Critical Edition
अर्जुन उवाच कथमस्मद्धितार्थं ते कैश्च योगैर्जनार्दन जरासंधप्रभृतयो घातिताः पृथिवीष्वराः
M. N. Dutt: Arjuna said How, O Janardana and by what measures were those lords of earth Jarasandha and others slain, for our welfare?
वासुदेव उवाच जरासंधश्चेदिराजो नैषादिश्च महाबलः यदि स्युर्न हताः पूर्वमिदानीं स्युर्भयंकराः
M. N. Dutt: Vasudeva said Had not Jarasandha, the ruler of the Chedis and the highly puissant prince of the Nishadas been slain before, they would have become very terrible by this time.
सुयोधनस्तानवश्यं वृणुयाद्रथसत्तमान् तेऽस्माभिर्नित्यसंदुष्टाः संश्रयेयुश्च कौरवान्
M. N. Dutt: Duryodhana would then surely have invited those foremost of car-warriors to embrace his cause and they, ever hostile to us, must have chosen the Kaurava party.
ते हि वीरा महात्मानः कृतास्त्रा दृढयोधिनः धार्तराष्ट्रीं चमूं कृत्स्नां रक्षेयुरमरा इव
M. N. Dutt: They all were brave, fierce bowmen, accomplished in the use of weapons and firm in battle; and they would have then defended the Dhritarashtras like so many immortals.
सूतपुत्रो जरासंधश्चेदिराजो निषादजः सुयोधनं समाश्रित्य तपेरन्पृथिवीमिमाम्
M. N. Dutt: The son of Suta, Jarasandha, the ruler of the Chedis and the prince of the Nishadas, these, united with Suyodhana, mighty have conquered the whole earth.
योगैरपि हता यैस्ते तान्मे शृणु धनंजय अजय्या हि विना योगैर्मृधे ते दैवतैरपि
M. N. Dutt: It was through my tactics that they were slain. Hear from me of those tactics. Indeed even the gods, without the employment of tactics, could not have defeated them in battle.
एकैको हि पृथक्तेषां समस्तां सुरवाहिनीम् योधयेत्समरे पार्थ लोकपालाभिरक्षिताम्
M. N. Dutt: Each of them, individually, could have fought with entire army of the celestials, protected by the regents of the worlds themselves, O son of Pritha!
जरासंधो हि रुषितो रौहिणेयप्रधर्षितः अस्मद्वधार्थं चिक्षेप गदां वै लोहितामुखीम्
M. N. Dutt: Once on a time, afflicted by the son of Rohini, Jarasandha, excited to the highest pitch of fury, hurled at ourselves a mace capable of slaying at creatures.
सीमन्तमिव कुर्वाणां नभसः पावकप्रभाम् व्यदृश्यतापतन्ती सा शक्रमुक्ता यथाशनिः
M. N. Dutt: Sparkling like the tongues of fire, that mace flew towards ourselves dividing the welkin like the line that parts the tresses of woman and with the impetuosity of the thunder hurled by Shakra.
तामापतन्तीं दृष्ट्वैव गदां रोहिणिनन्दनः प्रतिघातार्थमस्त्रं वै स्थूणाकर्णमवासृजत्
M. N. Dutt: Then beholding that mace course towards us, the son of Rohini, for repulsing that mace, hurled the weapon know as Sthanukarna.
अस्त्रवेगप्रतिहता सा गदा प्रापतद्भुवि दारयन्ती धरां देवीं कम्पयन्तीव पर्वतान्
M. N. Dutt: Repulsed by the force of Baladeva's weapon, that mace fell on the earth riving her open and causing the mountains thereon to tremble.
तत्र स्म राक्षसी घोरा जरा नामाशुविक्रमा संधयामास तं जातं जरासंधमरिंदमम्
M. N. Dutt: There was a terrible Rakshasi, by name Jara, possessed of dreadful mighty. She, O monarch, had put together the different parts of Jarasandha's body and therefore was the latter so named.
द्वाभ्यां जातो हि मातृभ्यामर्धदेहः पृथक्पृथक् तया स संधितो यस्माज्जरासंधस्ततः स्मृतः
M. N. Dutt: From two mothers, the two halves of his body come out separately. And in consequence of those two halves being united by that Rakshasi, he was called Jarasandha.
सा तु भूमिगता पार्थ हता ससुतबान्धवा गदया तेन चास्त्रेण स्थूणाकर्णेन राक्षसी
M. N. Dutt: That Rakshasi, that was then within bowels of the death, was slain with her sons and relatives, O son of Pritha, by means of that mace and that weapon Sthanuharana.
विनाभूतः स गदया जरासंधो महामृधे निहतो भीमसेनेन पश्यतस्ते धनंजय
M. N. Dutt: Deprived of that mace of his Jarasandha was slain in a fierce encounter by Bhimasena even before your very eyes O Dhananjaya!
यदि हि स्याद्गदापाणिर्जरासंधः प्रतापवान् सेन्द्रा देवा न तं हन्तुं रणे शक्ता नरोत्तम
M. N. Dutt: Had the puissant Jarasandha been then armed with his mace then, O foremost of men, even the celestials, with Indra at their head, could not have succeeded in slaying him in battle.
त्वद्धितार्थं हि नैषादिरङ्गुष्ठेन वियोजितः द्रोणेनाचार्यकं कृत्वा छद्मना सत्यविक्रमः
M. N. Dutt: For your good also was the mighty son of the Nishadhas, deprived, by a guileful means, of his thuinb, by Drona who assumed the position of his preceptor.
स तु बद्धाङ्गुलित्राणो नैषादिर्दृढविक्रमः अस्यन्नेको वनचरो बभौ राम इवापरः
M. N. Dutt: That prince of the Nishadas of resolute prowess with his finger-protectors tied round them, used to rove in the forest, swelling with his own pride, like a second Rama.
एकलव्यं हि साङ्गुष्ठमशक्ता देवदानवाः सराक्षसोरगाः पार्थ विजेतुं युधि कर्हिचित्
M. N. Dutt: Retaining the use of his thumb Akalavya could not have been defeated in battle by the Danavas, the celestials, the Rakshasas and the serpents, all united together in battle.
किमु मानुषमात्रेण शक्यः स्यात्प्रतिवीक्षितुम् दृढमुष्टिः कृती नित्यमस्यमानो दिवानिशम्
M. N. Dutt: Of firm grasp, accomplished in the use of weapons, incessantly shooting his weapons, he could not have been looked at by mere men?
त्वद्धितार्थं तु स मया हतः संग्राममूर्धनि चेदिराजश्च विक्रान्तः प्रत्यक्षं निहतस्तव
M. N. Dutt: For your good, he was slain by me in the van of battle. The powerful ruler of the Chedis was also slain before your very eyes.
स चाप्यशक्यः संग्रामे जेतुं सर्वैः सुरासुरैः वधार्थं तस्य जातोऽहमन्येषां च सुरद्विषाम्
M. N. Dutt: He also was incapable of being conquered in battle by the celestials and the Asuras. I suffered this birth only for slaughtering him and other such molesters of the gods.
Supplementary Passages:
7.156.22 After 22ab, G1 M ins.: *1251 यमेन्द्रसिद्धगन्धर्वान्वसुरुद्रान्मरुद्गणान् स हि जातश्चतुर्बाहुर्धृतजाम्बूनदस्रजः अजेयः सर्वभूतानां जयेदपि दिवौकसः
त्वत्सहायो नरव्याघ्र लोकानां हितकाम्यया हिडिम्बबककिर्मीरा भीमसेनेन पातिताः रावणेन समप्राणा ब्रह्मयज्ञविनाशनाः
M. N. Dutt: With your aid, in order to achieve the word's welfare, O foremost of men, Hidimba and Vaka and Krimitra had all been slain by Bhimasena.
हतस्तथैव मायावी हैडिम्बेनाप्यलायुधः हैडिम्बश्चाप्युपायेन शक्त्या कर्णेन घातितः
AI Translation: The deceitful Alambusa was killed by Hidimba. And Hidimba was killed by Karna with a trick.
यदि ह्येनं नाहनिष्यत्कर्णः शक्त्या महामृधे मया वध्योऽभविष्यत्स भैमसेनिर्घटोत्कचः
AI Translation: If Karna had not struck him with a spear in that great battle, Ghatotkacha, son of Bhimasena, would have been killed by me.
मया न निहतः पूर्वमेष युष्मत्प्रियेप्सया एष हि ब्राह्मणद्वेषी यज्ञद्वेषी च राक्षसः
AI Translation: I did not kill him earlier, out of a desire to please you. For he is a demon who hates Brahmins and hates sacrifices.
धर्मस्य लोप्ता पापात्मा तस्मादेष निपातितः व्यंसिता चाप्युपायेन शक्रदत्ता मयानघ
AI Translation: The one who had destroyed Dharma, the sinful one, was thus brought down. And Shakradatta was also deceived by means of a stratagem, O sinless one.
ये हि धर्मस्य लोप्तारो वध्यास्ते मम पाण्डव धर्मसंस्थापनार्थं हि प्रतिज्ञैषा ममाव्यया
AI Translation: Those who are the destroyers of Dharma, O son of Pandu, they are to be killed by me. For the sake of establishing Dharma, this vow of mine is unshakable.
ब्रह्म सत्यं दमः शौचं धर्मो ह्रीः श्रीर्धृतिः क्षमा यत्र तत्र रमे नित्यमहं सत्येन ते शपे
AI Translation: Brahma, truth, self-control, purity, virtue, modesty, prosperity, fortitude, forbearance Wherever I am, I always delight in that. I swear by the truth.
न विषादस्त्वया कार्यः कर्णं वैकर्तनं प्रति उपदेक्ष्याम्युपायं ते येन तं प्रसहिष्यसि
AI Translation: You should not be despondent about Karna, the son of the sun. I will instruct you in a means by which you will be able to withstand him.
सुयोधनं चापि रणे हनिष्यति वृकोदरः तस्य चापि वधोपायं वक्ष्यामि तव पाण्डव
AI Translation: Vrikodara will kill Suyodhana in battle. And I will tell you the means of his death, O Pandava.
वर्धते तुमुलस्त्वेष शब्दः परचमूं प्रति विद्रवन्ति च सैन्यानि त्वदीयानि दिशो दश
AI Translation: The loud sound of the enemy army is increasing. Your soldiers are fleeing in the ten directions.
लब्धलक्ष्या हि कौरव्या विधमन्ति चमूं तव दहत्येष च वः सैन्यं द्रोणः प्रहरतां वरः
M. N. Dutt: Your own troops also are flying away in all the ten directions of compass; the Kaurava warriors, having reached their aim, are now killing your troops. Yonder indeed does Drona, that foremost of smiters, consume our ranks.