Bhagavata Purana

अर्जुन उवाच । कृष्ण कृष्ण महाबाहो भक्तानामभयङ्कर । त्वमेको दह्यमानानां अपवर्गोऽसि संसृतेः

Arjuna said: O Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, mighty-armed one, you alone are the remover of fear for your devotees; you are the deliverance from burning suffering in this cycle of birth and death.

त्वमाद्यः पुरुषः साक्षाद् ईश्वरः प्रकृतेः परः । मायां व्युदस्य चिच्छक्त्या कैवल्ये स्थित आत्मनि

You are the original person, the direct Lord, transcendent over nature; casting aside illusion by your power of consciousness, you remain established in the Self, in oneness.

स एव जीवलोकस्य मायामोहितचेतसः । विधत्से स्वेन वीर्येण श्रेयो धर्मादिलक्षणम्

You alone, by your own strength, bestow the highest good, marked by dharma and other virtues, upon the living beings whose minds are deluded by your māyā.

तथायं चावतारस्ते भुवो भारजिहीर्षया । स्वानां चानन्यभावानां अनुध्यानाय चासकृत्

Thus, this incarnation of yours has appeared on earth to relieve its burden, and repeatedly for the constant meditation of your own devoted ones.

किमिदं स्वित्कुतो वेति देवदेव न वेद्‌म्यहम् । सर्वतो मुखमायाति तेजः परमदारुणम्

What is this, and from where does it come, O God of gods? I do not know. From all sides, a most terrible and blazing energy approaches.

श्रीभगवानुवाच । वेत्थेदं द्रोणपुत्रस्य ब्राह्ममस्त्रं प्रदर्शितम् । नैवासौ वेद संहारं प्राणबाध उपस्थिते

The Blessed Lord said: Know this to be the Brahmāstra weapon unleashed by the son of Droṇa; he does not know how to withdraw it, as death approaches.

न ह्यस्यान्यतमं किञ्चिद् अस्त्रं प्रत्यवकर्शनम् । जह्यस्त्रतेज उन्नद्धं अस्त्रज्ञो ह्यस्त्रतेजसा

There is no other weapon that can counteract this; only another weapon of the same kind can neutralize its force, for only one skilled in weapons can subdue the energy of a weapon with another.

सूत उवाच । श्रुत्वा भगवता प्रोक्तं फाल्गुनः परवीरहा । स्पृष्ट्वापस्तं परिक्रम्य ब्राह्मं ब्राह्माय संदधे

Sūta said: Hearing the words of the Blessed Lord, Arjuna, destroyer of enemy heroes, circumambulated, touched water, and invoked the Brahmāstra to counter the Brahmāstra.

संहत्य अन्योन्यं उभयोः तेजसी शरसंवृते । आवृत्य रोदसी खं च ववृधातेऽर्कवह्निवत्

The energies of both weapons, meeting and enveloped by arrows, covered the earth and sky, growing like the fire of the sun.

दृष्ट्वास्त्रतेजस्तु तयोः त्रिँल्लोकान् प्रदहन्महत् । दह्यमानाः प्रजाः सर्वाः सांवर्तकममंसत

Seeing the blazing energy of those weapons burning the three worlds, all beings, being scorched, thought it was the fire of destruction.

प्रजोपप्लवमालक्ष्य लोकव्यतिकरं च तम् । मतं च वासुदेवस्य संजहारार्जुनो द्वयम्

Observing the turmoil among the people and the disturbance in the worlds, and recalling Vāsudeva's instruction, Arjuna withdrew both weapons.

तत आसाद्य तरसा दारुणं गौतमीसुतम् । बबंधामर्षताम्राक्षः पशुं रशनया यथा

Then, swiftly approaching the fierce son of Gautamī, his eyes red with anger, Arjuna bound him with ropes as one binds an animal.

शिबिराय निनीषन्तं रज्ज्वा बद्ध्वा रिपुं बलात् । प्राहार्जुनं प्रकुपितो भगवान् अंबुजेक्षणः

As he was dragging the enemy, bound with ropes, intending to take him to the camp, the lotus-eyed Lord, enraged, spoke to Arjuna.

मैनं पार्थार्हसि त्रातुं ब्रह्मबंधुमिमं जहि । यो असौ अनागसः सुप्तान् अवधीन्निशि बालकान्

"O Pārtha, do not spare this one! Kill this so-called brāhmaṇa, who, though a brāhmaṇa in name, slew innocent, sleeping children at night."

मत्तं प्रमत्तमुन्मत्तं सुप्तं बालं स्त्रियं जडम् । प्रपन्नं विरथं भीतं न रिपुं हन्ति धर्मवित्

One who knows dharma does not kill an enemy who is intoxicated, distracted, insane, asleep, a child, a woman, helpless, surrendered, unarmed, or afraid.

स्वप्राणान्यः परप्राणैः प्रपुष्णात्यघृणः खलः । तद् वधस्तस्य हि श्रेयो यद् दोषाद्यात्यधः पुमान्

The wicked person, devoid of compassion, who sustains his own life by destroying the lives of others—his death is truly better, for by such sin a man falls down.

प्रतिश्रुतं च भवता पाञ्चाल्यै श्रृण्वतो मम । आहरिष्ये शिरस्तस्य यस्ते मानिनि पुत्रहा

And you promised to Draupadī, in my hearing, 'I will bring the head of that arrogant slayer of your sons.'

तदसौ वध्यतां पाप आतताय्यात्मबंधुहा । भर्तुश्च विप्रियं वीर कृतवान् कुलपांसनः

Therefore, let this sinful one be slain—he is an aggressor, a killer of kin, and has committed a vile act displeasing to his master, bringing disgrace to his lineage.

सूत उवाच । एवं परीक्षता धर्मं पार्थः कृष्णेन चोदितः । नैच्छद् हन्तुं गुरुसुतं यद्यप्यात्महनं महान्

Sūta said: Thus, while Arjuna was examining dharma and urged by Kṛṣṇa, he did not wish to kill the son of his teacher, though he was a great offender.

अथोपेत्य स्वशिबिरं गोविंदप्रियसारथिः । न्यवेदयत् तं प्रियायै शोचन्त्या आत्मजान् हतान्

Then, returning to his own camp, the charioteer dear to Govinda reported to his grieving wife, who mourned her slain sons.

(वंशस्थ) तथाहृतं पशुवत्पाशबद्धं अवाङ्मुखं कर्मजुगुप्सितेन । निरीक्ष्य कृष्णापकृतं गुरोः सुतं वामस्वभावा कृपया ननाम च

Seeing the son of his teacher brought like an animal, bound with ropes, his face turned downward in shame for his deed, and deprived of his glory by Kṛṣṇa, Kṛpī, tender by nature, bowed with compassion.

(अनुष्टुप्) उवाच चासहन्त्यस्य बंधनानयनं सती । मुच्यतां मुच्यतां एष ब्राह्मणो नितरां गुरुः

Unable to bear seeing him bound and led, the faithful wife said, 'Release him, release him! He is a brāhmaṇa, truly a guru.'

सरहस्यो धनुर्वेदः सविसर्गोपसंयमः । अस्त्रग्रामश्च भवता शिक्षितो यदनुग्रहात्

The secret science of archery, with its use and withdrawal, and the array of weapons—all this you learned from him by his favor.

स एष भगवान् द्रोणः प्रजारूपेण वर्तते । तस्यात्मनोऽर्धं पत्‍न्याः ते नान्वगाद् वीरसूः कृपी

That same venerable Droṇa now exists in the form of his son; half of himself remains in Kṛpī, the mother who bore this heroic child.

तद् धर्मज्ञ महाभाग भवद्‌भिः र्गौरवं कुलम् । वृजिनं नार्हति प्राप्तुं पूज्यं वन्द्यमभीक्ष्णशः

Therefore, O knower of dharma, O great one, your noble family, honored and revered, should not incur infamy through such an act.

मा रोदीदस्य जननी गौतमी पतिदेवता । यथाहं मृतवत्साऽर्ता रोदिम्यश्रुमुखी मुहुः

Let his mother Gautamī, devoted to her husband, not weep as I, with a face wet with tears, have wept again and again for my dead sons.

यैः कोपितं ब्रह्मकुलं राजन्यैरजितात्मभिः । तत् कुलं प्रदहत्याशु सानुबंधं शुचार्पितम्

If the brāhmaṇa lineage is angered by unruly kṣatriyas, that lineage quickly destroys them and their kin, even if they are pure.

सूत उवाच । धर्म्यं न्याय्यं सकरुणं निर्व्यलीकं समं महत् । राजा धर्मसुतो राज्ञ्याः प्रत्यनंदद् वचो द्विजाः

Sūta said: The son of Dharma, the king, accepted the queen's words, which were righteous, just, compassionate, honest, and impartial, O brāhmaṇas.

नकुलः सहदेवश्च युयुधानो धनंजयः । भगवान् देवकीपुत्रो ये चान्ये याश्च योषितः

Nakula, Sahadeva, Yuyudhāna, Dhanañjaya, the divine son of Devakī, and the others, both men and women, were present there.