12.048
Pancharatra and Library: On the way to the Kurukshetra battlefield, Yudhishthira enquires about five lakes and the incident related to Parashurama destroying the warrior class.
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
ततः स च हृषीकेशः स च राजा युधिष्ठिरः। कृपादयश्च ते सर्वे चत्वारः पाण्डवाश्च ह ॥१२-४८-१॥
Then Hṛṣīkeśa, king Yudhiṣṭhira, Kṛpa and the others, and all four of the Pāṇḍavas were there.
रथैस्ते नगराकारैः पताकाध्वजशोभितैः। ययुराशु कुरुक्षेत्रं वाजिभिः शीघ्रगामिभिः ॥१२-४८-२॥
They proceeded swiftly to Kurukshetra in chariots that resembled cities, adorned with banners and flags, drawn by fast horses.
तेऽवतीर्य कुरुक्षेत्रं केशमज्जास्थिसङ्कुलम्। देहन्यासः कृतो यत्र क्षत्रियैस्तैर्महात्मभिः ॥१२-४८-३॥
They descended to Kurukṣetra, a place filled with hair, marrow, and bones, where those great-souled kṣatriyas laid down their bodies.
गजाश्वदेहास्थिचयैः पर्वतैरिव सञ्चितम्। नरशीर्षकपालैश्च शङ्खैरिव समाचितम् ॥१२-४८-४॥
It was piled high with heaps of elephant and horse bones like mountains, and was strewn with human skulls like conch-shells.
चितासहस्रैर्निचितं वर्मशस्त्रसमाकुलम्। आपानभूमिं कालस्य तदा भुक्तोज्झितामिव ॥१२-४८-५॥
The ground of the drinking place, piled with thousands of funeral pyres and strewn with armor and weapons, looked as if it had been abandoned by Death after being consumed.
भूतसङ्घानुचरितं रक्षोगणनिषेवितम्। पश्यन्तस्ते कुरुक्षेत्रं ययुराशु महारथाः ॥१२-४८-६॥
The great chariot-warriors quickly proceeded to Kurukṣetra, which was frequented by various beings and attended by hosts of demons.
गच्छन्नेव महाबाहुः सर्वयादवनन्दनः। युधिष्ठिराय प्रोवाच जामदग्न्यस्य विक्रमम् ॥१२-४८-७॥
As he was going, the mighty-armed one, delight of all the Yādavas, spoke to Yudhiṣṭhira about the valour of Jāmadagnya.
अमी रामह्रदाः पञ्च दृश्यन्ते पार्थ दूरतः। येषु सन्तर्पयामास पूर्वान्क्षत्रियशोणितैः ॥१२-४८-८॥
O Partha, those five Rama-lakes can be seen from a distance. In those, he satisfied his ancestors with the blood of kṣatriyas.
त्रिःसप्तकृत्वो वसुधां कृत्वा निःक्षत्रियां प्रभुः। इहेदानीं ततो रामः कर्मणो विरराम ह ॥१२-४८-९॥
After making the earth devoid of kṣatriyas twenty-one times, Lord Rama then ceased from action here and now.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said:
त्रिःसप्तकृत्वः पृथिवी कृता निःक्षत्रिया तदा। रामेणेति यदात्थ त्वमत्र मे संशयो महान् ॥१२-४८-१०॥
The earth was made devoid of kṣatriyas twenty-one times then. When you say this was done by Rāma, I have a great doubt about it.
क्षत्रबीजं यदा दग्धं रामेण यदुपुङ्गव। कथं भूयः समुत्पत्तिः क्षत्रस्यामितविक्रम ॥१२-४८-११॥
O chief of the Yadus, when the seed of the warrior class was destroyed by Rāma, how did the warrior class arise again, O one of immeasurable valor?
महात्मना भगवता रामेण यदुपुङ्गव। कथमुत्सादितं क्षत्रं कथं वृद्धिं पुनर्गतम् ॥१२-४८-१२॥
O chief of the Yadus, how did the great-souled, revered Rāma destroy the warrior class, and how did it come to flourish again?
महाभारतयुद्धे हि कोटिशः क्षत्रिया हताः। तथाभूच्च मही कीर्णा क्षत्रियैर्वदतां वर ॥१२-४८-१३॥
Indeed, in the battle of Mahābhārata, crores of Kṣatriyas were slain. Thus, the earth became covered with Kṣatriyas, O best of speakers. 12-48-13.
एवं मे छिन्धि वार्ष्णेय संशयं तार्क्ष्यकेतन। आगमो हि परः कृष्ण त्वत्तो नो वासवानुज ॥१२-४८-१४॥
Therefore, O Kṛṣṇa, O descendant of Vṛṣṇi, O Garuḍa-bannered one, please dispel my doubt. For us, the supreme authority is the scripture, and you, O younger brother of Indra, are its source.
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
ततो व्रजन्नेव गदाग्रजः प्रभुः; शशंस तस्मै निखिलेन तत्त्वतः। युधिष्ठिरायाप्रतिमौजसे तदा; यथाभवत्क्षत्रियसङ्कुला मही ॥१२-४८-१५॥
Then, as he was going, Bhīma, the lord, told Yudhiṣṭhira, who was unmatched in strength, everything in detail—how the earth had become filled with Kṣatriyas.
