16.009
व्यासार्जुनसमागमः
The meeting of Vyāsa and Arjuna.
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
प्रविशन्नर्जुनो राजन्नाश्रमं सत्यवादिनः। ददर्शासीनमेकान्ते मुनिं सत्यवतीसुतम् ॥१६-९-१॥
O king, as Arjuna entered the hermitage of the truth-speaking sage, he saw seated alone the sage, son of Satyavati. (16-9-1)
स तमासाद्य धर्मज्ञमुपतस्थे महाव्रतम्। अर्जुनोऽस्मीति नामास्मै निवेद्याभ्यवदत्ततः ॥१६-९-२॥
He, approaching him who was a knower of dharma and a holder of great vows, waited upon him. Then, informing him of his name as "I am Arjuna," he addressed him.
स्वागतं तेऽस्त्विति प्राह मुनिः सत्यवतीसुतः। आस्यतामिति चोवाच प्रसन्नात्मा महामुनिः ॥१६-९-३॥
The sage, son of Satyavatī, said, "Welcome to you!" The great sage with a serene mind also said, "Please be seated." (16-9-3)
तमप्रतीतमनसं निःश्वसन्तं पुनः पुनः। निर्विण्णमनसं दृष्ट्वा पार्थं व्यासोऽब्रवीदिदम् ॥१६-९-४॥
Vyāsa, having seen Pārtha with a dejected and disheartened mind, repeatedly sighing, spoke these words. (16-9-4)
अवीरजोऽभिघातस्ते ब्राह्मणो वा हतस्त्वया। युद्धे पराजितो वासि गतश्रीरिव लक्ष्यसे ॥१६-९-५॥
Either you have suffered a blow for having no heroic descendants, or you are one by whom a brāhmaṇa has been killed. In battle, you have been defeated or, like one bereft of glory, you appear so. (16-9-5)
न त्वा प्रत्यभिजानामि किमिदं भरतर्षभ। श्रोतव्यं चेन्मया पार्थ क्षिप्रमाख्यातुमर्हसि ॥१६-९-६॥
I do not recognize you; what is this, O foremost of the Bharatas? If I should hear about it, O Pārtha, you ought to tell me quickly. (16-9-6)
अर्जुन उवाच॥
Arjuna said.
यः स मेधवपुः श्रीमान्बृहत्पङ्कजलोचनः। स कृष्णः सह रामेण त्यक्त्वा देहं दिवं गतः ॥१६-९-७॥
That Kṛṣṇa, who was intelligent, prosperous, and had great lotus-like eyes, together with Rāma, gave up his body and ascended to heaven. (16-9-7)
मौसले वृष्णिवीराणां विनाशो ब्रह्मशापजः। बभूव वीरान्तकरः प्रभासे रोमहर्षणः ॥१६-९-८॥
During the Mausala episode, the destruction of the Vṛṣṇi heroes, born from a Brahman's curse, arose at Prabhāsa, an event that was the slayer of heroes and caused horripilation. (16-9-8)
ये ते शूरा महात्मानः सिंहदर्पा महाबलाः। भोजवृष्ण्यन्धका ब्रह्मन्नन्योन्यं तैर्हतं युधि ॥१६-९-९॥
O Brahman, those great-souled heroes, proud as lions and of mighty strength—the Bhojas, Vṛṣṇis, and Andhakas—slaughtered one another in battle. (16-9-9)
गदापरिघशक्तीनां सहाः परिघबाहवः। त एरकाभिर्निहताः पश्य कालस्य पर्ययम् ॥१६-९-१०॥
Those powerful warriors, armed with maces, iron clubs, and lances—those with arms like iron clubs—have been struck down by mere grass stems; behold the turn of Time. (16-9-10)
हतं पञ्चशतं तेषां सहस्रं बाहुशालिनाम्। निधनं समनुप्राप्तं समासाद्येतरेतरम् ॥१६-९-११॥
Five hundred of them and a thousand strong-armed warriors were killed, all meeting their deaths as they confronted one another. (16-9-11)
पुनः पुनर्न मृश्यामि विनाशममितौजसाम्। चिन्तयानो यदूनां च कृष्णस्य च यशस्विनः ॥१६-९-१२॥
Again and again I cannot bear the destruction of those with immeasurable energy, thinking of the Yadus and also of glorious Kṛṣṇa. (16-9-12)
शोषणं सागरस्येव पर्वतस्येव चालनम्। नभसः पतनं चैव शैत्यमग्नेस्तथैव च ॥१६-९-१३॥
Just as the drying of the ocean, the shaking of a mountain, the falling of the sky, and the coldness of fire are impossible, so too (is this). (16-9-13)
अश्रद्धेयमहं मन्ये विनाशं शार्ङ्गधन्वनः। न चेह स्थातुमिच्छामि लोके कृष्णविनाकृतः ॥१६-९-१४॥
I do not believe in the destruction of the wielder of the Śārṅga bow; nor do I wish to remain in this world made bereft of Kṛṣṇa. (16-9-14)
इतः कष्टतरं चान्यच्छृणु तद्वै तपोधन। मनो मे दीर्यते येन चिन्तयानस्य वै मुहुः ॥१६-९-१५॥
O ascetic, hear from me something yet more difficult than this; my mind is constantly torn apart by that, as I keep thinking on it. (16-9-15)
पश्यतो वृष्णिदाराश्च मम ब्रह्मन्सहस्रशः। आभीरैरनुसृत्याजौ हृताः पञ्चनदालयैः ॥१६-९-१६॥
O Brahman, while I was watching, thousands of the Vṛṣṇis' wives and mine were pursued in battle and taken away by the Ābhīras, the people of Pañcanada. (16-9-16)
धनुरादाय तत्राहं नाशकं तस्य पूरणे। यथा पुरा च मे वीर्यं भुजयोर्न तथाभवत् ॥१६-९-१७॥
Having taken up the bow there, I was unable to string it; my strength in the arms was not as it was formerly. (16-9-17)
अस्त्राणि मे प्रनष्टानि विविधानि महामुने। शराश्च क्षयमापन्नाः क्षणेनैव समन्ततः ॥१६-९-१८॥
O great sage, my various missiles have been destroyed, and my arrows have perished on all sides in a moment. (16-9-18)
पुरुषश्चाप्रमेयात्मा शङ्खचक्रगदाधरः। चतुर्भुजः पीतवासा श्यामः पद्मायतेक्षणः ॥१६-९-१९॥
He is the man of immeasurable self, holding conch, disc, and mace; four-armed, wearing a yellow garment, dark in color, and with lotus-like eyes. (16-9-19)
यः स याति पुरस्तान्मे रथस्य सुमहाद्युतिः। प्रदहन्रिपुसैन्यानि न पश्याम्यहमद्य तम् ॥१६-९-२०॥
That one who goes in front of my chariot, blazing with great splendour, burning the enemy armies—I do not see him today. (16-9-20)
येन पूर्वं प्रदग्धानि शत्रुसैन्यानि तेजसा। शरैर्गाण्डीवनिर्मुक्तैरहं पश्चाद्व्यनाशयम् ॥१६-९-२१॥
The enemy armies that were previously burned by brilliance by him, I later completely destroyed with arrows shot from the Gāṇḍīva. (16-9-21)
तमपश्यन्विषीदामि घूर्णामीव च सत्तम। परिनिर्विण्णचेताश्च शान्तिं नोपलभेऽपि च ॥१६-९-२२॥
Not seeing him, O best one, I am despondent and feel as if I am bewildered; with a completely disheartened mind, I do not even find peace. (16-9-22)
विना जनार्दनं वीरं नाहं जीवितुमुत्सहे। श्रुत्वैव हि गतं विष्णुं ममापि मुमुहुर्दिशः ॥१६-९-२३॥
Without Janārdana the hero, I am not able to live; just hearing that Viṣṇu has departed, for me too the directions have become faint. (16-9-23)
प्रनष्टज्ञातिवीर्यस्य शून्यस्य परिधावतः। उपदेष्टुं मम श्रेयो भवानर्हति सत्तम ॥१६-९-२४॥
O best of men, you are worthy to instruct me for my welfare, as I am bereft, having lost my relatives and strength, and wandering helplessly. (16-9-24)
व्यास उवाच॥
Vyāsa said.
ब्रह्मशापविनिर्दग्धा वृष्ण्यन्धकमहारथाः। विनष्टाः कुरुशार्दूल न ताञ्शोचितुमर्हसि ॥१६-९-२५॥
O tiger among the Kurus, the great warriors of the Vṛṣṇis and Andhakas were destroyed, burned by the curse of Brahman; you should not grieve for them. (16-9-25)
भवितव्यं तथा तद्धि दिष्टमेतन्महात्मनाम्। उपेक्षितं च कृष्णेन शक्तेनापि व्यपोहितुम् ॥१६-९-२६॥
What must happen—such indeed is the destiny of the great-souled; this has been overlooked even by Kṛṣṇa, though he was able to avert it. (16-9-26)
त्रैलोक्यमपि कृष्णो हि कृत्स्नं स्थावरजङ्गमम्। प्रसहेदन्यथा कर्तुं किमु शापं मनीषिणाम् ॥१६-९-२७॥
Kṛṣṇa indeed could, if he wished, overpower and change the entire three worlds, with all their movable and immovable beings; how much more (could he) alter the curse of the wise. (16-9-27)
रथस्य पुरतो याति यः स चक्रगदाधरः। तव स्नेहात्पुराणर्षिर्वासुदेवश्चतुर्भुजः ॥१६-९-२८॥
He who goes in front of the chariot, who is the wielder of the discus and mace, is Vāsudeva, the four-armed ancient sage, out of affection for you. (16-9-28)
कृत्वा भारावतरणं पृथिव्याः पृथुलोचनः। मोक्षयित्वा जगत्सर्वं गतः स्वस्थानमुत्तमम् ॥१६-९-२९॥
After removing the earth's burden, the broad-eyed one liberated all the world and departed to his own supreme abode. (16-9-29)
त्वया त्विह महत्कर्म देवानां पुरुषर्षभ। कृतं भीमसहायेन यमाभ्यां च महाभुज ॥१६-९-३०॥
O mighty-armed one, a great deed for the gods has been accomplished here by you, aided by Bhīma and by the two sons of Yama, O best of men. (16-9-30)
कृतकृत्यांश्च वो मन्ये संसिद्धान्कुरुपुङ्गव। गमनं प्राप्तकालं च तद्धि श्रेयो मतं मम ॥१६-९-३१॥
O best of the Kurus, I consider you as those who have accomplished their duty and attained completeness; your timely departure is, in my view, indeed the highest good. (16-9-31)
बलं बुद्धिश्च तेजश्च प्रतिपत्तिश्च भारत। भवन्ति भवकालेषु विपद्यन्ते विपर्यये ॥१६-९-३२॥
O Bhārata, strength, intellect, vigor, and resolve flourish during prosperous times but fail during adversity. (16-9-32)
कालमूलमिदं सर्वं जगद्बीजं धनञ्जय। काल एव समादत्ते पुनरेव यदृच्छया ॥१६-९-३३॥
O Dhanañjaya, all this, the seed of the world, is rooted in time. Indeed, time itself takes it away, and again, at its own will. (16-9-33)
स एव बलवान्भूत्वा पुनर्भवति दुर्बलः। स एवेशश्च भूत्वेह परैराज्ञाप्यते पुनः ॥१६-९-३४॥
That very person, after being strong, again becomes weak. That very person, after becoming lord here, is again commanded by others. (16-9-34)
कृतकृत्यानि चास्त्राणि गतान्यद्य यथागतम्। पुनरेष्यन्ति ते हस्तं यदा कालो भविष्यति ॥१६-९-३५॥
The weapons, having fulfilled their purpose, have gone today as they came; they will again return to your hand when the time comes. (16-9-35)
कालो गन्तुं गतिं मुख्यां भवतामपि भारत। एतच्छ्रेयो हि वो मन्ये परमं भरतर्षभ ॥१६-९-३६॥
O Bhārata, even for you, time is to pursue the principal course. I consider this to be indeed your supreme good, O best of Bharatas. (16-9-36)
एतद्वचनमाज्ञाय व्यासस्यामिततेजसः। अनुज्ञातो ययौ पार्थो नगरं नागसाह्वयम् ॥१६-९-३७॥
After understanding this statement of Vyāsa, who possesses immeasurable energy, and after being permitted, Pārtha went to the city called Nāgasāhvaya. (16-9-37)
प्रविश्य च पुरीं वीरः समासाद्य युधिष्ठिरम्। आचष्ट तद्यथावृत्तं वृष्ण्यन्धकजनं प्रति ॥१६-९-३८॥
The hero entered the city, approached Yudhiṣṭhira, and reported exactly what had happened regarding the Vṛṣṇi and Andhaka peoples. (16-9-38)
