ABHIMANYU-VADHA PARVA: Chapter 70

The story of Jamadagni's son

नारद उवाच रामो महातपाः शूरो वीरलोकनमस्कृतः। जामदग्नयोऽष्यतियशा अवितृप्तो मरिष्यति॥
Narada said Even the heroic Rama that illustrious ascetic adored by the heroes of the world, that son of Jamadagni, of great renown, died with his desires unsatiated.

यः स्माद्यमनुपर्येति भूमिं कुर्वन्निमां सुखाम्। न चासीद् विक्रिया यस्यप्राप्य श्रियमनुत्तमाम्॥
Making this Earth abound in all kinds of happiness, he caused the primeval Yuga to set in. He was not perverted, having obtained cxcellent affluence.

यः क्षत्रियैः परामृष्टे वत्से पितरि चाब्रुवन्। ततोऽवधीत् कार्तवीर्यमजितं समरे परैः॥
When a calf belonging to him when stolen and when his father was slain by the Kshatriyas, he took a vow saying that he would relieve the Earth of her burden of Kshatriyas. Thereafter he slew Kartavirya who was never before defeated in battle by his foes.

क्षत्रियाणां चतुःषष्टिमयुतानि. सहस्रशः। तदा मृत्योः समेतानि एकेन धनुषाऽजयत्॥
Single-handed and with a single bow, he vanquished and dispatched to the abode of Death, four and sixty times ten thousand Kshatriyas.

ब्रह्मद्विषां चाथ तस्मिन् सहस्राणि चतुर्दश। पुनरन्यानि जग्राह दन्तक्रूरं जघान ह॥
In that slaughter were included fourteen thousand Kshatriyas all contemners of the Brahmanas. Then again he slew slew many Kshatriyas of the Dantakrura country.

सहस्रं मुसलेनाहन् सहस्रमसिनाऽवधीत्। उद्बन्धनात् सहस्रं च सहस्रमुदके धृतम्॥
He slew a thousand Kshatriyas with his bludgeon, a thousand with his sword and a thousand of the Kshatriyas also by hanging them.

दन्तान्भक्त्वा सहस्रस्य कर्णान् नासान्यकृन्तत। ततः सप्तसहस्राणां कटुधूपमपाययत्॥
He splitted the teeth and cu-off nose and ears of one thousand Kshatriyas and forcibly made seven thousand kings to sip the bitter Dhupa (herb).

शिष्टान् बद्ध्वा च हत्वा वै तेषां मूर्ध्नि विभिद्य च। गुणावतीमुत्तरेण खाण्डवाद् दक्षिणेन च। गिर्यन्ते शतसाहस्रा हैहयाः समरे हताः॥
Remaining of them were tied and slain by clashing their heads. At north from Gunavati and at south from Khandava forest, hundreds and thousands of Haihaya kings were slain in the battle field.

सरथाश्वगजा वीरा निहतास्तत्र शेरते। पितुर्वधामर्षितेन जामदग्न्येन धीमता॥
Heroes with their chariots, steeds and elephants, lay slain on the field of battle, by the intelligent son of Jamadagni, who had been exasperated by the death of his father.

निजघ्ने दशसाहस्रान् रामः परशुना तदा। न ह्यमृष्यत ता वाचो यास्तै शमुदीरिताः॥ भृगो रामाभिधावेति यदाक्रन्दन् द्विजोत्तमाः।
Then Rama slew with his axe ten thousand Kshatriyas. He then could not bear the hot words uttered by his enraged adversaries. When the twice-born sects exclaimed saying, 'O Rama, descendant of Bhrigu's race.

ततः काश्मीरदरदान् कुन्तिक्षुद्रकमालवान्॥ अङ्गवङ्गकलिङ्गांश्च विदेहांस्ताम्रलिप्तकान्। रक्षावाहान् वीतिहोत्रांस्त्रिगर्तान् मार्तिकावतान्॥ शिबीनन्यांश्च राजन्यान् देशान् देशान् सहस्रशः। निजघान शितैर्बाणैर्जामदग्न्यः प्रतापवान्॥
Then the puissant son of Jamadgni proceeding against the Kashmiras, the Daradas, the Kuntis, the Kshudrakas, the Malavas, the Angas, the Vangas, the Kalingas, the Videhas, the Tamraliptakas, the Rakshavahan, the Vitihotras, the Trigartas, the Martikavatas the Sini and other kingly races, thousands in number, inhabiting various countries, slew them all with his arrows of exceeding sharpness.

कोटीशतसहस्राणि क्षत्रियाणां सहस्रशः। इन्द्रगोपकवर्णस्य बन्धुजीवनिभस्य च।॥ रुधिरस्य परीवाहैः पूरयित्वा करांसि च। सर्वानष्टादश द्वीपान् वशमानीय भार्गवः॥ ईजे क्रतुशतैः पुण्यैः समाप्तवरदक्षिणैः।
Going from country to country, he slew thousands and crores of Kshatriyas creating a deluge of blood and filling many lakes with it, which was as red as Indra Gopakas or the wild fruit known as Bandhu-jiva and also bringing under his sway all the eighteen division of the earth, that descendant of Bhrigu's race. Celebrated a hundred holy sacred sacrifices in which he gave away profuse sacrificial presents.

वेदीमष्टनलोत्सेधां सौवर्णो विधिनिर्मिताम्॥ सर्वरत्नशतैः पूर्णो पताकाशतमालिनीम्। ग्राम्यारण्यैः पशुगणैः सम्पूर्णं च पहीमिमाम्॥ रामस्य जामदग्न्यस्य प्रतिजग्राह कश्यपः।
The sacrificial altar, ful} eighteen Nalas high and made entirely of gold and erected duly. And filled with diverse kinds of gems and jewels and adorned with hundreds of pennons, as also this earth abounding in domestic and wild animals were accepted by Kasyapa as sacrificial presents offered to him by Rama.

ततः शतसहस्राणि द्विपेन्द्रान् हेमभूषणान्॥ निर्दस्युं पृथिवीं कृत्वा शिष्टेष्टजनसंकुलाम्। कश्यपाय ददौ रामो हयमेधे महामखे॥
The son of Jamadagni, Rama also gave him many thousands of huge elephants adorned with golden ornaments. Freeing the earth from the robbers that infested her and making her full of innocent and amiable people, Rama gave her away to Kasyapa at his great Horsesacrifice.

त्रि:सप्तकृत्वः पृथिवीं कृत्वा निःक्षत्रियां प्रभुः। इष्ट्वा क्रतुशतैर्वीरो ब्राह्मणेभ्यो ह्यमन्यत॥
That lord, that hero having relieved the earth, for twenty-one times, of her burdens of the Kshatriya population and having celebrated a hundred sacrifices, gave her away to the Brahmanas.

सप्तद्वीपां वसुमती मारीचोऽगृह्णत द्विजः। रामं प्रोवाच निर्गच्छ वसुधातो ममाज्ञया॥
The earth with her seven grand divisions were bestowed by him upon the twice-born son of Maricha (Kasyapa). Then the the latter addressed Rama saying-"Go you out of this Earth, at my command".

स कश्यपस्य वचनात् प्रोत्सार्य सरितां पतिम्। इषुपाते युधां श्रेष्ठः कुर्वन् ब्राह्मणशासनम्॥ अध्यावसद् गिरिश्रेष्ठं महेन्द्रं पर्वतोत्तमम्।
At the words of Kasyapa, that best of warriors obedient to the Brahmanas' command, caused, by the fall of his arrows, the very occan to roll back; then going to the foremost of mountains, namely, the Mahendra mountain, he continued to live there.

एवं गुणशतैर्युक्तो भृगूणां कीर्तिवर्धनः॥ जामदग्न्यो ह्यतियशा मरिष्यति महाद्युतिः।
Even that enhancer of the glory of the Bhrigu race that one endowed with desirable qualities that son of Jamadagni, of illustrious renown and great effulgence, had to die.

त्वया चतुर्भद्रतरः पुत्रात् पुण्यतरस्तव॥ अयज्वानमदाक्षिण्यं मा पुत्रमनुतप्यथाः।
O Srinjaya, Superior to you in respect to the four virtues and also to your son, even that one did die. Therefore you should not weep for your son, who perforined no sacrifice and made no sacrificial gifts.

एते चतुर्भद्रतरास्त्वया भद्रशताधिकाः। मृता नरवरश्रेष्ठ मरिष्यन्ति च सृञ्जय॥
These foremost and best of men, all superior to you in respect of the four virtues and in respect of many other meritorious qualities, had to suffer death, O Srinjaya.