Narada Halts the Display of the Divine Weapons

Verse 1 (3.177.1)

तस्यां रात्र्यां व्यतीतायां धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः । उत्थायावश्यकार्याणि कृतवान्भ्रातृभिः सह ॥

tasyāṃ rātryāṃ vyatītāyāṃ dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | utthāyāvaśyakāryāṇi kṛtavānbhrātṛbhiḥ saha

When that night had passed, Yudhishthira the King of Dharma rose and performed the necessary rites together with his brothers.

Verse 2 (3.177.2)

ततः संचोदयामास सोऽर्जुनं मातृनन्दनम् । दर्शयास्त्राणि कौन्तेय यैर्जिता दानवास्त्वया ॥

tataḥ saṃcodayāmāsa so'rjunaṃ mātṛnandanam | darśayāstrāṇi kaunteya yairjitā dānavāstvayā

Then he urged Arjuna, his mother's joy: "Show us the weapons, son of Kunti, with which you conquered the Danavas."

Verse 3 (3.177.3)

ततो धनंजयो राजन्देवैर्दत्तानि पाण्डवः । अस्त्राणि तानि दिव्यानि दर्शयामास भारत ॥

tato dhanaṃjayo rājandevairdattāni pāṇḍavaḥ | astrāṇi tāni divyāni darśayāmāsa bhārata

Then Dhananjaya the Pandava, O king, displayed those divine weapons that the gods had given him, O Bharata.

Verse 4 (3.177.4)

यथान्यायं महातेजाः शौचं परममास्थितः । नमस्कृत्य त्रिनेत्राय वासवाय च पाण्डवः ॥

yathānyāyaṃ mahātejāḥ śaucaṃ paramamāsthitaḥ | namaskṛtya trinetrāya vāsavāya ca pāṇḍavaḥ

The splendid Pandava first made himself wholly pure, as the rule prescribes, and bowed to the three-eyed god and to Vasava.

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (` and '). The first line is CE 3.172.4a; the second is not in the critical edition's text (found in the vulgate recension; apparatus 3.172.4b*0871).

Verse 5 (3.177.5)

गिरिकूबरपादाक्षं शुभवेणु त्रिवेणुमत् । पार्थिवं रथमास्थाय शोभमानो धनंजयः ॥

girikūbarapādākṣaṃ śubhaveṇu triveṇumat | pārthivaṃ rathamāsthāya śobhamāno dhanaṃjayaḥ

Mounting a chariot that was the earth itself, with mountains for its pole, wheels and axle and fair bamboos for its triple shaft, Dhananjaya shone in splendour.

Note on the text: The lines are CE 3.172.4c–e (with variants).

Verse 6 (3.177.6)

दिव्येन संवृतस्तेन कवचेन सुवर्चसा । धनुरादाय गाण्डीवं देवदत्तं स वारिजम् ॥

divyena saṃvṛtastena kavacena suvarcasā | dhanurādāya gāṇḍīvaṃ devadattaṃ sa vārijam

Clad in that divine, radiant armour, he took up the bow Gandiva and the water-born conch Devadatta.

Verse 7 (3.177.7)

शोशुभ्यमानः कौन्तेय आनुपूर्व्यान्महाभुजः । अस्त्राणि तानि दिव्यानि दर्शनायोपचक्रमे ॥

śośubhyamānaḥ kaunteya ānupūrvyānmahābhujaḥ | astrāṇi tāni divyāni darśanāyopacakrame

Shining brilliantly, the mighty-armed son of Kunti began to display those divine weapons one by one in due order.

Verse 8 (3.177.8)

अथ प्रयोक्ष्यमाणेषु दिव्येष्वस्त्रेषु तेषु वै । समाक्रान्ता मही पद्भ्यां समकम्पत सद्रुमा ॥

atha prayokṣyamāṇeṣu divyeṣvastreṣu teṣu vai | samākrāntā mahī padbhyāṃ samakampata sadrumā

As those divine weapons were about to be employed, the earth, pressed under his feet, shook together with its trees.

Verse 9 (3.177.9)

क्षुभिताः सरितश्चैव तथैव च महोदधिः । शैलाश्चापि व्यदीर्यन्त न ववौ च समीरणः ॥

kṣubhitāḥ saritaścaiva tathaiva ca mahodadhiḥ | śailāścāpi vyadīryanta na vavau ca samīraṇaḥ

The rivers were churned up, and the great ocean too; the mountains split apart, and the wind ceased to blow.

Verse 10 (3.177.10)

न बभासे सहस्रांशुर्न जज्वाल च पावकः । न वेदाः प्रतिभान्ति स्म द्विजातीनां कथंचन ॥

na babhāse sahasrāṃśurna jajvāla ca pāvakaḥ | na vedāḥ pratibhānti sma dvijātīnāṃ kathaṃcana

The thousand-rayed sun gave no light, the fire did not blaze, and the Vedas would not come to the minds of the twice-born at all.

Verse 11 (3.177.11)

अन्तर्भूमिगता ये च प्राणिनो जनमेजय । पीड्यमानाः समुत्थाय पाण्डवं पर्यवारयन् ॥

antarbhūmigatā ye ca prāṇino janamejaya | pīḍyamānāḥ samutthāya pāṇḍavaṃ paryavārayan

The creatures that live beneath the earth, O Janamejaya, came up in torment and gathered round the Pandava.

Verse 12 (3.177.12)

वेपमानाः प्राञ्जलयस्ते सर्वे विकृताननाः । दह्यमानास्तदाऽस्त्रैस्ते याचन्ति स्म धनंजयम् ॥

vepamānāḥ prāñjalayaste sarve vikṛtānanāḥ | dahyamānāstadā'straiste yācanti sma dhanaṃjayam

Trembling, with joined palms and faces twisted in pain, all of them, scorched by the weapons, begged Dhananjaya for mercy.

Verse 13 (3.177.13)

ततो ब्रह्मर्षयश्चैव सिद्धा ये च महर्षयः । जङ्गमानि च भूतानि सर्वाण्येवावतस्थिरे ॥

tato brahmarṣayaścaiva siddhā ye ca maharṣayaḥ | jaṅgamāni ca bhūtāni sarvāṇyevāvatasthire

Then the brahmin seers, the Siddhas and the great seers, and all moving creatures, came and stood there.

Verse 14 (3.177.14)

देवर्षयश्च प्रवरास्तथैव च दिवौकसः । यक्षराक्षसगन्धर्वास्तथैव च पतत्रिणः । खेचराणि च भूतानि सर्वाण्येवावतस्थिरे ॥

devarṣayaśca pravarāstathaiva ca divaukasaḥ | yakṣarākṣasagandharvāstathaiva ca patatriṇaḥ | khecarāṇi ca bhūtāni sarvāṇyevāvatasthire

The foremost divine seers and the dwellers in heaven, Yakshas, Rakshasas and Gandharvas, the birds as well, and all the creatures that range the sky, came and stood there.

Note on the text: The first two lines are CE 3.172.13 (reading rājarṣayaś for देवर्षयश्च); the third is not in the critical edition's text (found in the vulgate recension; apparatus 3.172.13d*0872).

Verse 15 (3.177.15)

ततः पितामहश्चैव लोकपालाश्च सर्वशः । भगवांश्च महादेवः सगणोऽभ्याययौ तदा ॥

tataḥ pitāmahaścaiva lokapālāśca sarvaśaḥ | bhagavāṃśca mahādevaḥ sagaṇo'bhyāyayau tadā

Then the Grandsire and all the Guardians of the World, and the blessed Mahadeva with his hosts, came there.

Verse 16 (3.177.16)

ततो वायुर्महाराज दिव्यैर्माल्यैः समन्वितः । अभितः पाण्डवं चित्रैरवचक्रे समन्ततः ॥

tato vāyurmahārāja divyairmālyaiḥ samanvitaḥ | abhitaḥ pāṇḍavaṃ citrairavacakre samantataḥ

Then the Wind, O great king, bearing divine garlands, scattered bright flowers all around the Pandava.

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (पाण्डवंचित्रैः → पाण्डवं चित्रैः).

Verse 17 (3.177.17)

जगुश्च गाथा विविधा गन्धर्वाः सुरचोदिताः । ननृतुः सङ्घशश्चैव राजन्नप्सरसां गणाः ॥

jaguśca gāthā vividhā gandharvāḥ suracoditāḥ | nanṛtuḥ saṅghaśaścaiva rājannapsarasāṃ gaṇāḥ

The Gandharvas, prompted by the gods, sang songs of many kinds, and troops of Apsaras danced, O king.

Verse 18 (3.177.18)

तस्मिंश्च तादृशे काले नारदश्चोदितः सुरैः । आगम्याह वचः पार्थं श्रवणीयमिदं नृप ॥

tasmiṃśca tādṛśe kāle nāradaścoditaḥ suraiḥ | āgamyāha vacaḥ pārthaṃ śravaṇīyamidaṃ nṛpa

At such a moment Narada, urged on by the gods, came and spoke to Partha these words worth hearing, O king:

Verse 19 (3.177.19)

अर्जुनार्जुन मा युङ्क्ष्व दिव्यान्यस्त्राणि भारत । नैतानि निरधिष्ठाने प्रयुज्यन्ते कथंचन ॥

arjunārjuna mā yuṅkṣva divyānyastrāṇi bhārata | naitāni niradhiṣṭhāne prayujyante kathaṃcana

Arjuna, Arjuna, do not employ the divine weapons, O Bharata! They are never to be used where there is no target.

Note on the text: Corrected युङ्क्ष → युङ्क्ष्व (misprint in Wikisource; dropped व, the imperative is युङ्क्ष्व and the critical edition reads yuṅkṣva). Speaker: Narada's own words (verses 19–23); Wikisource prints no heading, and its वैशंपायन उवाच before verse 24 marks where the narration resumes.

Verse 20 (3.177.20)

अधिष्ठाने न वाऽनार्तः प्रयुञ्जीत कदाचन । प्रयोगेषु महान्दोषो ह्यस्त्राणां कुरुनन्दन ॥

adhiṣṭhāne na vā'nārtaḥ prayuñjīta kadācana | prayogeṣu mahāndoṣo hyastrāṇāṃ kurunandana

Even when there is a target, one who is not in peril should never use them. There is great harm in using weapons, O delight of the Kurus.

Verse 21 (3.177.21)

एतानि रक्ष्यमाणानि धनंजय यथागमम् । बलवन्ति सुखार्हाणि भविष्यन्ति न संशयः ॥

etāni rakṣyamāṇāni dhanaṃjaya yathāgamam | balavanti sukhārhāṇi bhaviṣyanti na saṃśayaḥ

If they are guarded as tradition lays down, Dhananjaya, they will be powerful and bring well-being; of that there is no doubt.

Verse 22 (3.177.22)

अरक्ष्यमाणान्येतानि त्रैलोक्यस्यापि पाण्डव । भवन्ति स्म विनाशाय मैवं भूयः कृथाः क्वचित् ॥

arakṣyamāṇānyetāni trailokyasyāpi pāṇḍava | bhavanti sma vināśāya maivaṃ bhūyaḥ kṛthāḥ kvacit

Left unguarded, Pandava, they bring ruin even to the three worlds. Never do this again, anywhere.

Verse 23 (3.177.23)

अजातशत्रो त्वं चैव द्रक्ष्यसे तानि संयुगे । योज्यमानानि पार्थेन द्विषतामवमर्दने ॥

ajātaśatro tvaṃ caiva drakṣyase tāni saṃyuge | yojyamānāni pārthena dviṣatāmavamardane

And you, Ajatashatru, will see them in battle, when Partha uses them to crush his enemies.

Note on the text: Corrected the word break पार्थे नद्विषताम् → पार्थेन द्विषताम् (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads pārthena dviṣatām).

Verse 24 (3.177.24)

निवार्याथ ततः पार्थं सर्वे देवा यथागतम् । जग्मुरन्ये च ये तत्र समाजग्मुर्नरर्षभ ॥

nivāryātha tataḥ pārthaṃ sarve devā yathāgatam | jagmuranye ca ye tatra samājagmurnararṣabha

Having thus restrained Partha, all the gods went back as they had come, and so did the others who had gathered there, O bull among men.

Note on the text: Corrected रसमाजग्मुः → समाजग्मुः (misprint in Wikisource; stray र, the critical edition reads samājagmur).

Verse 25 (3.177.25)

तेषु सर्वेषु कौरव्य प्रतियातेषु पाण्डवाः । तस्मिन्नेव वने हृष्टास्त ऊषुः सह कृष्णया ॥

teṣu sarveṣu kauravya pratiyāteṣu pāṇḍavāḥ | tasminneva vane hṛṣṭāsta ūṣuḥ saha kṛṣṇayā

When they had all departed, O Kauravya, the Pandavas lived on happily in that same forest with Krishna.

Note on the text: Corrected तस्मिननेव → तस्मिन्नेव (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads tasminn eva).