मौसल पर्व — अर्जुन का द्वारावती से प्रस्थान और पंचनद-प्रदेश में उनके साहसिक प्रसंग

Vaishampayana said, That scorcher of enemies, viz., Bibhatsu, thus addressed by his maternal uncle, replied, with great cheerlessness of heart, to Vasudeva who was equally cheerless, saying, 'O uncle, I ma unable to look at this Earth when she is reft of that hero of Vrishni' rare and those my other kinsmen.

The king and Bhimasena and Sahadeva and Nakula and Yajnaseni, are of the same mind with myself in this matter.

The time has come for the departure of the king also. Know this that the hour of our departure too is near. You are the foremost of those who are well conversant with the course of time.

I shall, however, O chastiser of enemies, first remove to Indraprastha the women of the Vrishni race as also the children and the aged.'

Having said so to his uncle, Arjuna, next addressed Daruka, saying, I wish to see forthwith the chief officers of the Vrishni heroes.

Having uttered these words, the heroic Arjuna, grieving for those great car-warriors, entered the great hall of the Yadavas, called Sudharma.

When he had taken his seat here, all the citizens, including the Brahmanas, and all the ministers of state, came and stood surrounding him.

Then Partha, more grieved than they, addressed those grieving and cheerless citizens and officers who were more dead than alive, and said these words which were well suited to the occasion.

I shall take away with me the remnants of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas! The sea will soon engulf this city.

Equip all your cars and place on them all your riches. This Vajra will be your king at Shakraprastha.

On the seventh day from this, at sunrise, we shall start. Make your preparations immediately.

Thus addressed by Pritha's son of Pure deeds, all of them hastened their preparations with eagerness for securing their safety.

Arjuna passed that night in the palaces of Keshava. He was suddenly overwhelmed with great sorrow and stupefaction.

When morning dawned, Vasudeva of great energy and prowess attained, through the help of Yoga, to the highest end.

A loud and heart-rendering sound of wailing was heard in Vasudeva's palace, uttered by the weeping ladies.

They were seen with disheveled hair and divested of ornaments and garlands Beating their breasts with their hands, the indulged in heart-rendering lamentations.

Those foremost of women, viz., Devaki and Bhadra and Rohini and Madira threw themselves on the bodies of threw themselves on the bodies of their lord.

Then Partha caused the body of his uncle lo be carried out on a rich vehicle borne on the shoulders of men.

It was followed by all the citizens of Dwraka and the people of the provinces all of whom greatly stricken with grief, had been disposed towards the deceased hero.

Before that vehicle were born the umbrella which had been held over his head at the conclusion of the horse-sacrifice he had performed while living and also the burning fires he had daily adored, with the priests who had used to attend to them.

The body of the hero was followed by his wives decked in ornaments and surrounded by thousands of women and thousands of their daughter-in-law.

The last rites were then performed at that spot which he liked while he was alive

The four wives of that heroic son of Shura ascended the funeral pyre and were consumed with the body of their husband. All of them attained to those happy regions which were his.

The son of Pandu burnt the body of his uncle together with those four wives of his, using various kinds of scents and perfumed wood.

As the funeral pyre blazed up, a loud sound was heard of the burning wood and other combustible materials, along with the clear chant of Samans and the lamentation of the citizens and others who saw the rite.

After it was all over, the boys of the Vrishnis and Andhaka races, headed by Vajra, as also the ladies, offered oblations of water to the great hero.

Phalguna, who was careful in observing every duty having caused this duty to be performed, went. O chief of Bharata's race, next to the place where the Vrishnis were killed.

The Kuru prince, seeing them lying killed all around, became exceedingly cheerless. He, however did what required to be done in view of that which had taken place.

The last rites were performed, according to the order of seniority, to the bodies of those heroes killed by the iron bolts born, by virtue of the curse denounced by the Brahmanas, of the blades of Eraka grass.

Searching out the bodies then of Rama and Vasudeva, Arjuna caused them to be burnt by expert persons.

The son of Pandu, having next perforined duly those rites that are done to the manes of the dead, quickly started on the seventh day, mounting on his car.

The windows of the Vrishni heroes wailing aloud, followed the great son of Pandu, viz., Dhananjaya, on cars drawn by bullocks and mules and camels.

All were in deep sorrow. The servants of the Vrishnis, their horsemen, and their carwarriors too, followed the procession.

The citizens and the inhabitants of the country, at the command of Pritha's son, started at the same time and proceeded, surrounding that cavalcade destitute of heroes and numbering only women and the aged and the children.

The warriors who fought from the backs of elephants proceeded on elephants as huge as hills. The infanty also set out, together with the reserves.

The children of the Andhaka, and the Vrishni races, all followed Arjuna. The Brahmanas and Kshatriyas and Vaishyas, and rich Shudras, started keeping before them the sixteen thousand women who had formed Vasudeva's harem and Vajra, the grandson of the intelligent Krishna.

The widows of the other heroes of the Bhoja, the Vrishni and the Andhaka races, lordless now, that started with Arjuna, numbered many millions.

That foremost of car-warriors, that conqueror of hostile towns viz., the son of Pritha, escorted this huge procession of Vrishnis, which still abounded with wealth, and which looked like a veritable ocean.

After all the people had started, the ocean, the home of sharks, and alligators, flooded Dwraka, which still teemed with riches of every kind, with its waters.

Whatever portion of the ground was passed over, ocean immediately flooded over with his waters.

Seeing this wonderful spectacle, the inhabitants of Dwraka walked faster and faster, saying. Wonderful is the course of fate.'

Dhananjaya, after abandoning Dwraka, proceeded by slow marches, causing the Vrishni women to rest in charming forests and mountain and by the sides of delightful rivers.

Arrived at the country of the five waters, the powerful Dhananjaya encamped in the midst of a land that abounded with corn and kine and other animals.

Seeing those widows escorted by Pritha's son alone, O Bharata, the robbers felt a great temptation.

Then those sinful wretches, with hearts possessed by cupidity, viz., those Abhiras of ill omen, assembled together and held consultation.

They said, 'Here there is only one bowman, viz., Arjuna. The party consists of children and the old. He escorts them alone. The warriors (of the Vrishnis) are without energy.

Then those robbers, numbering by thousands, and armed with clubs, rushed a towards the procession of the Vrishnis for looting them.

Urged by the perverse course of time, they fell upon that party, frightening it will loud leonine shouts and desirous of slaughter.

The son of Kunti, suddenly ceasing to advance along the path, turned, with his followers, towards the place where the robbers had attacked the party. Smiling the while, that mighty-armed warrior addressed the assailants, saying. “You sinful wretches, stop, if you love your lives! You will rue this when I cut your bodies with my arrows and take your lives.'

Though thus addressed by that hero, they disregarded his words, and though repeatedly dissuaded, they fell upon Arjuna.

Then Arjuna tried to string his large, indestructible, celestial bow with some effort.

He succeeded with great difficulty in stringing it, when the battle had become furious. He then began to think of his celestial weapons but they would not come to his mind.

Seeing that furious battle, the loss of the might of his arm, and the non appearance of his celestial weapons, Arjuna became greatly ashamed.

The Vrishni warriors including the infantry, the elephant-warriors, and the car-men, failed to rescue those Vrishni women who were being snatched away by the robbers.

The concourse was very large. The robbers attacked it, at different points. Arjuna tried his best to protect it, but could not succeed.

Before the eyes of all the warriors, many foremost of ladies were dragged away, while others went away with the robbers of their own accord.

The powerful Arjuna, supported by the servants of the Vrishnis, struck the robbers with arrows shot off Gandiva.

Soon, however, O king, is arrows were exhausted. In former days his arrows had been inexhaustible. Now, however, they proved otherwise.

Finding his arrows exhausted, he became deeply afflicted with grief. The son of Indra then began to strike the robbers with the horns of his bow.

Those Mlechcchas, however, O Janamejaya, in the very sight of Partha, retreated, taking away with the many foremost ladies of the Vrishnis and Andhakas.

The powerful Dhananjaya considered it all as the work of destiny. Filled with sorrow he breathed heavy sights, at the thought of the non-appearance of his (celestial) weapons, the loss of the might of his arms, the refusal of his bow to obey him; and the exhaustion of his arrows.

Considering it all as the work of destiny, he became greatly cheerless. He then ceased, O king, to make further efforts, saying, he had not the power which he had before.

The high-souled one, taking with him the residue of the Vrishni women, and the wealth that was still with them, reached Kurukshetra,

Thus bringing with him the remnant of the Vrishnis, Dhananjaya established them at different places.

He established the son of Kritavarman at the city called Marttikavat, with the remnant of the women of the Bhoja king.

Escorting the remainder, with children and old men, and women, the son of Pandu established them, who were reft of heroes, in the city of Indraprastha.

The dear son of Yuyudhana, with a number of old men and children and women, the righteous-souled Arjuna established on the banks of the Sarasvati.

The rule of Indraprastha was given to Vajra. The widows of Akrura then wished to retire into the forest. Vajra asked them repeatedly to desist, but they did not hear him.

Rukmini, the princess of Gandhara, Shaivya. Haimavati, and queen Jambavati, ascended the funeral pyre.

Satyabhama and the other dear wives of Krishna entered the forest, o king, resolved to practice penances.

Those men who had followed Arjuna from Dvaravati, were divided into groups, and bestowed upon Vajra.

Having done all these acts suited to the occasion. Arjuna, with eyes bathed in tears, then entered the hermitage of Vyasa. There he saw the Dvaipayana seated at his ease.