Aśvamedha-khaṇḍa · Chapter 29
Sourceश्रीगर्ग उवाच - अथ युद्धाय राजेंद्र चत्वारः किल मंत्रिणः ॥ दैत्यकोटिसमायुक्ता निर्जग्मुर्दंशिताः पुरात् ॥१॥ सर्वे हि धन्विनः शूरा विद्याधरसमाः किल ॥ खड्गै: शूलैर्गदाभिश्च परिघैर्मुद्गरैर्नृप ॥२॥ एकघ्नीभिर्दशध्नीभिः शतघ्नीभिर्भुशुण्डिभिः ॥ कुंतैश्च भिंदिपालैश्च चक्रसायकशक्तिभिः ॥३॥ संयुताः सर्वशस्त्रैश्च लौहकंचुकमंडिताः ॥ रथैर्गजैस्तुरंगैश्च गवयैर्महिषैर्मृगैः ॥४॥ उष्ट्रैः खरैः सूकरैश्च वृकैः सिंहैश्च क्रोष्टुभिः ॥ महागृध्रैः शंखचिल्लैर्मकरैश्च तिमिंगिलैः ॥५॥ एतैश्च वाहनै राजन्संयुक्ता रणकर्कशाः ॥ शंखदुंदुभिनादेन वीराणां गर्जनेन च ॥६॥ शतघ्नीनां च शब्देन चचाल वसुधा भृशम् ॥ इत्थं भयंकरीं सेनामसुराणां विलोक्य च ॥७॥ भयं प्रापुः सुराः सर्वे महेन्द्रधनदादयः ॥ यादवास्तेऽपि बलिनो निर्जिता यैश्च भूः पुरा ॥८॥ विषण्णमनसोऽभूवन्दैत्यसेनां निरीक्ष्य च ॥ प्रद्युम्नेन राजसूये चंद्रावत्यां पुरा नृप ॥९॥ यादवेभ्यः प्रकथितं यन्नीतिर्धैर्यवर्द्धनम् ॥ तत्सर्वं कथयामास यदुभ्यः कार्ष्णिजः पुनः ॥१०॥ गर्ग उवाच - इति श्रुत्वा च यदवः शस्त्राणि जगृहुस्त्वरम् ॥ मृत्युं वरं मन्यमाना विजयाच्च पलायनात् ॥११॥ ततः समभवद्युद्धं दैत्यानां यदुभिः सह ॥ पांचजन्ये च लंकायां रक्षसां कपिभिर्यथा ॥१२॥ रथिनो रथिभिस्तत्र पत्तिभिः पत्तयो मृधे ॥ हया हयैरिभाश्चेभैर्युयुधुस्ते परस्परम् ॥१३॥ केचिद्वै दंतिनो मत्ताः शुण्डादण्डैरितस्ततः ॥ जघ्नू रथांस्तुरंगांश्च वीरान्राजन्महामृधे ॥१४॥ शुण्डादण्डैः संगृहीत्वा रथान्साश्वान्ससारथीन् ॥ निपात्य भूमावुत्थाप्य गगने चिक्षिपुर्बलात् ॥१५॥ कांश्चिन्ममर्दुः पादाभ्यां संविदार्य करैर्दृढैः ॥ साक्षताश्च गजा राजन्प्रधावंतो रणांगणात् ॥१६॥ तुरगास्तत्र धावंतः सवीरास्ते नृपेश्वर ॥ उल्लंघयंतश्च रथान्प्रोत्पतंतो गजान्प्रति ॥१७॥ अंबष्ठं गजिनं युद्धे मर्द्दयंतश्च सिंहवत् ॥ उत्पतंतश्च तुरगा गजवृंदं महाबलाः ॥१८॥ असिप्रहारं कुर्वंतो विदार्य च रिपून्बहून् ॥ वाजिपृष्ठे न दृश्यंते ते दृश्यंते नटा इव ॥१९॥ केचिद्वीरास्तु खड्गैश्च द्विधाकुर्वंस्तुरंगमान् ॥ केचिद्दंतान्संगृहीत्वा कुम्भेषु करिणां गताः ॥२०॥ तुरगस्थाः केऽपि बलं संविदार्य विनिर्गताः ॥ खड्गवेगैः कंजवनं लीलाभिर्वायवो यथा ॥२१॥ बभूव तुमुलं युद्धमद्भुतं रोमहर्षणम् ॥ बाणैर्गदाभिः परिघैः खड्गैः शूलैश्च शक्तिभिः ॥२२॥ युद्धे गजाश्च गर्जंति हर्षंति तुरगा भृशम् ॥ हाहा वीराः प्रकुर्वंति नदंति रथनेमयः ॥२३॥ सैन्यपादरजोवृन्दैरंधीभूतं नभोऽभवत् ॥ तत्र स्वीयो न पारक्यो दृश्यते च मृधांगणे ॥२४॥ परस्परं च बाणौघैः केचिद्वीरा द्विधा कृताः ॥ तिर्यग्भूता रथा युद्धे निपेतुः पादपा इव ॥ वीरोपरि गता वीरा हयोपरि हयाश्च वै ॥२५॥ उत्पेतुस्तत्र शूराणां कबंधाश्च भयंकराः ॥ पातयंतो खड्गहस्ता हयान् वीरान्महारणे ॥२६॥ हस्तिनां भिन्नकुंभानां मौक्तिका निपतन्ति खात् ॥ शस्त्रांधकारे प्रधने रात्रौ तारागणा इव ॥२७॥ ततश्च सेनयोर्मध्ये रुधिराणां नदी ह्यभूत् ॥ वेतालाः शिवमालार्थं जगृहुस्ते शिरांसि च ॥२८॥ मृगेंद्रस्था महाकाली डाकिनीभिः समागता ॥ कपालेनापि रुधिरं पिबंती दृश्यते मृधे ॥२९॥ डाकिन्यो रुधिरं तप्तं पाययंत्यः सुतान्मृधे ॥ मारोदीरिति वादिन्यो नेत्राण्यपि तदा मृजन् ॥३०॥ विद्याधर्यस्त्वंबरस्था गंधर्व्योऽप्सरसस्तथा ॥ क्षत्रधर्मस्थिताञ्छूरान्वव्रिरे देवरूपिणः ॥३१॥ परस्परं कलिरभूत्तासां पत्यर्थमंबरे ॥ ममानुरूपो नायं व इति विह्वलचेतसाम् ॥३२॥ केऽपि शूरा धर्मपरा रणाद्राजन्न चालिताः ॥ जग्मुस्ते वैष्णवं लोकं भित्वा तपनमंडलम् ॥३३॥ केचिद्वीरा महायुद्धं दृष्ट्वा युद्धात्पलायिताः ॥ तप्तबालुकमार्गेण जग्मुस्ते निरयं नृप ॥३४॥ एवं दैत्यान्महावीराञ्जघ्नुः सर्वे यदुत्तमाः ॥ तथा यदून्महायुद्धे नानाशस्त्रैश्च दानवाः ॥ ३५॥ रणे मृत्युं गताः सर्वे राजन्दैत्याश्च कोटिशः ॥ तथा मृत्युं गता युद्धे यादवाश्च सहस्रशः ॥३६॥ बाणांधकारे संजातेऽनिरुद्धो धन्विनां वरः ॥ ऊर्ध्वकेशेन युयुधे यथा वृत्रेण वासवः ॥३७॥ नंदेन च गदो राजन्सिंहेन वृक एव च ॥ कुशांबेन च सांबो वै युयुधे रणमण्डले ॥३८॥ एवं परस्परं युद्धं बभूव तुमुलं महत् ॥ ऊर्ध्वकेशस्तदा राजन्धनुष्टंकारयन्मुहुः ॥३९॥ कार्ष्णिजं ताडयामास नाराचैर्दशभिर्मृधे ॥ तान्प्रचिच्छेद भगवान्धन्वी रुक्मावतीसुतः ॥४०॥ ऊर्ध्वकेशः पुनस्तस्य कवचे सायकान्दश ॥ निचखान स्वर्णपुंखान्भित्वा वर्म तनौ गतान् ॥४१॥ चतुर्भिश्च शरैस्तस्य जघान चतुरो हयान् ॥ चिच्छेद बाणैर्विंशद्भिः कोदंडं सगुणं परम् ॥४२॥ अनिरुद्धस्य राजेंद्र बल्वलस्यानुगो बली ॥ अनिरुद्धस्तु तं त्यक्त्वा रथं चान्यं समारुहत् ॥४३॥ शक्रदत्तं नृपश्रेष्ठ प्रतिशार्ङ्गधरो महान् ॥ कृष्णदत्ते च कोदंडे शरमेकं निधाय च ॥४४॥ तद्रथे निचखानाथ रुषाढ्यो हस्तलाघवात् ॥ सायकस्तद्रथं नीत्वा भ्रामयित्वा घटीद्वयम् ॥४५॥ गगनात्पातयामास काचपात्रं यथार्भकः ॥ अंगारवद्रथस्तस्य विशीर्णोऽभूद्धयाश्च वै ॥४६॥ ससूताश्च नृपश्रेष्ठ पंचतां प्रापुरग्रतः ॥ ऊर्ध्वकेशस्तु पतनान्मूर्च्छितोऽभूद्रणांगणे ॥४७॥ इति श्रीगर्गसंहितायां हयमेधखण्डे यादवासुरसंग्रामवर्णनं नामैकोनत्रिंशोऽध्यायः ॥२९॥ हरिः ॐ तत्सत् श्रीकृष्णार्पणमस्तु ॥
śrīgarga uvāca - atha yuddhāya rājeṃdra catvāraḥ kila maṃtriṇaḥ || daityakoṭisamāyuktā nirjagmurdaṃśitāḥ purāt ||1|| sarve hi dhanvinaḥ śūrā vidyādharasamāḥ kila || khaḍgai: śūlairgadābhiśca parighairmudgarairnṛpa ||2|| ekaghnībhirdaśadhnībhiḥ śataghnībhirbhuśuṇḍibhiḥ || kuṃtaiśca bhiṃdipālaiśca cakrasāyakaśaktibhiḥ ||3|| saṃyutāḥ sarvaśastraiśca lauhakaṃcukamaṃḍitāḥ || rathairgajaisturaṃgaiśca gavayairmahiṣairmṛgaiḥ ||4|| uṣṭraiḥ kharaiḥ sūkaraiśca vṛkaiḥ siṃhaiśca kroṣṭubhiḥ || mahāgṛdhraiḥ śaṃkhacillairmakaraiśca timiṃgilaiḥ ||5|| etaiśca vāhanai rājansaṃyuktā raṇakarkaśāḥ || śaṃkhaduṃdubhinādena vīrāṇāṃ garjanena ca ||6|| śataghnīnāṃ ca śabdena cacāla vasudhā bhṛśam || itthaṃ bhayaṃkarīṃ senāmasurāṇāṃ vilokya ca ||7|| bhayaṃ prāpuḥ surāḥ sarve mahendradhanadādayaḥ || yādavāste'pi balino nirjitā yaiśca bhūḥ purā ||8|| viṣaṇṇamanaso'bhūvandaityasenāṃ nirīkṣya ca || pradyumnena rājasūye caṃdrāvatyāṃ purā nṛpa ||9|| yādavebhyaḥ prakathitaṃ yannītirdhairyavarddhanam || tatsarvaṃ kathayāmāsa yadubhyaḥ kārṣṇijaḥ punaḥ ||10|| garga uvāca - iti śrutvā ca yadavaḥ śastrāṇi jagṛhustvaram || mṛtyuṃ varaṃ manyamānā vijayācca palāyanāt ||11|| tataḥ samabhavadyuddhaṃ daityānāṃ yadubhiḥ saha || pāṃcajanye ca laṃkāyāṃ rakṣasāṃ kapibhiryathā ||12|| rathino rathibhistatra pattibhiḥ pattayo mṛdhe || hayā hayairibhāścebhairyuyudhuste parasparam ||13|| kecidvai daṃtino mattāḥ śuṇḍādaṇḍairitastataḥ || jaghnū rathāṃsturaṃgāṃśca vīrānrājanmahāmṛdhe ||14|| śuṇḍādaṇḍaiḥ saṃgṛhītvā rathānsāśvānsasārathīn || nipātya bhūmāvutthāpya gagane cikṣipurbalāt ||15|| kāṃścinmamarduḥ pādābhyāṃ saṃvidārya karairdṛḍhaiḥ || sākṣatāśca gajā rājanpradhāvaṃto raṇāṃgaṇāt ||16|| turagāstatra dhāvaṃtaḥ savīrāste nṛpeśvara || ullaṃghayaṃtaśca rathānprotpataṃto gajānprati ||17|| aṃbaṣṭhaṃ gajinaṃ yuddhe marddayaṃtaśca siṃhavat || utpataṃtaśca turagā gajavṛṃdaṃ mahābalāḥ ||18|| asiprahāraṃ kurvaṃto vidārya ca ripūnbahūn || vājipṛṣṭhe na dṛśyaṃte te dṛśyaṃte naṭā iva ||19|| kecidvīrāstu khaḍgaiśca dvidhākurvaṃsturaṃgamān || keciddaṃtānsaṃgṛhītvā kumbheṣu kariṇāṃ gatāḥ ||20|| turagasthāḥ ke'pi balaṃ saṃvidārya vinirgatāḥ || khaḍgavegaiḥ kaṃjavanaṃ līlābhirvāyavo yathā ||21|| babhūva tumulaṃ yuddhamadbhutaṃ romaharṣaṇam || bāṇairgadābhiḥ parighaiḥ khaḍgaiḥ śūlaiśca śaktibhiḥ ||22|| yuddhe gajāśca garjaṃti harṣaṃti turagā bhṛśam || hāhā vīrāḥ prakurvaṃti nadaṃti rathanemayaḥ ||23|| sainyapādarajovṛndairaṃdhībhūtaṃ nabho'bhavat || tatra svīyo na pārakyo dṛśyate ca mṛdhāṃgaṇe ||24|| parasparaṃ ca bāṇaughaiḥ kecidvīrā dvidhā kṛtāḥ || tiryagbhūtā rathā yuddhe nipetuḥ pādapā iva || vīropari gatā vīrā hayopari hayāśca vai ||25|| utpetustatra śūrāṇāṃ kabaṃdhāśca bhayaṃkarāḥ || pātayaṃto khaḍgahastā hayān vīrānmahāraṇe ||26|| hastināṃ bhinnakuṃbhānāṃ mauktikā nipatanti khāt || śastrāṃdhakāre pradhane rātrau tārāgaṇā iva ||27|| tataśca senayormadhye rudhirāṇāṃ nadī hyabhūt || vetālāḥ śivamālārthaṃ jagṛhuste śirāṃsi ca ||28|| mṛgeṃdrasthā mahākālī ḍākinībhiḥ samāgatā || kapālenāpi rudhiraṃ pibaṃtī dṛśyate mṛdhe ||29|| ḍākinyo rudhiraṃ taptaṃ pāyayaṃtyaḥ sutānmṛdhe || mārodīriti vādinyo netrāṇyapi tadā mṛjan ||30|| vidyādharyastvaṃbarasthā gaṃdharvyo'psarasastathā || kṣatradharmasthitāñchūrānvavrire devarūpiṇaḥ ||31|| parasparaṃ kalirabhūttāsāṃ patyarthamaṃbare || mamānurūpo nāyaṃ va iti vihvalacetasām ||32|| ke'pi śūrā dharmaparā raṇādrājanna cālitāḥ || jagmuste vaiṣṇavaṃ lokaṃ bhitvā tapanamaṃḍalam ||33|| kecidvīrā mahāyuddhaṃ dṛṣṭvā yuddhātpalāyitāḥ || taptabālukamārgeṇa jagmuste nirayaṃ nṛpa ||34|| evaṃ daityānmahāvīrāñjaghnuḥ sarve yaduttamāḥ || tathā yadūnmahāyuddhe nānāśastraiśca dānavāḥ || 35|| raṇe mṛtyuṃ gatāḥ sarve rājandaityāśca koṭiśaḥ || tathā mṛtyuṃ gatā yuddhe yādavāśca sahasraśaḥ ||36|| bāṇāṃdhakāre saṃjāte'niruddho dhanvināṃ varaḥ || ūrdhvakeśena yuyudhe yathā vṛtreṇa vāsavaḥ ||37|| naṃdena ca gado rājansiṃhena vṛka eva ca || kuśāṃbena ca sāṃbo vai yuyudhe raṇamaṇḍale ||38|| evaṃ parasparaṃ yuddhaṃ babhūva tumulaṃ mahat || ūrdhvakeśastadā rājandhanuṣṭaṃkārayanmuhuḥ ||39|| kārṣṇijaṃ tāḍayāmāsa nārācairdaśabhirmṛdhe || tānpraciccheda bhagavāndhanvī rukmāvatīsutaḥ ||40|| ūrdhvakeśaḥ punastasya kavace sāyakāndaśa || nicakhāna svarṇapuṃkhānbhitvā varma tanau gatān ||41|| caturbhiśca śaraistasya jaghāna caturo hayān || ciccheda bāṇairviṃśadbhiḥ kodaṃḍaṃ saguṇaṃ param ||42|| aniruddhasya rājeṃdra balvalasyānugo balī || aniruddhastu taṃ tyaktvā rathaṃ cānyaṃ samāruhat ||43|| śakradattaṃ nṛpaśreṣṭha pratiśārṅgadharo mahān || kṛṣṇadatte ca kodaṃḍe śaramekaṃ nidhāya ca ||44|| tadrathe nicakhānātha ruṣāḍhyo hastalāghavāt || sāyakastadrathaṃ nītvā bhrāmayitvā ghaṭīdvayam ||45|| gaganātpātayāmāsa kācapātraṃ yathārbhakaḥ || aṃgāravadrathastasya viśīrṇo'bhūddhayāśca vai ||46|| sasūtāśca nṛpaśreṣṭha paṃcatāṃ prāpuragrataḥ || ūrdhvakeśastu patanānmūrcchito'bhūdraṇāṃgaṇe ||47|| iti śrīgargasaṃhitāyāṃ hayamedhakhaṇḍe yādavāsurasaṃgrāmavarṇanaṃ nāmaikonatriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ ||29|| hariḥ oṃ tatsat śrīkṛṣṇārpaṇamastu ||
English translation
The fierce battles of the Yadavas and the Asuras and the dueling battles of Utravakesha and Aniruddha
Srigarji says - Rajendra! Subsequently, four ministers with upper-caste armor marched out of the city to battle with an army of millions of demons. Nareshwar. All of them were as valiant as the bowmen and the learned ones. Armed with iron armour, they were equipped with a full range of weapons such as the sword, dagger, mace, spear, mace, mugger, ekanni, dasanni, shatghni, bhushundi, spear, bhindipal, chakra, saik, shakti, etc. Riding on elephants, horses, chariots, nilgai, cows, buffaloes, antelopes, camels, donkeys, pigs, wolves, lions, jackals, giant vultures, conch shells, eagles, crocodiles, and whales, they landed on the battlefield. At that time, the earth began to shake again and again with the sound of conch shells and drummers, the roar of heroic lions, and the sound of cannonade (cannons). 1 - 6.
Seeing such a formidable army of Asuras, all the gods like Mahendra, Kuver, etc. were terrified. Balwan Yadava, who had conquered the earth many times, also felt a sense of melancholy at the sight of the army of daityas. Pradyumna Kumar repeated to him the words of policy and patience that Pradyumna had previously spoken to the Yadavas in the city of Chandravati on the occasion of the Rajasuya Yajna. 7-10 |
Srigarji says - Rajan! Hearing this, the Yadavas immediately took up arms. He considered death to be preferable to being won and demanded. Then the daityas started a fierce war with the Yadavas in that peninsula called 'Panchjanya'. Just like how nocturnal monkeys fought monkeys in Lanka in the past. 11-12 | (Ashwamedh Khand Chapter 26 to 30)
There the chariots with the chariots, the foot with the foot, the horses with the horses, and the elephants with the elephants - all quarreled among themselves in battle. The king. In that great battle, many caparisoned elephants smashed chariots with their staffs and killed horses and foot-soldiers. The chariots, including horses and chariots, were wrapped in a noose and thrown to the ground, then forcefully lifted and thrown into the sky. The king! Many mutilated Gajarajas were running away from the battlefield. He dissected many with his sturdy trunks and muzzled them with two legs. Oh dear God! Horses with gallant riders would run there, overtake chariots, and leap over elephants. They used to trample on mahouts and elephants in battle like lions. Mahabali's horses would leap into the army of elephants, and their riders would shoot at many enemies with swords. Sometimes they did not show up on horseback like the Knots did, and sometimes they did. Many heroes would cut horses into two pieces with swords, and many would climb to their abbeys holding the tusks of elephants. Many mounted warriors also rode out with swords at great speed, scattering the enemy army, as if the wind had caught up with the lotus forest and suddenly gave way. 13-21 |
Amazing and thrilling battles ensued between the two armies using arrows, maces, spears, swords, spears, and powers. The elephants roared and the horses howled loudly on the battlefield. Many foot-soldiers yelled and chariot rules (upper parts of the wheels) caused a commotion. The sky was darkened by the dust of the army's feet. There was no one who felt alienated in the battlefield. Many of the heroes had been cut into two pieces by the rain of mutual arrows. In the battlefield, crooked chariots would fall down like trees. Heroes had fallen on top of heroes and horses on top of horses. On that battlefield, the knights were leaping with ferocity. They were destroying horses and heroes with their swords in that great battle. It was pitch dark with gunfire. The elephants' cisterns were bursting with pearls falling from their inner holes, as if stars were scattering from the sky at night. 22-27 |
Subsequently, a river of blood flowed between the two armies, and the Vetals began collecting severed heads to make garlands of Lord Shiva. The lioness Mahakali was seen coming to the battlefield with the witches and drinking blood from her skull. The midwives would also feed their children hot blood there and wipe their eyes, saying, "Don't cry, shut up." Vidyadharis, Gandharvas, and Apsaras would stand in the sky, stand in Kshatriya dharma, and depict knights in the form of gods who attained valor; they would quarrel over each other's husbands. They would look up at each other in the sky and say, 'This hero is worthy of me, not of you.' 28-32 |
The king! Many pious knights did not deviate from the battlefield and went to Vishnudham after penetrating the solar system, attaining heroism. O Lord! Many heroes died while fleeing the battlefield after seeing that great war. They went to hell by the hot-sanded path of Yamaloka. Thus all the Yadukulashiromani heroes annihilated the great demons. Similarly, in that great war, the demons also sent the Yadava soldiers through various weapons. 33-35 | (Ashwamedh Khand Chapter 26 to 30)
The king! All the demons, who had come in millions for war, perished on that battlefield, and thousands of Yadavas were also killed on the battlefield. When darkness fell there from the rain of arrows, Aniruddha, the best of the archers, began to fight with Utravakesha in the same manner as Indra had with Vritrasura. Oh dear God! Gada with the river, Vrika with the lion, and Samba with the kushambak started taking iron in that battlefield. Thus, a great battle broke out between them. 36-38 |
Your Majesty! At that time, while repeatedly bowsing, Uttarkesh hit Pradyumna Kumar with ten arrows on the battlefield. But Lord Aniruddha, the supreme archer Rukmavatinandan, cut them all down. Then Utrakesh again shot ten arrows at their armor. They were all adorned with gold feathers and had cut off Aniruddha's armour and entered his body. He then killed four of their horses with four arrows. With twenty arrows, they broke his bow with a sword. Rajendra! When the mighty servant of Balvala made Aniruddha's chariot useless, he abandoned it and mounted another chariot. Oh dear Lord! That chariot was given to Indra. Mounting it, the great hero Aniruddha took the bow named 'Pratibhārṅga'. Filled with fury, Pradyumrakumara mounted an arrow on the staff given to him by Krishna and rode on the chariot of Uttara Kesh. The pawn carried the chariot of Utravakesh up and turned it for two hours. Then, just as a child throws a glass jar, He drops it from the sky to the earth. The chariot of Utravakesha was scattered like coal. Oh dear Lord! His horses, including the charioteer, also met the Panchatva in front of him. Utarikesh fell from the sky and became moustache in the battlefield. 39-47 |
Thus was completed the twenty-ninth chapter of the Ashvamedha Khanda under the Srigarghasamhita, the "Description of the War of the Yadavas and Asuras." 29.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 32041, revision 230423 (2020-04-15T03:58:27Z). English was rendered from the complete Hindi chapter at https://www.mahakavya.com/ashwamedh-khand-chapter-26-to-30/ as a transparent machine-assisted translation using the pinned IndicTrans2 Indic–English Distilled 200M model and retained without claiming verse-by-verse alignment.