Omens on Krishna's Road and the Night at Vrikasthala

Verse 1 (5.84.1)

कथं प्रयातो दाशार्हो महात्मा मधुसूदनः । कानि वा व्रजतस्तस्य निमित्तानि महौजसः ॥

kathaṃ prayāto dāśārho mahātmā madhusūdanaḥ | kāni vā vrajatastasya nimittāni mahaujasaḥ

How did the great-souled Dasharha, Madhusudana, set out? And what signs appeared to that mighty one as he went?

Verse 2 (5.84.2)

तस्य प्रयाणे यान्यासन्निमित्तानि महात्मनः । तानि मे शृणु सर्वाणि दैवान्यौत्पातिकानि च ॥

tasya prayāṇe yānyāsannimittāni mahātmanaḥ | tāni me śṛṇu sarvāṇi daivānyautpātikāni ca

Hear from me all the signs that appeared when the great-souled one set out, both the favourable ones and the portents.

Note on the text: Corrected यान्यसन् → यान्यासन् (misprint in Wikisource; dropped ा of the imperfect आसन्, critical edition yāny āsann) and श्रृणु → शृणु (misprint; श्रृ for शृ, critical edition śṛṇu). निमित्तानि and सर्वाणि (CE adbhutāni, divyāni) kept as variants.

Verse 3 (5.84.3)

अनभ्रेऽशनिनिर्घोषः सविद्युत्समजायत । अन्वगेव च पर्जन्यः प्रावर्षद्विघने भृशम् ॥

anabhre'śaninirghoṣaḥ savidyutsamajāyata | anvageva ca parjanyaḥ prāvarṣadvighane bhṛśam

From a cloudless sky came the crash of thunder, with lightning; and right after it the rain-god poured heavily from a sky without clouds.

Verse 4 (5.84.4)

प्रत्यगूहुर्महानद्यः प्राङ्मुखाः सिन्धुसप्तमाः । विपरीता दिशः सर्वा न प्राज्ञायत किंचन ॥

pratyagūhurmahānadyaḥ prāṅmukhāḥ sindhusaptamāḥ | viparītā diśaḥ sarvā na prājñāyata kiṃcana

The great east-flowing rivers, with the Sindhu as the seventh, flowed backward; all the quarters were thrown into confusion and nothing could be made out.

Note on the text: Corrected विपरिता → विपरीता (misprint in Wikisource; short i for long ī, critical edition viparītā). सिन्धुसप्तमाः (CE sindhusattamāḥ) kept as a variant.

Verse 5 (5.84.5)

प्राज्वलन्नग्नयो राजन्पृथिवी समकम्पत । उदपानाश्च कुम्भाश्च प्रासिञ्चञ्शतशो जलम् ॥

prājvalannagnayo rājanpṛthivī samakampata | udapānāśca kumbhāśca prāsiñcañśataśo jalam

Fires blazed up, O king, the earth quaked, and wells and water-jars spilled out water a hundredfold.

Verse 6 (5.84.6)

तमःसंवृतमप्यासीत्सर्वं जगदिदं तथा । न दिशो नादिशो राजन्प्रज्ञायन्तेस्म रेणुना ॥

tamaḥsaṃvṛtamapyāsītsarvaṃ jagadidaṃ tathā | na diśo nādiśo rājanprajñāyantesma reṇunā

This whole world was wrapped in darkness; neither the quarters nor the points between them could be told apart, O king, for the dust.

Verse 7 (5.84.7)

प्रादुरासीन्महाञ्छब्दः खेशरीरमदृश्यत । सर्वेषु राजन्देशेषु तदद्भुतमिवाभवत् ॥

prādurāsīnmahāñchabdaḥ kheśarīramadṛśyata | sarveṣu rājandeśeṣu tadadbhutamivābhavat

A great sound arose, and a body was seen in the sky; in every region, O king, it seemed a thing of wonder.

Note on the text: खेशरीरमदृश्यत (CE khe śarīraṃ na dṛśyate) kept as the vulgate's reading; the page's own gloss explains खेशरीरं as the body of a shadow-figure.

Verse 8 (5.84.8)

प्रामथ्नाद्धास्तिनपुरं वातो दक्षिणपश्चिमः । आरुजन्गणशो वृक्षान्परुषोऽशनिनिःस्वनः ॥

prāmathnāddhāstinapuraṃ vāto dakṣiṇapaścimaḥ | ārujangaṇaśo vṛkṣānparuṣo'śaniniḥsvanaḥ

A harsh wind from the south-west, roaring like thunder, battered Hastinapura, uprooting trees in their hundreds.

Note on the text: परुषोऽशनिनिःस्वनः (CE paruṣo bhīmanisvanaḥ) kept as a variant.

Verse 9 (5.84.9)

यत्रयत्र च वार्ष्णेयो वर्तते पथि भारत । तत्रतत्र सुखो वायुः सर्वं चासीत्प्रदक्षिणम् ॥

yatrayatra ca vārṣṇeyo vartate pathi bhārata | tatratatra sukho vāyuḥ sarvaṃ cāsītpradakṣiṇam

But wherever the Varshneya went on his road, Bharata, there the wind was pleasant and everything turned favourable.

Verse 10 (5.84.10)

ववर्ष पुष्पवर्षं च कमलानि च भूरिशः । समश्च पन्था निर्दुःखो व्यपेतकुशकण्टकः ॥

vavarṣa puṣpavarṣaṃ ca kamalāni ca bhūriśaḥ | samaśca panthā nirduḥkho vyapetakuśakaṇṭakaḥ

A shower of flowers rained down, and lotuses in abundance; the road was level and easy, free of kusha grass and thorns.

Verse 11 (5.84.11)

संस्तुतो ब्राह्मणैर्गीर्भिस्तत्रतत्र सहस्रशः । अर्च्यते मधुपर्कैश्च वसुभिश्च वसुप्रदः ॥

saṃstuto brāhmaṇairgīrbhistatratatra sahasraśaḥ | arcyate madhuparkaiśca vasubhiśca vasupradaḥ

Praised in song by brahmins in their thousands at place after place, the giver of wealth was honoured with madhuparka and with gifts of wealth.

Note on the text: The second line corresponds to the critical edition's 5.82.13cd (वसुभिश्च for sumanobhir, kept); the first line differs entirely from 5.82.13ab (sa gacchan brāhmaṇai rājaṃs tatra tatra mahābhujaḥ) and is not in the critical edition or its apparatus (found in the vulgate recension). The alignment had left 5.82.13 unmatched.

Verse 12 (5.84.12)

तं किरन्ति महात्मानं वन्यैः पुष्पैः सुगन्धिभिः । स्त्रियः पथि समागम्य सर्वभूतहिते रतम् ॥

taṃ kiranti mahātmānaṃ vanyaiḥ puṣpaiḥ sugandhibhiḥ | striyaḥ pathi samāgamya sarvabhūtahite ratam

Women gathered on the road and scattered fragrant wild flowers over the great-souled one, who delights in the good of all beings.

Verse 13 (5.84.13)

स शालिभवनं रम्यं सर्वसस्यसमाचितम् । सुखं परमधर्मिष्ठमभ्यगाद्भरतर्षभ ॥

sa śālibhavanaṃ ramyaṃ sarvasasyasamācitam | sukhaṃ paramadharmiṣṭhamabhyagādbharatarṣabha

He came to Shalibhavana, a lovely tract full of every kind of crop, pleasant and most righteous, bull of the Bharatas,

Note on the text: Corrected सुख → सुखं (misprint in Wikisource; dropped anusvara, the adjective must agree with शालिभवनं; critical edition sukhaṃ). अभ्यगाद् (CE atyagād) kept as a variant.

Verse 14 (5.84.14)

पश्यन्बहुपशून्ग्रामान्रम्यान्हृदयतोषणान् । पुराणि च व्यतिक्रामन्राष्ट्राणि विविधानि च ॥

paśyanbahupaśūngrāmānramyānhṛdayatoṣaṇān | purāṇi ca vyatikrāmanrāṣṭrāṇi vividhāni ca

seeing villages rich in cattle, lovely and delightful to the heart, and passing through cities and kingdoms of many kinds.

Note on the text: Corrected हृदयतोपणान् → हृदयतोषणान् (misprint in Wikisource; प for ष) and व्यतिकामन् → व्यतिक्रामन् (misprint; dropped र in क्रा); critical edition hṛdayatoṣaṇān, vyatikrāman.

Verse 15 (5.84.15)

नित्यं हृष्टाः सुमनसो भारतैरभिरक्षिताः । नोद्विग्नाः परचक्राणां व्यसनानामकोविदाः ॥

nityaṃ hṛṣṭāḥ sumanaso bhāratairabhirakṣitāḥ | nodvignāḥ paracakrāṇāṃ vyasanānāmakovidāḥ

The people there were always glad and of good heart, guarded by the Bharatas; they had no fear of enemy armies and knew nothing of calamity.

Note on the text: नित्यं हृष्टाः and व्यसनानाम् (CE nityahṛṣṭāḥ, anayānām) kept as variants.

Verse 16 (5.84.16)

उपप्लाव्यादथागम्य जनाः पुरनिवासिनः । पथ्यतिष्ठन्त सहिता विष्वक्सेनदिदृक्षया ॥

upaplāvyādathāgamya janāḥ puranivāsinaḥ | pathyatiṣṭhanta sahitā viṣvaksenadidṛkṣayā

Then the townspeople came out and stood together on the road, eager to see Vishvaksena (Krishna) on his way from Upaplavya.

Note on the text: Corrected यथ्यतिष्ठन्त → पथ्यतिष्ठन्त (misprint in Wikisource; य for प in पथि 'on the road', critical edition pathy atiṣṭhanta). अथागम्य (CE athāyāntaṃ) kept as a variant.

Verse 17 (5.84.17)

ते तु सर्वे समायान्तमग्निमिद्धमिव प्रभुम् । अर्चयामासुरर्चार्हं देशातिथिमुपस्थितम् ॥

te tu sarve samāyāntamagnimiddhamiva prabhum | arcayāmāsurarcārhaṃ deśātithimupasthitam

All of them honoured the lord as he arrived, like a blazing fire, worthy of worship, a guest come to their land.

Note on the text: समायान्तम् and अर्चार्हं (CE sunāmānam, arcyaṃ taṃ) kept as variants.

Verse 18 (5.84.18)

वृकस्थलं समासाद्य केशवः परवीरहा । प्रकीर्णरश्मावादित्ये व्योम्नि वै लोहितायति ॥

vṛkasthalaṃ samāsādya keśavaḥ paravīrahā | prakīrṇaraśmāvāditye vyomni vai lohitāyati

Keshava, slayer of enemy heroes, reached Vrikasthala as the sun, its rays spread wide, was turning red in the sky.

Note on the text: व्योम्नि वै (CE vimale) kept as a variant.

Verse 19 (5.84.19)

ततो ह्यनुचरान्सर्वानुवाच मधुसूदनः । युधिष्ठिरस्य कार्यार्थमिह वत्स्यामहे वयम् ॥

tato hyanucarānsarvānuvāca madhusūdanaḥ | yudhiṣṭhirasya kāryārthamiha vatsyāmahe vayam

Then Madhusudana said to all his attendants: "For the sake of Yudhishthira's mission we shall stay here."

Note on the text: Line 2 is the critical edition's 5.82.23cd (वयम् for kṣapām, kept); line 1 differs from 5.82.23ab (abhyatītya tu tat sarvam uvāca) and is the vulgate's own. Wikisource marks this verse and the next as additions and places them before the critical edition's 5.82.21–22; the page's order is kept. Removed a stray backtick before the verse (Wikisource formatting debris).

Verse 20 (5.84.20)

तस्य तन्मतमाज्ञाय चक्रुरावसथं नराः । क्षणेन चान्नपानानि गुणवन्ति समार्जयन् ॥

tasya tanmatamājñāya cakrurāvasathaṃ narāḥ | kṣaṇena cānnapānāni guṇavanti samārjayan

Learning his wish, the men prepared a lodging, and in a moment they had got ready excellent food and drink.

Note on the text: Corrected ररावन्ति → गुणवन्ति (misprint in Wikisource; garbled, not a word; critical edition guṇavanti). Removed a stray closing quote mark and doubled danda (Wikisource formatting debris).

Verse 21 (5.84.21)

अवतीर्य रथात्तूर्णं कृत्वा शौचं यथाविधि । रथमोचनमादिश्य सन्ध्यामुपविवेश ह ॥

avatīrya rathāttūrṇaṃ kṛtvā śaucaṃ yathāvidhi | rathamocanamādiśya sandhyāmupaviveśa ha

He quickly got down from the chariot, purified himself in the prescribed way, gave orders for the chariot to be unyoked, and sat down to the evening worship.

Verse 22 (5.84.22)

दारुकोऽपि हयान्मुक्त्वा परिचर्य च शास्त्रतः । मुमोच सर्वं योक्त्रादि मुक्त्वा चैतानवासृजत् ॥

dāruko'pi hayānmuktvā paricarya ca śāstrataḥ | mumoca sarvaṃ yoktrādi muktvā caitānavāsṛjat

Daruka too unyoked the horses, tended them as the manuals of horsemanship prescribe, took off all their harness and gear, and let them loose.

Note on the text: Corrected योक्तादि → योक्त्रादि (misprint in Wikisource; dropped र in योक्त्र 'harness'). The reading योक्त्रादि (CE varmāṇi) is kept as a variant.

Verse 23 (5.84.23)

तस्मिन्ग्रामे प्रधानास्तु य आसन्ब्राह्मणा नृप । आर्याः कुलीना ह्रीमन्तो ब्राह्मीं वृत्तिमनुष्ठिताः ॥

tasmingrāme pradhānāstu ya āsanbrāhmaṇā nṛpa | āryāḥ kulīnā hrīmanto brāhmīṃ vṛttimanuṣṭhitāḥ

The leading brahmins of that village, O king — noble, well-born and modest, living by the way of life proper to brahmins —

Verse 24 (5.84.24)

तेऽभिगम्य महात्मानं हृषीकेशमरिन्दमम् । पूजां चक्रुर्यथान्यायमाशीर्मङ्गलसंयुताम् ॥

te'bhigamya mahātmānaṃ hṛṣīkeśamarindamam | pūjāṃ cakruryathānyāyamāśīrmaṅgalasaṃyutām

came to the great-souled Hrishikesha, tamer of foes, and worshipped him as was fitting, with blessings and auspicious rites.

Verse 25 (5.84.25)

ते पूजयित्वा दाशार्हं सर्वलोकेषु पूजितम् । न्यवेदयन्त वेश्मानि गुणवन्ति महात्मने ॥

te pūjayitvā dāśārhaṃ sarvalokeṣu pūjitam | nyavedayanta veśmāni guṇavanti mahātmane

Having honoured the Dasharha, who is honoured in all the worlds, they offered their well-appointed houses to the great-souled one.

Note on the text: गुणवन्ति (CE ratnavanti) kept as a variant.

Verse 26 (5.84.26)

तान्प्रभुः कृतमित्युक्त्वा सत्कृत्य च यथार्हतः । अभ्येत्य चैषां वेश्मानि पुनरायात्सहैव तैः ॥

tānprabhuḥ kṛtamityuktvā satkṛtya ca yathārhataḥ | abhyetya caiṣāṃ veśmāni punarāyātsahaiva taiḥ

The lord said to them, "It is as good as done," honoured them as each deserved, went to their houses, and came back together with them.

Note on the text: Corrected इत्युक्ता → इत्युक्त्वा (misprint in Wikisource; dropped virama-conjunct of the gerund, critical edition ity uktvā).

Verse 27 (5.84.27)

सुमृष्टं भोजयित्वा च ब्राह्मणांस्तत्र केशवः । भुक्त्वा च सह तैः सर्वैरवसत्तां क्षपां सुखम् ॥

sumṛṣṭaṃ bhojayitvā ca brāhmaṇāṃstatra keśavaḥ | bhuktvā ca saha taiḥ sarvairavasattāṃ kṣapāṃ sukham

There Keshava fed the brahmins with well-prepared food, ate together with all of them, and spent that night in comfort.

Note on the text: Corrected भुक्ता → भुक्त्वा (misprint in Wikisource; dropped व in the gerund, critical edition bhuktvā).