The Defences of Dvaraka

Verse 1 (3.15.1)

वासुदेव महाबाहो विस्तरेण महामते । सौभस्य वधमाचक्ष्व न हि तृप्यामि कथ्यतः ॥

vāsudeva mahābāho vistareṇa mahāmate | saubhasya vadhamācakṣva na hi tṛpyāmi kathyataḥ

Vasudeva, mighty-armed and wise, tell me in full of the destruction of Saubha; I never tire of hearing you tell it.

Note on the text: Corrected तृष्यामि → तृप्यामि (misprint in Wikisource, ष for प; "I am not sated", as the critical edition's tṛpyāmi).

Verse 2 (3.15.2)

हतं श्रुत्वा महाबाहो मया श्रौतश्रवं नृप । उपायाद्भरतश्रेष्ठ साल्वो द्वारवतीं पुरीम् ॥

hataṃ śrutvā mahābāho mayā śrautaśravaṃ nṛpa | upāyādbharataśreṣṭha sālvo dvāravatīṃ purīm

Hearing, O mighty-armed one, that King Shishupala, son of Shrutashrava, had been slain by me, Shalva came against the city of Dvaravati, O best of the Bharatas.

Note on the text: Corrected महाबाहौ → महाबाहो (misprint in Wikisource; the vocative is needed, the critical edition reads mahābāho).

Verse 3 (3.15.3)

अरुणत्तां सुदुष्टात्मा सर्वतः पाण्डुनन्दन । साल्वो वैहायसं चापि तत्पुरं व्यूह्य विष्ठितः ॥

aruṇattāṃ suduṣṭātmā sarvataḥ pāṇḍunandana | sālvo vaihāyasaṃ cāpi tatpuraṃ vyūhya viṣṭhitaḥ

The utterly wicked Shalva besieged it on every side, O son of Pandu, and took up his position in the sky above the city with his forces arrayed.

Note on the text: Corrected धिष्ठितः → विष्ठितः (misprint in Wikisource; धिष्ठितः is no word, the critical edition reads vyūhya viṣṭhitaḥ). अरुणत् is a valid form of the same verb as the critical edition's arundhat and is kept.

Verse 4 (3.15.4)

तत्रस्थोऽथ महीपालो योधयामास तां पुरीम् । अभिसारेण सर्वेण तत्र युद्धमवर्तत ॥

tatrastho'tha mahīpālo yodhayāmāsa tāṃ purīm | abhisāreṇa sarveṇa tatra yuddhamavartata

Stationed there, the king assailed the city, and the fighting went on there with every kind of assault.

Verse 5 (3.15.5)

पुरी समन्ताद्विहिता सपताका सतोरणा । सचक्रा सहुडा चैव सयन्त्रखनका तथा ॥

purī samantādvihitā sapatākā satoraṇā | sacakrā sahuḍā caiva sayantrakhanakā tathā

The city had been fortified on every side — with banners and arched gateways, with bands of fighters and their posts, with engines and with sappers,

Verse 6 (3.15.6)

सोपशल्यप्रतोलीका साट्टाट्टालकगोपुरा । सचक्रग्रहिणी चैव सोल्कालातावपोथिका ॥

sopaśalyapratolīkā sāṭṭāṭṭālakagopurā | sacakragrahiṇī caiva solkālātāvapothikā

with spiked stakes and streets, with turrets, watch-towers and gate-towers, with engines for seizing enemy troops, and with blazing brands and missiles dropped from engines,

Note on the text: Its readings (सोपशल्य-, सचक्रग्रहिणी for sopatalpa-, sakacagrahaṇī) are recension variants, both explained by the commentary printed on the page, and are kept.

Verse 7 (3.15.7)

सोष्ट्रिका भरतश्रेष्ठ सभेरीपणवानका । सतोमराङ्कुशा राजन्सशतघ्नीकलाङ्गला ॥

soṣṭrikā bharataśreṣṭha sabherīpaṇavānakā | satomarāṅkuśā rājansaśataghnīkalāṅgalā

with earthen and leather jars, O best of the Bharatas, with bheri, panava and anaka drums, with lances and goads, O king, with shataghnis and ploughshare weapons,

Note on the text: Corrected सोष्टिका → सोष्ट्रिका (misprint in Wikisource; dropped र, the commentary printed on the page reads उष्ट्रिका and the critical edition soṣṭrikā). सतोमराङ्कुशा for samittṛṇakuśā is a recension variant and is kept.

Verse 8 (3.15.8)

सभुशुण्ड्यश्मगुडका सायुधा सपरश्वधा । लोहचर्मवती चापि साग्निः सगुडशृङ्गिका । शास्त्रदृष्टेन विधिना सुयुक्ता भरतर्षभ ॥

sabhuśuṇḍyaśmaguḍakā sāyudhā saparaśvadhā | lohacarmavatī cāpi sāgniḥ saguḍaśṛṅgikā | śāstradṛṣṭena vidhinā suyuktā bharatarṣabha

with bhushundis and round stone shot, with weapons and battle-axes, with iron shields, with fire-weapons, with balls and the engines that hurl them — fitted out in the manner the treatises prescribe, O bull of the Bharatas,

Note on the text: This verse is CE 3.16.8 + 3.16.9ab (Wikisource divides the lines differently); सभुशुण्ड्यश्मगुडका, सगुडशृङ्गिका and सुयुक्ता for sabhuśuṇḍyaśmalaguḍā, sahuḍaśṛṅgikā and saṃyuktā are recension variants and are kept.

Verse 9 (3.15.9)

रथैरनेकैर्विविधैर्गदसाम्बोद्धवादिभिः । पुरुषैः कुरुशार्दूल समर्थैः प्रतिवारणे ॥

rathairanekairvividhairgadasāmboddhavādibhiḥ | puruṣaiḥ kuruśārdūla samarthaiḥ prativāraṇe

with many chariots of every kind, and with Gada, Samba, Uddhava and others, men able to hold back the enemy, O tiger among the Kurus,

Note on the text: This verse is CE 3.16.9cd + 3.16.10ab (Wikisource divides the lines differently); रथैः and प्रतिवारणे for dravyaiḥ and pratibādhane are recension variants and are kept.

Verse 10 (3.15.10)

अतिख्यातकुलैर्वीरैर्दृष्टवीर्यैश्च संयुगे । मध्यमेन च गुल्मेन रक्षिभिः सा सुरक्षिता । उत्क्षिप्तगुल्मैश्च तथा हयैश्च सपताकिभिः ॥

atikhyātakulairvīrairdṛṣṭavīryaiśca saṃyuge | madhyamena ca gulmena rakṣibhiḥ sā surakṣitā | utkṣiptagulmaiśca tathā hayaiśca sapatākibhiḥ

heroes of famous families and proven valour in battle. It was closely guarded by sentries, by a central force and by mobile detachments, and by horsemen with banners.

Note on the text: This verse is CE 3.16.10cd + 3.16.11 (Wikisource divides the lines differently); अतिख्यात-, रक्षिभिः सा सुरक्षिता and सपताकिभिः for abhikhyāta-, rakṣitā sārasaṃjñitā and padātibhiḥ are recension variants and are kept.

Verse 11 (3.15.11)

आघोषितं च नगरे न पातव्या सुरेति वै । प्रमादं परिरक्षद्भिरुग्रसेनोद्धवादिभिः ॥

āghoṣitaṃ ca nagare na pātavyā sureti vai | pramādaṃ parirakṣadbhirugrasenoddhavādibhiḥ

And it was proclaimed throughout the city that no one was to drink liquor; Ugrasena, Uddhava and the others were on guard against carelessness.

Verse 12 (3.15.12)

प्रमत्तेष्वभिघातं हि कुर्यात्साल्वो नराधिपः । इति कृत्वाऽप्रमत्तास्ते सर्वे वृष्ण्यन्धकाः स्थिताः ॥

pramatteṣvabhighātaṃ hi kuryātsālvo narādhipaḥ | iti kṛtvā'pramattāste sarve vṛṣṇyandhakāḥ sthitāḥ

"King Shalva would strike at us if we were off our guard" — so reasoning, all the Vrishnis and Andhakas stood watchful.

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (सर्वेवृष्ण्यन्धकाः → सर्वे वृष्ण्यन्धकाः).

Verse 13 (3.15.13)

आनर्ताश्च तथा सर्वे नटनर्तकगायकाः । बहिर्निर्वासिताः सर्वे रक्षद्भिर्वित्तसंचयम् ॥

ānartāśca tathā sarve naṭanartakagāyakāḥ | bahirnirvāsitāḥ sarve rakṣadbhirvittasaṃcayam

And all the Anartas who were actors, dancers and singers were sent outside the city by those guarding the store of wealth.

Note on the text: नटनर्तकगायकाः, निर्वासिताः and वित्तसंचयम् for naṭanartakagāyanāḥ, vivāsitāḥ and vittasaṃcayān are recension variants and are kept.

Verse 14 (3.15.14)

संक्रमा भेदिताः सर्वे नावश्च प्रतिषेधिताः । परिखाश्चापि कौरव्य कीलैः सुनिचिताः कृताः ॥

saṃkramā bheditāḥ sarve nāvaśca pratiṣedhitāḥ | parikhāścāpi kauravya kīlaiḥ sunicitāḥ kṛtāḥ

All the bridges were broken down, boats were forbidden, and the moats, O Kauravya, were thickly planted with stakes.

Verse 15 (3.15.15)

उदपानाः कुरुश्रेष्ठ तथैवाप्यम्बरीषकाः । समन्तात्क्रोशमात्रं च कारिता विषमा च भूः । संक्रमा भेदिताः सर्वे प्राकाराश्च नवीकृताः ॥

udapānāḥ kuruśreṣṭha tathaivāpyambarīṣakāḥ | samantātkrośamātraṃ ca kāritā viṣamā ca bhūḥ | saṃkramā bheditāḥ sarve prākārāśca navīkṛtāḥ

So too the wells, O best of the Kurus, and the hidden fire-pits; and for a krosha all around, the ground was made treacherous. All the bridges were broken and the ramparts made new.

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (`, the doubled danda and ') around the third line. The first two lines match CE 3.16.16; the third is not in the critical edition's text (its apparatus has it as 3.16.16d*0078_01).

Verse 16 (3.15.16)

प्रकृत्या विषमं दुर्गं प्रकृत्या च सुरक्षितम् । प्रकृत्या चायुधोपेतं विशेषेण तदाऽनघ ॥

prakṛtyā viṣamaṃ durgaṃ prakṛtyā ca surakṣitam | prakṛtyā cāyudhopetaṃ viśeṣeṇa tadā'nagha

The fortress was by its nature hard to approach, by its nature well protected and by its nature well stocked with weapons — and at that time especially so, O sinless one.

Verse 17 (3.15.17)

सुरक्षितं सुगुप्तं च सर्वायुधसमन्वितम् । तत्पुरं भरतश्रेष्ठ यथेन्द्रभवनं तथा ॥

surakṣitaṃ suguptaṃ ca sarvāyudhasamanvitam | tatpuraṃ bharataśreṣṭha yathendrabhavanaṃ tathā

Well protected, well guarded, furnished with every weapon, that city, O best of the Bharatas, was like Indra's own abode.

Verse 18 (3.15.18)

न चामुद्रोऽभिनिर्याति न चामुद्रः प्रवेश्यते । वृष्ण्यन्धकपुरे राजंस्तदा सौभसमागमे ॥

na cāmudro'bhiniryāti na cāmudraḥ praveśyate | vṛṣṇyandhakapure rājaṃstadā saubhasamāgame

No one without a seal could go out, and no one without a seal was let in to the city of the Vrishnis and Andhakas, O king, at the time of Saubha's coming.

Verse 19 (3.15.19)

अनुरथ्यासु सर्वासु चत्वरेषु च कौरव । बलं बभूव राजेन्द्र प्रभूतगजवाजिमत् ॥

anurathyāsu sarvāsu catvareṣu ca kaurava | balaṃ babhūva rājendra prabhūtagajavājimat

Along all the streets and at the crossroads, O Kaurava, troops were posted, O lord of kings, rich in elephants and horses.

Note on the text: Corrected अनुरध्यासु → अनुरथ्यासु (misprint in Wikisource, ध for थ; रथ्या "street", as the commentary's प्रतिरथ्यम् and the critical edition's anu rathyāsu).

Verse 20 (3.15.20)

दत्तवेतनभक्तं च दत्तायुधपरिच्छदम् । कृतोपधानं च तदा बलमासीद्विशांपते ॥

dattavetanabhaktaṃ ca dattāyudhaparicchadam | kṛtopadhānaṃ ca tadā balamāsīdviśāṃpate

That army had been given its wages and rations, given its weapons and equipment, and specially honoured at that time, O lord of the people.

Note on the text: कृतोपधानं and विशांपते for kṛtāpadānaṃ and mahābhuja are recension variants and are kept.

Verse 21 (3.15.21)

न कुप्यवेतनी कश्चिन्न चातिक्रान्तवेतनी । नानुग्रहभृतः कश्चिन्न चादृष्टपराक्रमः ॥

na kupyavetanī kaścinna cātikrāntavetanī | nānugrahabhṛtaḥ kaścinna cādṛṣṭaparākramaḥ

No one was paid in base metal, no one's wages were in arrears, no one had been taken on merely as a favour, and no one's valour was untried.

Note on the text: Corrected कृप्यवेतनी → कुप्यवेतनी (misprint in Wikisource; कुप्य "base metal", as the commentary printed on the page and the critical edition's kupyavetanī).

Verse 22 (3.15.22)

एवं सुविहिता राजन्द्वारका भूरिदक्षिणैः । आहुकेन सुगुप्ता च राज्ञा राजीवलोचन ॥

evaṃ suvihitā rājandvārakā bhūridakṣiṇaiḥ | āhukena suguptā ca rājñā rājīvalocana

Thus, O king, was Dvaraka put in order by men lavish in gifts, and well guarded by King Ahuka, O lotus-eyed one.