Third Skandha · Chapter 15
Sourceव्यास उवाच संयुगे च सति तत्र भूपयोराहवाय समुपात्तशस्त्रयोः । क्रोधलोभवशयोः समं ततः सम्बभूव तुमुलस्तु विमर्दः ॥ १ ॥ संस्थितः स समरे धृतचापः पार्थिवः पृथुलबाहुयुधाजित् । संयुतः स्वबलवाहनादिकैराहवाय कृतनिश्चयो नृपः ॥ २ ॥ वीरसेन इह सैन्यसंयुतः क्षात्रधर्ममनुसृत्य सङ्गरे । पुत्रिकात्मजहिताय पार्थिवः संस्थितः सुरपतेः समतेजाः ॥ ३ ॥ स बाणवृष्टिं विससर्ज पार्थिवो युधाजितं वीक्ष्य रणे स्थितञ्च । गिरिं तडित्वानिव तोयवृष्टिभिः क्रोधान्वितः सत्यपराक्रमोऽसौ ॥ ४ ॥ तं वीरसेनो विशिखैः शिलाशितैः समावृणोदाशुगमैरजिह्मगैः । चिच्छेद बाणैश्च शिलीमुखानसौ तेनैव मुक्तानतिवेगपातिनः ॥ ५ ॥ गजरथतुरगाणां सम्बभूवातियुद्धं सुरनरमुनिसङ्घैर्वीक्षितञ्चातिघोरम् । विततविहगवृन्दैरावृतं व्योम सद्यः पिशितमशितुकामैः कामगृध्रादिभिश्च ॥ ६ ॥ तत्राद्भुता क्षतजसिन्धुरुवाह घोरा वृन्देभ्य एव गजवीरतुरङ्गमाणाम् । त्रासावहा नयनमार्गगता नराणां पापात्मनां रविजमार्गभवेव कामम् ॥ ७ ॥ कीर्णानि भिन्नपुलिने नरमस्तकानि केशावृतानि च विभान्ति यथैव सिन्धौ । तुम्बीफलानि विहितानि विहर्तुकामै- र्बालैर्यथा रविसुताप्रभवैश्च नूनम् ॥ ८ ॥ वीरं मृतं भुवि गतं पतितं रथाद्वै गृध्रः पलार्थमुपरि भ्रमतीति मन्ये । जीवोऽप्यसौ निजशरीरमवेक्ष्य कान्तं काङ्क्षत्यहोऽतिविवशोऽपि पुनः प्रवेष्टुम् ॥ ९ ॥ आजौ हतोऽपि नृवरः सुविमानरूढः स्वाङ्के स्थितां सुरवधूं प्रवदत्यभीष्टम् । पश्याधुना मम शरीरमिदं पृथिव्यां बाणाहतं निपतितं करभोरु कान्तम् ॥ १० ॥ एको हतस्तु रिपुणैव गतोऽन्तरिक्षं देवाङ्गनां समधिगम्य युतो विमाने । तावत्प्रिया हुतवहे सुसमर्प्य देहं जग्राह कान्तमबला सबला स्वकीया ॥ ११ ॥ युद्धे मृतौ च सुभटौ दिवि सङ्गतौ ता- वन्योन्यशस्त्रनिहतौ सह सम्प्रयातौ । तत्रैव जघ्नतुरलं परमाहितास्त्रा- वेकाप्सरोऽर्थविहतौ कलहाकुलौ च ॥ १२ ॥ कश्चिद्युवा समधिगम्य सुराङ्गनां वै रूपाधिकां गुणवतीं किल भक्तियुक्तः । स्वीयान् गुणान्प्रविततान्प्रवदंस्तदाऽसौ तां प्रेमदामनुचकार च योगयुक्तः ॥ १३ ॥ भौमं रजोऽतिविततं दिवि संस्थितञ्च रात्रिं चकार तरणिञ्च समावृणोद्यत् । मग्नं तदेव रुधिराम्बुनिधावकस्मात् प्रादुर्बभूव रविरप्यतिकान्तियुक्तः ॥ १४ ॥ कश्चिद्गतस्तु गगनं किल देवकन्यां सम्प्राप्य चारुवदनां किल भक्तियुक्ताम् । नाङ्गीचकार चतुरो व्रतनाशभीतो यास्यत्ययं मम वृथा ह्यनुकूलशब्दः ॥ १५ ॥ सङ्ग्रामे संवृते तत्र युधाजित्पृथिवीपतिः । जघान वीरसेनं तं बाणैस्तीव्रैः सुदारुणैः ॥ १६ ॥ निहतः स पपातोर्व्यां छिन्नमूर्धा महीपतिः । प्रभग्नं तद्बलं सर्वं निर्गतं च चतुर्दिशम् ॥ १७ ॥ मनोरमा हतं श्रुत्वा पितरं रणमूर्धनि । भयत्रस्ताथ सञ्जाता पितुर्वैरमनुस्मरन् ॥ १८ ॥ हनिष्यति युधाजिद्वै पुत्रं मम दुराशयः । राज्यलोभेन पापात्मा सेति चिन्तापराभवत् ॥ १९ ॥ किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि पिता मे निहतो रणे । भर्ता चापि मृतोऽद्यैव पुत्रोऽयं मम बालकः ॥ २० ॥ लोभोऽतीव च पापिष्ठस्तेन को न वशीकृतः । किं न कुर्यात्तदाविष्टः पापं पार्थिवसत्तमः ॥ २१ ॥ पितरं मातरं भ्रातॄन्गुरून्स्वजनबान्धवान् । हन्ति लोभसमाविष्टो जनो नात्र विचारणा ॥ २२ ॥ अभक्ष्यभक्षणं लोभादगम्यागमनं तथा । करोति किल तृष्णार्तो धर्मत्यागं तथा पुनः ॥ २३ ॥ न सहायोऽस्ति मे कश्चिन्नगरेऽत्र महाबलः । यदाधारे स्थिता चाहं पालयामि सुतं शुभम् ॥ २४ ॥ हते पुत्रे नृपेणाद्य किं करिष्याम्यहं पुनः । न मे त्राताऽस्ति भुवने येन वै सुस्थिता ह्यहम् ॥ २५ ॥ सापि वैरयुता कामं सपत्नी सर्वदा भवेत् । लीलावती न मे पुत्रे भविष्यति दयावती ॥ २६ ॥ युधाजिति समायाते न मे निःसरणं भवेत् । ज्ञात्वा बालं सुतं सोऽद्य कारागारं नयिष्यति ॥ २७ ॥ श्रूयते हि पुरेन्द्रेण मातुर्गर्भगतः शिशुः । कृन्तितः सप्तधा पश्चात्कृतास्ते सप्त सप्तधा ॥ २८ ॥ प्रविश्य चोदरं मातुः करे कृत्वाल्पकं पविम् । एकोनपञ्चाशदपि तेऽभवन्मरुतो दिवि ॥ २९ ॥ सपत्न्यै गरलं दत्तं सपत्न्या नृपभार्यया । गर्भनाशार्थमुद्दिश्य पुरैतद्वै मया श्रुतम् ॥ ३० ॥ जातस्तु बालकः पश्चाद्देहे विषयुतः किल । तेनासौ सगरो नाम विख्यातो भुवि मण्डले ॥ ३१ ॥ जीवमानोऽथ भर्ता वै कैकेय्या नृपभार्यया । रामः प्रव्राजितो ज्येष्ठो मृतो दशरथो नृपः ॥ ३२ ॥ मन्त्रिणस्त्ववशाः कामं ये मे पुत्रं सुदर्शनम् । राजानं कर्तुकामा वै युधाजिद्वशगाश्च ते ॥ ३३ ॥ न मे भ्राता तथा शूरो यो मां बन्धात्प्रमोचयेत् । महत्कष्टञ्च सम्प्राप्तं मया वै दैवयोगतः ॥ ३४ ॥ उद्यमः सर्वथा कार्यः सिद्धिर्दैवाद्धि जायते । उपायं पुत्ररक्षार्थं करोम्यद्य त्वरान्विता ॥ ३५ ॥ इति सञ्चिन्त्य सा बाला विदल्लं चातिमानिनम् । निपुणं सर्वकार्येषु चिन्त्यं मन्त्रिवरोत्तमम् ॥ ३६ ॥ समाहूय तमेकान्ते प्रोवाच बहुदुःखिता । गृहीत्वा बालकं हस्ते रुदती दीनमानसा ॥ ३७ ॥ पिता मे निहतः संख्ये पुत्रोऽयं बालकस्तथा । युधाजिद्बलवान् राजा किं विधेयं वदस्व मे ॥ ३८ ॥ तामुवाच विदल्लोऽसौ नात्र स्थातव्यमेव च । गमिष्यामो वने कामं वाराणस्याः पुनः किल ॥ ३९ ॥ तत्र मे मातुलः श्रीमान्वर्तते बलवत्तरः । सुबाहुरिति विख्यातो रक्षिता स भविष्यति ॥ ४० ॥ युधाजिद्दर्शनोत्कण्ठमनसा नगराद्बहिः । निर्गत्य रथमारुह्य गन्तव्यं नात्र संशयः ॥ ४१ ॥ इत्युक्ता तेन सा राज्ञी गत्वा लीलावतीं प्रति । उवाच पितरं द्रष्टुं गच्छाम्यद्य सुलोचने ॥ ४२ ॥ इत्युक्त्वा रथमारुह्य सैरन्ध्रीसंयुता तदा । विदल्लेन च संयुक्ता निःसृता नगराद्बहिः ॥ ४३ ॥ त्रस्ता ह्यार्तातिकृपणा पितुः शोकसमाकुला । दृष्ट्वा युधाजितं भूपं पितरं गतजीवितम् ॥ ४४ ॥ संस्कार्य च त्वरायुक्ता वेपमाना भयाकुला । दिनद्वयेन सम्प्राप्ता राज्ञी भागीरथीतटम् ॥ ४५ ॥ निषादैलुण्ठिता तत्र गृहीतं सकलं वसु । रथञ्चापि गृहीत्वा ते निर्गता दस्यवः शठाः ॥ ४६ ॥ रुदती सुतमादाय चारुवस्त्रा मनोरमा । निर्ययौ जाह्नवीतीरे सैरन्ध्रीकरलम्बिता ॥ ४७ ॥ आरुह्य च भयाच्छीघ्रमुडुपं सा भयाकुला । तीर्त्वा भागीरथीं पुण्यां ययौ त्रिकूटपर्वतम् ॥ ४८ ॥ भारद्वाजाश्रमं प्राप्ता त्वरया च भयाकुला । संवीक्ष्य तापसांस्तत्र सञ्जाता निर्भया तदा ॥ ४९ ॥ मुनिना सा ततः पृष्टा काऽसि कस्य परिग्रहः । कष्टेनात्र कथं प्राप्ता सत्यं ब्रूहि शुचिस्मिते ॥ ५० ॥ देवी वा मानुषी वासि बालपुत्रा वने कथम् । राज्यभ्रष्टेव वामोरु भासि त्वं कमलेक्षणे ॥ ५१ ॥ एवं सा मुनिना पृष्टा नोवाच वरवर्णिनी । रुदती दुःखसन्तप्ता विदल्लं च समादिशत् ॥ ५२ ॥ विदल्लस्तमुवाचेदं ध्रुवसन्धिर्नृपोत्तमः । तस्य भार्या धर्मपत्नी नाम्ना चेयं मनोरमा ॥ ५३ ॥ सिंहेन निहतो राजा सूर्यवंशी महाबलः । पुत्रोऽयं नृपतेस्तस्य नाम्ना चैव सुदर्शनः ॥ ५४ ॥ अस्याः पितातिधर्मात्मा दौहित्रार्थं मृतो रणे । युधाजिद्भयसन्त्रस्ता सम्प्राप्ता विजने वने ॥ ५५ ॥ त्वामेव शरणं प्राप्ता बालपुत्रा नृपात्मजा । त्राता भव महाभाग त्वमस्या मुनिसत्तम ॥ ५६ ॥ आर्तस्य रक्षणे पुण्यं यज्ञाधिकमुदाहृतम् । भयतस्तस्य दीनस्य विशेषफलदं स्मृतम् ॥ ५७ ॥ ऋषिरुवाच निर्भया वस कल्याणि पुत्रं पालय सुव्रते । न ते भयं विशालाक्षि कर्तव्यं शत्रुसम्भवम् ॥ ५८ ॥ पालयस्व सुतं कान्तं राजा तेऽयं भविष्यति । नात्र दुःखं तथा शोकः कदाचित्सम्भविष्यति ॥ ५९ ॥ व्यास उवाच इत्युक्ता मुनिना राज्ञी स्वस्था सा सम्बभूव ह । उटजे मुनिना दत्ते वीतशोका तदावसत् ॥ ६० ॥ सैरन्ध्रीसहिता तत्र विदल्लेन च संयुता । सुदर्शनं पालयाना न्यवसत्सा मनोरमा ॥ ६१ ॥
vyāsa uvāca saṃyuge ca sati tatra bhūpayorāhavāya samupāttaśastrayoḥ | krodhalobhavaśayoḥ samaṃ tataḥ sambabhūva tumulastu vimardaḥ || 1 || saṃsthitaḥ sa samare dhṛtacāpaḥ pārthivaḥ pṛthulabāhuyudhājit | saṃyutaḥ svabalavāhanādikairāhavāya kṛtaniścayo nṛpaḥ || 2 || vīrasena iha sainyasaṃyutaḥ kṣātradharmamanusṛtya saṅgare | putrikātmajahitāya pārthivaḥ saṃsthitaḥ surapateḥ samatejāḥ || 3 || sa bāṇavṛṣṭiṃ visasarja pārthivo yudhājitaṃ vīkṣya raṇe sthitañca | giriṃ taḍitvāniva toyavṛṣṭibhiḥ krodhānvitaḥ satyaparākramo'sau || 4 || taṃ vīraseno viśikhaiḥ śilāśitaiḥ samāvṛṇodāśugamairajihmagaiḥ | ciccheda bāṇaiśca śilīmukhānasau tenaiva muktānativegapātinaḥ || 5 || gajarathaturagāṇāṃ sambabhūvātiyuddhaṃ suranaramunisaṅghairvīkṣitañcātighoram | vitatavihagavṛndairāvṛtaṃ vyoma sadyaḥ piśitamaśitukāmaiḥ kāmagṛdhrādibhiśca || 6 || tatrādbhutā kṣatajasindhuruvāha ghorā vṛndebhya eva gajavīraturaṅgamāṇām | trāsāvahā nayanamārgagatā narāṇāṃ pāpātmanāṃ ravijamārgabhaveva kāmam || 7 || kīrṇāni bhinnapuline naramastakāni keśāvṛtāni ca vibhānti yathaiva sindhau | tumbīphalāni vihitāni vihartukāmai- rbālairyathā ravisutāprabhavaiśca nūnam || 8 || vīraṃ mṛtaṃ bhuvi gataṃ patitaṃ rathādvai gṛdhraḥ palārthamupari bhramatīti manye | jīvo'pyasau nijaśarīramavekṣya kāntaṃ kāṅkṣatyaho'tivivaśo'pi punaḥ praveṣṭum || 9 || ājau hato'pi nṛvaraḥ suvimānarūḍhaḥ svāṅke sthitāṃ suravadhūṃ pravadatyabhīṣṭam | paśyādhunā mama śarīramidaṃ pṛthivyāṃ bāṇāhataṃ nipatitaṃ karabhoru kāntam || 10 || eko hatastu ripuṇaiva gato'ntarikṣaṃ devāṅganāṃ samadhigamya yuto vimāne | tāvatpriyā hutavahe susamarpya dehaṃ jagrāha kāntamabalā sabalā svakīyā || 11 || yuddhe mṛtau ca subhaṭau divi saṅgatau tā- vanyonyaśastranihatau saha samprayātau | tatraiva jaghnaturalaṃ paramāhitāstrā- vekāpsaro'rthavihatau kalahākulau ca || 12 || kaścidyuvā samadhigamya surāṅganāṃ vai rūpādhikāṃ guṇavatīṃ kila bhaktiyuktaḥ | svīyān guṇānpravitatānpravadaṃstadā'sau tāṃ premadāmanucakāra ca yogayuktaḥ || 13 || bhaumaṃ rajo'tivitataṃ divi saṃsthitañca rātriṃ cakāra taraṇiñca samāvṛṇodyat | magnaṃ tadeva rudhirāmbunidhāvakasmāt prādurbabhūva ravirapyatikāntiyuktaḥ || 14 || kaścidgatastu gaganaṃ kila devakanyāṃ samprāpya cāruvadanāṃ kila bhaktiyuktām | nāṅgīcakāra caturo vratanāśabhīto yāsyatyayaṃ mama vṛthā hyanukūlaśabdaḥ || 15 || saṅgrāme saṃvṛte tatra yudhājitpṛthivīpatiḥ | jaghāna vīrasenaṃ taṃ bāṇaistīvraiḥ sudāruṇaiḥ || 16 || nihataḥ sa papātorvyāṃ chinnamūrdhā mahīpatiḥ | prabhagnaṃ tadbalaṃ sarvaṃ nirgataṃ ca caturdiśam || 17 || manoramā hataṃ śrutvā pitaraṃ raṇamūrdhani | bhayatrastātha sañjātā piturvairamanusmaran || 18 || haniṣyati yudhājidvai putraṃ mama durāśayaḥ | rājyalobhena pāpātmā seti cintāparābhavat || 19 || kiṃ karomi kva gacchāmi pitā me nihato raṇe | bhartā cāpi mṛto'dyaiva putro'yaṃ mama bālakaḥ || 20 || lobho'tīva ca pāpiṣṭhastena ko na vaśīkṛtaḥ | kiṃ na kuryāttadāviṣṭaḥ pāpaṃ pārthivasattamaḥ || 21 || pitaraṃ mātaraṃ bhrātṝngurūnsvajanabāndhavān | hanti lobhasamāviṣṭo jano nātra vicāraṇā || 22 || abhakṣyabhakṣaṇaṃ lobhādagamyāgamanaṃ tathā | karoti kila tṛṣṇārto dharmatyāgaṃ tathā punaḥ || 23 || na sahāyo'sti me kaścinnagare'tra mahābalaḥ | yadādhāre sthitā cāhaṃ pālayāmi sutaṃ śubham || 24 || hate putre nṛpeṇādya kiṃ kariṣyāmyahaṃ punaḥ | na me trātā'sti bhuvane yena vai susthitā hyaham || 25 || sāpi vairayutā kāmaṃ sapatnī sarvadā bhavet | līlāvatī na me putre bhaviṣyati dayāvatī || 26 || yudhājiti samāyāte na me niḥsaraṇaṃ bhavet | jñātvā bālaṃ sutaṃ so'dya kārāgāraṃ nayiṣyati || 27 || śrūyate hi purendreṇa māturgarbhagataḥ śiśuḥ | kṛntitaḥ saptadhā paścātkṛtāste sapta saptadhā || 28 || praviśya codaraṃ mātuḥ kare kṛtvālpakaṃ pavim | ekonapañcāśadapi te'bhavanmaruto divi || 29 || sapatnyai garalaṃ dattaṃ sapatnyā nṛpabhāryayā | garbhanāśārthamuddiśya puraitadvai mayā śrutam || 30 || jātastu bālakaḥ paścāddehe viṣayutaḥ kila | tenāsau sagaro nāma vikhyāto bhuvi maṇḍale || 31 || jīvamāno'tha bhartā vai kaikeyyā nṛpabhāryayā | rāmaḥ pravrājito jyeṣṭho mṛto daśaratho nṛpaḥ || 32 || mantriṇastvavaśāḥ kāmaṃ ye me putraṃ sudarśanam | rājānaṃ kartukāmā vai yudhājidvaśagāśca te || 33 || na me bhrātā tathā śūro yo māṃ bandhātpramocayet | mahatkaṣṭañca samprāptaṃ mayā vai daivayogataḥ || 34 || udyamaḥ sarvathā kāryaḥ siddhirdaivāddhi jāyate | upāyaṃ putrarakṣārthaṃ karomyadya tvarānvitā || 35 || iti sañcintya sā bālā vidallaṃ cātimāninam | nipuṇaṃ sarvakāryeṣu cintyaṃ mantrivarottamam || 36 || samāhūya tamekānte provāca bahuduḥkhitā | gṛhītvā bālakaṃ haste rudatī dīnamānasā || 37 || pitā me nihataḥ saṃkhye putro'yaṃ bālakastathā | yudhājidbalavān rājā kiṃ vidheyaṃ vadasva me || 38 || tāmuvāca vidallo'sau nātra sthātavyameva ca | gamiṣyāmo vane kāmaṃ vārāṇasyāḥ punaḥ kila || 39 || tatra me mātulaḥ śrīmānvartate balavattaraḥ | subāhuriti vikhyāto rakṣitā sa bhaviṣyati || 40 || yudhājiddarśanotkaṇṭhamanasā nagarādbahiḥ | nirgatya rathamāruhya gantavyaṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ || 41 || ityuktā tena sā rājñī gatvā līlāvatīṃ prati | uvāca pitaraṃ draṣṭuṃ gacchāmyadya sulocane || 42 || ityuktvā rathamāruhya sairandhrīsaṃyutā tadā | vidallena ca saṃyuktā niḥsṛtā nagarādbahiḥ || 43 || trastā hyārtātikṛpaṇā pituḥ śokasamākulā | dṛṣṭvā yudhājitaṃ bhūpaṃ pitaraṃ gatajīvitam || 44 || saṃskārya ca tvarāyuktā vepamānā bhayākulā | dinadvayena samprāptā rājñī bhāgīrathītaṭam || 45 || niṣādailuṇṭhitā tatra gṛhītaṃ sakalaṃ vasu | rathañcāpi gṛhītvā te nirgatā dasyavaḥ śaṭhāḥ || 46 || rudatī sutamādāya cāruvastrā manoramā | niryayau jāhnavītīre sairandhrīkaralambitā || 47 || āruhya ca bhayācchīghramuḍupaṃ sā bhayākulā | tīrtvā bhāgīrathīṃ puṇyāṃ yayau trikūṭaparvatam || 48 || bhāradvājāśramaṃ prāptā tvarayā ca bhayākulā | saṃvīkṣya tāpasāṃstatra sañjātā nirbhayā tadā || 49 || muninā sā tataḥ pṛṣṭā kā'si kasya parigrahaḥ | kaṣṭenātra kathaṃ prāptā satyaṃ brūhi śucismite || 50 || devī vā mānuṣī vāsi bālaputrā vane katham | rājyabhraṣṭeva vāmoru bhāsi tvaṃ kamalekṣaṇe || 51 || evaṃ sā muninā pṛṣṭā novāca varavarṇinī | rudatī duḥkhasantaptā vidallaṃ ca samādiśat || 52 || vidallastamuvācedaṃ dhruvasandhirnṛpottamaḥ | tasya bhāryā dharmapatnī nāmnā ceyaṃ manoramā || 53 || siṃhena nihato rājā sūryavaṃśī mahābalaḥ | putro'yaṃ nṛpatestasya nāmnā caiva sudarśanaḥ || 54 || asyāḥ pitātidharmātmā dauhitrārthaṃ mṛto raṇe | yudhājidbhayasantrastā samprāptā vijane vane || 55 || tvāmeva śaraṇaṃ prāptā bālaputrā nṛpātmajā | trātā bhava mahābhāga tvamasyā munisattama || 56 || ārtasya rakṣaṇe puṇyaṃ yajñādhikamudāhṛtam | bhayatastasya dīnasya viśeṣaphaladaṃ smṛtam || 57 || ṛṣiruvāca nirbhayā vasa kalyāṇi putraṃ pālaya suvrate | na te bhayaṃ viśālākṣi kartavyaṃ śatrusambhavam || 58 || pālayasva sutaṃ kāntaṃ rājā te'yaṃ bhaviṣyati | nātra duḥkhaṃ tathā śokaḥ kadācitsambhaviṣyati || 59 || vyāsa uvāca ityuktā muninā rājñī svasthā sā sambabhūva ha | uṭaje muninā datte vītaśokā tadāvasat || 60 || sairandhrīsahitā tatra vidallena ca saṃyutā | sudarśanaṃ pālayānā nyavasatsā manoramā || 61 ||
English translation
1. Vyasa said O king! When the war was declared, the two kings, excited by greed and anger, took up arms; and a dreadful encounter ensued.
2. On one side the king Yudhajit of long arms, surrounded by his own army, with bows and arrows came ready to fight.
3. On the other hand, the fiery Virasena, the second God of the Devas appeared in the battle, following a true Ksattriya custom, on behalf his daughter’s son.
4. Then that truthful king Virasena, seeing Yudhajit in battle, became very angry and hurled arrows on him, as a cloud rains on the mountain tops.
5. On being covered, as it were, by the sharp and swift arrows, sharpened on a stone slab hurled at him by Virasena, Yudhajit, too, quickly, shot arrows at Virasena and cut off all his arrows.
6. O King! A dreadful fight then ensued between the cavalries, the warriors on the elephants; and the Devas, men, and Munis began to witness this terrible battle with wonder and astonishment. Birds, vultures and crows, desirous to eat the flesh of the dead soldiers, flew in the air.
7. Blood of elephants, horses and warriors, the bodies that lay dead, flowed in torrents awfully like rivers in that deadly battle ground. The torrent of blood excited fear amongst those who came to see it, as the river Vaitarani on the way to hell (the Lord of Death) is very fearful to the sinners.
8. The human skulls were driven ashore by the current and they look like so many hollow shells of gourds scattered there for the play of the boys on the banks of the Jumna.
9. When any warrior lay dead on the field, the vultures began to fly about in the air for devouring his flesh. It seemed then that the soul of the warrior beholding his beautiful body tried to reenter into his body, though he thought that it had become very inaccessible to him
10. Some warriors on being slain in the battle instantly arose in a celestial car to the heavens and was seen addressing the celestial nymph, who came already within his embrace, thus “O one of beautiful thighs. Behold! how my beautiful body is lying on the earth below!”
11. Another warrrior thus slain got up in the heavens on a celestial car, came in possession of a celestial nymph and when he was sitting with her in the car, his former wife in the earth made herself a sati and burnt herself up in the funeral pyre, thus got a celestial body, came up to the heavens; and that chaste virtuous woman drew away perforce her own husband away from that celestial nymph.
12. Two warriors, went up, slew each other and lay down dead at the same time. They went up in the heavens at the same time and there
began quarrel with each other and fight with their weapons for one and the same celestial nymph.
13. Some hero got in the heavens a nymph more lovely and beautiful than himself and he thus became very much attached and devoted her. He began to describe his own heroic qualities and also to copy dotedly the qualities of his lover so that she might remain faithfully attached to him.
14. The dust, arising from the dreadful encounter of the soldiers in battle field, rose up in the air and covered the sun. It appeared night. After a while that dust became absorbed in the blood below, and the sun appeared very red, reflected with the colour of the blood.
15. Some Brahmachari fought in the battle and was slain. He went up to the heavens; instantly a lovely eyed Devakanya, a celestial nymph desired to select him as bridegroom with great devotion. But that clever man did not accept the offer, thinking that his vow of Brahmacharya would be thus broken.
16-17. O King! Thus when the battle was deadly, the king Yudhajit shot a sharp, dreadful arrow at Virasena and severed his head from body. Virasena lay dead on the battle field and his army was routed. The soldiers fled away from the battle.
18-19. Hearing that her father was slain in the battle, Manorama became very terrified and anxious. She then began to think that the vicious wicked king Yudhajit will surely slay her son, for kingdom's sake and to satisfy his enmity with her father.
20. What shall I do now? My father is slain in the battle. My husband is no more. My child is a minor to-day. Where shall I go?
21. Greed is very sinful; who is there that cannot be bought over by love of gold? and what vicious act can there be, that cannot be done when actuated by covetousness?
22. A greedy man does not hesitate to kill his father, mother, spiritual guide, friends and others. There is no doubt in this.
23. It is the inordinate love of worldly things that makes a man eat what is held unclean in society, that makes a man approach a woman who is unapproachable, and it is greed that makes a man discard his own religion and become an apostate.
24. In this city I find none so powerful as I can remain there under his shelter and be able to rear up my child.
25. What can I do if the king Yudhajit slay my son? There is none in this world who can save me, and, counting on whose shelter, I can stay here without any anxiety.
26. And this my co-rival wife Lilavati will always practise enmity with me. She will never shew mercy on my son.
27. When Yudhajit will arrive in this city, I will never be able to go out of it and he will to-day put my son in the prison on the pretext that he is a minor.
28-29. I heard that, in days of yore, Indra entered into the womb of his pregnant step mother with a small thunderbolt in his hand and divided the foetus into seven parts with that weapon, again each of these seven into seven parts again, thus the forty nine Maruts were born in the Heavens.
30-31. I heard also that in ancient times one queen gave poison to destroy the foetus in the womb of her rival wife. When the child came out of the womb, he was celebrated by the name of Sagara (with poison) in this earth.
32. The husband was alive, and still his queen Kaikeyi banished the eldest son of his king, S’ri Ramchandra to the forest; and the king Das’aratha sacrificed his life for that very reason.
33. The ministers no doubt wanted before to install my son as the king; but now they are not independent; they have now yielded themselves to the king Yudhajit.
34. There is no brother of mine powerful enough to release me from my bondage; I see I have fallen into a great difficulty by the combination of unforeseen circumstances.
35. Though the success depends on Fate, still one should make an earnest effort. If one does not make any effort, fate also remains
asleep. I will therefore soon make out a plan to save my son.
36-38. O King! Thinking thus, that woman Manorama called in private the best and very respectable minister Vidalla, who was intelligent and expert in everything, and holding the hands of her son and weeping, said humbly in a depressed spirit “O Minister! My father is slain in the battle field, this my son is a minor, and Yudhajit is a powerful king; consider all these and tell me what I should do now?”
39-40. The venerable minister Vidalla then said to the queen Manorama “It is never advisable for us to stay here. Soon we will go into the forests of Benares. There I have got my powerful uncle Subahu. He is prosperous and has got a strong army. He will protect
us.
41. “I will make the pretext that I am become very anxious for the king and therefore I am going out to see the king Yudhajit and will go out of the city in my chariot. There is no doubt in this.”
42-43. Hearing, thus, the Vidalla's words, the queen Manorama went to Lilavati and said “O faireyed! To-day I am going to see the father Yudhajit.” Thus saying, she went out of the city in a chariot, accompanied by her son, attendants and Vidalla.
44-45. Grieved at the loss of her father, fearful, distressed, and fatigued, Manorama saw Yudhajit and performed the cremation of her father Virasena; and, trembling with fear, got to the banks of the Ganges after two days’ swift journey.
46-48. There the robbers, the Nisadas plundered all their riches and took the chariot and went away. Manorama had only her clothings, that she wore, left to her. She began to weep, and, holding the hands of her attendant, went to the Ganges shore, and being afraid crossed the river on a raft and went to the Chitrakuta mountain.
49. That terrified Devi went to the hermitage of Bharadvaja as early as possible. There she saw the ascetics and was relieved of her fear.
50. Bharadvaja asked, “O lotus eyed! Who are you and whose wife are you? Why have you taken so much trouble to come here? Answer all these truly.”
51. “O beautiful one! are you a Devi or a human being? your son is a very minor. Why have you come in this dense forest? It seems, as if you are deprived of your kingdom.”
52. Thus asked by the best of the Munis, the beautiful Manorama became very much afflicted with grief and began to weep; she could not speak anything herself and ordered Vidalla to inform the Muni all what had happened.
53-54. Vidalla then said There was a king of Kosala, named Dhruvasandhi. She is the legal wife of that king. Her name is Manorama. That powerful king of the Solar Dynasty was killed by a lion in a forest. This boy Sudars’ana is his son.
55. The father of this Manorama was very religious. He died fighting for the cause of his daughter's son. Now the present queen has become much afraid and has therefore come to this wild forest.
56. The son of this woman is now a minor; he is now taking your refuge. O best of the Munis! Protect them.
57. To give protection to any distressed person is to acquire merits higher than performing a sacrifice. Therefore to protect one who is very much afflicted with fear and who is helpless will have still higher merits.
58. Bharadvaja said “O beautiful one! Remain in this hermitage without any fear; rear up your son here. O auspicious one! There is no cause of fear here from your enemies.
59. Better nourish and support your child. Your son will surely be a king and if you remain in this hermitage, no sorrow or grief will overtake you.”
60. Vyasa said When the great Muni Bharadvaja said thus, the queen Manorama became peaceful. The Muni gave them a cottage to live in and there they dwelt without any sorrow.
61. Thus Manorama dwelt obediently with her maid servant, liked by all. Vidalla also remained there and Manorama began to nourish her child.
Here ends the Fifteenth chapter on the Devi Mahatmya and the battle between Yudhajit and Virasena and the going away of Manorama to the forest in the 3rd Adhyaya of S’ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 24740, revision 75593 (2016-08-03T12:01:22Z). English is Swami Vijñanananda’s complete 1921–23 public-domain translation, controlled against the archival OCR and its chapter page at https://sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk03ch15.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.