वैशम्पायन उवाच तौ रथाभ्यां रथश्रेष्ठौ दावस्योभयतः स्थितौ। दिक्षु सर्वासु भूतानां चक्राते कदनं महत्॥
Vaishampayana said : Then those two foremost of car warriors (Krishna and Arjuna), riding on their cars and placing themselves each on one side of the burning forest, began a great slaughter of all creatures.
यत्र यत्र च दृश्यन्ते प्राणिनः खाण्डवालयाः। पलायन्तः प्रवीरौ तौ तत्र तत्राभ्यधावताम्॥
Wherever and whenever they saw any creature, any dweller of the Khandava, escaping from the fire, those two great heroes immediately shot it down.
छिद्रं न स्म प्रपश्यन्ति रथयोराशुचारिणोः। आविद्धावेव दृश्येते रथिनौ तौ रथोत्तमौ॥
There cars moved so fast round the forest that the creatures dwelling in it saw not the smallest space between the two rushing cars (so that they might escape by that way). Those two excellent cars seemed to be one car and those two heroes also seemed as if they were one man.
खाण्डवे दह्यमाने तु भूताः शतसहस्रशः। उत्पेतुर्भेरवान् नादान् विनदन्तः समन्ततः॥
When the Khandava was on fire, hundreds and thousands of living creatures, uttering fearful yells, ran in all directions.
दग्धैकदेशा बहवो निष्टप्ताश्च तथापरे। स्फुटिताक्षा विशीर्णाश्च विप्लुताश्च तथापरे॥
Some had their limbs burnt, some were scorched with the excessive heat, some had their eyes burst out, some were withered away and some ran about in fear.
समालिङ्गय सुतानन्ये पितॄन् भ्रातृनथापरे। त्यक्तं न शेकुः स्नेहेन तत्रैव निधनं गताः॥
Some died calmly within the forest clasping their children and some their parents and brothers; they were unable to abandon those that were dear to them out of excessive affection.
संदष्टदशनाश्चान्ये समुत्पेतुरनेकशः। ततस्तेऽतीव घूर्णन्तः पुनरग्नौ प्रपेदिरे॥
Many rose high upwards, biting their nether lips, but they soon again fell below whirling into the blazing fire.
दग्धपक्षाक्षिचरणा विचेष्टन्तो महीतले। तत्र तत्र स्म दृश्यन्ते विनश्यन्तः शरीरिणः॥
Some were seen rolling on the ground with their wings, eyes and feet scorched and burnt. They were soon after found to be dead.
जलाशयेषु तप्तेषु काथ्यमानेषु वह्निना। गतसत्त्वाः स्म दृश्यन्ते कूर्ममत्स्याः समन्ततः॥
The tanks and the ponds that lay within that forest were heated with the fire and they began to boil. The fishes and tortoises that were in their waters were all seen to perish.
शरीरैरपरे दीप्तैर्देहवन्त इवाग्नयः। अदृश्यन्त वने तत्र प्राणिनः प्राणिसंक्षय॥
In that great massacre of creatures in that forest, the burning bodies of various animals looked as if Agni had assumed to many forms.
कांश्चिदुत्पततः पार्थः शरैः संछिद्य खण्डशः। पातयामास विहगान् प्रदीप्ते वसुरेतसि॥
The birds that took to their wings to escape from that fire were soon pierced by Arjuna's arrows; and being cut down to pieces, they again fell into the burning fire.
ते शराचितसर्वाङ्गा निनदन्तो महारवान्। ऊर्ध्वमुत्पत्य वेगेन निपेतुः खाण्डवे पुनः॥
Being pierced by Arjuna's arrows the flying birds again fell into the Khandava with great speed and uttering loud cries.
शरैरभ्याहतानां च संघशः स्म वनौकसाम्। विरावः शुश्रुवे घोरः समुद्रस्येव मथ्यतः॥
Being pierced by the arrows, the dwellers of that forest begin to cry and the noise they made was like the fearful noise that rose at the churning of the ocean.
वह्वेश्चापि प्रदीप्तस्य खमुत्पेतुर्महार्चिषः। जनयामासुरुद्वेगं सुमहान्तं दिवौकसाम्॥
The great flame of the blazing fire rose to the sky and created a great anxiety in the minds of the dwellers of heavens the Devas.
तेनार्चिषा सुसंतप्ता देवा: सर्षिपुरोगमाः। ततो जग्मुर्महात्मानः सर्व एव दिवौकसः। शतक्रतुं सहस्राक्षं देवेशमसुरार्दनम्॥
Thereupon all the illustrious celestial went in a body to their chief of one hundred sacrifices and one thousands eyes the grinder of the Asuras, Indra.
देवा ऊचुः तच्छ्रुत्वा वृत्रहा किं विमे मानवाः सर्वे दह्यन्ते चित्रभानुना। कच्चिन्न संक्षयः प्राप्तो लोकानाममरेश्वर॥
The Celestial said: O lord of the immortals, who does Agni burn all the creatures below? Has the time for the destruction of the world come?
वैशम्पायन उवाच तेभ्यः स्वयमेवान्ववेक्ष्य च। खाण्डवस्य विमोक्षार्थं प्रययौ हरिवाहनः॥
Vaishampayana said : Having heard this and himself seeing what Agni was doing, the slayer of Vitra (Indra) set out to save the creatures from the fire.
महता रथवृन्देन नानारूपेण वासवः। आकाशं समवाकीर्य प्रववर्ष सुरेश्वरः॥
The lord of the celestial, Vasava soon covered the sky with masses of clouds of various kinds; he then began to pour fain.
ततोऽक्षमात्रा व्यसृजन धाराः शतसहस्रशः। चोदिता देवराजेन जलदाः खाण्डवं प्रति॥
As soon as commanded by the king of the celestial, those hundreds and thousands of clouds begin to shower on the Khandava forest in as thick drops as the flag-staffs of warchariots.
असम्प्राप्तास्तु ता धारास्तेजसा जातवेदसः। ख एव समशुष्यन्त न काश्चित् पावकं गताः॥
But the showers were all dried up even in the sky by the heat of the fire; and they could not reach the fire below.
ततो नमुचिहा क्रुद्धो भृशमर्चिष्मतस्तदा। पुनरेव महामेधैरम्भांसि व्यसृजद् बहु॥
The slayer of Namuchi (Indra) becoming very angry with Agni, again collected many more masses of clouds and made them shower a heavy down-pour.
अचिर्धाराभिसम्बद्धं धूमविद्युत्समाकुलम्। बभूव तद् वनं घोरं स्तनयित्नुसमाकुलम्॥
Then the flames fought with that heavy shower and those masses of clouds overhead. The forest, being filled with smoke and lightings, became fearful to look at.