अर्जुन उवाच कथमस्मद्धितार्थं ते कैश्च योगैर्जनार्दन। जरासंघप्रभृतयो घातिताः पृथिवीश्वराः॥
Arjuna said How, O Janardana and by what measures were those lords of earth Jarasandha and others slain, for our welfare?
श्रीवासुदेव उवाच जरासंघश्चेदिराजो नैषादिश्व महाबलः। यदि स्युर्न हताः पूर्वमिदानीं स्युर्भयंकराः॥
Vasudeva said Had not Jarasandha, the ruler of the Chedis and the highly puissant prince of the Nishadas been slain before, they would have become very terrible by this time.
दुर्योधनस्तानवश्यं वृणुयाद् रथसत्तमान्। तेऽस्मासु नित्यविद्विष्टाः संश्रयेयुश्च कौरवान्॥
Duryodhana would then surely have invited those foremost of car-warriors to embrace his cause and they, ever hostile to us, must have chosen the Kaurava party.
ते हि वीरा महेष्वासाः कृतास्रा दृढयोधिनः। धार्तराष्ट्रां चमूं कृत्स्नां रक्षेयुरमरा इव॥
They all were brave, fierce bowmen, accomplished in the use of weapons and firm in battle; and they would have then defended the Dhritarashtras like so many immortals.
सूतपुत्रो जरासंघश्चेदिराजो निषादजः। सुयोधनं समाश्रित्य जयेयुः पृथिवीमिमाम्॥
The son of Suta, Jarasandha, the ruler of the Chedis and the prince of the Nishadas, these, united with Suyodhana, mighty have conquered the whole earth.
योगैरपि हता यैस्ते तन्मे शृणु धनंजय। अजय्या हि विना योगैर्मधे ते दैवतैरपि॥
It was through my tactics that they were slain. Hear from me of those tactics. Indeed even the gods, without the employment of tactics, could not have defeated them in battle.
एकैको हि पृथक् तेषां समस्तां सुरवाहिनीम्। योधयेत् समरे पार्थ लोकपालाभिरक्षिताम्॥
Each of them, individually, could have fought with entire army of the celestials, protected by the regents of the worlds themselves, O son of Pritha!
जरासंधो हि रुषितो रौहिणेयप्रधर्षितः। अस्मद्वधार्थं चिक्षेप गदां वै सर्वघातिनीम्॥
Once on a time, afflicted by the son of Rohini, Jarasandha, excited to the highest pitch of fury, hurled at ourselves a mace capable of slaying at creatures.
सीमन्तमिव कुर्वाणा नभसः पावकप्रभा। अदृश्यतापतन्ती सा शक्रमुक्ता यथाशनिः॥
Sparkling like the tongues of fire, that mace flew towards ourselves dividing the welkin like the line that parts the tresses of woman and with the impetuosity of the thunder hurled by Shakra.
तामापतन्तीं दृष्टैव गदां रोहिणिनन्दनः। प्रतिघातार्थमस्रं वै स्थूणाकर्णमवासृजत्॥
Then beholding that mace course towards us, the son of Rohini, for repulsing that mace, hurled the weapon know as Sthanukarna.
अस्रवेगप्रतिहता सा गदा प्रापतद् भुवि। दारयन्ती धरां देवीं कम्पयन्तीव पर्वतान्॥
Repulsed by the force of Baladeva's weapon, that mace fell on the earth riving her open and causing the mountains thereon to tremble.
तत्र सा राक्षसी घोरा जरानाम्नी सुविक्रमा। संदधे सा हि संजातं जरासंधमरिंदमम्॥
There was a terrible Rakshasi, by name Jara, possessed of dreadful mighty. She, O monarch, had put together the different parts of Jarasandha's body and therefore was the latter so named.
द्वाभ्यां जातो हि मातृभ्यामर्धदेहः पृथक् पृथक्। जरया संधितो यस्माजरासंधस्ततोऽभवत्॥
From two mothers, the two halves of his body come out separately. And in consequence of those two halves being united by that Rakshasi, he was called Jarasandha.
सा तु भूमिं गता पार्थ हता ससुतबान्धवा। गदया तेन चास्त्रेण स्थूणाकर्णेन राक्षसी॥
That Rakshasi, that was then within bowels of the death, was slain with her sons and relatives, O son of Pritha, by means of that mace and that weapon Sthanuharana.
विनाभूत: स गदया जरासंधो महामृधे। निहतो भीमसेनेन पश्यतस्ते धनंजय॥
Deprived of that mace of his Jarasandha was slain in a fierce encounter by Bhimasena even before your very eyes O Dhananjaya!
यदि हि स्याद् गदापाणिर्जरासंधः प्रतापवान्। सेन्द्रा देवा न तं हन्तुं रणे शक्ता नरोत्तम॥
Had the puissant Jarasandha been then armed with his mace then, O foremost of men, even the celestials, with Indra at their head, could not have succeeded in slaying him in battle.
त्वद्धितार्थं च नैषादिरङ्गुष्ठेन वियोजितः। द्रोणेनाचार्यकं कृत्वा छद्मना सत्यविक्रमः॥
For your good also was the mighty son of the Nishadhas, deprived, by a guileful means, of his thuinb, by Drona who assumed the position of his preceptor.
स तु बद्धाङ्गुलित्राणो नैषादिर्दृढविक्रमः। अतिमानी वनचरो बभौ राम इवापरः॥
That prince of the Nishadas of resolute prowess with his finger-protectors tied round them, used to rove in the forest, swelling with his own pride, like a second Rama.
एकलव्यं हि साङ्गुष्ठमशक्ता देवदानवाः। सराक्षसोरगाः पार्थ विजेतुं युधि कर्हिचित्॥
Retaining the use of his thumb Akalavya could not have been defeated in battle by the Danavas, the celestials, the Rakshasas and the serpents, all united together in battle.
किमु मानुषमात्रेण शक्य:स्यात् प्रतिवीक्षितुम्। दृढमुष्टिः कृती नित्यमस्यमानो दिवानिशम्॥
Of firm grasp, accomplished in the use of weapons, incessantly shooting his weapons, he could not have been looked at by mere men?
त्वद्धितार्थं तु स मया हतः संग्राममूर्धनि। चेदिराजश्च विक्रान्तः प्रत्यक्षं निहतस्तव॥
For your good, he was slain by me in the van of battle. The powerful ruler of the Chedis was also slain before your very eyes.
स चाप्यशक्यः संग्रामे जेतुं सर्वसुरासुरैः। वधार्थं तस्य जातोऽहमन्येषां च सुरद्विषाम्॥
He also was incapable of being conquered in battle by the celestials and the Asuras. I suffered this birth only for slaughtering him and other such molesters of the gods.
त्वत्सहायो नरव्याघ्र लोकानां हितकाम्यया। हिडिम्बवककिर्मीरा भीमसेनेन पातिताः॥
With your aid, in order to achieve the word's welfare, O foremost of men, Hidimba and Vaka and Krimitra had all been slain by Bhimasena.
रावणेन समप्राणा ब्रह्मयज्ञविनाशनाः। हतस्तथैव मायावी हैडिम्बेनाप्यलायुधः॥
Also Alayudha, possessed of potent powers of illusion, has been slain by Hidimva's son. All other Rakshasas, brave like Karna and destroyers of the Brahma, sacrifice, have also been slain.
हैडिम्बश्चाप्युपायेन शक्त्या कर्णेन घातितः। यदि ह्येनं नाहनिष्यत् कर्णः शक्त्या महामृधे॥
Through our tactics Karna used that Sakti of his in felling the son of Hidimba. If on the other hand, Karna had not slain this Rakshasa by his Sakti.
मया वध्योऽभविष्यत् स भैमसेनिर्घटोत्कचः। मया न निहतः पूर्वमेष युष्पत्प्रियेप्सया॥
Then it would have been my (painful) duty to slay Bhimasena's son Ghatotkacha. It was only for pleasing you that I did not slay him before.
एष हि ब्राह्मणद्वेषी यज्ञद्वेषी च राक्षसः। धर्मस्य लोप्ता पापात्मा तस्मादेष निपातितः॥
This Rakshasa was a contumner of the Brahmanas and a destroyer of sacrifices; this wicked-souled one inimical to the performance of sacrifices and therefore has he been slain thus.
व्यंसिता चाप्युपायेन शक्रदत्ता मयानघ। ये हि धर्मस्य लोप्तारो वध्यास्ते मम पाण्डव॥
O sinless one, through our tactics the Sakti given to him by Shakra has been also rendered useless. O son of Pandu, those who destroy righteousness are all slayable by me. was
कार्यः धर्मसंस्थापनार्थं हि प्रतिज्ञैषा ममाव्यया। ब्रह्म सत्यं दमः शौचं धर्मो ह्रीः श्रीकृतिः क्षमा॥ यत्र तत्र रमे नित्यमहं सत्येन ते शपे। न विषादस्त्वया कर्ण वैकर्तनं प्रति॥
This vow has been taken for establishing righteousness. Where there are the Vedas, truth, self-control, purity, righteousness, humility, prosperity, wisdom and forbearance, there I am also to be found. You need not now be at all anxious about the slaughter of Karna.
उपदेक्ष्याम्युपायं ते येन ते प्रसहिष्यसि। सुयोधनं चापि रणे हनिष्यति वृकोदरः॥
I shall tell you the means through which you shall be able to slay Karna. Vrikodara also will slay Suyodhana in battle.
तस्यापि च वधोपायं वक्ष्यामि तव पाण्डव। वर्धते तुमुलस्त्वेष शब्दः परचमूं प्रति॥
O son of Pandu, I shall also tell you the means by which that one's slaughter will be compassed. But now, the tumult of the hostile cry is increasing every moment.
विद्रवन्ति च सैन्यानि त्वदीयानि दिशो दश। लब्धलक्ष्या हि कौरव्या विधमन्ति चमू तव। दहत्येष च वः सैन्यं द्रोणः प्रहरतां वरः॥
Your own troops also are flying away in all the ten directions of compass; the Kaurava warriors, having reached their aim, are now killing your troops. Yonder indeed does Drona, that foremost of smiters, consume our ranks.