Harivamsha MahA PurANam - ViShNu Parva
    atha ShaTtriMsho.adhyAyaH
    jarAsaMdphapayAnam
    harivamsha in the mahAbharata - viShNuparva
    Chapter 36 - JarAsaMdha Retires from Battlefield
vaishampAyana uvAcha
tato yuddhAni vR^iShNInAM babhUvuH sumahAntyatha |
mAgadhasya mahAmAtrairnR^ipaishchaivAnuyAyibhiH ||2-36-1
vaishampAyana said:
Then there was a terrible battle between the vR^iShNi-s and the mahouts of the great kings accompanying mAgadha (jarAsaMdha).
rukmiNA vAsudevasya bhIShmakeNAhukasya cha |
krathasya vasudevena kaishikasya tu babhruNA ||2-36-2
rukmi fought with vAsudeva (kR^iShNa), bhIShmaka with Ahuka, kratha with vasudeva and kaishika with babhru.
gadena chedirAjasya dantavaktrasya sha~NkunA |
tathAnyairvR^iShNivIrANAM nR^ipANAM cha mahAtmanAm ||2-36-3
The king of chedi fought with gada, dantavaktra with sha~Nku and other great kings fought with the leaders of vR^iShNi-s.
yuddhamAsIddhi sainyAnAM sainikairbharatarShabha |
ahAni pa~ncha chaikaM cha ShaT saptAShTau cha dAruNam ||2-36-4
(vaishampAyana said) O the bull of bharata race (janamejaya)! The armies fought terrible battles with each other. Terrible battles were fought for five days and one, then six, seven and eight days (twenty-seven days).
gajairgajA hayairashvAH padAtAshcha padAtibhiH |
rathai rathA vimishrAshcha yodhA yuyudhire nR^ipa ||2-36-5
(vaishampAyana said) O king (janamejaya)! elephants fought with elephants, horses with horses, infantry with infantry, chariot with chariot and soldiers fought with soldiers.
jarAsaMdhasya nR^ipate rAmeNAsItsamAgamaH |
mahendrasyeva vR^itreNa dAruNo romaharShaNaH ||2-36-6
king jarAsaMdha fought with balarAma. It was terrible, like the fight indra had with vR^itra.
avekShya rukmiNIM kR^iShNo rukmiNaM na vyapothayat |
Considering rukmiNi, kR^iShNa did not kill rukmi.
jvalanArkAMshusa~NkAshAnAshIviShaviShopamAn ||2-36-7
vArayAmAsa kR^iShNo vai sharAMstasya tu shikShayA |
He (rukmi) shot arrows with tips having snake poison, similar to blazing sun. With his training, kR^iShNa blocked them.
ityeShAM sumahAnAsIdbalaughAnAM parikShayaH ||2-36-8
ubhayoH senayo rAjanmAMsashoNitakardamaH |
O king! In this manner, there was a terrible battle between the two powerful armies. (Mangled) flesh mixed up with blood and piled up as dirt on both sides of the armies.
kabandhAni samuttasthuH subahUni samantataH ||2-36-9
tasminvimarde yodhAnAM sa~NkhyAvR^ittikarANi cha |
Vast number of headless bodies arose in that battlefield. The number of soldiers killed in that battle were enermous, impossible to count.
rathI rAmo jarAsaMdhaM sharairAshIviShopamaiH ||2-36-10
AvR^iNvannabhyayAdvIrastaM cha rAjA sa mAgadhaH |
abhyavartata vegena syandanenAshugAminA ||2-36-11
balarAma, expert in chariot battle, showered a group of arrows with snake poison on jarAsaMdha. Then the king of magadha counter attacked with a fast moving chariot.
anyonyaM vividhairastrairviddhvA viddhvA vinedatuH |
tau kShINashastrau virathau hatAshvau hatasArathI ||2-36-12
Shooting various arrows against each other, they fought. Their arrows were exhausted, their chariots were lost, their horses and charioteers were killed.
gade gR^ihItvA vikrAntAvanyonyamabhidhAvatAt |
kaMpayantau bhuvaM virau tAvudyatagadAvubhau ||2-36-13
Picking up maces, they attacked each other. Fighting with their maces, those valiant fighters shook the earth.
dadarshAte mahAtmAnau girI sashikharAviva |
vyupAramanta yuddhAni pashyatAM tau mahAbhujau |
saMrabdhAvabhidhAvantau gadAyuddheShu vishrutau ||2-36-14
Those great souls appeared like mountains decorated with peaks. Those seeing them with great arms forgot the battle. They, famous in mace-fight, attacked each other angrily.
ubhau tau paramAchAryau loke khyAtau mahAbalau |
mattAviva gajau yuddhe tAvanyonyamayuddhyatAm ||2-36-15
Both supreme teachers were famous in the world as having great power. They fought against each other like intoxicated elephants.
tato devAH sagandharvAH siddhAshcha samaharShayaH |
samantatashchApsarasaH samAjagmuH sahasrashaH ||2-36-16
Then deva-s along with gandharva-s, siddha-s and great sages and celestial women assembled in thousands (to watch the fight).
taddevayakShagandharvamaharShibhirala~NkR^itam |
shushubhe.abhyadhikaM rAjandivaM jyotigaNairiva ||2-36-17
(vaishampAyana said) O king (janamejaya)! Then the sky, decorated with the assembly of deva-s, yakShas, gandharvas and the sages, appeared shining as though with sparkling stars.
abhidudrAva rAmaM tu jarAsaMdho mahAbalaH |
savyaM maNDalamAshritya baladevastu dakShiNam ||2-36-18
Powerful jarAsaMdha ran towards balarAma and attacked him turning from the left side. In the same way, balarAma attacked from the right side.
praharantau tato.anyonyaM gadAyuddhavishAradau |
dantAbhyAmiva mAta~Ngau nAdayantau disho dasha ||2-36-19
Then the two experts in mace-fight struck against each other, like two elephants fighting with their tusks, the sound filling all the ten directions.
gadAnipAto rAmasya shushruve.ashaniniHsvanaH |
jarAsaMdhasya charaNe parvatasyeva dIryataH ||2-36-20
balarAma's mace strike was heard like the sound of thunder. jarAsamdha's mace strike was heard as though splitting a mountain.
na sma kaMpayate rAmaM jarAsaMdhakarachyutA |
gadA gadAbhR^itAM shreShThaM vindhyaM girimivAnilaH ||2-36-21
The mace thrown by jarAsaMdha was unable to move balarAma, best among mace fighters, like the wind is unable to shake the mountain, vindhya.
rAmasya tu gadAvegaM vIryAtsa magadheshvaraH |
sehe dhairyeNa mahatA shikShayA cha vyapohayat ||2-36-22
The lord of magadha (jarAsaMdha) was able to withstand the speed of the mace of balarAma due to his valiancy and training.
evaM tau tatra sa~NgrAme vicharantau mahAbalau |
maNDalAni vichitrANi vicheraturarindamau ||2-36-23
O oppressor of enemies (janamejaya)! In this manner, the powerful fighters fought the battle using a variety of strange techniques.
vyAyachChantau chiraM kAlaM parishrAntau cha tasthatuH |
samAshvAsya muhUrtaM tu punaranyonyamAhatAm ||2-36-24
Fighting for a long time, they became exhausted. They stopped and relaxed for a while. Again they struck against each other.
evaM tau yodhamukhyau tu samaM yuyudhatushchiram |
na cha tau yuddhavaimukhyamubhAveva prajagmatuH ||2-36-25
In this way the great fighters fought for a long time. No one was ready to retire from the fight accepting defeat.
athApashyadgadAyuddhe visheShaM tasya vIryavAn |
rAmaH kruddho gadAM tyaktvA jagrAha musalottamam ||2-36-26
Realising that jarAsaMdha was skilled in mace fight, valiant balarAma became angry. He abandoned the mace and picked up his best club.
tamudyantaM tadA dR^iShTvA musalaM ghoradarshanam |
amoghaM baladevena kruddhena tu mahAraNe ||2-36-27
Seeing the angry balarAma picking up the infallible club, terrible at sight, in the great battle,
tato.antarikShe vAgAsitsusvarA lokasAkShiNI |
uvAcha baladevaM tam samudyatahalAyudham ||2-36-28
the voice of the witness of the world, was heard in the sky, telling baladeva (balarAma), who had picked up his weapon, the club.
na tvayA rAma vadhyo.ayamalaM khedena mAgadhe |
vidito.asya mayA mR^ityustasmAtsAdhu vyupArama |
O rAma (balarAma)! mAgadha (jarAsaMdha) is not to be killed by you. You need not lament. I have foreseen his death. Hence control yourself.
achireNaiva kAlena prANAMstyakShyati mAgadhaH ||2-36-29
In a short time, the lord of magadha (jarAsaMdha) will lose his life.
jarAsaMdhastu tachChrutvA vimanAH samapadyata |
na prajahre tatastasmai punareva halAyudhaH ||2-36-30
Hearing this, jarAsaMdha became disappointed as if he lost his mind. balarAma, having club as his weapon, did not strike jarAsaMdha again.
tau vyupAramatAM yuddham vR^iShNayaste cha pArthivAH |
asaktamabhavadyuddhaM teShAmeva sudAruNam ||2-36-31
Both stopped fighting. The vR^iShNi-s and the kings also stopped fighting. In this way the terrible battle between them became devoid of any interest.
dIrghakAlam mahArAja nighnatAmitaretaram |
(vaishampAyana said) O great king (janamejaya)! (In this way, the terrible battle that resulted in ) killing each other for a long time came to an end.
parAjite tvapakrAnte jarAsaMdhe mahIpatau ||2-36-32
astaM yAte dinakare nAnusasrustadA nishi |
When jarAsaMdha was defeated, he left the battlefield. As the sun set, the yAdava-s did not chase him in the night.
samAnIya svakaM sainyaM labdhalakShyA mahAbalAH ||2-36-33
purIM pravivishurhR^iShTAH keshavenAbhipAlitAH |
Assembling their forces, the (yAdava-s) warriors of great power, protected by keshava (kR^iShNa), achieving their aim, happily entered the city.
khAchchyutAnyAyudhAnyevaM tAnyevAntardadhustadA ||2-36-34
All the weapons that came from the sky disappeared.
jarAsaMdho.api nR^ipatirvimanAH svapurIM yayau |
rAjAnashchAnugA ye.asya svarAShTrANyeva te yayuH ||2-36-35
king jarAsaMdha, disappointed, returned to his city. The kings who followed him also returned to their kingdoms.
jarAsaMdhaM tu te jitvA menire naiva nirjitam |
vR^iShNayaH kurushArdUla rAjA hyatibalaH sa vai ||2-36-36
O tiger of the kuru race (janamejaya)! Even though they defeated jarAsaMdha, the vR^iShNI-s did not think so. The king jarAsaMdha is most powerful.
dasha chAShTau cha sa~NgrAmA~njarAsaMdhasya yAdavAH |
dadurna chainaM samare hantuM shekurmahAbalAH ||2-36-37
The yAdava-s fought with jarAsaMdha ten and eight (eighteen) battles. The powerful yAdava-s were unable to kill him.
akShauhiNyashcha tasyAsanviMshatishcha mahAmate |
jarAsaMdhasya nR^ipatestadarthaM yAH samAgatAH ||2-36-38
O One with great intellect (janamejaya)! king jarAsaMdha has twenty akShauhiNi-s who came for fighting the battle for him.
alpatvAdabhibhUtAstu vR^iShNayo bharatarShabha |
bArhadrathena rAjendra rAjabhiH sahitena vai ||2-36-39
O the bull of bharata race! Compared to jarAsaMdha's army, the army of vR^iShNi-s is meager. O the king of kings (janamejaya)! they were baffled on being attacked by jarAsaMdha along with other kings.
bhUyaH kR^itvodyamam prAyAdyAdavAnkR^iShNapAlitAn |
jarAsaMdha again came prepared and attacked yAdavas, protected by kR^iShNa.
jitvA tu mAgadhaM sa~Nkhye jarAsaMdhaM mahIpatim |
viharanti sma sukhino vR^iShNisiMhA mahArathAH ||2-36-40
After defeating jarAsaMdha, the king of magadha in the battle, the lions of the vR^iShNi race, the great chariot fighters lived comfortably.
iti shrImahAbhArate khileShu harivaMshe viShNuparvaNI jarAsaMdhApayAnaM nAma ShaTtriMsho.adhyAyaH
    nIlakaNTha commentary
shaTtriMshe.atha jarAsandhodvandayuddhe parAjitaH |
balabhadreNa taM hitvA palAyana itiryate || 1 ||
iti shrIharivaMshe viShNuparvaNi TIkAyAM shaTtrimsho.adhyAyaH ||
## Itranslated by K S Ramachandran, ramachandran_ksr @ yahoo.ca, July 19, 2008
Further proof-read by Gilles Schaufelberger, schaufel @ wanadoo.fr
If you find any errors compared to Chitrashala Press edition, send corrections to A. Harindranath harindranath_a @ yahoo.com
Translated to English by A. Purushothaman [purushothaman_avaroth @ yahoo.com] and A. Harindranath
December 21, 2009##