Arjuna and the Crocodile of Saubhadra

Verse 1 (1.236.1)

ततः समुद्रे तीर्थानि दक्षिणे भरतर्षभः । अभ्यगच्छत्सुपुण्यानि शोभितानि तपस्विभिः ॥

tataḥ samudre tīrthāni dakṣiṇe bharatarṣabhaḥ | abhyagacchatsupuṇyāni śobhitāni tapasvibhiḥ

Then the bull of the Bharatas went to the most holy sacred fords on the southern ocean, graced by ascetics.

Note on the text: Corrected दक्षिमे → दक्षिणे and सोभितानि → शोभितानि (misprints in Wikisource; neither is a valid form; the critical edition reads dakṣiṇe … śobhitāni).

Verse 2 (1.236.2)

वर्जयन्ति स्म तीर्थानि तत्र पञ्च स्म तापसाः । अवकीर्णानि यान्यासन्पुरस्तात्तु तपस्विभिः ॥

varjayanti sma tīrthāni tatra pañca sma tāpasāḥ | avakīrṇāni yānyāsanpurastāttu tapasvibhiḥ

There the ascetics were avoiding five of the fords, which in earlier times had been thronged by ascetics.

Note on the text: Corrected तीर्तानि → तीर्थानि (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads tīrthāni) and सम → स्म (misprint in Wikisource; सम does not fit the sense and makes the line a syllable too long).

Verse 3 (1.236.3)

अगस्त्यतीर्थं सौभद्रं पौलोमं च सुपावनम् । कारन्धमं प्रसन्नं च हयमेधफलं च तत् ॥

agastyatīrthaṃ saubhadraṃ paulomaṃ ca supāvanam | kārandhamaṃ prasannaṃ ca hayamedhaphalaṃ ca tat

They were the ford of Agastya; Saubhadra; the most purifying Pauloma; the clear Karandhama, which gives the fruit of a horse sacrifice;

Note on the text: Corrected महमेधफलं → हयमेधफलं (misprint in Wikisource; महमेध is not a word; the critical edition reads hayamedhaphalaṃ). Corresponds to the critical edition 1.208.3abcd (missed by the automatic alignment).

Verse 4 (1.236.4)

भारद्वाजस्य तीर्थं तु पापप्रशमनं महत् । एतानि पञ्च तीर्थानि ददर्श कुरुसत्तमः ॥

bhāradvājasya tīrthaṃ tu pāpapraśamanaṃ mahat | etāni pañca tīrthāni dadarśa kurusattamaḥ

and the ford of Bharadvaja, a great destroyer of sin. These five fords the best of the Kurus saw.

Note on the text: Line 1 corresponds to the critical edition 1.208.3ef; line 2 is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension; apparatus *2039).

Verse 5 (1.236.5)

विविक्तान्युपलक्ष्याथ तानि तीर्थानि पाण्डवः । दृष्ट्वा च वर्ज्यमानानि मुनिभिर्धर्मबुद्धिभिः ॥

viviktānyupalakṣyātha tāni tīrthāni pāṇḍavaḥ | dṛṣṭvā ca varjyamānāni munibhirdharmabuddhibhiḥ

Noticing that those fords were deserted, and seeing that sages of righteous mind were shunning them,

Verse 6 (1.236.6)

तपस्विनस्ततोऽपृच्छत्प्राञ्जलिः कुरुनन्दनः । तीर्थानीमानि वर्ज्यन्ते किमर्थं ब्रह्मवादिभिः ॥

tapasvinastato'pṛcchatprāñjaliḥ kurunandanaḥ | tīrthānīmāni varjyante kimarthaṃ brahmavādibhiḥ

the delight of the Kurus folded his hands and asked the ascetics, "Why do those who expound the Veda avoid these fords?"

Verse 7 (1.236.7)

ग्राहाः पञ्च वसन्त्येषु हरन्ति च तपोधनान् । तत एतानि वर्ज्यन्ते तीर्थानि कुरुनन्दन ॥

grāhāḥ pañca vasantyeṣu haranti ca tapodhanān | tata etāni varjyante tīrthāni kurunandana

Five crocodiles live in them and carry off ascetics. That is why these fords are avoided, O delight of the Kurus.

Verse 8 (1.236.8)

तेषां श्रुत्वा महाबाहुर्वार्यमाणस्तपोधनैः । जगाम तानि तीर्थानि द्रष्टुं पुरुषसत्तमः ॥

teṣāṃ śrutvā mahābāhurvāryamāṇastapodhanaiḥ | jagāma tāni tīrthāni draṣṭuṃ puruṣasattamaḥ

Having heard them, the mighty-armed best of men went to see those fords, though the ascetics tried to hold him back.

Verse 9 (1.236.9)

ततः सौभद्रमासाद्य महर्षेस्तीर्थमुत्तमम् । विगाह्य सहसा शूरः स्नानं चक्रे परन्तपः ॥

tataḥ saubhadramāsādya maharṣestīrthamuttamam | vigāhya sahasā śūraḥ snānaṃ cakre parantapaḥ

Coming to Saubhadra, the excellent ford of the great sage, the hero, scorcher of foes, plunged in at once and bathed.

Verse 10 (1.236.10)

अथ तं पुरुषव्याघ्रमन्तर्जलचरो महान् । जग्राह चरणे ग्राहः कुन्तीपुत्रं धनञ्जयम् ॥

atha taṃ puruṣavyāghramantarjalacaro mahān | jagrāha caraṇe grāhaḥ kuntīputraṃ dhanañjayam

Then a huge creature that moved under the water, a crocodile, seized that tiger among men, Dhananjaya son of Kunti, by the foot.

Verse 11 (1.236.11)

स तमादाय कौन्तेयो विस्फुरन्तं जलेचरम् । उदतिष्ठन्महाबाहुर्बलेन बलिनां वरः ॥

sa tamādāya kaunteyo visphurantaṃ jalecaram | udatiṣṭhanmahābāhurbalena balināṃ varaḥ

The mighty-armed son of Kunti, best of the strong, grasped the thrashing water-creature and rose up out of the water by his strength.

Verse 12 (1.236.12)

उत्कृष्ट एव ग्राहस्तु सोऽर्जुनेन यशस्विना । बभूव नारी कल्याणी सर्वाभरणभूषिता ॥

utkṛṣṭa eva grāhastu so'rjunena yaśasvinā | babhūva nārī kalyāṇī sarvābharaṇabhūṣitā

The moment the famous Arjuna dragged it out, the crocodile became a beautiful woman, adorned with every ornament,

Note on the text: Corrected सर्वाभरणभूषइता → सर्वाभरणभूषिता (misprint in Wikisource; a stray independent vowel; the critical edition reads sarvābharaṇabhūṣitā). Corresponds to the critical edition 1.208.11abcd (missed by the automatic alignment).

Verse 13 (1.236.13)

दीप्यमाना श्रिया राजन्दिव्यरूपा मनोरमा । तदद्भुतं महद्दृष्ट्वा कुन्तीपुत्रो धनञ्जयः ॥

dīpyamānā śriyā rājandivyarūpā manoramā | tadadbhutaṃ mahaddṛṣṭvā kuntīputro dhanañjayaḥ

shining with splendour, O king, divine in form and lovely. Seeing this great wonder, Dhananjaya son of Kunti,

Note on the text: Line 1 corresponds to the critical edition 1.208.11ef and line 2 to 1.208.12ab.

Verse 14 (1.236.14)

तां स्त्रियं परमप्रीत इदं वचनमब्रवीत् । का वै त्वमसि कल्याणिकुतो वाऽसि जलेचरी ॥

tāṃ striyaṃ paramaprīta idaṃ vacanamabravīt | kā vai tvamasi kalyāṇikuto vā'si jalecarī

greatly pleased, spoke these words to the woman: "Who are you, lovely one? Where do you come from, you who move in the water?

Note on the text: Line 1 corresponds to the critical edition 1.208.12cd and line 2 to 1.208.13ab; the second line is Arjuna's question.

Verse 15 (1.236.15)

किमर्थं च महत्पापमिदं कृतवती पुरा । अप्सराऽस्मि महाबाहो देवारण्यविहारिणी ॥

kimarthaṃ ca mahatpāpamidaṃ kṛtavatī purā | apsarā'smi mahābāho devāraṇyavihāriṇī

And why did you commit such a great sin in the past?" — "I am an apsara, O mighty-armed one, who roams the pleasure-groves of the gods,

Note on the text: Line 1 (the end of Arjuna's question) corresponds to the critical edition 1.208.13cd; at line 2 Varga begins her reply (Wikisource prints the heading वर्गोवाच between the two lines), corresponding to 1.208.14ab.

Verse 16 (1.236.16)

इष्टा धनपतेर्नित्यं वर्गा नाम महाबल । मम सख्यश्चतस्रोऽन्याः सर्वाः कामगमाः शुभाः ॥

iṣṭā dhanapaternityaṃ vargā nāma mahābala | mama sakhyaścatasro'nyāḥ sarvāḥ kāmagamāḥ śubhāḥ

ever dear to the lord of wealth, and my name is Varga, O mighty one. I have four other friends, all lovely, all able to go wherever they wish.

Note on the text: Speaker: Varga's words, under the heading वर्गोवाच printed before the second line of verse 15. Line 1 corresponds to the critical edition 1.208.14cd and line 2 to 1.208.15ab.

Verse 17 (1.236.17)

ताभिः सार्धं प्रयाताऽस्मि लोकपालनिवेशनम् । ततः पश्यामहे सर्वा ब्राह्मणं संशितव्रतम् ॥

tābhiḥ sārdhaṃ prayātā'smi lokapālaniveśanam | tataḥ paśyāmahe sarvā brāhmaṇaṃ saṃśitavratam

With them I set out for the abode of a guardian of the world. Then all of us saw a brahmin of strict vows,

Note on the text: Line 1 corresponds to the critical edition 1.208.15cd and line 2 to 1.208.16ab.

Verse 18 (1.236.18)

रूपवन्तमधीयानमेकमेकान्तचारिणम् । तस्यैव तपसा राजंस्तद्वनं तेजसा वृतम् ॥

rūpavantamadhīyānamekamekāntacāriṇam | tasyaiva tapasā rājaṃstadvanaṃ tejasā vṛtam

handsome, reciting the Veda, alone, living in solitude. By his austerity alone, O king, that forest was filled with radiance;

Note on the text: Corrected तद्वयं → तद्वनं (misprint in Wikisource; "we" cannot agree with the neuter वृतम्; the critical edition reads tad vanaṃ). Line 1 corresponds to the critical edition 1.208.16cd and line 2 to 1.208.17ab.

Verse 19 (1.236.19)

आदित्य इव तं देशं कृत्स्नं सर्वं व्यकाशयत् । तस्य दृष्ट्वा तपस्तादृग्रूपं चाद्भुतमुत्तमम् ॥

āditya iva taṃ deśaṃ kṛtsnaṃ sarvaṃ vyakāśayat | tasya dṛṣṭvā tapastādṛgrūpaṃ cādbhutamuttamam

like the sun he lit up that whole region. Seeing such austerity in him, and his wondrous, matchless beauty,

Note on the text: Corrected इत्वं सर्व → कृत्स्नं सर्वं (misprint in Wikisource; इत्वं is not a word here and सर्व has lost its anusvara; the critical edition reads kṛtsnaṃ) and रूपचाद्भुत → रूपं चाद्भुत (misprint in Wikisource; dropped anusvara; the critical edition reads rūpaṃ cādbhuta-). Line 1 corresponds to the critical edition 1.208.17cd and line 2 to 1.208.18ab.

Verse 20 (1.236.20)

अवतीर्णाः स्म तं देशं तपोविघ्नचिकीर्षया । अहं च सौरभेयी च समीची बुद्बुदा लता ॥

avatīrṇāḥ sma taṃ deśaṃ tapovighnacikīrṣayā | ahaṃ ca saurabheyī ca samīcī budbudā latā

we came down to that place meaning to disturb his austerities — I, Saurabheyi, Samichi, Budbuda and Lata.

Note on the text: Line 1 corresponds to the critical edition 1.208.18cd and line 2 to 1.208.19ab.

Verse 21 (1.236.21)

यौगपद्येन तं विप्रमभ्यगच्छाम भारत । गायन्त्योऽथहसन्त्यश्च लोभयित्वा च तं द्विजं ॥

yaugapadyena taṃ vipramabhyagacchāma bhārata | gāyantyo'thahasantyaśca lobhayitvā ca taṃ dvijaṃ

All at once we approached that brahmin, O Bharata, singing and laughing, and tried to tempt him;

Note on the text: Line 1 corresponds to the critical edition 1.208.19cd and line 2 to 1.208.20ab.

Verse 22 (1.236.22)

स च नास्मासु कृतवान्मनो वीर कथंचन । नाकम्पत महातेजाः स्थितस्तपसि निर्मले ॥

sa ca nāsmāsu kṛtavānmano vīra kathaṃcana | nākampata mahātejāḥ sthitastapasi nirmale

but he did not turn his mind to us in any way, O hero. That man of great power did not waver, standing firm in his pure austerity.

Note on the text: Corresponds to the critical edition 1.208.20cdef (missed by the automatic alignment).

Verse 23 (1.236.23)

सोऽशपत्कुपितोऽस्मांस्तु ब्राह्मणः क्षत्रियर्षभ । ग्राहभूता जले यूयं चरिष्यथ शतं समाः ॥

so'śapatkupito'smāṃstu brāhmaṇaḥ kṣatriyarṣabha | grāhabhūtā jale yūyaṃ cariṣyatha śataṃ samāḥ

Then the brahmin, angered, cursed us, O bull among Kshatriyas: "You shall become crocodiles and roam in the water for a hundred years."