The Pandavas Battle the Gandharvas

Verse 1 (3.245.1)

युधिष्ठिरवचः श्रुत्वा भीमसेनपुरोगमाः । प्रहृष्टवदनाः सर्वे समुत्तस्थुर्नरर्षभाः ॥

yudhiṣṭhiravacaḥ śrutvā bhīmasenapurogamāḥ | prahṛṣṭavadanāḥ sarve samuttasthurnararṣabhāḥ

Hearing Yudhishthira's words, the bulls among men, led by Bhimasena, all rose up with joyful faces.

Verse 2 (3.245.2)

अभेद्यानि ततः सर्वे समनह्यन्त भारत । जाम्बूनदविचित्राणि कवचानि महारथाः । आयुधानि च दिव्यानि विविधानि समादधुः ॥

abhedyāni tataḥ sarve samanahyanta bhārata | jāmbūnadavicitrāṇi kavacāni mahārathāḥ | āyudhāni ca divyāni vividhāni samādadhuḥ

Then all the great chariot-warriors, O Bharata, put on impenetrable armour worked with gold, and took up many kinds of divine weapons.

Note on the text: Lines 1–2 are the critical edition's 3.233.2 (unmatched by the automatic alignment); line 3 appears only in its apparatus (3.233.2*1125).

Verse 3 (3.245.3)

ते दंशिता रथैः सर्वे ध्वजिनः सशरासनाः । पाण्डवाः प्रत्यदृश्यन्त ज्वलिता इवपावकाः ॥

te daṃśitā rathaiḥ sarve dhvajinaḥ saśarāsanāḥ | pāṇḍavāḥ pratyadṛśyanta jvalitā ivapāvakāḥ

Armoured, in their chariots, with banners and bows, the Pandavas looked like blazing fires.

Verse 4 (3.245.4)

तान्रथान्साधुसंपन्नान्संयुक्ताञ्जवनैर्हयैः । आस्थाय रथशार्दूलाः शीघ्रमेव ययुस्ततः ॥

tānrathānsādhusaṃpannānsaṃyuktāñjavanairhayaiḥ | āsthāya rathaśārdūlāḥ śīghrameva yayustataḥ

Mounting those well-equipped chariots yoked to swift horses, those tigers among chariot-warriors set out from there at once.

Verse 5 (3.245.5)

ततः कौरवसैन्यानां प्रादुरासीन्महास्वनः । प्रयातान्सहितान्दृष्ट्वा पाण्डुपुत्रान्महारथान् ॥

tataḥ kauravasainyānāṃ prādurāsīnmahāsvanaḥ | prayātānsahitāndṛṣṭvā pāṇḍuputrānmahārathān

Then a great shout rose from the Kaurava troops when they saw the great chariot-warriors, the sons of Pandu, setting out together.

Verse 6 (3.245.6)

जितकाशिनश्च स्वचरास्त्वरिताश्च महारथाः । क्षणेनैव वने तस्मिन्समाजग्मुरभीतवत् ॥

jitakāśinaśca svacarāstvaritāśca mahārathāḥ | kṣaṇenaiva vane tasminsamājagmurabhītavat

And the sky-rangers, flushed with victory, swift and mighty chariot-fighters, in an instant gathered fearlessly in that forest.

Verse 7 (3.245.7)

न्यवर्तन्त ततः सर्वे गन्धर्वा जितकाशिनः । दृष्ट्वा रथगतान्वीरान्पाण्डवांश्चतुरो रणे ॥

nyavartanta tataḥ sarve gandharvā jitakāśinaḥ | dṛṣṭvā rathagatānvīrānpāṇḍavāṃścaturo raṇe

Then all the Gandharvas, flushed with victory, turned back on seeing the four heroic Pandavas in their chariots on the field.

Verse 8 (3.245.8)

तांस्तु विभ्राजितान्दृष्ट्वा लोकपालानिवोद्यतान् । व्यूढानीका व्यतिष्ठन्त गन्धमादनवासिनः ॥

tāṃstu vibhrājitāndṛṣṭvā lokapālānivodyatān | vyūḍhānīkā vyatiṣṭhanta gandhamādanavāsinaḥ

Seeing them shining like the guardians of the worlds, with weapons raised, the dwellers of Gandhamadana stood with their ranks drawn up in array.

Verse 9 (3.245.9)

राज्ञस्तु वचनं श्रुत्वा धर्मपुत्रस्य धीमतः । क्रमेण मृदुना युद्धमुपक्रान्तं च भारत ॥

rājñastu vacanaṃ śrutvā dharmaputrasya dhīmataḥ | krameṇa mṛdunā yuddhamupakrāntaṃ ca bhārata

Heeding the word of the wise king, the son of Dharma, they began the battle mildly and by degrees, O Bharata.

Verse 10 (3.245.10)

न तु गन्धर्वराजस्य सैनिका मन्दचेतसः । शक्यन्ते मृदुना श्रेयः प्रतिपादयितुं तदा ॥

na tu gandharvarājasya sainikā mandacetasaḥ | śakyante mṛdunā śreyaḥ pratipādayituṃ tadā

But the soldiers of the Gandharva king, dull of understanding, could not then be brought round to their own good by gentleness.

Verse 11 (3.245.11)

ततस्तान्युधि दुर्धर्षान्सव्यसाची परंतपः । सान्त्वपूर्वमिदं वाक्यमुवाच खचरान्रणे ॥

tatastānyudhi durdharṣānsavyasācī paraṃtapaḥ | sāntvapūrvamidaṃ vākyamuvāca khacarānraṇe

Then Savyasachin, scorcher of foes, spoke these conciliatory words on the field to the sky-rangers, who were hard to overcome in battle:

Verse 12 (3.245.12)

नैतद्गन्धर्वराजस्य युक्तं कर्म जुगुप्सितम् । परदाराभिमर्शश्च मानुषैश्च समागमः ॥

naitadgandharvarājasya yuktaṃ karma jugupsitam | paradārābhimarśaśca mānuṣaiśca samāgamaḥ

"This is a contemptible deed, unworthy of the king of the Gandharvas: laying hands on other men's wives, and this clash with mortals."

Note on the text: Speaker set to Arjuna: verses 12–13 are his direct speech, announced in verse 11.

Verse 13 (3.245.13)

उत्सृजध्वं महावीर्यान्धृतराष्ट्रसुतानिमान् । दारांश्चैषां प्रमुञ्चध्वं धर्मराजस्य शासनात् ॥

utsṛjadhvaṃ mahāvīryāndhṛtarāṣṭrasutānimān | dārāṃścaiṣāṃ pramuñcadhvaṃ dharmarājasya śāsanāt

"By the command of the King of Dharma, release these mighty sons of Dhritarashtra and set their wives free."

Verse 14 (3.245.14)

त एवमुक्ता गन्धर्वाः पाण्डवेन यशस्विना । उत्स्मयन्तस्तदा पार्थमिदं वचनमब्रुवन् ॥

ta evamuktā gandharvāḥ pāṇḍavena yaśasvinā | utsmayantastadā pārthamidaṃ vacanamabruvan

Addressed thus by the illustrious Pandava, the Gandharvas smiled and said this to Partha:

Verse 15 (3.245.15)

एकस्यैव वयं तात कुर्याम वचनं भुवि । यस्य शासनमाज्ञाय चरामो विगतज्वराः ॥

ekasyaiva vayaṃ tāta kuryāma vacanaṃ bhuvi | yasya śāsanamājñāya carāmo vigatajvarāḥ

"Friend, there is only one on earth whose word we would obey, the one whose command we follow as we roam free of care."

Note on the text: Speaker set to the Gandharvas: verses 15–16 are their direct speech, announced in verse 14.

Verse 16 (3.245.16)

तेनैकेन यथादिष्टं तथा वर्ताम भारत । न शास्ता विद्यतेऽस्माकमन्यस्तस्मात्सुरेश्वरात् ॥

tenaikena yathādiṣṭaṃ tathā vartāma bhārata | na śāstā vidyate'smākamanyastasmātsureśvarāt

"As that one alone directs, so we act, O Bharata; we have no ruler other than that lord of the gods."

Note on the text: Corrected रकयथादिष्टं → यथादिष्टं (misprint in Wikisource; stray aksharas र क that break the metre; the critical edition has yathādiṣṭaṃ).

Verse 17 (3.245.17)

एवमुक्तः स गन्धर्वैः कुन्तीपुत्रो धनंजयः । गन्धर्वान्पुनरेवैतान्वचनं प्रत्यभाषत ॥

evamuktaḥ sa gandharvaiḥ kuntīputro dhanaṃjayaḥ | gandharvānpunarevaitānvacanaṃ pratyabhāṣata

Spoken to thus by the Gandharvas, Dhananjaya, son of Kunti, answered the Gandharvas once more:

Verse 18 (3.245.18)

यदि साम्ना न मुञ्चध्वं गन्धर्वा धृतराष्ट्रजान् । मोक्षयिष्यामि विक्रम्य स्वयमेव सुयोधनम् ॥

yadi sāmnā na muñcadhvaṃ gandharvā dhṛtarāṣṭrajān | mokṣayiṣyāmi vikramya svayameva suyodhanam

"If you will not release the sons of Dhritarashtra peaceably, Gandharvas, I shall attack and free Suyodhana myself."

Note on the text: Speaker set to Arjuna: the verse is his direct speech, announced in verse 17.

Verse 19 (3.245.19)

एवमुक्त्वा ततः पार्थः सव्यसाची धनंजयः । ससर्ज निशितान्बाणान्खचरान्खचरान्प्रति ॥

evamuktvā tataḥ pārthaḥ savyasācī dhanaṃjayaḥ | sasarja niśitānbāṇānkhacarānkhacarānprati

Having said this, Partha, Savyasachin Dhananjaya, loosed sharp arrows at the sky-rangers as they ranged the sky.

Verse 20 (3.245.20)

तथैव शरवर्षेण गन्धर्वास्ते बलोत्कटाः । पाण्डवानभ्यवर्तन्त पाण्डवाश्च दिवौकसः ॥

tathaiva śaravarṣeṇa gandharvāste balotkaṭāḥ | pāṇḍavānabhyavartanta pāṇḍavāśca divaukasaḥ

In the same way the Gandharvas, swollen with might, attacked the Pandavas with a shower of arrows, and the Pandavas attacked the dwellers of heaven.

Note on the text: Corrected बलोत्काटाः → बलोत्कटाः (misprint in Wikisource; a stray vowel sign; the critical edition has balotkaṭāḥ).

Verse 21 (3.245.21)

ततः सुतुमुलं युद्धं गन्धर्वाणां तरस्विनाम् । बभूव भीमवेगानां पाण्डवानां च भारत ॥

tataḥ sutumulaṃ yuddhaṃ gandharvāṇāṃ tarasvinām | babhūva bhīmavegānāṃ pāṇḍavānāṃ ca bhārata

Then a tumultuous battle broke out between the swift Gandharvas and the Pandavas of fearsome force, O Bharata.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (3.233.21cd): Wikisource prints the second line as बभूव भीमवेगानां च भात, which has lost the word पाण्डवानां and the syllable र of भारत; the line now reads बभूव भीमवेगानां पाण्डवानां च भारत.