Arjuna Returns with the Horse

Verse 1 (14.88.1)

श्रुतं प्रियमिदं कृष्ण यत्त्वमर्हसि भाषितुम् । तन्मेऽमृतरसं पुण्यं मनो ह्लादयति प्रभो ॥

śrutaṃ priyamidaṃ kṛṣṇa yattvamarhasi bhāṣitum | tanme'mṛtarasaṃ puṇyaṃ mano hlādayati prabho

O Krishna, I have heard this pleasing account which you were fit to tell. It is sacred, like the essence of nectar, and it gladdens my mind, O lord.

Verse 2 (14.88.2)

बहूनि किल युद्धानि विजयस्य नराधिपैः । पुनरासन्हृषीकेश तत्रतत्रेति मे श्रुतम् ॥

bahūni kila yuddhāni vijayasya narādhipaiḥ | punarāsanhṛṣīkeśa tatratatreti me śrutam

Many wars, it is said, were fought again and again by Vijaya against kings, here and there, O Hrishikesha; this I have heard.

Note on the text: Corrected न श्रुतम् → मे श्रुतम् (misprint in Wikisource; न reverses the sense; CE 14.89.2c has 'me śrutam', and the following verses rest on Yudhishthira having heard of these wars).

Verse 3 (14.88.3)

किंनिमित्तं स नित्यं हि पार्थः सुखविवर्जितः । अतीव विजयो धीमानिति मे दूयते मनः ॥

kiṃnimittaṃ sa nityaṃ hi pārthaḥ sukhavivarjitaḥ | atīva vijayo dhīmāniti me dūyate manaḥ

For what reason is that Partha, wise Vijaya, always without happiness, and so greatly? My mind is troubled by this.

Note on the text: Recension variant: CE 14.89.3a reads 'mannimittaṃ hi sa sadā'; kept.

Verse 4 (14.88.4)

संचिन्तयामि कौन्तेयं रहो जिष्णुं जनार्दन । अतीव दुःखभागी स सततं पाण्डुनन्दनः ॥

saṃcintayāmi kaunteyaṃ raho jiṣṇuṃ janārdana | atīva duḥkhabhāgī sa satataṃ pāṇḍunandanaḥ

In private I keep thinking of Kunti's son Jishnu, O Janardana: that son of Pandu is ever a sharer in great sorrow.

Note on the text: Not matched automatically. Line a = CE 14.89.4a (variant: CE 'vārṣṇeya sadā kuntīsutaṃ rahaḥ'); line b = star passage 14,089.004b*0168_01 (atīva duḥkhabhāgī sa satataṃ pāṇḍunandanaḥ).

Verse 5 (14.88.5)

किंनु तस्य शरीरेऽस्ति सर्वलक्षणपूजिते । अनिष्टं लक्षणं कृष्ण येन दुःखान्युपाश्नुते ॥

kiṃnu tasya śarīre'sti sarvalakṣaṇapūjite | aniṣṭaṃ lakṣaṇaṃ kṛṣṇa yena duḥkhānyupāśnute

Is there some inauspicious mark on his body, which is honoured for every good sign, O Krishna, by which he meets with sorrows?

Note on the text: Not matched automatically. = CE 14.89.4c and 4e (the second and third lines of the CE's three-line verse 4).

Verse 6 (14.88.6)

अतीवासुखभोगी स सततं कुन्तिनन्दनः । न हि पश्यामि बीभत्सोर्निन्द्यं गात्रेषु किंचन । श्रोतव्यं चेन्मयैतद्वै तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि ॥

atīvāsukhabhogī sa satataṃ kuntinandanaḥ | na hi paśyāmi bībhatsornindyaṃ gātreṣu kiṃcana | śrotavyaṃ cenmayaitadvai tanme vyākhyātumarhasi

The son of Kunti lives always in great discomfort, and yet I see no blemish on any limb of Bibhatsu. If it is right that I should hear it, you should explain this to me.

Verse 7 (14.88.7)

इत्युक्तः स हृषीकेशो ध्यात्वा सुमहदन्तरम् । राजानं भोजराजन्यवर्धनो विष्णुरब्रवीत् ॥

ityuktaḥ sa hṛṣīkeśo dhyātvā sumahadantaram | rājānaṃ bhojarājanyavardhano viṣṇurabravīt

Thus addressed, Hrishikesha, after reflecting for a long moment, spoke to the king; Vishnu, who made the Bhoja princes flourish, said:

Verse 8 (14.88.8)

न ह्यस्य नृपते किञ्चिदनिष्टमुपलक्षये । ऋते पुरुषसिंहस्य पिण्डिकेऽस्याधिके यतः ॥

na hyasya nṛpate kiñcidaniṣṭamupalakṣaye | ṛte puruṣasiṃhasya piṇḍike'syādhike yataḥ

O lord of men, I find nothing inauspicious in him, except that this lion among men has two calves that are too long.

Verse 9 (14.88.9)

स ताभ्यां पुरुषव्याघ्रो नित्यमध्वसु वर्तते । न चान्यदनुपश्यामि येनासौ दुःखभाजनम् ॥

sa tābhyāṃ puruṣavyāghro nityamadhvasu vartate | na cānyadanupaśyāmi yenāsau duḥkhabhājanam

Because of those two, that tiger among men is always engaged in journeys. I see nothing else by which he could be a vessel of sorrow.

Verse 10 (14.88.10)

इत्युक्तः पुरुषश्रेष्ठस्तदा कृष्णेन धीमता । प्रोवाच वृष्णिशार्दूलमेवमेतदिति प्रभो ॥

ityuktaḥ puruṣaśreṣṭhastadā kṛṣṇena dhīmatā | provāca vṛṣṇiśārdūlamevametaditi prabho

Thus addressed by wise Krishna, that best of men replied to the tiger of the Vrishnis, "So it is, lord."

Verse 11 (14.88.11)

कृष्णा तु द्रौपदी कृष्णं तिर्यक्सासूयमैक्षत । प्रतिजग्राह तस्यास्तं प्रणयं चापि केशिहा । सख्युः सखा हृषीकेशः साक्षादिव धनंजयः ॥

kṛṣṇā tu draupadī kṛṣṇaṃ tiryaksāsūyamaikṣata | pratijagrāha tasyāstaṃ praṇayaṃ cāpi keśihā | sakhyuḥ sakhā hṛṣīkeśaḥ sākṣādiva dhanaṃjayaḥ

But Krishna (Draupadi) looked at Krishna with a sidelong, resentful glance, and Keshihan took in her show of affection as well: Hrishikesha, a friend of his friend, was as good as Dhananjaya himself.

Note on the text: Corrected द्रौप्दी → द्रौपदी (misprint in Wikisource; dropped vowel sign; CE draupadī). Corrected प्रख्युः → सख्युः (misprint in Wikisource; CE sakhyuḥ). Three-line verse = CE 14.89.10a, 10c, 10e.

Verse 12 (14.88.12)

तत्र भीमादयस्ते तु कुरवो याजकाश्च ये । रेमुः श्रुत्वा विचित्रां तां धनंजयकथां शुभाम् ॥

tatra bhīmādayaste tu kuravo yājakāśca ye | remuḥ śrutvā vicitrāṃ tāṃ dhanaṃjayakathāṃ śubhām

There Bhima and the others, the Kurus, and the priests, took delight in hearing that wonderful, auspicious tale of Dhananjaya.

Note on the text: Corrected करवो → कुरवो (misprint in Wikisource; CE kuravo). Recension variant in line b (CE 11c 'remuḥ śrutvā vicitrārthā dhanaṃjayakathā vibho'); kept.

Verse 13 (14.88.13)

तेषां कथयतामेव पुरुषोऽर्जुनसंकथाः । उपायाद्वचनाद्दूतो विजयस्य महात्मनः ॥

teṣāṃ kathayatāmeva puruṣo'rjunasaṃkathāḥ | upāyādvacanāddūto vijayasya mahātmanaḥ

While they were still telling the stories of Arjuna, a man came, a messenger sent at the word of the great-souled Vijaya.

Verse 14 (14.88.14)

सोऽभिगम्य कुरुश्रेष्ठं नमस्कृत्य च बुद्धिमान् । उपायातं नरव्याघ्रं फल्गुनं प्रत्यवेदयत् ॥

so'bhigamya kuruśreṣṭhaṃ namaskṛtya ca buddhimān | upāyātaṃ naravyāghraṃ phalgunaṃ pratyavedayat

The wise man approached the best of the Kurus, bowed to him, and reported that the tiger among men, Phalguna, had arrived.

Note on the text: Corrected सोभिगम्य → सोऽभिगम्य (misprint in Wikisource; missing avagraha).

Verse 15 (14.88.15)

तच्छ्रुत्वा नृपतिस्तस्य हर्षबाष्पाकुलेक्षणः । प्रियाख्याननिमित्तं वै ददौ बहुधनं तदा ॥

tacchrutvā nṛpatistasya harṣabāṣpākulekṣaṇaḥ | priyākhyānanimittaṃ vai dadau bahudhanaṃ tadā

Hearing this, the king, his eyes filled with tears of joy, gave him great wealth then for the glad news.

Verse 16 (14.88.16)

ततो द्वितीये दिवसे महाञ्शब्दो व्यवर्धत । आगच्छति नरव्याघ्रे कौरवाणां धुरंधरे ॥

tato dvitīye divase mahāñśabdo vyavardhata | āgacchati naravyāghre kauravāṇāṃ dhuraṃdhare

Then on the second day a great noise arose as the tiger among men, the bearer of the Kauravas' burden, came near.

Verse 17 (14.88.17)

ततो रेणुः समुद्भूतो विबभौ तस्य वाजिनः । अभितो वर्तमानस्य यथोच्चैःश्रवसस्तथा ॥

tato reṇuḥ samudbhūto vibabhau tasya vājinaḥ | abhito vartamānasya yathoccaiḥśravasastathā

Then dust rose up and shone all around that horse as it roamed about, like the dust around Uchchaihshravas.

Note on the text: Corrected समुद्भुतो → समुद्भूतो (misprint in Wikisource; short ु for ू; CE samudbhūto).

Verse 18 (14.88.18)

तत्र हर्षकरीर्वाचो नराणां शुश्रुवेऽर्जुनः । दिष्ट्याऽसि पार्थ कुशली धन्यो राजा युधिष्ठिरः ॥

tatra harṣakarīrvāco narāṇāṃ śuśruve'rjunaḥ | diṣṭyā'si pārtha kuśalī dhanyo rājā yudhiṣṭhiraḥ

There Arjuna heard the joyful words of the people: "By good fortune, Partha, you are safe; blessed is King Yudhishthira."

Note on the text: Recension variant in line a (CE 17a 'harṣakalā vāco narāṇāṃ śuśruve 'rjunaḥ'); kept. Line b is the people's words, but the verse is mainly narration, so the narrator keeps it.

Verse 19 (14.88.19)

कोऽन्योहि पृथिवीं कृत्स्नां जित्वाहि युधि पार्थिवान् । चारयित्वा हयश्रेष्ठमुपागच्छेदृतेऽर्जुनात् ॥

ko'nyohi pṛthivīṃ kṛtsnāṃ jitvāhi yudhi pārthivān | cārayitvā hayaśreṣṭhamupāgacchedṛte'rjunāt

Who else, having conquered the whole earth and its kings in battle and made the best of horses roam, could come back, except Arjuna?

Note on the text: Corrected कोन्योहि → कोऽन्योहि (misprint in Wikisource; missing avagraha). Recension variant (CE 18a 'avajitya sapārthivām'); kept.

Verse 20 (14.88.20)

ये व्यतीता महात्मानो राजानः सगरादयः । तेषामपीदृशं कर्म न कदाचन शुश्रुम ॥

ye vyatītā mahātmāno rājānaḥ sagarādayaḥ | teṣāmapīdṛśaṃ karma na kadācana śuśruma

We have never heard of such a deed even of the great-souled kings of the past, Sagara and the rest.

Verse 21 (14.88.21)

नैतदन्ये करिष्यन्ति भविष्या वसुधाधिपाः । यत्त्वं कुरुकुलश्रेष्ठ दुष्करं कृतवानसि ॥

naitadanye kariṣyanti bhaviṣyā vasudhādhipāḥ | yattvaṃ kurukulaśreṣṭha duṣkaraṃ kṛtavānasi

The kings of the future will not do this, O best of the Kuru line: the hard deed that you have done.

Verse 22 (14.88.22)

इत्येवं वदतां तेषां पुंसां कर्णसुखा गिरः । शृण्वन्विवेश धर्मात्मा फल्गुनो यज्ञसंस्तरम् ॥

ityevaṃ vadatāṃ teṣāṃ puṃsāṃ karṇasukhā giraḥ | śṛṇvanviveśa dharmātmā phalguno yajñasaṃstaram

As those men spoke thus, in words pleasing to the ear, righteous Phalguna listened and entered the sacrificial ground.

Verse 23 (14.88.23)

ततो राजा सहामात्यः कृष्णश्च यदुनन्दनः । धृतराष्ट्रं पुरस्कृत्य तं प्रत्युद्ययतुस्तदा ॥

tato rājā sahāmātyaḥ kṛṣṇaśca yadunandanaḥ | dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ puraskṛtya taṃ pratyudyayatustadā

Then the king with his ministers, and Krishna, joy of the Yadus, put Dhritarashtra at their head and went forward to meet him.

Verse 24 (14.88.24)

सोऽभिवाद्य पितुः पादौ धर्मराजस्य धीमतः । भीमादींश्चापि संपूज्य पर्यष्वजत केशवम् ॥

so'bhivādya pituḥ pādau dharmarājasya dhīmataḥ | bhīmādīṃścāpi saṃpūjya paryaṣvajata keśavam

He bowed at the feet of his father and of the wise Dharmaraja, honoured Bhima and the others, and embraced Keshava.

Verse 25 (14.88.25)

तैः समेत्यार्चितस्तांश्च प्रत्यर्च्याथ यथाविधि । विशश्राम महाबाहुस्तीरं लब्ध्वेव पारगः ॥

taiḥ sametyārcitastāṃśca pratyarcyātha yathāvidhi | viśaśrāma mahābāhustīraṃ labdhveva pāragaḥ

Met and honoured by them, he honoured them in return as was fitting, and the mighty-armed one rested, like one who has crossed over and reached the shore.