Aśvamedha-khaṇḍa · Chapter 48
Sourceश्रीगर्ग उवाच - कृष्णां समुत्तीर्य ततः प्रपश्य- ञ्जगाम वाजी कुरुपत्तनञ्च ॥ करोति राज्यं नृपचक्रवर्ती वैचित्रवीर्यो बलवान्हि यत्र ॥१॥ ततो ददर्श तुरगः कौरवाणां पुरं वरम् ॥ तं नानोपवनैर्युक्तं तडागैश्च सरोवरैः ॥२॥ दुर्गेण गंगया युक्तं तथा परिखया नृप ॥ सुवर्णरौप्यसदनैर्महाशूरजनैर्वृतम् ॥३॥ सुयोधनस्य पुराद्विनिर्गतो हंतुं मृगान्वै वनगोचरान्नृप ॥ ददर्श यज्ञस्य हयं सपत्रकं रथस्थितो वीरजनैर्विभूषितः ॥४॥ दृष्ट्वा तुरंगमं प्रीतः स्वरथादवतीर्य च ॥ मानी दुर्योधनो राजंस्त्वरं जग्राह लीलया ॥५॥ कर्णभीष्मकृपद्रोणभूरिदुःशासनादिभिः ॥ युक्तस्तद्भालपत्रं च वाचयामास हर्षितः ॥६॥ चंद्रवंशे यदुकुल उग्रसेनो विराजते ॥ इन्द्रादयः सुरगणा यस्यादेशानुवर्तिनः ॥७॥ सहायो यस्य भगवाञ्छ्रीकृष्णो भक्तपालकः ॥ अस्ति वै द्वारकापुर्यां तद्भक्त्या निवसन्हरिः ॥८॥ तद्वाक्याद्धयमेधं स उग्रसेनो नृपेश्वरः ॥ चक्रवर्ती हठाद्यज्ञं स्वयशोऽर्थे करोति हि ॥९॥ मोचितस्तेन तुरगो हयानां प्रवरः शुभः ॥ तद्रक्षकः कृष्णपौत्रोऽनिरुद्धो वृकदैत्यहा ॥१०॥ गजाश्वरथवीराणां सेनासंघसमन्वितः ॥ राजानो ये करिष्यंति राज्यं कौ शूरमानिनः ॥११॥ ते गृह्णंतु यज्ञहयं स्वबलात्पत्रशोभितम् ॥ तं मोचयति धर्मात्मा गृहीतं च हयं नृपैः ॥१२॥ स्वबाहुबलवीर्येणानिरुद्धो लीलया हठात् ॥ तस्यान्यथा च पादयोः पतित्वा यांतु धन्विनः ॥१३॥ गर्ग उवाच - तत्पत्रं वाचयित्वैवं कौरवास्ते तु शत्रवः ॥ ऊचुः परस्परं क्रुद्धा मानिनो रक्तलोचनाः ॥१४॥ कौरवा ऊचुः अहो किं लिखितं धृष्टैर्भालपत्रे हयस्य च ॥ न संति किं हि राजानो यादवानां च संमुखे ॥१५॥ राजसूये पुरास्माभिर्यादवा ये विनिर्जिताः ॥ हयमेधं करिष्यंति पुनस्ते गतबुद्धयः ॥१६॥ तस्मात्सर्वान्विजेष्यामो न दास्यामस्तुरंगमम् ॥ पश्चाद्वयं करिष्यामो हयमेधं क्रतूत्तमम् ॥१७॥ क उग्रसेनः कः कृष्णो हयरक्षाकरस्तु कः ॥ यादवैः सहिता ह्येते किं करिष्यंति पौरुषम् ॥१८॥ कृष्णाद्या यादवाः सर्वे विहाय मथुरां पुरीम् ॥ गताः समुद्रं शरणं युद्धं त्यक्त्वा भयाच्च नः ॥१९॥ राज्यं दत्तं पुरा ह्येषामस्माभिश्च कृपान्वितैः ॥ कृतघ्नास्ते च मन्यंते स्वात्मानं चक्रवर्तिनम् ॥२०॥ पांडवानां च सम्मानाद्यादवा न हि मारिताः ॥ निष्कासिताश्च तेऽस्माभिः पांडवाः शत्रवः किल ॥२१॥ यदूनद्य विनिर्जित्य संग्रामे च पलायितान् ॥ दर्शयामश्चाहुकाय सहसा चक्रवर्तिताम् ॥२२॥ एवं श्रीकृष्णविमुखा वाचः सर्वे वदंति हि ॥ तृप्तास्ते कौरवा राजञ्छ्रिया राजविभूतिभिः ॥२३॥ ततश्च जगृहुः सर्वे नानाशस्त्राणि वेगतः ॥ हयं प्रवेशयामासुः पुरे तत्र तु संस्थिताः ॥२४॥ गते च तुरगे दूरं सांबः कृष्णेन नोदितः ॥ त्वरं कृष्णां समुत्तीर्य गंभीरां मार्गदायिनीम् ॥२५॥ अक्षौहिणीभिर्दशभिः पृष्ठतो दंशितो रुषा ॥ हस्तिनापुरमक्रूरयुयुधानादिभिर्ययौ ॥२६॥ एवं ते यादवाः सर्वे हस्तिनापुरसन्निधौ ॥ आयाता हयहर्तॄंश्च कौरवान्ददृशुः स्थितान् ॥२७॥ ऊचुस्ते वीक्ष्य बलिनो लोकद्वयजिगीषवः ॥ तान्सर्वांश्च तृणीकृत्य यादवाः कृष्णदेवताः ॥२८॥ अहो बबंध कश्चाश्वं कस्य हृष्टः कृतांतराट् ॥ प्राप्स्यते कस्तु संग्रामे नाराचैः परमां व्यथाम् ॥२९॥ अहो वै किं न जानंति वृष्णीन्द्रं चक्रवर्तिनम् ॥ उग्रसेनं राजराजं देवदानववंदितम् ॥३०॥ राजसूयस्य कर्त्तारमद्वितीयं नृपेश्वरम् ॥ नृपाः स्वात्मविनाशाय गृह्णंति तुरगं ततः ॥३१॥ हेमांगदश्चेंद्रनीलो बको भीषण एव च ॥ बल्वलश्च नृपाः सर्वे रणेऽस्माभिर्विनिर्जिताः ॥३२॥ इति श्रुत्वा कौरवास्ते क्रोधप्रस्फुरिताधराः ॥ प्रत्यूचुस्तान्हि पश्यंतस्तिरश्चीनैश्च चक्षुभिः ॥३३॥ कौरवानुगा ऊचुः - गृहीतस्तुरगोऽस्माभिर्यूयं किं नु करिष्यथ ॥ युष्मान्सर्वान्नयिष्यामः सायकैर्यमसादनम् ॥३४॥ उग्रसेनः कतिदिनै राज्यं लब्ध्वा तु कृष्णतः ॥ मानं करोति तं बद्ध्वा राज्यं कुर्मो वयं किल ॥३५॥ अनिरुद्धस्तु कुत्रास्ते ह्यस्माकं च भयाद्गतः ॥ वदतैनं शरैर्युद्धे पूजयामो न संशयः ॥३६॥ गर्ग उवाच - इति तेषां वचः श्रुत्वा यादवाः क्रोधमूर्च्छिताः ॥ चिक्षिपुः सायकांश्चापैः कौरवाणां मुखेषु च ॥ ३७॥ केचिद्बभूवुर्बाणैश्च छिन्नजिह्वाश्च कौरवाः ॥ भग्नदंताश्छिन्नमुखा वमंतो रुधिरं बहु ॥३८॥ दुर्योधनं छिन्नमुखा निहतास्ते ययुर्द्रुतम् ॥ पृष्टास्ते कथयामासुर्यादवैः प्रकृतं च तत् ॥ ३९॥ इति श्रीगर्गसंहितायां हयमेधखण्डे कौरवैः श्यामकर्णग्रहणं नामाष्टचत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः ॥४८॥ हरिः ॐ तत्सत् श्रीकृष्णार्पणमस्तु ॥
śrīgarga uvāca - kṛṣṇāṃ samuttīrya tataḥ prapaśya- ñjagāma vājī kurupattanañca || karoti rājyaṃ nṛpacakravartī vaicitravīryo balavānhi yatra ||1|| tato dadarśa turagaḥ kauravāṇāṃ puraṃ varam || taṃ nānopavanairyuktaṃ taḍāgaiśca sarovaraiḥ ||2|| durgeṇa gaṃgayā yuktaṃ tathā parikhayā nṛpa || suvarṇaraupyasadanairmahāśūrajanairvṛtam ||3|| suyodhanasya purādvinirgato haṃtuṃ mṛgānvai vanagocarānnṛpa || dadarśa yajñasya hayaṃ sapatrakaṃ rathasthito vīrajanairvibhūṣitaḥ ||4|| dṛṣṭvā turaṃgamaṃ prītaḥ svarathādavatīrya ca || mānī duryodhano rājaṃstvaraṃ jagrāha līlayā ||5|| karṇabhīṣmakṛpadroṇabhūriduḥśāsanādibhiḥ || yuktastadbhālapatraṃ ca vācayāmāsa harṣitaḥ ||6|| caṃdravaṃśe yadukula ugraseno virājate || indrādayaḥ suragaṇā yasyādeśānuvartinaḥ ||7|| sahāyo yasya bhagavāñchrīkṛṣṇo bhaktapālakaḥ || asti vai dvārakāpuryāṃ tadbhaktyā nivasanhariḥ ||8|| tadvākyāddhayamedhaṃ sa ugraseno nṛpeśvaraḥ || cakravartī haṭhādyajñaṃ svayaśo'rthe karoti hi ||9|| mocitastena turago hayānāṃ pravaraḥ śubhaḥ || tadrakṣakaḥ kṛṣṇapautro'niruddho vṛkadaityahā ||10|| gajāśvarathavīrāṇāṃ senāsaṃghasamanvitaḥ || rājāno ye kariṣyaṃti rājyaṃ kau śūramāninaḥ ||11|| te gṛhṇaṃtu yajñahayaṃ svabalātpatraśobhitam || taṃ mocayati dharmātmā gṛhītaṃ ca hayaṃ nṛpaiḥ ||12|| svabāhubalavīryeṇāniruddho līlayā haṭhāt || tasyānyathā ca pādayoḥ patitvā yāṃtu dhanvinaḥ ||13|| garga uvāca - tatpatraṃ vācayitvaivaṃ kauravāste tu śatravaḥ || ūcuḥ parasparaṃ kruddhā mānino raktalocanāḥ ||14|| kauravā ūcuḥ aho kiṃ likhitaṃ dhṛṣṭairbhālapatre hayasya ca || na saṃti kiṃ hi rājāno yādavānāṃ ca saṃmukhe ||15|| rājasūye purāsmābhiryādavā ye vinirjitāḥ || hayamedhaṃ kariṣyaṃti punaste gatabuddhayaḥ ||16|| tasmātsarvānvijeṣyāmo na dāsyāmasturaṃgamam || paścādvayaṃ kariṣyāmo hayamedhaṃ kratūttamam ||17|| ka ugrasenaḥ kaḥ kṛṣṇo hayarakṣākarastu kaḥ || yādavaiḥ sahitā hyete kiṃ kariṣyaṃti pauruṣam ||18|| kṛṣṇādyā yādavāḥ sarve vihāya mathurāṃ purīm || gatāḥ samudraṃ śaraṇaṃ yuddhaṃ tyaktvā bhayācca naḥ ||19|| rājyaṃ dattaṃ purā hyeṣāmasmābhiśca kṛpānvitaiḥ || kṛtaghnāste ca manyaṃte svātmānaṃ cakravartinam ||20|| pāṃḍavānāṃ ca sammānādyādavā na hi māritāḥ || niṣkāsitāśca te'smābhiḥ pāṃḍavāḥ śatravaḥ kila ||21|| yadūnadya vinirjitya saṃgrāme ca palāyitān || darśayāmaścāhukāya sahasā cakravartitām ||22|| evaṃ śrīkṛṣṇavimukhā vācaḥ sarve vadaṃti hi || tṛptāste kauravā rājañchriyā rājavibhūtibhiḥ ||23|| tataśca jagṛhuḥ sarve nānāśastrāṇi vegataḥ || hayaṃ praveśayāmāsuḥ pure tatra tu saṃsthitāḥ ||24|| gate ca turage dūraṃ sāṃbaḥ kṛṣṇena noditaḥ || tvaraṃ kṛṣṇāṃ samuttīrya gaṃbhīrāṃ mārgadāyinīm ||25|| akṣauhiṇībhirdaśabhiḥ pṛṣṭhato daṃśito ruṣā || hastināpuramakrūrayuyudhānādibhiryayau ||26|| evaṃ te yādavāḥ sarve hastināpurasannidhau || āyātā hayahartṝṃśca kauravāndadṛśuḥ sthitān ||27|| ūcuste vīkṣya balino lokadvayajigīṣavaḥ || tānsarvāṃśca tṛṇīkṛtya yādavāḥ kṛṣṇadevatāḥ ||28|| aho babaṃdha kaścāśvaṃ kasya hṛṣṭaḥ kṛtāṃtarāṭ || prāpsyate kastu saṃgrāme nārācaiḥ paramāṃ vyathām ||29|| aho vai kiṃ na jānaṃti vṛṣṇīndraṃ cakravartinam || ugrasenaṃ rājarājaṃ devadānavavaṃditam ||30|| rājasūyasya karttāramadvitīyaṃ nṛpeśvaram || nṛpāḥ svātmavināśāya gṛhṇaṃti turagaṃ tataḥ ||31|| hemāṃgadaśceṃdranīlo bako bhīṣaṇa eva ca || balvalaśca nṛpāḥ sarve raṇe'smābhirvinirjitāḥ ||32|| iti śrutvā kauravāste krodhaprasphuritādharāḥ || pratyūcustānhi paśyaṃtastiraścīnaiśca cakṣubhiḥ ||33|| kauravānugā ūcuḥ - gṛhītasturago'smābhiryūyaṃ kiṃ nu kariṣyatha || yuṣmānsarvānnayiṣyāmaḥ sāyakairyamasādanam ||34|| ugrasenaḥ katidinai rājyaṃ labdhvā tu kṛṣṇataḥ || mānaṃ karoti taṃ baddhvā rājyaṃ kurmo vayaṃ kila ||35|| aniruddhastu kutrāste hyasmākaṃ ca bhayādgataḥ || vadatainaṃ śarairyuddhe pūjayāmo na saṃśayaḥ ||36|| garga uvāca - iti teṣāṃ vacaḥ śrutvā yādavāḥ krodhamūrcchitāḥ || cikṣipuḥ sāyakāṃścāpaiḥ kauravāṇāṃ mukheṣu ca || 37|| kecidbabhūvurbāṇaiśca chinnajihvāśca kauravāḥ || bhagnadaṃtāśchinnamukhā vamaṃto rudhiraṃ bahu ||38|| duryodhanaṃ chinnamukhā nihatāste yayurdrutam || pṛṣṭāste kathayāmāsuryādavaiḥ prakṛtaṃ ca tat || 39|| iti śrīgargasaṃhitāyāṃ hayamedhakhaṇḍe kauravaiḥ śyāmakarṇagrahaṇaṃ nāmāṣṭacatvāriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ ||48|| hariḥ oṃ tatsat śrīkṛṣṇārpaṇamastu ||
English translation
Ashvaka goes to Hastinapuri; reading his spear letter, Duryodhana angrily captures the horse and injures the Kauravas of the Yadava soldiers.
Srigarji says - Rajan! The horse then crossed the Yamuna River to the capital of the Kurukshetra, where the powerful Vichitravirya Kumara Chakravarti king Dhritarashtra ruled, surveying the surrounding lands. There, the horse saw the beautiful Kaurava city with numerous gardens, ponds, and lakes. 1-2.
Nareshwar. The city was surrounded by a fort and the Gangarupini gorge. There were palaces of gold and silver, and great knights lived there. The king! From that Kaurava city, Suyodhana emerged to hunt the forest-dwelling antelopes. He was seated on a chariot laden with men of valor. He saw the sacrificial horse with a spear. Your Majesty! Duryodhana was a great man. He was very happy to see the horse. He got off the chariot and caught the horse by accident. With Karna, Bhishma, Kripacharya, Dronacharya, Bhuri, and Dushasana, he read his Bhalapatra with joy. It said, "King Ugrasena resides in the Yadava clan under the Chandravamsa." Gods such as Indra are also the maintainers of his commandments, and Lord Krishna, the protector of devotees, is his helper. Attracted by his devotion, he takes up residence in Dwarkapuri. At his command, Rajadhiraja Chakravarti Ugrasena assiduously performs the Ashwamedha Yajna to expand his fame. He has left this superior and virtuous horse. The protector of the horse is Aniruddha, the grandson of Krishna, who is to slay the Vrika demon. Aniruddha, along with his many cunning armies of elephants, horses, chariots, and foot-soldiers, is riding in the protection of the equine. May the kings who rule this earth and consider themselves knights receive this sacrificial horse adorned with a spear leaf by force. Dharmatma will spontaneously and stubbornly free that horse captured by the Aniruddha kings with his strength and valor. Those who cannot hold the horse must bow down at the feet of Aniruddha, the archer. 3-13 |
Sriganganji says that he survived the letter and became enmity with the Kauravas. The men's eyes turned red, and they spoke to each other. 14. (Ashwamedh Khand Chapter 46 to 50)
The Kauravas said, "Aho! What have these arrogant Yadavas written on horseback? Are there no kings before the Yadavas? The same fools who we have defeated in the past in our Rajasuya Yajna are now going to perform Ashvamedha again. So we are going to win all of these. The horse will never be given back. After conquering the Yadavas, we will perform the Ashvamedha Yajna ourselves. Who is Ugrasen? What is Krishna? And who is it that protects the horse too? With all the Yadavs, what will these men show us? All the Yaduvans, including Krishna, have left Mathurapuri in fear of Jarasandha and taken refuge in the sea. They have fled the war for fear of us. First, we kindly gave the state to these Yadavs and now they, the Kritaghan Yadavs, have started considering themselves Chakravartis. We did not kill the Yadavas earlier to show respect to the Pandavas; but those Pandavas are also our enemies. Therefore, We have sent them into exile. By defeating these fledgling Yadavas in battle today, we will suddenly make Ugrasena enjoy his chauvinism. 15-22 |
The king! They all started saying such things after coming under the arrogance of Shrikrishnavimukh Kaurava Lakshmi and Rajabhava. Then they all quickly took up weapons of various kinds and brought the horse into the city. After that, they stayed there for a while. Inspired by Krishna as the horses moved away, Samba quickly crossed the deep Yamuna River providing passage and pursued the ten Aksauhini forces, enraged towards Hastinapur with the Kavach Dam, Akrur, and Yayudhan, among others. Thus all the Yadavas came close to Hastinapur. They saw the horse-stealing Kauravas standing in front of them. Seeing the Kauravas, the mighty Yadavas, whose deity is Lord Krishna and who aspires to conquer both the world and the hereafter, consider them all akin to Tinke and say, "Aho! Who has tied up our horse? On whom has Yamaraja been pleased today, and who is eager to receive great torment through chants on the battlefield? Ahhh! Don't they know Vrishnikulatilaka Chakravarti Rajadhiraja Ugrasena, who is holding a horse for his own destruction, at whose feet the gods and demons also bow, who has performed the Rajasuya Yajna before, whose likeness there is no one else in the world and who is also the god of kings? Hemangad, Indranil, Bak, Ghaghra, and Balwal - all these kings we have defeated in the battlefield. " 23-32 |
Hearing this from the Yadavas, the Kauravas were filled with indignation. He looked at the Yadavas with distorted eyes and began to reply to them in this manner. 33. (Ashwamedh Khand Chapter 46 to 50)
The followers of the Kauravas said, "We have captured the horse." What will you do to us? We will bring you all the Yadavas to Yamlok through our Syakonda. For how long has Ugrasena been arrogant about getting the kingdom from the hands of Krishna? We will bind him and rule over him ourselves. Where has Aniruddha fled from our fear? Tell me, we will worship him with our arrows in battle, there is no doubt about it. 34-36 |
Srigarji says - Rajan! Hearing this from the Kauravas, the Yadavas were filled with fury. He shot several arrows with bows into the faces of the Kauravas. The arrows cut through the tongues of many Kauravas, broke some of their teeth, and shattered some of their mouths. Wounded by excessive bloodshed, he quickly approached Duryodhana with his mutilated face, and upon asking, told him that the Yadavas had caused his plight. 37-39 |
Thus was completed the forty-eighth chapter of the Ashvamedha Khanda under the Srigargha Samhita, titled "The Abduction of Shyamakarna Ashvaka by the Kauravas." 48.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 32060, revision 230437 (2020-04-15T04:06:28Z). English was rendered from the complete Hindi chapter at https://www.mahakavya.com/ashwamedh-khand-chapter-46-to-50/ as a transparent machine-assisted translation using the pinned IndicTrans2 Indic–English Distilled 200M model and retained without claiming verse-by-verse alignment.