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.
तत्रापि च महाराज सविशेषमहं ततः। अस्त्रपूगेन महता रणे भूतमवाकिरम्
There, O great king, I then especially assailed that being in battle with a mighty array of weapons.
स्थूणाकर्णमथो जालं शरवर्षं शरोल्वणम्। शलभास्त्रमश्मवर्षं समास्थायाहमभ्ययाम्
Then, employing the Sthuna-karna, the Jala, a fierce shower of arrows, the Shalabha, and the Ashma-varsha weapons, I advanced.
जग्रास प्रसभं तानि सर्वाण्यस्त्राणि मे नृप। तेषु सर्वेषु जग्धेषु ब्रह्मास्त्रं महदादिशम्
O king, that being forcibly devoured all my weapons; when all of them were consumed, I invoked the great Brahma weapon.
ततः प्रज्वलितैर्बाणैः सर्वतश्चोपचीयत। उपचीयमानश्च तदा महास्त्रेण व्यवर्धत
Then, as blazing arrows gathered from all sides, that being increased in strength as it was assailed by the mighty weapon.
ततः संतापिता लोका मत्प्रसूतेन तेजसा। क्षणएन हि दिशः स्वं च सर्वतो हि विदीपितं
Then, the worlds were scorched by the energy that arose from me; in a moment, all directions and my own self were illuminated.
तदप्यस्त्रं महातेजाः क्षणेनैव व्यशामयत्। ब्र्हमास्त्रे तु हते राजन्भयं मां महदाविशत्
Yet that being of great brilliance extinguished even that weapon in an instant; O king, when the Brahma weapon was destroyed, great fear seized me.
ततोऽहं धनुरादाय तथाऽक्षय्ये महेषुधी। सहसाऽभ्यहनं भूतं तान्यप्यस्त्राण्यभक्षयत्
Then, taking up my bow and inexhaustible quivers, I suddenly struck that being, but it devoured those weapons as well.
एतेष्वस्त्रेषु भूतेन भक्षितेष्वायुधेषु च। मम तस् च भूतस्य बाहुयुद्धमवर्तत
When that being had consumed these weapons and arms, a hand-to-hand combat ensued between me and that being.
व्यायामं मुष्टिभिः कृत्वा तलैरभिसमाहतौ। अपायच्च तद्भूतमहं चापातयं महीम्
Exerting ourselves with fists and striking with open hands, I brought that being down and hurled it to the ground.
ततः प्रहस्य तद्भूतं तत्रैवान्तरधीयत। सह स्त्रीभिर्महाराज पश्यतो मेऽद्भुतोपमम्
Then, laughing, that being vanished right there, together with its women, O great king, before my very eyes, in a most wondrous manner.