Dushyanta Goes Hunting

Verse 1 (1.90.1)

संभवं भरतस्याहं चरितं च महामतेः । शकुन्तलायाश्चोत्पत्तिं श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः ॥

saṃbhavaṃ bharatasyāhaṃ caritaṃ ca mahāmateḥ | śakuntalāyāścotpattiṃ śrotumicchāmi tattvataḥ

I wish to hear truly of the birth of Bharata and of the life of that wise one, and of the origin of Shakuntala,

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition gives Janamejaya's question only in its apparatus, before 1.63.1.

Verse 2 (1.90.2)

दुष्यन्तेन च वीरेण यथा प्राप्ता शकुन्तला । तं वै पुरुषसिंहस्य भगवन्विस्तरं त्वहम् ॥

duṣyantena ca vīreṇa yathā prāptā śakuntalā | taṃ vai puruṣasiṃhasya bhagavanvistaraṃ tvaham

and how the hero Dushyanta won Shakuntala. That story of the lion among men, holy one, I wish to hear in full,

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 3 (1.90.3)

श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वज्ञ सर्वं मतिमतां वर ॥

śrotumicchāmi tattvajña sarvaṃ matimatāṃ vara

all of it, O knower of the truth, best of the wise.

Note on the text: Wikisource verse 3 joins the last line of Janamejaya's question to the first line of Vaishampayana's reply; split at the change of speaker, and the second line (स कदाचिन्महाबाहुः…) moved to the next verse. Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 4 (1.90.4)

स कदाचिन्महाबाहुः प्रभूतबलवाहनः । वनं जगाम गहनं हयनागशतैर्वृतः । बलेन चतुरङ्गेण वृतः परमवल्गुना ॥

sa kadācinmahābāhuḥ prabhūtabalavāhanaḥ | vanaṃ jagāma gahanaṃ hayanāgaśatairvṛtaḥ | balena caturaṅgeṇa vṛtaḥ paramavalgunā

Once that mighty-armed king, rich in troops and mounts, went to a deep forest, surrounded by hundreds of horses and elephants and by a fourfold army of great splendour.

Note on the text: The first line is the second line of Wikisource verse 3, moved here at the change of speaker (see the previous verse). The first two lines = 1.63.1; the third (बलेन चतुरङ्गेण…) is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 5 (1.90.5)

खड्गशक्तिधरैर्वीरैर्गदामुसलपाणिभिः । प्रासतोमरहस्तैश्च ययौ योधशतैर्वृतः ॥

khaḍgaśaktidharairvīrairgadāmusalapāṇibhiḥ | prāsatomarahastaiśca yayau yodhaśatairvṛtaḥ

He went surrounded by hundreds of warriors: heroes bearing swords and spears, with maces and clubs in hand, carrying lances and javelins.

Verse 6 (1.90.6)

सिंहनादैश्च योधानां शङ्खदुन्दुभिनिःस्वनैः । रथनेमिस्वनैश्चैव सनागवरबृंहितैः ॥

siṃhanādaiśca yodhānāṃ śaṅkhadundubhiniḥsvanaiḥ | rathanemisvanaiścaiva sanāgavarabṛṃhitaiḥ

With the lion-roars of the warriors, the blare of conches and drums, the rumble of chariot wheels and the trumpeting of great elephants,

Note on the text: Corrected शङ्खदुनदुभि → शङ्खदुन्दुभि (misprint in Wikisource; न for the half-letter न्, as in the critical edition's śaṅkhadundubhi-).

Verse 7 (1.90.7)

नानायुधधरैश्चापि नानावेषधरैस्तथा । ह्रेषितस्वनमिश्रैश्च क्ष्वेडितास्फोटितस्वनैः ॥

nānāyudhadharaiścāpi nānāveṣadharaistathā | hreṣitasvanamiśraiśca kṣveḍitāsphoṭitasvanaiḥ

with men bearing many kinds of weapons and wearing many kinds of dress, with shouts and the slapping of arms mingled with the neighing of horses,

Note on the text: The first line (नानायुधधरैश्चापि…) is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the second line = 1.63.4a.

Verse 8 (1.90.8)

आसीत्किलकिलाशब्दस्तस्मिन्गच्छति पार्थिवे । प्रासादवरशृङ्गस्थाः परया नृपशोभया ॥

āsītkilakilāśabdastasmingacchati pārthive | prāsādavaraśṛṅgasthāḥ parayā nṛpaśobhayā

a great clamour arose as the king set out. From the tops of fine mansions the women

Note on the text: Lines correspond to 1.63.4c and 1.63.5a of the critical edition (Wikisource divides the verses differently).

Verse 9 (1.90.9)

ददृशुस्तं स्त्रियस्तत्र शूरमात्मयशस्करम् । शक्रोपमममित्रघ्नं परवारणवारणम् ॥

dadṛśustaṃ striyastatra śūramātmayaśaskaram | śakropamamamitraghnaṃ paravāraṇavāraṇam

watched him there in his supreme royal splendour: the hero who added to his own glory, the equal of Shakra, slayer of enemies, who could hold back the elephants of his foes.

Note on the text: Lines correspond to 1.63.5c and 1.63.6a of the critical edition (Wikisource divides the verses differently).

Verse 10 (1.90.10)

पश्यन्तः स्त्रीगणास्तत्र वज्रपाणिं स्म मेनिरे । अयं स पुरुषव्याघ्रो रणे वसुपराक्रमः ॥

paśyantaḥ strīgaṇāstatra vajrapāṇiṃ sma menire | ayaṃ sa puruṣavyāghro raṇe vasuparākramaḥ

Gazing at him, the throngs of women took him for the wielder of the thunderbolt himself. 'This is that tiger among men, like a Vasu in valour in battle,

Note on the text: Lines correspond to 1.63.6c and 1.63.7a of the critical edition, in a variant form (Wikisource divides the verses differently).

Verse 11 (1.90.11)

यस्य बाहुबलं प्राप्य न भवन्त्यसुहृद्गणाः । इति वाचो ब्रुवन्त्यस्ताः स्त्रियः प्रेम्णा नराधिपम् ॥

yasya bāhubalaṃ prāpya na bhavantyasuhṛdgaṇāḥ | iti vāco bruvantyastāḥ striyaḥ premṇā narādhipam

the might of whose arms leaves no enemies standing.' Speaking such words to one another, the women lovingly

Note on the text: Corrected नराधिपं → नराधिपम् (misprint in Wikisource; anusvara for the final म् at the end of the verse, as in the critical edition's narādhipam). Lines correspond to 1.63.7c and 1.63.8a of the critical edition (Wikisource divides the verses differently).

Verse 12 (1.90.12)

तुष्टुवुः पुष्पवृष्टीश्च ससृजुस्तस्य मूर्धनि । तत्रतत्र च विप्रेन्द्रैः स्तूयमानः समन्ततः ॥

tuṣṭuvuḥ puṣpavṛṣṭīśca sasṛjustasya mūrdhani | tatratatra ca viprendraiḥ stūyamānaḥ samantataḥ

praised the king and showered flowers on his head. Praised on every side, here and there, by the foremost of the brahmins,

Note on the text: Lines correspond to 1.63.8c and 1.63.9a of the critical edition (Wikisource divides the verses differently).

Verse 13 (1.90.13)

निर्ययौ परमप्रीत्या वनं मृगजिघांसया । तं देवराजप्रतिमं मत्तवारणधूर्गतम् ॥

niryayau paramaprītyā vanaṃ mṛgajighāṃsayā | taṃ devarājapratimaṃ mattavāraṇadhūrgatam

he went out to the forest in the highest delight, eager to hunt. As he set out, like the king of the gods, mounted on a rutting elephant,

Note on the text: The first line = 1.63.9c; the second (तं देवराजप्रतिमं…) is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 14 (1.90.14)

द्विजक्षत्रियविट्शूद्रा निर्यान्तमनुजग्मिरे । ददृशुर्वर्धमानास्ते आशीर्भिश्च जयेन च ॥

dvijakṣatriyaviṭśūdrā niryāntamanujagmire | dadṛśurvardhamānāste āśīrbhiśca jayena ca

brahmins, kshatriyas, vaishyas and shudras followed him; they watched him and cheered him on with blessings and cries of victory.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 15 (1.90.15)

सुदूरमनुजग्मुस्तं पौरजानपदास्तथा । न्यवर्तन्त ततः पश्चादनुज्ञाता नृपेण ह ॥

sudūramanujagmustaṃ paurajānapadāstathā | nyavartanta tataḥ paścādanujñātā nṛpeṇa ha

The people of the city and of the countryside followed him a long way, and then turned back when the king gave them leave.

Verse 16 (1.90.16)

सुपर्णप्रतिमेनाथ रथेन वसुधाधिपः । महीमापूरयामास घोषेण त्रिदिवं तथा ॥

suparṇapratimenātha rathena vasudhādhipaḥ | mahīmāpūrayāmāsa ghoṣeṇa tridivaṃ tathā

Then the lord of the earth, in a chariot like Suparna, filled the earth, and heaven too, with its thunder.

Verse 17 (1.90.17)

स गच्छन्ददृशे धीमान्नन्दनप्रतिमं वनम् । बिल्वार्कखदिराकीर्णं कपित्थधवसंकुलम् ॥

sa gacchandadṛśe dhīmānnandanapratimaṃ vanam | bilvārkakhadirākīrṇaṃ kapitthadhavasaṃkulam

As he went, the wise king saw a forest like Nandana, thick with bilva, arka and khadira trees and crowded with kapittha and dhava.

Verse 18 (1.90.18)

विषमं पर्वतस्रस्तैरश्मभिश्च समावृतम् । निर्जलं निर्मनुष्यं च बहुयोजनमायतम् ॥

viṣamaṃ parvatasrastairaśmabhiśca samāvṛtam | nirjalaṃ nirmanuṣyaṃ ca bahuyojanamāyatam

It was rugged and strewn with rocks fallen from the mountains, waterless and empty of people, and it stretched for many yojanas.

Note on the text: Corrected पर्वतस्रस्तै रश्मभिश्च → पर्वतस्रस्तैरश्मभिश्च (misprint in Wikisource; a wrong word break turned अश्मभिः 'with rocks', the critical edition's aśmabhiś, into the non-word रश्मभिः). Lines = 1.63.13ac of the critical edition.

Verse 19 (1.90.19)

मृगसिंहैर्वृतं घोरैरन्यैश्चापि वनेचरैः । तद्वनं मनुजव्याघ्रः सभृत्यबलवाहनः ॥

mṛgasiṃhairvṛtaṃ ghorairanyaiścāpi vanecaraiḥ | tadvanaṃ manujavyāghraḥ sabhṛtyabalavāhanaḥ

It was full of fierce deer and lions and other creatures of the wild. That tiger among men, with his servants, troops and mounts,

Note on the text: Lines correspond to 1.63.13e and 1.63.14a of the critical edition, the first in a variant form (Wikisource divides the verses differently).

Verse 20 (1.90.20)

लोडयामास दुष्यन्तः सूदयन्विविधान्मृगान् । बाणगोचरसंप्राप्तांस्तत्र व्याघ्रगणान्बहून् ॥

loḍayāmāsa duṣyantaḥ sūdayanvividhānmṛgān | bāṇagocarasaṃprāptāṃstatra vyāghragaṇānbahūn

Dushyanta, churned up that forest, slaughtering beasts of many kinds. Many packs of tigers that came within range of his arrows

Note on the text: Lines correspond to 1.63.14c and 1.63.15a of the critical edition (Wikisource divides the verses differently).

Verse 21 (1.90.21)

पातयामास दुष्यन्तो निर्बिभेद च सायकैः । दूरस्थान्सायकैः कांश्चिदभिनत्स नराधिपः ॥

pātayāmāsa duṣyanto nirbibheda ca sāyakaiḥ | dūrasthānsāyakaiḥ kāṃścidabhinatsa narādhipaḥ

Dushyanta brought down, piercing them with his arrows. Some that stood far off the king struck down with arrows;

Note on the text: Lines correspond to 1.63.15c and 1.63.16a of the critical edition, the second in a variant form (Wikisource divides the verses differently).

Verse 22 (1.90.22)

अभ्याशमागतांश्चान्यान्खड्गेन निरकृन्तत । कांश्चिदेणान्समाजघ्ने शक्त्या शक्तिमतां वरः ॥

abhyāśamāgatāṃścānyānkhaḍgena nirakṛntata | kāṃścideṇānsamājaghne śaktyā śaktimatāṃ varaḥ

others that came close he cut down with his sword. Some antelopes that best of spearmen struck down with his spear.

Note on the text: Lines correspond to 1.63.16c and 1.63.17a of the critical edition, the second in a variant form (Wikisource divides the verses differently).

Verse 23 (1.90.23)

गदामण्डलतत्त्वज्ञश्चचारामितविक्रमः । तोमरैरसिभिश्चापि गदामुसलकम्पनैः ॥

gadāmaṇḍalatattvajñaścacārāmitavikramaḥ | tomarairasibhiścāpi gadāmusalakampanaiḥ

Master of the art of whirling the mace, he ranged about with boundless valour. With javelins and swords, with maces, clubs and kampanas,

Note on the text: Lines correspond to 1.63.17c and 1.63.18a of the critical edition, the second in a variant form (Wikisource divides the verses differently).

Verse 24 (1.90.24)

चचार स विनिघ्नन्वै वन्यांस्तत्र मृगद्विजान् । राज्ञा चाद्भुतवीर्येण योधैश्च समरप्रियैः ॥

cacāra sa vinighnanvai vanyāṃstatra mṛgadvijān | rājñā cādbhutavīryeṇa yodhaiśca samarapriyaiḥ

he ranged there, slaying the beasts and birds of the forest. As the great forest was churned up by the king of wondrous valour

Note on the text: Lines correspond to 1.63.18c and 1.63.19a of the critical edition (Wikisource divides the verses differently).

Verse 25 (1.90.25)

लोड्यमानं महारण्यं तत्यजुः स्म मृगाधिपाः । तत्र विद्रुतयूथानि हतयूथपतीनि च ॥

loḍyamānaṃ mahāraṇyaṃ tatyajuḥ sma mṛgādhipāḥ | tatra vidrutayūthāni hatayūthapatīni ca

and by his warriors who loved battle, the lions abandoned it. Herds scattered in flight, their leaders slain,

Note on the text: Lines correspond to 1.63.19c and 1.63.20a of the critical edition, in a variant form (Wikisource divides the verses differently).

Verse 26 (1.90.26)

मृगयूथान्यथौत्सुक्याच्छब्दं चक्रुस्ततस्ततः । शुष्काश्चापि नदीर्गत्वा जलनैराश्यकर्शिताः ॥

mṛgayūthānyathautsukyācchabdaṃ cakrustatastataḥ | śuṣkāścāpi nadīrgatvā jalanairāśyakarśitāḥ

those herds of deer cried out in distress on every side. Reaching dried-up rivers, worn down by despair of finding water,

Note on the text: Lines correspond to 1.63.20c and 1.63.21a of the critical edition, the second in a variant form (Wikisource divides the verses differently).

Verse 27 (1.90.27)

व्यायामक्लान्तहृदयाः पतन्ति स्म विचेतसः । क्षुत्पिपासापरीताश्च श्रान्ताश्च पतिता भुवि ॥

vyāyāmaklāntahṛdayāḥ patanti sma vicetasaḥ | kṣutpipāsāparītāśca śrāntāśca patitā bhuvi

their hearts spent with exertion, they fell senseless. Overcome by hunger and thirst and worn out, they lay fallen on the ground.

Note on the text: Lines correspond to 1.63.21c and 1.63.22a of the critical edition (Wikisource divides the verses differently).

Verse 28 (1.90.28)

केचित्तत्र नरव्याघ्रैरभक्ष्यन्त बुभुक्षितैः । केचिदग्निमथोत्पाद्य संसाध्य च वनेचराः ॥

kecittatra naravyāghrairabhakṣyanta bubhukṣitaiḥ | kecidagnimathotpādya saṃsādhya ca vanecarāḥ

Some of them were eaten there by hungry men, tigers among men. Some foresters kindled a fire, cooked the meat,

Note on the text: Lines correspond to 1.63.22c and 1.63.23a of the critical edition, the second in a variant form (Wikisource divides the verses differently).

Verse 29 (1.90.29)

भक्षयन्ति स्म मांसानि प्रकुट्य विधिवत्तदा । तत्र केचिद्गजा मत्ता बलिनः शस्त्रविक्षताः ॥

bhakṣayanti sma māṃsāni prakuṭya vidhivattadā | tatra kecidgajā mattā balinaḥ śastravikṣatāḥ

cut it up in the proper way and ate it. There some mighty elephants in rut, wounded by weapons,

Note on the text: Lines correspond to 1.63.23c and 1.63.24a of the critical edition (Wikisource divides the verses differently).

Verse 30 (1.90.30)

संकोच्याग्रकरान्भीताः प्राद्रवन्ति स्म वेगिताः । शकृन्मूत्रं सृजन्तश्च क्षरन्तः शोणितं बहु ॥

saṃkocyāgrakarānbhītāḥ prādravanti sma vegitāḥ | śakṛnmūtraṃ sṛjantaśca kṣarantaḥ śoṇitaṃ bahu

curled up the tips of their trunks and fled in terror at full speed, voiding dung and urine and streaming with blood.

Note on the text: Lines correspond to 1.63.24c and 1.63.25a of the critical edition (Wikisource divides the verses differently).

Verse 31 (1.90.31)

वन्या गजवरास्तत्र ममृदुर्मनुजान्बहून् । तद्वनं बलमेघेन शरधारेण संवृतम् । व्यरोचत मृगाकीर्णं राज्ञा हतमृगाधिपम् ॥

vanyā gajavarāstatra mamṛdurmanujānbahūn | tadvanaṃ balameghena śaradhāreṇa saṃvṛtam | vyarocata mṛgākīrṇaṃ rājñā hatamṛgādhipam

The great wild elephants there trampled many men. Covered by the cloud of the army and its downpour of arrows, strewn with deer, its lions slain by the king, that forest shone.

Note on the text: Lines correspond to 1.63.25c and 1.63.26 of the critical edition, the last in a variant form (Wikisource divides the verses differently).