MAHABHARATA - DEATH OF PANDU, TRAINING OF KAURAVAS AND PANDAVAS IN ARCHERY UNDER DRONA
॥ आदिपर्व ॥
Death of Pandu, Training of Pandavas and Kauravas in archery under Drona.
सुपुष्पितवने काले कदाचिन्मधुमाधवे।
भूतसंमोहने राजा सभार्यो व्यचरद्वनम्॥
Once, in spring time when forests were in full bloom and (all) beings were entranced, king Pandu wandered in the forest with his wife.
तं माद्र्यनुजगामैका वसनं बिभ्रती शुभम्।
तत एनां बलाद्राजा निजग्राह रहोगताम्॥
Wearing bright attire Madri, herself alone, was following him. The king then seized her forcibly in private.
स तया सह संगम्य युयुजे कालधर्मणा ।
ततो माद्र्यब्रवीत् [राजन्] आर्ता कुन्तीमिदं वचः।
’नाहं त्वमिव पुत्राणां समर्था धारणे तथा।
साऽहं भर्तारमन्विष्ये देवी मामनुमन्यताम्’ ॥
Sorrow-stricken, Madri then told Kunti these words: “ I am not so capable as you are of fostering sons. I therefore follow my husband; let your ladyship give me leave”
मूर्ध्न्युपाघ्राय बहुशः पार्थानात्मसुतौ तदा।
हस्ते युधिष्ठिरं गृह्य माद्री वाक्यमभाषत ॥
Kissing the son of Kunti and her own two sons many times on their foreheads and taking Yudhishthira’s hand, Madri spoke these words:
“कुन्ती माता अहं धात्री युष्माकं तु पिता मृतः।
युधिष्ठिरः पिता ज्येष्ठश्चतुर्णां धर्मतस्सदा ॥“
“Kunti is your mother; I am your nurse; your father is dead. According to Dharma, Yudhishthira, the eldest, is the father for you for all time.
“वृद्धाद्युपासनासक्तास्सत्यधर्मपरायणाः।
तादृशा न विनश्यन्ति नैव यान्ति पराभवम् |
तस्मात्सर्वे कुरुध्वं वै गुरुवृत्तिमतन्द्रिताः ॥’
“ Such as are devoted to the service of their elders and adhere to Truth and Right, never come to grief, never get humiliation. Therefore, all of you, serve your elder diligently”
नमस्कृत्य चिताग्निस्थं धर्मपत्नी नरर्षभं ।
मद्रराजसुता तूर्णमन्वारोहद्यशस्विनी॥
Bowing to that best of men, Pandu, lying then on the funeral pyre, his devoted wife, the distinguished daughter of the Madra king, mounted the pyre quickly.
पाण्डोरुपरमं दृष्ट्वा देवकल्पा महर्षयः।
भीष्माय पाण्डवान्दातुं तानादाय प्रतस्थिरे॥
Seeing the death of Pandu, the godlike sages (in the forest there) set out, taking the sons of Pandu, to entrust them to Bhishma.
ततः क्षत्ता च भीष्मश्च व्यासो राजा च बन्धुभिः।
ददुश्श्राद्धं तदा पाण्डोर्भोजयित्वा सहस्रशः ॥
Then, Vidura, Bhishma, Vyasa and Dhritarashtra, along with their relatives, offered the manes’ obsequial oblation to Pandu, and feasted people by the thousands.
अथाप्तवन्तो वेदोक्तान् संस्कारान्पाण्डवास्तदा।
धार्तराष्ट्रैश्च सहिताः क्रीडन्तो मुदितास्सुखम् ॥
Undergoing then the purificatory rites mentioned in the Vedas, the sons of Pandu lived happily, playing in joy along with the sons of Dhritarashtra.
बालक्रीडासु सर्वासु विशिष्टास्तेजसाऽभवन्।
In all juvenile sports, the sons of Pandu distinguished themselves by their might.
शतमेकोत्तरं तेषां कुमाराणां महौजसाम्।
एक एव निगृह्णाति नातिकृच्छ्राद्वृकोदरः ॥
Those hundred and one sons of great valour (of Dhritarashtra), Bhima overpowers single-handed, without much difficulty.
ततोबलमतिख्यातं धार्तराष्ट्रः प्रतापवान्।
भीमसेनस्य तज्ञात्वा दुष्टभावमदर्शयत्।
नित्यमेवान्तरप्रेक्षी भीमस्यासीन्महात्मनः ॥
Knowing then the very celebrated strength of Bhimasena, the powerful son of Dhritarashtra (Duryodhana) showed evil feelings.
He was always on the look out for an opportune moment to harm the mighty Bhima.
प्रमाणकोट्यां संसुप्तं गङ्गायां प्राक्षिपज्जले।
उदतिष्ठद्बलात् भूयस्तत्रैव प्रास्वपद्बली॥
He threw into the water Bhima who was sleeping at (the place called) Pramanakoti on the Ganges; but the mighty Bhima emerged by virtue of his strength and slept again in the same place.
सुप्तं चापि पुनस्सर्पैस्तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्रैर्महाविषैः।
कुपितैर्दंशयामास प्रबुद्धस्तानपोथयत्॥
And again, as Bhima was sleeping, Duryodhana caused furious, highly poisonous and sharp-toothed serpents to bite him; but waking up, Bhima killed all the serpents.
वलनेन सहामन्त्र्य सौबलस्य मते स्थितः।
भोजने भीमसेनस्य ततः प्राक्षेपयद्विषम्।
तच्चापि भुक्त्वाऽजरयदविकारो वृकोदरः ॥
Plotting with (an ally) Valana and in accordance with (his uncle) Sakuni’s advice, Duryodhana then caused poison to be thrown into Bhima’s food. And that also, Bhima ate and digested without being affected.
पाण्डवा ह्यपि तत्सर्वं प्रत्यजानन्नरिन्दमाः।
उद्भावनमकुर्वन्तो विदुरस्य मते स्थिताः ॥
And the Pandavas themselves who could subdue their enemies, knew all this, but abiding by Vidura’s advice, they did not reveal their awareness.
ततो द्रोणः पाण्डुपुत्रानस्त्राणि विविधानि च।
ग्राहयामास दिव्यानि मानुषाणि च वीर्यवान् ॥
The valorous Drona then taught the sons of Pandu (the use of)
manifold missiles, divine and human.
राजपुत्रास्तथा चान्ये समेत्य [भरतर्षभ]।
अभिजग्मुस्ततो द्रोणमस्त्रार्थे द्विजसत्तमम् ॥
Other princes also approached in large numbers that best of Brahmins, Drona, for (learning) (the use) of missiles.
स्पर्धमानस्तु पार्थेन सूतपुत्रोऽत्यमर्षणः।
अभ्ययात्स ततो द्रोणं धनुर्वेदचिकीर्षया ॥
Vying with Arjuna, Karna, the very irascible son of the Charioteer (named adhiratha), approached Drona then for learning the science of archery,
सर्वेषामेव शिष्याणां बभूवाभ्यधिकोऽर्जुनः।
अर्जुनः परमं यत्नमातिष्ठद्गुरुपूजने।
अस्त्रे च परमं योगम्, आह चैनं पुनर्गुरुः।
भविता त्वत्समो नान्यः पुमान् लोके धनुर्धरः ॥
Arjuna was far superior to all other pupils; he took the greatest effort in the service of his preceptor and had the utmost concentration on the practising of the missiles. And his teacher told him again: “There shall be no archer equal to you in the world”
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