The Pandavas Leave Gandhamadana

Verse 1 (3.178.1)

तस्मिन्कृतास्त्रे रथिनां प्रवीरे । प्रत्यागते भवनाद्वृत्रहन्तुः । अतः परं किमकुर्वन्त पार्थाः । समेत्य शूरेण धनंजयेन ॥

tasminkṛtāstre rathināṃ pravīre | pratyāgate bhavanādvṛtrahantuḥ | ataḥ paraṃ kimakurvanta pārthāḥ | sametya śūreṇa dhanaṃjayena

When that foremost of chariot-warriors, now master of the weapons, had come back from the abode of Indra, slayer of Vritra, what did the Parthas do next, reunited with the heroic Dhananjaya?

Verse 2 (3.178.2)

वनेषु तेष्वेव तु ते नरेन्द्राः । सहार्जुनेनेन्द्रसमेन वीराः । तस्मिंश्च शैलप्रवरे सुरम्ये । धनेश्वराक्रीडगता विजह्रुः ॥

vaneṣu teṣveva tu te narendrāḥ | sahārjunenendrasamena vīrāḥ | tasmiṃśca śailapravare suramye | dhaneśvarākrīḍagatā vijahruḥ

Those heroic kings stayed on in those same forests with Arjuna, the equal of Indra, and on that lovely, foremost of mountains they took their pleasure, wandering through the pleasure-grounds of Kubera, lord of wealth.

Verse 3 (3.178.3)

वेश्मानि तान्यप्रतिमानि पश्यन् । क्रीडाश्च नानाद्रुमसन्निबद्धाः । चचार धन्वी बहुधा नरेन्द्रः । सोऽस्त्रेषु यत्तः सततं किरीटी ॥

veśmāni tānyapratimāni paśyan | krīḍāśca nānādrumasannibaddhāḥ | cacāra dhanvī bahudhā narendraḥ | so'streṣu yattaḥ satataṃ kirīṭī

Gazing at those matchless mansions and at the pleasure-groves set close with trees of many kinds, the diadem-wearer roamed about in many ways, bow in hand, a lord of men ever intent upon his weapons.

Verse 4 (3.178.4)

अवाप्य वासं नरदेवपुत्राः । प्रसादजं वैश्रवणस्य राज्ञः । न प्राणिनां ते स्पृहयन्ति राज- । ञ्शिवश्च कालः स बभूव तेषाम् ॥

avāpya vāsaṃ naradevaputrāḥ | prasādajaṃ vaiśravaṇasya rājñaḥ | na prāṇināṃ te spṛhayanti rāja- | ñśivaśca kālaḥ sa babhūva teṣām

Having gained a dwelling there by the favour of King Vaishravana, the sons of the lord of men envied no creature its lot, O king; that was a happy time for them.

Note on the text: Corrected शिवश् → शिवश्च (misprint in Wikisource; broken conjunct, the च dropped; the critical edition reads śivaś ca).

Verse 5 (3.178.5)

समेत्य पार्थेन यथैकरात्र- । मूषुः समास्तत्रतथा चतस्रः । पूर्वाश्च षट् ता दश पाण्डवानां । शिवा बभूवुर्वसतां वनेषु ॥

sametya pārthena yathaikarātra- | mūṣuḥ samāstatratathā catasraḥ | pūrvāśca ṣaṭ tā daśa pāṇḍavānāṃ | śivā babhūvurvasatāṃ vaneṣu

Together with Partha they lived there four years as if it were a single night; and with the six earlier years, those ten years the Pandavas spent dwelling in the forests were happy ones.

Verse 6 (3.178.6)

ततोऽब्रवीद्वायुसुतस्तरस्वी । जिष्णुश्च राजानमुपोपविश्य । यमौ च वीरौ सुरराजकल्पा- । वेकान्तमास्थाय हितं प्रियं च ॥

tato'bravīdvāyusutastarasvī | jiṣṇuśca rājānamupopaviśya | yamau ca vīrau surarājakalpā- | vekāntamāsthāya hitaṃ priyaṃ ca

Then the mighty son of the Wind, and Jishnu, and the two heroic twins, who were like the king of the gods, sat down beside the king in a private place and spoke to him words both wholesome and pleasing:

Verse 7 (3.178.7)

तव प्रतिज्ञां कुरुराज सत्यां । चिकीर्षमाणास्त्वदनुप्रियं च । ततो न गच्छाम वनान्यपास्य । सुयोधनं सानुचरं निहन्तुम् ॥

tava pratijñāṃ kururāja satyāṃ | cikīrṣamāṇāstvadanupriyaṃ ca | tato na gacchāma vanānyapāsya | suyodhanaṃ sānucaraṃ nihantum

"O king of the Kurus, it is only because we wish to make your vow come true and to do what is dear to you that we do not leave these forests and go to kill Suyodhana and his followers.

Verse 8 (3.178.8)

एकादशं वर्षमिदं वसामः । सुयोधनेनात्तसुखाः सुखार्हाः । तं वञ्चयित्वाऽधमबुद्धिशील- । मज्ञातवासं सुखमाप्नुयाम ॥

ekādaśaṃ varṣamidaṃ vasāmaḥ | suyodhanenāttasukhāḥ sukhārhāḥ | taṃ vañcayitvā'dhamabuddhiśīla- | majñātavāsaṃ sukhamāpnuyāma

This is the eleventh year we have been living here, we who deserve happiness and have been robbed of it by Suyodhana. Let us outwit that man of base mind and character and pass our year of hiding in comfort.

Verse 9 (3.178.9)

तवाज्ञया पार्थिव निर्विशङ्का । विहाय मानं विचरामो वनानि । समीपवासेन विलोभितास्ते । ज्ञास्यन्ति नास्मानपकृष्टदेशान् ॥

tavājñayā pārthiva nirviśaṅkā | vihāya mānaṃ vicarāmo vanāni | samīpavāsena vilobhitāste | jñāsyanti nāsmānapakṛṣṭadeśān

At your command, O king, let us lay aside our pride and wander the forests without fear. Misled by our living close at hand, they will never find us out in our humble stations.

Verse 10 (3.178.10)

संवत्सरं तत्र विहृत्य गूढं । नराधमं तं सुखमुद्धरेम । निर्यात्य वैरं सफलं सपुष्पं । तस्मै नरेन्द्राधमपूरुषाय ॥

saṃvatsaraṃ tatra vihṛtya gūḍhaṃ | narādhamaṃ taṃ sukhamuddharema | niryātya vairaṃ saphalaṃ sapuṣpaṃ | tasmai narendrādhamapūruṣāya

When we have spent that year there in secret, let us easily root out that vilest of men, paying back our enmity, with its fruit and its flower, to that lowest of kings,

Verse 11 (3.178.11)

सुयोधनायानुचरैर्वृताय । ततो महीं प्राप्नुहि धर्मराज । स्वर्गोपमं देशमिमं चरद्भिः । शक्यो विहन्तुं नरदेव शोकः ॥

suyodhanāyānucarairvṛtāya | tato mahīṃ prāpnuhi dharmarāja | svargopamaṃ deśamimaṃ caradbhiḥ | śakyo vihantuṃ naradeva śokaḥ

to Suyodhana, surrounded by his followers. Then, O Dharmaraja, win back the earth. Roaming this heaven-like land, O lord of men, we can indeed drive away our sorrow,

Verse 12 (3.178.12)

कीर्तिस्तु ते भारत पुण्यगन्धा । नश्येद्धि लोकेषु चराचरेषु । तत्प्राप्य राज्यंकुरुपुङ्गवानां । शक्यं महत्प्राप्तुमथ क्रियाश्च ॥

kīrtistu te bhārata puṇyagandhā | naśyeddhi lokeṣu carācareṣu | tatprāpya rājyaṃkurupuṅgavānāṃ | śakyaṃ mahatprāptumatha kriyāśca

but your fame, O Bharata, fragrant with merit, would perish in the worlds of moving and unmoving beings. Once the kingdom of the Kuru bulls is won, great things can be gained, and sacred rites performed as well.

Verse 13 (3.178.13)

इदं तु शक्यं सततं नरेन्द्र । प्राप्तुं त्वया यल्लभसे कुबेरात् । कुरुष्व बुद्धिं द्विषतां वधाय । कृतागसां भारत निग्रहे च ॥

idaṃ tu śakyaṃ satataṃ narendra | prāptuṃ tvayā yallabhase kuberāt | kuruṣva buddhiṃ dviṣatāṃ vadhāya | kṛtāgasāṃ bhārata nigrahe ca

What you are receiving from Kubera, O lord of men, you can attain at any time. Set your mind on killing your enemies, O Bharata, and on restraining those who have wronged you.

Verse 14 (3.178.14)

तेजस्तवोग्रं न सहेत राजन् । समेत्य साक्षादपि वज्रपाणिः । न हि व्यथां जातु करिष्यतस्तौ । समेत्य देवैरपि धर्मराज ॥

tejastavograṃ na saheta rājan | sametya sākṣādapi vajrapāṇiḥ | na hi vyathāṃ jātu kariṣyatastau | sametya devairapi dharmarāja

Not even the wielder of the thunderbolt himself could withstand your fierce might, O king, if he met you in battle. Nor would those two ever falter, O Dharmaraja, even in a clash with the gods —

Verse 15 (3.178.15)

तवार्थसिद्ध्यर्थमपि प्रवृत्तौ । सुपर्णकेतुश्च शिनेश्च नप्ता । यथैव कृष्णोऽप्रतिमो बलेन । तथैव राजन्स शिनिप्रवीरः ॥

tavārthasiddhyarthamapi pravṛttau | suparṇaketuśca śineśca naptā | yathaiva kṛṣṇo'pratimo balena | tathaiva rājansa śinipravīraḥ

the two who are bent on accomplishing your purpose, Krishna of the Garuda banner and the grandson of Shini. As Krishna is matchless in strength, so too, O king, is that hero of the Shini line.

Verse 16 (3.178.16)

तवार्थसिद्ध्यर्थमभिप्रपन्नो । यथैव कृष्णः सह यादवैस्तैः । तथैव चेमौ नरदेववर्य । यमौ च वीरौ कृतिनौ प्रयोगे ॥

tavārthasiddhyarthamabhiprapanno | yathaiva kṛṣṇaḥ saha yādavaistaiḥ | tathaiva cemau naradevavarya | yamau ca vīrau kṛtinau prayoge

Just as Krishna with those Yadavas stands committed to winning your aim, so do we two here, O best of kings, and the heroic twins, skilled in the use of weapons.

Note on the text: Wikisource verses 16 and 17 together correspond to the six-line critical-edition verse 3.173.16 (lines a–d here, e–f in verse 17).

Verse 17 (3.178.17)

त्वदर्थयोगप्रभवप्रधानाः । शमं करिष्याम परान्समेत्य ॥

tvadarthayogaprabhavapradhānāḥ | śamaṃ kariṣyāma parānsametya

With your gain of wealth and power as our chief aim, we will close with our enemies and put them to rest."

Note on the text: Corresponds to lines e–f of critical-edition 3.173.16 (see verse 16).

Verse 18 (3.178.18)

ततस्तदाज्ञाय मतं महात्मा । तेषां च धर्मस्य सुतो वरिष्ठः । प्रदक्षिणं स्थानमुपेत्य राजा । पर्याक्रमद्वैश्रवणस्य राज्ञः ॥

tatastadājñāya mataṃ mahātmā | teṣāṃ ca dharmasya suto variṣṭhaḥ | pradakṣiṇaṃ sthānamupetya rājā | paryākramadvaiśravaṇasya rājñaḥ

Then the great-souled king, the eminent son of Dharma, understanding what they had in mind, approached the abode of King Vaishravana and walked around it, keeping it on his right.

Verse 19 (3.178.19)

आमन्त्र्य वेश्मानि नदीः सरांसि । सर्वाणि रक्षांसि च धर्मराजः । यथागतं मार्गमवेक्षमाणः । पुनर्गिरिं चैव निरीक्षमाणः । ततो महात्मा स विशुद्धबुद्धिः । संप्रार्थयामास नगेन्द्रवर्यम् ॥

āmantrya veśmāni nadīḥ sarāṃsi | sarvāṇi rakṣāṃsi ca dharmarājaḥ | yathāgataṃ mārgamavekṣamāṇaḥ | punargiriṃ caiva nirīkṣamāṇaḥ | tato mahātmā sa viśuddhabuddhiḥ | saṃprārthayāmāsa nagendravaryam

Taking leave of the mansions, the rivers and lakes, and all the rakshasas, Dharmaraja looked along the road by which he had come and gazed once more at the mountain; and then the great-souled one, pure in understanding, addressed a prayer to that best of mountains:

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (3.173.18 and star passage *874): Wikisource prints only the last line of this verse, numbered "19f" and followed by a stray "]", showing that lines a–e were lost. Lines a–d are restored from 3.173.18 and line e from *874 line 1 (whose line 2 is Wikisource's surviving line; the CE file lists *874 at 3.172.18); stray "]" removed.

Verse 20 (3.178.20)

समाप्तकर्मा सहितः सुहृद्भि- । र्जित्वा सपत्नान्प्रतिलभ्य राज्यम् । शैलेन्द्र भूयस्तपसे जितात्मा । द्रष्टा तवास्मीति मतिं चकार ॥

samāptakarmā sahitaḥ suhṛdbhi- | rjitvā sapatnānpratilabhya rājyam | śailendra bhūyastapase jitātmā | draṣṭā tavāsmīti matiṃ cakāra

"When my work is done, when with my friends I have conquered my rivals and won back the kingdom, I shall come to see you again, O king of mountains, self-controlled, to practise austerities." So he resolved.

Verse 21 (3.178.21)

वृतश्च सर्वैरनुजैर्द्विजैश्च । तेनैव मार्गेण पुनर्निवृत्तः । उवाह चैनान्गणशस्तथैव । घटोत्कचः पर्वतनिर्झरेषु ॥

vṛtaśca sarvairanujairdvijaiśca | tenaiva mārgeṇa punarnivṛttaḥ | uvāha caināngaṇaśastathaiva | ghaṭotkacaḥ parvatanirjhareṣu

Surrounded by all his younger brothers and the brahmins, he turned back by that same road; and Ghatotkacha, as before, carried them company by company over the mountain torrents.

Verse 22 (3.178.22)

तान्प्रस्थितान्प्रीतमना महर्षिः । पितेव पुत्राननुशिष्य सर्वान् । स लोमशो दिवमेवोर्जितश्री- । र्जगाम तेषां विजयं तदोक्त्वा ॥

tānprasthitānprītamanā maharṣiḥ | piteva putrānanuśiṣya sarvān | sa lomaśo divamevorjitaśrī- | rjagāma teṣāṃ vijayaṃ tadoktvā

As they set out, the great seer Lomasha, glad at heart, counselled them all as a father counsels his sons; then, radiant in his glory, he went to heaven itself, having wished them victory.

Note on the text: Matches critical edition 3.173.21 in its first half; the second half is a different reading (recension variant).

Verse 23 (3.178.23)

तेनार्ष्टिषेणेन तथानुशिष्टा- । स्तीर्थानि रम्याणि तपोवनानि । महान्ति चान्यानि सरांसि पार्थाः । संपश्यमानाः प्रययुर्नराग्र्याः ॥

tenārṣṭiṣeṇena tathānuśiṣṭā- | stīrthāni ramyāṇi tapovanāni | mahānti cānyāni sarāṃsi pārthāḥ | saṃpaśyamānāḥ prayayurnarāgryāḥ

Instructed in the same way by Arshtishena, those foremost of men, the Parthas, went on their way, beholding lovely sacred fords, ascetic groves and other great lakes.

Note on the text: Corrected तीर्तानि → तीर्थानि (misprint in Wikisource; त for थ, "sacred fords"; the critical edition reads tīrthāni) and कसंपश्यमानाः → संपश्यमानाः (misprint in Wikisource; stray क; the critical edition reads saṃpaśyamānāḥ).