Virāṭaparva - Chapter-8

 

विराटपर्व - Virāṭaparva

अध्यायः – 8  ::Chapter-8

Shlokas	No. of Shlokas
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥ ततो दुर्योधनो राजा श्रुत्वा तेषां वचस्तदा । चिरमन्तर्मना भूत्वा प्रत्युवाच सभासदः ॥ 1॥ सुदुःखा खलु कार्याणां गतिर्विज्ञातुमन्ततः । तस्मात्सर्वे उदीक्षध्वं क्व नु स्युः पाण्डवा गताः ॥ 2॥ अल्पावशिष्टं कालस्य गतभूयिष्ठमन्ततः । तेषामज्ञातचर्यायामस्मिन्वर्षे त्रयोदशे ॥ 3 अस्य वर्षस्य शेषं चेद्व्यतीयुरिह पाण्डवाः । निवृत्तसमयास्ते हि सत्यव्रतपरायणाः ॥ 4॥ क्षरन्त इव नागेन्द्राः सर्व आशीविषोपमाः । दुःखा भवेयुः संरब्धाः कौरवान्प्रति ते ध्रुवम् ॥ 5॥ अर्वाक्कालस्य विज्ञाताः कृच्छ्ररूपधराः पुनः । प्रविशेयुर्जितक्रोधास्तावदेव पुनर्वनम् ॥ 6 तस्मात्क्षिप्रं बुभुत्सध्वं यथा नोऽत्यन्तमव्ययम् । राज्यं निर्द्वन्द्वमव्यग्रं निःसपत्नं चिरं भवेत् ॥ 7॥ अथाब्रवीत्ततः कर्णः क्षिप्रं गच्छन्तु भारत । अन्ये धूर्ततरा दक्षा निभृताः साधुकारिणः ॥ 8 चरन्तु देशान्संवीताः स्फीताञ्जनपदाकुलान् । तत्र गोष्ठीष्वथान्यासु सिद्धप्रव्रजितेषु च ॥ 9॥ परिचारेषु तीर्थेषु विविधेष्वाकरेषु च । विज्ञातव्या मनुष्यैस्तैस्तर्कया सुविनीतया ॥ 10॥ विविधैस्तत्परैः सम्यक्तज्ज्ञैर्निपुणसंवृतैः । अन्वेष्टव्याश्च निपुणं पाण्डवाश्छन्नवासिनः ॥ 11॥ नदीकुञ्जेषु तीर्थेषु ग्रामेषु नगरेषु च । आश्रमेषु च रम्येषु पर्वतेषु गुहासु च ॥ 12 अथाग्रजानन्तरजः पापभावानुरागिणम् । ज्येष्ठं दुःशासनस्तत्र भ्राता भ्रातरमब्रवीत् ॥ 13॥ एतच्च कर्णो यत्प्राह सर्वमीक्षामहे तथा । यथोद्दिष्टं चराः सर्वे मृगयन्तु ततस्ततः ॥ ॥ एते चान्ये च भूयांसो देशाद्देशं यथाविधि ॥ 14॥ न तु तेषां गतिर्वासः प्रवृत्तिश्चोपलभ्यते । अत्याहितं वा गूढास्ते पारं वोर्मिमतो गताः ॥ 15॥ व्यालैर्वापि महारण्ये भक्षिताः शूरमानिनः । अथ वा विषमं प्राप्य विनष्टाः शाश्वतीः समाः ॥ 16॥ तस्मान्मानसमव्यग्रं कृत्वा त्वं कुरुनन्दन । कुरु कार्यं यथोत्साहं मन्यसे यन्नराधिप ॥ 17 वैशम्पायन उवाच॥ अथाब्रवीन्महावीर्यो द्रोणस्तत्त्वार्थदर्शिवान् । न तादृशा विनश्यन्ति नापि यान्ति पराभवम् ॥ 18॥ शूराश्च कृतविद्याश्च बुद्धिमन्तो जितेन्द्रियाः । धर्मज्ञाश्च कृतज्ञाश्च धर्मराजमनुव्रताः ॥ 19 विज्ञाय क्रियतां तस्माद्भूयश्च मृगयामहे । ब्राह्मणैश्चारकैः सिद्धैर्ये चान्ये तद्विदो जनाः ॥ 20॥ अथ राजा त्रिगर्तानां सुशर्मा रथयूथपः । प्राप्तकालमिदं वाक्यमुवाच त्वरितो भृशम् ॥ 21 असकृन्निकृतः पूर्वं मत्स्यैः साल्वेयकैः सह । सूतेन चैव मत्स्यस्य कीचकेन पुनः पुनः ॥ 22 बाधितो बन्धुभिः सार्धं बलाद्बलवता विभो । स कर्णमभ्युदीक्ष्याथ दुर्योधनमभाषत ॥ 23 असकृन्मत्स्यराज्ञा मे राष्ट्रं बाधितमोजसा । प्रणेता कीचकश्चास्य बलवानभवत्पुरा ॥ 24 क्रूरोऽमर्षी स दुष्टात्मा भुवि प्रख्यातविक्रमः । निहतस्तत्र गन्धर्वैः पापकर्मा नृशंसवान् ॥ 25॥ तस्मिंश्च निहते राजन्हीनदर्पो निराश्रयः । भविष्यति निरुत्साहो विराट इति मे मतिः ॥ 26॥ एतत्प्राप्तमहं मन्ये कार्यमात्ययिकं हितम् । राष्ट्रं तस्याभियात्वाशु बहुधान्यसमाकुलम् ॥ 27 आददामोऽस्य रत्नानि विविधानि वसूनि च । ग्रामान्राष्ट्राणि वा तस्य हरिष्यामो विभागशः ॥ 28 तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य कर्णो राजानमब्रवीत् । सूक्तं सुशर्मणा वाक्यं प्राप्तकालं हितं च नः ॥ 29॥ ततो दुर्योधनो राजा वाक्यमादाय तस्य तत् । वैकर्तनस्य कर्णस्य क्षिप्रमाज्ञापयत्स्वयम् ॥ 30 प्रागेव हि सुसंवीतो मत्स्यस्य विषयं प्रति ॥ ते यात्वा सहसा तत्र विराटनगरं प्रति । क्षिप्रं गोपान्समासाद्य गृह्णन्तु विपुलं धनम् ॥31	31 (519)
Vaisampayana said, 'After hearing his spies, King Duryodhana thought deeply and then spoke to his courtiers, saying, 'It's hard to know for sure what will happen next. So, I need you all to find out where the Pandu brothers have gone, since most of this thirteenth year has already passed without us spotting them. Only a small part remains. If the Pandu brothers manage to stay hidden for the rest of this year, dedicated to their vow of truth, they will have kept their promise. They will return like powerful elephants with their strength restored, or like venomous snakes. Filled with anger, they'll surely take terrible revenge on us Kurus. Therefore, you must act swiftly to find ways to make the Pandu brothers, who are skilled in the art of timing and currently in painful disguise, come back into the woods while suppressing their rage. Use any means necessary to remove all conflict and distress from our kingdom, making it peaceful and safe from loss of land.' After hearing Duryodhana’s words, Karna replied, 'Let us send other spies, more skilled and cleverer, to carry out this task quickly, O Bharata. They should disguise themselves well and travel through flourishing kingdoms and busy regions, gathering information from gatherings of the wise and charming retreats. We should search for the Pandu brothers diligently in the inner chambers of palaces, in temples, and sacred places, in mines, and various other locations.' Let the sons of Pandu, who are living incognito, be searched for by skilled spies in large numbers, dedicated to their task and well-masked, who are familiar with what they need to find. They should search along riverbanks, in sacred places, in villages and towns, in the retreats of hermits, and in beautiful mountains and caves. When Karna finished speaking, Duryodhana's second brother Dussasana, known for his wicked nature, spoke to his elder brother, saying, 'O king, O leader of men, let only those spies we trust, who have received rewards in advance, continue the search. What Karna has said and this proposal both meet our complete approval. Let all the spies follow the instructions given and conduct the search from region to region in the accepted manner. Yet, I doubt we will find the Pandavas, or discover where they are or what they are doing. Perhaps they are well-hidden; perhaps they have crossed to the other side of the sea. Or maybe, full of pride in their strength and courage, they have fallen prey to wild animals; or perhaps they have faced a strange danger and perished forever. So, O prince of the Kuru lineage, cast aside all your worries and do what you must, always acting according to your will.'" Vaisampayana said, 'Endowed with great strength and keen insight, Drona then spoke, "People like the sons of Pandu do not perish or suffer defeat. They are brave, skilled in many fields, intelligent, self-controlled, virtuous, grateful, and obedient to the righteous Yudhishthira. They always follow their eldest brother, who understands wisdom, virtue, and profit, a brother who cares for them like a father, who adheres to truth and remains steadfast in virtue. Those devoted to their noble and royal brother, who never harms others and is obedient to his younger siblings, do not meet such an end. Knowing this, act wisely. Let us search for them again, sending knowledgeable Brahmanas and accomplished ascetics who can help us find these heroes!"' Vaisampayana continued, 'The powerful king of the Trigartas, Susarman, who commanded countless chariots, saw the situation as favourable and spoke to Duryodhana, "My kingdom has often been invaded by the king of the Matsyas. Kichaka was his formidable general—deceitful, angry, and cruel, renowned for his wickedness. However, that vile man has been killed by the Gandharvas. With Kichaka dead, I believe king Virata will be dispirited and defenceless. Now is the time to invade his kingdom. This event seems fortuitous for us. Let us go to Virata’s land, rich with resources. We will seize his wealth and distribute his villages and territories among ourselves.” Upon hearing Susarman's words, Karna spoke to the king, saying, 'Susarman has made a good point; this is a favourable chance that could benefit us. ' Taking Karna’s advice, King Duryodhana quickly ordered, 'Let the great warrior, King Susarman, along with a strong force of vehicles and animals, march with the Trigartas to the lands of the Matsyas.'.
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥ ततस्तेषां महाराज तत्रैवामिततेजसाम् । छद्मलिङ्गप्रविष्टानां पाण्डवानां महात्मनाम् ॥ 1॥ व्यतीतः समयः सम्यग्वसतां वै पुरोत्तमे । कुर्वतां तस्य कर्माणि विराटस्य महीपतेः ॥ 2 ततस्त्रयोदशस्यान्ते तस्य वर्षस्य भारत । सुशर्मणा गृहीतं तु गोधनं तरसा बहु ॥ 3 ततो जवेन महता गोपाः पुरमथाव्रजत् । अपश्यन्मत्स्यराजं च रथात्प्रस्कन्द्य कुण्डली ॥ 4॥ सोऽब्रवीदुपसङ्गम्य विराटं प्रणतस्तदा ॥ ॥ अस्मान्युधि विनिर्जित्य परिभूय सबान्धवान् ।5 गवां शतसहस्राणि त्रिगर्ताः कालयन्ति ते ॥ तान्परीप्स मनुष्येन्द्र मा नेशुः पशवस्तव ॥ 6 तच्छ्रुत्वा नृपतिः सेनां मत्स्यानां समयोजयत् । रथनागाश्वकलिलां पत्तिध्वजसमाकुलाम् ॥ 7॥ राजानो राजपुत्राश्च तनुत्राण्यत्र भेजिरे । सूपस्करेषु शुभ्रेषु महत्सु च महारथाः । पृथक्काञ्चनसंनाहान्रथेष्वश्वानयोजयन् ॥ 8॥ सूर्यचन्द्रप्रतीकाशो रथे दिव्ये हिरण्मयः । महानुभावो मत्स्यस्य ध्वज उच्छिश्रिये तदा ॥ 9 अथान्यान्विविधाकारान्ध्वजान्हेमविभूषितान् । यथास्वं क्षत्रियाः शूरा रथेषु समयोजयन् ॥ 10॥ अथ मत्स्योऽब्रवीद्राजा शतानीकं जघन्यजम् । कङ्कबल्लवगोपाला दामग्रन्थिश्च वीर्यवान् ॥ ॥ युध्येयुरिति मे बुद्धिर्वर्तते नात्र संशयः ॥ 11॥ एतेषामपि दीयन्तां रथा ध्वजपताकिनः । कवचानि विचित्राणि दृढानि च मृदूनि च ॥ ॥ प्रतिमुञ्चन्तु गात्रेषु दीयन्तामायुधानि च ॥ 12॥ वीराङ्गरूपाः पुरुषा नागराजकरोपमाः । नेमे जातु न युध्येरन्निति मे धीयते मतिः ॥ 13॥ एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु नृपतेर्वाक्यं त्वरितमानसः । शतानीकस्तु पार्थेभ्यो रथान्राजन्समादिशत् ॥ ॥ सहदेवाय राज्ञे च भीमाय नकुलाय च ॥ 14॥ तान्प्रहृष्टास्ततः सूता राजभक्तिपुरस्कृताः । निर्दिष्टान्नरदेवेन रथाञ्शीघ्रमयोजयन् ॥ 15॥ कवचानि विचित्राणि दृढानि च मृदूनि च । विराटः प्रादिशद्यानि तेषामक्लिष्टकर्मणाम् ॥ तान्यामुच्य शरीरेषु दंशितास्ते परन्तपाः ॥ 16॥ तरस्विनश्छन्नरूपाः सर्वे युद्धविशारदाः । विराटमन्वयुः पश्चात्सहिताः कुरुपुङ्गवाः ॥ ॥ चत्वारो भ्रातरः शूराः पाण्डवाः सत्यविक्रमाः ॥ 17॥ भीमाश्च मत्तमातङ्गाः प्रभिन्नकरटामुखाः । क्षरन्त इव जीमूताः सुदन्ताः षष्टिहायनाः ॥ 18॥ स्वारूढा युद्धकुशलैः शिक्षितैर्हस्तिसादिभिः । राजानमन्वयुः पश्चाच्चलन्त इव पर्वताः ॥ 19॥ विशारदानां वश्यानां हृष्टानां चानुयायिनाम् । अष्टौ रथसहस्राणि दश नागशतानि च ॥ षष्टिश्चाश्वसहस्राणि मत्स्यानामभिनिर्ययुः ॥ 20॥ तदनीकं विराटस्य शुशुभे भरतर्षभ । सम्प्रयातं महाराज निनीषन्तं गवां पदम् ॥ 21॥ तद्बलाग्र्यं विराटस्य सम्प्रस्थितमशोभत । दृढायुधजनाकीर्णं गजाश्वरथसङ्कुलम् ॥ 22॥	22 (541)
Vaisampayana said, 'O mighty king, while serving King Virata and living incognito in his remarkable city, the noble Pandavas, known for their unmatched strength, completed their period of hiding. After Kichaka was defeated, King Virata began to place his trust in the sons of Kunti. It was at the end of their thirteenth year of exile that Susarman started stealing Virata's cattle in large numbers. When this happened, the herdsman rushed to the city and found King Virata enthroned among his wise advisors. Bowing before him, the herdsman spoke, 'O greatest of kings, the Trigartas, along with their allies, are stealing your cattle in droves. You must act quickly to save them before they are lost to you.' Upon hearing this, the king swiftly prepared the Matsya army, readying chariots, elephants, horses, and foot soldiers. Kings and princes donned their shining armours, fitting for heroes, while Kshatriya warriors raised their beautifully adorned banners of different shapes and designs on their chariots. King Matsya then spoke to his brother Satanika, who was born right after him, saying, 'Kanka, Vallava, Tantripala, and Damagranthi are powerful warriors and will surely fight. Provide them with chariots adorned with banners and equip them with beautiful suits of armour that are both strong and comfortable. They should also have weapons. With their warrior looks and arms as formidable as elephant trunks, I cannot believe they won't be able to fight.' Upon hearing the king's words, Satanika promptly ordered chariots for the sons of Pritha: the noble Yudhishthira, Bhima, Nakula, and Sahadeva. Under the king's command, the charioteers, filled with excitement and a sense of duty, quickly prepared the chariots for the Pandavas. The incredible heroes then put on those magnificent suits of armor, as invulnerable and comfortable as Virata had arranged for them. The sons of Pritha climbed onto their chariots pulled by fine steeds, setting out with joyful hearts. These mighty warriors, masters of battle and champions of the Kuru lineage, the four brave brothers with unmatched strength, rode golden-decked chariots following Virata. Fierce elephants, aged sixty years with impressive tusks and worn temples, whose juices dripped like rain clouds, marched alongside trained warriors, resembling moving hills. The main warriors of Matsya gladly followed their king, with eight thousand chariots, a thousand elephants, and sixty thousand horses. Truly, O great leader of the Bharatas, Virata's force looked splendid as it marched, leaving beautiful footprints in its wake. This foremost army, rich with soldiers wielding powerful weapons and abundant with elephants, horses, and chariots, was truly magnificent.'"
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥ निर्याय नगराच्छूरा व्यूढानीकाः प्रहारिणः । त्रिगर्तानस्पृशन्मत्स्याः सूर्ये परिणते सति ॥ 1॥ ते त्रिगर्ताश्च मत्स्याश्च संरब्धा युद्धदुर्मदाः । अन्योन्यमभिगर्जन्तो गोषु गृद्धा महाबलाः ॥2॥ भीमाश्च मत्तमातङ्गास्तोमराङ्कुशचोदिताः । ग्रामणीयैः समारूढाः कुशलैर्हस्तिसादिभिः ॥ 3 तेषां समागमो घोरस्तुमुलो लोमहर्षणः । देवासुरसमो राजन्नासीत्सूर्ये विलम्बति ॥ 4 उदतिष्ठद्रजो भौमं न प्रज्ञायत किञ्चन । शतानीकः शतं हत्वा विशालाक्षश्चतुःशतम् ॥5 प्रविष्टौ महतीं सेनां त्रिगर्तानां महारथौ ॥ ॥ आर्च्छेतां बहुसंरब्धौ केशाकेशि नखानखि ॥ 6॥ लक्षयित्वा त्रिगर्तानां तौ प्रविष्टौ रथव्रजम् । जग्मतुः सूर्यदत्तश्च मदिराश्वश्च पृष्ठतः ॥ 7॥ विराटस्तत्र सङ्ग्रामे हत्वा पञ्चशतान्रथान् । हयानां च शतान्यत्र हत्वा पञ्च महारथान् ॥ 8॥ चरन्स विविधान्मार्गान्रथेषु रथयूथपः । त्रिगर्तानां सुशर्माणमार्च्छद्रुक्मरथं रणे ॥ 9 तौ व्यावहरतां तत्र महात्मानौ महाबलौ । अन्योन्यमभिगर्जन्तौ गोष्ठे गोवृषभाविव ॥ 10॥ ततो रथाभ्यां रथिनौ व्यतियाय समन्ततः । शरान्व्यसृजतां शीघ्रं तोयधारा घनाविव ॥ 11 अन्योन्यं चातिसंरब्धौ विचेरतुरमर्षणौ । कृतास्त्रौ निशितैर्बाणैरसिशक्तिगदाभृतौ ॥ 12॥	12 (553)
Vaisampayana said, 'As they marched out of the city, the brave Matsyas, organized for battle, caught up with the Trigartas after midday. Fuelled by rage and eager to capture the king, the fierce Trigartas and Matsyas roared loudly as they charged into combat. The formidable elephants, ridden by skilled fighters on both sides, were urged forward with sharp clubs and hooks. The clash, O king, as the sun dipped low in the sky, between the foot soldiers, cavalry, chariots, and elephants was as fierce as ancient battles between gods and demons, alarming enough to raise hair on one’s skin and likely to attract many souls to Yama's realm. As the warriors collided, striking and slashing, thick clouds of dust rose, obscuring everything around. Satanika killed a hundred foes, while Visalaksha took down four hundred, both powerful heroes forcing their way into the heart of the vast Trigarta army. Once amidst their enemies, these renowned warriors threw them into chaos, engaging in brutal hand-to-hand combat where they gripped each other by the hair and clawed at each other fiercely.' Observing the spot where the Trigarta chariots were gathered in large numbers, the heroes finally launched their assault. Leading the charge was King Virata, with Suryadatta at the front and Madiraksha at the rear; they triumphed in battle, destroying five hundred chariots, eight hundred horses, and five great warriors, showcasing impressive skills on the battlefield. Eventually, the king confronted the Trigarta leader, who was atop a splendid golden chariot. Eager for battle, these noble and strong warriors charged at each other with a roar, like bulls in a pen. The formidable Susarman, king of the Trigartas, called out for a duel against Matsya. Fueled by rage, they collided fiercely in their chariots, raining arrows down on one another like heavy storm clouds. Both skilled in arms, they fought fiercely with swords, darts, and maces, moving around the battlefield, attacking each other with keen arrows..

 

इति श्री जयसंहिते  विराटपर्वणि अष्टमोऽध्यायः॥

Virāṭaparva Chapter - 7

Virāṭaparva Chapter- 9