खङ्गः कोशान्निःसरति प्रसन्नो हित्वेव जीर्णासुरगस्त्वचं स्वाम्। ध्वजे वाचो रौद्ररूपा भवन्ति कदा रथो योक्ष्यते ते किरीटिन्
My sword gleams as it slips from its sheath, just as a serpent sheds its worn skin; on the banner, fierce words appear—when will your chariot be yoked, O diademed one?
गोमायुसङ्घाश्च नदन्ति रात्रौ रक्षांस्यथो निष्पतन्त्यन्तरिक्षात्। मृगाः श्रृगालाः शितिकण्ठाश्च काका गृध्रा बकाश्चैव तरक्षवश्च
Packs of jackals howl at night, demons descend from the sky, beasts, jackals, blue-necked crows, vultures, cranes, and wild dogs are seen.
सुवर्णपत्राश्च पतन्ति पञ्चा- दृष्ट्वा रथं श्वेतहयप्रयुक्तम् । अहं ह्येकः पार्थिवान्सर्वयोधान् शरान्वर्पन्मृत्युलोकं नयेयम्
Golden-winged birds fall in fives when they see the chariot drawn by white horses; indeed, I alone could send all the kings and warriors to the realm of death with my arrows.
समादेदानः पृथगस्त्रमार्गा- न्यथाप्रिरिद्धो गहनं निदाघे। स्थूणाकर्णं पाशुपतं महास्त्रं ब्राह्मं चास्त्रं यच्च शक्रोऽप्यदान्मे
Taking up separately the various paths of weapons, as one enters a dense forest in the hot season, I possess the mighty Śiva weapon, the Brahma weapon, and that which even Śakra gave me.
वधे धृतो वेगवतः प्रमुञ्च- न्नाहं प्रजाः किञ्चिदिहावशिष्ये । शान्तिं लप्स्ये परमो ह्येप भावः स्थिरो मम ब्रूहि गावल्गणे तान्
If, intent on destruction, I unleash these swift weapons, I would leave no living beings here; yet, supreme peace is my resolve—tell them this, O Gāvalgaṇa.
ये वैजय्याः समरे सूत लब्ध्वा देवानपीन्द्रग्रमुखान्समेतात्। तैर्मन्मते कलहं संप्रसह्य स धार्तराष्ट्रः पश्यत मोहमस्य
Those who are truly victorious in battle, O charioteer, having overcome even the gods led by Indra, with them, in my view, let the conflict be waged—see the delusion of the Dhārtarāṣṭra.
वृद्धो भीष्मः शान्तनवः कृपश्च द्रोणः सपुत्रो विदुरश्च धीमान्। एते सर्वे यद्वदन्ते तदस्तु आयुष्मन्तः कुरवः सन्तु सर्वे
Let whatever Bhīṣma, son of Śāntanu, the aged one, Kṛpa, Droṇa with his son, and wise Vidura say, so be it; may all the Kauravas live long.
समवेतेषु सर्वेषु तेषु राजसु भारत। दुर्योधनमिदं वाक्यं भीष्मः शान्तनवोऽब्रवीत्
When all those kings had assembled, Bhīṣma, son of Śāntanu, spoke these words to Duryodhana.
बृहस्पतिश्चोशना च ब्रह्माणं पर्युपस्थितौ। मरुतश्च सहेन्द्रेण वसवश्चाग्रिना सह
Bṛhaspati and Uśanas approached Brahmā; the Maruts with Indra, and the Vasus with Agni.
आदित्याश्चैव साध्याश्च ये च सप्तर्पयो दिवि। विश्वावसुश्च गन्धर्वः शुभाश्चाप्सरसां गणाः
The Ādityas and Sādhyas, and the seven Ṛṣis of heaven, Viśvāvasu the Gandharva, and the auspicious hosts of Apsarases.
नमस्कृत्योपजग्मुस्ते लोकवृद्धं पितामहम् । परिवार्य च विश्वेशं पर्यासत दिवौकसः
Having bowed, they came near the ancient patriarch of the worlds; and surrounding the Lord of all, the celestials stood.
तेषां मनश्च तेजश्चाप्याददानाविवौजसा । पूर्वदेवौ व्यतिक्रान्तौ नरनारायणावृषी
While those beings, taking the mind and energy of the assembly, the two ancient sages, Nara and Nārāyaṇa, surpassed them.
बृहस्पतिस्तु पप्रच्छ ब्रह्माणं काविमाविति। भवन्तं नोपतिष्ठेते तौ नः शंस पितामह
Bṛhaspati asked Brahmā, the poet: 'Why do those two not approach you? Tell us, O Grandfather.'
यावेतौ पृथिवीं द्यां च भासयन्तौ तपस्विनौ। ज्वलन्तौ रोचमानौ च व्याप्यातीतौ महाबलौ
As long as those two ascetics, shining and blazing, fill earth and heaven with their radiance, having surpassed them with great might.
नरनारायणावेतौ लोकाल्लोकं समास्थितौ । ऊर्जितौ स्वेन तपसा महासत्वपराक्रमौ
Those two, Nara and Nārāyaṇa, have established themselves from world to world, empowered by their own austerity, possessing great strength and valor.
एतौ हि कर्मणा लोकं नन्दयामासतुर्ध्रुवम् । द्विधाभूतौ महाप्राज्ञौ विद्धि ब्रह्मन्परन्तपौ । असुराणां विनाशाय देवगन्धर्वपूजितौ
Indeed, by their deeds, those two have surely delighted the world; know, O Brahman, that the two mighty sages, honored by gods and Gandharvas, became two for the destruction of the Asuras.
जगाम शक्रस्तच्छ्रत्वा यत्र तौ तेपतुस्तपः । सार्धं देवगणैः सर्वैर्बृहस्पतिपुरोगमैः
Hearing this, Śakra went to where those two were practicing austerity, together with all the hosts of gods, led by Bṛhaspati.
तदा देवासुरे युद्धे भये जाते दिवौकसाम्। अयाचत महात्मानौ नरनारायणौ वरम्
Then, when fear arose among the celestials in the battle of gods and demons, they requested the great-souled Nara and Nārāyaṇa for a boon.
तावब्रूतां वृणीष्वेति तदा भरतसत्तम। अथैतावब्रवीच्छकः साह्यं नः क्रियतामिति
Those two said, 'Choose,' at that time, O best of Bharatas; then Śakra replied, 'Let us be aided.'
ततस्तौ शक्रमब्रूतां करिष्यावो यदिच्छसि। ताभ्यां च सहितः शक्रो विजिग्ये दैत्यदानवान्
Then those two said to Śakra, 'We will do as you wish'; and with them, Śakra conquered the Daityas and Dānavas.
नर इन्द्रस्य संग्रामे हत्वा शत्रून्परन्तपः । पौलोमान्कालखञ्जांश्च सहस्राणि शतानि च
Nara, the destroyer of foes, in Indra's battle, slew the enemies—the Paulomas, Kālakhañjas, by the hundreds and thousands.
एष भ्रान्ते रथे तिष्ठन्भल्लेनापाहरच्छिरः। जम्भस्य ग्रसमानस्य तदा ह्यर्जुन आहवे
Standing on a confused chariot, he struck off the head of Jambha, who was devouring, then Arjuna in the battle.
एष पारे समुद्रस्य हिरण्यपुरमारुजत्। हत्वा षष्टिं सहस्राणि निवातकवचान्रणे
He crossed the ocean and attacked Hiraṇyapura, having slain sixty thousand Nivātakavacas in battle.
एष देवान्सहेन्द्रेण जित्वा परपुरञ्जयः। अतर्पयन्महाबाहुरर्जुनो जातवेदसम्
He, Arjuna, conqueror of enemy cities, together with Indra, defeated the gods, and satisfied Jātavedas with his mighty arms.
नारायणस्तथैवात्र भूयसोऽन्याञ्जघान ह। एवमेतौ महावीर्यौ तौ पश्यत समागतौ
Likewise, Nārāyaṇa slew many others; thus these two mighty heroes have come together—behold them.
वासुदेवार्जुनौ वीरौ समवेतौ महारथौ । नरनारायणौ देवौ पूर्वदेवाविति श्रुतिः
Vāsudeva and Arjuna, the two heroic, great chariot-warriors, united; Nara and Nārāyaṇa, the divine pair, the ancient gods—so it is heard.
अजेयौ मानुषे लोके सेन्द्रैरपि सुरासुरैः । एष नारायणः कृष्णः फाल्गुनश्च नरः स्मृतः। नारायणो नरश्चैव सत्त्वमेकं द्विधा कृतम्
Unconquerable in the world of men, even by gods and demons with Indra, this is Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa; and Phālguna is known as Nara. Nārāyaṇa and Nara are indeed one essence, divided in two.
एतौ हि कर्मणा लोकानश्रुवातेऽक्षयान्ध्रुवान्। तत्रतत्रैव जायेते युद्धकाले पुनःपुनः
These two, by their actions, protect the worlds—imperishable and eternal. Again and again, they are born in times of battle.
तस्मात्कर्मैव कर्तव्यमिति होवाच नारदः । एतद्धि सर्वमाचष्ट वृष्णिचक्रस्य वेदवित्
Therefore, only action must be performed—so declared Nārada. All this was explained by the knower of the Veda among the Vṛṣṇis.
शङ्खचक्रगदाहस्तं यदा द्रक्ष्यसि केशवम्। पर्याददानं चास्त्राणि भीमधन्वानमर्जुनम्
When you see Keśava holding the conch, discus, and mace, and Arjuna, the mighty archer, stringing his bow and taking up his weapons—