Critical Edition
वैशंपायन उवाच स कदाचिन्महाबाहुः प्रभूतबलवाहनः वनं जगाम गहनं हयनागशतैर्वृतः
M. N. Dutt: Vaishampayana said : Once upon a time that king (Dushyanta) of mighty arms, accompanied with a very large force with hundreds of horses and elephants, went into a dense forest. The force were of four kinds (infantry cavalry, elephant-men, horsemen and car-warriors).
Supplementary Passages:
1.63.1 Before vaiśaṃ., K4 Ñ1.2 V1 B D ins.: *573 जनमेजय उवाच संभवं भरतस्याहं चरितं च महामतेः शकुन्तलायाश्चोत्पत्तिं श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः दुष्यन्तेन च वीरेण यथा प्राप्ता शकुन्तला तं वै पुरुषसिंहस्य भगवन्विस्तरं त्वहम् श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वज्ञ सर्वं मतिमतां वर
खड्गशक्तिधरैर्वीरैर्गदामुसलपाणिभिः प्रासतोमरहस्तैश्च ययौ योधशतैर्वृतः
M. N. Dutt: Surrounded by hundreds of warriors who were armed with swords, darts, maces and big clubs, lances and spears in their hands, the king marched out.
सिंहनादैश्च योधानां शङ्खदुन्दुभिनिस्वनैः रथनेमिस्वनैश्चापि सनागवरबृंहितैः
AI Translation: With the roars of lions, the sounds of conch shells and drums of the warriors, And the sounds of chariot wheels, along with the loud trumpeting of the best of elephants,
Supplementary Passages:
1.63.3 After 3, Dn D1.4 ins.: *574 नानायुधधरैश्चापि नानावेषधरैस्तथा
हेषितस्वनमिश्रैश्च क्ष्वेडितास्फोटितस्वनैः आसीत्किलकिलाशब्दस्तस्मिन्गच्छति पार्थिवे
AI Translation: With the sound of neighing mixed with the sound of hissing and popping, There was the sound of "kila kila" as that king went.
प्रासादवरशृङ्गस्थाः परया नृपशोभया ददृशुस्तं स्त्रियस्तत्र शूरमात्मयशस्करम्
AI Translation: Standing on the peaks of the best palaces, with the greatest splendor of the king, The women there saw that hero, who brought glory to himself.
शक्रोपमममित्रघ्नं परवारणवारणम् पश्यन्तः स्त्रीगणास्तत्र शस्त्रपाणिं स्म मेनिरे
AI Translation: Seeing him, who was like Indra, who killed enemies, who warded off the enemy's elephants, the group of women there thought he was holding a weapon.
Supplementary Passages:
1.63.6 K4 Ñ2 V1 B Da D2,5 ins. after 6ab: Dn, after 1: *575 बलेन चतुरङ्गेण वृतः परमवल्गुना
अयं स पुरुषव्याघ्रो रणेऽद्भुतपराक्रमः यस्य बाहुबलं प्राप्य न भवन्त्यसुहृद्गणाः
AI Translation: This is the tiger among men, whose valor in battle is wondrous, By whose strength of arm the hosts of enemies are not.
इति वाचो ब्रुवन्त्यस्ताः स्त्रियः प्रेम्णा नराधिपम् तुष्टुवुः पुष्पवृष्टीश्च ससृजुस्तस्य मूर्धनि
M. N. Dutt: Saying this, the ladies, out of love towards him, showered flowers on the head of the king to his great gratification. Having been blessed by the best of Brahmanas everywhere on the way.
तत्र तत्र च विप्रेन्द्रैः स्तूयमानः समन्ततः निर्ययौ परया प्रीत्या वनं मृगजिघांसया
AI Translation: There, praised by the best of Brahmins everywhere, he went out with great delight to the forest to hunt deer.
Supplementary Passages:
1.63.9 After 9, K4 Ñ V1 B D (except D5) ins.: *576 तं देवराजप्रतिमं मत्तवारणधूर्गतम् द्विजक्षत्रियविट्शूद्रा निर्यान्तमनुजग्मिरे ददृशुर्वर्धमानास्ते आशीर्भिश्च जयेन च
सुदूरमनुजग्मुस्तं पौरजानपदास्तदा न्यवर्तन्त ततः पश्चादनुज्ञाता नृपेण ह
M. N. Dutt: The citizens and other people also followed the king for some distance. Then they returned when they were commanded by the king.
सुपर्णप्रतिमेनाथ रथेन वसुधाधिपः महीमापूरयामास घोषेण त्रिदिवं तथा
AI Translation: Then the lord of the earth, on a chariot resembling a suparna, filled the earth and the heaven with his roar.
स गच्छन्ददृशे धीमान्नन्दनप्रतिमं वनम् बिल्वार्कखदिराकीर्णं कपित्थधवसंकुलम्
AI Translation: While walking, the wise one saw a forest resembling Nandana, Filled with bilva, arka, and khadira trees, and crowded with kapittha and dhavu trees.
विषमं पर्वतप्रस्थैरश्मभिश्च समावृतम् निर्जलं निर्मनुष्यं च बहुयोजनमायतम् मृगसंघैर्वृतं घोरैरन्यैश्चापि वनेचरैः
M. N. Dutt: Its soil was uneven and covered with blocks of stone, loosened from the hills. There were no water and human habitations; it extended to many yojanas.
तद्वनं मनुजव्याघ्रः सभृत्यबलवाहनः लोडयामास दुःषन्तः सूदयन्विविधान्मृगान्
AI Translation: The tiger among men, Duhshanta, with his servants, army and vehicles, roamed in that forest, killing various animals.
बाणगोचरसंप्राप्तांस्तत्र व्याघ्रगणान्बहून् पातयामास दुःषन्तो निर्बिभेद च सायकैः
AI Translation: He struck many groups of tigers that had come within the range of his arrows, and Duhshanta pierced them with arrows.
दूरस्थान्सायकैः कांश्चिदभिनत्स नरर्षभः अभ्याशमागतांश्चान्यान्खड्गेन निरकृन्तत
AI Translation: With his arrows he struck some who were at a distance, and the bull among men struck others who were near. With his sword he cut down others who came near.
कांश्चिदेणान्स निर्जघ्ने शक्त्या शक्तिमतां वरः गदामण्डलतत्त्वज्ञश्चचारामितविक्रमः
AI Translation: The best of the powerful, with his spear, killed some of the enemies. Knowing the truth of the circle of clubs, he moved with immeasurable valor.
तोमरैरसिभिश्चापि गदामुसलकर्पणैः चचार स विनिघ्नन्वै वन्यांस्तत्र मृगद्विजान्
AI Translation: With javelins, swords, bows, clubs, and pestles, He roamed there, killing the wild animals and birds.
राज्ञा चाद्भुतवीर्येण योधैश्च समरप्रियैः लोड्यमानं महारण्यं तत्यजुश्च महामृगाः
AI Translation: And the king, of wonderful valor, and the warriors who loved battle, and the great beasts abandoned the great forest, which was being shaken,
तत्र विद्रुतसंघानि हतयूथपतीनि च मृगयूथान्यथौत्सुक्याच्छब्दं चक्रुस्ततस्ततः
AI Translation: There the herds of deer, their groups scattered and their leaders killed, made a noise here and there out of anxiety.
शुष्कां चापि नदीं गत्वा जलनैराश्यकर्शिताः व्यायामक्लान्तहृदयाः पतन्ति स्म विचेतसः
AI Translation: Having gone to a dry river, exhausted by the lack of water, with hearts weary from exertion, they fell unconscious.
क्षुत्पिपासापरीताश्च श्रान्ताश्च पतिता भुवि केचित्तत्र नरव्याघ्रैरभक्ष्यन्त बुभुक्षितैः
AI Translation: They were tormented by hunger and thirst, and exhausted, they fell to the ground. Some of them were devoured there by hungry tigers.
केचिदग्निमथोत्पाद्य समिध्य च वनेचराः भक्षयन्ति स्म मांसानि प्रकुट्य विधिवत्तदा
AI Translation: Some of them, having kindled a fire in the forest, cooked the meat according to the prescribed method and ate it.
तत्र केचिद्गजा मत्ता बलिनः शस्त्रविक्षताः संकोच्याग्रकरान्भीताः प्रद्रवन्ति स्म वेगिताः
AI Translation: There, some elephants, intoxicated, strong, wounded by weapons, with their trunks drawn back, frightened, ran away quickly.
शकृन्मूत्रं सृजन्तश्च क्षरन्तः शोणितं बहु वन्या गजवरास्तत्र ममृदुर्मनुजान्बहून्
AI Translation: And they were defecating and urinating, and were bleeding profusely. And the wild elephants there trampled many men.
तद्वनं बलमेघेन शरधारेण संवृतम् व्यरोचन्महिषाकीर्णं राज्ञा हतमहामृगम्
AI Translation: That forest was covered by Balamegha and Sharadhara, and shone with buffaloes, with the great animals killed by the king.