Pātāla-khaṇḍa · Chapter 41
Sourceशेष उवाच युद्धाय ते सुसंनद्धाः शत्रुघ्नस्य महाबलाः । ययुर्वीरमणेः सैन्यमध्ये शौर्यसमन्विताः॥ १ शरान्विमुंचमानास्ते भिंदंतः सैनिकान्बहून् । व्यदृश्यंत रणांतःस्थाः शरासनधरा नराः॥ २ अनेके निहतास्तत्र गजा मणिमया रथाः । भग्ना वाहसमेताश्च दृश्यंते रणमंडले॥ ३ विहितं कदनं तेषां श्रुत्वा रुक्मांगदो बली । रथे मणिमये तिष्ठन्ययौ योद्धुं ससैनिकान् ॥४ शरासने शरान्धास्यन्निषुधी अक्षयौ दधत् । शोणनेत्रांतरो भीमो महाकोपसमन्वितः॥ ५ अनेकबाणसंविग्नान्कुर्वञ्छूरान्सहस्रशः । हाहाकारं कारयंस्तद्ययौ रुक्मांगदो बली॥ ६ राजपुत्रः स्वसदृशं बलेन यशसा श्रिया । आह्वयामास शत्रुघ्नं भारतिं पुष्कलं बली॥ ७ रुक्मांगद उवाच आगच्छ वीरकर्मा त्वं महाबलपराक्रम । मया योद्धुं तु बलिना राजपुत्रेण भास्वता ॥८ किमन्यैस्त्रासितैर्वीर निहतैः कोटिभिर्नरैः । मया समं महायुद्धं विधाय जयमाप्नुहि ॥९ इत्युक्तवं तं तरसा प्रहसन्पुष्कलो बली । जघान विपुले मध्ये वक्षसस्तीक्ष्णपर्वभिः ॥१० तदमृष्यन्राजपुत्रो महाचापे दधच्छरान् । जघान दशभिर्वीरं पुष्कलं वक्षसोंऽतरे ॥११ उभौ समरसंरब्धावुभावपि जयैषिणौ । रेजाते समरे तौ हि कुमारतारकौ यथा ॥१२ बाणान्धनुषि संधाय दशसंख्यान्महाशितान् । अकरोत्पुष्कलो वीरो विरथं राजपुत्रकम् ॥१३ चतुर्भिश्चतुरोवाहान्द्वाभ्यां सूतमपातयत् । एकेन ध्वजमेतस्य द्वाभ्यां स्यंदनरक्षकौ ॥१४ एकेन हृदि विव्याध राजपुत्रस्य वेगवान् । तदद्भुतं कर्म दृष्ट्वा सर्वे वीराः प्रतोषिताः ॥१५ सच्छिन्नधन्वा विरथो हताश्वो हतसारथिः । अत्यंतं कोपमापन्नः स्यंदनं परमाविशत् ॥१६ स स्थित्वा स्यंदनवरे हयरत्नेन भूषिते । शरासनं महद्धृत्वा सुदृढं गुणपूरितम् ॥१७ उवाच पुष्कलं वीरं रुक्मांगद इदं वचः । महत्पराक्रमं कृत्वा क्व यास्यसि परंतप ॥१८ पश्य मेऽद्यपराक्रांतिं यद्बलेन विनिर्मिताम् । यत्नात्तिष्ठस्व भो वीर नयामि त्वद्रथं नभः ॥१९ इत्युक्त्वा शरमत्युग्रं दधार स्वशरासने । मंत्रयित्वा ततश्चास्त्रं भ्रामकं पौष्कले रथे ॥२० मुमोच निशितं बाणं स्वर्णपंखैकशोभितम् । तेन बाणेन नीतोऽस्य रथो योजनमात्रकम् ॥२१ धृतः कृच्छ्रेण सूतेन रथो बभ्राम भूतले । कृच्छ्रेण प्राप्य स्वस्थानं पुष्कलः परमास्त्रवित् ॥२२ जगाद वचनं तं वै बाणं बिभ्रच्छरासने । स्वर्गं प्राप्नुहि वीराग्र्य सर्वदेवैश्च सेवितम् ॥२३ त्वादृशाः पृथिवीयोग्या न भवंति नृपोत्तम । शतक्रतुसभायोग्यास्तद्गच्छ त्वं सुरालयम् ॥२४ इत्युक्त्वा स मुमोचास्त्रमाकाशप्रापकं महत् । तेन बाणेन सरथो ययौ खमनुलोमतः ॥२५ सर्वांल्लोकानतिक्रामन्ययौ सूर्यस्य मंडलम् । तज्ज्वालया रथो दग्धो हयसूतसमन्वितः ॥२६ तत्करैर्दग्धभूयिष्ठ कलेवरः सुदुःखितः । पपात चंद्रचूडं स धृत्वा हृद्यसुखार्दनम् ॥२७ भूमौ निपतितस्तत्र करदग्धकलेवरः । अत्यंतं दुःखमापन्नो मुमूर्च्छ रणमंडले ॥२८ तस्मिन्निपतिते भूमौ मूर्च्छिते राजपुत्रके । हाहाकारो महानासीत्तत्र संग्राममूर्धनि ॥२९ वैरिणो जयलक्ष्मीं ते प्रापुः पुष्कलमुख्यकाः । पलायनपरा जाता वैरिणो हयरक्षकाः ॥३० तदा पुत्रस्य वै मूर्च्छां दृष्ट्वा वीरमणिर्नृपः । प्रायात्समरमध्यस्थं पुष्कलं कोपपूरितः ॥३१ तदा भूमिश्चचालेयं सपर्वतवनोत्तमा । शूरा वै हर्षमापन्नाः कातरा भयपीडिताः ॥३२ चापं महद्दधानः स इषुधी अक्षयावपि । रोषान्निःश्वासमामुंचन्नाह्वयामास वैरिणम् ॥३३ इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे पातालखंडे शेषवात्स्यायनसंवादे रामाश्वमेधे रुक्मांगदपराजय पुष्कलविजयोनाम एकचत्वारिंशत्तमोऽध्यायः ४१
śeṣa uvāca yuddhāya te susaṃnaddhāḥ śatrughnasya mahābalāḥ | yayurvīramaṇeḥ sainyamadhye śauryasamanvitāḥ|| 1 śarānvimuṃcamānāste bhiṃdaṃtaḥ sainikānbahūn | vyadṛśyaṃta raṇāṃtaḥsthāḥ śarāsanadharā narāḥ|| 2 aneke nihatāstatra gajā maṇimayā rathāḥ | bhagnā vāhasametāśca dṛśyaṃte raṇamaṃḍale|| 3 vihitaṃ kadanaṃ teṣāṃ śrutvā rukmāṃgado balī | rathe maṇimaye tiṣṭhanyayau yoddhuṃ sasainikān ||4 śarāsane śarāndhāsyanniṣudhī akṣayau dadhat | śoṇanetrāṃtaro bhīmo mahākopasamanvitaḥ|| 5 anekabāṇasaṃvignānkurvañchūrānsahasraśaḥ | hāhākāraṃ kārayaṃstadyayau rukmāṃgado balī|| 6 rājaputraḥ svasadṛśaṃ balena yaśasā śriyā | āhvayāmāsa śatrughnaṃ bhāratiṃ puṣkalaṃ balī|| 7 rukmāṃgada uvāca āgaccha vīrakarmā tvaṃ mahābalaparākrama | mayā yoddhuṃ tu balinā rājaputreṇa bhāsvatā ||8 kimanyaistrāsitairvīra nihataiḥ koṭibhirnaraiḥ | mayā samaṃ mahāyuddhaṃ vidhāya jayamāpnuhi ||9 ityuktavaṃ taṃ tarasā prahasanpuṣkalo balī | jaghāna vipule madhye vakṣasastīkṣṇaparvabhiḥ ||10 tadamṛṣyanrājaputro mahācāpe dadhaccharān | jaghāna daśabhirvīraṃ puṣkalaṃ vakṣasoṃ'tare ||11 ubhau samarasaṃrabdhāvubhāvapi jayaiṣiṇau | rejāte samare tau hi kumāratārakau yathā ||12 bāṇāndhanuṣi saṃdhāya daśasaṃkhyānmahāśitān | akarotpuṣkalo vīro virathaṃ rājaputrakam ||13 caturbhiścaturovāhāndvābhyāṃ sūtamapātayat | ekena dhvajametasya dvābhyāṃ syaṃdanarakṣakau ||14 ekena hṛdi vivyādha rājaputrasya vegavān | tadadbhutaṃ karma dṛṣṭvā sarve vīrāḥ pratoṣitāḥ ||15 sacchinnadhanvā viratho hatāśvo hatasārathiḥ | atyaṃtaṃ kopamāpannaḥ syaṃdanaṃ paramāviśat ||16 sa sthitvā syaṃdanavare hayaratnena bhūṣite | śarāsanaṃ mahaddhṛtvā sudṛḍhaṃ guṇapūritam ||17 uvāca puṣkalaṃ vīraṃ rukmāṃgada idaṃ vacaḥ | mahatparākramaṃ kṛtvā kva yāsyasi paraṃtapa ||18 paśya me'dyaparākrāṃtiṃ yadbalena vinirmitām | yatnāttiṣṭhasva bho vīra nayāmi tvadrathaṃ nabhaḥ ||19 ityuktvā śaramatyugraṃ dadhāra svaśarāsane | maṃtrayitvā tataścāstraṃ bhrāmakaṃ pauṣkale rathe ||20 mumoca niśitaṃ bāṇaṃ svarṇapaṃkhaikaśobhitam | tena bāṇena nīto'sya ratho yojanamātrakam ||21 dhṛtaḥ kṛcchreṇa sūtena ratho babhrāma bhūtale | kṛcchreṇa prāpya svasthānaṃ puṣkalaḥ paramāstravit ||22 jagāda vacanaṃ taṃ vai bāṇaṃ bibhraccharāsane | svargaṃ prāpnuhi vīrāgrya sarvadevaiśca sevitam ||23 tvādṛśāḥ pṛthivīyogyā na bhavaṃti nṛpottama | śatakratusabhāyogyāstadgaccha tvaṃ surālayam ||24 ityuktvā sa mumocāstramākāśaprāpakaṃ mahat | tena bāṇena saratho yayau khamanulomataḥ ||25 sarvāṃllokānatikrāmanyayau sūryasya maṃḍalam | tajjvālayā ratho dagdho hayasūtasamanvitaḥ ||26 tatkarairdagdhabhūyiṣṭha kalevaraḥ suduḥkhitaḥ | papāta caṃdracūḍaṃ sa dhṛtvā hṛdyasukhārdanam ||27 bhūmau nipatitastatra karadagdhakalevaraḥ | atyaṃtaṃ duḥkhamāpanno mumūrccha raṇamaṃḍale ||28 tasminnipatite bhūmau mūrcchite rājaputrake | hāhākāro mahānāsīttatra saṃgrāmamūrdhani ||29 vairiṇo jayalakṣmīṃ te prāpuḥ puṣkalamukhyakāḥ | palāyanaparā jātā vairiṇo hayarakṣakāḥ ||30 tadā putrasya vai mūrcchāṃ dṛṣṭvā vīramaṇirnṛpaḥ | prāyātsamaramadhyasthaṃ puṣkalaṃ kopapūritaḥ ||31 tadā bhūmiścacāleyaṃ saparvatavanottamā | śūrā vai harṣamāpannāḥ kātarā bhayapīḍitāḥ ||32 cāpaṃ mahaddadhānaḥ sa iṣudhī akṣayāvapi | roṣānniḥśvāsamāmuṃcannāhvayāmāsa vairiṇam ||33 iti śrīpadmapurāṇe pātālakhaṃḍe śeṣavātsyāyanasaṃvāde rāmāśvamedhe rukmāṃgadaparājaya puṣkalavijayonāma ekacatvāriṃśattamo'dhyāyaḥ 41
English translation
Śeṣa said :
1-7. Those very powerful heroes of Śatrughna , endowed with valour and quite ready to fight, went into the army of Vīramaṇi . The men discharging arrows, piercing many soldiers, holding, bows were seen standing in the battlefield. Many elephants were killed there. On the battlefield were seen jewelled chariots shattered with their horses. Having heard about their destruction the mighty Rukmāṅgada , standing in a jewelled chariot, came there to fight with the soldiers. He fixed arrows on his bow and had two inexhaustible quivers. That mighty Rukmāṅgada, full of great anger and with blood in his eyes, making thousands of brave men terrified with his arrows causing wailing (in the enemy’s camp), went (to fight). The mighty prince challenged. Śatrughna and Bharata ’s son Puṣkala like himself in fame and glory.
Rukmāṅgada said :
8-15a. You who perform brave deeds and whose power and valour are great; come to fight with me, the strong and lustrous prince. O brave one, what is the use of frightening and killing others, crores of men? Having fought a great battle with me, obtain victory.
The mighty Puṣkala laughed and quickly struck him who was speaking like this on his large chest with sharp hooks. Not bearing it, the prince fixing arrows on his great bow struck with ten arrows Puṣkala in his chest. Both excited while fighting, both desiring victory, shone in the battle like Kārtikeya and (the demon) Tāraka . Fixing very sharp arrows ten in number on his bow Puṣkala, the hero, made the prince chariotless. With four (arrows) he knocked down his four horses; with two (he knocked down) his charioter; with one (he knocked down) his flag and with two (he knocked down) the guards of his chariot. The swift one pierced the prince with one (arrow).
15b-17. Seeing that wonderful act all heroes were very much delighted. He whose bow was broken, who had lost his chariot, whose horses and charioteer were killed, became extremely angry and got into another chariot. Standing in the excellent chariot adorned with gems of horses, he took a big strong bow furnished with a string.
18-19. Rukmāṅgada said these words to the brave Puṣkala: “O you tormentor of the enemies, having done (a) great (act of) valour where are you going? Today see my valour brought about by might. O hero, stand carefully; I shall take your chariot to the sky.”
20-22a. Saying so he fixed a very fierce arrow on his own bow. Then enchanting the ‘ bhrāmaka ’ missile (i.e. the whirling missile), he discharged that sharp arrow adorned with gold at the feathered part into Puṣkala’s chariot. By that arrow his chariot was taken to a distance of a yojana . With difficulty it was held in check by the charioteer; the chariot roamed on the earth.
22b-24. Puṣkala, who knew the (use of) great missiles, getting back his position with difficulty, and fixing an arrow on his bow said (these words) to him: “O best among the heroes, reach heaven resorted to by all gods. O best king, people like you are not fit for (living on) the earth. They are fit for the assembly of Indra . Therefore, go to the abode of gods.”
25-28. Speaking thus he discharged a great missile reaching the sky. (Struck) by that arrow the chariot straightway went into the sky. Going beyond all worlds it went to the sun’s orb. By its flame the chariot, along with the horses and the charioteer, was burnt. With his chariot greatly burnt by its rays, he being extremely pained, fell, keeping in heart Śiva , the destroyer of the impious ones. With his body burnt by the rays, he fell there on the ground. He became extremely unhappy; and swooned on the battlefield.
29-33. When the prince dropped unconscious on the ground, there was a great wailing on the battlefield. The enemies led by Puṣkala got victory; (while) the enemies who had preserved the horse, were intent on fleeing. Then king Vīramaṇi, seeing the swoon of his son (i.e. seeing that his son was unconscious), was full of anger, and marched against Puṣkala who stood in the battlefield. At that time the earth, along with the mountains and excellent forests, trembled; the brave ones were delighted, (while) the cowards were oppressed with fear. Holding a great bow and two inexhaustible quivers and breathing heavily due to anger, he challenged his enemy.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 43935, revision 332850 (2022-02-20T22:11:45Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365352.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.