Omens, and the Pandavas Rejoin Bhima at the Lake

Verse 1 (3.156.1)

ततस्तानि महार्हाणि दिव्यानि भरतर्षभ । बहूनि बहुरूपाणि विरजांसि समाददे ॥

tatastāni mahārhāṇi divyāni bharatarṣabha | bahūni bahurūpāṇi virajāṃsi samādade

Then, best of the Bharatas, he gathered those precious, divine flowers, many in number and of many forms, fresh and spotless.

Verse 2 (3.156.2)

ततो वायुर्महाञ्शीघ्रो नीचैः शर्करकर्षणः । प्रादुरासीत्खरस्पर्शः संग्राममभिचोदयन् ॥

tato vāyurmahāñśīghro nīcaiḥ śarkarakarṣaṇaḥ | prādurāsītkharasparśaḥ saṃgrāmamabhicodayan

Then a great, swift wind arose, blowing low and dragging gravel along, harsh to the touch, as if urging on a battle.

Note on the text: Corrected प्रादुरासीद्वरस्पर्शः → प्रादुरासीत्खरस्पर्शः (misprint in Wikisource; व for ख gives "pleasant to the touch", which contradicts this list of evil omens; the critical edition reads kharasparśaḥ).

Verse 3 (3.156.3)

पपात महती चोल्का सनिर्घाता महाभया । निष्प्रभश्चाभवत्सूर्यश्छन्नरश्मिस्तमोवृतः ॥

papāta mahatī colkā sanirghātā mahābhayā | niṣprabhaścābhavatsūryaśchannaraśmistamovṛtaḥ

A great and terrifying meteor fell with a thunderous crash; the sun lost its light, its rays hidden, wrapped in darkness.

Note on the text: Corrected सूर्यंश्छन्न → सूर्यश्छन्न (misprint in Wikisource; a stray anusvara; the critical edition reads sūryaś channa-).

Verse 4 (3.156.4)

निर्घातश्चाभवद्भीमो भीमे विक्रममास्थिते । चचाल पृथिवी चापि पांसुवर्षं पपात च ॥

nirghātaścābhavadbhīmo bhīme vikramamāsthite | cacāla pṛthivī cāpi pāṃsuvarṣaṃ papāta ca

A dreadful thunderclap sounded as Bhima put forth his valour; the earth shook, and a rain of dust fell.

Verse 5 (3.156.5)

सलोहिता दिशश्चासन्खरवाचो मृगद्विजाः । तमोवृतमभूत्सर्वं न प्राज्ञायत किंचन ॥

salohitā diśaścāsankharavāco mṛgadvijāḥ | tamovṛtamabhūtsarvaṃ na prājñāyata kiṃcana

The quarters turned blood-red, and beasts and birds cried harshly; everything was wrapped in darkness and nothing could be made out.

Verse 6 (3.156.6)

अन्ये च बहवो भीमा उत्पातास्तत्र जज्ञिरे । तदद्भुतमभिप्रेक्ष्य धर्मपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः । उवाच वदतां श्रेष्ठः कोऽस्मानभिभविष्यति ॥

anye ca bahavo bhīmā utpātāstatra jajñire | tadadbhutamabhiprekṣya dharmaputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | uvāca vadatāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ ko'smānabhibhaviṣyati

Many other dreadful portents appeared there too. Seeing these wonders, Yudhishthira, son of Dharma, best of speakers, said: "Who is it that will overpower us?"

Note on the text: Removed stray brackets and a doubled danda (।।) around the first line. The first line is not in the critical edition's text (its apparatus has it as 3.153.5d*0766); the other two lines match CE 3.153.6.

Verse 7 (3.156.7)

सज्जीभवत भद्रं वः पाण्डवा युद्धदुर्मदाः । यथा रूपाणि पश्यामि सुव्यक्तो नः पराक्रमः ॥

sajjībhavata bhadraṃ vaḥ pāṇḍavā yuddhadurmadāḥ | yathā rūpāṇi paśyāmi suvyakto naḥ parākramaḥ

"Make ready, Pandavas, fierce in battle, and good fortune go with you! From the signs I see, the time for our valour is plainly at hand."

Verse 8 (3.156.8)

एवमुक्त्वा ततो राजा वीक्षांचक्रे समन्ततः । अपश्यमानो भीमं तु धर्मपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः ॥

evamuktvā tato rājā vīkṣāṃcakre samantataḥ | apaśyamāno bhīmaṃ tu dharmaputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ

Having said this, the king looked all around; and Yudhishthira, son of Dharma, could not see Bhima.

Verse 9 (3.156.9)

ततः कृष्णां यमौ चापि समीपस्थानरिंदमः । पप्रच्छ भ्रातरं भीमं भीमकर्माणमाहवे ॥

tataḥ kṛṣṇāṃ yamau cāpi samīpasthānariṃdamaḥ | papraccha bhrātaraṃ bhīmaṃ bhīmakarmāṇamāhave

Then the tamer of foes asked Krishna and the twins, who stood near him, about his brother Bhima, terrible in deeds of battle:

Verse 10 (3.156.10)

कच्चिन्न भीमः पाञ्चालि किंच कृत्यं चिकीर्षति । कृतवानपि वा वीरः साहसं साहसप्रियः ॥

kaccinna bhīmaḥ pāñcāli kiṃca kṛtyaṃ cikīrṣati | kṛtavānapi vā vīraḥ sāhasaṃ sāhasapriyaḥ

"Panchali, is Bhima not bent on some deed? Or has the hero, who loves daring, already done something rash?"

Note on the text: Corrected वीर → वीरः (misprint in Wikisource; the dropped visarga turns the subject into a masculine vocative, though Draupadi is addressed; the critical edition reads vīraḥ).

Verse 11 (3.156.11)

इमे ह्यकस्मादुत्पाता महासमरशंसिनः । दर्शयन्तो भयं तीव्रं प्रादुर्भूताः समन्ततः ॥

ime hyakasmādutpātā mahāsamaraśaṃsinaḥ | darśayanto bhayaṃ tīvraṃ prādurbhūtāḥ samantataḥ

"For these portents have suddenly appeared on every side, foretelling a great battle and showing a fearful danger."

Verse 12 (3.156.12)

तं तथावादिनं कृष्णा प्रत्युवाच मनस्विनी । प्रिया प्रियं चिकीर्षन्ती महिषी चारुहासिनी ॥

taṃ tathāvādinaṃ kṛṣṇā pratyuvāca manasvinī | priyā priyaṃ cikīrṣantī mahiṣī cāruhāsinī

As he spoke so, Krishna, his beloved, the high-minded queen of the lovely smile, wishing to please him, replied:

Verse 13 (3.156.13)

यत्तत्सौगन्धिकं राजन्नाहृतं मातरिश्वना । तन्मया भीमसेनस्य प्रीतयाऽद्योपपादितम् ॥

yattatsaugandhikaṃ rājannāhṛtaṃ mātariśvanā | tanmayā bhīmasenasya prītayā'dyopapāditam

"King, that saugandhika flower which the wind brought here, I gave to Bhimasena today in my delight."

Verse 14 (3.156.14)

अपि चोक्तो मया वीरो यदिपश्येर्बहून्यपि । तानि सर्वाण्युपादाय शीघ्रमागम्यतामिति ॥

api cokto mayā vīro yadipaśyerbahūnyapi | tāni sarvāṇyupādāya śīghramāgamyatāmiti

"And I said to the hero besides: 'If you see many of them, gather them all and come back quickly.'"

Note on the text: Corrected सर्वाणअयुपादाय → सर्वाण्युपादाय (misprint in Wikisource; a broken conjunct; the critical edition reads sarvāṇy upādāya).

Verse 15 (3.156.15)

स तु नूनं महाबाहुः प्रियार्थं मम पाण्डवः । प्रागुदीचीं दिशं राजंस्तान्याहर्तुमितो गतः ॥

sa tu nūnaṃ mahābāhuḥ priyārthaṃ mama pāṇḍavaḥ | prāgudīcīṃ diśaṃ rājaṃstānyāhartumito gataḥ

"Surely, King, that mighty-armed Pandava has gone from here toward the north-east to fetch them, to please me."

Verse 16 (3.156.16)

उक्तस्त्वेवं तया राजा यमाविदमथाब्रवीत् । गच्छाम सहितास्तूर्णं येन यातो वृकोदरः ॥

uktastvevaṃ tayā rājā yamāvidamathābravīt | gacchāma sahitāstūrṇaṃ yena yāto vṛkodaraḥ

When she had told him this, the king said to the twins: "Let us go together, quickly, by the way Vrikodara has gone."

Verse 17 (3.156.17)

वहन्तु राक्षसा विप्रान्यथाश्रान्तान्यथाकृशान् । त्वमप्यमरसंकाश वह कृष्णां घटोत्कच ॥

vahantu rākṣasā viprānyathāśrāntānyathākṛśān | tvamapyamarasaṃkāśa vaha kṛṣṇāṃ ghaṭotkaca

"Let the Rakshasas carry the brahmins, whichever are weary and whichever are weak. And you, Ghatotkacha, who are like an immortal, carry Krishna."

Verse 18 (3.156.18)

व्यक्तं दूरमितो भीमः प्रविष्ट इतिमे मतिः । चिरं चतस्य कालोऽयं स च वायुसमो जवे ॥

vyaktaṃ dūramito bhīmaḥ praviṣṭa itime matiḥ | ciraṃ catasya kālo'yaṃ sa ca vāyusamo jave

"It is plain to me that Bhima has gone far from here. He has been gone a long time, and he is like the wind in speed."

Verse 19 (3.156.19)

तरस्वी वैनतेयस्य सदृशो भुवि लङ्घने । उत्पतेदपिचाकाशं निपतेच्चयथेच्छकम् ॥

tarasvī vainateyasya sadṛśo bhuvi laṅghane | utpatedapicākāśaṃ nipateccayathecchakam

"He is swift, a match for Vinata's son Garuda in bounding over the earth; he could leap into the sky and come down wherever he pleased."

Verse 20 (3.156.20)

तमन्वियाम भवतां प्रभावाद्रजनीचराः । पुरा स नापराध्नोति सिद्धानां ब्रह्मवादिनाम् ॥

tamanviyāma bhavatāṃ prabhāvādrajanīcarāḥ | purā sa nāparādhnoti siddhānāṃ brahmavādinām

"Let us follow him by your power, night-rangers, before he gives offence to the Siddhas who expound the Veda."

Verse 21 (3.156.21)

तथेत्युक्त्वा तु ते सर्वेहैडिम्बप्रमुखास्तदा । उद्देशज्ञाः कुबेरस्य नलिन्या भरतर्षभ ॥

tathetyuktvā tu te sarvehaiḍimbapramukhāstadā | uddeśajñāḥ kuberasya nalinyā bharatarṣabha

Saying "So be it," all of them, led by Hidimba's son, who knew where Kubera's lotus lake lay, O best of the Bharatas,

Verse 22 (3.156.22)

आदाय पाण्डवांश्चैव तांश्च विप्राननेकशः । लोमशेनैव सहिताः प्रययुः प्रीतमानसाः ॥

ādāya pāṇḍavāṃścaiva tāṃśca viprānanekaśaḥ | lomaśenaiva sahitāḥ prayayuḥ prītamānasāḥ

took up the Pandavas and the many brahmins, and set out gladly together with Lomasha.

Verse 23 (3.156.23)

ते सर्वे त्वरिता गत्वा ददृशुस्तत्र कानने । पद्मसौगन्धिकवतींनलिनीं सुमनोरमाम् ॥

te sarve tvaritā gatvā dadṛśustatra kānane | padmasaugandhikavatīṃnalinīṃ sumanoramām

Going swiftly, they all saw there in the forest the delightful lotus lake, full of lotuses and saugandhika flowers,

Note on the text: A variant of CE 3.153.23, which reads te gatvā sahitāḥ sarve … praphullapaṅkajavatīṃ nalinīṃ sumanoharām.

Verse 24 (3.156.24)

तं च भीमं महात्मानं तस्यास्तीरे व्यवस्थितम् । ददृशुर्निहतांश्चैव यक्षांश्च विपुलेक्षणान् ॥

taṃ ca bhīmaṃ mahātmānaṃ tasyāstīre vyavasthitam | dadṛśurnihatāṃścaiva yakṣāṃśca vipulekṣaṇān

and they saw the great-souled Bhima standing on its shore, and the large-eyed Yakshas lying slain,

Verse 25 (3.156.25)

भिन्नकायाक्षिबाहूरून्संचूर्णितशिरोधरान् । तं च भीमं महात्मानं तस्यास्तीरे व्यवस्थितम् ॥

bhinnakāyākṣibāhūrūnsaṃcūrṇitaśirodharān | taṃ ca bhīmaṃ mahātmānaṃ tasyāstīre vyavasthitam

their bodies, eyes, arms and thighs broken, their necks crushed. They saw the great-souled Bhima standing on the shore of the lake,

Note on the text: Corrected बाहूरुन् → बाहूरून् (misprint in Wikisource; accusative plural of ūru, "thighs"; the apparatus reads -bāhūrūn). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as 3.153.24d*0767, lines 1–2.

Verse 26 (3.156.26)

सक्रोधं स्तब्धनयनं संदष्टदशनच्छदम् । उद्यम्य च गदां दोर्भ्यां नदीतीरे व्यवस्थितम् ॥

sakrodhaṃ stabdhanayanaṃ saṃdaṣṭadaśanacchadam | udyamya ca gadāṃ dorbhyāṃ nadītīre vyavasthitam

angry, his eyes fixed and staring, biting his lip, standing on the bank with his mace raised in both hands,

Note on the text: Corrected स्तव्धनयनं → स्तब्धनयनं (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition's apparatus reads stabdhanayanaṃ). The first line is not in the critical edition's text (its apparatus has it as 3.153.24d*0767, line 3); the second line is CE 3.153.25ab.

Verse 27 (3.156.27)

प्रजासंक्षेपसमये दण्डहस्तमिवान्तकम् । तं दृष्ट्वा धर्मराजस्तु परिष्वज्याथ भारत ॥

prajāsaṃkṣepasamaye daṇḍahastamivāntakam | taṃ dṛṣṭvā dharmarājastu pariṣvajyātha bhārata

like Death with his staff in hand at the time when creatures are destroyed. Seeing him, the King of Dharma embraced him, O Bharata,

Note on the text: The first line is CE 3.153.25cd; the second line is CE 3.153.26ab, which reads pariṣvajya punaḥ punaḥ for परिष्वज्याथ भारत.

Verse 28 (3.156.28)

उवाच श्लक्ष्णया वाचा कौन्तेय किमिदं कृतम् । साहसं वत भद्रं ते देवानामपि चाप्रियम् । पुनरेवं न कर्तव्यं मम चेदिच्छसि प्रियम् ॥

uvāca ślakṣṇayā vācā kaunteya kimidaṃ kṛtam | sāhasaṃ vata bhadraṃ te devānāmapi cāpriyam | punarevaṃ na kartavyaṃ mama cedicchasi priyam

and said in gentle words: "Son of Kunti, what have you done? This was rash, bless you, and displeasing even to the gods. Do not do such a thing again, if you wish to please me."

Note on the text: The first line is CE 3.153.26cd; the other two lines are CE 3.153.27.

Verse 29 (3.156.29)

अनुशिष्य तु कौन्तेयं पद्मानि परिगृह्य च । तस्यामेव नलिन्यां तु विजह्रुरमरोपमाः ॥

anuśiṣya tu kaunteyaṃ padmāni parigṛhya ca | tasyāmeva nalinyāṃ tu vijahruramaropamāḥ

Having admonished the son of Kunti and taken the lotuses, they sported, godlike, in that same lotus lake.

Note on the text: Corrected विजह्ररमरोपमाः → विजह्रुरमरोपमाः (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads vijahrur amaropamāḥ).

Verse 30 (3.156.30)

एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु प्रगृहीतशिलायुधाः । प्रादुरासन्महाकायास्तस्योद्यानस्य रक्षिणः ॥

etasminneva kāle tu pragṛhītaśilāyudhāḥ | prādurāsanmahākāyāstasyodyānasya rakṣiṇaḥ

At that very time the guardians of the garden appeared, huge of body, holding rocks ready as weapons.

Note on the text: Corrected एतस्मिन्नैव → एतस्मिन्नेव (misprint in Wikisource; etasmin + eva; the critical edition reads etasminn eva).

Verse 31 (3.156.31)

ते दृष्ट्वाधर्मराजानं महर्षिं चापि लोमशम् । नकुलं सहदेवं च तथाऽन्यान्ब्राह्मणर्षभान् ॥

te dṛṣṭvādharmarājānaṃ maharṣiṃ cāpi lomaśam | nakulaṃ sahadevaṃ ca tathā'nyānbrāhmaṇarṣabhān

Seeing the King of Dharma and the great seer Lomasha, Nakula and Sahadeva, and the other bulls among brahmins,

Note on the text: CE 3.153.30ab–cd.

Verse 32 (3.156.32)

विनयेन नताः सर्वेप्रणिपत्य च भारत । सान्त्विता धर्मराजेन प्रसेदुः क्षणदाचराः ॥

vinayena natāḥ sarvepraṇipatya ca bhārata | sāntvitā dharmarājena praseduḥ kṣaṇadācarāḥ

they all bowed low in humility and prostrated themselves, O Bharata; and, soothed by the King of Dharma, the night-rangers were appeased.

Note on the text: The first line is CE 3.153.30ef; the second line is CE 3.153.31ab.

Verse 33 (3.156.33)

विदिताश्चकुबेरस्य तत्रते कुरुपुङ्गवाः । ऊषुर्नातिचिरं कालं रममाणाः कुरूद्वहाः । प्रतीक्षमाणा बीभत्सुं गन्धमादनसानुषु ॥

viditāścakuberasya tatrate kurupuṅgavāḥ | ūṣurnāticiraṃ kālaṃ ramamāṇāḥ kurūdvahāḥ | pratīkṣamāṇā bībhatsuṃ gandhamādanasānuṣu

With Kubera's knowledge those bulls of the Kurus stayed there a short while, the Kuru heroes taking their pleasure on the slopes of Gandhamadana as they waited for Bibhatsu (Arjuna).

Note on the text: Corrected प्रतीक्षमाणआ → प्रतीक्षमाणा (misprint in Wikisource; a stray vowel letter). The first two lines are CE 3.153.31cd–ef; the third line is not in the critical edition's text (its apparatus has it as 3.153.31f*0769).