MAUSALA PARVA: Chapter 5

Arrival of Arjuna at Dwarka

वैशम्पायन उवाच दारुकोऽपि कुरुन् गत्वा दृष्ट्वा पार्थान् महारथान्। आचष्ट मौसले वृष्णीनयोन्येनोपसंतान्॥
Vaishampayana said Meanwhile Daruka, going to the Kurus and seeing those powerful car warriors, viz., the sons Pritha, informed them of how the Vrishnis had killed one another with iron bolts.

श्रुत्वा विनष्टान् वार्ष्णेयान् सभोजान्धककौकुरान्। पाण्डवाः शोकसंतप्ता वित्रस्तमनसोऽभवन्॥
Hearing that the Vrishnis along with the Bhojas and Andhakas and Kukuras had all been killed, the Pandavas, burning with grief, became highly moved.

ततोऽर्जुनस्तानामन्त्र्य केशवस्य प्रियः सखा। प्रययौ मातुलं द्रष्टुं नेदमस्तीनि चाब्रवीत्॥
Then the Arjuna, the dear friend of Keshava, bidding them farewell, started for seeing his maternal uncle. He said that destruction would soon overtake every thing.

स वृष्णिनिलयं गत्वा दारुकेण सह प्रभो। ददर्श द्वारकां वीरो मृतनाथामिव स्त्रियम्॥
Proceeding to the city of the Vrishnis with Daruka in his company, O powerful king, that hero saw that the city of Dwraka looked liked a women left of her husband.

याः स्म ता लोकनाथेन नाथवन्त्यः पुराभवन्। तास्त्वनाथास्तदा नाथं पार्थं दृष्ट्वा विचुक्रुशुः॥
Those ladies who had, before this, the very Lord of the universe for their protector, were now lordless. Seeing that Partha, had come for protecting them, they all bewailed aloud.

षोडशस्त्रीसहस्राणि वासुदेवपरिग्रहः। तासमासीन्महान् नादो दृष्टैवार्जुनमागतम्॥
Sixteen thousand ladies had been wedded to Vasudeva. Indeed, as soon as they beheld Arjuna arrive, they uttered a loud cry of sorrow.

तास्तु दृष्ट्वैव कौरव्यो बाष्पेणापिहितेक्षणः। हीनाः कृष्णेन पुत्रैश्च नाशकत् सोऽभिवीक्षितुम्॥
As soon as the Kuru prince met those beautiful ladies deprived of the protection of Krishna and of their sons as well he was unable to look at them, vision being obstructed by tears.

स तां वृष्णयन्धकजलां हयमीनां रथोडुपाम्। वादित्ररथघोषौघां वेश्मतीर्थमहाह्रदाम्॥ रत्नशैवलसंघातां वज्रप्राकारमालिनीम्। रथ्यास्रोतोजलावर्तो चत्वरस्तिमिनहदाम्॥ रामकृष्णमहाग्राहां द्वारकां सहितं तदा। कालपाशग्रहां भीमा नदी वैतरणीमिव॥
The Dwraka-river had the Vrishnis and the Andhakas for its water, horses for its fishes, cars for its rafts, the sound of musical instruments and the rattle of cars for its wayes, houses and mansions and public squares for its lakes. Games and precious stones were its moss. The walls of adamant were the garlands of flowers that floated on it. The streets and roads were the strong currents running in eddies along its surface. The great open squares were the large lakes in its course. Rama and Krishna were its two mighty alligators. That agreeable river now seemed to Arjuna to be the dreadful Vaitarani bound up with Time's net.

ददर्श वासविर्धीमान् विहीनां वृष्णिपुङ्गवैः। गतश्रियं निरानन्दा पद्मिनी शिशिरे यथा॥
Indeed, the son of Vasava, gifted with great intelligence, beheld the city to look even thus, reft as it was of the Vrishni heroes.

तां दृष्ट्वा द्वारकां पार्थस्ताश्च कृष्णस्य योषितः। सस्वनं वाष्पमुत्सृज्य निपपात महीतले॥
Shorn of beauty, and perfectly cheerless, it presented the aspect of a lotus flower in the season of winter. Seeing the sight that Dwraka presented, and seeing the numerous wives of Krishna, Arjuna bewailed aloud with eyes bathed in tears and fell down on the earth.

सात्राजिती ततः सत्या रुक्मिणी च विशाम्पते। अभिपत्य प्ररुरुदुः परिवार्य धनञ्जयम्॥
Then Satya the daughter of Satrajit, and Rukmini too, O king, fell down beside Dhananjaya and bewailed.

ततस्तं काञ्चने पीठे समुत्थाप्योपवेश्य च। अब्रुवन्त्यो महात्मानं परिवार्योपतस्थिरे॥
Raising him then they caused him to be seated on a golden seat. The ladies sat around that great one, giving expression to their feelings.

ततः संस्तूय गोविन्दं कथयित्वा च पाण्डवः। आश्वास्य ताः स्त्रियश्चापि मातुलं द्रष्टुमभ्यगात्॥
Praising Govinda and talking with the ladies, the son of Pandu comforted them and then proceeded to see his maternal uncle.