वैशम्पायन उवाच ततः स च हृषीकेशः स च राजा युधिष्ठिरः। कृपादयश्च ते सर्वे चत्वारः पाण्डवाश्च ते॥ रथैस्तैर्नगरप्रख्यैः : पताकाध्वजशोभितैः। ययुराशु कुरुक्षेत्रं वाजिभिः शीघ्रगामिभिः॥
Vaishampayana said Then Hrishikesha, and king Yudhishthira, and all those persons headed by Kripa, and the four Pandavas, riding on those cars resembling fortified cities and adorned with stands and banners, quickly went to Kurukshetra with the help of their quick-coursing horses.
तेऽवतीर्य कुरुक्षेत्र केशमज्जास्थिसंकुलम्। देहन्यासः कृतो यत्र क्षत्रियैस्तैर्महात्मभिः॥
They descended on that field of Kuru, which was covered with hair, marrow and bones, and where millions of great Kshatriyas had died.
गजाश्वदेहास्थिचयैः पर्वतैरिव संचितम्। नरशीर्षकपालैश्च शङ्कुरिव च सर्वशः॥
It also contained many hills made of the bodies and bones of elephants and horses, and human heads and skulls were scattered over it like conch-shells.
चितासहस्रप्रचितं वर्मशस्त्रसमाकुलम्। आपानभूमिं कालस्य तथा भुक्तोज्झितामिव॥
interspersed with thousands of funeral pyres and containing masses of armour and weapons, the vast field looked like the drinking site of the Destroyer himself used and left of late.
भूतसंघानुचरितं रक्षोगणनिषेवितम्। पश्यन्तस्ते कुरुक्षेत्रं ययुराशु महारथाः।॥
The powerful car-warriors quickly proceeded, seeing the field of battle haunted by crowds of spirits and thronged with Rakshasas,
गच्छन्नेव महाबाहुः स वै यादवनन्दनः। युधिष्ठिराय प्रोवाच जामदग्न्यस्य विक्रमम्॥
While proceeding, the powerful Keshava, that delighter of all the Yadavas, spoke to Yudhishthira about the prowess of Jamadagni's son.
अमी रामहृदाः पञ्च दृश्यन्ते पार्थ दूरतः। तेषु संतर्पयामास पितॄन् क्षत्रियशोणितैः॥
'Yonder, at a distance, O Partha' are the five lakes of Rama. There Rama offered oblations of Kshatriya blood to his departed manes.
त्रिःसप्तकृत्वो वसुधां कृत्वा निःक्षत्रियां प्रभुः। इहेदानीं ततो रामः कर्मणो विरराम ह॥
It was here that the powerful Rama, having freed the Earth of Kshatriyas for twenty-one times, accomplished his task.'
युधिष्ठिर उवाच त्रि:सप्तकृत्वः पृथिवी कृता निःक्षत्रिया पुरा। रामेणेति तथाऽऽत्थ त्वमत्र मे संशयो महान्॥
Yudhishthira said I have doubt very much of what you say about Rama's having twenty-one times rooted the Kshatriyas in days of yore.
क्षत्रबीजं यथा दग्धं रामेण यदुपुङ्गव। कथं भूयः समुत्पत्तिः क्षत्रस्यामितविक्रम॥
When the very Kshatriya seed was burnt by Rama, O foremost of the Yadus, how was the Kshatriya order revived?
महात्मना भगवता रामेण यदुपुङ्गव। कथमुत्सादितं क्षत्रं कथं वृद्धिमुपागतम्॥
How, O best of the Yadus, was the Kshatriya order exterminated by the illustrious and great Rama, and how did it again grow?
महता रथयुद्धेन कोटिशः क्षत्रिया हताः। तथाभूच्च मही कीर्णा क्षत्रियैर्वदतां वर॥
In dreadful car-encounters millions of Kshatriyas were killed. The Earth, O foremost of orators, was covered with the corpses of Kshatriyas.
किमर्थं भार्गवेणेदं क्षत्रमुत्सादितं पुरा। रामेण यदुशार्दूल कुरुक्षेत्रे महात्मना॥ एतन्मे छिन्धि वार्ष्णेय संशयं तार्क्ष्यकेतन। आगमो हि परः कृष्ण त्वत्तो नो वासवानुज॥
Why was the Kshatriya order thus rooted out in day of old by Rama, the great descendant of Bhrigu, oforemost of the Yadus. O Vrishni hero, remove this doubt of mine, O Garuda-fanned hero. O Krishna, O younger brother of Vasudeva, the highest knowledge is from you.'
वैशम्पायन उवाच ततो यथावत् स गदाग्रजः प्रभुः शशंस तस्मै निखिलेन तत्त्वतः। युधिष्ठिरायाप्रतिमौजसे तदा यथाभवत् क्षत्रियसंकुला मही॥
Vaishampayana said The powerful elder brother of Gada then described fully to Yudhishthira everything that had taken place, as to how the Earth had become filled with Kshatriyas.
वैशम्पायन उवाच ततो यथावत् स गदाग्रजः प्रभुः शशंस तस्मै निखिलेन तत्त्वतः। युधिष्ठिरायाप्रतिमौजसे तदा यथाभवत् क्षत्रियसंकुला मही॥
Vaishampayana said The powerful elder brother of Gada then described fully to Yudhishthira everything that had taken place, as to how the Earth had become filled with Kshatriyas.