Critical Edition
वैशंपायन उवाच एवं प्रयतमानानां वृष्णीनामन्धकैः सह कालो गृहाणि सर्वेषां परिचक्राम नित्यशः
M. N. Dutt: Vaishampayana said While the Vrishnis and the Andhakas were thus trying (to avoid the impending calamity), the embodied from of time (death) every day wandered about their houses.
करालो विकटो मुण्डः पुरुषः कृष्णपिङ्गलः गृहाण्यवेक्ष्य वृष्णीनां नादृश्यत पुनः क्वचित्
M. N. Dutt: He looked like a man of terrible and fierce aspect. Of bald head, he was black and of tawny color. Sometimes he was beheld by the Vrishnis as he peered into their houses.
Supplementary Passages:
16.3.2 For 2ab, K4 subst.: *9 करटो मुण्डः पुरुषः कृष्णपिङ्गललोचनः After 2ab, K3.5 ins.: *10 समूहिनि महाकेतुर्जपापुष्पावतंसकः कृकलासवाहनगः काकपक्षविभूषणः After 2, N (except D6) T2.3 ins.: *11 तमघ्नन्त महेष्वासाः शरैः शतसहस्रशः न चाशक्यत वेद्धुं स सर्वभूतात्ययस्तदा
उत्पेदिरे महावाता दारुणाश्चा दिने दिने वृष्ण्यन्धकविनाशाय बहवो रोमहर्षणाः
M. N. Dutt: Day by day strong winds blew, and many were the evil omens which arose, awful and foreboding the destruction of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas.
विवृद्धमूषका रथ्या विभिन्नमणिकास्तथा चीचीकूचीति वाश्यन्त्यः सारिका वृष्णिवेश्मसु नोपशाम्यति शब्दश्च स दिवारात्रमेव हि
M. N. Dutt: Sharikas chirped, sitting within the houses of the Vrishnis. The noise made by those birds ceased not for even a short while by day or by night.
Supplementary Passages:
16.3.4 After 4ab, N (except D5.6) T3 ins.: *12 केशा नखाश्च सुप्तानामद्यन्ते मूषकैर्निशि
अनुकुर्वन्नुलूकानां सारसा विरुतं तथा अजाः शिवानां च रुतमन्वकुर्वत भारत
M. N. Dutt: The Sarashas were heard to imitate the hooting of the owl, and goats imitated the cries, O Bharata, of Jackals.
पाण्डुरा रक्तपादाश्च विहगाः कालचोदिताः वृष्ण्यन्धकानां गेहेषु कपोता व्यचरंस्तदा
M. N. Dutt: Many birds appeared, moved by Death, which were pale of color, but that had legs red of hue. Pigeons were seen to always disport in the houses of the Vrishni.
व्यजायन्त खरा गोषु करभाश्वतरीषु च शुनीष्वपि बिडालाश्च मूषका नकुलीषु च
M. N. Dutt: Asses were born of kine, and elephants of mules. Cats were born of bitches, and mouse of the mungoose.
नापत्रपन्त पापानि कुर्वन्तो वृष्णयस्तदा प्राद्विषन्ब्राह्मणांश्चापि पितॄन्देवांस्तथैव च
M. N. Dutt: The Vrishnis, committing sinful deeds, were not seen to feel any shame. They showed disregard for Brahmanas and the departed manes and the departed manes and the celestials.
गुरूंश्चाप्यवमन्यन्त न तु रामजनार्दनौ पत्न्यः पतीन्व्युच्चरन्त पत्नीश्च पतयस्तथा
M. N. Dutt: They insulted and humiliated their preceptors and elders. Only Rama and Janardana acted differently. Wives deceived their husbands, and husbands deceived wives.
विभावसुः प्रज्वलितो वामं विपरिवर्तते नीललोहितमाञ्जिष्ठा विसृजन्नर्चिषः पृथक्
M. N. Dutt: Fires, when ignited cast their flames towards the left. Sometimes they threw out flames whose colour was blue and red.
उदयास्तमने नित्यं पुर्यां तस्यां दिवाकरः व्यदृश्यतासकृत्पुंभिः कबन्धैः परिवारितः
M. N. Dutt: The Sun, whether when rising or setting over that city, seemed to be surrounded by headless trunks of human beings.
महानसेषु सिद्धेऽन्ने संस्कृतेऽतीव भारत आहार्यमाणे कृमयो व्यदृश्यन्त नराधिप
M. N. Dutt: In cook-rooms, upon food that was clean and well-boiled, were soon, when it was served out for eating, innumerable worms of various kinds.
पुण्याहे वाच्यमाने च जपत्सु च महात्मसु अभिधावन्तः श्रूयन्ते न चादृश्यत कश्चन
M. N. Dutt: When Brahmanas, receiving gifts, blessed the day or the hour fixed for this or that undertaking or when great men were engaged in silent recitations, the heavy trend was heard of many men running about but no one could be seen to whom the sound of such sound could be ascribed.
Supplementary Passages:
16.3.13 After 13ab, T1 ins.: *13 अश्रूयन्त शुनां शब्दाः सर्वतः कर्णवेधकाः
परस्परं च नक्षत्रं हन्यमानं पुनः पुनः ग्रहैरपश्यन्सर्वे ते नात्मनस्तु कथंचन
M. N. Dutt: The Constellations were repeatedly seen to be struck by the planets. None amongst the Yadavas could, however, see the constellation of his birth.
नदन्तं पाञ्चजन्यं च वृष्ण्यन्धकनिवेशने समन्तात्प्रत्यवाश्यन्त रासभा दारुणस्वराः
M. N. Dutt: When the Panchajanya was blown in their houses, asses of dissonant and awful voice brayed aloud from all sides.
एवं पश्यन्हृषीकेशः संप्राप्तं कालपर्ययम् त्रयोदश्याममावास्यां तां दृष्ट्वा प्राब्रवीदिदम्
M. N. Dutt: Seeing these sings which showed the perverse course of Time, and seeing that the day of the new moon coincided with the thirteenth (and the fourteenth) lunation's, Hrishkesha, summoning the Yadavas, said to them these words:
चतुर्दशी पञ्चदशी कृतेयं राहुणा पुनः तदा च भारते युद्धे प्राप्ता चाद्य क्षयाय नः
M. N. Dutt: The fourteenth lunation has been made the fifteenth by Rahu once more. Such a day had appeared at the time of the great battle of the Bharatas. It has once more appeared, it seems, for our destruction.'
विमृशन्नेव कालं तं परिचिन्त्य जनार्दनः मेने प्राप्तं स षट्त्रिंशं वर्षं वै केशिसूदनः
AI Translation: Thinking about the time, Janardana, the slayer of Keshi, considered that thirty-six years had passed.
पुत्रशोकाभिसंतप्ता गान्धारी हतबान्धवा यदनुव्याजहारार्ता तदिदं समुपागतम्
AI Translation: Gandhāri, tormented by grief for her son and bereft of her kinsmen, whatever she uttered in her distress has now come to pass.
इदं च तदनुप्राप्तमब्रवीद्यद्युधिष्ठिरः पुरा व्यूढेष्वनीकेषु दृष्ट्वोत्पातान्सुदारुणान्
M. N. Dutt: The present is exactly similar to that time which Yudhishthira had marked at sight of those dreadful omens which appeared when the two armies were arranged in battle-order.
Supplementary Passages:
16.3.20 After 20, K3 ins.: *14 पुण्यदानप्रदाच्चापि शान्तिमोहाच्च केवलात् पुण्यकर्मप्रयोगाच्च नान्यच्छ्रेयो भवेदिति
इत्युक्त्वा वासुदेवस्तु चिकीर्षन्सत्यमेव तत् आज्ञापयामास तदा तीर्थयात्रामरिंदम
M. N. Dutt: Vasudeva, having said so, tried to bring about those occurrences which would make Gandhari's words true. That chastiser of enemies commanded the Vrishnis to make a pilgrimage to some sacred water.
अघोषयन्त पुरुषास्तत्र केशवशासनात् तीर्थयात्रा समुद्रे वः कार्येति पुरुषर्षभाः
M. N. Dutt: The messengers immediately proclaimed at the command of Keshava that the Vrishnis should make a journey to the sea-coast for bathing in the sacred waters of the ocean.