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.
तत्राद्भुता क्षतजसिन्धुरुवाह घोरा वृन्देभ्य एव गजवीरतुरङ्गमाणाम् । त्रासावहा नयनमार्गगता नराणां पापात्मनां रविजमार्गभवेव कामम्
There, the dreadful river of blood flowed, carried by the groups of heroic elephants and horses, terrifying those wicked men who saw it, as if it were the path of the sun, desired by them.
कीर्णानि भिन्नपुलिने नरमस्तकानि केशावृतानि च विभान्ति यथैव सिन्धौ । तुम्बीफलानि विहितानि विहर्तुकामै- र्बालैर्यथा रविसुताप्रभवैश्च नूनम्
The severed heads of men, covered with hair, were scattered on the broken banks and shone like gourds floating in the river, as if placed there by children eager to play, certainly illuminated by the sun's rays.
वीरं मृतं भुवि गतं पतितं रथाद्वै गृध्रः पलार्थमुपरि भ्रमतीति मन्ये । जीवोऽप्यसौ निजशरीरमवेक्ष्य कान्तं काङ्क्षत्यहोऽतिविवशोऽपि पुनः प्रवेष्टुम्
A dead hero, fallen to the earth from his chariot, is circled above by a vulture seeking flesh; even the soul, seeing its beloved body, longs intensely, despite its helplessness, to re-enter it.
आजौ हतोऽपि नृवरः सुविमानरूढः स्वाङ्के स्थितां सुरवधूं प्रवदत्यभीष्टम् । पश्याधुना मम शरीरमिदं पृथिव्यां बाणाहतं निपतितं करभोरु कान्तम्
Even though slain in battle, the noble king, mounted in a splendid celestial chariot, addresses his beloved goddess seated on his lap: 'Behold now my body, struck by arrows and fallen to the earth, O fair-armed beloved.'
एको हतस्तु रिपुणैव गतोऽन्तरिक्षं देवाङ्गनां समधिगम्य युतो विमाने । तावत्प्रिया हुतवहे सुसमर्प्य देहं जग्राह कान्तमबला सबला स्वकीया
One, slain by his enemy, ascended alone to the sky, joined by a celestial maiden in a chariot; after offering his body to the fire, his beloved, accompanied by her attendants, took hold of him.
युद्धे मृतौ च सुभटौ दिवि सङ्गतौ ता- वन्योन्यशस्त्रनिहतौ सह सम्प्रयातौ । तत्रैव जघ्नतुरलं परमाहितास्त्रा- वेकाप्सरोऽर्थविहतौ कलहाकुलौ च
In battle, two valiant warriors, slain together by each other's weapons, departed jointly to heaven; there, they fiercely fought again, employing powerful weapons, and an apsaras intervened, agitated by the quarrel.
कश्चिद्युवा समधिगम्य सुराङ्गनां वै रूपाधिकां गुणवतीं किल भक्तियुक्तः । स्वीयान् गुणान्प्रविततान्प्रवदंस्तदाऽसौ तां प्रेमदामनुचकार च योगयुक्तः
A certain youth, having attained a celestial maiden of surpassing beauty and virtue, devotedly praised his own qualities before her, and, united in yoga, engaged lovingly with her.
भौमं रजोऽतिविततं दिवि संस्थितञ्च रात्रिं चकार तरणिञ्च समावृणोद्यत् । मग्नं तदेव रुधिराम्बुनिधावकस्मात् प्रादुर्बभूव रविरप्यतिकान्तियुक्तः
The earth's dust spread far and wide, and in the sky, night enveloped the sun; suddenly, that same dust became a sea of blood, and the sun appeared, endowed with extraordinary brilliance.
कश्चिद्गतस्तु गगनं किल देवकन्यां सम्प्राप्य चारुवदनां किल भक्तियुक्ताम् । नाङ्गीचकार चतुरो व्रतनाशभीतो यास्यत्ययं मम वृथा ह्यनुकूलशब्दः
Someone, having gone to the sky, indeed encountered a divine maiden—her face lovely, devoted in heart. Fearing the loss of his vows, he did not embrace her, thinking: 'This favorable word of hers will go in vain for me.'
सङ्ग्रामे संवृते तत्र युधाजित्पृथिवीपतिः । जघान वीरसेनं तं बाणैस्तीव्रैः सुदारुणैः
When battle was joined there, King Yudhajit struck down Virasena with fierce and terrible arrows.