Bharata's War with the Gandharvas

Shloka 1 (uttara.101.1)

श्रुत्वा सेनापतिं प्राप्तं भरतं केकयाधिपः । युधाजिद्गार्ग्यसहितं परां प्रीतिमुपागमत् ।। ७.१०१.१ ।।

śrutvā senāpatiṃ prāptaṃ bharataṃ kekayādhipaḥ | yudhājidgārgyasahitaṃ parāṃ prītimupāgamat || 7.101.1 ||

Hearing that Bharata, the army's commander, had arrived accompanied by Yudhajit and Gargya, the lord of Kekaya was filled with the greatest delight.

Shloka 2 (uttara.101.2)

स निर्ययौ जनौघेन महता केकयाधिपः । त्वरमाणो ऽभिचक्राम गन्धर्वान्कामरूपिणः ।। ७.१०१.२ ।।

sa niryayau janaughena mahatā kekayādhipaḥ | tvaramāṇo 'bhicakrāma gandharvānkāmarūpiṇaḥ || 7.101.2 ||

That lord of Kekaya then set out with a great multitude of people, and, hastening, advanced against the Gandharvas who could assume any form at will.

Shloka 3 (uttara.101.3)

भरतश्च युधाजिच्च समेतौ लघुविक्रमैः । गन्धर्वनगरं प्राप्तौ सबलौ सपदानुगौ ।। ७.१०१.३ ।।

bharataśca yudhājicca sametau laghuvikramaiḥ | gandharvanagaraṃ prāptau sabalau sapadānugau || 7.101.3 ||

Bharata and Yudhajit, united, with swift and light-footed warriors, reached the city of the Gandharvas together with their army and their attendants.

Shloka 4 (uttara.101.4)

श्रुत्वा तु भरतं प्राप्तं गन्धर्वास्ते समागताः । योद्धुकामा महावीर्या व्यनदन् वै समन्ततः ।। ७.१०१.४ ।।

śrutvā tu bharataṃ prāptaṃ gandharvāste samāgatāḥ | yoddhukāmā mahāvīryā vyanadan vai samantataḥ || 7.101.4 ||

Hearing that Bharata had arrived, those Gandharvas, mighty in valor, gathered together, eager to fight, and roared out on every side.

Shloka 5 (uttara.101.5)

ततः समभवद्युद्धं तुमुलं रोमहर्षणम् । सप्तरात्रं महाभीमं न चान्यतरयोर्जयः ।। ७.१०१.५ ।।

tataḥ samabhavadyuddhaṃ tumulaṃ romaharṣaṇam | saptarātraṃ mahābhīmaṃ na cānyatarayorjayaḥ || 7.101.5 ||

Then a tumultuous battle broke out, one that made the hair stand on end, most fearsome, lasting seven nights, with victory falling to neither side.

Shloka 6 (uttara.101.6)

खड्गशक्तिधनुर्ग्राहा नद्यः शोणितसंस्रवाः । नृकलेवरवाहिन्यः प्रवृत्ताः सर्वतोदिशम् ।। ७.१०१.६ ।।

khaḍgaśaktidhanurgrāhā nadyaḥ śoṇitasaṃsravāḥ | nṛkalevaravāhinyaḥ pravṛttāḥ sarvatodiśam || 7.101.6 ||

Rivers of flowing blood, thick with swords, spears, and bows, and carrying the bodies of the slain, flowed out in every direction.

Shloka 7 (uttara.101.7)

ततो रामानुजः क्रुद्धः कालस्यास्त्रं सुदारुणम् । संवर्तं नाम भरतो गन्धर्वेष्वभ्यचोदयत् ।। ७.१०१.७ ।।

tato rāmānujaḥ kruddhaḥ kālasyāstraṃ sudāruṇam | saṃvartaṃ nāma bharato gandharveṣvabhyacodayat || 7.101.7 ||

Then Rama's younger brother Bharata, enraged, released against the Gandharvas the most terrible weapon of Time, named Samvarta.

Shloka 8 (uttara.101.8)

ते बद्धाः कालपाशेन संवर्तेन विदारिताः । क्षणेनाभिहतास्तेन तिस्रः कोट्यो महात्मनाम् ।। ७.१०१.८ ।।

te baddhāḥ kālapāśena saṃvartena vidāritāḥ | kṣaṇenābhihatāstena tisraḥ koṭyo mahātmanām || 7.101.8 ||

Bound by the noose of Time, torn apart by the Samvarta weapon, three crores of those great warriors were struck down by it in an instant.

Shloka 9 (uttara.101.9)

तं घातं घोरसङ्काशं न स्मरन्ति दिवौकसः । निमेषान्तरमात्रेण तादृशानां महात्मनाम् ।। ७.१०१.९ ।।

taṃ ghātaṃ ghorasaṅkāśaṃ na smaranti divaukasaḥ | nimeṣāntaramātreṇa tādṛśānāṃ mahātmanām || 7.101.9 ||

The dwellers of heaven do not recall so terrible a slaughter of great souls of that kind, accomplished within the mere space of a blink.

Shloka 10 (uttara.101.10)

हतेषु तेषु सर्वेषु भरतः केकयीसुतः । निवेशयामास तदा समृद्धे द्वे पुरोत्तमे ।। ७.१०१.१० ।।

hateṣu teṣu sarveṣu bharataḥ kekayīsutaḥ | niveśayāmāsa tadā samṛddhe dve purottame || 7.101.10 ||

When all of them had been slain, Bharata, the son of Kaikeyi, then founded there two magnificent and prosperous cities.

Shloka 11 (uttara.101.11)

तक्षं तक्षशिलायां तु पुष्कलं पुष्कलावते । गन्धर्वदेशे रुचिरे गान्धारविषये च सः ।। ७.१०१.११ ।।

takṣaṃ takṣaśilāyāṃ tu puṣkalaṃ puṣkalāvate | gandharvadeśe rucire gāndhāraviṣaye ca saḥ || 7.101.11 ||

He installed Taksha in Takshashila and Pushkala in Pushkalavata, in that lovely land of the Gandharvas, in the country of Gandhara.

Shloka 12 (uttara.101.12)

धनरत्नौघसङ्कीर्णे काननैरुपशोभिते । अन्योन्यसङ्घर्षकृते स्पर्धया गुणविस्तरैः ।। ७.१०१.१२ ।।

dhanaratnaughasaṅkīrṇe kānanairupaśobhite | anyonyasaṅgharṣakṛte spardhayā guṇavistaraiḥ || 7.101.12 ||

Those cities were filled with abundant wealth and jewels, adorned with groves, rivaling one another in the richness of their qualities, as though in mutual competition.

Shloka 13 (uttara.101.13)

उभे सुरुचिरप्रख्ये व्यवहारैरकिल्बिषैः । उद्यानयानसम्पूर्णे सुविभक्तान्तरापणे ।। ७.१०१.१३ ।।

ubhe suruciraprakhye vyavahārairakilbiṣaiḥ | udyānayānasampūrṇe suvibhaktāntarāpaṇe || 7.101.13 ||

Both were renowned for their splendor, known for honest dealings free of wrongdoing, full of gardens and conveyances, with well laid-out markets between them.

Shloka 14 (uttara.101.14)

उभे पुरवरे रम्ये विस्तरैरुपशोभिते । गृहमुख्यैः सुरुचिरैर्विमानसमवर्णिभिः ।। ७.१०१.१४ ।।

ubhe puravare ramye vistarairupaśobhite | gṛhamukhyaiḥ surucirairvimānasamavarṇibhiḥ || 7.101.14 ||

Both were splendid and delightful cities, adorned with expansive grandeur, their finest mansions gleaming like the palaces of the gods in splendor.

Shloka 15 (uttara.101.15)

शोभिते शोभनीयैश्च देवायतनविस्तरैः । तालैस्तमालैस्तिलकैर्वकुलैरुपशोभिते ।। ७.१०१.१५ ।।

śobhite śobhanīyaiśca devāyatanavistaraiḥ | tālaistamālaistilakairvakulairupaśobhite || 7.101.15 ||

They shone with beautiful and extensive temples of the gods, and were graced with rows of tala, tamala, tilaka, and vakula trees.

Shloka 16 (uttara.101.16)

निवेश्य पञ्चभिर्वर्षैर्भरतो राघवानुजः । पुनरायान्महाबाहुरयोध्यां केकयीसुतः ।। ७.१०१.१६ ।।

niveśya pañcabhirvarṣairbharato rāghavānujaḥ | punarāyānmahābāhurayodhyāṃ kekayīsutaḥ || 7.101.16 ||

Having settled these cities over five years, Bharata, Raghava's younger brother, mighty-armed, son of Kaikeyi, returned again to Ayodhya.

Shloka 17 (uttara.101.17)

सो ऽभिवाद्य महात्मानं साक्षाद्धर्ममिवापरम् । राघवं भरतः श्रीमान्ब्रह्माणमिव वासवः ।। ७.१०१.१७ ।।

so 'bhivādya mahātmānaṃ sākṣāddharmamivāparam | rāghavaṃ bharataḥ śrīmānbrahmāṇamiva vāsavaḥ || 7.101.17 ||

The illustrious Bharata bowed to the great-souled Raghava, who was like Dharma itself embodied, just as Indra bows before Brahma.

Shloka 18 (uttara.101.18)

शशंस च यथावृत्तं गन्धर्ववधमुत्तमम् । निवेशनं च देशस्य श्रुत्वा प्रीतो ऽस्य राघवः ।। ७.१०१.१८ ।।

śaśaṃsa ca yathāvṛttaṃ gandharvavadhamuttamam | niveśanaṃ ca deśasya śrutvā prīto 'sya rāghavaḥ || 7.101.18 ||

He recounted, exactly as it had happened, the great slaughter of the Gandharvas and the settling of the land, and hearing it, Raghava was pleased.