Arjuna Defeats Yajnadatta, Son of Bhagadatta

Verse 1 (14.76.1)

एवं त्रिरात्रमभवत्तद्युद्धं भरतर्षभ । अर्जुनस्य नरेन्द्रेण वृत्रेणेव शतक्रतोः ॥

evaṃ trirātramabhavattadyuddhaṃ bharatarṣabha | arjunasya narendreṇa vṛtreṇeva śatakratoḥ

Thus, O best of the Bharatas, that battle between Arjuna and the king went on for three nights, like the battle of Indra with Vritra.

Note on the text: Wikisource adhyaya 76 corresponds to critical edition adhyaya 14.75 (the two divide the Ashvamedhika Parva differently). Wikisource names the king यज्ञदत्त (Yajnadatta) throughout where the critical edition has वज्रदत्त (Vajradatta); a recension variant, kept. The page prints no speaker heading; the narration is Vaishampayana's, as in the critical edition.

Verse 2 (14.76.2)

ततश्चतुर्थे दिवसे यज्ञदत्तो महाबलः । जहास सस्वनं हासं वाक्यं चेदमताब्रवीत् ॥

tataścaturthe divase yajñadatto mahābalaḥ | jahāsa sasvanaṃ hāsaṃ vākyaṃ cedamatābravīt

On the fourth day the mighty Yajnadatta gave a loud laugh and spoke these words:

Verse 3 (14.76.3)

अर्जुनार्जुन तिष्ठस्व न मे जीवन्विमोक्ष्यसे । त्वां निहत्य करिष्यामि पितुस्तोयं यथाविधि ॥

arjunārjuna tiṣṭhasva na me jīvanvimokṣyase | tvāṃ nihatya kariṣyāmi pitustoyaṃ yathāvidhi

"Arjuna, Arjuna, stand your ground! You will not escape from me alive. When I have killed you, I shall offer water to my father as the rite requires."

Note on the text: Direct speech of Yajnadatta (verses 3-4 fill whole verses with no printed heading).

Verse 4 (14.76.4)

त्वया वृद्धो मम पिता भगदत्तः पितुः सखा । हतो वृद्धोऽपि बाधित्वा शिशुं मामद्य योधय ॥

tvayā vṛddho mama pitā bhagadattaḥ pituḥ sakhā | hato vṛddho'pi bādhitvā śiśuṃ māmadya yodhaya

"My father Bhagadatta was old, and a friend of your father. You harassed him and killed him, old as he was. Now fight me today, a mere child."

Note on the text: Direct speech of Yajnadatta (continued). Wikisource reads हतो वृद्धोऽपि बाधित्वा where the critical edition has hato vṛddho 'pacāyitvā (recension variant, kept).

Verse 5 (14.76.5)

इत्येवमुक्त्वा संक्रुद्धो यज्ञदत्तो नराधिपः । प्रेषयामास कौरव्य वारणं पाण्डवं प्रति ॥

ityevamuktvā saṃkruddho yajñadatto narādhipaḥ | preṣayāmāsa kauravya vāraṇaṃ pāṇḍavaṃ prati

Having spoken thus, the enraged king Yajnadatta, O descendant of Kuru, drove his elephant at the son of Pandu.

Verse 6 (14.76.6)

सम्प्रेष्यमाणो नागेन्द्रो यज्ञदत्तेन धीमता । उत्पतिष्यन्निवाकाशमभिदुद्राव पाण्डवम् ॥

sampreṣyamāṇo nāgendro yajñadattena dhīmatā | utpatiṣyannivākāśamabhidudrāva pāṇḍavam

Urged on by the shrewd Yajnadatta, the lord of elephants rushed at the Pandava as if about to spring up into the sky.

Verse 7 (14.76.7)

अग्रहस्तसुमुक्तेन शीकरेण स नागराट् । समौक्षत गुडाकेशं शैलं नील इवाम्बुदः ॥

agrahastasumuktena śīkareṇa sa nāgarāṭ | samaukṣata guḍākeśaṃ śailaṃ nīla ivāmbudaḥ

That king of elephants drenched Gudakesha with the spray flung from the tip of his trunk, as a dark cloud drenches a mountain.

Note on the text: Corrected समौक्षति → समौक्षत (misprint in Wikisource; an augmented past form is required with the elephant as subject — a present ending cannot stand after the augment; the critical edition has samukṣata). Wikisource also reads अग्रहस्तसुमुक्तेन and स नागराट् where the critical edition has agrahastapramuktena and sa phalgunam (recension variants, kept).

Verse 8 (14.76.8)

स तेन प्रेषितो राज्ञा मेघवद्विनदन्मुहुः । मुखाडम्बरसंह्रादैरभ्यद्रवत फल्गुनम् ॥

sa tena preṣito rājñā meghavadvinadanmuhuḥ | mukhāḍambarasaṃhrādairabhyadravata phalgunam

Sent forth by the king, bellowing again and again like a thundercloud, it charged at Phalguna with the roaring blasts of its gaping mouth.

Verse 9 (14.76.9)

स नृत्यन्निव नागेन्द्रो यज्ञदत्तप्रचोदितः । आससाद द्रुतं राजन्कौरवाणां महारथम् ॥

sa nṛtyanniva nāgendro yajñadattapracoditaḥ | āsasāda drutaṃ rājankauravāṇāṃ mahāratham

Driven on by Yajnadatta, that lord of elephants, as if dancing, swiftly reached the great chariot-warrior of the Kauravas, O king.

Verse 10 (14.76.10)

तमायान्तमथालक्ष्य यज्ञदत्तस्य वारणम् । गाण्डीवमाश्रित्य बली न व्यकम्पत शत्रुहा ॥

tamāyāntamathālakṣya yajñadattasya vāraṇam | gāṇḍīvamāśritya balī na vyakampata śatruhā

Seeing Yajnadatta's elephant coming at him, that mighty slayer of foes, relying on his Gandiva, did not tremble.

Verse 11 (14.76.11)

चुक्रोध बलवच्चापि पाण्डवस्तस्य भूपतेः । कार्यविघ्नमनुस्मृत्य पूर्ववैरं च भारत ॥

cukrodha balavaccāpi pāṇḍavastasya bhūpateḥ | kāryavighnamanusmṛtya pūrvavairaṃ ca bhārata

The Pandava also grew fiercely angry with that king, remembering the obstruction of his task and the old enmity, O Bharata.

Note on the text: Corrected अनुस्मृत्यि → अनुस्मृत्य (misprint in Wikisource; the gerund is anusmṛtya, as in the critical edition).

Verse 12 (14.76.12)

ततस्तं वारणं क्रुद्धः शरजालेन पाण्डवः । निवारयामास तदा वेलेव मकरालयम् ॥

tatastaṃ vāraṇaṃ kruddhaḥ śarajālena pāṇḍavaḥ | nivārayāmāsa tadā veleva makarālayam

Then, in anger, the Pandava checked that elephant with a net of arrows, as the shore holds back the ocean.

Verse 13 (14.76.13)

स नागप्रवरः श्रीमानर्जुनेन निवारितः । तस्थौ शरैर्विनुन्नाङ्गः श्वाविच्छललितो यथा ॥

sa nāgapravaraḥ śrīmānarjunena nivāritaḥ | tasthau śarairvinunnāṅgaḥ śvāvicchalalito yathā

Held back by Arjuna, that splendid best of elephants stood with limbs riddled by arrows, like a porcupine bristling with quills.

Verse 14 (14.76.14)

निवारितं गजं दृष्ट्वा भगदत्तसुतो नृपः । उत्ससर्ज शितान्बाणानर्जुने क्रोधमूर्छितः ॥

nivāritaṃ gajaṃ dṛṣṭvā bhagadattasuto nṛpaḥ | utsasarja śitānbāṇānarjune krodhamūrchitaḥ

Seeing his elephant checked, the king, Bhagadatta's son, dizzy with rage, loosed sharp arrows at Arjuna.

Verse 15 (14.76.15)

अर्जुनस्तु महाबाहुः शरैररिनिघातिभिः । वारयामास तान्बाणांस्तदद्भुतमिवाभवत् ॥

arjunastu mahābāhuḥ śarairarinighātibhiḥ | vārayāmāsa tānbāṇāṃstadadbhutamivābhavat

But the mighty-armed Arjuna warded off those arrows with arrows that strike down foes, and it seemed a marvel.

Verse 16 (14.76.16)

ततः पुनरभिक्रुद्धो राजा प्राग्ज्योतिषाधिपः । प्रेषयामास नागेन्द्रं बलवत्पर्वतोपमम् ॥

tataḥ punarabhikruddho rājā prāgjyotiṣādhipaḥ | preṣayāmāsa nāgendraṃ balavatparvatopamam

Then, furious once more, the king of Pragjyotisha sent forth his mighty elephant, which was like a mountain.

Verse 17 (14.76.17)

तमापतन्तं सम्प्रेक्ष्य बलवान्पाकशासनिः । नाराचमग्निसङ्काशं प्राहिणोद्वारणं प्रति ॥

tamāpatantaṃ samprekṣya balavānpākaśāsaniḥ | nārācamagnisaṅkāśaṃ prāhiṇodvāraṇaṃ prati

Seeing it rush at him, the mighty son of Indra hurled at the elephant an iron arrow blazing like fire.

Verse 18 (14.76.18)

स तेन वारणो राजन्मर्मस्वभिहतो भृशम् । पपात सहसा भूमौ वज्ररुग्ण इवाचलः ॥

sa tena vāraṇo rājanmarmasvabhihato bhṛśam | papāta sahasā bhūmau vajrarugṇa ivācalaḥ

Struck hard in a vital spot by it, O king, the elephant suddenly fell to the ground, like a mountain shattered by the thunderbolt.

Verse 19 (14.76.19)

स पतञ्शुशुभे नागो धनंजयशराहतः । विशन्निव महाशैलो महीं वज्रप्रपीडितः ॥

sa patañśuśubhe nāgo dhanaṃjayaśarāhataḥ | viśanniva mahāśailo mahīṃ vajraprapīḍitaḥ

Struck by Dhananjaya's arrows, the falling elephant looked like a great mountain crushed by the thunderbolt and sinking into the earth.

Verse 20 (14.76.20)

तस्मिन्निपतिते नागे यज्ञदत्तस्य पाण्डवः । तं न भेतव्यमित्याह ततो भूमिगतं नृपम् ॥

tasminnipatite nāge yajñadattasya pāṇḍavaḥ | taṃ na bhetavyamityāha tato bhūmigataṃ nṛpam

When Yajnadatta's elephant had fallen, the Pandava said to the king, now on the ground, "Do not be afraid."

Verse 21 (14.76.21)

अब्रवीद्धि महातेजाः प्रस्थितं मां युधिष्ठिरः । राजानस्ते न हन्तव्या धनंजय कथञ्चन ॥

abravīddhi mahātejāḥ prasthitaṃ māṃ yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | rājānaste na hantavyā dhanaṃjaya kathañcana

"When I was setting out, the greatly radiant Yudhishthira told me: 'Dhananjaya, you must on no account kill the kings.

Note on the text: Direct speech of Arjuna (verses 21-25 fill whole verses with no printed heading); in verses 21-23 he repeats Yudhishthira's instructions.

Verse 22 (14.76.22)

सर्वमेतन्नरव्याघ्र भवत्येतावता कृतम् । योधाश्चापि न हन्तव्या धनंजय रणे त्वया ॥

sarvametannaravyāghra bhavatyetāvatā kṛtam | yodhāścāpi na hantavyā dhanaṃjaya raṇe tvayā

Tiger among men, this much is enough for all of it. And you must not kill their warriors in battle either, Dhananjaya.

Verse 23 (14.76.23)

वक्तव्याश्चापि राजानः सर्वे सह सुहृज्जनैः । युधिष्ठिरस्याश्वमेधो भवद्भिरनुभूयताम् ॥

vaktavyāścāpi rājānaḥ sarve saha suhṛjjanaiḥ | yudhiṣṭhirasyāśvamedho bhavadbhiranubhūyatām

The kings, with all their friends and kinsmen, are also to be told: Come and take part in Yudhishthira's horse sacrifice.'

Verse 24 (14.76.24)

इति भ्रातृवचः श्रुत्वा न हन्मि त्वां नराधिप । उत्तिष्ठ न भयं तेऽस्ति स्वस्तिमान्गच्छ पार्थिव ॥

iti bhrātṛvacaḥ śrutvā na hanmi tvāṃ narādhipa | uttiṣṭha na bhayaṃ te'sti svastimāngaccha pārthiva

Having heard my brother's words, I do not kill you, O lord of men. Rise; you have nothing to fear. Go in safety, O king."

Verse 25 (14.76.25)

आगच्छेथा महाराज परां चैत्रीमुपस्थिताम् । तदाऽश्वमेधो भविता धर्मिराजस्य धीमतः ॥

āgacchethā mahārāja parāṃ caitrīmupasthitām | tadā'śvamedho bhavitā dharmirājasya dhīmataḥ

"Come, great king, when the next full moon of Chaitra arrives; the horse sacrifice of the wise Dharmaraja will take place then."

Verse 26 (14.76.26)

एवमुक्तः स राजा तु भगदत्तात्मजस्तदा । तथेत्वेवाब्रवीद्वाक्यं पाण्डवेनाभिनिर्जितः ॥

evamuktaḥ sa rājā tu bhagadattātmajastadā | tathetvevābravīdvākyaṃ pāṇḍavenābhinirjitaḥ

Thus addressed, the king, Bhagadatta's son, defeated by the Pandava, replied, "So be it."