ dhīmānbhūtāya prāhiṇottadā। sa tadāsādya bhūtaṃ vai vilayaṃ tūlavad yayau ॥10-6-15॥
Then the wise man sent the excellent sword to the being. Upon receiving it, the being was destroyed instantly, like cotton is consumed.
tataḥ sa kupito drauṇir indraketunibhāṃ gadām। jvalantīṃ prāhiṇot tasmai bhūtaṃ tām api cāgrasat ॥10-6-16॥
Then, enraged, the son of Droṇa sent a blazing mace, resembling Indra's banner, at him; but he also devoured that weapon.
tataḥ sarvāyudhābhāve vīkṣamāṇas tatastataḥ। apaśyat kṛtam ākāśam anākāśaṃ janārdanaiḥ ॥10-6-17॥
Then, when all weapons were gone, looking all around, he saw that Janardana (Krishna and his forms) had created both sky and non-sky.
tadadbhutatamaṃ dṛṣṭvā droṇaputro nirāyudhaḥ। abravīdabhisantaptaḥ kṛpavākyamanusmaran ॥10-6-18॥
Seeing that most astonishing event, Droṇa's son, unarmed and deeply troubled, recalled Kṛpa's words and spoke.
bruvatām apriyaṃ pathyaṃ suhṛdāṃ na śṛṇoti yaḥ। sa śocaty āpadaṃ prāpya yathāham ativartya tau ॥10-6-19॥
One who does not heed the beneficial but unpleasant advice of friends suffers in adversity, just as I now grieve for having ignored those two.
śāstra-dṛṣṭān avadhyānyaḥ samatītya jighāṃsati। sa pathaḥ pracyuto dharmyāt kupathaṃ pratipadyate ॥10-6-20॥
He who disregards the scriptural injunctions and seeks to kill those who should not be slain, strays from the righteous path and follows an evil way.
gobrāhmaṇanṛpastrīṣu sakhyurmāturgurostathā। vṛddhabālajaḍāndheṣu suptabhītotthiteṣu ca ॥10-6-21॥
One should be especially careful and respectful towards cows, brāhmaṇas, kings, women, friends, mothers, teachers, the elderly, children, the dull-witted, the blind, those who are asleep, those who are frightened, and those who have just awakened.
mattonmattapramatteṣu na śastrāṇyupadhārayet। ityevaṃ gurubhiḥ pūrvamupadiṣṭaṃ nṛṇāṃ sadā ॥10-6-22॥
It has always been instructed by the teachers that weapons should never be given to those who are intoxicated, insane, or careless.
so'ham utkramya panthānaṃ śāstradṛṣṭaṃ sanātanam। amārgeṇaiva mārabhya ghorām āpadam āgataḥ ॥10-6-23॥
I have deviated from the eternal path shown by the scriptures and, by following a wrong way, have brought myself into a terrible calamity.
tāṃ cāpadaṃ ghoratarāṃ pravadanti manīṣiṇaḥ। yadudyamya mahatkṛtyaṃ bhayādapi nivartate ॥10-6-24॥
The wise say that the greatest misfortune is when, out of fear, a person abandons a great task after having begun it.
aśakyaṃ caiva kaḥ kartuṃ śaktaḥ śaktibalādiha। na hi daivādgarīyo vai mānuṣaṃ karma kathyate ॥10-6-25॥
Who here is able to accomplish the impossible by mere strength? Indeed, no human action is said to be greater than fate.
mānuṣaṃ kurvataḥ karma yadi daivānna sidhyati। sa pathaḥ pracyuto dharmyād vipadaṃ pratipadyate ॥10-6-26॥
If a person's actions do not succeed because of fate, then one who has strayed from the path of righteousness encounters misfortune.
pratighātaṃ hy avijñātaṃ pravadanti manīṣiṇaḥ। yad ārabhya kriyāṃ kāṃcid bhayād iha nivartate ॥10-6-27॥
The wise say that when someone, out of fear, abandons any action after starting it, the cause is an unknown obstacle.
tad idaṃ duṣpraṇītena bhayaṃ māṃ samupasthitam। na hi droṇasutaḥ saṅkhye nivarteta kathaṃcana ॥10-6-28॥
This danger has come upon me due to mismanagement. Indeed, the son of Droṇa would never retreat in battle under any circumstances.
idaṃ ca sumahadbhūtaṃ daivadaṇḍamivodyatam। na caitadabhijānāmi cintayannapi sarvathā ॥10-6-29॥
This is a truly extraordinary event, as if a divine punishment has been raised. No matter how much I think about it, I cannot understand what it is.
dhruvaṃ yeyam adharme me pravṛttā kaluṣā matiḥ। tasyāḥ phalam idaṃ ghoraṃ pratighātāya dṛśyate ॥10-6-30॥
Certainly, this impure mind of mine, which has engaged in unrighteousness, now faces the terrible consequences of its actions.
tad idaṃ daivavihitaṃ mama saṅkhye nivartanam। nānyatra daivād udyantum iha śakyaṃ kathaṃcana ॥10-6-31॥
This return of mine from battle is destined by fate; in no way is it possible to act otherwise here except by fate.
so'ham-adya mahādevaṃ prapadye śaraṇaṃ prabhum। daivadaṇḍam-imaṃ ghoraṃ sa hi me nāśayiṣyati ॥10-6-32॥
Today, I take refuge in Mahadeva, the great lord. He will indeed destroy this terrible divine punishment of mine.
kapardinaṃ prapadyātha devadevamumāpatiṃ। kapālamālinaṃ rudraṃ bhaganetraharaṃ haram ॥10-6-33॥
Then, having sought refuge in Kapardin, the god of gods, the husband of Umā, the skull-garlanded Rudra, the destroyer of Bhaga's eye, Hara.
sa hi devo’tyagād devāṃs tapasā vikrameṇa ca। tasmāccharaṇam abhyeṣye giriśaṃ śūlapāṇinam ॥10-6-34॥
He, the god, truly surpassed the other gods through his austerity and valor; therefore, I will seek refuge in Giriśa (Śiva), the wielder of the trident.
