Critical Edition
वासुदेव उवाच आनर्तनगरं मुक्तं ततोऽहमगमं तदा महाक्रतौ राजसूये निवृत्ते नृपते तव
M. N. Dutt: Krishna said: O king, when he (Shalva) left the city of the Anarthas, I returned there on the completion of your great Rajasuya sacrifice.
अपश्यं द्वारकां चाहं महाराज हतत्विषम् निःस्वाध्यायवषट्कारां निर्भूषणवरस्त्रियम्
AI Translation: I saw Dvārakā, O great king, bereft of its splendor, without the sound of Vedic recitation and the offering of oblations, with women bereft of their ornaments.
अनभिज्ञेयरूपाणि द्वारकोपवनानि च दृष्ट्वा शङ्कोपपन्नोऽहमपृच्छं हृदिकात्मजम्
AI Translation: The gates and parks of Dvārakā, which are not to be known, Seeing them, I, who was full of doubt, asked the son of Hṛdika.
अस्वस्थनरनारीकमिदं वृष्णिपुरं भृशम् किमिदं नरशार्दूल श्रोतुमिच्छामहे वयम्
M. N. Dutt: "O best of men, why are the men and the women of the Vrishni race are all woc-begone. I desire to hear all about it."
एवमुक्तस्तु स मया विस्तरेणेदमब्रवीत् रोधं मोक्षं च शाल्वेन हार्दिक्यो राजसत्तम
M. N. Dutt: O best of kings, having been thus addressed by me, the son of Hridika narrated to me in detail the invasion of the city by Shalva and his subsequent defeat and departure.
ततोऽहं कौरवश्रेष्ठ श्रुत्वा सर्वमशेषतः विनाशे शाल्वराजस्य तदैवाकरवं मतिम्
M. N. Dutt: O best of the Bharata race, thereupon having heard all, I instantly made up my mind to kill king Shalva.
ततोऽहं भरतश्रेष्ठ समाश्वास्य पुरे जनम् राजानमाहुकं चैव तथैवानकदुन्दुभिम् सर्ववृष्णिप्रवीरांश्च हर्षयन्नब्रुवं तदा
M. N. Dutt: O best of the Bharata race, encouraging the citizens, I thus addressed with cheerfulness king Ahuka and Anakadundubhi and also all the chief heroes of the Vrishni race, "O best of the Yadavas, stay all of you in the city with all caution.
अप्रमादः सदा कार्यो नगरे यादवर्षभाः शाल्वराजविनाशाय प्रयातं मां निबोधत
AI Translation: O bulls among the Yadus, you must always be careful. Know that I am going to destroy the king of Shala.
नाहत्वा तं निवर्तिष्ये पुरीं द्वारवतीं प्रति सशाल्वं सौभनगरं हत्वा द्रष्टास्मि वः पुनः त्रिसामा हन्यतामेषा दुन्दुभिः शत्रुभीषणी
M. N. Dutt: I will again come back to you after destroying Shalva with his city “Saubha'' made of precious metals. Strike up the three notes of the Dundubhi (musical instrument) which are so dreadful to the foes."
ते मयाश्वासिता वीरा यथावद्भरतर्षभ सर्वे मामब्रुवन्हृष्टाः प्रयाहि जहि शात्रवान्
M. N. Dutt: O best of the Bharata race, thus adequately encouraged by me, they all with cheerful hearts said to me, “Go and kill the enemy."
तैः प्रहृष्टात्मभिर्वीरैराशीर्भिरभिनन्दितः वाचयित्वा द्विजश्रेष्ठान्प्रणम्य शिरसाहुकम्
AI Translation: Having been congratulated by those delighted heroes with blessings, Having read to the best of the Brahmins and bowed my head to them,
सैन्यसुग्रीवयुक्तेन रथेनानादयन्दिशः प्रध्माप्य शङ्खप्रवरं पाञ्चजन्यमहं नृप
AI Translation: Blowing my conch shell, the supreme conch shell of Pancajanya, I, O king,
प्रयातोऽस्मि नरव्याघ्र बलेन महता वृतः कॢप्तेन चतुरङ्गेण बलेन जितकाशिना
AI Translation: O tiger among men, I have gone forth, surrounded by a great army, with an army of four divisions, well-equipped and victorious.
समतीत्य बहून्देशान्गिरींश्च बहुपादपान् सरांसि सरितश्चैव मार्त्तिकावतमासदम्
M. N. Dutt: Passing over many countries, mountains and trees, many lakes and rivers, I at last arrived at the country of Martikavata.
तत्राश्रौषं नरव्याघ्र शाल्वं नगरमन्तिकात् प्रयातं सौभमास्थाय तमहं पृष्ठतोऽन्वयाम्
M. N. Dutt: O best of men, here did I hear that Shalva was coursing in his (car) Saubha near the ocean. I soon followed him there.
Supplementary Passages:
3.21.15 After 15, S (except M2) ins.: *80 दृष्टवानस्मि राजेन्द्र साल्वराजमथान्तिके
ततः सागरमासाद्य कुक्षौ तस्य महोर्मिणः समुद्रनाभ्यां शाल्वोऽभूत्सौभमास्थाय शत्रुहन्
M. N. Dutt: O slayer of foes, having reached the ocean (I saw) Shalva on his (Saubha, car made of precious metal in the midst of the ocean full of heaving billows.
Supplementary Passages:
3.21.16 After 16, T G2-4 M1 ins.: *81 स मामालोक्य सहसा सेनां स्वां प्राहिणोन्मृधे मद्बाहुना च सेनायां शिष्टायां किंचिदेव च
स समालोक्य दूरान्मां स्मयन्निव युधिष्ठिर आह्वयामास दुष्टात्मा युद्धायैव मुहुर्मुहुः
M. N. Dutt: O Yudhishthira, having seen ine from a distance, that wicked-minded (Asura) challenged me again and again to the fight.
तस्य शार्ङ्गविनिर्मुक्तैर्बहुभिर्मर्मभेदिभिः पुरं नासाद्यत शरैस्ततो मां रोष आविशत्
M. N. Dutt: Many arrows, each capable of piercing to the very heart, discharged from my bow, did not reach his car. Thereupon I became filled with wrath.
स चापि पापप्रकृतिर्दैतेयापसदो नृप मय्यवर्षत दुर्धर्षः शरधाराः सहस्रशः
M. N. Dutt: O king, that greatly sinful and irrepressibly powerful wretch of a Daitya's son began to shoot at me thousands of arrows in torrents.
सैनिकान्मम सूतं च हयांश्च समवाकिरत् अचिन्तयन्तस्तु शरान्वयं युध्याम भारत
M. N. Dutt: O descendant of Bharata, he showered arrows on my soldiers, on my charioteer and on my horses. But without much caring for his arrows, we continued to fight.
ततः शतसहस्राणि शराणां नतपर्वणाम् चिक्षिपुः समरे वीरा मयि शाल्वपदानुगाः
M. N. Dutt: Thereupon those warriors who were at the command of Shalva showced on me thousands of straight arrows.
ते हयान्मे रथं चैव तदा दारुकमेव च छादयामासुरसुरा बाणैर्मर्मविभेदिभिः
M. N. Dutt: The Asura heroes covered my horses, my car and my charioteer, Daruka, with arrows cach capable of piercing to the very heart.
न हया न रथो वीर न यन्ता मम दारुकः अदृश्यन्त शरैश्छन्नास्तथाहं सैनिकाश्च मे
M. N. Dutt: O nero, I could not at that time see either my car or horses or my charioteer Daruka. For ! and my soldiers were covered with arrows.
ततोऽहमपि कौरव्य शराणामयुतान्बहून् अभिमन्त्रितानां धनुषा दिव्येन विधिनाक्षिपम्
M. N. Dutt: O son of Kunti, thereupon I too discharged from my bows tens of thousands of arrows inspiring them with proper Mantras and shooting them with celestials methods.
न तत्र विषयस्त्वासीन्मम सैन्यस्य भारत खे विषक्तं हि तत्सौभं क्रोशमात्र इवाभवत्
M. N. Dutt: O descendant of Bharata, as that (car) Saubha made of precious metals was in the sky full two miles off, it could not be seen by my troops.
ततस्ते प्रेक्षकाः सर्वे रङ्गवाट इव स्थिताः हर्षयामासुरुच्चैर्मां सिंहनादतलस्वनैः
M. N. Dutt: Therefore, they only looked on from that field of battle like (so many) spectators in a place of annusement but they cheered me on by clappings and by shouts loud as the roars of lions.
मत्कार्मुकविनिर्मुक्ता दानवानां महारणे अङ्गेषु रुधिराक्तास्ते विविशुः शलभा इव
M. N. Dutt: The beautiful arrows discharged from the fore part of my hand penetrated into the bodies of the Danavas like biting insects.
ततो हलहलाशब्दः सौभमध्ये व्यवर्धत वध्यतां विशिखैस्तीक्ष्णैः पततां च महार्णवे
M. N. Dutt: Thereupon loud cries of those dying of the wounds inflicted by the arrows rose on the Saubha (car); and they (those wounded) fell into the water of the great ocean.
ते निकृत्तभुजस्कन्धाः कबन्धाकृतिदर्शनाः नदन्तो भैरवान्नादन्निपतन्ति स्म दानवाः
M. N. Dutt: Having lost their arms and necks and having appeared like Kabandhas (a sort of headless ghosts), the Danavas fell (down into the sea) with fearful cries.
Supplementary Passages:
3.21.29 After 29, N (except K3; K1.4 missing) ins.: *82 पतितास्तेऽपि भक्ष्यन्ते समुद्राम्भोनिवासिभिः
ततो गोक्षीरकुन्देन्दुमृणालरजतप्रभम् जलजं पाञ्चजन्यं वै प्राणेनाहमपूरयम्
AI Translation: Then, with my breath, I filled the water-born conch, which had the lustre of cow's milk, jasmine, moon, and lotus filaments, and was like silver,
तान्दृष्ट्वा पतितांस्तत्र शाल्वः सौभपतिस्तदा मायायुद्धेन महता योधयामास मां युधि
AI Translation: Seeing them fallen there, Shala, the lord of Soubha, Fought with me in battle through great illusory warfare.
ततो हुडहुडाः प्रासाः शक्तिशूलपरश्वधाः पट्टिशाश्च भुशुण्ड्यश्च प्रापतन्ननिशं मयि
AI Translation: Then there fell on me incessantly javelins, lances, spears, tridents, axes, swords, and scimitars.
Supplementary Passages:
3.21.32 K2 Dn D2 ins. after 32ab; K3 (which om. 32ab) D1 ins. after 31: *83 असयः शक्तिमुशलपाशार्ष्टिकणपाः शराः
तानहं माययैवाशु प्रतिगृह्य व्यनाशयम् तस्यां हतायां मायायां गिरिशृङ्गैरयोधयत्
M. N. Dutt: Allowing them to come towards me, I soon destroyed them all by counter illusion. On mis illusion being rendered ineffectual he began to fight with mountain-peaks.
ततोऽभवत्तम इव प्रभातमिव चाभवत् दुर्दिनं सुदिनं चैव शीतमुष्णं च भारत
AI Translation: Then there was darkness, then there was dawn, Bad weather, good weather, cold, heat, O descendant of Bharata.
Supplementary Passages:
3.21.34 After 34, Ś1 K2 B D (except D1.2) ins.: *84 अङ्गारपांशुवर्षं च शस्त्रवर्षं च भारत
एवं मायां विकुर्वाणो योधयामास मां रिपुः विज्ञाय तदहं सर्वं माययैव व्यनाशयम् यथाकालं तु युद्धेन व्यधमं सर्वतः शरैः
M. N. Dutt: Knowing this, I destroyed his illusion by counter illusion; and at the proper times I showered arrows all around.
Supplementary Passages:
3.21.35 K3 (which om. 35ef and line 1 of the foll. passage) ins. after 35cd: D1, after 35ef: *85 स मोहयामास तदा मायया युधि दानवः ततो हतायां च मया मायायां युधि दानवः
ततो व्योम महाराज शतसूर्यमिवाभवत् शतचन्द्रं च कौन्तेय सहस्रायुततारकम्
M. N. Dutt: O great king, O son of Kunti, then the sky blazed forth with one hundred suns, with one hundred moons and thousands and tens of thousands of stars.
ततो नाज्ञायत तदा दिवारात्रं तथा दिशः ततोऽहं मोहमापन्नः प्रज्ञास्त्रं समयोजयम् ततस्तदस्त्रमस्त्रेण विधूतं शरतूलवत्
M. N. Dutt: None could ascertain whether it was then day or night. None could distinguish even the points of heaven. Thereupon becoming bewildered, I fixed on my bowstring the weapon, named Prajnastra.
तथा तदभवद्युद्धं तुमुलं लोमहर्षणम् लब्धालोकश्च राजेन्द्र पुनः शत्रुमयोधयम्
M. N. Dutt: O son of Kunti, that weapon rushed onwards like flakes of cotton blown away by the winds. Tlien a great and hair-stirring battle took place. O king of kings, having rcguined light, I again fought with the enemy.