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 uvāca॥
[वैशम्पायन (vaiśampāyana) - Vaiśampāyana; (name of the sage); उवाच (uvāca) - said; spoke;]
(Vaiśampāyana said;)
Vaiśampāyana said:
ततः स च हृषीकेशः स च राजा युधिष्ठिरः। कृपादयश्च ते सर्वे चत्वारः पाण्डवाश्च ह ॥१२-४८-१॥
tataḥ sa ca hṛṣīkeśaḥ sa ca rājā yudhiṣṭhiraḥ। kṛpādayaś ca te sarve catvāraḥ pāṇḍavāś ca ha ॥12-48-1॥
[ततः (tataḥ) - then; स (sa) - he; च (ca) - and; हृषीकेशः (hṛṣīkeśaḥ) - Hṛṣīkeśa (Krishna, 'lord of the senses'); स (sa) - he; च (ca) - and; राजा (rājā) - king; युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - Yudhiṣṭhira; कृपादयः (kṛpādayaḥ) - Kṛpa and others; च (ca) - and; ते (te) - they; सर्वे (sarve) - all; चत्वारः (catvāraḥ) - four; पाण्डवाः (pāṇḍavāḥ) - Pāṇḍavas; च (ca) - and; ह (ha) - indeed;]
(Then he and Hṛṣīkeśa, he and king Yudhiṣṭhira, Kṛpa and others, they all, the four Pāṇḍavas and indeed.)
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॥
rathais te nagarākāraiḥ patākādhvajaśobhitaiḥ। yayur āśu kurukṣetraṃ vājibhiḥ śīghragāmibhiḥ ॥12-48-2॥
[रथैः (rathaiḥ) - by chariots; ते (te) - they; नगराकारैः (nagarākāraiḥ) - city-like (in form); पताका (patākā) - with banners; ध्वज (dhvaja) - with flags; शोभितैः (śobhitaiḥ) - adorned; ययुः (yayuḥ) - they went; आशु (āśu) - quickly; कुरुक्षेत्रम् (kurukṣetram) - Kurukshetra; वाजिभिः (vājibhiḥ) - by horses; शीघ्रगामिभिः (śīghragāmibhiḥ) - swift-going;]
(They, by chariots resembling cities, adorned with banners and flags, quickly went to Kurukshetra by swift-going horses.)
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॥
te'vatīrya kurukṣetraṃ keśa-majjā-asthi-saṅkulam। deha-nyāsaḥ kṛto yatra kṣatriyaiḥ taiḥ mahātmabhiḥ ॥12-48-3॥
[ते (te) - they; अवतीर्य (avatīrya) - having descended; कुरुक्षेत्रम् (kurukṣetram) - Kurukṣetra; केश (keśa) - hair; मज्जा (majjā) - marrow; अस्थि (asthi) - bone; सङ्कुलम् (saṅkulam) - filled with; देह (deha) - body; न्यासः (nyāsaḥ) - deposit; कृतः (kṛtaḥ) - was made; यत्र (yatra) - where; क्षत्रियैः (kṣatriyaiḥ) - by the kṣatriyas; तैः (taiḥ) - by those; महात्मभिः (mahātmabhiḥ) - great-souled ones;]
(They, having descended to Kurukṣetra, filled with hair, marrow, and bone, where the deposit of bodies was made by those great-souled kṣatriyas.)
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॥
gajāśva-deha-asthi-cayaiḥ parvataiḥ iva sañcitam। nara-śīrṣa-kapālaiḥ ca śaṅkhaiḥ iva samācitam ॥12-48-4॥
[गज (gaja) - elephant; अश्व (aśva) - horse; देह (deha) - body; अस्थि (asthi) - bone; चयैः (cayaiḥ) - by heaps; पर्वतैः (parvataiḥ) - with mountains; इव (iva) - like; सञ्चितम् (sañcitam) - heaped up; नर (nara) - man; शीर्ष (śīrṣa) - head; कपालैः (kapālaiḥ) - by skulls; च (ca) - and; शङ्खैः (śaṅkhaiḥ) - by conch-shells; इव (iva) - like; समाचितम् (samācitam) - collected;]
(Heaped up with heaps of elephant and horse bones like mountains; and collected with human skulls like conch-shells.)
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॥
citāsahasrair nicitaṃ varmaśastrasamākulam। āpānabhūmiṃ kālasya tadā bhuktojjhitām iva॥12-48-5॥
[चिता (citā) - funeral pyre; सहस्रैः (sahasraiḥ) - by thousands; निचितम् (nicitam) - heaped up; वर्म (varma) - armor; शस्त्र (śastra) - weapons; समाकुलम् (samākulam) - filled with; आपान (āpāna) - drinking place; भूमिं (bhūmiṃ) - ground; कालस्य (kālasya) - of time (death); तदा (tadā) - then; भुक्त (bhukta) - enjoyed; उज्जिताम् (ujjhitām) - abandoned; इव (iva) - as if;]
(The ground of the drinking place, heaped up with thousands of funeral pyres, filled with armor and weapons, then, as if abandoned by time (death) after being enjoyed.)
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॥
bhūtasaṅghānucaritaṃ rakṣogaṇaniṣevitam। paśyantaste kurukṣetraṃ yayurāśu mahārathāḥ ॥12-48-6॥
[भूत (bhūta) - being; सङ्घ (saṅgha) - group; अनुचरितं (anucaritaṃ) - followed; रक्षः (rakṣaḥ) - demon; गण (gaṇa) - troop; निषेवितम् (niṣevitam) - attended; पश्यन्तः (paśyantaḥ) - seeing; ते (te) - they; कुरुक्षेत्रं (kurukṣetraṃ) - Kurukṣetra; ययुः (yayuḥ) - went; आशु (āśu) - quickly; महारथाः (mahārathāḥ) - great chariot-warriors;]
(The great chariot-warriors, seeing Kurukṣetra, which was followed by groups of beings and attended by troops of demons, quickly went.)
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॥
gacchanneva mahābāhuḥ sarvayādavanandanaḥ। yudhiṣṭhirāya provāca jāmadagnyasya vikramam ॥12-48-7॥
[गच्छन् (gacchan) - going; एव (eva) - indeed; महाबाहुः (mahābāhuḥ) - mighty-armed; सर्वयादवनन्दनः (sarvayādavanandanaḥ) - delight of all Yādavas; युधिष्ठिराय (yudhiṣṭhirāya) - to Yudhiṣṭhira; प्रोवाच (provāca) - said; जामदग्न्यस्य (jāmadagnyasya) - of Jāmadagnya; विक्रमम् (vikramam) - valour;]
(Going indeed, the mighty-armed, delight of all Yādavas, to Yudhiṣṭhira, said of Jāmadagnya valour.)
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॥
amī rāma-hradāḥ pañca dṛśyante pārtha dūrataḥ। yeṣu santarpayāmāsa pūrvān kṣatriya-śoṇitaiḥ॥12-48-8॥
[अमी (amī) - these; रामह्रदाः (rāma-hradāḥ) - Rama-lakes; पञ्च (pañca) - five; दृश्यन्ते (dṛśyante) - are seen; पार्थ (pārtha) - O Partha; दूरतः (dūrataḥ) - from afar; येषु (yeṣu) - in which; सन्तर्पयामास (santarpayāmāsa) - he satisfied; पूर्वान् (pūrvān) - ancestors; क्षत्रियशोणितैः (kṣatriya-śoṇitaiḥ) - with the blood of kṣatriyas;]
(These five Rama-lakes are seen from afar, O Partha. In which he satisfied the ancestors with the blood of kṣatriyas.)
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॥
triḥsaptakṛtvo vasudhāṃ kṛtvā niḥkṣatriyāṃ prabhuḥ। ihedānīṃ tato rāmaḥ karmaṇo virarāma ha ॥12-48-9॥
[त्रिःसप्तकृत्वः (triḥsaptakṛtvaḥ) - three times seven times; वसुधाम् (vasudhām) - earth; कृत्वा (kṛtvā) - having made; निःक्षत्रियाम् (niḥkṣatriyām) - devoid of kṣatriyas; प्रभुः (prabhuḥ) - the lord; इह (iha) - here; इदानीम् (idānīm) - now; ततः (tataḥ) - then; रामः (rāmaḥ) - Rama; कर्मणः (karmaṇaḥ) - from action; विरराम (virarāma) - ceased; ह (ha) - indeed;]
(Having made the earth devoid of kṣatriyas three times seven times, the lord Rama then indeed ceased from action here now.)
After making the earth devoid of kṣatriyas twenty-one times, Lord Rama then ceased from action here and now.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच॥
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
[युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Yudhiṣṭhira; (proper noun, name of a person); उवाच (uvāca) - said; (from the root 'vac', to speak);]
(Yudhiṣṭhira said;)
Yudhiṣṭhira said:
त्रिःसप्तकृत्वः पृथिवी कृता निःक्षत्रिया तदा। रामेणेति यदात्थ त्वमत्र मे संशयो महान् ॥१२-४८-१०॥
triḥsaptakṛtvaḥ pṛthivī kṛtā niḥkṣatriyā tadā। rāmeṇeti yadāttha tvamatra me saṃśayo mahān ॥12-48-10॥
[त्रिः (triḥ) - three times; सप्तकृत्वः (saptakṛtvaḥ) - seven times; पृथिवी (pṛthivī) - earth; कृता (kṛtā) - made; निःक्षत्रिया (niḥkṣatriyā) - without kṣatriyas; तदा (tadā) - then; रामेण (rāmeṇa) - by Rāma; इति (iti) - thus; यदा (yadā) - when; अथ (atha) - then; त्वम् (tvam) - you; अत्र (atra) - here; मे (me) - my; संशयः (saṃśayaḥ) - doubt; महान् (mahān) - great;]
(Three times seven times the earth was made without kṣatriyas then. By Rāma thus when you say here, my doubt is great.)
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॥
kṣatrabījaṃ yadā dagdhaṃ rāmeṇa yadupuṅgava। kathaṃ bhūyaḥ samutpattiḥ kṣatrasyāmitavikrama ॥12-48-11॥
[क्षत्रबीजं (kṣatrabījam) - kṣatra-seed; (seed of the warrior class;) यदा (yadā) - when; दग्धं (dagdham) - burnt; रामेण (rāmeṇa) - by Rāma; यदुपुङ्गव (yadupuṅgava) - O chief of the Yadus; कथं (kathaṃ) - how; भूयः (bhūyaḥ) - again; समुत्पत्तिः (samutpattiḥ) - arising; क्षत्रस्य (kṣatrasya) - of the warrior class; अमितविक्रम (amitavikrama) - O one of immeasurable valor;]
(O chief of the Yadus, when the kṣatra-seed was burnt by Rāma, how did the arising of the warrior class happen again, O one of immeasurable valor?)
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॥
mahātmanā bhagavatā rāmeṇa yadupuṅgava। kathamutsāditaṃ kṣatraṃ kathaṃ vṛddhiṃ punargatam ॥12-48-12॥
[महात्मना (mahātmanā) - by the great-souled; by the magnanimous; भगवता (bhagavatā) - by the revered; by the divine; रामेण (rāmeṇa) - by Rāma; यदुपुङ्गव (yadupuṅgava) - O chief of the Yadus; कथम् (katham) - how; उत्सादितं (utsāditaṃ) - destroyed; uprooted; क्षत्रं (kṣatram) - the warrior class; the kṣatriyas; कथं (kathaṃ) - how; वृद्धिं (vṛddhiṃ) - growth; increase; पुनः (punaḥ) - again; गतं (gataṃ) - attained; reached;]
(By the great-souled, by the revered Rāma, O chief of the Yadus, how was the warrior class destroyed, how did it again attain growth?)
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॥
mahābhāratayuddhe hi koṭiśaḥ kṣatriyā hatāḥ। tathābhūc ca mahī kīrṇā kṣatriyair vadatāṃ vara ॥12-48-13॥
[महाभारतयुद्धे (mahābhāratayuddhe) - in the battle of Mahābhārata; हि (hi) - indeed; कोटिशः (koṭiśaḥ) - by crores; क्षत्रियाः (kṣatriyāḥ) - Kṣatriyas; हताः (hatāḥ) - were slain; तथा (tathā) - thus; अभूत् (abhūt) - became; च (ca) - and; मही (mahī) - the earth; कीर्णा (kīrṇā) - strewn; क्षत्रियैः (kṣatriyaiḥ) - with Kṣatriyas; वदतां (vadatām) - of those who speak; वर (vara) - O best; १२-४८-१३ (12-48-13) - 12-48-13;]
(In the battle of Mahābhārata indeed by crores Kṣatriyas were slain. Thus also the earth became strewn with Kṣatriyas, O best of those who speak. 12-48-13.)
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॥
evaṃ me chindhi vārṣṇeya saṃśayaṃ tārkṣyaketana। āgamaḥ hi paraḥ kṛṣṇa tvatto no vāsavānuja ॥12-48-14॥
[एवं (evaṃ) - thus; मे (me) - my; छिन्धि (chindhi) - cut; वार्ष्णेय (vārṣṇeya) - O descendant of Vṛṣṇi; संशयं (saṃśayam) - doubt; तार्क्ष्यकेतन (tārkṣyaketana) - O bannered by Garuḍa; आगमः (āgamaḥ) - scripture; हि (hi) - indeed; परः (paraḥ) - supreme; कृष्ण (kṛṣṇa) - O Kṛṣṇa; त्वत्तः (tvattaḥ) - from you; नः (naḥ) - for us; वासव-अनुज (vāsava-anuja) - O younger brother of Vāsava (Indra);]
(Thus, my doubt, O descendant of Vṛṣṇi, O bannered by Garuḍa, cut. Scripture indeed is supreme, O Kṛṣṇa; from you for us, O younger brother of Vāsava (Indra).)
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 uvāca॥
[वैशम्पायन (vaiśampāyana) - Vaiśampāyana; (proper noun, name of a sage); उवाच (uvāca) - said; (from the root 'vac', to speak);]
(Vaiśampāyana said;)
Vaiśampāyana said:
ततो व्रजन्नेव गदाग्रजः प्रभुः; शशंस तस्मै निखिलेन तत्त्वतः। युधिष्ठिरायाप्रतिमौजसे तदा; यथाभवत्क्षत्रियसङ्कुला मही ॥१२-४८-१५॥
tato vrajanneva gadāgrajaḥ prabhuḥ; śaśaṁsa tasmai nikhilena tattvataḥ। yudhiṣṭhirāyāpratimaujase tadā; yathābhavatkṣatriyasaṅkulā mahī ॥12-48-15॥
[ततः (tataḥ) - from then; व्रजन् (vrajan) - going; एव (eva) - indeed; गदाग्रजः (gadāgrajaḥ) - Gadāgraja (elder brother of Gadā, i.e., Bhīma); प्रभुः (prabhuḥ) - the lord; शशंस (śaśaṁsa) - declared; तस्मै (tasmai) - to him; निखिलेन (nikhilena) - completely; तत्त्वतः (tattvataḥ) - in reality; युधिष्ठिराय (yudhiṣṭhirāya) - to Yudhiṣṭhira; अप्रतिमौजसे (apratimaujase) - to the incomparable in might; तदा (tadā) - then; यथा (yathā) - as; अभवत् (abhavat) - became; क्षत्रियसङ्कुला (kṣatriyasaṅkulā) - filled with Kṣatriyas; मही (mahī) - the earth;]
(From then, indeed going, Gadāgraja, the lord, declared to him completely in reality—to Yudhiṣṭhira, the incomparable in might, then—as the earth became filled with Kṣatriyas.)
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.
