GHATOTKACHA VADHA PARVA: Chapter 181

The joy of Krishna

संजय उवाच हैडिम्बि निहतं दृष्ट्वा विशीर्णमिव पर्वतम्।
Sanjaya said Beholding Hidimva's son slain and lying like a riven hill all the Pandavas began to shed copious tears of grief.

वासुदेववस्तु हर्षेण महताभिपरिप्लुतः। ननाद सिंहनादं वै पर्यष्वजत फाल्गुनम्॥
But the son of Vasudeva, overwhelmed with delight, began to utter there loud war-cries thereby causing pain to the Pandavas.

स विनद्य महानादमभीषून् संनियम्य च। ननर्त हर्षसंवीतो वातोद्भूत इव दुमः॥
Indeed uttering loud shouts he then embraced the son of Pandu. Thus uttering loud roars and drawing the reins of the steeds.

तत: परिष्वज्य पुनः पार्थमास्फोट्य चासकृत्। रथोपस्थगतो धीमान् प्राणदत् पुनरच्युतः॥
He began to dance in joy, like a tree shaken by the tempest. Then embracing Partha once more and clapping his armp-its.

प्रहृष्टमनसं ज्ञात्वा वासुदेवं महाबलः। अर्जुनोऽथाब्रवीद् राजन्नातिहृष्टमना इव॥
That undeteriorating god, endowed with great intelligence, once more uttered roud roars standing on the terrace of his car. Then beholding those sings of joy manifested by Kesava, Dhananjaya.

अतिहर्षोऽयमस्थाने तवाद्य मधुसूदन। शोकस्थाने तु सम्प्राप्ते हैडिम्बस्य वधेन तु॥
O monarch, with a beast overwhelmed with grief, addressed the former saying-"O slayer of Madhu, you are showing delight at a time scarcely fit for it.

विमुखानीह सैन्यानि हतं दृष्ट्वा घटोत्कचम्। वयं च भृशमुद्विग्ना हैडिम्बेस्तु निपातनात्॥
Indeed on an occasion for sorrow generated by the death of Hidimva's son our troops, beholding Ghatotkacha slain, are flying away.

नैतत्कारणमल्पं हि भविष्यति जनार्दन। तदद्य शंस मे पृष्टः सत्यं सत्यवतां वर॥
We also are filled with great grief, at the death of Hidimva's son, O Janardana. The cause of your delight on such occasion must indeed by very serious.

योतन्न रहस्यं ते वक्तुमर्हस्यरिंदम। धैर्यस्य वैकृतं ब्रूहि त्वमद्य मधुसूदन॥
O foremost of all truth-speaking men, therefore tell me today truly the cause of your joy. O subduer of foes, if it is not a secret, it behoves you to say it to me.

समुद्रस्येव संशोषं मेरोरिव विसर्पणम्। तथैतदद्य मन्येऽहं तव कर्म जनार्दन॥
O Slayer of Madhu, tell me what has disturbed your patience today? O Jannaradana, I consider this fickleness of yours to be like the drying up of the ocean or the walking of the Meru mountain.

श्रीवासुदेव उवाच अतिहर्षमिमं प्राप्तं शृणु मे त्वं धनंजय। अतीव मनसः सद्यः प्रसादकरमुत्तमम्॥
Vasudeva's son said Overwhelming is the delight that has filled me now. Hear it, O Dhananjaya. What I shall tell you will immediately dispel your sorrow impart joy on your beast.

शक्तिं घटोत्कचेनेमां व्यंसयित्वा महाद्युते। कर्णं निहतमेवाजौ विद्धि सद्यो धनंजय॥
O you of great splendour, his sakti having been used against Ghatotkacha, regard Karna as already slain in battle.

शक्तिहस्तं पुनः कर्णं को लोकेऽस्ति पुमानिह। य एनमभितस्तिष्ठेत् कार्तिकेयमिवाहवे।॥
No person could have confronted Karna, if like Kartikeya he would have stood in battle armed with that dart.

दिष्ट्यापनीतकवचो दिष्ट्यापहृतकुण्डलः। दिष्ट्या सा व्यंसिता शक्तिरमोघास्य घटोत्कचे॥
It is through good fortune that his armour had been taken away, that his ear-rings, had been taken away from him; by good luck it is that his infallible dart also had been baffled by Ghatotkacha.

यदि हि स्यात् सकवचस्तथैव स्यात् कुण्डलः। सामरानपि लोकांस्त्रीनेकः कर्णो जयेद् रणे॥
Covered in his natural coat of mail and decked with his natural ear-rings, Karna, having his senses under thorough control, could, single-handed, defeat the three worlds with the gods therein.

वासवो वा कुबेरो वा वरुणो वा जलेश्वरः। यमो वा नोत्सहेत् कर्णं रणे प्रतिसमासितुम्॥
Neither Vasava, nor Kubera, nor Varuna, the lord of the waters, nor the god of Death, could venture to confront him.

गाण्डीवमुद्यम्य भवांश्चक्रं चाहं सुदर्शनम्। न शक्तौ स्वो रणे जेतुं तथायुक्तं नरर्षभम्॥
If that foremost of men had his natural coat of mail and car-rings then neither yourself, wielding the Gandiva, nor myself uplifting the discus Sudarsana could have defeated him in battle.

त्वद्धितार्थं तु शक्रेण मायापहृतकुण्डलः। विहीनकवचश्चायं कृतः परपुरंजयः॥
For your good, Karna was deprived of his ear-rings by Indra with the aid of illusion. In the same manner that subjugator of hostile troops was deprived of his armour.

उत्कृत्य कवचं यस्मात् कुण्डले विमले च ते। प्रादाच्छकाय कर्णो वै तेन वैकर्तनः स्मृतः॥
As Karna had given his effulgent ear-rings and armour cutting them off from his body he is designated as Vikartana.

आशीविष इव क्रुद्धो जुभितो मन्त्रतेजसा। तथाद्य भाति कर्णो मे शान्तज्वाल इवानलः॥
Karna now appears to me to be like an infuriate snake of virulent venom stupefied by the virtue of incantation or like a fire with its flames quenched.

यदाप्रभृति कर्णाय शक्तिर्दत्ता महात्मना। वासवेन महाबाहो क्षिप्ता यासौ घटोत्कच॥ कुण्डलाभ्यां निमायाथ दिव्येन कवचेन च। तां प्राप्यामन्यत वृषः सततं त्वां हतं रणे॥
0 mighty-armed one, since the time the illustrious Shakra gave that Sakti to Karna in exchange for the latter's earrings and armour-that Salkti, which has slain Ghatotkacha from that time, Vrisha having obtained it. had always regarded you as slain in battle.

एवंगतोऽपि शक्योऽयं हन्तुं नान्येन केनचित्। ऋते त्वां पुरुषव्याघ्र शये सत्येन चानघ॥
But though deprived of that dart, I swear to you, O sinless one, that hero could not still be defeated by any one else save yourself.

ब्रह्मण्यः सत्यवादी च तपस्वी नियतव्रतः। रिपुष्वपि दयावांश्च तस्मात् कर्णो वृषः स्मृतः॥
Devoted to the Brahmanas, truthful, of ascetic practices and vow-observing and merciful on his foes, Karna is called Vrisha.

युद्धशौण्डो महाबाहुर्नित्योद्यतशरासनः। केसरीव वने नर्दन् मातङ्ग इव यूथपान्॥
Delighting in battle, possessed of mighty arms, his bow ever ready for use, like a lion in the forest depriving leaders of elephantine heads of their pride.

विमदान् रथशार्दूलान् कुरुते रणमूर्धनि। मध्यं गत इवादित्यो यो न शक्यो निरीक्षितुम्॥
Karna ever humiliates the pride of many mighty car-warriors and resembles the mid-day sun incapable of being looked at.

त्वदीयैः पुरुषव्याघ्र योधमुख्यैर्महात्मभिः। शरजालसहस्रांशु शरदीव दिवाकरः॥
When fighting with all the high-souled and excellent warriors of your army, O foremost of men, Karna, discharging his showers of arrows, looks like the autumnal sun of myriad rays.

तपान्ते जलदो यद्वच्छरधाराः क्षरन् मुहुः। दिव्यास्रजलदः कर्णः पर्जन्य इव वृष्टिमान्॥
Just like clouds at the end of summer pouring torrents of rain, Karna, shooting incessantly showers of arrows, resembles a pouring cloud charged with celestial weapons.

त्रिदशैरपि चास्यद्भिः शरवर्ष समन्ततः। अशक्यस्तदयं जेतुं स्रवद्भिर्मासशोणितम्॥
He is incapable of being vanquished in battle by the very gods shooting showers of arrow in all directions and discharging flesh and blood profusely.

कवचेन विहीनश्च कुण्डलाभ्यां च पाण्डव। सोऽद्य मानुषतां प्राप्तो विमुक्तः शक्रदत्तया॥
Deprived of his armour and his two earrings, O son of Pandu and haring given up his Sakti given to him by Shakra, Karna today is nothing more then a mortal.

एको हि योगोऽस्य भवेद् वधाय च्छिद्रे ह्येनं स्वप्रमत्तः प्रमत्तम्। कृच्छं प्राप्तं रथचक्रे विमग्ने हन्याः पूर्वं त्वं तु सज्ञां विचार्य॥
There will happen only one opportunity for his slaughter. When the wheels of his chariot will be sunk in the earth, availing yourself of that opportunity and exerting vigourously you should slay him, acting up to my hint.

मप्येकवीरो बलभित् सवज्रः। जरासंघश्चेदिराजो महात्मा महाबाहुश्चैकलव्यो निषादः॥ एकैकशो निहताः सर्व एते योगैस्तैस्तैस्त्वद्धितार्थं मयैव। अथापरे निहता राक्षसेन्द्रा। हिडिम्बकिर्मीरवकप्रधानाः। अलायुधः परचक्रावमर्दी घटोत्कचचोग्रकर्मा तरस्वी॥
The conqueror of Bala that excellent hero, wielding his thunder, cannot slay the indomitable Karna when he stands armed with weapons. Indeed, O Arjuna, for your welfare, by the help of numerous machinations, I have destroyed, one after another Jarasandha, the high-souled ruler of the Chedis, the mighty armed Ekalavya of the Nishada tribe, other great Rakshasas having Hidimba, Krimira and Vaka for their leaders, as also Alayudha that crusher of hostile troops and Ghatotkacha that guider of enemies and of fearful feats.