नारायणं नमस्कृत्य नरं चैव नरोत्तमम्। देवी सरस्वतीं व्यासं ततो जयमुदीरेयत्।।
Having saluted Narayana and Nara the best of male beings, as also Sarasvati the goddess of Learning let us cry success.
वैशम्पायन उवाच षट्त्रिंशे त्वथ सम्प्राप्ते वर्षे कौरवनन्दनः। ददर्श विपरीतानि निमित्तानि युधिष्ठिरः॥
Vaishampayana said, When the thirty-sixth year (after the battle) arrived, the delighter of the Kurus, viz., Yudhishthira, saw many unusual portents.
ववुर्ताताश्च निर्घाता रूक्षाः शर्करवर्षिणः। अपसव्यानि शकुना मण्डलानि प्रचक्रिरे॥
Winds, dry and strong, and showering gravel blew from all sides. Birds began to wheel, making circles from right to left.
प्रत्यगूहुर्महानद्यो दिशो नीहारसंवृताः। उल्काश्चाङ्गारवर्षिण्यः प्रापतन् गगनाद् भुवि॥
The great rivers ran in opposite courses. The horizon on every side seemed to be always covered with fog. Meteors, showering coals, dropped on the Earth from the sky.
आदित्यो रजसा राजन् समवच्छन्नमण्डलः। विरश्मिरुदये नित्यं कबन्धैः समदृश्यत॥
The Sun's disc, O king, seemed to be always covered with dust. At its rise, the Sun was shorn of splendour and seemed to be crossed by headless trunks.
परिवेषाश्च दृश्यन्ते दारुणाश्चन्द्रसूर्ययोः। त्रिवर्णिः श्यामरुक्षान्तास्तथा भस्मारुणप्रभाः॥
Terrible circles of light were seen every day around both the Sun and the Moon. These circles showed three colours. Their edges seemed to be black and rough and ashy-red in color.
एते चान्ये च बहव उत्पाता भयशंसिनः। दृश्यन्ते बहवो राजन् हृदयोद्वेगकारकाः॥
These and many other omens, fore shadowing fear and danger, were seen, o king and struck the hearts of men with anxiety.
कस्यचित् त्वथ कालस्य कुरुराजो युधिष्ठिरः। शुश्राव वृष्णिचक्रस्य मौसले कदनं कृतम्॥
A little while after the Kuru king Yudhishthira heard of the wholesale destruction of the Vrishnis on account of the iron bolt.
विमुक्तं वासुदेवं च श्रुत्वा रामं च पाण्डवः। समानीयाब्रवीद् भ्रातृन् किं करिष्याम इत्युत॥
The son of Pandu, hearing that only Vasudeva and Rama had escaped alive, summoned his brothers and consulted with them as to what they should do.
परस्परं समासाद्य ब्रह्मदण्डबलात् कृतान्। वृष्णीन् विनष्टांस्ते श्रुत्वा व्यथिताः पाण्डवाभवन्॥
Meeting with one another they became greatly stricken with surrow upon hearing that the Vrishnis had met with destruction through the Brahmana's rod of Punishment.
निधनं वासुदेस्य समुद्रस्येव शोषणम्। वीरा न श्रद्दधुस्तस्य विनाशं शार्ङ्गधन्वनः॥
These heroes could not believe the death of Vasudeva, like the drying up of the ocean. In fact, they could not believe the destruction of the holder of Sharnga.
मौसलं ते समाश्रित्य दुःखशोकसमन्विताः। विषण्णा हतसंकल्पाः पाण्डवाः समुपाविशन्॥
Inforined of the incident about the iron bolt, the Pandavas, became stricken with grief and sorrow. In fact, they sat down, utterly cheerless and stricken with blank despair.
जनमेजय उवाच कथं विनष्टा भगवन्नन्धका वृष्णिभिः सह। पश्यतो वासुदेवस्य भोजाश्चैव महारथाः॥
Indeed, O holy one, how was it that the Andhakas along with the Vrishnis, and those great car-warriors, viz., the Bhojas, met with destruction before the very eyes of Vasudeva?
वैशम्पायन उवाच घट्त्रिंशेऽथ ततो वर्षे वृष्णीनामनयो महान्। अन्योन्यं मुसलैस्ते तु निजघ्नुः कालचोदिताः॥
Vaishampayana said When the thirty-sixth year arrived (after the great battle) a great calamity overtook the Vrishnis. Moved by Time, they all met with destruction on account of the iron bolt.
जनमेजय उवाच केनानुशप्तास्ते वीराः क्षयं वृष्ण्यन्धका गताः। भोजाश्च द्विजवर्य त्वं विस्तरेण वदस्व मे॥
Crused by whom did those heroes, viz., the Vrishnis, Andhakas and the Bhojas, met with destruction? O foremost of twice-born persons, do you fully explain all this to me.
वैशम्पायन उवाच विश्वामित्रं च कण्वं च नारदं च तपोधनम्। सारणप्रमुखा वीरा ददृशुभरकां गतान्॥
One day, the Vrishni heroes numbering Sarana amongst them; saw Vishvamitra and Kanwa and Narada arrived at Dwraka.
ते तान् साम्बं पुरस्कृत्य भूषयित्वा स्त्रियं यथा। अब्रुवन्नुपसंगम्य दैवदण्डनिपीडिताः॥ इयं स्त्री पुत्रकामस्य बभ्रोरमिततेजसः। ऋषयः साधु जानीत किमियं जनयिष्यति॥
Afflicted by the rod of punishment held by the celestials, those heroes causing Shamba to be disguised like a woman, approached those ascetics and said, “This one is the wife of Vabhru of great energy who is desirous of having a son. You Rishis, do you know for certain what this one will produce?'
इत्युक्तास्ते तदा राजन् विप्रलम्भप्रधर्षिताः। प्रत्यब्रुवंस्तान् मुनयो यत् तच्छृणु नराधिप॥ वृष्ण्यन्धकविनाशाय मुसलं घोरमायसम्। वासुदेवस्य दायादः साम्बोऽयं जनयिष्यति॥
Hear now, O king, what those ascetics, attempted to be thus imposed on, said, “This heir of Vasudeva, by name Shamba, will produce a dreadful iron bolt for the destruction of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas.
येन यूयं सुदुर्वृत्ता नृशंसा जातमन्यवः। उच्छेत्तारः कुलं वृत्स्नमृते रामजनार्दनौ॥
O wicked and cruel ones, intoxicated with pride, through that iron bolt you will become the exterminators of your family with the exception of Rama an Janardana.
समुद्रं यास्यति श्रीमांस्त्यक्त्वा देहं हलायुधः। जरा कृष्णं महात्मानं शयानं भुवि भेत्स्यति॥
The blessed hero armed with the plough will enter the ocean renouncing his body, while a hunter of the name of Jara will pierce the great Krishna while lying on the ground.'
इत्यब्रुवन्त ते राजन् प्रलब्धास्तैर्दुरात्मभिः। मुनयः क्रोधरक्ताक्षाः समीक्ष्याथ परस्परम्॥ तथोक्त्वा मुनयस्ते तु ततः केशवमभ्ययुः।
Attempted to be deceived by those wicked ones, those ascetics, with eyes red in anger, looked at each other and uttered those words. Having said so they then went to see Keshava.
अथाब्रवीत् तदा वृष्णीश्रुत्वैवं मधुसूदनः॥ अन्तज्ञो मतिमांस्तस्य भवितव्यं तथेति तान्।
The destroyer of Madhu, informed of what had occurred, summoned all the Vrishnis and told them of it. Gifted with great intelligence and fully acquainted with what the end of his family would be he simply said that that which was destined would surely take place.
एवमुक्त्वा ह्रषीकशः प्रविवेश पुरं तदा॥ कृतान्तमन्यथा नैच्छत् कर्तुं स जगतः प्रभुः।
Hrishikesha having said so, entered his palace. The Lord of the universe did not wish to ordain otherwise.
श्वोभूतेऽथ ततः साम्बो मुसलं तदसूत वै॥ येन वृष्ण्यन्धककुले पुरुषा भस्मसात् कृताः।
When the next day came, Shamba actually produced an iron bolt through which all the individuals in the family of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas became reduced to ashes.
वृष्ण्यन्धकविनाशाय किंकरप्रतिमं महत्॥ असूत शापजं घोरं तच्च राज्ञे न्यवेदयन्।
Indeed, for the destruction of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas, Shambas brought forth, through that curse, a dreadful iron bolt that looked like a huge messenger of death. The fact was duly reported to the king.
विषण्णरूपस्तद् राजा सूक्ष्मं चूर्णमकारयत्॥ तच्चूर्णं सागरे चापि प्राक्षिपन् पुरुषा नृप।
In great distress of mind, the king (Ugrasena) caused that iron bolt to be reduced into fine powder. Men were engaged, O king, to cast that powder into the sea.
अघोषयंश्च नगरे वचनादाहुकस्य ते॥ जनार्दनस्य रामस्य बभ्रोश्चैव महात्मनः। अद्यप्रभृति सर्वेषु वृष्ण्यन्धककुलेष्विह॥ सुरासवो न कर्तव्यः सर्वैर्नगरवासिभिः। यश्च नोऽविदितं कुर्यात् पेयं कश्चिन्नरः क्वचित्॥ जीवन् स शूलमारोहेत् स्वयं कृत्वा सबान्धवः।
At the command of Ahuka, of Janardana, of Rama, and of great Vabhru, it was, again, proclaimed throughout the city, that from that day, among all the Vrishnis and the Andhakas one should manufacture wines and intoxicating liquors of any kind, and that whoever would secretly manufacture wines no and spirits should be impaled alive with all his kinsmen.
ततो राजभयात् सर्वे नियमं चक्रिरे तदा। नराः शासनमाज्ञाय रामस्याक्लिष्टकर्मणः॥
Through fear of the king, and knowing that it the order of Rama also of unimpeachable deeds, all the citizen bound themselves by a rule and abstained from manufacturing wines and spirits. was