Aśvamedha-khaṇḍa · Chapter 32
Sourceगर्ग उवाच - अथ वै बल्वलं दैत्यं शोचंतं कांचनासने ॥ मयः प्रत्याह वचनं ज्येष्ठं कुंभश्रुतिर्यथा ॥१॥ अद्य दृष्टं त्वया राजन् यदूनां बलमेव हि ॥ दैत्यवृन्दैश्च निहताश्चत्वारो मंत्रिणस्तव ॥२॥ अवशेषस्त्वमेवासि ह्यथवाहं च त्वत्पुरे ॥ तस्मात्तवेच्छा दैत्येंद्र यथा भूयात्तथा कुरु ॥३॥ बल्वलः प्राह वचनमद्य यास्याम्यहं रणे ॥ शीघ्रं हंतुं यदून्सर्वांस्त्वं गुप्तो भव मन्दिरे ॥४॥ हरिः कृष्णस्तु नंदस्य पुरा पुत्रः प्रकीर्तितः ॥ वसुदेवो मन्यते तं मत्पुत्रोऽयं गतत्रपः ॥५॥ हैयंगवीनदुग्धाज्यदधितक्रादिकं तु सः ॥ चोरयामास गोपीनां रसिको रासमण्डले ॥६॥ जरासुतभयात्सोऽपि समुद्रं शरणं गतः ॥ मारितो मातुलो येन किं करिष्यति पौरुषम् ॥७॥ इति तद्वाक्यमाकर्ण्य मयः प्रकुपितोऽब्रवीत् ॥ मय उवाच - यस्माद्बिभेति ब्रह्मा च शिवो माया पुरंदरः ॥८॥ भयदं निर्भयं कृष्णं तं विनिंदसि निंदक ॥ कृष्णं निंदति यो मूढो ह्यज्ञानाच्च कुसंगतः ॥९॥ कुम्भीपाके स पतति यावद्वै ब्रह्मणो वयः ॥१०॥ चण्डपालशिशुपालमण्डली- भञ्जनं दनुजदर्पखण्डनम् ॥ माधवं मदनमोहनं परं त्वं भजस्व कुलकौशलाय च ॥११॥ मयस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा ज्ञानं प्राप्तोऽपि बल्वलः ॥ क्षणं विचार्य राजेन्द्र प्रोवाच प्रहसन्निव ॥१२॥ बल्वल उवाच - जानाम्यहं विश्वपतिं च कृष्णं शेषं बलं वै मदनं च कार्ष्णिम् ॥ अत्रागतं पद्मभवं हि चैषां वध्या वयं तेन हयो हृतोऽयम् ॥१३॥ एषां बाणैश्च निहतो यदाहं निधनं गतः ॥ तदा सुखेन यास्यामि शीघ्रं विष्णोः परं पदम् ॥१४॥ पुरा च वैरभावेन वैकुण्ठं बहवो गताः ॥ दानवा राक्षसाश्चैव तं च भावं करोम्यहम् ॥१५॥ इत्युक्त्वा दंशितो भूत्वा दानवानां शिरोमणिः ॥ स्वसैन्यपालकं तूर्णं समाहूयेदमब्रवीत् ॥१६॥ पटहेन ममाज्ञां त्वं पुर्यां देहि प्रयत्नतः ॥ अनिरुद्धेन युद्धाय वीरेषु सैन्यपालक ॥१७॥ ये ममाज्ञां न मन्यन्ते ते वधार्हा रणं विना ॥ आत्मजा वा भ्रातरो वा ह्यन्येषां चैव का कथा ॥१८॥ इति श्रुत्वा स तद्वाक्यं रथ्यां रथ्यां गृहे गृहे ॥ पटहेनापि तस्याज्ञां घोषयामास वेगतः ॥१९॥ श्रुत्वा पटहनिर्घोषं दैत्याः शीघ्रं भयातुराः ॥ गृहीत्वा सर्वशस्त्राणि ह्याजग्मुस्ते सभातलम् ॥२०॥ सैन्यपालस्ततः पूर्वं लक्षदैत्यैः समावृतः ॥ रथेन कवची धन्वी निर्जगाम पुराद्बहिः ॥२१॥ दुर्नेत्रो दुर्मुखश्चैव दुःखभावश्च दुर्मदः ॥ एते वै मंत्रिणां पुत्राश्चत्वारस्ते विनिर्ययुः ॥२२॥ मतंगजैर्महामत्तैश्चंचलांगैस्तुरंगमैः ॥ रथैश्च देवधिष्ण्याभैर्विद्याधरसमैर्नरैः ॥२३॥ सद्यः कामगयानेन मयदत्तेन बल्बलः ॥ स्वयं जगाम युद्धार्थे चतुर्लक्षैर्महासुरैः ॥२४॥ सैन्यपालस्य पुत्रस्तु भोजनं कुरुते गृहे ॥ बुभिक्षितश्च युद्धाय शीघ्रं सोऽपि न निर्गतः ॥२५॥ नागतं तं विलोक्याथ सैन्ये बल्वलसैनिकाः ॥ नृपाय कथयामासुस्तस्य वार्तां च शंकिताः ॥२६॥ ततस्तद्वचनाद्वीरा बद्ध्वा तं दामभी रुषा ॥ नृपाग्रे चानयामासुः प्रफुल्लवदनेक्षणाः ॥२७॥ तं दृष्ट्वा भर्त्सयित्वा च बल्वलश्चण्डशासनः ॥ भुशुण्डीं वदने चापि मारयामास वेगतः ॥२८॥ दैत्याः सर्वे भयं प्रापुर्वधं तस्य निरीक्ष्य च ॥ सैन्यपालस्तु संग्रामे मृतं पुत्रं निशम्य च ॥२९॥ रथात्पपात दुःखार्तस्ताडयन्मस्तकं करैः ॥ विललाप भृशं सोऽपि पुत्रदुःखेन दुःखितः ॥३०॥ हा पुत्र वीर पितरं त्यक्त्वा मां जरठं रणे ॥ गतः शतघ्नीमार्गेण स्वर्गे मामविलोक्य च ॥३१॥ विना युद्धेन हे पुत्र क्व गतो नृपशासनात् ॥ इत्येवं विलपंस्तत्र रुरोद रणमण्डले ॥३२॥ ततश्च मंत्रिणां पुत्राः शोचंतं प्रोचुरग्रतः ॥ मंत्रिपुत्रा ऊचुः - रोदनं मा कुरु रणे शूरोऽसि त्वं तु पालक ॥३३॥ दुःखे कृते च त्वत्पार्श्वे नागमिष्यति वै मृतः ॥ आजन्मतश्च जंतूनां मृत्युर्भवति सांप्रतम् ॥३४॥ धीरास्तत्र न शोचंति मूर्खाः शोचंति नित्यशः ॥ गर्भेऽपि च मृताः केचित्केचिद्वै जन्ममात्रतः ॥३५॥ बालत्वे यौवनत्वे च वृद्धत्वे केचिदेव हि ॥ केचिच्छस्त्रेण रोगेण दुःखेन पतनेन च ॥३६॥ सर्वे मृत्युं गमिष्यंति दैवात्कर्मवशा नराः ॥ को वा कस्य पिता पुत्रः को वा कस्य प्रिया प्रसूः ॥३७॥ संयुनक्ति विधाता वै वियुनक्ति च कर्मणा ॥ संयोगे परमानन्दो वियोगे प्राणसंकटम् ॥३८॥ शश्वद्भवति मूढस्य नात्मारामस्य निश्चितम् ॥ आत्मघाती यदा भूत्वा प्राणांस्त्यजसि दुःखितः ॥३९॥ पुनर्जन्म च निरयं व्रजिष्यसि न संशयः ॥ तस्माद्यदूत्तमैः सार्द्धं युद्धं कुरु महारणे ॥४०॥ क्षत्रियस्य परं श्रेयो धर्मयुद्धान्न विद्यते ॥ धर्मयुद्धेन संग्रामे ये हताः शत्रुसंमुखे ॥४१॥ व्रजंति ते विष्णुपदं लोकान्सर्वान्विहाय च ॥ गर्ग उवाच - एवं संबोधितो दैत्यैः शोकं सर्वं विहाय च ॥४२॥ सर्वान्वीरानागतांश्च ददर्श रोषपूरितः ॥ दृष्ट्वा सर्वान्स संग्रामे शीघ्रं प्राह रुषा ज्वलन् ॥४३॥ इति श्रीगर्गसंहितायां हयमेधखण्डे सैन्यपालसुतवधो नाम द्वात्रिंशोऽध्यायः ॥३२॥ हरिः ॐ तत्सत् श्रीकृष्णार्पणमस्तु ॥
garga uvāca - atha vai balvalaṃ daityaṃ śocaṃtaṃ kāṃcanāsane || mayaḥ pratyāha vacanaṃ jyeṣṭhaṃ kuṃbhaśrutiryathā ||1|| adya dṛṣṭaṃ tvayā rājan yadūnāṃ balameva hi || daityavṛndaiśca nihatāścatvāro maṃtriṇastava ||2|| avaśeṣastvamevāsi hyathavāhaṃ ca tvatpure || tasmāttavecchā daityeṃdra yathā bhūyāttathā kuru ||3|| balvalaḥ prāha vacanamadya yāsyāmyahaṃ raṇe || śīghraṃ haṃtuṃ yadūnsarvāṃstvaṃ gupto bhava mandire ||4|| hariḥ kṛṣṇastu naṃdasya purā putraḥ prakīrtitaḥ || vasudevo manyate taṃ matputro'yaṃ gatatrapaḥ ||5|| haiyaṃgavīnadugdhājyadadhitakrādikaṃ tu saḥ || corayāmāsa gopīnāṃ rasiko rāsamaṇḍale ||6|| jarāsutabhayātso'pi samudraṃ śaraṇaṃ gataḥ || mārito mātulo yena kiṃ kariṣyati pauruṣam ||7|| iti tadvākyamākarṇya mayaḥ prakupito'bravīt || maya uvāca - yasmādbibheti brahmā ca śivo māyā puraṃdaraḥ ||8|| bhayadaṃ nirbhayaṃ kṛṣṇaṃ taṃ viniṃdasi niṃdaka || kṛṣṇaṃ niṃdati yo mūḍho hyajñānācca kusaṃgataḥ ||9|| kumbhīpāke sa patati yāvadvai brahmaṇo vayaḥ ||10|| caṇḍapālaśiśupālamaṇḍalī- bhañjanaṃ danujadarpakhaṇḍanam || mādhavaṃ madanamohanaṃ paraṃ tvaṃ bhajasva kulakauśalāya ca ||11|| mayasya vacanaṃ śrutvā jñānaṃ prāpto'pi balvalaḥ || kṣaṇaṃ vicārya rājendra provāca prahasanniva ||12|| balvala uvāca - jānāmyahaṃ viśvapatiṃ ca kṛṣṇaṃ śeṣaṃ balaṃ vai madanaṃ ca kārṣṇim || atrāgataṃ padmabhavaṃ hi caiṣāṃ vadhyā vayaṃ tena hayo hṛto'yam ||13|| eṣāṃ bāṇaiśca nihato yadāhaṃ nidhanaṃ gataḥ || tadā sukhena yāsyāmi śīghraṃ viṣṇoḥ paraṃ padam ||14|| purā ca vairabhāvena vaikuṇṭhaṃ bahavo gatāḥ || dānavā rākṣasāścaiva taṃ ca bhāvaṃ karomyaham ||15|| ityuktvā daṃśito bhūtvā dānavānāṃ śiromaṇiḥ || svasainyapālakaṃ tūrṇaṃ samāhūyedamabravīt ||16|| paṭahena mamājñāṃ tvaṃ puryāṃ dehi prayatnataḥ || aniruddhena yuddhāya vīreṣu sainyapālaka ||17|| ye mamājñāṃ na manyante te vadhārhā raṇaṃ vinā || ātmajā vā bhrātaro vā hyanyeṣāṃ caiva kā kathā ||18|| iti śrutvā sa tadvākyaṃ rathyāṃ rathyāṃ gṛhe gṛhe || paṭahenāpi tasyājñāṃ ghoṣayāmāsa vegataḥ ||19|| śrutvā paṭahanirghoṣaṃ daityāḥ śīghraṃ bhayāturāḥ || gṛhītvā sarvaśastrāṇi hyājagmuste sabhātalam ||20|| sainyapālastataḥ pūrvaṃ lakṣadaityaiḥ samāvṛtaḥ || rathena kavacī dhanvī nirjagāma purādbahiḥ ||21|| durnetro durmukhaścaiva duḥkhabhāvaśca durmadaḥ || ete vai maṃtriṇāṃ putrāścatvāraste viniryayuḥ ||22|| mataṃgajairmahāmattaiścaṃcalāṃgaisturaṃgamaiḥ || rathaiśca devadhiṣṇyābhairvidyādharasamairnaraiḥ ||23|| sadyaḥ kāmagayānena mayadattena balbalaḥ || svayaṃ jagāma yuddhārthe caturlakṣairmahāsuraiḥ ||24|| sainyapālasya putrastu bhojanaṃ kurute gṛhe || bubhikṣitaśca yuddhāya śīghraṃ so'pi na nirgataḥ ||25|| nāgataṃ taṃ vilokyātha sainye balvalasainikāḥ || nṛpāya kathayāmāsustasya vārtāṃ ca śaṃkitāḥ ||26|| tatastadvacanādvīrā baddhvā taṃ dāmabhī ruṣā || nṛpāgre cānayāmāsuḥ praphullavadanekṣaṇāḥ ||27|| taṃ dṛṣṭvā bhartsayitvā ca balvalaścaṇḍaśāsanaḥ || bhuśuṇḍīṃ vadane cāpi mārayāmāsa vegataḥ ||28|| daityāḥ sarve bhayaṃ prāpurvadhaṃ tasya nirīkṣya ca || sainyapālastu saṃgrāme mṛtaṃ putraṃ niśamya ca ||29|| rathātpapāta duḥkhārtastāḍayanmastakaṃ karaiḥ || vilalāpa bhṛśaṃ so'pi putraduḥkhena duḥkhitaḥ ||30|| hā putra vīra pitaraṃ tyaktvā māṃ jaraṭhaṃ raṇe || gataḥ śataghnīmārgeṇa svarge māmavilokya ca ||31|| vinā yuddhena he putra kva gato nṛpaśāsanāt || ityevaṃ vilapaṃstatra ruroda raṇamaṇḍale ||32|| tataśca maṃtriṇāṃ putrāḥ śocaṃtaṃ procuragrataḥ || maṃtriputrā ūcuḥ - rodanaṃ mā kuru raṇe śūro'si tvaṃ tu pālaka ||33|| duḥkhe kṛte ca tvatpārśve nāgamiṣyati vai mṛtaḥ || ājanmataśca jaṃtūnāṃ mṛtyurbhavati sāṃpratam ||34|| dhīrāstatra na śocaṃti mūrkhāḥ śocaṃti nityaśaḥ || garbhe'pi ca mṛtāḥ kecitkecidvai janmamātrataḥ ||35|| bālatve yauvanatve ca vṛddhatve kecideva hi || kecicchastreṇa rogeṇa duḥkhena patanena ca ||36|| sarve mṛtyuṃ gamiṣyaṃti daivātkarmavaśā narāḥ || ko vā kasya pitā putraḥ ko vā kasya priyā prasūḥ ||37|| saṃyunakti vidhātā vai viyunakti ca karmaṇā || saṃyoge paramānando viyoge prāṇasaṃkaṭam ||38|| śaśvadbhavati mūḍhasya nātmārāmasya niścitam || ātmaghātī yadā bhūtvā prāṇāṃstyajasi duḥkhitaḥ ||39|| punarjanma ca nirayaṃ vrajiṣyasi na saṃśayaḥ || tasmādyadūttamaiḥ sārddhaṃ yuddhaṃ kuru mahāraṇe ||40|| kṣatriyasya paraṃ śreyo dharmayuddhānna vidyate || dharmayuddhena saṃgrāme ye hatāḥ śatrusaṃmukhe ||41|| vrajaṃti te viṣṇupadaṃ lokānsarvānvihāya ca || garga uvāca - evaṃ saṃbodhito daityaiḥ śokaṃ sarvaṃ vihāya ca ||42|| sarvānvīrānāgatāṃśca dadarśa roṣapūritaḥ || dṛṣṭvā sarvānsa saṃgrāme śīghraṃ prāha ruṣā jvalan ||43|| iti śrīgargasaṃhitāyāṃ hayamedhakhaṇḍe sainyapālasutavadho nāma dvātriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ ||32|| hariḥ oṃ tatsat śrīkṛṣṇārpaṇamastu ||
English translation
Mayko Balvalka's explanation; Balvalki's declaration of war; the departure of all the demons to war; the slaying of the commander's son due to delay and the wise patience of the minister's sons to the grieving commander.
Srigarji says - Rajan! Then, sitting on a golden throne, I spoke to the bewildered demon Balvala, as the Kumbhashruti speaks to its eldest brother. 1.
O Lord! Today you have seen the strength of the Yadavas. Four of your ministers, including the demons, were killed. Now you and I are the survivors of the prominent people in your city. The king of demons! Now do as you please. 2-3.
Balwal said - Now I will go to the battlefield to quickly destroy the Yadavas. Mayst thou hide in my palace. Hari Krishna was earlier called the 'son of Nanda'. Now this shameless Vasudeva considers him to be his son. He used to steal butter, milk, ghee, yoghurt and Takkar from the Gopis' house. In the Rasmandal, the Russian used to dance as a dancer. Now he has taken refuge in the sea for fear of germs. Whoever has killed his uncle, what will he do? 4 - 7.
Hearing this from Balwalki, Mayako got very angry. He said 7.
Mayne said, "O scoundrel! You are denouncing the fearless Lord Krishna, who terrifies Brahma, Shiva, Maya (Durga) and Indra. The fool who blasphemes Krishna out of ignorance and ill-will remains in Kumbipaka until Brahma's age is completed. Praise Madanmohana Madhava, the Almighty, for the skill of his family, who has rejected the company of Chandapala and Shishupala, who are oppressors to the forces of demons. 8-11 |
When Maika heard this word, Balwa received the supreme knowledge. Rajendra! He thought for a moment and then smiled. 12.
Saying this, Danabhasiromani Balvalana, armed with armor, immediately called out to his commander and said, "Senapati! Thou shalt put forth thou diligently, and circulate in this Puri, my commandment, that whosoever is left of the valiant shall go to war with Aniruddha. 'Those who do not obey me, whether sons or brothers, will be considered worthy of death without war. " 16-18 |
Hearing such orders from Balwilka, the commander declared his orders with great speed, blowing trumpets in the streets and from house to house. Hearing this announcement made with thunder, all the demons were filled with fear and eagerness, and soon they came to the assembly hall of Balwaal with all kinds of weapons. Then the first governor came out of the city in a chariot, surrounded by a hundred thousand giants, armed with armor and bows. The four sons of these ministers - Durgetra, Durmukha, Dushbhagya, and Durmada - also went out to war. 19-22 |
The Balwals were accompanied by the Mahamatta Gajaraja, the Chariots with fluted limbs, and chariots of the same size as the Devavimanas. Pedestrians, like the Vidyadharas, were also accompanying them. Accompanied by this cunning army, Balwal himself set out for the battle on an impromptu steamship. Four hundred thousand great demons were with him. The soldier's son was hungry and eating at home, so he could not leave early for the war. Seeing that he did not appear in the army, Balvala's soldiers reported his absence to the daitya king out of fear. Then on the orders of Balwal, many Veeras went and brought him before the king in a fit of rage by tying him with ropes. His face and eyes were radiant with this success. 23-27 |
On seeing the commander's son, the fierce ruler Balwilan rebuked him severely and hurled a slap in the face. All the demons were terrified when they saw the soldier's son being killed. The commander fell from the chariot, shaking his head in grief on hearing that his son had been killed in the battle. He was deeply grieved by his son's grief and began to lament - 'O son! Oh dear! You left my old father and went to heaven by the way of the fire in the battlefield. I did not have a vision. Son! Where did you go without fighting the king's rule? 'The commander was weeping in the battlefield, weeping like this. Then the sons of the ministers came before the beleaguered commander and spoke. 28-32 | (Ashwamedh Khand Chapter 31 to 35)
The minister's son said, "Senapati! You are a knight, don't come to the battlefield and cry. Even when you mourn, the one who died will not come back to you. Death follows living things from the moment they are born. That is what has been achieved at this time. Slow men do not grieve over death. It is the idiots who are always grieving for the dead man. Some die in the womb, some die at birth, some in childhood and youth, some in old age. Some are subject to death by weapon, some by weapon, some by grief, and some by falling from a high place. All living beings subjected to divine karma will one day attain death. Who is the father and son of whom? Or who has a mother or a beloved wife. The Vidhata causes the beings to coincide and separate according to karma. There is great joy in chance, and there is a life-threatening moment in separation. Such a state is always foolishness. The Atmarama Purusha is certainly not subject to euphoria. You will become suicidal when you are sacrificing your life in grief. The result will be hell and then birth, no doubt. Therefore, in this great war, fight with the best of the Yadava heroes. For people with Kshatriya tendencies, there is no greater means of ultimate well-being than Dharmayuddha. Those who achieve heroism in front of the enemy while fighting a dharma-yuddha in the battlefield, destroy all the worlds and go to the supreme abode of Lord Vishnu. 33-41 |
Srigarji says - Rajan! When the demons were so persuaded, the garrison gave up all mourning and, filled with indignation, inspected all the heroes who had come there. The army officer said this quickly, glaring at everyone on the battlefield and burning with fury. 42-43 |
Thus was completed the thirty-second chapter in the Ashvamedha Khanda under the Srigargha Samhita, titled "The Slaying of the Soldier's Son." 32.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 32044, revision 230420 (2020-04-15T03:57:01Z). English was rendered from the complete Hindi chapter at https://www.mahakavya.com/ashwamedh-khand-chapter-31-to-35/ as a transparent machine-assisted translation using the pinned IndicTrans2 Indic–English Distilled 200M model and retained without claiming verse-by-verse alignment.