MAHABHARATA – STRI PARVA

THE MAHABHARATA
                                 CODENSED IN
THE POET’S OWN WORDS
                                    By PANDIT
A. M. SRINIVASACHARIAR
                                  Translated By Dr V,
Raghavan M.A., Ph.D.
                                                              
         ॥स्त्रीपर्व॥
                        STRI PARVA
 
             ततः प्रणादस्संजज्ञे सर्वेषु
कुरुवेश्मसु।
             आकुमारं पुरं सर्वमभवच्छोककर्शितम्॥
Then
arose the loud noise (of wailings) in all the mansions of the Kauravas and the
whole city of Hastinapura, down to the boys, became sorrow-stricken.
           अदृष्टपूर्वा या नार्यः
पुरा देवगणैरपि।
           ताभिः परिवृतो राजा रुदतीभिस्सहस्रशः।
           निर्ययौ नगराद्दीनस्तूर्णमायोधनं
प्रति॥
Surrounded
by thousands of those wailing women who had not been seen before even by the
gods, the dejected king Dhritarashtra left in haste his city for the
battle-field.
           शुश्रुवे पितरं वृद्धं निर्यान्तं
गजसाह्वयात्।
           शोचमानो [महाराज] भ्रातृभिस्सहितस्तदा।
           अन्वीयमानो वीरेण दाशार्हेण
महात्मना।
           ववन्दे पितरं ज्येष्ठं धर्मराजो
युधिष्ठिरः॥
The
grieving Yudhishthira heard that his old uncle was coming out from Hastinapura.
Along with his brothers and accompanied by the great and heroic Krishna, he
paid his respects to his eldest uncle.
             तमात्मजान्तकरणं पिता
पुत्रवधार्दितः।
             अप्रीयमाणश्शोकार्तः पाण्डवं
परिषस्वजे।
             दुष्टात्मा भीममन्वैच्छद्दिधक्षुरिव
पावकः॥
Tormented
on account of the slaughter of his sons and stricken with sorrow, the father,
Dhritarashtra, embraced Yudhishthira who had killed his sons, without liking
him. The evil-minded Dhritarashtra (then) sought for Bhima, wishing to burn him
like fire. 
               तस्य सङ्कल्पमाज्ञाय
भीमं प्रत्यशुभं हरिः।
               भीममाक्षिप्य पाणिभ्यां
प्रददौ भीममायसम्।
               बभञ्ज बलवान् राजा मन्यमानो
वृकोदरम्॥
Knowing
the evil intention of Dhritarashtra towards Bhima, Krishna drew Bhima aside
with his hands and presented an iron image of Bhima. Taking it for Bhima, the
strong king (Dhritarashtra) crushed it.
               हतो भीम इति ज्ञात्वा
नृपश्शोकसमन्वितः।
Thinking
that Bhima had been killed, King Dhritarashtra became sorrowful.      
              वासुदेवो वरः पुंसामिदं
वचनमब्रवीत्।
              ’मा शुचो धृतराष्ट्र
त्वं नैव भीमस्त्वया हतः।
              आयसी प्रतिमाह्येषा त्वया
निष्पातिता विभो॥’
Krishna,
the best of men, said these words: “Dhritarashtra, grieve not; Bhima has not
been killed by you; it is an iron image of (Bhima) that has been destroyed by
you.”
              धृतराष्ट्रः-
              ’इदानीं त्वहमव्यग्रो
गतमन्युर्गतज्वरः।
               पाण्डुपुत्रेषु मे धर्मः
प्रीतिश्चाप्यवतिष्ठते॥
Dhritarashtra-
“Now
I am undistracted, with my anger and mental anguish gone; Dharma and love are
firmly established in me towards the sons of Pandu.”
               अभ्ययुर्भ्रातरस्सर्वे
गान्धारीं सह केशवाः।
               गान्धारी विगतक्रोधा
सान्त्वयामास मातृवत् ॥
With
Krishna, all the brothers went to Gandhari and she, with her anger gone,
consoled them like a mother.
              पाण्डवा अभ्यगच्छन्त
पृथां पृथुलवक्षसः।
              चिरस्य दृष्ट्वा पुत्रान्सा
बाष्पमाहारयत्पृथा।
              अन्वशोचत दुःखार्ता द्रौपदीं निहतात्मजाम्॥
The
broad-chested Pandavas met Kunti (their mother); seeing her sons after a long
time, Kunti wept and, afflicted with grief she condoled with Draupadi whose
sons had been killed.
             ततः कोपपरीताङ्गी पुत्रशोकपरिप्लुता।
            
जगाद शौरिं दोषेण गान्धारी व्यथितेन्द्रिया॥
Then,
with body consumed by anger, overwhelmed with grief at her sons’ loss and with
agonied senses, Gandhari found fault with Krishna.
             ‘यस्मात्परस्परं घ्नन्तो
ज्ञातयः कुरुपाण्डवाः।
             उपेक्षितास्ते गोविन्द
तस्माज्ज्ञातीन्वधिष्यसि॥
             त्वमप्युपस्थिते वर्षे
षट्त्रिंशे मधुसूदन।
             हतज्ञातिर्हतामात्यो हतपुत्रो
वनेचरः।
             अनाथवदविज्ञातो निधनं
समवाप्स्यसि॥’
“Krishna,
since the kinsmen, the Kauravas and the Pandavas, killing each other were
neglected by you, you shall kill your own kinsmen; you also, in the
thirty-sixth year (from now), with your kinsmen, ministers and sons killed,
shall meet with death, wandering in the forests, unknown and helpless.
            तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं घोरं
वासुदेवो महामनाः।
            उवाच देवीं गान्धारीमीषदभ्युत्स्मयन्निव॥            
   
Hearing
those terrible words, the magnanimous Krishna, appearing to smile a little told
queen Gandhari:
      
             संहर्ता वृष्णिचक्रस्य
नान्यो मद्विद्यते शुभे।
“Auspicious
lady! There is none except myself who can destroy the Vrishnis.”
            ततः पितॄणां भ्रातॄणां
पतीनां च कुलस्त्रियः।
            उदकं चक्रिरे सर्वा रुदन्त्यो
भृशदुःखिताः॥
Very
much afflicted and weeping, all the Kaurava women offered the libations of
water to the manes of their fathers, brothers and husbands.
           ततः कुन्ती [महाराज] पुत्रान्वचनमब्रवीत्।
           यं सूतपुत्रं मन्यध्वं राधेयमिति
पाण्डवाः।
           कुरुध्वमुदकं तस्य भ्रातुरक्लिष्टकारिणः।
           स हि वः पूर्वजो भ्राता
भास्करान्मय्यजायत॥
Kunti
then told her sons: “ sons of Pandu! Him whom you take as the son of the
charioteer and (his wife) Radha, to that brother of yours of irreproachable
acts, offer water; for he is your eldest brother, born by me to the Sun-god.”
            श्रुत्वा तु पाण्डवास्सर्वे
मातुर्वचनमप्रियम्।
            कर्णमेवानुशोचन्तो भूयश्चात्यातुराऽभवन्॥
Hearing
those unpleasant words of their mother, all the Pandavas mourned for Karna
among all persons, and became all the more exceedingly tormented.
                  ॥इति स्त्रीपर्व
समाप्तम्॥
                 THUS ENDS THE STRI PARVA

Sri P R Ramamurthy Ji was the author of this website. When he started this website in 2009, he was in his eighties. He was able to publish such a great number of posts in limited time of 4 years. We appreciate his enthusiasm for Sanskrit Literature. Authors story in his own words : http://ramamurthypr1931.blogspot.com/

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