जनमेजय उवाच सम्भवं भरतस्याहं चरितं च महामतेः। शकुन्तलायाश्चोत्पत्तिं श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः॥
Janamejaya said : I desire to hear in detail the account of the birth and career of the high-souled Bharata and the birth of Shakuntala.
दुष्यन्तेन च वीरेण यथा प्राप्ता शकुन्तला। तं वै पुरुषसिंहस्य भगवन् विस्तरं त्वहम्॥ श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वज्ञ सर्वं मतिमतां वर।
O holy man, tell me in full how that hero, that lion among men, obtained Shakuntala. I desire to hear it, therefore, O knower of truth, O best among wise-men! you should narrate it to me.
वैशम्पायन उवाच स कदाचिन्महाबाहुः प्रभूतबलवाहनः॥ वनं जगाम गहनं हयनागशतैर्वृतः। बलेन चतुरङ्गेण वृतः परमवल्गुना॥
Vaishampayana said : Once upon a time that king (Dushyanta) of mighty arms, accompanied with a very large force with hundreds of horses and elephants, went into a dense forest. The force were of four kinds (infantry cavalry, elephant-men, horsemen and car-warriors).
खड्गशक्तिधरैवीरैर्गदामुसलपाणिभिः। प्रासतोमरहस्तैश्च ययौ योधशतैर्वृतः॥
Surrounded by hundreds of warriors who were armed with swords, darts, maces and big clubs, lances and spears in their hands, the king marched out.
सिंहनादैश्च योधानां शङ्खदुन्दुभिनिःस्वनैः। स्थनेमिस्वनैश्चैव सनागवरबंहितैः॥ नानायुधधरैश्चापि नानावेषधरैस्तथा। हेषितस्वनमित्रैश्च क्ष्वेडितास्फोटितस्वनैः॥ आसीत् किलकिलाशब्दस्तस्मिन् गच्छति पार्थिवे। प्रासादवरशृङ्गस्थाः परया नृपशोभया॥ ददृशुस्तं स्त्रियस्तत्र शूरमात्मयशस्करम्।
The lion-like roars of the warriors, the sounds of conches and drums. The rattle of the wheels of the cars, the shrieks of the huge elephants and the clash of weapons of various soldiers dressed in various dresses, and the neighing of horses. All these indistinct, sounds, mixing together, raised a deafening (Kil Kil) sound when the king was on the march. Beautiful ladies from the terraces of the magnificent mansions beheld the heroic, illustrious and kingly monarch (to pass).
शक्रोपमममित्रघ्नं परवारणवारणम्॥ पश्यन्तः स्त्रीगणास्तत्र वज्रपाणिं स्म मेनिरे। अयं स पुरुषव्याघ्रो रणे वसुपराक्रमः॥ यस्य बाहुबलं प्राप्य न भवन्त्यसुहृद्गणाः।
They knew that king to be the destroyer of foes like Indra; they thought him to be the wielder of thunder-bolt himself. They said, “This is that best of heroic men who is as powerful in the battle as the Vasu. All enemies are destroyed by his great prowess.
इति वाचो ब्रुवन्त्यस्ताः स्त्रियः प्रेम्णा नराधिपम्॥ तुष्टुवुः पुष्पवृष्टीश्च ससृजुस्तस्य मूर्धनि। तत्र तत्र च विप्रेन्द्रैः स्तूयमानः समन्ततः॥
Saying this, the ladies, out of love towards him, showered flowers on the head of the king to his great gratification. Having been blessed by the best of Brahmanas everywhere on the way.
निर्ययौ परमप्रीत्या वनं मृगजिघांसया। तं देवराजप्रतिमं मत्तवारणधूर्गतम्॥ द्विजक्षत्रियविट्शूद्रा निर्यान्तमनुजग्मिरे। ददृशुर्वर्धमानास्ते आशीर्भिश्च जयेन च॥
The king started for the forest with the eager desire of killing deer. The king, seated on the back of a mad elephant, looked like the king of the celestials and he was followed by Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. They uttered blessings and cried victory from all sides.
सुदूरमनुजग्मुस्तं पौरजानपदास्तथा। न्यवर्तन्त ततः पश्चादनुज्ञाता नृपेण ह॥
The citizens and other people also followed the king for some distance. Then they returned when they were commanded by the king.
सुपर्णप्रतिमेनाथ रथेन वसुधाधिपः। महीमापूरयामास घोषेण त्रिदिवं तथा॥ स गच्छन् ददृशे धीमान् नन्दनप्रतिमं वनम्। बिल्वार्कखदिराकीर्णं कपित्यधवसंकुलम्॥
Thereupon, the king of the world got upon his car which was equal to Garuda in speed and filled the whole world, even the heavens, with the rattle of his car-wheels. Thus proceeding he saw a forest like the Nandanavana of heaven. It abounded in Bilva, Arka, Khadira, Kapittha and Dhava trees.
विषमं पर्वतस्रस्तैरश्मभिश्च समावृतम्। निर्जलं निर्मनुष्यं च बहुयोजनमायतम्॥
Its soil was uneven and covered with blocks of stone, loosened from the hills. There were no water and human habitations; it extended to many yojanas.
मृगसिंहैर्वृतं घोरैरन्यैश्चापि वनेचरैः। तद् वनं मनुजव्याघ्रः सभृत्यबलवाहनः॥ लोडयामास दुष्यन्तः सूदयन् विविधान् मृगान्। बाणगोचरसम्प्राप्तांस्तत्र व्याघ्रगणान् बहून्॥ पातयामास दुष्यन्तो निर्बिभेद च सायकैः। दूरस्थान् सायकैः कांश्चिदभिनत् स नराधिपः॥ अभ्याशमागतांश्चान्यान् खङ्गेन निकृन्तत। कांश्चिदेगान् समाजघ्ने शक्त्या शक्तिमतां वरः॥
It was full of deer, lions and other fearful ! animals of the forest. That best of kings, Dushyanta, with the help of his soldiers and servants, beat the forest, thus killing many animals. Dushyanta pierced with his arrows many tigers that were within shooting range and killed them (by hundreds). The king wounded many by arrows (that were out of the shooting range and not to be killed by swords); he killed by his sword those that were near at hand. That best of the wielders of darts, killed many by hurling his darts at them.
गदामण्डलतत्त्वज्ञश्चचारामितविक्रमः। तोमरैरसिभिश्चापि गदामुसलकम्पनैः॥ चचार स विनिघ्नन् वै स्वैरचारान् वनद्विपान्। राज्ञा चाद्भुतवीर्येण योधैश्च समरप्रियैः॥ लोड्यमानं महारण्यं तत्यजुः स्म मृगाधिपाः। तत्र विद्रुतयूथानि हतयूथपतीनि च॥ मृगयूथान्यथौत्सुक्याच्छब्दं चक्रुस्ततस्ततः। शुष्काश्चापि नदीर्गत्वा जलनैराश्यकर्शिताः॥ व्यायामकान्तहृदया: पतन्ति स्म विचेतसः। क्षुत्पिपासापरीताश्च श्रान्ताश्च पतिता भुवि॥
The greatly expert player of clubs, the king of matchless prowess (Dushyanta), thus fearlessly roamed over the forest. The king, as he roamed about, killed many beasts of the forest with his swords and some by his swift flying darts and some by his heavy clubs. When the forest was thus agitated by the wonderfully powerful king and his soldiers, ever delighting in it like in sports, the lions left in thousands that forest. Having thus lost their kings, the other beasts uttered loud cries in fear and anxiety and fled in all directions. They fell down on all sides, being hungry, thirsty and tired of running and without being able to quench their thirst in the river-beds which were dry.
केचित् तत्र नरव्याग़रभक्ष्यन्त बुभुक्षितैः। केचिदग्निमथोत्पाद्य संसाध्य च वनेचराः॥ भक्षयन्ति स्म मांसानि प्रकुट्य विधिवत् तदा। तत्र केचिद् गजा मत्ता बलिनः शस्त्रविक्षताः॥ संकोच्याग्रकरान् भीताः प्रद्रवन्ति स्म वेगिताः। शकृन्मूत्रं सृजन्तश्च क्षरन्तः शोणितं बहु॥
Some of them were eaten up by those best of warriors. Some were quarter d and roasted in fires lit up by them and then they were eaten by the warriors in the proper way. Many strong elephants, maddened with the pains of their wounds, fled in fear with their upraised trunks. Those wild elephants, ejecting urine and dung in fear and copiously vomiting blood, fled.
वन्या गजवरास्तत्र ममृदुर्मनुजान् बहून्। तद् वनं बलमेघेन शरधारेण संवृतम्। व्यरोचत मृगाकीर्णं राज्ञा हतमृगाधिपम्॥
Many big and strong elephants during the time of running trampled to death many soldiers (of the king). The forest, which had been full of animals, was soon made by the king and his innumerable followers, bereft of lions and tigers and other beasts.