10.017
Pancharatra-Ext and Core: Yudhishthira asks Krishna as to why Ashwatthama was able to cause such destruction, including the killing of the very powerful Dhrushtadyumna. Krishna responds by narrating how Ashwatthama sought refuge under Lord Shiva and Lord Shiva's glory.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
hateṣu sarvasainyeṣu sauptike tai rathais tribhiḥ. śocan yudhiṣṭhiro rājā dāśārham idam abravīt ॥10-17-1॥
When all the armies had been destroyed in the night battle by those three charioteers, the grieving King Yudhishthira spoke these words to Dasharha (Krishna).
kathaṁ nu kṛṣṇa pāpena kṣudreṇākliṣṭakarmaṇā। drauṇinā nihatāḥ sarve mama putrā mahārathāḥ ॥10-17-2॥
O Kṛṣṇa, how is it that all my sons, the great warriors, have been killed by the sinful and petty son of Droṇa, whose actions were effortless?
tathā kṛtāstrā vikrāntāḥ sahasraśatayodhinaḥ। drupadasyātmajāścaiva droṇaputreṇa pātitāḥ ॥10-17-3॥
In this way, the valiant warriors, including the thousands and hundreds of Drupada's sons, were all slain by the son of Drona.
yasya droṇo maheṣvāso na prādād āhave mukham। taṃ jaghne rathināṃ śreṣṭhaṃ dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ kathaṃ nu saḥ ॥10-17-4॥
How did he, whose Droṇa, the great archer, did not face him in battle, manage to kill Dhṛṣṭadyumna, the best of chariot-warriors?
kiṁ nu tena kṛtaṁ karma tathāyuktaṁ nararṣabha। yad ekaḥ śibiraṁ sarvam avadhīn no guroḥ sutaḥ ॥10-17-5॥
O best of men, what was that act performed by him, by which the son of our teacher alone destroyed our entire camp?
vāsudeva uvāca॥
Vasudeva said.
nūnaṃ sa devadevānām īśvareśvaram avyayam। jagāma śaraṇaṃ drauṇir ekas tenāavadhīd bahūn ॥10-17-6॥
Indeed, Aśvatthāman alone sought refuge in the imperishable lord of lords, the supreme among the gods; by his act, many were slain.
prasanno hi mahādevo dadyādamaratām api। vīryaṃ ca giriśo dadyād yena indram api śātayet ॥10-17-7॥
If Mahadeva (Shiva) is pleased, he can grant even immortality; and Girisha (Shiva) can bestow such strength that one could even surpass Indra.
vedāhaṃ hi mahādevaṃ tattvena bharatarṣabha। yāni cāsya purāṇāni karmāṇi vividhānyuta ॥10-17-8॥
O best of the Bharatas, I truly know Mahadeva in essence, as well as his various ancient deeds.
ādireṣa hi bhūtānāṃ madhyamantaśca bhārata। viceṣṭate jagaccedaṃ sarvamasyaiva karmaṇā ॥10-17-9॥
O Bhārata, he is indeed the beginning, the middle, and the end of all beings; and this entire world moves solely by his action.
evaṃ sisṛkṣur bhūtāni dadarśa prathamaṃ vibhuḥ। pitāmaho 'bravīc cainaṃ bhūtāni sṛja māciram ॥10-17-10॥
Thus, wishing to create beings, the all-pervading one first observed. The grandsire then said to him, "Create beings without delay."
harikeśas tathety uktvā bhūtānāṃ doṣadarśivān। dīrghakālaṃ tapastepe magno’mbhasi mahātapāḥ ॥10-17-11॥
Harikesa, after saying this, who could see the faults in beings, performed austerities for a long time immersed in water, being a great ascetic.
sumahāntaṃ tataḥ kālaṃ pratīkṣyainaṃ pitāmahaḥ। sraṣṭāraṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ sasarja manasāparam ॥10-17-12॥
After waiting for a very long time, the grandsire (Brahma) mentally created another creator of all beings.
so'bravīt pitaraṃ dṛṣṭvā giriśaṃ magnam ambhasi। yadi me nāgrajas tv anyas tataḥ srakṣyāmy ahaṃ prajāḥ ॥10-17-13॥
He, seeing Giriśa (Śiva) immersed in water, said to his father: "If I do not have an elder brother, and you are someone else, then I myself will create beings."
tam abravīt pitā nāsti tvad anyaḥ puruṣaḥ agrajaḥ। sthāṇuḥ eṣaḥ jale magnah visrabdhaḥ kuru vai kṛtim ॥10-17-14॥
The father said to him, "There is no one older than you. This Sthāṇu (Śiva) is immersed in the water. Go ahead and perform the act with confidence."
sa bhūtānyasṛjatsapta dakṣādīṃstu prajāpatīn। yairimaṃ vyakarotsarvaṃ bhūtagrāmaṃ caturvidham ॥10-17-15॥
He created all beings, namely the seven Prajapatis starting with Daksha, by whom this entire world of living beings of four kinds was diversified.
tāḥ sṛṣṭamātrāḥ kṣudhitàḥ prajāḥ sarvāḥ prajāpatiṃ| bibhakṣayiṣavo rājan sahasā prādravaṃs tadā ॥10-17-16॥
O king, all those creatures, just created and hungry, suddenly rushed at Prajapati, desiring to eat him.
sa bhakṣyamāṇastrāṇārthī pitāmahamupādravat। ābhyo māṃ bhagavānpātu vṛttirāsāṃ vidhīyatām ॥10-17-17॥
He, while being devoured and seeking protection, approached the grandsire. May the Lord protect me from them; let the livelihood of these be provided.
tatastābhyo dadāv annam oṣadhīḥ sthāvarāṇi ca| jaṅgamāni ca bhūtāni durbalāni balīyasām ॥10-17-18॥
Then he gave them food, herbs, immobile and mobile beings, so that the weak creatures would serve as sustenance for the strong.
vihitānnāḥ prajāstāstu jagmustuṣṭā yathāgatam। tato vavṛdhire rājanprītimatyaḥ svayoniṣu ॥10-17-19॥
The subjects, having received their allotted food, contentedly returned as they had come. Thereafter, O king, they flourished joyfully in their own realms.
bhūtagrāme vivṛddhe tu tuṣṭe lokagurāv api। udatiṣṭhat jalāj jyeṣṭhaḥ prajāś cemā dadarśa saḥ ॥10-17-20॥
When the multitude of beings had increased and the preceptor of the world was satisfied, the eldest arose from the water and saw these creatures.
bahurūpāḥ prajā dṛṣṭvā vivṛddhāḥ svena tejasā। cukrodha bhagavān rudro liṅgaṃ svaṃ cāpyavidhyat ॥10-17-21॥
When Lord Rudra saw the creatures of many forms that had grown by his own power, he became angry and pierced his own linga.
tatpraviddhaṃ tadā bhūmau tathaiva pratyatiṣṭhata। tamuvācāvyayo brahmā vacobhiḥ śamayanniva ॥10-17-22॥
That which was thrown down then remained on the ground in the same way. The imperishable Brahma spoke to him with words, as if soothing him.
kiṃ kṛtaṃ salile śarva cirakālaṃ sthitena te। kimarthaṃ caitadutpāṭya bhūmau liṅgaṃ praveritam ॥10-17-23॥
O Śarva, what were you doing in the water for such a long time? And why did you uproot this liṅga and throw it on the ground?
so'bravīj jāta-saṁrambhas tadā loka-gurur gurum। prajāḥ sṛṣṭāḥ pareṇa imāḥ kiṁ kariṣyāmi anena vai ॥10-17-24॥
He, now agitated, the teacher of the world, said to his own teacher: "These creatures have already been created by the Supreme; what am I to do with this (creation)?"
tapasādhigataṃ cānnaṃ prajārthaṃ me pitāmaha| oṣadhyaḥ parivarteranyathaiva satataṃ prajāḥ ॥10-17-25॥
O grandsire, the food gained through austerity is meant for the welfare of progeny; let the plants always change just as all living beings do.
evam-uktvā tu saṅkruddho jagāma vimanā bhavaḥ। girer-muñjavataḥ pādaṃ tapas-taptuṃ mahātapāḥ॥10-17-26॥
Thus, after saying this, the enraged and dejected Bhava (Śiva), the great ascetic, went to the foot of Mount Muñjavat to perform austerities.
