Critical Edition
मार्कण्डेय उवाच इक्ष्वाकौ संस्थिते राजञ्शशादः पृथिवीमिमाम् प्राप्तः परमधर्मात्मा सोऽयोध्यायां नृपोऽभवत्
M. N. Dutt: Markandeya said : O king, when Ikshvaku died, the greatly virtuous Shashada, becoming the king of Ayodhya began to rule over this earth.
शशादस्य तु दायादः ककुत्स्थो नाम वीर्यवान् अनेनाश्चापि काकुत्स्थः पृथुश्चानेनसः सुतः
M. N. Dutt: Shashada had a powerful son, named Kakutstha. Kakutstha had a son named Anenas. Anenas had a son named Prithu.
विष्वगश्वः पृथोः पुत्रस्तस्मादार्द्रस्तु जज्ञिवान् आर्द्रस्य युवनाश्वस्तु श्रावस्तस्तस्य चात्मजः
M. N. Dutt: Prithu had a son named Vishvagashva and Vishvagashva begot a son, named Adri. Adri had a son called Yuvanashva and Yuvanashva begot Shravasta.
जज्ञे श्रावस्तको राजा श्रावस्ती येन निर्मिता श्रावस्तस्य तु दायादो बृहदश्वो महाबलः बृहदश्वसुतश्चापि कुवलाश्व इति स्मृतः
M. N. Dutt: From this Shravasta, the city called Shravasti was founded. The son of Shravasta was the greatly powerful Brihadashva.
कुवलाश्वस्य पुत्राणां सहस्राण्येकविंशतिः सर्वे विद्यासु निष्णाता बलवन्तो दुरासदाः
AI Translation: The twenty-one thousand sons of Kuvalashva were all skilled in the arts, strong, and difficult to approach.
कुवलाश्वस्तु पितृतो गुणैरभ्यधिकोऽभवत् समये तं ततो राज्ये बृहदश्वोऽभ्यषेचयत् कुवलाश्वं महाराज शूरमुत्तमधार्मिकम्
M. N. Dutt: O great king, in due time his father Brihadashva installed that foremost of heroes and virtuous men, Kuvalashva, on the throne.
पुत्रसंक्रामितश्रीस्तु बृहदश्वो महीपतिः जगाम तपसे धीमांस्तपोवनममित्रहा
M. N. Dutt: Having thus made over the royal dignity to his son, that ruler of earth, that chastiser of foes and the greatly intelligent Brihadashva retired into a forest to perform asceticism.
अथ शुश्राव राजर्षिं तमुत्तङ्को युधिष्ठिर वनं संप्रस्थितं राजन्बृहदश्वं द्विजोत्तमः
M. N. Dutt: O rulers of men, O king, when the royal sage Brihadashva was about to go away into the forest, that best of Brahmanas, Uttanka, heard of it.
तमुत्तङ्को महातेजाः सर्वास्त्रविदुषां वरम् न्यवारयदमेयात्मा समासाद्य नरोत्तमम्
M. N. Dutt: The greatly effulgent and the high-souled Uttanka came to that foremost of all wielder of arms, that best of men, (Brihadashva) and asked him not to do it.
उत्तङ्क उवाच भवता रक्षणं कार्यं तत्तावत्कर्तुमर्हसि निरुद्विग्ना वयं राजंस्त्वत्प्रसादाद्वसेमहि
M. N. Dutt: Uttanka said: O king, your duty is to protect men. You should perform your that duty. Let us be freed from all anxieties through your favour.
त्वया हि पृथिवी राजन्रक्ष्यमाणा महात्मना भविष्यति निरुद्विग्ना नारण्यं गन्तुमर्हसि
M. N. Dutt: O king, the earth, being protected by your august self, will be freed from all anxieties. Therefore you should not retire into the forest.
पालने हि महान्धर्मः प्रजानामिह दृश्यते न तथा दृश्यतेऽरण्ये मा ते भूद्बुद्धिरीदृशी
M. N. Dutt: Great merit is the fruit of protecting men in this world. Such merit can never be acquired in a forest. Therefore, let not your heart have such an inclination
ईदृशो न हि राजेन्द्र धर्मः क्वचन दृश्यते प्रजानां पालने यो वै पुरा राजर्षिभिः कृतः रक्षितव्याः प्रजा राज्ञा तास्त्वं रक्षितुमर्हसि
M. N. Dutt: O king of kings, such a (great) merit is not seen in anything else as it is seen in the protection of men as done by the royal sages in the days of yore.
निरुद्विग्नस्तपश्चर्तुं न हि शक्नोमि पार्थिव ममाश्रमसमीपे वै समेषु मरुधन्वसु
AI Translation: O king, I am not able to practice austerities without fear. In the vicinity of my hermitage, in the even desert plains,
समुद्रो वालुकापूर्ण उज्जानक इति स्मृतः बहुयोजनविस्तीर्णो बहुयोजनमायतः
AI Translation: The ocean filled with sand is known as Ujjānaka, vast and long for many yojanas.
तत्र रौद्रो दानवेन्द्रो महावीर्यपराक्रमः मधुकैटभयोः पुत्रो धुन्धुर्नाम सुदारुणः
AI Translation: There was a very fierce demon king named Dhundhu, of great strength and valor, the son of Madhu and Kaitabha, who was extremely cruel.
अन्तर्भूमिगतो राजन्वसत्यमितविक्रमः तं निहत्य महाराज वनं त्वं गन्तुमर्हसि
AI Translation: O king, he dwells in the interior of the earth, of unmeasured valour. Having killed him, O great king, you should go to the forest.
शेते लोकविनाशाय तप आस्थाय दारुणम् त्रिदशानां विनाशाय लोकानां चापि पार्थिव
M. N. Dutt: O great king, kill him and then retire into the forest. He is now engaged in the severe penances with the intention of destroying the world and as well as the celestials.
अवध्यो देवतानां स दैत्यानामथ रक्षसाम् नागानामथ यक्षाणां गन्धर्वाणां च सर्वशः अवाप्य स वरं राजन्सर्वलोकपितामहात्
M. N. Dutt: O king, he has become incapable of being killed by the celestials, the Daityas, the Rakshasas, the Nagas, the Yakshas and the Gandharvas for his obtaining. O king, a boon from the Grandsire of all creatures.
तं विनाशय भद्रं ते मा ते बुद्धिरतोऽन्यथा प्राप्स्यसे महतीं कीर्तिं शाश्वतीमव्ययां ध्रुवाम्
M. N. Dutt: Kill him and be blessed. Let not your heart be led away to any other course. By killing him you will certainly achieve a great thing and also eternal and undying fame.
क्रूरस्य स्वपतस्तस्य वालुकान्तर्हितस्य वै संवत्सरस्य पर्यन्ते निःश्वासः संप्रवर्तते यदा तदा भूश्चलति सशैलवनकानना
AI Translation: When that cruel one sleeps, hidden in the sand, at the end of the year, his breath begins to flow. When that happens, the earth shakes with its mountains, forests, and groves.
तस्य निःश्वासवातेन रज उद्धूयते महत् आदित्यपथमावृत्य सप्ताहं भूमिकम्पनम् सविस्फुलिङ्गं सज्वालं सधूमं ह्यतिदारुणम्
AI Translation: By the wind of his breath, great dust is blown up, Obscuring the path of the sun, causing an earthquake for seven days, With sparks, flames, and smoke, extremely terrible,
तेन राजन्न शक्नोमि तस्मिन्स्थातुं स्व आश्रमे तं विनाशय राजेन्द्र लोकानां हितकाम्यया लोकाः स्वस्था भवन्त्वद्य तस्मिन्विनिहतेऽसुरे
AI Translation: Therefore, O king, I am unable to remain in my hermitage. Destroy him, O lord of kings, for the welfare of the people. Let the worlds be at ease today,
Supplementary Passages:
3.193.23 After 23, T2 G ins.: *974 धुन्धुर्नामनमत्युग्रं दानवं रोमहर्षणम् समरे घोरमतुले विनाशय महेषुणा
त्वं हि तस्य विनाशाय पर्याप्त इति मे मतिः तेजसा तव तेजश्च विष्णुराप्याययिष्यति
AI Translation: I think you are sufficient for his destruction. By your brilliance, Vishnu will be nourished.
विष्णुना च वरो दत्तो मम पूर्वं ततो वधे यस्तं महासुरं रौद्रं वधिष्यति महीपतिः तेजस्तं वैष्णवमिति प्रवेक्ष्यति दुरासदम्
M. N. Dutt: Your energy will be increased by that of Vishnu, the ruler of earth. A boon was granted by Vishnu in the days of yore. Namely that he who will kill this fearful and great Asura would be pervaded by the matchless energy of Vishnu himself.
तत्तेजस्त्वं समाधाय राजेन्द्र भुवि दुःसहम् तं निषूदय संदुष्टं दैत्यं रौद्रपराक्रमम्
M. N. Dutt: O king of kings, bearing that (Vishnu) energy which is hardly to be borne by any other on earth, kill this Daitya of fearful power.
न हि धुन्धुर्महातेजास्तेजसाल्पेन शक्यते निर्दग्धुं पृथिवीपाल स हि वर्षशतैरपि
M. N. Dutt: The greatly powerful Dhundhu, O ruler of earth, is incapable of being killed by any other man, even if that man tries for one hundred years to kill him.