Arjuna Hits the Mark and Wins the Brahmashiras

Verse 1 (1.143.1)

ततो धनञ्जयं द्रोणः स्मयमानोऽभ्यभाषत । त्वयेदानीं प्रहर्तव्यमेतल्लक्ष्यं विलोक्यताम् ॥

tato dhanañjayaṃ droṇaḥ smayamāno'bhyabhāṣata | tvayedānīṃ prahartavyametallakṣyaṃ vilokyatām

Then Drona, smiling, spoke to Dhananjaya: "Now it is you who must shoot. Look at this target.

Verse 2 (1.143.2)

मद्वाक्यसमकालं ते मोक्तव्योऽत्र भवेच्छरः । वितत्य कार्मुकं पुत्र तिष्ठ तावन्मुहूर्तकम् ॥

madvākyasamakālaṃ te moktavyo'tra bhaveccharaḥ | vitatya kārmukaṃ putra tiṣṭha tāvanmuhūrtakam

"The moment I give the word, you are to loose your arrow at it. Draw your bow, son, and hold steady for a moment."

Note on the text: Speaker set to Drona: his words continue from the previous verse; Wikisource prints no speaker line.

Verse 3 (1.143.3)

एवमुक्तः सव्यसाची मण्डलीकृतकार्मुकः । तस्थौ भासं समुद्दिश्य गुरुवाक्यप्रचोदितः ॥

evamuktaḥ savyasācī maṇḍalīkṛtakārmukaḥ | tasthau bhāsaṃ samuddiśya guruvākyapracoditaḥ

Thus addressed, Savyasachin drew his bow into a full circle and stood aiming at the bird, as his guru's words directed.

Verse 4 (1.143.4)

मुहूर्तादिव तं द्रोणस्तथैव समभाषत । पश्यस्येनं स्थितं भासं द्रुमं मामपि चार्जुन ॥

muhūrtādiva taṃ droṇastathaiva samabhāṣata | paśyasyenaṃ sthitaṃ bhāsaṃ drumaṃ māmapi cārjuna

After a moment Drona spoke to him in the same way: "Do you see the bird sitting there, and the tree, and me as well, Arjuna?"

Verse 5 (1.143.5)

पश्याम्येकं भासमिति द्रोणं पार्थोऽभ्यभाषत । न तु वृक्षं भवन्तं वा पश्यामीति च भारत ॥

paśyāmyekaṃ bhāsamiti droṇaṃ pārtho'bhyabhāṣata | na tu vṛkṣaṃ bhavantaṃ vā paśyāmīti ca bhārata

"I see only the bird," Partha told Drona, "I do not see the tree, or you," O Bharata.

Verse 6 (1.143.6)

ततः प्रीतमना द्रोणो मुहूर्तादिव तं पुनः । प्रत्यभाषत दुर्धर्षः पाण्डवानां महारथम् ॥

tataḥ prītamanā droṇo muhūrtādiva taṃ punaḥ | pratyabhāṣata durdharṣaḥ pāṇḍavānāṃ mahāratham

Then, pleased at heart, after a moment the invincible Drona spoke again to that great chariot-warrior of the Pandavas:

Verse 7 (1.143.7)

भासं पश्यसि यद्येनं तथा ब्रूहि पुनर्वचः । शिरः पश्यामि भासस्य न गात्रमिति सोऽब्रवीत् ॥

bhāsaṃ paśyasi yadyenaṃ tathā brūhi punarvacaḥ | śiraḥ paśyāmi bhāsasya na gātramiti so'bravīt

"If you see the bird, then tell me again." "I see the bird's head, not its body," he said.

Verse 8 (1.143.8)

अर्जुनेनैवमुक्तस्तु द्रोणो हृष्टतनूरुहः । मुञ्चस्वेत्यब्रवीत्पार्थं स मुमोचाविचारयन् ॥

arjunenaivamuktastu droṇo hṛṣṭatanūruhaḥ | muñcasvetyabravītpārthaṃ sa mumocāvicārayan

When Arjuna said this, Drona's hair stood on end with joy. "Shoot!" he told Partha, and Partha shot without a moment's hesitation.

Verse 9 (1.143.9)

ततस्तस्य नगस्थस्य क्षुरेण निशितेन च । शिर उत्कृत्य तरसा पातयामास पाण्डवः ॥

tatastasya nagasthasya kṣureṇa niśitena ca | śira utkṛtya tarasā pātayāmāsa pāṇḍavaḥ

With a sharp razor-headed arrow the son of Pandu swiftly cut off the head of the bird perched on the tree and brought it down.

Note on the text: Corrected गस्थस्य → नगस्थस्य (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped न leaves no valid word and the half-line a syllable short — the critical edition reads nagasthasya).

Verse 10 (1.143.10)

तस्मिन्कर्मणि संसिद्धे पर्यष्वजत पाण्डवम् । मेने च द्रुपदं सङ्ख्ये सानुबन्धं पराजितम् ॥

tasminkarmaṇi saṃsiddhe paryaṣvajata pāṇḍavam | mene ca drupadaṃ saṅkhye sānubandhaṃ parājitam

When the feat was done, Drona embraced the Pandava, and felt that Drupada and all his kin were as good as beaten in battle.

Verse 11 (1.143.11)

कस्य चित्त्वथ कालस्य सशिष्योऽङ्गिरसां वरः । जगाम गङ्गामभितो मज्जितुं भरतर्षभ ॥

kasya cittvatha kālasya saśiṣyo'ṅgirasāṃ varaḥ | jagāma gaṅgāmabhito majjituṃ bharatarṣabha

Some time later, the best of the Angirasas went with his pupils to the Ganga to bathe, O bull of the Bharatas.

Verse 12 (1.143.12)

अवगाढमथो द्रोणं सलिले सलिलेचरः । ग्राहो जग्राह बलवाञ्जङ्घान्ते कालचोदितः ॥

avagāḍhamatho droṇaṃ salile salilecaraḥ | grāho jagrāha balavāñjaṅghānte kālacoditaḥ

As Drona waded into the water, a powerful crocodile that lived there, driven by fate, seized him by the shank.

Verse 13 (1.143.13)

स समर्थोऽपि मोक्षाय शिष्यान्सर्वानचोदयत् । ग्राहं हत्वा तु मोक्ष्यध्वं मामिति त्वरयन्निव ॥

sa samartho'pi mokṣāya śiṣyānsarvānacodayat | grāhaṃ hatvā tu mokṣyadhvaṃ māmiti tvarayanniva

Though able to free himself, he urged all his pupils on, as if in great haste: "Kill the crocodile and free me!"

Verse 14 (1.143.14)

तद्वाक्यसमकालं तु बीभत्सुर्निशितैः शरैः । अवार्यैः पञ्चभिर्ग्राहं मग्नमम्भस्यताडयत् ॥

tadvākyasamakālaṃ tu bībhatsurniśitaiḥ śaraiḥ | avāryaiḥ pañcabhirgrāhaṃ magnamambhasyatāḍayat

The instant he spoke, Bibhatsu struck the crocodile, hidden under the water, with five sharp arrows that nothing could stop.

Note on the text: = CE 1.123.71abcd (which reads āvāpaiḥ for अवार्यैः), aligned by hand.

Verse 15 (1.143.15)

इतरे त्वथ संमूढास्तत्र तत्र प्रपेदिरे । तं तु दृष्ट्वा क्रियोपेतं द्रोणोऽमन्यत पाण्डवम् ॥

itare tvatha saṃmūḍhāstatra tatra prapedire | taṃ tu dṛṣṭvā kriyopetaṃ droṇo'manyata pāṇḍavam

The others stood about here and there, bewildered. Seeing the Pandava so swift to act, Drona judged him

Note on the text: Corrected तत्रपत्र → तत्र तत्र (misprint in Wikisource; प for त in the repeated adverb — the critical edition reads tatra tatra). = CE 1.123.71ef + 72ab, aligned by hand.

Verse 16 (1.143.16)

विशिष्टं सर्वशिष्येभ्यः प्रीतिमांश्चाभवत्तदा । स पार्थबाणैर्बहुधा खण्डशः परिकल्पितः ॥

viśiṣṭaṃ sarvaśiṣyebhyaḥ prītimāṃścābhavattadā | sa pārthabāṇairbahudhā khaṇḍaśaḥ parikalpitaḥ

the best of all his pupils, and was well pleased with him. The crocodile, cut to pieces by Partha's arrows,

Note on the text: = CE 1.123.72cd + 73ab, aligned by hand.

Verse 17 (1.143.17)

ग्राहः पञ्चत्वमापेदे जङ्घां त्यक्त्वा महात्मनः । सर्वक्रियाभ्यनुज्ञानात्तथा शिष्यान्समानयत् ॥

grāhaḥ pañcatvamāpede jaṅghāṃ tyaktvā mahātmanaḥ | sarvakriyābhyanujñānāttathā śiṣyānsamānayat

let go of the great one's leg and died. Then, to try them in every skill, Drona gathered his pupils:

Note on the text: The first line = CE 1.123.73cd; the second line is not in the critical edition's text (it stands in its Appendix I.77, after 1.123.6b; found in the vulgate recension). Removed a stray wiki mark (a backtick) before the second line.

Verse 18 (1.143.18)

दुर्योधनं चित्रसेनं दुःशासनविविंशती । अर्जुनं च समानीय ह्यश्वत्थामानमेव च ॥

duryodhanaṃ citrasenaṃ duḥśāsanaviviṃśatī | arjunaṃ ca samānīya hyaśvatthāmānameva ca

Duryodhana, Chitrasena, Duhshasana and Vivimshati; and calling Arjuna too, and Ashvatthama,

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's text (it stands in its Appendix I.77, after 1.123.6b; found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 19 (1.143.19)

शिशुकं मृण्मयं कृत्वा द्रोणो गङ्गाजले ततः । शिष्याणां पश्यतां चैव क्षिपति स्म महाभुजः ॥

śiśukaṃ mṛṇmayaṃ kṛtvā droṇo gaṅgājale tataḥ | śiṣyāṇāṃ paśyatāṃ caiva kṣipati sma mahābhujaḥ

the mighty-armed Drona made a child out of clay and threw it into the waters of the Ganga as his pupils watched.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's text (it stands in its Appendix I.77, after 1.123.6b; found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 20 (1.143.20)

चक्षुषी वाससा चैव बद्ध्वा प्रादाच्छरासनम् । शिशुकं विध्यतेमं वै जलस्थं बद्धचक्षुषः ॥

cakṣuṣī vāsasā caiva baddhvā prādāccharāsanam | śiśukaṃ vidhyatemaṃ vai jalasthaṃ baddhacakṣuṣaḥ

He bound their eyes with cloth and gave each a bow: "With your eyes bound, pierce this child lying in the water."

Note on the text: Corrected विद्ध्यत → विध्यत (misprint in Wikisource; a doubled द् in the imperative of व्यध् — the passage reads vidhyatemaṃ). Not in the critical edition's text (it stands in its Appendix I.77, after 1.123.6b; found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 21 (1.143.21)

तत्क्षणेनैव बीभत्सुरावापैर्दशभिर्वशी । पञ्चकैरनुविव्याध मग्नं शिशुकमम्भसि ॥

tatkṣaṇenaiva bībhatsurāvāpairdaśabhirvaśī | pañcakairanuvivyādha magnaṃ śiśukamambhasi

In that very instant Bibhatsu, master of himself, pierced the child sunk in the water with ten volleys of five arrows each.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's text (it stands in its Appendix I.77, after 1.123.6b; found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 22 (1.143.22)

ताः स दृष्ट्वा क्रियाः सर्वा द्रोणोऽमन्यत पाण्डवम् । विशिष्टं सर्वशिष्येभ्यः प्रीतिमांश्चाभवत्तदा । तथाब्रवीन्महात्मानं भारद्वाजो महारथम् ॥

tāḥ sa dṛṣṭvā kriyāḥ sarvā droṇo'manyata pāṇḍavam | viśiṣṭaṃ sarvaśiṣyebhyaḥ prītimāṃścābhavattadā | tathābravīnmahātmānaṃ bhāradvājo mahāratham

Seeing all these feats, Drona judged the Pandava the best of all his pupils and was well pleased with him. Then the son of Bharadvaja said to that great-souled, great chariot-warrior:

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (a quote mark and a doubled danda) after the second line. The first two lines are not in the critical edition's text (they stand in its Appendix I.77, which reads tasya for ताः स; found in the vulgate recension); the third line = CE 1.123.74ab (which reads athābravīn).

Verse 23 (1.143.23)

गृहाणेदं महाबाहो विशिष्टमतिदुर्धरम् । अस्त्रं ब्रह्मशिरो नाम सप्रयोगनिवर्तनम् ॥

gṛhāṇedaṃ mahābāho viśiṣṭamatidurdharam | astraṃ brahmaśiro nāma saprayoganivartanam

"Take, mighty-armed one, this matchless and most irresistible weapon called Brahmashiras, together with the way to discharge it and to call it back.

Note on the text: = CE 1.123.74cd–ef, aligned by hand. Speaker set to Drona: these are his words, introduced in the previous verse; Wikisource prints no speaker line.

Verse 24 (1.143.24)

न च ते मानुषेष्वेतत्प्रयोक्तव्यं कथंचन । जगद्विनिर्दहेदेतदल्पतेजसि पातितम् ॥

na ca te mānuṣeṣvetatprayoktavyaṃ kathaṃcana | jagadvinirdahedetadalpatejasi pātitam

"You must never use it against human beings. Loosed upon one of little might, it would burn up the world.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Drona.

Verse 25 (1.143.25)

असामान्यमिदं तात लोकेष्वस्त्रं निगद्यते । तद्धारयेथाः प्रयतः शृणु चेदं वचो मम ॥

asāmānyamidaṃ tāta lokeṣvastraṃ nigadyate | taddhārayethāḥ prayataḥ śṛṇu cedaṃ vaco mama

"This weapon, my son, is said to have no equal in the worlds. Keep it with care, and listen to what I tell you:

Note on the text: Speaker set to Drona.

Verse 26 (1.143.26)

बाधेतामानुषः शत्रुर्यदि त्वां वीर कश्चन । तद्वधाय प्रयुञ्जीथास्तदस्त्रमिदमाहवे ॥

bādhetāmānuṣaḥ śatruryadi tvāṃ vīra kaścana | tadvadhāya prayuñjīthāstadastramidamāhave

"If ever an enemy who is not human should press you hard, hero, use this weapon in battle to kill him."

Note on the text: Speaker set to Drona.

Verse 27 (1.143.27)

तथेति संप्रतिश्रुत्य बीभत्सुः स कृताञ्जलिः । जग्राह परमास्त्रं तदाह चैनं पुनर्गुरुः । भविता त्वत्समो नान्यः पुमाँल्लोके धनुर्धरः ॥

tatheti saṃpratiśrutya bībhatsuḥ sa kṛtāñjaliḥ | jagrāha paramāstraṃ tadāha cainaṃ punarguruḥ | bhavitā tvatsamo nānyaḥ pumām̐lloke dhanurdharaḥ

Promising "So be it," Bibhatsu, with joined palms, received that supreme weapon. And his guru said to him again: "No other man in the world will be an archer to equal you."