Critical Edition
वैशंपायन उवाच तौ रथाभ्यां नरव्याघ्रौ दावस्योभयतः स्थितौ दिक्षु सर्वासु भूतानां चक्राते कदनं महत्
M. N. Dutt: Vaishampayana said : Then those two foremost of car warriors (Krishna and Arjuna), riding on their cars and placing themselves each on one side of the burning forest, began a great slaughter of all creatures.
यत्र यत्र हि दृश्यन्ते प्राणिनः खाण्डवालयाः पलायन्तस्तत्र तत्र तौ वीरौ पर्यधावताम्
M. N. Dutt: Wherever and whenever they saw any creature, any dweller of the Khandava, escaping from the fire, those two great heroes immediately shot it down.
छिद्रं हि न प्रपश्यन्ति रथयोराशुविक्रमात् आविद्धाविव दृश्येते रथिनौ तौ रथोत्तमौ
M. N. Dutt: There cars moved so fast round the forest that the creatures dwelling in it saw not the smallest space between the two rushing cars (so that they might escape by that way). Those two excellent cars seemed to be one car and those two heroes also seemed as if they were one man.
खाण्डवे दह्यमाने तु भूतान्यथ सहस्रशः उत्पेतुर्भैरवान्नादान्विनदन्तो दिशो दश
M. N. Dutt: When the Khandava was on fire, hundreds and thousands of living creatures, uttering fearful yells, ran in all directions.
दग्धैकदेशा बहवो निष्टप्ताश्च तथापरे स्फुटिताक्षा विशीर्णाश्च विप्लुताश्च विचेतसः
M. N. Dutt: Some had their limbs burnt, some were scorched with the excessive heat, some had their eyes burst out, some were withered away and some ran about in fear.
समालिङ्ग्य सुतानन्ये पितॄन्मातॄंस्तथापरे त्यक्तुं न शेकुः स्नेहेन तथैव निधनं गताः
M. N. Dutt: Some died calmly within the forest clasping their children and some their parents and brothers; they were unable to abandon those that were dear to them out of excessive affection.
विकृतैर्दर्शनैरन्ये समुत्पेतुः सहस्रशः तत्र तत्र विघूर्णन्तः पुनरग्नौ प्रपेदिरे
M. N. Dutt: Many rose high upwards, biting their nether lips, but they soon again fell below whirling into the blazing fire.
दग्धपक्षाक्षिचरणा विचेष्टन्तो महीतले तत्र तत्र स्म दृश्यन्ते विनश्यन्तः शरीरिणः
M. N. Dutt: Some were seen rolling on the ground with their wings, eyes and feet scorched and burnt. They were soon after found to be dead.
जलस्थानेषु सर्वेषु क्वाथ्यमानेषु भारत गतसत्त्वाः स्म दृश्यन्ते कूर्ममत्स्याः सहस्रशः
M. N. Dutt: The tanks and the ponds that lay within that forest were heated with the fire and they began to boil. The fishes and tortoises that were in their waters were all seen to perish.
शरीरैः संप्रदीप्तैश्च देहवन्त इवाग्नयः अदृश्यन्त वने तस्मिन्प्राणिनः प्राणसंक्षये
M. N. Dutt: In that great massacre of creatures in that forest, the burning bodies of various animals looked as if Agni had assumed to many forms.
तांस्तथोत्पततः पार्थः शरैः संछिद्य खण्डशः दीप्यमाने ततः प्रास्यत्प्रहसन्कृष्णवर्त्मनि
AI Translation: Having cut them into pieces as they flew up, Partha, then laughed and shot them into the blazing path of Krishna.
ते शराचितसर्वाङ्गा विनदन्तो महारवान् ऊर्ध्वमुत्पत्य वेगेन निपेतुः पावके पुनः
M. N. Dutt: Being pierced by Arjuna's arrows the flying birds again fell into the Khandava with great speed and uttering loud cries.
शरैरभ्याहतानां च दह्यतां च वनौकसाम् विरावः श्रूयते ह स्म समुद्रस्येव मथ्यतः
M. N. Dutt: Being pierced by the arrows, the dwellers of that forest begin to cry and the noise they made was like the fearful noise that rose at the churning of the ocean.
Supplementary Passages:
1.217.13 After 13, G2 ins.: *2121 उपलभ्य समुत्पेतुः समुत्पेतुर्महीधरात्
वह्नेश्चापि प्रहृष्टस्य खमुत्पेतुर्महार्चिषः जनयामासुरुद्वेगं सुमहान्तं दिवौकसाम्
M. N. Dutt: The great flame of the blazing fire rose to the sky and created a great anxiety in the minds of the dwellers of heavens the Devas.
Supplementary Passages:
1.217.14 After 14, Ñ2.3 V1 B D (except D1.2) ins.: *2122 तेनार्चिषा सुसंतप्ता देवाः सर्षिपुरोगमाः
ततो जग्मुर्महात्मानः सर्व एव दिवौकसः शरणं देवराजानं सहस्राक्षं पुरंदरम्
AI Translation: Then all the great-souled gods went to the thousand-eyed Purandara, the king of the gods, for refuge.
देवा ऊचुः किं न्विमे मानवाः सर्वे दह्यन्ते कृष्णवर्त्मना कच्चिन्न संक्षयः प्राप्तो लोकानाममरेश्वर
M. N. Dutt: The Celestial said: O lord of the immortals, who does Agni burn all the creatures below? Has the time for the destruction of the world come?
Supplementary Passages:
1.217.16 After 16, T3 G (except G1) ins.: *2123 इत्याक्रोशमकुर्वंस्ते लोकाः सर्वे भयान्विताः
वैशंपायन उवाच तच्छ्रुत्वा वृत्रहा तेभ्यः स्वयमेवान्ववेक्ष्य च खाण्डवस्य विमोक्षार्थं प्रययौ हरिवाहनः
M. N. Dutt: Vaishampayana said : Having heard this and himself seeing what Agni was doing, the slayer of Vitra (Indra) set out to save the creatures from the fire.
महता मेघजालेन नानारूपेण वज्रभृत् आकाशं समवस्तीर्य प्रववर्ष सुरेश्वरः
M. N. Dutt: The lord of the celestial, Vasava soon covered the sky with masses of clouds of various kinds; he then began to pour fain.
ततोऽक्षमात्रा विसृजन्धाराः शतसहस्रशः अभ्यवर्षत्सहस्राक्षः पावकं खाण्डवं प्रति
M. N. Dutt: As soon as commanded by the king of the celestial, those hundreds and thousands of clouds begin to shower on the Khandava forest in as thick drops as the flag-staffs of warchariots.
असंप्राप्तास्तु ता धारास्तेजसा जातवेदसः ख एव समशुष्यन्त न काश्चित्पावकं गताः
M. N. Dutt: But the showers were all dried up even in the sky by the heat of the fire; and they could not reach the fire below.
ततो नमुचिहा क्रुद्धो भृशमर्चिष्मतस्तदा पुनरेवाभ्यवर्षत्तमम्भः प्रविसृजन्बहु
M. N. Dutt: The slayer of Namuchi (Indra) becoming very angry with Agni, again collected many more masses of clouds and made them shower a heavy down-pour.
अर्चिर्धाराभिसंबद्धं धूमविद्युत्समाकुलम् बभूव तद्वनं घोरं स्तनयित्नुसघोषवत्
M. N. Dutt: Then the flames fought with that heavy shower and those masses of clouds overhead. The forest, being filled with smoke and lightings, became fearful to look at.