वैशम्पायन उवाच एवं प्रयतमानानां वृष्णीनामन्धकैः सह। कालो गृहाणि सर्वेषां परिचक्राम नित्यशः॥
Vaishampayana said While the Vrishnis and the Andhakas were thus trying (to avoid the impending calamity), the embodied from of time (death) every day wandered about their houses.
करालो विकटो मुण्डः पुरुषः कृष्णपिङ्गलः। गृहाण्यावेक्ष्य वृष्णीनां नादृश्यत क्वचित् क्वचित्।२।
He looked like a man of terrible and fierce aspect. Of bald head, he was black and of tawny color. Sometimes he was beheld by the Vrishnis as he peered into their houses.
तमनन्त महेष्वासाः शरैः शतसहस्रशः। न चाशक्यत वेढुं स सर्वभूतात्ययस्तदा॥
The powerful bowmen among the Vrishnis shot hundreds and thousands of arrows at him, but none of these succeeded in piercing him, for he was none else than the Destroyer of all creatures.
उत्पेदिरे महावाता दारुणाश्च दिने दिने। वृष्ण्यन्धकविनाशाय बहवो लोमहर्षणाः॥
Day by day strong winds blew, and many were the evil omens which arose, awful and foreboding the destruction of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas.
विवृद्धमूषिका रथ्या विभिन्नमणिकास्तथा। केशा नखाश्च सुप्तानामद्यन्ते मूषिकैर्निशि॥
The streets swarmed with rats and mice. Earthen pots showed cracks or broken from no visible cause. At night, the rats and mice ate away the hair and nails of sleeping men.
चीचीकूचीति वाशन्ति सारिका वृष्णिवेश्मसु। नोपशाम्यति शब्दश्च स दिवारानमेव हि॥
Sharikas chirped, sitting within the houses of the Vrishnis. The noise made by those birds ceased not for even a short while by day or by night.
अन्वकुर्वन्नुलूकानां सारसा विरुतं तथा। अजाः शिवानां विरुतमन्वकुर्वत भारत॥
The Sarashas were heard to imitate the hooting of the owl, and goats imitated the cries, O Bharata, of Jackals.
पाण्डुरा रक्तपादाश्च विहगाः कालचोदिताः। वृष्ण्यन्धकानां गेहेषु कपोता व्यचरंस्तदा॥
Many birds appeared, moved by Death, which were pale of color, but that had legs red of hue. Pigeons were seen to always disport in the houses of the Vrishni.
व्यजायन्त खरा गोषु करभा श्वतरीषु च। शुनीष्वपि बिडालाश्च मूषिका नकुलीषु च॥
Asses were born of kine, and elephants of mules. Cats were born of bitches, and mouse of the mungoose.
नापत्रपन्त पापानि कुर्वन्तो वृष्णयस्तदा। प्राद्विषन् ब्राह्मणांश्चापि पितृन् देवांस्तथैव च॥
The Vrishnis, committing sinful deeds, were not seen to feel any shame. They showed disregard for Brahmanas and the departed manes and the departed manes and the celestials.
गुरूंश्चाप्यवमन्यन्ते न तु रामजनार्दनौ। पल्य: पतीनुच्चरन्त पत्नीश्च पतयस्तथा॥
They insulted and humiliated their preceptors and elders. Only Rama and Janardana acted differently. Wives deceived their husbands, and husbands deceived wives.
विभावसुः प्रज्वलितो वामं विपरिवर्तते। नीललोहितमञ्जिष्ठा विसृजन्नर्चिषः पृथक्॥
Fires, when ignited cast their flames towards the left. Sometimes they threw out flames whose colour was blue and red.
उदयास्तमने नित्यं पुर्यां तस्यां दिवाकरः। व्यदृश्यतासकृत् पुम्भिः कबन्धैः परिवारितः॥
The Sun, whether when rising or setting over that city, seemed to be surrounded by headless trunks of human beings.
महानसेषु सिद्धेषु संस्कृतेऽतीव भारत। आहार्यमाणे कृमयो व्यदृश्यन्त सहस्रशः॥
In cook-rooms, upon food that was clean and well-boiled, were soon, when it was served out for eating, innumerable worms of various kinds.
पुण्याहे वाच्यमाने तु जपत्सु च महात्मसु। अभिधावन्तः श्रूयन्ते न चादृश्यत कश्चन॥
When Brahmanas, receiving gifts, blessed the day or the hour fixed for this or that undertaking or when great men were engaged in silent recitations, the heavy trend was heard of many men running about but no one could be seen to whom the sound of such sound could be ascribed.
परस्परं च नक्षत्रं हन्यमानं पुनः पुनः। ग्रहैरपश्यन् सर्वे ते नात्मनस्तु कथंचन॥
The Constellations were repeatedly seen to be struck by the planets. None amongst the Yadavas could, however, see the constellation of his birth.
नदन्तं पाञ्चजन्यं च वृष्ण्यन्धकनिवेशने। समन्तात् पर्यवाशन्त रासभा दारुणस्वराः॥
When the Panchajanya was blown in their houses, asses of dissonant and awful voice brayed aloud from all sides.
एवं पश्यन् हृषीकेशः सम्प्राप्तं कालपर्ययम्। त्रयोदश्याममावास्यां तान् दृष्ट्वा प्राब्रवीदिदम्॥
Seeing these sings which showed the perverse course of Time, and seeing that the day of the new moon coincided with the thirteenth (and the fourteenth) lunation's, Hrishkesha, summoning the Yadavas, said to them these words:
चतुर्दशी पञ्चदशी कृतेयं राहुणा पुनः। प्राप्ते वै भारते युद्धे प्राप्ता चाद्य क्षयाय नः॥
The fourteenth lunation has been made the fifteenth by Rahu once more. Such a day had appeared at the time of the great battle of the Bharatas. It has once more appeared, it seems, for our destruction.'
विमृशन्नेव कालं तं परिचिन्त्य जनार्दनः। मेने प्राप्तं स षट्त्रिंशं वर्षे वै केशिसूदनः॥ पुत्रशोकाभिसंतप्ता गान्धारी हतबान्धवा। यदनुव्याजहारार्ता तदिदं समुपागमत्॥
The destroyer of Keshi, viz., Janardana, thinking upon the omens that Time showed, understood that the thirty-sixth year had come, and that what Gandhari, burning with grief on account of the death of her sons, and deprived of all her kinsmen, had said was about to take place.
इदं च तदनुप्राप्तमब्रवीद् यद् युधिष्ठिरः। पुरा व्यूढेष्वनीकेषु दृष्ट्वोत्पातान् सुदारुणान्॥
The present is exactly similar to that time which Yudhishthira had marked at sight of those dreadful omens which appeared when the two armies were arranged in battle-order.
इत्युक्त्वा वासुदेवस्तु चिकीर्षुः सत्यमेव तत्। आज्ञापयामास तदा तीर्थयात्रामरिंदमः॥
Vasudeva, having said so, tried to bring about those occurrences which would make Gandhari's words true. That chastiser of enemies commanded the Vrishnis to make a pilgrimage to some sacred water.
अघोषयन्त पुरुषास्तत्र केशवशासनात्। तीर्थयात्रा समुद्रे वः कार्येति पुरुषर्षभाः॥
The messengers immediately proclaimed at the command of Keshava that the Vrishnis should make a journey to the sea-coast for bathing in the sacred waters of the ocean.