ततस् ते पापकर्माणो लोभोपहतचेतसः आभीरा मन्त्रयाम् आसुः समेत्यात्यन्तदुर्मदाः
Then those evil-doers, their minds overcome by greed, the Abhiras, gathered and conspired together, exceedingly arrogant.
अयम् एको ऽर्जुनो धन्वी स्त्रीजनं निहतेश्वरम् नयत्य् अस्मान् अतिक्रम्य धिग् एतत् क्रियतां बलम्
This lone Arjuna, armed with his bow, is leading away the women whose chiefs have been killed, surpassing us; shame, let force be used.
हत्वा गर्वसमारूढो भीष्मद्रोणजयद्रथान् कर्णादींश् च न जानाति बलं ग्रामनिवासिनाम्
Having slain Bhishma, Drona, Jayadratha, and Karna and others, he is filled with pride, yet he does not know the strength of the villagers.
बलज्येष्ठान् नरान् अन्यान् ग्राम्यांश् चैव विशेषतः सर्वान् एवावजानाति किं वो बहुभिर् उत्तरैः
He scorns all the other men, especially the strongest among the villagers; what use are many words to you?
ततो यष्टिप्रहरणा दस्यवो लोष्टहारिणः सहस्रशो ऽभ्यधावन्त तं जनं निहतेश्वरम् ततो निवृत्तः कौन्तेयः प्राहाभीरान् हसन्न् इव
Then the bandits, wielding clubs and hurling stones, in their thousands, rushed upon those people whose leaders had been slain; then Kaunteya withdrew and spoke to the Abhiras, as if laughing.
निवर्तध्वम् अधर्मज्ञा यदीतो न मुमूर्षवः
Turn back, you who do not know righteousness, if you do not wish to die.
अवज्ञाय वचस् तस्य जगृहुस् ते तदा धनम् स्त्रीजनं चापि कौन्तेयाद् विष्वक्सेनपरिग्रहम्
Disregarding his words, they seized the wealth and the women from Kaunteya, who was guarded by Vishvaksena.
ततो ऽर्जुनो धनुर् दिव्यं गाण्डीवम् अजरं युधि आरोपयितुम् आरेभे न शशाक स वीर्यवान्
Then Arjuna, mighty in battle, tried to string his divine bow Gandiva, ageless in war, but he could not.
चकार सज्जं कृच्छ्रात् तु तद् अभूच् छिथिलं पुनः न सस्मार तथास्त्राणि चिन्तयन्न् अपि पाण्डवः
With difficulty he made it ready, but again it became slack; Pandava did not recall the weapons, though he pondered.
शरान् मुमोच चैतेषु पार्थः शेषान् स हर्षितः न भेदं ते परं चक्रुर् अस्ता गाण्डीवधन्वना
Partha joyfully released arrows at them, but the rest did not cause any harm; the arrows from Gandiva's bow had no effect.
वह्निना चाक्षया दत्ताः शरास् ते ऽपि क्षयं ययुः युध्यतः सह गोपालैर् अर्जुनस्याभवत् क्षयः
Even the inexhaustible arrows given by Agni perished; fighting alongside the cowherds, Arjuna suffered defeat.
अचिन्तयत् तु कौन्तेयः कृष्णस्यैव हि तद् बलम् यन् मया शरसंघातैः सबला भूभृतो जिताः
Kaunteya reflected on Krishna's power, thinking, 'By my showers of arrows, kings with their armies were conquered.'
मिषतः पाण्डुपुत्रस्य ततस् ताः प्रमदोत्तमाः अपाकृष्यन्त चाभीरैः कामाच् चान्याः प्रवव्रजुः
As the Pandava watched, those excellent women were dragged away by the Abhiras, and others departed of their own will.
ततः शरेषु क्षीणेषु धनुष्कोट्या धनंजयः जघान दस्यूंस् ते चास्य प्रहाराञ् जहसुर् द्विजाः
When his arrows were exhausted, Dhananjaya struck the bandits with the tip of his bow; the twice-born laughed at his blows.
पश्यतस् त्व् एव पार्थस्य वृष्ण्यन्धकवरस्त्रियः जग्मुर् आदाय ते म्लेच्छाः समन्तान् मुनिसत्तमाः
Even as Partha watched, the women of the Vrishni and Andhaka clans were taken away by the mlecchas all around, O best of sages.
ततः स दुःखितो जिष्णुः कष्टं कष्टम् इति ब्रुवन् अहो भगवता तेन मुक्तो ऽस्मीति रुरोद वै
Then Jishnu, distressed, cried out, 'Alas, alas!' saying, 'Ah, by the Blessed One I have been forsaken,' and he wept.
तद् धनुस् तानि चास्त्राणि स रथस् ते च वाजिनः सर्वम् एकपदे नष्टं दानम् अश्रोत्रिये यथा
That bow, those weapons, that chariot, and those steeds—all were lost in a single instant, just as a gift is lost when given to one unlearned in the Vedas.
अहो चाति बलं दैवं विना तेन महात्मना यद् असामर्थ्ययुक्तो ऽहं नीचैर् नीतः पराभवम्
Alas, how powerful is fate! Because of that great soul's absence, I have become powerless and have been brought low, defeated by those of lesser worth.
तौ बाहू स च मे मुष्टिः स्थानं तत् सो ऽस्मि चार्जुनः पुण्येनेव विना तेन गतं सर्वम् असारताम्
Those arms, that fist of mine, that station, and I myself as Arjuna—all, without him, have lost their merit, just as virtue departs when its cause is gone.
ममार्जुनत्वं भीमस्य भीमत्वं तत्कृतं ध्रुवम् विना तेन यद् आभीरैर् जितो ऽहं कथम् अन्यथा
My Arjuna-hood and Bhima's might—surely, both were due to him; without him, how else could I have been defeated by the Abhiras?
इत्थं वदन् ययौ जिष्णुर् इन्द्रप्रस्थं पुरोत्तमम् चकार तत्र राजानं वज्रं यादवनन्दनम्
Thus speaking, Jishnu went to Indraprastha, the foremost city, and there installed as king Vajra, the joy of the Yadavas.
स ददर्श ततो व्यासं फाल्गुनः काननाश्रयम् तम् उपेत्य महाभागं विनयेनाभ्यवादयत्
There Phalguna beheld Vyasa, dwelling in the forest; approaching that illustrious one, he greeted him with reverence.
तं वन्दमानं चरणाव् अवलोक्य सुनिश्चितम् उवाच पार्थं विच्छायः कथम् अत्यन्तम् ईदृशः
Seeing him bowing at his feet, Vyasa, fully certain, spoke to Partha: 'How is it that your radiance has so utterly departed?'
अजारजोनुगमनं ब्रह्महत्याथवा कृता जयाशाभङ्गदुःखी वा भ्रष्टच्छायो ऽसि सांप्रतम्
Have you followed one who is aged or born low, or committed the sin of Brahmin-slaying? Or are you grieved by the shattering of your hope for victory, that your luster is now lost?
सांतानिकादयो वा ते याचमाना निराकृताः अगम्यस्त्रीरतिर् वापि तेनासि विगतप्रभः
Or perhaps you have refused the requests of the Santanikas and others, or indulged in forbidden women—thus your splendor has faded.
भुङ्क्ते प्रदाय विप्रेभ्यो मिष्टम् एकम् अथो भवान् किं वा कृपणवित्तानि हृतानि भवतार्जुन
Or, having given delicious food to Brahmins, have you yourself eaten it? Or, Arjuna, have your meager possessions been taken from you?
कच्चिन् न सूर्यवातस्य गोचरत्वं गतो ऽर्जुन दुष्टचक्षुर् हतो वापि निःश्रीकः कथम् अन्यथा
Arjuna, have you perhaps come under the gaze of the sun or wind? Or have you been struck by an evil eye, or slain someone wicked, that you are thus deprived of glory?
स्पृष्टो नखाम्भसा वापि घटाम्भःप्रोक्षितो ऽपि वा तेनातीवासि विच्छायो न्यूनैर् वा युधि निर्जितः
Or have you been touched by water from a nail, or sprinkled with water from a pot? Or have you been defeated in battle by those inferior, that you are so utterly bereft of radiance?
ततः पार्थो विनिःश्वस्य श्रूयतां भगवन्न् इति प्रोक्तो यथावद् आचष्ट विप्रा आत्मपराभवम्
Then Partha, sighing deeply, said, 'Revered one, listen,' and recounted to the sage, just as it happened, his own defeat.
यद् बलं यच् च नस् तेजो यद् वीर्यं यत् पराक्रमः या श्रीश् छाया च नः सो ऽस्मान् परित्यज्य हरिर् गतः
The strength, the energy, the valor, the prowess, the fortune, and the radiance we possessed—all of these left us when Hari departed.