MAHABHARATA – SAUPTIKA PARVA

MAHABHARATA

                                 CODENSED IN
THE POET’S OWN WORDS

                                    By PANDIT
A. M. SRINIVASACHARIAR

                                  Translated By Dr V, Raghavan M.A., Ph.D.

                           
                                 ॥    सौप्तिकपर्व   ॥

                           SAUPTIKA PARVA

           

                 ततोऽस्तं पर्वतश्रेष्ठमनुप्राप्ते
दिवाकरे।

                 रात्रिञ्चराणां सत्त्वानां निनादोऽभूत्स्सुदारुणः।

                 क्रव्यादाश्च प्रमुदिता घोरा प्राप्ता
च शर्वरी॥

Then,
when the sun had reached the great mountain of setting, there was the frightful
noise of nocturnal beings; carnivorous animals and demons rejoiced; terrible
night set in.

                  कृतवर्माणमामन्त्र्य कृपं च स महारथः।

                  द्रौणिर्मन्युपरीतात्मा प्राविशत्
शिबिरं महत्।

                  धृष्टद्युम्नस्य निलयं शनकैरभ्युपागमत्॥

Taking
leave of Kritavarman and Kripa, that great warrior Ashwathaman, consumed by
rage, entered the big camp of the Pandavas, and slowly approached the abode of
Dhrishtadyumna.

                  द्रौणिः क्रूरं मनः कृत्वा पाञ्चाल्यमवधीत्तदा।

                  संसुप्तानेव पाञ्चालवीरान्न्यहनदन्तिके
॥

With
a cruel mind, the son of Drona killed the son of the Panchala king
(Dhrishtadyumna) and the (other) Panchala warriors even as they were in deep
sleep by the side (of Dhrishtadyumna).

                   अपश्यद् द्रौपदीपुत्रान् खड्गेन
व्यधमत्ततः।

He
saw the sons of Draupadi and slew them with his sword then.

                   शिखण्डिनं समासाद्य द्विधा चिच्छेद
सोऽसिना।

Meeting
with Sikhandin he cut him in two with his sword.

                   कृपश्चैव[महाराज] हार्दिक्यश्चैव
दुर्मतिः।

                   त्रिषु देशेषु ददतुश्शिबिरस्य
हुताशनम्॥

Kripa
and the evil-minded Hardikya (Kritavarman) set fire to the Pandava camp in
three places.

                    तस्या रजन्यास्त्वर्धेन पाण्डवानां
महद्बलम्।

                    गमयामास [राजेन्द्र]  द्रौणिर्यमनिवेशनम्॥

Within
half of that night, Ashvathaman put to death that big army of the Pandavas.

                   प्रत्यूषकाले निष्क्रम्य ताभ्यां
संगम्य वीर्यवान्।

                   गत्वा शयानं राजानं पुनर्वचनमब्रवीत्॥

 
Getting out (of the Pandava camp) at daybreak, and joining with those two,
Kripa and Kritavarman, the valorous Ashwathaman went again to the King
(Durydhana) who was lying (on the ground), and said:

                      

                     ’दुर्योधन जीवसि चेद्वाक्यं
श्रोत्रसुखं शृणु।

                     सप्त पाण्डवतश्शिष्टा धार्तराष्ट्रास्त्रयो
वयम्॥

                     पाञ्चाला निहतास्सर्वे हतपुत्रा हि पाण्डवाः।

                     सौप्तिके शिबिरं तेषां हतं सनरवाहनम् ॥

“Duryodhana,
if you still live, hear these words which would give happiness to your ears.  Of the Pandavas, seven remain; among those on
Dhritarashtra’s side, we three remain.  All
the Panchalas have been killed in an onslaught while everybody was sleeping;

Their
camp, along with men, vehicles and animals, has been destroyed.”

              

               ‘न मेऽकरोत्तद्गाङ्गेयो न कर्णो न
च ते पिता।

               यत्त्वया कृतभोजाभ्यां सहितेनाद्य
मे कृतम्॥

               इत्येवमुक्त्वा निधनं यातो दुर्योधनो
[नृप]॥

“(Ashwathaman),
what has been done for me by you, along with Kripa and the Bhoja (Kritavarman),
that Bhishma did not do me, nor Karna, not even your father.”  Having said so, Duryodhana died. 

               सौप्तिके कदनं श्रुत्वा धर्मात्मा
पर्यदेवयत्।

              ’जीयमाना जयन्त्यन्ये जयमाना वयं जिताः।

              ये व्यमुञ्चन्त कर्णस्य प्रमादात्त
इमे हताः।

                
न हि प्रमादात्परमस्ति कश्चित्

                     वधो नराणामिह जीवलोके।

                 तीर्त्वा समुद्रं वणिजस्समृद्धा

                     मग्नाः कुनद्यामिव सीदमानाः॥

Hearing
of the slaughter in the nocturnal attack, Yudhishthira wept: “Conquered, others
conquer; conquering, we are conquered. 
These sons of ours who escaped Karna, have been killed by our
carelessness.  There is no greater death
to men in this world than carelessness. We perish like rich merchants who,
after crossing the seas, are drowned in a little stream.”

            कृष्णा राजानमासाद्य शोकार्ता न्यपतद्भुवि।

            रुदती पाण्डवज्येष्ठमिदं वचनमब्रवीत्॥

Coming
to Yudhishthira, the sorrow-stricken Draupadi fell on the ground, and weeping,
spoke these words to Yudhishthira:

             ‘द्रोणपुत्रस्य सहजो मणिः शिरसि मे श्रुतः।

             निहत्य संख्ये तं पापं पश्येयं मणिमाहृतम्॥

“I
have heard that there is a jewel on the head of Ashwathaman, born along with
his body; I would see that sinner killed in battle and the jewel brought (to
me).”

              तमभ्यधावत्कौन्तेयः प्रगृह्य सशरं धनुः॥

Yudhishthira
rushed at Ashwathaman, taking his bow and arrows.

             जग्राह च शरैषीकां द्रौणिस्सव्येन पाणिना।

             ’अपाण्डवाय’ इति रुषा तदस्त्रं प्रमुमोच
ह॥

Ashwathaman
took in his left hand the Ishika Astra and saying in anger: “For the end of the
Pandavas,” he discharged the divine missile.

            

              ’विसृजैतत्त्वमप्याजावस्त्रमस्त्रनिवारणम्’

               केशवेनैवमुक्तोऽथ पाण्डवः परवीरहा।

               उत्ससर्ज शिवं ध्यायन्नस्त्रमस्त्रेण
शाम्यताम् ॥

“You also send forth in
this fight, this divine missile (of yours) that can counteract Ashwathaman’s
missile.”  So told by Krishna, Arjuna,
the destroyer of enemy-warriors shot his missile, contemplating upon god Siva,
so that Aswathaman’s missile might be put down by his own.”  

 

                नारदस्सर्वधर्मात्मा भरतानां पितामहः।

                उभौ शमयितुं वीरौ भारद्वाजधनञ्जयौ।

                दीप्तयोरस्त्रयोर्मध्ये स्थितौ परमतेजसौ॥

Sage
Narada and the grandfather of Bharatas, Vyasa, the embodiment of all Dharmas,
stood with their supreme splendour, between the two blazing missiles, to calm
the two warriors, Ashwathaman and Arjuna.

               सञ्जहार शरं दिव्यं त्वरमाणो धनञ्जयः।

               अशक्तः प्रतिसंहारे परमास्त्रस्य संयुगे।
  

               द्रौणिर्दीनमना (राजन्) गर्भेषु प्रमुमोच ह ॥

Hastening,
Arjuna withdrew the divine arrow. Incapable of withdrawing that supreme missile
in the battle, Ashwathaman, with a dejected mind, discharged it at the womb (of
Uttara).

  

          

               तदाज्ञाय हृषीकेशो द्रौणिं प्रत्यब्रवीत्तदा।

               ’परीक्षिद्भविता ह्येषां पुनर्वंशकरस्सुतः।

               अहं तं जीवयिष्यामि दग्धं शस्त्राग्नितेजसा॥

Knowing that Aswathaman
had discharged the missile of Brahmashiras at Uttara’s womb, Krishna
said to him: “ There will be born a son, ParikShit, the continuer of the
Pandavas’ line.            

I
shall bring to life that Parikshit burnt by the heat of the fire of your
missile.”

               प्रदायाथ मणिं द्रौणिः पाण्डवानां
महात्मनाम्।

               जगाम विमनास्तेषां सर्वेषां पश्यतां
वनम्॥

Handing
over his gem to the high-souled Pandavas then, the distracted Ashwathaman went
to the forest, even as all of them were looking on. 

               पाण्डवाश्च सदाशार्हा मणिमादाय सत्वराः।

               द्रौपदीमभ्यधावन्त दुःखशोकसमन्विताम्॥

Taking
the precious stone of Ashwathaman, the Pandavas, along with Krishna, rushed up
in haste to the distressed and sorrowing Draupadi.

              द्रौपदी-

             ’केवलानृण्यमाप्तास्मि गुरुपुत्रो गुरुर्मम।

              शिरस्येतं मणिं राजा ग्रहीतुमनघोऽर्हति॥

Draupadi-

“
I am simply rid of my debt (of avenging the murder of my sons); the son of the preceptor
is a preceptor to me. The spotless king (Yudhishthira) deserves to wear this
jewel on his head.”

             ततो दिव्यं मणिवरं शिरसा धारयन्प्रभुः।

             शुशुभे स तदा राजा सचन्द्र इव पर्वतः॥

Wearing
then that excellent celestial gem on his head, king Yudhishthira shone at that
time like a mountain with the moon on it.

                ॥ इति सौप्तिकपर्व समाप्तम्॥

                    THUS ENDS THE SAUPTIKA PARVA