मृतः सिंहोऽपि तत्रैव भूपतिश्च तथा मृतः । सैनिकैर्मन्त्रिमुख्याश्च तत्रागत्य निवेदिताः
There, both the lion and the king died; the chief ministers and soldiers, having arrived, reported this.
परलोकगतं भूपं श्रुत्वा ते मन्त्रिसत्तमाः । संस्कारं कारयामासुर्गत्वा तत्र वनान्तिके
Hearing that the king had departed to the next world, the chief ministers went to the forest and performed his funeral rites.
परलोकक्रियां सर्वां वसिष्ठो विधिपूर्वकम् । कारयामास तत्रैव परलोकसुखावहम्
Vasiṣṭha performed all the rites for the afterlife there, according to prescribed rules, bringing happiness in the next world.
प्रजाः प्रकृतयश्चैव वसिष्ठश्च महामुनिः । सुदर्शनं नृपं कर्तुं मन्त्रं चक्रुः परस्परम्
The people, the ministers, and the great sage Vasiṣṭha together consulted among themselves to make Sudarśana king.
धर्मपत्नीसुतः शान्तः पुरुषश्च सुलक्षणः । अयं नृपासनार्हश्च ह्यब्रुवन्मन्त्रिसत्तमाः
They said, 'This son of the lawful wife is peaceful, virtuous, and possesses good qualities; he is worthy of the royal throne,' declared the foremost ministers.
वसिष्ठोऽपि तथैवाह योग्योऽयं नृपतेः सुतः । बालोऽपि धर्मवान् राजा नृपासनमिहार्हति
Vasiṣṭha also said likewise, 'This son of the king is fit; though young, he is righteous and deserves the royal seat here.'
कृते मन्त्रे मन्त्रिवृद्धैर्युधाजिन्नाम पार्थिवः । तत्राजगाम तरसा श्रुत्वा तूज्जयिनीपतिः
When the decision was made by the senior ministers, King Yudhājit, hearing of it, swiftly arrived there, being the lord of Ujjayinī.
मृतं जामातरं श्रुत्वा लीलावत्याः पिता तदा । तत्राजगाम त्वरितो दौहित्रप्रियकाम्यया
Hearing that his daughter's husband had died, the father of Līlāvatī then came there quickly, desiring the welfare of his grandson.
वीरसेनस्तथाऽऽयातः सुदर्शनहितेच्छया । कलिङ्गाधिपतिश्चैव मनोरमापिता नृपः
Vīrasena also came, wishing for Sudarśana's good, and the king of Kaliṅga, father of Manoramā, arrived as well.
उभौ तौ सैन्यसंयुक्तौ नृपौ साध्वससंस्थितौ । चक्रतुर्मन्त्रिमुख्यैस्तैर्मन्त्रं राज्यस्य कारणात्
Both those kings, accompanied by their armies and standing in anxiety, held a consultation with the chief ministers for the sake of the kingdom.
युधाजित्तु तदाऽपृच्छज्ज्येष्ठः कः सुततोर्द्वयोः । राज्यं प्राप्नोति ज्येष्ठो वै न कनीयान्कदाचन
Then Yudhājit asked, 'Which of the two sons is the elder? The elder alone obtains the kingdom; never the younger.'
वीरसेनोऽपि तत्राह धर्मपत्नीसुतः किल । राज्यार्हः स यथा राजन् शास्त्रज्ञेभ्यो मया श्रुतम्
Vīrasena then said there, 'The son of the lawful wife is indeed worthy of the kingdom, as I have heard from those learned in the scriptures, O King.'
युधाजित्पुनराहेदं ज्येष्ठोऽयं च यथा गुणैः । राजलक्षणसंयुक्तो न तथायं सुदर्शनः
Yudhājit replied again, 'This one is the elder and, by his qualities, possesses the marks of royalty; Sudarśana does not have them in the same way.'
विवादोऽत्र सुसम्पन्नो नृपयोस्तत्र लुब्धयोः । कः सन्देहमपाकर्तुं क्षमः स्यादतिसङ्कटे
A sharp dispute arose there between those two greedy kings; who could remove the doubt in such a difficult situation?
युधाजिन्मन्त्रिणः प्राह यूयं स्वार्थपराः किल । सुदर्शनं नृपं कृत्वा धनं भोक्तुं किलेच्छथ
Yudhājit said to the ministers, 'You are all self-interested; you wish to make Sudarśana king so you may enjoy the wealth.'
युष्माकं तु विचारोऽयं मया ज्ञातस्तथेङ्गितैः । शत्रुजित्सबलस्तस्मात्सम्मतो वो नृपासने
'I have understood your intention by your gestures; therefore, I approve Śatrujit, who has an army, for the royal seat.'
मयि जीवति कः कुर्यात्कनीयांसं नृपं किल । त्यक्त्वा ज्येष्ठं गुणार्हञ्च सेनया च समन्वितम्
'While I am alive, who would make the younger son king, abandoning the elder, who is worthy by his qualities and supported by the army?'
नूनं युद्धं करिष्यामि तस्मिन्खड्गस्य मेदिनी । धारया च द्विधा भूयाद्युष्माकं तत्र का कथा
'Surely I will wage war there; the earth will be split in two by the sword's power—what need is there to speak of you?'
वीरसेनस्तु तच्छ्रुत्वा युधाजितमभाषत । बालौ द्वौ सदृशप्रज्ञौ को भेदोऽत्र विचक्षण
Hearing this, Vīrasena said to Yudhājit, 'Both are young and equal in intelligence; what difference is there here, O wise one?'
एवं विवदमानौ तौ संस्थितौ नृपती तदा । प्रजाश्च ऋषयश्चैव बभूवुर्व्यग्रमानसाः
Thus, as those two kings argued, the people and the sages became anxious in their minds.
समाजग्मुश्च सामन्ताः ससैन्याः क्लेशतत्पराः । विग्रहञ्चाभिकाङ्क्षन्तः परस्परमतन्द्रिताः
The vassals, accompanied by their armies and intent on hardship, gathered together, each eagerly desiring conflict and remaining vigilant against one another.
निषादा ह्याययुस्तत्र शृङ्गवेरपुराश्रयाः । राजद्रव्यमपाहर्तुं मृतं श्रुत्वा महीपतिम्
The Nishadas, dwelling in Śṛṅgaverapura, arrived there, having heard that the king had died, intent on seizing the royal wealth.
पुत्रौ च बालकौ श्रुत्वा विग्रहं च परस्परम् । चौरास्तत्र समाजग्मुर्देशदेशान्तरादपि
Upon hearing that the king's sons were mere children and that there was mutual conflict, thieves from various regions also gathered there.
सम्मर्दस्तत्र सञ्जातः कलहे समुपस्थिते । युधाजिद्वीरसेनश्च युद्धकामौ बभूवतुः
A tumult arose there as strife broke out, and Yudhājit and Vīrasena, both eager for battle, became rivals.
मनोरमया भारद्वाजाश्रमं प्रति गमनम् व्यास उवाच संयुगे च सति तत्र भूपयोराहवाय समुपात्तशस्त्रयोः । क्रोधलोभवशयोः समं ततः सम्बभूव तुमुलस्तु विमर्दः
The journey toward the delightful Bhāradvāja hermitage.
संस्थितः स समरे धृतचापः पार्थिवः पृथुलबाहुयुधाजित् । संयुतः स्वबलवाहनादिकैराहवाय कृतनिश्चयो नृपः
Standing firm in the battlefield, the king Yudhājit, broad-armed and holding his bow, resolved upon combat, accompanied by his own forces, vehicles, and attendants.
वीरसेन इह सैन्यसंयुतः क्षात्रधर्ममनुसृत्य सङ्गरे । पुत्रिकात्मजहिताय पार्थिवः संस्थितः सुरपतेः समतेजाः
Vīrasena, surrounded by his army, stood in battle, adhering to the warrior's duty, his intent fixed on the welfare of his daughter's son, his radiance equal to that of the lord of the gods.
स बाणवृष्टिं विससर्ज पार्थिवो युधाजितं वीक्ष्य रणे स्थितञ्च । गिरिं तडित्वानिव तोयवृष्टिभिः क्रोधान्वितः सत्यपराक्रमोऽसौ
That king, filled with wrath and true valor, unleashed a shower of arrows upon Yudhājit, who stood firm in the fight, like a mountain struck by torrents of rain.
तं वीरसेनो विशिखैः शिलाशितैः समावृणोदाशुगमैरजिह्मगैः । चिच्छेद बाणैश्च शिलीमुखानसौ तेनैव मुक्तानतिवेगपातिनः
Vīrasena enveloped him with swift, straight, sharp arrows, and with his own arrows, cut down those released by Yudhājit, which fell with great speed.
गजरथतुरगाणां सम्बभूवातियुद्धं सुरनरमुनिसङ्घैर्वीक्षितञ्चातिघोरम् । विततविहगवृन्दैरावृतं व्योम सद्यः पिशितमशितुकामैः कामगृध्रादिभिश्च
A tremendous battle broke out among elephants, chariots, and horses, witnessed by assemblies of gods, men, and sages; the sky was suddenly filled with flocks of birds, drawn by the desire to consume flesh, such as vultures and others.