अभिवादयमानं तं मूर्ध्न्युपाघ्राय पाण्डवम्। हर्षगद्गदया वाचा प्रहृष्टोऽर्जुनमब्रवीत्
As Arjuna bowed to him, the king, overcome with joy, embraced the Pandava, kissed his head, and spoke to him in a voice choked with happiness.
कथमर्जुन कालोऽयं स्वर्गे रव्यतिगतस्तव। कथं चास्त्राण्यवाप्तानि देवराजश्च तोषितः
How, Arjuna, did your time in heaven pass? How did you obtain the weapons, and how was the king of the gods pleased?
सम्यग्वा ते गृहीतानि कच्चिदस्त्राणि पाण्डव। कच्चित्सुराधिपः प्रीतो रुद्रश्चास्त्राण्यदात्तव
Were the weapons properly received by you, O Pandava? Was the lord of the gods pleased, and did Rudra give you his weapons?
यथा दृष्टश्च ते शक्रो भगवान्वा पिनाकधृत्। यथैवास्त्राण्यवाप्तानि यथैवाराधिताश्च ते
Tell me how you saw Shakra and the blessed bearer of the Pinaka bow, how you obtained the weapons, and how you worshipped them.
यथोक्तवांस्त्वां भगवाञ्शतक्रतुररिंदम। कृतप्रियस्त्वयाऽस्मीति तस्य ते किं प्रियं कृतम्
As the blessed wielder of a hundred sacrifices told you, O subduer of foes, 'I am pleased by you'—what act of yours pleased him?
एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं विस्तरेण महाद्युते। यथा तुष्टो महादेवो देवराजस्तथाऽनघ
O radiant one, I wish to hear in detail how Mahadeva and the king of the gods were satisfied by you, O sinless one.
यच्चापि वज्रपाणेस्तु प्रियं कृतमरिंदम। एतदाख्याहि मे सर्वमखिलेन धनंजय
And what act was done to please the wielder of the thunderbolt, O subduer of foes? Tell me all this completely, O Dhananjaya.
शृणु हन्त महाराज विधिना येन दृष्टवान्। शतक्रतुमहं देवं भगवन्तं च शंकरम्
Listen, O great king, to how, by the proper means, I saw Shatakratu, the god, and the blessed Shankara.
विद्यामधीत्य तां राजंस्त्वयोक्तामरिमर्दन। भवता च समादिष्टस्तपसे प्रस्थितो वनम्
Having studied that knowledge as you instructed, O subduer of enemies, and having been ordered by you, I set out for the forest to undertake austerities.
भृगुतुन्दमथो गत्वा काम्यकादास्थितस्तपः। एकरात्रोषितः कंचिदपश्यं ब्राह्मणं पथि
Then, after going to Bhṛgutunda from Kamyaka and engaging in austerities, I spent a single night there and saw a certain Brahmin on the path.
स मामपृच्छत्कौन्तेय क्वासि गन्ता ब्रवीहि मे। तस्मा अवितथं सर्वमब्रवं कुरुनन्दन
He asked me, 'O son of Kunti, where are you going? Tell me.' To him, O joy of the Kurus, I truthfully told everything.
स तथ्यं मम तच्छ्रुत्वा ब्राह्मणो राजसत्तम। अपूजयत मां राजन्प्रीतिमांश्चाभवन्मयि
Hearing my truthful words, that Brahmin, O best of kings, honored me, O king, and became well-disposed toward me.
ततो मामब्रवीत्प्रीतस्तप आतिष्ठ भारत। तपस्वी नचिरेण त्वं द्रक्ष्यसे विबुधाधिषम्
Then, pleased, he said to me, 'Undertake austerity, O descendant of Bharata; being austere, you will soon see the lord of the gods.'
ततोऽहं वचनात्तस्य गिरिमारुह्य शैशिरम्। तपोऽतप्यं महाराज मासं मूलफलाशनः
Then, following his words, O great king, I ascended the Shishira mountain and performed austerities for a month, subsisting on roots and fruits.
द्वितीयश्चापि मे मासो जलं भक्षयतो गतः। निराहारस्तृतीयेऽथ मासे पाण्डवनन्दन
My second month passed consuming only water; in the third month, O joy of the Pandavas, I remained without any food.
ऊर्ध्वबाहुश्चतुर्थं तु मासमस्मि स्थितस्तदा। न च मे हीयते प्राणस्तदद्भुतमिवाभवत्
With arms raised, I stood thus for the fourth month; yet my life did not diminish, which seemed truly wondrous.
पञ्चमे त्वथ संप्राप्ते प्रथमे दिवसे गते। वराहसंस्थितं भूतं मत्समीपं समागमत्
When the fifth month arrived and the first day had passed, a being in the form of a great boar approached me.
निघ्नन्प्रोथेन पृथिवीं विलिखंश्चरणैरपि। संमार्जञ्जठरेणोर्वीं विवर्तंश्च मुहुर्मुहुः
Striking the earth with its snout, scraping with its feet, sweeping the ground with its belly, and turning about again and again.
अनु तस्यापरं भूतं महत्कैरातसंस्थितम्। धनुर्बाणासिमत्प्राप्तं स्त्रीगणानुगतं तदा
After it, another great being appeared, taking the form of a mighty Kirata, armed with bow, arrows, and sword, accompanied by a group of women.
ततोऽहं धनुरादाय तथाऽक्षय्ये महेषुधी। अताडयं शरेणाथ तद्भूतं रोमहर्षणम्
Then I took up my bow, the inexhaustible great bow, and struck that awe-inspiring being with an arrow.
युपत्तं किरातस्तु विकृष्य बलवद्धनुः। अभ्याजघ्ने दृढतरं कम्पयन्निव मेदिनीम्
The Kirata, having fastened his quiver, drew his strong bow and struck back with great force, as if shaking the earth.
सतु मामब्रवीद्राजन्मम पूर्वपरिग्रहः। मृगयाधर्ममुत्सृज्य किमर्थं ताडितस्त्वया
He then said to me, 'O king, this is my former claim; having abandoned the law of the hunt, why have you struck me?'
एष ते निशितैर्बाणैर्दर्पं हन्मि स्थिरो भव। संघर्षवान्महाकायस्ततो मामभ्यधावत
'With these sharp arrows I will destroy your pride; be steadfast!' The great-bodied, contentious one then rushed at me.
ततो गिरिमिवात्यर्थमावृणोन्मां महाशरैः। तं चाहं शरवर्षेण महता समवाकिरम्
Then, like a mountain, he covered me exceedingly with great arrows; and I, in turn, showered him with a mighty rain of arrows.
ततः शरैर्दीप्तमुखैर्यन्त्रितैरनु यन्त्रितैः। प्रत्यविध्यमहं तं तु वज्रैरिव शिलोच्चयम्
Then, with blazing, well-aimed arrows, I struck him repeatedly, as if with thunderbolts upon a mountain peak.
तस्य तच्छतधा रूपमभवच्च सहस्रधा। तानि चास्य शरीराणि शरैरहमताडयम्
His form then became a hundredfold, then a thousandfold; and I struck all those bodies with my arrows.
पुनस्तानि शरीराणि एकीभूतानि भारत। अदृश्यन्त महाराज तान्यहं व्यधमं पुनः
Again, those bodies, having become one, disappeared, O great king; and I struck them again.
अणुर्बृहच्छिरा भूत्वा बृहच्चाणुशिराः पुनः। एकीभूतस्तदा राजन्सोऽभ्यवर्तत मां युधि
Becoming small with a great head, and then large with a small head, he, unified, advanced against me in battle.
यदाऽभिभवितुं बाणैर्न च शक्नोमि तं रणे। ततो महास्त्रमातिष्ठं वायव्यं भरतर्षभ
When I could not overpower him with arrows in the fight, then, O best of Bharatas, I employed the mighty wind-weapon.
न चैनमशकं हन्तुं तदद्भुतमिवाभवत्। तस्मिन्प्रतिहते चास्त्रे विस्मयो मे महानभूत्
But I was unable to slay him, which was truly wondrous; and when that weapon was repelled, I was greatly astonished.