Vidurathas Hunting Expedition

Verse 1 (skanda.6.17.1)

ऋषय ऊचुः । चमत्कारपुरोत्पत्तिः श्रुता त्वत्तो महामते । तत्क्षेत्रस्य प्रमाणं यत्तदस्माकं प्रकीर्तय

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ camatkārapurotpattiḥ śrutā tvatto mahāmate tatkṣetrasya pramāṇaṁ yattadasmākaṁ prakīrtaya

The sages said: O sage of great wisdom, we have heard from you the origin of Chamatkarapura. Now tell us the extent and measure of that field.

Verse 2 (skanda.6.17.2)

यानि तत्र च पुण्यानि तीर्थान्यायतनानि च । सहितानि प्रभावेण तानि सर्वाणि कीर्तय

yāni tatra ca puṇyāni tīrthānyāyatanāni ca sahitāni prabhāveṇa tāni sarvāṇi kīrtaya

And whatever sacred tirthas and shrines exist there — tell us all of them, together with their power.

Verse 3 (skanda.6.17.3)

सूत उवाच । पञ्चक्रोशप्रमाणेन क्षेत्रं ब्राह्मणसत्तमाः । आयामव्यासतश्चैव चमत्कारपुरोत्तमम्

sūta uvāca pañcakrośapramāṇena kṣetraṁ brāhmaṇasattamāḥ āyāmavyāsataścaiva camatkārapurottamam

Suta said: O best of brahmins, that excellent field of Chamatkarapura measures five krosha both in length and in breadth.

Verse 4 (skanda.6.17.4)

प्राच्यां तस्य गयाशीर्षं पश्चिमेन हरेः पदम् । दक्षिणोत्तरयोश्चैव गोकर्णेश्वरसंज्ञितौ

prācyāṁ tasya gayāśīrṣaṁ paścimena hareḥ padam dakṣiṇottarayoścaiva gokarṇeśvarasaṁjñitau

On its east is Gayashirsha, on its west is Vishnu's footprint (Hari-pada), and to its south and north are the two places called Gokarneshvara.

Verse 5 (skanda.6.17.5)

हाटकेश्वर संज्ञं तु पूर्वमासीद्द्विजोत्तमाः । तत्क्षेत्रं प्रथितं लोके सर्वपातकनाशनम्

hāṭakeśvara saṁjñaṁ tu pūrvamāsīddvijottamāḥ tatkṣetraṁ prathitaṁ loke sarvapātakanāśanam

O best of the twice-born, formerly that field was known by the name Hatakeshvara, and it was celebrated in the world as the destroyer of every sin.

Verse 6 (skanda.6.17.6)

यतः प्रभृति विप्रेभ्यो दत्तं तेन महात्मना । चमत्कारेण तत्स्थानं नाम्ना ख्यातिं ततो गतम्

yataḥ prabhṛti viprebhyo dattaṁ tena mahātmanā camatkāreṇa tatsthānaṁ nāmnā khyātiṁ tato gatam

From the time that great soul Chamatkara gave that place to the brahmins, that place became renowned by his very name.

Verse 7 (skanda.6.17.7)

ब्राह्मणा ऊचुः । यदेतद्भवता प्रोक्तं तस्य पूर्वे गयाशिरः । माहात्म्यं तस्य नो ब्रूहि सूतपुत्र सविस्तरम्

brāhmaṇā ūcuḥ yadetadbhavatā proktaṁ tasya pūrve gayāśiraḥ māhātmyaṁ tasya no brūhi sūtaputra savistaram

The brahmins said: O son of Suta, you have said that Gayashirsha lies to its east. Tell us its greatness in detail.

Verse 8 (skanda.6.17.8)

सूत उवाच । आसीद्विदूरथोनाम हैहयाधिपतिः पुरा । यो वै दानपतिर्दक्षः शत्रुपक्षक्षयावहः

sūta uvāca āsīdvidūrathonāma haihayādhipatiḥ purā yo vai dānapatirdakṣaḥ śatrupakṣakṣayāvahaḥ

Suta said: Long ago there was a king named Viduratha, lord of the Haihayas, who was a generous and capable giver of gifts, and who brought about the destruction of his enemies.

Verse 9 (skanda.6.17.9)

स कदाचिन्मृगान्हंतुं नृपः सेनावृतो ययौ । नानावृक्षलताकीर्णं वनं श्वापदसंकुलम्

sa kadācinmṛgānhaṁtuṁ nṛpaḥ senāvṛto yayau nānāvṛkṣalatākīrṇaṁ vanaṁ śvāpadasaṁkulam

Once that king, surrounded by his army, went to hunt deer in a forest thick with various trees and creepers and teeming with wild beasts.

Verse 10 (skanda.6.17.10)

स जघान मृगांस्तत्र शरैराशीविषोपमैः । महिषांश्चवराहांश्च तरक्षूञ्च्छम्बरान्रुरून्

sa jaghāna mṛgāṁstatra śarairāśīviṣopamaiḥ mahiṣāṁścavarāhāṁśca tarakṣūñcchambarānrurūn

There he slew, with arrows resembling venomous serpents, buffaloes, boars, hyenas, sambar deer, and ruru deer.

Verse 11 (skanda.6.17.11)

सिंहान्व्याघ्रान्गजान्मत्ताञ्च्छतशोऽथ सहस्रशः । अथ तेन मृगो विद्धः शरेणाऽऽनतपर्वणा

siṁhānvyāghrāngajānmattāñcchataśo'tha sahasraśaḥ atha tena mṛgo viddhaḥ śareṇā''nataparvaṇā

He slew lions, tigers, and rutting elephants by the hundreds and thousands. Then, with an arrow of curved joints, he struck a deer.

Verse 12 (skanda.6.17.12)

न पपात धरापृष्ठे सशरो दुद्रुवे द्रुतम् । ततः स कौतुकाविष्टस्तस्य पृष्ठे हयोत्तमम् । प्रेरयामास वेगेन मनोमारुतवेगधृक्

na papāta dharāpṛṣṭhe saśaro dudruve drutam tataḥ sa kautukāviṣṭastasya pṛṣṭhe hayottamam prerayāmāsa vegena manomārutavegadhṛk

The deer did not fall to the ground, but fled swiftly, arrow still lodged in it. Then, seized with curiosity, the king urged his excellent horse — swift as thought and wind — after it at great speed.

Verse 13 (skanda.6.17.13)

ततः सैन्यं समुत्सज्य मृगं लिप्सुर्महीपतिः । अन्यद्वनांतरं प्राप्तो रौद्रं चित्तभयावहम्

tataḥ sainyaṁ samutsajya mṛgaṁ lipsurmahīpatiḥ anyadvanāṁtaraṁ prāpto raudraṁ cittabhayāvaham

Then, abandoning his army, that king, eager to seize the deer, arrived at another forest, terrible and inspiring dread in the mind.

Verse 14 (skanda.6.17.14)

कण्टकीबदरीप्रायं शाल्मलीवनसंकुलम् । तथान्यैः कण्टकाकीर्णै रूक्षै र्वृक्षैः समन्वितम्

kaṇṭakībadarīprāyaṁ śālmalīvanasaṁkulam tathānyaiḥ kaṇṭakākīrṇai rūkṣai rvṛkṣaiḥ samanvitam

It was thick mostly with thorny jujube trees and silk-cotton trees, and filled besides with other harsh, thorn-covered trees.

Verse 15 (skanda.6.17.15)

तत्र रूक्षाऽखिला भूमिर्निर्जला तमसा वृता । चीरिकोलूकगृधाढ्या शीर्षच्छायाविवर्जिता

tatra rūkṣā'khilā bhūmirnirjalā tamasā vṛtā cīrikolūkagṛdhāḍhyā śīrṣacchāyāvivarjitā

There the entire ground was parched, waterless, wrapped in darkness, teeming with kites, owls, and vultures, and utterly without shade overhead.

Verse 16 (skanda.6.17.16)

ग्रीष्मे मध्यगते सूर्ये मृगाकृष्टः स पार्थिवः । दूराध्वानं जगामाऽथ प्रासपाणिर्वराश्वगः

grīṣme madhyagate sūrye mṛgākṛṣṭaḥ sa pārthivaḥ dūrādhvānaṁ jagāmā'tha prāsapāṇirvarāśvagaḥ

In summer, with the sun at its zenith, that king, drawn on by the deer, spear in hand, mounted on his fine horse, went far along the path.

Verse 17 (skanda.6.17.17)

तेन तस्यानुगा भृत्याः सर्वे सुश्रांतवाहनाः । क्षुत्पिपासाकुलाः श्रांताः स्थाने स्थाने समाश्रिताः

tena tasyānugā bhṛtyāḥ sarve suśrāṁtavāhanāḥ kṣutpipāsākulāḥ śrāṁtāḥ sthāne sthāne samāśritāḥ

Because of this, all his attendant servants, their mounts utterly exhausted, tormented by hunger and thirst and worn out, took shelter here and there.

Verse 18 (skanda.6.17.18)

सिंहव्याघ्रैस्तथा चान्यैः पतिता नष्टचेतनाः । भक्ष्यंते चेतयन्तोऽपि तथाऽन्ये चलनाक्षमाः

siṁhavyāghraistathā cānyaiḥ patitā naṣṭacetanāḥ bhakṣyaṁte cetayanto'pi tathā'nye calanākṣamāḥ

Some, having fallen unconscious, were devoured by lions, tigers, and other beasts; and others, though still conscious, unable to move, were likewise devoured where they lay.

Verse 19 (skanda.6.17.19)

ततः सोऽपि महीपालः क्षुत्पिपासासमाकुलः । दृष्ट्वा तद्व्यसनं प्राप्तमात्मनः सेवकैः समम्

tataḥ so'pi mahīpālaḥ kṣutpipāsāsamākulaḥ dṛṣṭvā tadvyasanaṁ prāptamātmanaḥ sevakaiḥ samam

Then that king too, tormented by hunger and thirst, beholding this calamity that had befallen him along with his servants —

Verse 20 (skanda.6.17.20)

कांतारस्यांतमन्विच्छन्प्रेरयामास तं हयम् । जात्यं सर्वगुणोपेतं कशाघातैः प्रताडयन्

kāṁtārasyāṁtamanvicchanprerayāmāsa taṁ hayam jātyaṁ sarvaguṇopetaṁ kaśāghātaiḥ pratāḍayan

— seeking the end of that wilderness, drove that thoroughbred horse, endowed with every excellent quality, onward with blows of his whip.

Verse 21 (skanda.6.17.21)

ततः स नृपतिस्तेन वायुवेगेन वाजिना । नीतो दूरं दुर्गमार्गं सर्वजंतुविवर्जितम्

tataḥ sa nṛpatistena vāyuvegena vājinā nīto dūraṁ durgamārgaṁ sarvajaṁtuvivarjitam

Then that king was carried by that wind-swift horse far away, along an impassable path utterly devoid of any living creature.

Verse 22 (skanda.6.17.22)

एवं तस्य नरेन्द्रस्य कांदिशीकेऽनवस्थिते । सोऽश्वोऽपतद्धरापृष्ठे सोऽप्यधस्तात्तुरंगमात्

evaṁ tasya narendrasya kāṁdiśīke'navasthite so'śvo'pataddharāpṛṣṭhe so'pyadhastātturaṁgamāt

Thus, while that king wandered on in that unsteady, disoriented state, his horse suddenly collapsed to the ground, and he too fell beneath the horse.