Mahabharata — Volume II (Dutt edition) — Chapter 73

MBh 2 73.1

बृहदश्व उवाच ततो विदर्भान् सम्प्राप्तं सायाह्ने सत्यविक्रमम्। ऋतुपर्णं जना राज्ञे भीमाय प्रत्यवेदयन्॥

bṛhadaśva uvāca tato vidarbhān samprāptaṃ sāyāhne satyavikramam| ṛtuparṇaṃ janā rājñe bhīmāya pratyavedayan||

Brihadashva said: Thereupon king Rituparna of undaunted courage had, in the evening, arrived at the city of the Vidharbhas. The people then brought to prince Bhima the intelligence of his arrival.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 73.2

स भीमवचनाद् राजा कुण्डिनं प्राविशत् पुरम्।। नादयन् रथघोषेण सर्वाः स विदिशो दिशः॥

sa bhīmavacanād rājā kuṇḍinaṃ prāviśat puram|| nādayan rathaghoṣeṇa sarvāḥ sa vidiśo diśaḥ||

The king (of Ayodhya), at the request of Bhima, entered the city of Kundina, filling all the directions (the points of the horizon) with the rattle of his car.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 73.3

ततस्तं रथनिर्घोषं नलाश्वास्तत्र शुश्रुवुः। श्रुत्वा तु समहृष्यन्त पुरेव नलसंनिधौ॥

tatastaṃ rathanirghoṣaṃ nalāśvāstatra śuśruvuḥ| śrutvā tu samahṛṣyanta pureva nalasaṃnidhau||

Thereupon the horses of Nala, that were there, heard the rattle of his car; and, having heard it, they felt great pleasure, which they had really done before in the presence of Nala himself.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 73.4

दमयन्ती तु शुश्राव रथघोषं नलस्य तम्। यथा मेघस्य नदतो गम्भीरं जलदागमे॥

damayantī tu śuśrāva rathaghoṣaṃ nalasya tam| yathā meghasya nadato gambhīraṃ jaladāgame||

Damayanti also heard the rattle of Nala's car, which was like the sound of the deeply rumbling clouds during the rains.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 73.5

परं विस्मयमापन्ना श्रुत्वा नादं महास्वनम्। नलेन संगृहीतेषु पुरेव नलवाजिषु। सदृशं स्थनिर्घोषं मेने भैमी तथा हयाः॥

paraṃ vismayamāpannā śrutvā nādaṃ mahāsvanam| nalena saṃgṛhīteṣu pureva nalavājiṣu| sadṛśaṃ sthanirghoṣaṃ mene bhaimī tathā hayāḥ||

She was struck with great astonishment to hear that sound. The daughter of king Bhima, the horses of Nala as well, supposed that chattering sound to be like one, which they heard in the days gone by, while Nala himself urged his own horses.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 73.6

प्रासादस्थाश्च शिखिनः शालास्थाश्चैव वारणाः। हयाश्च शुश्रुवुस्तस्य रथघोषं पहीपतेः॥

prāsādasthāśca śikhinaḥ śālāsthāścaiva vāraṇāḥ| hayāśca śuśruvustasya rathaghoṣaṃ pahīpateḥ||

The peacocks of the palace, the elephants in the stables and also the horses, all heard the rattle of the car of that monarch (Rituparna).

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 73.7

तच्छुत्वा रथनिर्घोषं वारणा: शिखिनस्तथा। प्रणेदुरुन्मुखा राजन् मेघनाद् इवोत्सुकाः॥

tacchutvā rathanirghoṣaṃ vāraṇā: śikhinastathā| praṇedurunmukhā rājan meghanād ivotsukāḥ||

O king, hearing the chattering sound of the car, the elephants as well as the peacocks, began to cry aloud with their faces in that direction; and they became very glad, even as they heard the rumbling of the clouds themselves.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 73.8

दमयन्त्युवाच यथासौ रथनिर्घोषः पूरयन्निव मेदिनीम्। ममाह्लादयते चेतो नल एष महीपतिः॥

damayantyuvāca yathāsau rathanirghoṣaḥ pūrayanniva medinīm| mamāhlādayate ceto nala eṣa mahīpatiḥ||

Damayanti said : As the rattle of this car fills the entire earth and highly delights my heart, it must be king Nala, who comes from that direction.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 73.9

अद्य चन्द्राभवक्त्रं तं न पश्यामि नलं यदि। असंख्येगुणं वीरं विनश्यामि न संशयः॥

adya candrābhavaktraṃ taṃ na paśyāmi nalaṃ yadi| asaṃkhyeguṇaṃ vīraṃ vinaśyāmi na saṃśayaḥ||

If I do not see Nala, that hero of innumerable virtues and whose face is like the moon, surely I will die.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 73.10

यदि वै तस्य वीरस्य बाह्वोर्नाद्याहमन्तरम्। प्रविशामि सुखस्पर्श न भविष्याम्यसंशयम्॥

yadi vai tasya vīrasya bāhvornādyāhamantaram| praviśāmi sukhasparśa na bhaviṣyāmyasaṃśayam||

If I am not to enter within the arms of that hero and not to feel the pleasurable touch of his embrace, I will doubtlessly cease to exist.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 73.11

यदि मां मेघनिर्घोषो नोपगच्छति नैषधः। अद्य चामीकरप्रख्यं प्रवेक्ष्यामि हुताशनम्॥

yadi māṃ meghanirghoṣo nopagacchati naiṣadhaḥ| adya cāmīkaraprakhyaṃ pravekṣyāmi hutāśanam||

If the king of the Nishadhas do not come to me with his voice as deep as the rumbling of the cloud, today I will surely enter into the fire of golden brilliance.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 73.12

यदि मां सिंहविक्रान्तो मत्तवारणविक्रमः। नाभिगच्छति राजेन्द्रो विनइक्ष्यामि न संशयः॥

yadi māṃ siṃhavikrānto mattavāraṇavikramaḥ| nābhigacchati rājendro vinaikṣyāmi na saṃśayaḥ||

If that foremost of kings, of prowess like that of a lion and of courage like that of a furious elephant, do not come to me, there will be no doubt that I will die.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 73.13

न स्मराम्यनृतं किंचिन्न स्मराम्यपकारताम्। न च पर्युषितं वाक्यं स्वैरेष्वपि कदाचन॥

na smarāmyanṛtaṃ kiṃcinna smarāmyapakāratām| na ca paryuṣitaṃ vākyaṃ svaireṣvapi kadācana||

I do not remember a little untruth in him; neither I remember any injury committed by him to others, nor he ever told a lie even in jest.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 73.14

प्रभुः क्षमावान् वीरश्च दाता चाप्यधिको नृपः। रहोऽनीचानुवर्ती च क्लीबवन्मम नैषधः॥

prabhuḥ kṣamāvān vīraśca dātā cāpyadhiko nṛpaḥ| raho'nīcānuvartī ca klībavanmama naiṣadhaḥ||

My Naishadha is illustrious forgiving, warlike and liberal. He is supcrior to other monarchs; and he never behaves with low persons regarding private matters; and he is like an eunuch respecting other women than myself.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 73.15

गुणांस्तस्य स्मरन्त्या मे तत्पराया दिवानिशम्। हृदयं दीर्यत इदं शोकात् प्रियविनाकृतम्॥

guṇāṃstasya smarantyā me tatparāyā divāniśam| hṛdayaṃ dīryata idaṃ śokāt priyavinākṛtam||

Remembering his virtues day and night, my mind is always directed towards him; and my heart is about to burst in grief on account of the absence of that beloved one.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 73.16

एवं विलपमाना सा नष्टसंज्ञेव भारत। आरुरोह महद् वेश्म पुण्यश्लोकदिदृक्षया॥

evaṃ vilapamānā sā naṣṭasaṃjñeva bhārata| āruroha mahad veśma puṇyaślokadidṛkṣayā||

O descendant of the Bharata race, thus lamenting, the lady, as if senseless, mounted the (terrace of the) large palace with the desire of seeing that righteous king.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 73.17

ततो मध्यमकक्षायां ददर्श रथमास्थितम्। ऋतुपर्णं महीपालं सहवार्ष्णेयबाहुकम्॥ वै

tato madhyamakakṣāyāṃ dadarśa rathamāsthitam| ṛtuparṇaṃ mahīpālaṃ sahavārṣṇeyabāhukam|| vai

From the central portion of the mansion she saw on the car king Rituparna, with Varshneya and Bahuka.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 73.18

ततोऽवतीर्य वार्ष्णेयो बाहुकश्च रथोत्तमात्। हयांस्तानवमुच्याथ स्थापयामास रथम्॥

tato'vatīrya vārṣṇeyo bāhukaśca rathottamāt| hayāṃstānavamucyātha sthāpayāmāsa ratham||

Thereupon Varshneya, as well as Bahuka, alighted from that excellent car; and then loosened the steeds; and at last kept the car apart.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 73.19

सोऽवतीर्य रथोपस्थादृतुपर्णो नराधिपः। उपतस्थे महाराज भीमं भीमपराक्रमम्॥

so'vatīrya rathopasthādṛtuparṇo narādhipaḥ| upatasthe mahārāja bhīmaṃ bhīmaparākramam||

Having alighted from the car, car, king Rituparna appeared before that excellent monarch, Bhima, of terrible prowess.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 73.20

तं भीमः प्रतिजग्राह पूजया परया ततः। स तेन पूजितो राज्ञा ऋतुपर्णो नराधिपः॥

taṃ bhīmaḥ pratijagrāha pūjayā parayā tataḥ| sa tena pūjito rājñā ṛtuparṇo narādhipaḥ||

Thereupon king Bhima received him with respectful offerings. Thus the best of the kings, Rituparna, was highly honoured by that inonarch.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 73.21

स तत्र कुण्डिने रम्ये वसमानो महीपतिः। न च किंचित् तदापश्यत् प्रेक्षमाणो मुहुर्मुहुः। स तु राज्ञा समागम्य विदर्भपतिना तदा॥ अकस्मात् सहसा प्राप्तं स्त्रीमन्त्रं न स्म विन्दति। किं कार्यं स्वागतं तेऽस्तु राजा पृष्टः स भारत॥

sa tatra kuṇḍine ramye vasamāno mahīpatiḥ| na ca kiṃcit tadāpaśyat prekṣamāṇo muhurmuhuḥ| sa tu rājñā samāgamya vidarbhapatinā tadā|| akasmāt sahasā prāptaṃ strīmantraṃ na sma vindati| kiṃ kāryaṃ svāgataṃ te'stu rājā pṛṣṭaḥ sa bhārata||

While residing in that beautiful city of Kundina, that ruler of the earth saw nothing (no signs of the Svayamvara) there, although he looked about all again and again. Then, at last, the lord of the Vidharbhas presented himself before that monarch and welcomed him. O descendant of the Bharata race, Bhima asked him on what business he was pleased to come there; for, in the absence of a proper occasion, an illustrious personage can not be had.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 73.22

नाभिजज्ञे स नृपतिर्दुहित्रर्थे समागतम्। ऋतुपर्णोऽपि राजा सधीमान् सत्यपराक्रमः॥ राजानं राजपुत्रं वा न स्म पश्यति कंचन। नैव स्वयंवरकथां न च विप्रसमागमम्॥ ततो व्यगणयद् राजा मनसा कोसलाधिपः। आगतोऽस्मीत्युवाचैनं भवन्तमभिवादकः॥

nābhijajñe sa nṛpatirduhitrarthe samāgatam| ṛtuparṇo'pi rājā sadhīmān satyaparākramaḥ|| rājānaṃ rājaputraṃ vā na sma paśyati kaṃcana| naiva svayaṃvarakathāṃ na ca viprasamāgamam|| tato vyagaṇayad rājā manasā kosalādhipaḥ| āgato'smītyuvācainaṃ bhavantamabhivādakaḥ||

In fact Bhima did not know that he (Rituparna) had come to win the hands of his daughter. The intelligent king Rituparna, possessed of unbaffled power, beheld that there was neither a king nor a prince; nor he saw any gathering of Brahmanas; nor he heard any talk regarding the Svayamvara. Thereupon the ruler of Koshala ineditated in his mind and after a while addressed him, saying, "I have como here to pay you homage?"

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 73.23

राजापि च स्मयन् भीमो मनसा समचिन्तयन्। अधिकं योजनशतं तस्यागमनकारणम्॥ ग्रमान् बहूनतिक्रम्य नाध्यगच्छद् यथातथम्। अल्पकार्य विनिर्दिष्टं तस्यागमनकारणम्॥

rājāpi ca smayan bhīmo manasā samacintayan| adhikaṃ yojanaśataṃ tasyāgamanakāraṇam|| gramān bahūnatikramya nādhyagacchad yathātatham| alpakārya vinirdiṣṭaṃ tasyāgamanakāraṇam||

Struck with amazement, king Bhima reflected on the cause of Rituparna's visit, who had travelled more than a hundred yojanas. Bhima supposed, “That simply to pay him respects was not the reason of his coming there, after having passed over so many monarchs and crossed over countless villages.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 73.24

पश्चादुदर्के ज्ञास्यामि कारणं यद् भविष्यति। नैतदेवं स नृपतिस्तं सत्कृत्य व्यसर्जयत्॥

paścādudarke jñāsyāmi kāraṇaṃ yad bhaviṣyati| naitadevaṃ sa nṛpatistaṃ satkṛtya vyasarjayat||

He attributes his arrival to a very slight cause. Be what it may. I will find out the reason in the future time.” Thus thinking, Bhima did not dismiss the monarch at once; rather he honoured him.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 73.25

विश्राम्यतामित्युवाच क्लान्तोऽसीति पुनः पुनः। स सत्कृतः प्रहृष्टात्मा प्रीतः प्रीतेन पार्थिवः॥ राजप्रेष्यैरनुगतो दिष्टं वेश्म समाविशत्। ऋतुपर्णे गते राजन् वार्ष्णेयसहिते नृपे॥ बाहुको रथमादाय रथशालामुपागमत्। स मोचयित्वा तानश्वानुपचर्य च शास्त्रतः॥

viśrāmyatāmityuvāca klānto'sīti punaḥ punaḥ| sa satkṛtaḥ prahṛṣṭātmā prītaḥ prītena pārthivaḥ|| rājapreṣyairanugato diṣṭaṃ veśma samāviśat| ṛtuparṇe gate rājan vārṣṇeyasahite nṛpe|| bāhuko rathamādāya rathaśālāmupāgamat| sa mocayitvā tānaśvānupacarya ca śāstrataḥ||

He also said to him again and again, “Do you take rest, as you are very weary.” Thus regarded by the pleased monarch, the ruler of the earth (Rituparna) was highly satisfied at the mind; and, with the gladness of his heart, repaired to his appointed quarters, accompanied by the servants of the royal household. O king, after king Rituparna had gone away with Varshneya, Bahuka caught hold of the car and took it to the stables. He then unyoked the horses and looked after them according to the rules.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 73.26

स्वयं चैतान् समाश्वास्य रथोपस्थ उपविशत्। दमयन्त्यपि शोकार्ता दृष्ट्वा भागासुरिं नृपम्॥ सुतपुत्रं च वार्ष्णेय बाहुकं च तथाविधम्। चिन्तयामास वैदर्भी कस्यैष रथनिःस्वनः॥

svayaṃ caitān samāśvāsya rathopastha upaviśat| damayantyapi śokārtā dṛṣṭvā bhāgāsuriṃ nṛpam|| sutaputraṃ ca vārṣṇeya bāhukaṃ ca tathāvidham| cintayāmāsa vaidarbhī kasyaiṣa rathaniḥsvanaḥ||

Thereafter Bahuka comforted the horses and seated himself on a side of the car; while Damayanti, the daughter of the king of the Vidharbhas, afflicted with grief, saw prince Vangasura and Varshneya, the son of the charioteer, as also Bahuka in that posture; and she continued to meditate upon, "Of whose car was the rattle?

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 73.27

नलस्येव महानासीन च पश्यामि नैषधम्। वार्ष्णेयेन भवेन्नूनं विद्या सैवोपशिक्षिता॥ तेनाद्य रथनिर्घोषो नलस्येव महानभूत्। आहोस्विदूतुपर्णोऽपि यथा राजा नलस्तथा। यथायं स्थनिर्घोषो नैषधस्येव लक्ष्यते॥

nalasyeva mahānāsīna ca paśyāmi naiṣadham| vārṣṇeyena bhavennūnaṃ vidyā saivopaśikṣitā|| tenādya rathanirghoṣo nalasyeva mahānabhūt| āhosvidūtuparṇo'pi yathā rājā nalastathā| yathāyaṃ sthanirghoṣo naiṣadhasyeva lakṣyate||

This loud sound is like that of Nala's.car. But I do not find that prince of the Nishadhas. It is surely then that this are (of driving) was learnt by Varshneya. It is for this reason that the clattering sound of the car has been as loud as that of Nala. Or it may be, that king Rituparna is equal to Nala (in driving). Hence this rattle appears to be like that of the king of the Nishadhas."

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 2 73.28

एवं सा तर्कयित्वा तु दमयन्ती विशाम्पत। दूतीं प्रस्थापयामास नैषधान्वेषणे शुभा॥

evaṃ sā tarkayitvā tu damayantī viśāmpata| dūtīṃ prasthāpayāmāsa naiṣadhānveṣaṇe śubhā||

O lord of the earth, thus meditating, blessed Damayanti sent a female messenger in search of the king of the Nishadhas.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)