16.009
vyāsārjunasamāgamaḥ
The meeting of Vyāsa and Arjuna.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
praviśannarjuno rājannaśramaṃ satyavādinaḥ। dadarśāsīnamekānte muniṃ satyavatīsutam ॥16-9-1॥
O king, as Arjuna entered the hermitage of the truth-speaking sage, he saw seated alone the sage, son of Satyavati. (16-9-1)
sa tam āsādya dharmajñam upatasthe mahāvratam। arjuno'smīti nāmāasmai nivedyābhyavadattataḥ ॥16-9-2॥
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.
svāgataṁ te'stv iti prāha muniḥ satyavatīsutaḥ। āsyatām iti ca uvāca prasannātmā mahāmuniḥ॥16-9-3॥
The sage, son of Satyavatī, said, "Welcome to you!" The great sage with a serene mind also said, "Please be seated." (16-9-3)
tam apratītamanasaṃ niḥśvasantaṃ punaḥ punaḥ nirviṇṇamanasaṃ dṛṣṭvā pārthaṃ vyāsaḥ abravīt idam ॥16-9-4॥
Vyāsa, having seen Pārtha with a dejected and disheartened mind, repeatedly sighing, spoke these words. (16-9-4)
avīrajo’bhighātas te brāhmaṇo vā hatas tvayā। yuddhe parājito vāsi gataśrīr iva lakṣyase ॥16-9-5॥
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)
na tvā pratyabhijānāmi kim idaṁ bharatarṣabha। śrotavyaṁ cen mayā pārtha kṣipram ākhyātum arhasi॥16-9-6॥
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)
arjuna uvāca॥
Arjuna said.
yaḥ sa medhavapuḥ śrīmān bṛhat paṅkaja-locanaḥ। sa kṛṣṇaḥ saha rāmeṇa tyaktvā dehaṃ divaṃ gataḥ॥16-9-7॥
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)
mausale vṛṣṇivīrāṇāṃ vināśo brahmaśāpajaḥ। babhūva vīrāntakaraḥ prabhāse romaharṣaṇaḥ ॥16-9-8॥
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)
ye te śūrā mahātmānaḥ siṃhadarpā mahābalāḥ। bhojavṛṣṇyandhakā brahman anyonyaṃ tair hataṃ yudhi ॥16-9-9॥
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)
gadāparighaśaktīnāṃ sahāḥ parighabāhavaḥ। ta erakābhirnihatāḥ paśya kālasya paryayam॥16-9-10॥
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)
hataṃ pañcaśataṃ teṣāṃ sahasraṃ bāhuśālinām। nidhanaṃ samanupraaptaṃ samāsādyetaretaram ॥16-9-11॥
Five hundred of them and a thousand strong-armed warriors were killed, all meeting their deaths as they confronted one another. (16-9-11)
punaḥ punar na mṛśyāmi vināśam amita-ojasām। cintayan o yadūnām ca kṛṣṇasya ca yaśasvinaḥ॥16-9-12॥
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)
śoṣaṇaṃ sāgarasyeva parvatasyeva cālanam। nabhasaḥ patanaṃ caiva śaityam agnes tathaiva ca ॥16-9-13॥
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)
aśraddheyam ahaṃ manye vināśaṃ śārṅgadhanvanaḥ। na ca iha sthātum icchāmi loke kṛṣṇavinākṛtaḥ॥16-9-14॥
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)
itaḥ kaṣṭataraṃ ca anyat śṛṇu tat vai tapodhana। mano me dīryate yena cintayānasya vai muḥuḥ ॥16-9-15॥
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)
paśyato vṛṣṇi-dārāś ca mama brahman sahasraśaḥ। ābhīraiḥ anusṛtya ājau hṛtāḥ pañcanadālayaiḥ॥16-9-16॥
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)
dhanur-ādāya tatrāhaṃ nāśakaṃ tasya pūraṇe। yathā purā ca me vīryaṃ bhujayor na tathābhavat ॥16-9-17॥
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)
astrāṇi me pranaṣṭāni vividhāni mahāmune। śarāśca kṣayamāpannāḥ kṣaṇenaiva samantataḥ॥16-9-18॥
O great sage, my various missiles have been destroyed, and my arrows have perished on all sides in a moment. (16-9-18)
puruṣaś cāprameyātmā śaṅkhacakragadādharaḥ| caturbhujaḥ pītavāsā śyāmaḥ padmāyatekṣaṇaḥ ॥16-9-19॥
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)
yaḥ sa yāti purastān me rathasya sumahādyutiḥ. pradahan ripu-sainyāni na paśyāmy aham adya tam ॥16-9-20॥
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)
yena pūrvaṃ pradagdhāni śatrusainyāni tejasā। śarairgāṇḍīvanirmuktaira haṃ paścād vyanāśayam ॥16-9-21॥
The enemy armies that were previously burned by brilliance by him, I later completely destroyed with arrows shot from the Gāṇḍīva. (16-9-21)
tam apaśyan viṣīdāmi ghūrṇāmi iva ca sattama। parinirviṇṇa-cetāḥ ca śāntim na upalabhe 'pi ca॥16-9-22॥
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)
vinā janārdanaṁ vīraṁ nāhaṁ jīvitum utsahe। śrutvaiva hi gataṁ viṣṇuṁ mamāpi mumuḥur diśaḥ॥16-9-23॥
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)
pranaṣṭajñātivīryasya śūnyasya paridhāvataḥ। upadeṣṭuṃ mama śreyo bhavān arhati sattama ॥16-9-24॥
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)
vyāsa uvāca॥
Vyāsa said.
brahmaśāpavinirdagdhā vṛṣṇyandhakamahārathāḥ। vinaṣṭāḥ kuruśārdūla na tāñśocitumarhasi ॥16-9-25॥
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)
bhavitavyaṃ tathā taddhi diṣṭametadmahātmanām। upekṣitaṃ ca kṛṣṇena śaktenāpi vyapohitum ॥16-9-26॥
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)
trailokyam api kṛṣṇo hi kṛtsnaṃ sthāvarajaṅgamam। prasahen anyathā kartuṃ kimu śāpaṃ manīṣiṇām ॥16-9-27॥
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)
rathasya purato yāti yaḥ sa cakragadādharaḥ। tava snehāt purāṇarṣir vāsudevaś caturbhujaḥ॥16-9-28॥
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)
kṛtvā bhārāvataraṇaṃ pṛthivyāḥ pṛthulocanaḥ। mokṣayitvā jagat sarvaṃ gataḥ svasthānam uttamam ॥16-9-29॥
After removing the earth's burden, the broad-eyed one liberated all the world and departed to his own supreme abode. (16-9-29)
tvayā tviha mahatkarma devānāṁ puruṣarṣabha। kṛtaṁ bhīmasahāyena yamābhyāṁ ca mahābhuja ॥16-9-30॥
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)
kṛtakṛtyāṁś ca vo manye saṁsiddhān kurupuṅgava। gamanaṁ prāptakālaṁ ca tad dhi śreyo mataṁ mama॥16-9-31॥
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)
balaṃ buddhiś ca tejaś ca pratipattiś ca bhārata। bhavanti bhavakāleṣu vipadyante viparyaye ॥16-9-32॥
O Bhārata, strength, intellect, vigor, and resolve flourish during prosperous times but fail during adversity. (16-9-32)
kālamūlam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagadbījaṁ dhanañjaya। kāla eva samādatte punar eva yadṛcchayā ॥16-9-33॥
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)
sa eva balavān bhūtvā punar bhavati durbalaḥ। sa eva īśaś ca bhūtvā iha paraiḥ ājñāpyate punaḥ॥16-9-34॥
That very person, after being strong, again becomes weak. That very person, after becoming lord here, is again commanded by others. (16-9-34)
kṛtakṛtyāni cāstrāṇi gatānyadya yathāgatam। punareṣyanti te hastaṃ yadā kālo bhaviṣyati ॥16-9-35॥
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)
kālo gantuṃ gatiṃ mukhyāṃ bhavatām api bhārata। etac chreyo hi vo manye paramaṃ bharatarṣabha ॥16-9-36॥
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)
etadvacanam ājñāya vyāsasya amita-tejasaḥ। anujñātaḥ yayau pārthaḥ nagaram nāga-sāhvayam॥16-9-37॥
After understanding this statement of Vyāsa, who possesses immeasurable energy, and after being permitted, Pārtha went to the city called Nāgasāhvaya. (16-9-37)
praviśya ca purīṃ vīraḥ samāsādya yudhiṣṭhiram। ācaṣṭa tadyathāvṛttaṃ vṛṣṇy-andhaka-janaṃ prati ॥16-9-38॥
The hero entered the city, approached Yudhiṣṭhira, and reported exactly what had happened regarding the Vṛṣṇi and Andhaka peoples. (16-9-38)
