Udanka Asks Brihadashva to Slay Dhundhu

Verse 1 (3.205.1)

इक्ष्वाकौ संस्थिते राजञ्शशादः पृथिवीमिमाम् । प्राप्तः परमधर्मात्मा सोऽयोध्यायां नृपोऽभवत् ॥

ikṣvākau saṃsthite rājañśaśādaḥ pṛthivīmimām | prāptaḥ paramadharmātmā so'yodhyāyāṃ nṛpo'bhavat

When Ikshvaku had passed away, O king, the supremely righteous Shashada received this earth and became king in Ayodhya.

Note on the text: Corrected संस्तिते → संस्थिते (misprint in Wikisource; त for थ, the critical edition reads saṃsthite).

Verse 2 (3.205.2)

शशादस्य तु दायादः ककुत्स्थो नाम वीर्यवान् । अनेनाश्चापि काकुत्स्थः पृथुश्चानेनसः सुतः ॥

śaśādasya tu dāyādaḥ kakutstho nāma vīryavān | anenāścāpi kākutsthaḥ pṛthuścānenasaḥ sutaḥ

Shashada's heir was the valiant Kakutstha. Kakutstha's son was Anenas, and Prithu was the son of Anenas.

Note on the text: Corrected दायाद → दायादः (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped visarga, the critical edition reads dāyādaḥ).

Verse 3 (3.205.3)

विष्वगश्वः पृथोः पुत्रस्तस्मादार्द्रश्च जज्ञिवान् । आर्द्रस्य युवनाश्वस्तु श्रावस्तस्तस्य चात्मजः ॥

viṣvagaśvaḥ pṛthoḥ putrastasmādārdraśca jajñivān | ārdrasya yuvanāśvastu śrāvastastasya cātmajaḥ

Vishvagashva was Prithu's son, and from him Ardra was born. Ardra's son was Yuvanashva, and his son was Shravasta.

Verse 4 (3.205.4)

जज्ञे श्रावस्तको राजा श्रावस्ती येन निर्मिता । श्रावस्तस्य तु दायादो बृहदश्वो महाबलः ॥

jajñe śrāvastako rājā śrāvastī yena nirmitā | śrāvastasya tu dāyādo bṛhadaśvo mahābalaḥ

That king, Shravastaka, was the one who built the city of Shravasti. Shravasta's heir was the mighty Brihadashva.

Note on the text: Lines are CE 3.193.4a and 4c (the automatic alignment missed them). Wikisource divides verses 4–7 half a verse out of step with the critical edition.

Verse 5 (3.205.5)

बृहदश्वस्य दायादः कुवलाश्व इति स्मृतः । कुवलाश्वस्य पुत्राणां सहस्राण्येकविंशतिः ॥

bṛhadaśvasya dāyādaḥ kuvalāśva iti smṛtaḥ | kuvalāśvasya putrāṇāṃ sahasrāṇyekaviṃśatiḥ

Brihadashva's heir is remembered as Kuvalashva. Kuvalashva had twenty-one thousand sons,

Note on the text: Corrected बृहदश्वस् → बृहदश्वस्य and एकविंसतिः → एकविंशतिः (misprints in Wikisource; a dropped akshara य, and स for श; the critical edition reads ekaviṃśatiḥ). The first line is CE 3.193.4e in a different wording (bṛhadaśvasutaś cāpi); the second is CE 3.193.5a.

Verse 6 (3.205.6)

सर्वे विद्यासु निष्णाता बलवन्तो दुरासदाः । कुवलाश्वश्च पितृतोगुणैरभ्यधिकोऽभवत् ॥

sarve vidyāsu niṣṇātā balavanto durāsadāḥ | kuvalāśvaśca pitṛtoguṇairabhyadhiko'bhavat

all of them accomplished in learning, strong and hard to withstand. Kuvalashva surpassed even his father in virtues.

Note on the text: The first line is CE 3.193.5c, the second CE 3.193.6a (कुवलाश्वश्च for kuvalāśvas tu is a recension variant).

Verse 7 (3.205.7)

समये तं तदा राज्ये बृहदश्वोऽभ्यषेचयत् । कुवलाश्वं महाराज शूरमुत्तमधार्मिकम् ॥

samaye taṃ tadā rājye bṛhadaśvo'bhyaṣecayat | kuvalāśvaṃ mahārāja śūramuttamadhārmikam

In due time, great king, Brihadashva consecrated Kuvalashva, heroic and supremely righteous, in the kingship.

Note on the text: Lines are CE 3.193.6c and 6e.

Verse 8 (3.205.8)

पुत्रसंक्रामितश्रीस्तु बृहदश्वो महीपतिः । जगाम तपसे धीमांस्तपोवनममित्रहा ॥

putrasaṃkrāmitaśrīstu bṛhadaśvo mahīpatiḥ | jagāma tapase dhīmāṃstapovanamamitrahā

Having handed his royal fortune to his son, the wise King Brihadashva, slayer of foes, went to the forest of austerities to practise penance.

Verse 9 (3.205.9)

अथ शुश्राव राजर्षिं तमुदङ्को नराधिप । वनं संप्रस्थितं राजन्बृहदश्वं द्विजोत्तमः ॥

atha śuśrāva rājarṣiṃ tamudaṅko narādhipa | vanaṃ saṃprasthitaṃ rājanbṛhadaśvaṃ dvijottamaḥ

Then, lord of men, Udanka, best of the twice-born, heard, O king, that the royal sage Brihadashva had set out for the forest.

Note on the text: Corrected शश्वाव → शुश्राव (misprint in Wikisource; a missing vowel sign and व for र, the critical edition reads śuśrāva).

Verse 10 (3.205.10)

तमुदङ्को महातेजाः सर्वास्त्रविदुषांवरम् । न्यवारयदमेयात्मा समासाद्य पुरोत्तमे ॥

tamudaṅko mahātejāḥ sarvāstraviduṣāṃvaram | nyavārayadameyātmā samāsādya purottame

Udanka, of great splendour and boundless spirit, came upon him in that finest of cities and held back the king, the best of all who know weapons.

Verse 11 (3.205.11)

भवता रक्षणं कार्यं तत्तावत्कर्तुमर्हसि । निरुद्विग्ना वयं राजंस्त्वत्प्रसादाद्वसेमहि ॥

bhavatā rakṣaṇaṃ kāryaṃ tattāvatkartumarhasi | nirudvignā vayaṃ rājaṃstvatprasādādvasemahi

Protection is your duty; you should carry that out first. By your grace, O king, let us live free from fear.

Note on the text: Corrected निरुद्विग्रा → निरुद्विग्ना and त्वत्प्रदाद् → त्वत्प्रसादाद् (misprints in Wikisource; ग्र for ग्न, and a dropped akshara स; the critical edition reads nirudvignā and tvatprasādād).

Verse 12 (3.205.12)

त्वया हि पृथिवी राजन्रक्ष्यमाणा महात्मना । भविष्यति निरुद्विग्ना नारण्यं गन्तुमर्हसि ॥

tvayā hi pṛthivī rājanrakṣyamāṇā mahātmanā | bhaviṣyati nirudvignā nāraṇyaṃ gantumarhasi

For while the earth is protected by you, great-souled king, it will be free from fear. You ought not to go to the forest.

Verse 13 (3.205.13)

पालने हि महान्धर्मः प्रजानामिह दृश्यते । न तथा दृश्यतेऽरण्ये माभूत्ते बुद्धिरीदृशी ॥

pālane hi mahāndharmaḥ prajānāmiha dṛśyate | na tathā dṛśyate'raṇye mābhūtte buddhirīdṛśī

A great dharma is seen here in protecting one's subjects; none such is seen in the forest. Do not let your mind be set on this.

Note on the text: Corrected पालन → पालने (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped vowel sign, the critical edition reads pālane).

Verse 14 (3.205.14)

ईदृशो न हि राजेन्द्र धर्मः क्वचन दृश्यते । प्रजानां पालने यत्नः पुरा राजर्षिभिः कृतः ॥

īdṛśo na hi rājendra dharmaḥ kvacana dṛśyate | prajānāṃ pālane yatnaḥ purā rājarṣibhiḥ kṛtaḥ

Nowhere, lord of kings, is dharma to be seen like the effort the royal sages of old made in protecting their subjects.

Note on the text: Lines are CE 3.193.13a and 13c (यत्नः for yo vai is a recension variant). Wikisource divides verses 14–18 and 22–26 differently from the critical edition.

Verse 15 (3.205.15)

रक्षितव्याः प्रजा राज्ञा तास्त्वं रक्षितुमर्हसि । निरुद्विग्नस्तपस्तप्तुं न हि शक्नोमि पार्थिव ॥

rakṣitavyāḥ prajā rājñā tāstvaṃ rakṣitumarhasi | nirudvignastapastaptuṃ na hi śaknomi pārthiva

Subjects must be protected by the king, and you ought to protect them. I cannot practise my austerities free from fear, lord of the earth.

Note on the text: The first line is CE 3.193.13e, the second CE 3.193.14a (तपस्तप्तुं for tapaś cartuṃ is a recension variant).

Verse 16 (3.205.16)

ममाश्रमसमीपे वै समेषु मरुधन्वसु । समुद्रवालुकापूर्ण उज्जालक इति स्मृतः । बहुयोजनविस्तीर्णो बहुयोजनमायतः ॥

mamāśramasamīpe vai sameṣu marudhanvasu | samudravālukāpūrṇa ujjālaka iti smṛtaḥ | bahuyojanavistīrṇo bahuyojanamāyataḥ

Near my hermitage, in the level desert country, lies a sea filled with sand, known as Ujjalaka, many yojanas wide and many yojanas long.

Note on the text: The first line is CE 3.193.14c; the other two are CE 3.193.15 (समुद्रवालुकापूर्ण उज्जालक for samudro vālukāpūrṇa ujjānaka is a recension variant).

Verse 17 (3.205.17)

तत्र रौद्रो दानवेन्द्रो महावीर्यपराक्रमः । मधुकैटभयोः पुत्रो धुन्धुर्नाम सुदारुणः । अन्तर्भूमिगतो राजन्वसत्यमितविक्रमः ॥

tatra raudro dānavendro mahāvīryaparākramaḥ | madhukaiṭabhayoḥ putro dhundhurnāma sudāruṇaḥ | antarbhūmigato rājanvasatyamitavikramaḥ

There lives a fearsome lord of the Danavas, of great valour and might, the son of Madhu and Kaitabha, the very cruel one named Dhundhu. He dwells within the earth, O king, boundless in prowess.

Note on the text: The first two lines are CE 3.193.16; the third is CE 3.193.17a.

Verse 18 (3.205.18)

तं निहत्य महाराज वनं त्वं गन्तुमर्हसि ॥

taṃ nihatya mahārāja vanaṃ tvaṃ gantumarhasi

Slay him, great king, and then go to the forest.

Note on the text: A single line in Wikisource: it is CE 3.193.17c, whose first line ends the previous verse. Nothing is missing.

Verse 19 (3.205.19)

शेते लोकविनाशाय तप आस्थाय दारुणम् । त्रिदशानां विनाशाय लोकानां चापि पार्थिव ॥

śete lokavināśāya tapa āsthāya dāruṇam | tridaśānāṃ vināśāya lokānāṃ cāpi pārthiva

He lies there, given to fierce austerities, to destroy the worlds — to destroy the gods and the worlds too, lord of the earth.

Verse 20 (3.205.20)

अवध्यो दैवतानां हि दैत्यानामथ रक्षसाम् । नागानामथ यक्षाणां गन्धर्वाणां च सर्वशः । अवाप्य स वरं राजन्सर्वलोकपितामहात् ॥

avadhyo daivatānāṃ hi daityānāmatha rakṣasām | nāgānāmatha yakṣāṇāṃ gandharvāṇāṃ ca sarvaśaḥ | avāpya sa varaṃ rājansarvalokapitāmahāt

He cannot be slain by gods, by Daityas or by Rakshasas, by Nagas, by Yakshas or by Gandharvas, any of them, for he has won that boon, O king, from the Grandsire of all the worlds.

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (अवाप्यस → अवाप्य स), as in the critical edition's avāpya sa.

Verse 21 (3.205.21)

तं विनाशय भद्रं ते मा ते बुद्धिरतोऽन्यथा । प्राप्स्यसे महतीं कीर्तिं शाश्वतीमव्ययां ध्रुवाम् ॥

taṃ vināśaya bhadraṃ te mā te buddhirato'nyathā | prāpsyase mahatīṃ kīrtiṃ śāśvatīmavyayāṃ dhruvām

Destroy him, blessings on you; let your mind not turn elsewhere. You will win great fame, everlasting, undying and sure.

Verse 22 (3.205.22)

क्रूरस्य तस्य स्वपतो वालुकान्तर्हितस्य च । संवत्सरस्य पर्यन्ते निःश्वासः संप्रवर्तते ॥

krūrasya tasya svapato vālukāntarhitasya ca | saṃvatsarasya paryante niḥśvāsaḥ saṃpravartate

As that cruel one sleeps, hidden beneath the sand, at the end of every year his breath bursts forth.

Note on the text: Lines are CE 3.193.21a and 21c (the automatic alignment missed them).

Verse 23 (3.205.23)

यदा तदा भूश्चलति सशैलवनकानना । तस्य निःश्वासवातेन रज उद्धूयते महत् ॥

yadā tadā bhūścalati saśailavanakānanā | tasya niḥśvāsavātena raja uddhūyate mahat

Whenever that happens, the earth shakes with its mountains, woods and forests, and the wind of his breath raises a great cloud of dust.

Note on the text: The first line is CE 3.193.21e, the second CE 3.193.22a.

Verse 24 (3.205.24)

आदित्यरथमाश्रित्य सप्ताहं भूमिकम्पनम् । सविस्फुलिङ्गं सज्वालं धूममिश्रं सुदारुणम् ॥

ādityarathamāśritya saptāhaṃ bhūmikampanam | savisphuliṅgaṃ sajvālaṃ dhūmamiśraṃ sudāruṇam

It rises to the sun's chariot, and for seven days the earth quakes, with sparks and flames and smoke mingled in it, most dreadful.

Note on the text: Lines are CE 3.193.22c and 22e (आदित्यरथमाश्रित्य for ādityapatham āvṛtya and धूममिश्रं सुदारुणम् for sadhūmaṃ hy atidāruṇam are recension variants).

Verse 25 (3.205.25)

तेन राजन्न शक्नोमि तस्मिन्स्थातुं स्व आश्रमे ॥

tena rājanna śaknomi tasminsthātuṃ sva āśrame

Because of it, O king, I cannot stay in my own hermitage.

Note on the text: Corrected स्तातुं स्वआंश्रमे → स्थातुं स्व आश्रमे (misprints in Wikisource; त for थ, and a stray anusvara with a lost word space; the critical edition reads sthātuṃ sva āśrame). A single line in Wikisource: it is CE 3.193.23a, and the next verse carries 23c and 23e. Nothing is missing.

Verse 26 (3.205.26)

तं विनाशय राजेन्द्र लोकानां हितकाम्यया । लोकाः स्वस्था भविष्यन्ति तस्मिन्विनिहतेऽसुरे ॥

taṃ vināśaya rājendra lokānāṃ hitakāmyayā | lokāḥ svasthā bhaviṣyanti tasminvinihate'sure

Destroy him, lord of kings, for the good of the worlds. The worlds will be at ease once that asura is slain.

Note on the text: Corrected लकाः → लोकाः (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped vowel sign, the critical edition reads lokāḥ). Lines are CE 3.193.23c and 23e (भविष्यन्ति for bhavantv adya is a recension variant).

Verse 27 (3.205.27)

धुन्धुनामानमत्युग्रं दानवं घोरविग्रहम् । समरे घोरतुमुले विनाशय महेषुणा ॥

dhundhunāmānamatyugraṃ dānavaṃ ghoravigraham | samare ghoratumule vināśaya maheṣuṇā

In fierce and tumultuous battle, with a mighty arrow, destroy that most savage Danava named Dhundhu, dreadful in form.

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki quote marks (` and ') with which Wikisource marks this verse as an addition. Corrected धोरविग्रहम् → घोरविग्रहम् and धोरतुमुले → घोरतुमुले (misprints in Wikisource; ध for घ; the apparatus reads ghoram). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); its apparatus has a close variant as star passage 974*, after 3.193.23.

Verse 28 (3.205.28)

त्वं हि तस्य विनाशाय पर्याप्त इति मे मतिः । तेजसा तव तेजश्च विष्णुराप्याययिष्यति ॥

tvaṃ hi tasya vināśāya paryāpta iti me matiḥ | tejasā tava tejaśca viṣṇurāpyāyayiṣyati

You are equal to the task of destroying him — that is my judgement. Vishnu will increase your power with his own.

Note on the text: Corrected आप्यायविष्यति → आप्याययिष्यति (misprint in Wikisource; व for य, the critical edition reads āpyāyayiṣyati).

Verse 29 (3.205.29)

विष्णुना च वरो दत्तः पूर्वं मम महीपते ॥

viṣṇunā ca varo dattaḥ pūrvaṃ mama mahīpate

Long ago, lord of the earth, Vishnu granted me a boon:

Note on the text: A single line in Wikisource: it is CE 3.193.25a in a different wording (mama pūrvaṃ tato vadhe), and the next verse carries 25c and 25e. Nothing is missing.

Verse 30 (3.205.30)

यस्तं महासुरं रौद्रं वधिष्यति महीपतिः । तेजस्तद्वैष्णवमिति प्रवेक्ष्यति दुरासदम् ॥

yastaṃ mahāsuraṃ raudraṃ vadhiṣyati mahīpatiḥ | tejastadvaiṣṇavamiti pravekṣyati durāsadam

"The king who slays that fierce great asura — into him the irresistible splendour of Vishnu shall enter."

Note on the text: Lines are CE 3.193.25c and 25e.

Verse 31 (3.205.31)

तत्तेजस्त्वंसमाधाय राजेन्द्र भुवि दुःसहम् । तं निषूदय संदिष्टो दैत्यं रौद्रपराक्रमम् ॥

tattejastvaṃsamādhāya rājendra bhuvi duḥsaham | taṃ niṣūdaya saṃdiṣṭo daityaṃ raudraparākramam

Take into yourself that splendour, unbearable on earth, lord of kings, and as you have been bidden, slay that Daitya of fearsome valour.

Verse 32 (3.205.32)

न हि धुन्धुर्महातेजास्तेजसाऽल्पेन शक्यते । निर्दग्धुं पृथिवीपाल स हि वर्षशतैरपि ॥

na hi dhundhurmahātejāstejasā'lpena śakyate | nirdagdhuṃ pṛthivīpāla sa hi varṣaśatairapi

For Dhundhu, mighty in his own power, cannot be burned up by a little power, protector of the earth, not even in hundreds of years.