ādiparva - Chapter-18

आदिपर्व - ādiparva

अध्यायः – 18 ::Chapter-18

Shlokas	No. of Shlokas
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥ कृतास्त्रान्धार्तराष्ट्रांश्च पाण्डुपुत्रांश्च भारत । दृष्ट्वा द्रोणोऽब्रवीद्राजन्धृतराष्ट्रं जनेश्वरम् ॥ 1॥ कृपस्य सोमदत्तस्य बाह्लीकस्य च धीमतः । गाङ्गेयस्य च सांनिध्ये व्यासस्य विदुरस्य च ॥ 2॥ राजन्सम्प्राप्तविद्यास्ते कुमराः कुरुसत्तम । ते दर्शयेयुः स्वां शिक्षां राजन्ननुमते तव ॥ 3॥ ततोऽब्रवीन्महाराजः प्रहृष्टेनान्तरात्मना । भारद्वाज महत्कर्म कृतं ते द्विजसत्तम ॥ 4॥ यदा तु मन्यसे कालं यस्मिन्देशे यथा यथा । तथा तथा विधानाय स्वयमाज्ञापयस्व माम् ॥ 5॥ स्पृहयाम्यद्य निर्वेदात्पुरुषाणां सचक्षुषाम् । अस्त्रहेतोः पराक्रान्तान्ये मे द्रक्ष्यन्ति पुत्रकान् ॥ 6॥ क्षत्तर्यद्गुरुराचार्यो ब्रवीति कुरु तत्तथा । न हीदृशं प्रियं मन्ये भविता धर्मवत्सल ॥ 7॥ ततो राजानमामन्त्र्य विदुरानुगतो बहिः । भारद्वाजो महाप्राज्ञो मापयामास मेदिनीम् ॥ 8॥ समामवृक्षां निर्गुल्मामुदक्प्रवणसंस्थिताम् ॥ ॥ तस्यां भूमौ बलिं चक्रे तिथौ नक्षत्रपूजिते ।9 अवघुष्टं पुरे चापि तदर्थं वदतां वर ॥ रङ्गभूमौ सुविपुलं शास्त्रदृष्टं यथाविधि ।10 प्रेक्षागारं सुविहितं चक्रुस्तत्र च शिल्पिनः ॥ ॥ राज्ञः सर्वायुधोपेतं स्त्रीणां चैव नरर्षभ ॥ 11॥ मञ्चांश्च कारयामासुस्तत्र जानपदा जनाः । विपुलानुच्छ्रयोपेताञ्शिबिकाश्च महाधनाः ॥ 12॥ तस्मिंस्ततोऽहनि प्राप्ते राजा ससचिवस्तदा । भीष्मं प्रमुखतः कृत्वा कृपं चाचार्यसत्तमम् ॥ 13॥ मुक्ताजालपरिक्षिप्तं वैडूर्यमणिभूषितम् । शातकुम्भमयं दिव्यं प्रेक्षागारमुपागमत् ॥ 14॥ गान्धारी च महाभागा कुन्ती च जयतां वर । स्त्रियश्च सर्वा या राज्ञः सप्रेष्याः सपरिच्छदाः ॥ 15॥ हर्षादारुरुहुर्मञ्चान्मेरुं देवस्त्रियो यथा ॥ ॥ ब्राह्मणक्षत्रियाद्यं च चातुर्वर्ण्यं पुराद्द्रुतम् ।16 दर्शनेप्सु समभ्यागात्कुमाराणां कृतास्त्रताम् ॥ क्षणेनैकस्थतां तत्र दर्शनेप्सुर्जगाम ह॥17 प्रवादितैश्च वादित्रैर्जनकौतूहलेन च । महार्णव इव क्षुब्धः समाजः सोऽभवत्तदा ॥ 18॥ ततः शुक्लाम्बरधरः शुक्लयज्ञोपवीतवान् । शुक्लकेशः सितश्मश्रुः शुक्लमाल्यानुलेपनः ॥ 19 रङ्गमध्यं तदाचार्यः सपुत्रः प्रविवेश ह । नभो जलधरैर्हीनं साङ्गारक इवांशुमान् ॥ 20॥ स यथासमयं चक्रे बलिं बलवतां वरः । ब्राह्मणांश्चात्र मन्त्रज्ञान्वाचयामास मङ्गलम् ॥ 21॥ सुखपुण्याहघोषस्य पुण्यस्य समनन्तरम्। विविशुर्विविधं गृह्य शस्त्रोपकरणं नराः ॥ 22॥ ततो बद्धतनुत्राणा बद्धकक्ष्या महाबलाः । बद्धतूणाः सधनुषो विविशुर्भरतर्षभाः ॥ 23॥ अनुज्येष्ठं च ते तत्र युधिष्ठिरपुरोगमाः । चक्रुरस्त्रं महावीर्याः कुमाराः परमाद्भुतम् ॥ 24॥ केचिच्छराक्षेपभयाच्छिरांस्यवननामिरे । मनुजा धृष्टमपरे वीक्षां चक्रुः सविस्मयाः ॥ 25॥ ते स्म लक्ष्याणि विविधुर्बाणैर्नामाङ्कशोभितैः । विविधैर्लाघवोत्सृष्टैरुह्यन्तो वाजिभिर्द्रुतम् ॥ 26॥ तत्कुमारबलं तत्र गृहीतशरकार्मुकम् । गन्धर्वनगराकारं प्रेक्ष्य ते विस्मिताभवन् ॥ 27॥ सहसा चुक्रुशुस्तत्र नराः शतसहस्रशः । विस्मयोत्फुल्लनयनाः साधु साध्विति भारत ॥ 28॥ कृत्वा धनुषि ते मार्गान्रथचर्यासु चासकृत् । गजपृष्ठेऽश्वपृष्ठे च नियुद्धे च महाबलाः ॥ 29॥ गृहीतखड्गचर्माणस्ततो भूयः प्रहारिणः । त्सरुमार्गान्यथोद्दिष्टांश्चेरुः सर्वासु भूमिषु ॥ 30॥ लाघवं सौष्ठवं शोभां स्थिरत्वं दृढमुष्टिताम् । ददृशुस्तत्र सर्वेषां प्रयोगे खड्गचर्मणाम् ॥ 31॥ अथ तौ नित्यसंहृष्टौ सुयोधनवृकोदरौ । अवतीर्णौ गदाहस्तावेकशृङ्गाविवाचलौ ॥ 32॥ बद्धकक्ष्यौ महाबाहू पौरुषे पर्यवस्थितौ । बृंहन्तौ वाशिताहेतोः समदाविव कुञ्जरौ ॥ 33॥ तौ प्रदक्षिणसव्यानि मण्डलानि महाबलौ । चेरतुर्निर्मलगदौ समदाविव गोवृषौ ॥ 34॥ विदुरो धृतराष्ट्राय गान्धार्यै पाण्डवारणिः । न्यवेदयेतां तत्सर्वं कुमाराणां विचेष्टितम् ॥ 35॥	35 (1189)
Vaisampayana said, 'O descendant of Bharata, seeing the sons of Dhritarashtra and Pandu skilled in battle, Drona spoke to King Dhritarashtra, with Kripa, Somadatta, Valhika, the wise son of Ganga (Bhishma), Vyasa, and Vidura present, and said, 'O noble king of the Kuru dynasty, your children have finished their training. With your permission, let them now display their skills.' Hearing this, the king replied, delighted, 'O finest of Brahmanas, you have indeed done a great service. Direct me regarding the place, the time, and how this trial should take place. My sorrow over my own blindness makes me envious of those who can witness my children's talents in battle. O Kshatri (Vidura), do as Drona suggests. You, who are devoted to righteousness, I believe there is nothing more pleasing to me.' Then Vidura assured the king and went out to fulfill his orders. Drona, wise and resourceful, then measured an area of land clear of trees and brush, with wells and springs. On this chosen land, Drona, the most eloquent of men, selected an auspicious lunar day and performed a sacrifice to the gods, with the gathered citizens witnessing the event. Then, O champion among men, the king's craftsmen erected a grand and elegant stage based on the guidelines from the scriptures, fully equipped with various weapons. They also constructed another beautiful hall for the ladies to watch. The townsfolk built numerous platforms, while the wealthier citizens set up spacious and tall tents all around. On the day of the Tournament, the king, along with his ministers and the esteemed teachers Bhishma and Kripa leading the way, arrived at the theatre of almost divine beauty, made of pure gold and adorned with strings of pearls and lapis lazuli. O greatest of victors, Gandhari, blessed with fortune, Kunti, and the other noble ladies of the royal family, dressed in splendid attire and accompanied by their attendants, joyfully went up the platforms like heavenly beings ascending the Sumeru Mountain. The four classes, including the Brahmins and Kshatriyas, eager to witness the princes' prowess in combat, left the city and rushed to the scene. So eager was the crowd to see the event that they gathered in what felt like an instant. Amid the sounds of trumpets, drums, and the clamor of many voices, that immense gathering resembled a restless ocean. Finally, Drona entered the arena with his son, dressed entirely in white—white clothing, a white sacred thread, white hair, a white beard, white garlands, and white sandalwood paste on his body. It was as if the Moon accompanied by Mars had appeared in a clear sky. Upon arrival, Bharadwaja performed worship and had Brahmins chant mantras to mark the auspicious occasion. After sweet music began to play as a ceremonial offering, various warriors came forward, equipped with weapons. The mighty princes of the Bharata clan, led by Yudhishthira, entered the arena in order of their age, donned with finger protectors, bows, and quivers. They exhibited remarkable skill with their weapons. Some spectators lowered their heads, fearing arrows might fall, while others watched in awe. With great dexterity on their horses, the princes began to hit targets with arrows inscribed with their names. Witnessing the skill of the princely warriors with their bows and arrows, the crowd was entranced, almost as if they were viewing the city of the Gandharvas. Suddenly, hundreds and thousands of onlookers, wide-eyed with amazement, exclaimed, 'Well done! Well done!' After showcasing their impressive skills with bows, arrows, and chariots, the brave warriors picked up their swords and shields and began to move through the arena, wielding their weapons with precision. The audience watched in awe as they displayed their agility, perfect body form, grace, and calm focus, demonstrating their strength and expertise in handling sword and shield. Then, Vrikodara and Suyodhana, thrilled at the thought of battle, entered the field, wielding their maces like towering mountains. These powerful warriors tightened their armor and, channeling all their strength, roared like two furious elephants fighting over a cow; and like those elephants, the fierce heroes moved flawlessly around the arena, skillfully battling side to side. Vidura then shared with Dhritarashtra and the mothers of the Pandavas, Kunti and Gandhari, all the incredible feats of the princes.
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥ कुरुराजे च रङ्गस्थे भीमे च बलिनां वरे । पक्षपातकृतस्नेहः स द्विधेवाभवज्जनः ॥ 1॥ हा वीर कुरुराजेति हा भीमेति च नर्दताम् । पुरुषाणां सुविपुलाः प्रणादाः सहसोत्थिताः ॥ 2॥ ततः क्षुब्धार्णवनिभं रङ्गमालोक्य बुद्धिमान् । भारद्वाजः प्रियं पुत्रमश्वत्थामानमब्रवीत् ॥ 3॥ वारयैतौ महावीर्यौ कृतयोग्यावुभावपि । मा भूद्रङ्गप्रकोपोऽयं भीमदुर्योधनोद्भवः ॥ 4॥ ततस्तावुद्यतगदौ गुरुपुत्रेण वारितौ । युगान्तानिलसङ्क्षुब्धौ महावेगाविवार्णवौ ॥ 5॥ ततो रङ्गाङ्गणगतो द्रोणो वचनमब्रवीत् । निवार्य वादित्रगणं महामेघनिभस्वनम् ॥ 6॥ यो मे पुत्रात्प्रियतरः सर्वास्त्रविदुषां वरः । ऐन्द्रिरिन्द्रानुजसमः स पार्थो दृश्यतामिति ॥ 7॥ आचार्यवचनेनाथ कृतस्वस्त्ययनो युवा । बद्धगोधाङ्गुलित्राणः पूर्णतूणः सकार्मुकः ॥ 8॥ काञ्चनं कवचं बिभ्रत्प्रत्यदृश्यत फल्गुनः । सार्कः सेन्द्रायुधतडित्ससन्ध्य इव तोयदः ॥ 9॥ ततः सर्वस्य रङ्गस्य समुत्पिञ्जोऽभवन्महान् । प्रावाद्यन्त च वाद्यानि सशङ्खानि समन्ततः ॥ 10॥ एष कुन्तीसुतः श्रीमानेष पाण्डवमध्यमः । एष पुत्रो महेन्द्रस्य कुरूणामेष रक्षिता ॥ 11॥ एषोऽस्त्रविदुषां श्रेष्ठ एष धर्मभृतां वरः । एष शीलवतां चापि शीलज्ञाननिधिः परः ॥ 12॥ इत्येवमतुला वाचः शृण्वन्त्याः प्रेक्षकेरिताः । कुन्त्याः प्रस्नवसंमिश्रैरस्रैः क्लिन्नमुरोऽभवत् ॥ 13॥ तेन शब्देन महता पूर्णश्रुतिरथाब्रवीत् । धृतराष्ट्रो नरश्रेष्ठो विदुरं हृष्टमानसः ॥ 14॥ क्षत्तः क्षुब्धार्णवनिभः किमेष सुमहास्वनः । सहसैवोत्थितो रङ्गे भिन्दन्निव नभस्तलम् ॥ 15॥ विदुर उवाच॥ एष पार्थो महाराज फल्गुनः पाण्डुनन्दनः । अवतीर्णः सकवचस्तत्रैष सुमहास्वनः ॥ 16॥ धृतराष्ट्र उवाच॥ धन्योऽस्म्यनुगृहीतोऽस्मि रक्षितोऽस्मि महामते । पृथारणिसमुद्भूतैस्त्रिभिः पाण्डववह्निभिः ॥ 17॥ वैशम्पायन उवाच॥ तस्मिन्समुदिते रङ्गे कथञ्चित्पर्यवस्थिते । दर्शयामास बीभत्सुराचार्यादस्त्रलाघवम् ॥ 18॥ आग्नेयेनासृजद्वह्निं वारुणेनासृजत्पयः । वायव्येनासृजद्वायुं पार्जन्येनासृजद्घनान् ॥ 19॥ भौमेन प्राविशद्भूमिं पार्वतेनासृजद्गिरीन् । अन्तर्धानेन चास्त्रेण पुनरन्तर्हितोऽभवत् ॥ 20॥ क्षणात्प्रांशुः क्षणाद्ध्रस्वः क्षणाच्च रथधूर्गतः । क्षणेन रथमध्यस्थः क्षणेनावापतन्महीम् ॥ 21॥ सुकुमारं च सूक्ष्मं च गुरुं चापि गुरुप्रियः । सौष्ठवेनाभिसंयुक्तः सोऽविध्यद्विविधैः शरैः ॥ 22 भ्रमतश्च वराहस्य लोहस्य प्रमुखे समम् । पञ्च बाणानसंसक्तान्स मुमोचैकबाणवत् ॥ 23 गव्ये विषाणकोशे च चले रज्ज्ववलम्बिते । निचखान महावीर्यः सायकानेकविंशतिम् ॥ 24॥ इत्येवमादि सुमहत्खड्गे धनुषि चाभवत् । गदायां शस्त्रकुशलो दर्शनानि व्यदर्शयत् ॥ 25॥ ततः समाप्तभूयिष्ठे तस्मिन्कर्मणि भारत । मन्दीभूते समाजे च वादित्रस्य च निस्वने ॥ 26॥ द्वारदेशात्समुद्भूतो माहात्म्य बलसूचकः । वज्रनिष्पेषसदृशः शुश्रुवे भुजनिस्वनः ॥ 27॥ दीर्यन्ते किं नु गिरयः किं स्विद्भूमिर्विदीर्यते । किं स्विदापूर्यते व्योम जलभारघनैर्घनैः ॥ 28॥ रङ्गस्यैवं मतिरभूत्क्षणेन वसुधाधिप । द्वारं चाभिमुखाः सर्वे बभूवुः प्रेक्षकास्तदा ॥ 29॥ पञ्चभिर्भ्रातृभिः पार्थैर्द्रोणः परिवृतो बभौ । पञ्चतारेण संयुक्तः सावित्रेणेव चन्द्रमाः ॥ 30॥ अश्वत्थाम्ना च सहितं भ्रातृणां शतमूर्जितम् । दुर्योधनममित्रघ्नमुत्थितं पर्यवारयत् ॥ 31॥ स तैस्तदा भ्रातृभिरुद्यतायुधै;र्वृतो गदापाणिरवस्थितैः स्थितः । बभौ यथा दानवसङ्क्षये पुरा; पुरंदरो देवगणैः समावृतः ॥ 32॥	32 (1221)
Vaisampayana continued, 'As the Kuru king and Bhima, the strongest of all, entered the arena, the crowd split into two factions due to their biases. Some shouted, 'Look at the brave king of the Kurus!' while others yelled, 'Look at Bhima!' This caused a sudden uproar, stirring the atmosphere like a turbulent sea. Observing the chaos, the wise Bharadwaja told his son Aswatthaman, 'Keep these powerful fighters in check. We must not let this battle between Bhima and Duryodhana anger the crowd.' 'Vaisampayana said, 'Then Drona's son restrained the warriors, their maces raised like two mighty seas tossed by violent winds. Drona himself stepped into the arena and commanded the musicians to stop. In a voice thunderous like a storm, he announced, 'Look now at Partha, dearer to me than my own son, the master of all weapons, born from Indra, and akin to Indra’s younger brother, Vishnu!' After performing the ritual, the young Phalguna appeared in the lists, dressed in golden armor, armed with a bow and a quiver full of arrows. He looked like an evening cloud, glowing with the sunset’s light and adorned with the colors of the rainbow and flashes of lightning.' When Arjuna appeared, the entire gathering was filled with joy, and the sound of conch shells combined with other musical instruments filled the air. There was a loud cheer from the crowd, shouting, 'Here is the noble son of Kunti!', 'This is the third Pandava!', 'This is the son of the great Indra!', 'This is the protector of the Kurus!', 'This is the best among warriors!', 'This is the finest upholder of virtue!', 'This is the model of good conduct and knowledge of social grace!' Hearing this, Kunti's tears mingled with her milk, soaking her clothing. The first among men, Dhritarashtra, overwhelmed by the cheers, asked Vidura excitedly, 'What’s all this commotion? It’s like a stormy sea that suddenly shakes the very sky!' Vidura answered, 'O mighty king, the son of Pandu and Pritha, Arjuna, clad in armor, has entered the arena. That’s why there’s such an uproar!' Dhritarashtra replied, 'O great-souled one, by the three divine flames brought forth by Pritha, who is as sacred as the fuel, I truly feel blessed, favored, and protected!' Vaisampayana continued, 'As the delighted spectators regained their composure, Vibhatsu began displaying his skill with weapons. First, he used the Agneya weapon to create fire, then the Varuna weapon to bring forth water, followed by the Vayavya weapon for air, and the Parjanya weapon for clouds. With the Bhauma weapon, he formed land, and with the Parvatya weapon, he created mountains. Then, using the Antardhana weapon, he made everything vanish. Now Arjuna appeared tall, then short; now he was riding his chariot, then standing on it, and in the next instant, he was on the ground. The skilled hero, using his exceptional abilities, struck with different types of arrows—some soft, some precise, and some sturdily crafted. With remarkable precision, he released five arrows at once from his bow aimed at the mouth of a moving iron boar. This powerful warrior shot twenty-one arrows into the hollow of a cow's horn that swayed on a rope, demonstrating his expert use of sword, bow, and mace as he circled around the field. As the display was nearing its end, the crowd's excitement began to fade, and the music quieted. Suddenly, they heard a loud clattering from the gate, echoing strength and power, much like the sound of thunder. The crowd wondered, 'Is the ground breaking apart or are mountains crumbling, or is the sky roaring with gathering storms?' All eyes turned towards the gate. There stood Drona, surrounded by the five brothers, the sons of Pritha, shining like the moon alongside the five-star constellation Hasta. Duryodhana, the fierce foe, sprang up surrounded by his proud hundred brothers, including Aswatthaman. With a mace in his hand, he resembled Purandara of old, encircled by celestial warriors ready for battle against the Danavas.'"