MAHABHARATA- ARJUNA MARRIES SUBHADRA, BURNING OF KHANDAVA FOREST

THE MAHABHARATA
                                 CONDENSED IN
THE POET’S OWN WORDS
                                    By PANDIT
A. M. SRINIVASACHARIAR
         Translated By Dr V, Raghavan M.A.,
Ph.D. & Published By G.A. Natesan & Co., Madras
                                                      
॥    आदिपर्व   ॥
      Arjuna marries Subhadra, Burning of Khandava
forest
           अर्जुनश्चिन्तयामास गदेन
कथितं पुरा।
           सुभद्रायाश्च माधुर्यरूपसंपद्गुणानि
च ॥
Arjuna thought of the sweetness, beauty and qualities of Subhadra
(Krishna’s sister), described (to him) by Gada ( a brother of Krishna) long
ago.
            पाण्डवस्य सुभद्रायास्सकाशे तु यशस्विनः।
            समुत्पत्तिः प्रभावश्च गदेन
कथितः पुरा।
            तस्मात्सुभद्रा चकमे पौरुषाद्भरतर्षभम्॥
In Subhadra’s presence (also), the birth and the might of the renowned Arjuna
had been previously described by Gada. 
Therefore, Subhadra loved Arjuna, the illustrious scion of Bharata, for
his valour.
       
                           ततः प्रीतिकरो यूनां विवाहपरमोत्सवः।
            भद्रवत्यै सुभद्रायै सप्तरात्रमवर्तत॥
Then the
great festival of marriage, which gives joy to the young, took place for seven
nights for the auspicious Subhadra.
            सुभद्रा सुषुवे वीरमभिमन्युं नरर्षभम्
            कृष्णस्य सदृशं शौर्ये वीर्ये रूपे तथऽऽकृतौ॥
Subhadra
gave birth to the heroic Abhimanyu, the best of men who was like Krishna in
courage, valour, beauty and appearance.
            युधिष्ठिरात्प्रतिविन्ध्यं सुतसोमं वृकोदरात्।
            अर्जुनाच्छ्रुतकर्माणं शतानीकं च नाकुलिम्।
            सहदेवाच्छ्रुतसेनमेतान्पञ्च महारथान्
            पाञ्चाली सुषुवे वीरानादित्यानदितिर्यथा॥
Like
Aditi giving birth to the gods, Draupadi gave birth to five warriors,
Prativindhya by yudhishthira, Sutasoma by Bhima, Srutakarman by Arjuna,
Satanika by Nakula and Srutasena by Sahadeva.                                        
                          
                                  दिव्यगर्भोपमैः पुत्रैर्व्यूढोरस्कैर्महारथैः।
           
अन्विता [राजशार्दूल] पाण्डवा मुदमाप्नुवन्॥
The
Pandavas rejoiced in the company of these valorous sons of broad chests, who
looked like divine children.
             ततः कतिपयाहस्य बीभत्सुः कृष्णमब्रवीत्।
             ’उष्णानि कृष्ण वर्तन्ते गच्छावो यमुनां
प्रति॥
After a
few days, Arjuna told Krishna:  “Krishna,
it hot, let us go towards the Yamuna.”
 
            आमन्त्र्य तौ धर्मराजमनुज्ञाप्य च [भारत]
            तत्र गत्वा महात्मानौ रेमाते पार्थमाधवौ॥
Asking
for the permission of Yudhishthira and being permitted by him, the two great
persons, Arjuna and Krishna, went to the Yamuna and enjoyed themselves.
            अभ्यागच्छत्तदा विप्रः प्रतप्तकनकप्रभः।
            सोऽब्रवीदर्जुनं चैव वासुदेवं च सात्त्वतम्॥
At that
time, a Brahmin, of the colour of smelted gold, approached (them); he said to
Arjuna and Krishna;
             ’भिक्षे वार्ष्णेयपार्थौ वां पावकं मां
निबोधतम्।
             स युवाभ्यां सहायाभ्यामस्त्रविद्भ्यां
समागतः।
             दहेयं खाण्डवं दावमेतदन्नं वृतं मया॥’
“I beg
of you, Arjuna and Krishna, know me as Fire; with you two, who are experts with
missiles, as aids, I would burn the Khandava forest; this has been chosen by me
as (my) food.”
              प्रादाच्चैव धनूरत्नमक्षय्यौ च महेषुधी।
              रथं च दिव्याश्वयुजं कपिप्रवरकेतनम्॥
He
gave (to Arjuna) an excellent bow and two great inexhaustible quivers as also a
chariot, fitted with celestial horses and a banner with a great monkey on it.
           
              वज्रनाभं ततश्चक्रं ददौ कृष्णाय पावकः।
The
god of fire then gave to Krishna a discus of adamantine nave.
              ततः पावकमब्रूतां प्रहृष्टावर्जुनाच्युतौ।
              कामं संप्रज्वलाद्यैव कल्यौ स्वस्साह्यकर्मणि॥
Overjoyed,
Arjuna and Krishna told the god of fire: “Burn as you please even now; we are
ready for your help.
              एवमुक्तस्स भगवान्दाशार्हेणार्जुनेन
च।
              ददाह खाण्डवं दावं युगान्तमिव दर्शयन् ॥
So
told by Krishna and Arjuna, the god of fire burnt the Khandava forest, as if
displaying the final destruction of the world.
              खाण्डवस्य विमोक्षार्थं प्रववर्ष सुरेश्वरः।
              तच्छरैरर्जुनो वर्षं प्रतिजघ्नेऽत्यमर्षितः॥
Indra
sent rain for the rescue of the Khandava forest; incensed very much, Arjuna
warded off that rain with his arrows.
     
              तस्मिन् वने दह्यमाने षडग्निर्न ददाह
च।
              अश्वसेनं मयं चैव चतुरश्शार्ङ्गकांस्तथा ॥
When
that forest was being burnt, the fire did not burn six  beings, – Asvasena (a serpent), Maya (the
architect of demons) and four sarnga birds.
              अहोभिरेकविंशद्भिर्विरराम सुतर्पितः
The
fire, fully satisfied, came to an end after twenty one days.
           
              अर्जुनो वासुदेवश्च मयोऽपि [भरतर्षभ]।
              रमणीये नदीकूले सहितास्समुपाविशन्। 
Arjuna,
Krishna and Maya sat together on a lovely river bank. 
             
                  [इत्यादिपर्वं  समाप्तम्]
                        [HERE ENDS ADI 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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