Aśvamedha-khaṇḍa · Chapter 15
Sourceश्रीगर्ग उवाच - अथेन्द्रनीलस्य सुतो महाबलो ह्यक्षौहिणीभिस्त्रिभिरेव संयुतः ॥ यदून्विजेतुं स्वपुराद्विनिर्गतो पितुश्च वाक्याद्बहुरोषपूरितः ॥१॥ तमागतं वीक्ष्य नृपस्य पुत्रं श्रीकृष्णपौत्रस्तु धनुर्गृहीत्वा ॥ युद्धं प्रकर्तुं प्रययौ स एको वृत्रं विजेतुं च यथा विडौजाः ॥२॥ गत्वानिरुद्धः संग्रामे शत्रूणामुपरि त्वरम् ॥ मुमोच बाणपटलान्सर्वेषां त्रासयन्मनः ॥३॥ ततश्च दुद्रुवुः सर्वे नीलकेतोश्च सैनिकाः ॥ रणाद्भीताः स्वशंखं च दघ्मौ प्रद्युम्ननंदनः ॥४॥ पलायमानां स्वां सेनां दृष्ट्वा नीलध्वजो बली ॥ चापं टंकारयञ्छीघ्रमाययौ रणमंडले ॥५॥ सेनां स्वां नोदयामास पुनः सोऽपि धनुर्ज्यया ॥ द्विषां मध्येऽनिरुद्धं तं दृष्ट्वा नीलध्वजो बली ॥६॥ धनुष्टंकारयन्प्राप्तो ह्यक्षौहिण्यावृतो रुषा ॥ विंशद्बाणैर्नीलकेतुं पंचभिः पंचभी रथान् ॥७॥ अताडयद्गजांश्चैव तथा सतुरगान्नरान् ॥ भूम्यां निपेतुस्ते सर्वे सांबबाणैः प्रताडिताः ॥८॥ गजोपरि गजाः केचिद्रथोपरि रथास्तथा ॥ हयोपरि हयाश्चैव नरोपरि नराश्च वै ॥९॥ तत्क्षणेनाप्यभूद्भूमी रुधिरौघपरिप्लुता ॥ पतितैश्छिन्नभिन्नैश्च द्विपाश्च रथपत्तिभिः ॥१०॥ ततः प्रभग्नं स्वबलं विलोक्य नीलध्वजो भूपधनुर्गृहीत्वा ॥ बाणान्विमुंचन्किल यादवानां जेतुं मनो यस्य स चागमद्वै ॥११॥ स गत्वा प्रधने राजन्दशबाणै रुषान्वितः ॥ चापं सांबस्य चिच्छेद प्रेम दुर्वचनैरिव ॥१२॥ चतुर्भिश्चतुरो वाहान्द्वाभ्यां केतुं रथं शतैः ॥ एकेन जघ्ने सूतं स इन्द्रनीलसुतो बली ॥१३॥ एवं कृत्वा च विरथं सांबं वै नृपनंदनः ॥ पुनः समागतां तस्य सेनां बाणैर्जघान ह ॥१४॥ अथ नीलध्वजस्यापि सेना सर्वा समागता । यादवानां बलं संख्ये जघान निशितैः शरैः ॥ १५ ॥ ततः समभवद्युद्धमुभयोः सेनयोर्मृधे ॥ निस्त्रिंशैः परिघैर्बाणैर्गदापरुषशक्तिभिः ॥१६॥ सांबोऽन्यं रथमारुह्य सज्जं कृत्वा धनुर्दृढम् ॥ तद्रथं चूर्णयामास शतबाणै रणे बली ॥१७॥ स च्छिन्नधन्वा विरथो गदामुद्यम्य वेगवान् ॥ अभ्यधावद्रणे क्रुद्धो सांबस्योपरि मानद ॥१८॥ तदैव सांबं सहसावतीर्याथ रथाद्गदाम् ॥ नीत्वा नीलध्वजस्यापि संमुखे गतवान् रुषा ॥१९॥ तताड गदया सांबमागतं वीक्ष्य भूपजः ॥ न चचाल प्रहारेण मालाहतगजो यथा ॥२०॥ ततः सांबस्तु गदया तताड नृपनन्दनम् ॥ तत्प्रहारेण पतितो मूर्छां प्राप्तो रणे तु सः ॥२१॥ सैनिका दुद्रुवुस्तस्य हाहाकारं समुच्चरन् ॥ ततो युद्धाय संक्रुद्ध इन्द्रनीलः समागतः ॥२२॥ साकमक्षौहिणीभ्यां च विमुंचन्धनुषा शरान् ॥ तमागतं विलोक्याथ मधुः कृष्णसुतो बलो ॥२३॥ धानुष्को विरथं चक्र इन्द्रनीलं शिलीमुखैः ॥ सेनां समागतां तस्य युयुधानोऽर्जुनप्रियः ॥२४॥ शरैर्विव्याध समरे मैत्रीं दुर्वचनैरिव ॥ ततश्च यादवैर्मुक्तो नृपो माहिष्मतीं ययौ ॥२५॥ गत्वा पुर्यां च दुःखार्तः सस्मार स्वपतिं शिवम् ॥ अथ तस्मै शिवः साक्षाद्दत्वा दर्शनमुत्तमम् ॥२६॥ पप्रच्छ सर्ववृत्तांतं श्रुत्वा स तु न्यवेदयत् ॥ इत्थं निशम्य वचनं प्रत्याह प्रमथेश्वरः ॥२७॥ शिव उवाच - शोकं मा कुरु राजेंद्र मद्वरोऽपि मृषा न हि ॥ दैवदैत्यनराः सर्वे त्वा विजेतुं न च क्षमाः ॥२८॥ एते कृष्णसुता राजञ्छ्रीकृष्णस्यांशसंभवाः ॥ न देवा ये महाराज न दैत्या न च मानुषाः ॥२९॥ एतैर्विनिर्जितस्त्वं तु दुर्मना भव मा नृप ॥ अपराधं तु कृष्णस्य कर्तुं नार्हसि भूपते ॥३०॥ समागतेभ्य एतेभ्यस्तस्मात्त्वं विधिना नृप ॥ शीघ्रं प्रयच्छ भद्रं ते हयमेधतुरंगमम् ॥३१॥ इत्युक्त्वांतर्दधे रुद्रो नृपो ज्ञात्वा जगत्पतेः ॥ माहात्म्यं च मुदा युक्तो गृहीत्वा क्रतुवाहनम् ॥३२॥ नीलध्वजेन सहितो रत्नान्यादाय भूरिशः ॥ स्वर्णभारशतं चैव मतंगजसहस्रकम् ॥३३॥ नियुतं घोटकानां च ह्यादाय स्यंदनायुतम् ॥ यत्रानिरुद्धः प्रययौ नमस्कर्तुं जनैर्वृतः ॥३४॥ अनिरुद्धस्य निकटे गत्वा राजा विधानतः ॥ सर्वं निवेदयामास नत्वा वचनमब्रवीत् ॥३५॥ इन्द्रनील उवाच - नमः कृष्णाय रामाय प्रद्युम्नाय महात्मने ॥ नमो नमोऽनिरुद्धाय सात्वतां प्रवराय च ॥३६॥ आदेशो दीयतां मह्यं किं करोम्यसुरार्दन ॥ अनिरुद्धस्तु तं प्राह मया सह नृपोत्तम ॥३७॥ शत्रुभ्यश्च मित्रहयं पालय त्वं हि मामकम् ॥ गर्ग उवाच - इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा तथेत्युक्त्वा नृपो नृप ॥३८॥ नीलध्वजाय राज्यं तु दत्वा गंतुं मनो दधे ॥३९॥ इति श्रीगर्गसंहितायां हयमेधखण्डे अनिरुद्धविजयवर्णनं नाम पंचदशोऽध्यायः ॥१५॥ हरिः ॐ तत्सत् श्रीकृष्णार्पणमस्तु ॥
śrīgarga uvāca - athendranīlasya suto mahābalo hyakṣauhiṇībhistribhireva saṃyutaḥ || yadūnvijetuṃ svapurādvinirgato pituśca vākyādbahuroṣapūritaḥ ||1|| tamāgataṃ vīkṣya nṛpasya putraṃ śrīkṛṣṇapautrastu dhanurgṛhītvā || yuddhaṃ prakartuṃ prayayau sa eko vṛtraṃ vijetuṃ ca yathā viḍaujāḥ ||2|| gatvāniruddhaḥ saṃgrāme śatrūṇāmupari tvaram || mumoca bāṇapaṭalānsarveṣāṃ trāsayanmanaḥ ||3|| tataśca dudruvuḥ sarve nīlaketośca sainikāḥ || raṇādbhītāḥ svaśaṃkhaṃ ca daghmau pradyumnanaṃdanaḥ ||4|| palāyamānāṃ svāṃ senāṃ dṛṣṭvā nīladhvajo balī || cāpaṃ ṭaṃkārayañchīghramāyayau raṇamaṃḍale ||5|| senāṃ svāṃ nodayāmāsa punaḥ so'pi dhanurjyayā || dviṣāṃ madhye'niruddhaṃ taṃ dṛṣṭvā nīladhvajo balī ||6|| dhanuṣṭaṃkārayanprāpto hyakṣauhiṇyāvṛto ruṣā || viṃśadbāṇairnīlaketuṃ paṃcabhiḥ paṃcabhī rathān ||7|| atāḍayadgajāṃścaiva tathā saturagānnarān || bhūmyāṃ nipetuste sarve sāṃbabāṇaiḥ pratāḍitāḥ ||8|| gajopari gajāḥ kecidrathopari rathāstathā || hayopari hayāścaiva naropari narāśca vai ||9|| tatkṣaṇenāpyabhūdbhūmī rudhiraughapariplutā || patitaiśchinnabhinnaiśca dvipāśca rathapattibhiḥ ||10|| tataḥ prabhagnaṃ svabalaṃ vilokya nīladhvajo bhūpadhanurgṛhītvā || bāṇānvimuṃcankila yādavānāṃ jetuṃ mano yasya sa cāgamadvai ||11|| sa gatvā pradhane rājandaśabāṇai ruṣānvitaḥ || cāpaṃ sāṃbasya ciccheda prema durvacanairiva ||12|| caturbhiścaturo vāhāndvābhyāṃ ketuṃ rathaṃ śataiḥ || ekena jaghne sūtaṃ sa indranīlasuto balī ||13|| evaṃ kṛtvā ca virathaṃ sāṃbaṃ vai nṛpanaṃdanaḥ || punaḥ samāgatāṃ tasya senāṃ bāṇairjaghāna ha ||14|| atha nīladhvajasyāpi senā sarvā samāgatā | yādavānāṃ balaṃ saṃkhye jaghāna niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ || 15 || tataḥ samabhavadyuddhamubhayoḥ senayormṛdhe || nistriṃśaiḥ parighairbāṇairgadāparuṣaśaktibhiḥ ||16|| sāṃbo'nyaṃ rathamāruhya sajjaṃ kṛtvā dhanurdṛḍham || tadrathaṃ cūrṇayāmāsa śatabāṇai raṇe balī ||17|| sa cchinnadhanvā viratho gadāmudyamya vegavān || abhyadhāvadraṇe kruddho sāṃbasyopari mānada ||18|| tadaiva sāṃbaṃ sahasāvatīryātha rathādgadām || nītvā nīladhvajasyāpi saṃmukhe gatavān ruṣā ||19|| tatāḍa gadayā sāṃbamāgataṃ vīkṣya bhūpajaḥ || na cacāla prahāreṇa mālāhatagajo yathā ||20|| tataḥ sāṃbastu gadayā tatāḍa nṛpanandanam || tatprahāreṇa patito mūrchāṃ prāpto raṇe tu saḥ ||21|| sainikā dudruvustasya hāhākāraṃ samuccaran || tato yuddhāya saṃkruddha indranīlaḥ samāgataḥ ||22|| sākamakṣauhiṇībhyāṃ ca vimuṃcandhanuṣā śarān || tamāgataṃ vilokyātha madhuḥ kṛṣṇasuto balo ||23|| dhānuṣko virathaṃ cakra indranīlaṃ śilīmukhaiḥ || senāṃ samāgatāṃ tasya yuyudhāno'rjunapriyaḥ ||24|| śarairvivyādha samare maitrīṃ durvacanairiva || tataśca yādavairmukto nṛpo māhiṣmatīṃ yayau ||25|| gatvā puryāṃ ca duḥkhārtaḥ sasmāra svapatiṃ śivam || atha tasmai śivaḥ sākṣāddatvā darśanamuttamam ||26|| papraccha sarvavṛttāṃtaṃ śrutvā sa tu nyavedayat || itthaṃ niśamya vacanaṃ pratyāha pramatheśvaraḥ ||27|| śiva uvāca - śokaṃ mā kuru rājeṃdra madvaro'pi mṛṣā na hi || daivadaityanarāḥ sarve tvā vijetuṃ na ca kṣamāḥ ||28|| ete kṛṣṇasutā rājañchrīkṛṣṇasyāṃśasaṃbhavāḥ || na devā ye mahārāja na daityā na ca mānuṣāḥ ||29|| etairvinirjitastvaṃ tu durmanā bhava mā nṛpa || aparādhaṃ tu kṛṣṇasya kartuṃ nārhasi bhūpate ||30|| samāgatebhya etebhyastasmāttvaṃ vidhinā nṛpa || śīghraṃ prayaccha bhadraṃ te hayamedhaturaṃgamam ||31|| ityuktvāṃtardadhe rudro nṛpo jñātvā jagatpateḥ || māhātmyaṃ ca mudā yukto gṛhītvā kratuvāhanam ||32|| nīladhvajena sahito ratnānyādāya bhūriśaḥ || svarṇabhāraśataṃ caiva mataṃgajasahasrakam ||33|| niyutaṃ ghoṭakānāṃ ca hyādāya syaṃdanāyutam || yatrāniruddhaḥ prayayau namaskartuṃ janairvṛtaḥ ||34|| aniruddhasya nikaṭe gatvā rājā vidhānataḥ || sarvaṃ nivedayāmāsa natvā vacanamabravīt ||35|| indranīla uvāca - namaḥ kṛṣṇāya rāmāya pradyumnāya mahātmane || namo namo'niruddhāya sātvatāṃ pravarāya ca ||36|| ādeśo dīyatāṃ mahyaṃ kiṃ karomyasurārdana || aniruddhastu taṃ prāha mayā saha nṛpottama ||37|| śatrubhyaśca mitrahayaṃ pālaya tvaṃ hi māmakam || garga uvāca - iti tasya vacaḥ śrutvā tathetyuktvā nṛpo nṛpa ||38|| nīladhvajāya rājyaṃ tu datvā gaṃtuṃ mano dadhe ||39|| iti śrīgargasaṃhitāyāṃ hayamedhakhaṇḍe aniruddhavijayavarṇanaṃ nāma paṃcadaśo'dhyāyaḥ ||15|| hariḥ oṃ tatsat śrīkṛṣṇārpaṇamastu ||
English translation
Aniruddha and Sambaka Shaurya; their victory over Mahishmati-Naresh
Srigarganji states that Indranil's son Mahabali Niladhvaja then marched out of his city with three Aksauhini forces to conquer the Yadavas. He was very angry with the Yaduvanshis when he heard his father speak. Seeing the prince, Krishna's grandson Aniruddha took the bow and went to battle with him alone, as if Indra had set out to conquer Vritrasura. Going to the battlefield, Aniruddha immediately started raining down arrows on the enemy. This struck a chord in all of them. Then all the soldiers of Niladhvaja fled from the battlefield in terror, and Pradyumrakumar blew his conch shell as a sign of victory. 1 - 4.
Seeing his army fleeing, the mighty Niladhvaja bowed and soon came to the battlefield. He prompted his army to return to the battle with the return of the bow. Sambak's fury knew no bounds as he saw Aniruddha surrounded by enemies. They arrived surrounded by an Aksauhini army, bowing in fury. They wounded the Niladhvaja with twenty arrows, and the chariots, elephants, horses, and pedestrians with five arrows each. They all collapsed after being hit by a barrage of arrows. Elephants began to fall upon elephants, chariots upon chariots, horses upon horses, and men upon foot. In an instant, a stream of blood flowed over the land there. Elephants, horses, chariots, and foot remained scattered there. 5-10 | (Ashwamedh Khand Chapter 11 to 15)
The king! Then, seeing the stampede in his army, Niladhvaja, who had a great desire to conquer the Yadavas, came before the enemy army with a bow and arrow. The king. Arriving at the battlefield, the enraged prince shot ten arrows at Sambak's bow in a manner similar to how one would tear apart a love affair with malice. The mighty Indranil-Kumar struck all four horses with four arrows, cut off the flag of their chariot with two arrows, defaced the chariot with a hundred arrows, and sent the charioteer to the gallows of Kaala with one arrow. 11-13 |
Thus making Sambako chariot-less, Prince Niladhvaja started wounding the re-emerging Sambak army with arrows. At the same time, the entire army of Niladhvaja also returned and wounded the huge Yadava army on the battlefield with sharp arrows. Then, heavy fighting broke out between the two armies on the battlefield. Troops from both sides started attacking each other with swords, spears, arrows, maces, and sharp weapons. Samba mounted another chariot, mounted a strong bow, and entered the battlefield. They were very powerful. They shot a hundred arrows and broke the chariot of Niladhvaja. Honorable King! When his bow was also cut off, the chariotless prince picked up a mace and attacked Samba with great speed on the battlefield. At the same time, Samba also suddenly got down from the chariot and proceeded angrily to face Niladhvaja with a mace. When Sambako arrived, the prince struck him with a mace, but Samba could not be distracted by the blow, just as an elephant would not be distracted by a blow from a flower garland. Samba then attacked the prince with his mace. The prince fell on the battlefield and was crushed by the blow. Then his soldiers ran away in panic. 14-21 |
Then King Indranil himself, full of great wrath, came to the battle. They were accompanied by two Aksauhini forces and rained down arrows with their bows. Seeing them, the mighty archer Veer Srikrishnakumar Madhu, with his arrows, made Indranil chariot-less. At the same time, Arjuna's favorite disciple, Yudhishthira Satyaki, dismembered Indranil's army in the battlefield with his arrows as if someone had torn apart the friendship with bitterness. Subsequently, King Indranil returned to Mahishmatipuri after the Yadavas relinquished it. They were filled with a sense of melancholy. He reached Puri and remembered his lord, Lord Shiva. Then Lord Shiva gave him the best of visions and asked him the whole story. Hearing of Shiva's words, the king submitted the entire account to him. Thus, hearing Indranil's statement, Lord Shiva, the lord of the gods, spoke. 22-27 |
Shiva said, "Rajendra." You do not have to grieve. My blessing will also not be a lie. Gods, demons, and humans are not all capable of conquering you. Your Majesty! These are the sons of Lord Krishna; they are descended from him. They are neither gods, nor demons, nor humans. Nareshwar. Do not be sad because you have been defeated by them. Bhopal! You should not do the crime of Kr ̣ s ̣ n ̣ a. The king! Therefore, soon return the horse of Ashvamedha to these assembled Yadava heroes in accordance with the law; it will be good for you. 28-31 |
- Having said this, Lord Rudra disappeared. The king was very happy to know the greatness of Lord Krishna, Jagadishwara, from his mouth. They took the sacrificial horse with many jewels, a hundred shekels of gold, an elephant with a thousand shekels, a hundred thousand horses, and ten thousand chariots to pay obeisance to Aniruddha where he was with Niladhvaja. There were many more people with the king. Approaching Aniruddha, the king formally submitted all the items and bowed down and said as follows. 32-35 | (Ashwamedh Khand Chapter 11 to 15)
Indranil said - Namaskar to Shri Krishna, Balarama and Mahatma Pradyumna. Yadukulatilaka is a repeated salutation to Aniruddha. The devil's ogre! Command me what I will do for you. 363.
Then Aniruddha said to them: "O Lord! Stay with me and protect this horse of mine from your enemies by treating it as a friend's horse. 37.
Srigargaji says - Nareshwar! Hearing of Aniruddha's words, the king agreed, saying, "Very well," and decided to go with the Yadava army itself, giving the kingdom to Niladhvaja. 38-39 |
Thus was completed the fifteenth chapter in the Ashvamedha Khanda under the Srigargha Samhita, titled "The Description of the Victory of Aniruddha." 15.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 32028, revision 177266 (2018-12-02T00:52:45Z). English was rendered from the complete Hindi chapter at https://www.mahakavya.com/ashwamedh-khand-chapter-11-to-15/ as a transparent machine-assisted translation using the pinned IndicTrans2 Indic–English Distilled 200M model and retained without claiming verse-by-verse alignment.