महाभारतम् — ३.१६८

अर्जुन उवाच ।

ततोऽश्मवर्षं सुमहत्प्रादुरासीत्समन्ततः ।
नगमात्रैर्महाघोरैस्तन्मां दृढमपीडयत् ॥

M N Dutt Arjuna said: Then commenced a mighty shower of stones from all sides; (and) those stones, big as rocks, sore oppressed me.

३.१६८.२

तदहं वज्रसंकाशैः शरैरिन्द्रास्त्रचोदितैः ।
अचूर्णयं वेगवद्भिः शतधैकैकमाहवे ॥

M N Dutt Thereupon, at that terrible encounter, I crushed (those crags) with showers of fleet arrows, resembling the thunderbolt, discharged from Mahendra's weapon.

३.१६८.३

चूर्ण्यमानेऽश्मवर्षे तु पावकः समजायत ।
तत्राश्मचूर्णमपतत्पावकप्रकरा इव ॥

M N Dutt Those crags being reduced to pieces, there ensued fire and those fragments of stones fell like sparks of flame.

३.१६८.४

ततोऽश्मवर्षे निहते जलवर्षं महत्तरम् ।
धाराभिरक्षमात्राभिः प्रादुरासीन्ममान्तिके ॥

M N Dutt Then, those showers of stones having been destroyed, there fell near me a mighty downpour of water having torrents of the size of an axle.

३.१६८.५

नभसः प्रच्युता धारास्तिग्मवीर्याः सहस्रशः ।
आवृण्वन्सर्वतो व्योम दिशश्चोपदिशस्तथा ॥

M N Dutt Thousand of mighty torrents (of water), falling from the sky, enveloped the entire firmament and (all) the directions and the (ten) cardinal points.

३.१६८.६

धाराणां च निपातेन वायोर्विस्फूर्जितेन च ।
गर्जितेन च दैत्यानां न प्राज्ञायत किंचन ॥

M N Dutt (And) I was quite bewildered on account of that (heavy) downpour, blowing of the wind and the yell of the Daityas.

३.१६८.७

धारा दिवि च संबद्धा वसुधायां च सर्वशः ।
व्यामोहयन्त मां तत्र निपतन्त्योऽनिशं भुवि ॥

M N Dutt Those showers, covering (the entire space) between the heaven and the earth and incessantly falling upon the ground, (quite) confounded me.

३.१६८.८

तत्रोपदिष्टमिन्द्रेण दिव्यमस्त्रं विशोषणम् ।
दीप्तं प्राहिणवं घोरमशुष्यत्तेन तज्जलम् ॥

M N Dutt Thereupon, I discharged that terrible, flaming and celestials weapon, Vishoshana, learnt from Indra, which dried the water up.

३.१६८.९

हतेऽश्मवर्षे तु मया जलवर्षे च शोषिते ।
मुमुचुर्दानवा मायामग्निं वायुं च मानद ॥

M N Dutt The showers of stones being destroyed and the watery shower dried up by me, O Bharata, the Danavas created illusions of fire and wind.

३.१६८.१०

ततोऽहमग्निं व्यधमं सलिलास्त्रेण सर्वशः ।
शैलेन च महास्त्रेण वायोर्वेगमधारयम् ॥

M N Dutt Then I totally destroyed the fire by Salila (watery) weapon; and arrested the fury of the wind by the mighty Shaila (rock) weapon.

३.१६८.११

तस्यां प्रतिहतायां तु दानवा युद्धदुर्मदाः ।
प्राकुर्वन्विविधा माया यौगपद्येन भारत ॥

M N Dutt (And), O Bharata, on the destruction of these (illusions), the Danavas, irrepressible in battle, produced (simultaneously) several other) illusions.

३.१६८.१२

ततो वर्षं प्रादुरभूत्सुमहल्लोमहर्षणम् ।
अस्त्राणां घोररूपाणामग्नेर्वायोस्तथाश्मनाम् ॥

M N Dutt Then commenced a terrible shower of rocks and of the dreadful weapons of fire and wind, making the hair stand on the end (with terror).

३.१६८.१३

सा तु मायामयी वृष्टिः पीडयामास मां युधि ।
अथ घोरं तमस्तीव्रं प्रादुरासीत्समन्ततः ॥

M N Dutt And that downpour (of rocks and weapons) oppressed me in battle. Then there spread on all sides a dismal darkness.

३.१६८.१४

तमसा संवृते लोके घोरेण परुषेण च ।
तुरगा विमुखाश्चासन्प्रास्खलच्चापि मातलिः ॥

M N Dutt When the world was enveloped in that terrible and dense darkness, the horses drew back, Matali stumbled,

३.१६८.१५

हस्ताद्धिरण्मयश्चास्य प्रतोदः प्रापतद्भुवि ।
असकृच्चाह मां भीतः क्वासीति भरतर्षभ ॥

M N Dutt And the golden whip fell on the ground from his hand. O best of the Bharata, getting terrified, he repeatedly cried out "Where are you?"

३.१६८.१६

मां च भीराविशत्तीव्रा तस्मिन्विगतचेतसि ।
स च मां विगतज्ञानः संत्रस्त इदमब्रवीत् ॥

M N Dutt (And), when he lost his senses, I also was seized with a terrible fear. And (thus stupefied) he said to me in a hurry,

३.१६८.१७

सुराणामसुराणां च संग्रामः सुमहानभूत् ।
अमृतार्थे पुरा पार्थ स च दृष्टो मयानघ ॥

M N Dutt "O Sinless being, in days of yore a terrible battle was fought between the gods and the demons for the sake of nectar, which I witnessed.

३.१६८.१८

शम्बरस्य वधे चापि संग्रामः सुमहानभूत् ।
सारथ्यं देवराजस्य तत्रापि कृतवानहम् ॥

M N Dutt (And) in that mighty and terrible encounter, which took place for the destruction of the (Asura) Shambara, I acted as the charioteer of the lord of the gods.

३.१६८.१९

तथैव वृत्रस्य वधे संगृहीता हया मया ।
वैरोचनेर्मया युद्धं दृष्टं चापि सुदारुणम् ॥

M N Dutt Again, I drove the horses on the occasion of Vritra's destruction and also witnessed that awful and terrible encounter with the son of Virochana.

३.१६८.२०

एते मया महाघोराः संग्रामाः पर्युपासिताः ।
न चापि विगतज्ञानो भूतपूर्वोऽस्मि पाण्डव ॥

M N Dutt O Pandava, I witnessed all those terrible encounters. But never before (this) did I lose Imy senses.

३.१६८.२१

पितामहेन संहारः प्रजानां विहितो ध्रुवम् ।
न हि युद्धमिदं युक्तमन्यत्र जगतः क्षयात् ॥

M N Dutt Verily, it has been ordained by Pitamaha (Brahma) that the creation will be destroyed (at this encounter). For I find no other reason for this battle, If it be not for the destruction of the whole universe."

३.१६८.२२

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना ।
मोहयिष्यन्दानवानामहं मायामयं बलम् ॥

M N Dutt Hearing these words (of Matali) and pacifying my mind with my own efforts and deliberating (within myself) how to battle this mighty illusion created by the Danavas,

३.१६८.२३

अब्रुवं मातलिं भीतं पश्य मे भुजयोर्बलम् ।
अस्त्राणां च प्रभावं मे धनुषो गाण्डिवस्य च ॥

M N Dutt I spoke to terrified Matali, “behold the prowess of my arms and the power of my weapons and that of my bow Gandiva.

३.१६८.२४

अद्यास्त्रमाययैतेषां मायामेतां सुदारुणाम् ।
विनिहन्मि तमश्चोग्रं मा भैः सूत स्थिरो भव ॥

M N Dutt O charioteer do not be afraid, calm yourself. I will, this day, destroy the terrible illusion created by them and also this dense darkness, by illusion-creating weapon."

३.१६८.२५

एवमुक्त्वाहमसृजमस्त्रमायां नराधिप ।
मोहनीं सर्वशत्रूणां हिताय त्रिदिवौकसाम् ॥

M N Dutt O lord of men, having said this, I produced an illusion by the means of weapons capable of stupefying the whole creating, for the welfare of the celestials.

३.१६८.२६

पीड्यमानासु मायासु तासु तास्वसुरेश्वराः ।
पुनर्बहुविधा मायाः प्राकुर्वन्नमितौजसः ॥

M N Dutt That illusion being dispelled, some of the foremost amongst the Asuras, possessed of unrivalled prowess, again created various sorts of illusions,

३.१६८.२७

पुनः प्रकाशमभवत्तमसा ग्रस्यते पुनः ।
व्रजत्यदर्शनं लोकः पुनरप्सु निमज्जति ॥

M N Dutt (In consequence of which) now the world displayed itself, now it was enveloped in darkness, now it disappeared (from view) and, now again, it was submerged into water.

३.१६८.२८

सुसंगृहीतैर्हरिभिः प्रकाशे सति मातलिः ।
व्यचरत्स्यन्दनाग्र्येण संग्रामे लोमहर्षणे ॥

M N Dutt And when it displayed itself again to view, Matali with the well-conducted steeds, began to course in battle field which made the hair stand erect (with fear).

३.१६८.२९

ततः पर्यपतन्नुग्रा निवातकवचा मयि ।
तानहं विवरं दृष्ट्वा प्राहिण्वं यमसादनम् ॥

M N Dutt Then the furious Nivatakavachas flew towards me. Seizing this opportunity, I began to send them to the abode of Yama.

३.१६८.३०

वर्तमाने तथा युद्धे निवातकवचान्तके ।
नापश्यं सहसा सर्वान्दानवान्माययावृतान् ॥

M N Dutt In that encounter, fatal to the Danavas, which was still regaining, all on a sudden, I could not behold those demons who concealed themselves under the cover of illusion.

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