Parva 2 Chapter 13: dhenukavadhaḥ - Elimination of Dhenuka

vaiśaṁpāyana said: (O janamejaya!) After kṛṣṇa had subjugated the king of serpents in the lake of yamunā , the two brothers, rāma (balarāma) and keshava (kṛṣṇa), often wandered in that area together. ājagmatustau sahitau godhanaiḥ saha gominau | giriṁ govardhanaṁ ramyaṁ vasudevasutāvubhau ||2-13-2 One day, both sons of vasudeva, followed by cows and cow tenders, came near the beautiful govardhana hill. govardhanasyottarato yamunātīramāśritam | dadṛśāte ca tau vīrau ramyaṁ tālavanaṁ mahat||2-13-3 There, to the north of govardhana and on the banks of yamunā, the two heroes (vīra) found a large, beautiful forest of palm trees. tau tālaparṇapratate ramye tālavane ratau | ceratuḥ paramaprītau vṛṣapotāvivoddhatau||2-13-4 In that beautiful forest of palm trees, covered by palm leaves, they wandered happily like two calves. sa tu deśaḥ sadā snigdho loṣṭhapāṣāṇavarjitaḥ | darbhaprāyasthalībhūtaḥ sumāhānkṛṣṇamṛttikaḥ ||2-13-5 That place was always cool. There was no clay or stones. The land was covered with darbha grass. The soil in that forest was black. tālaistairvipulaskandhairucchritaiḥ śyāmaparvabhiḥ | phalāgraśākhibhirbhāti nāgahastairivocchritaiḥ ||2-13-6 The trunks of palm trees were huge, tall and black. With branches full of fruit, the trees looked like a herd of elephants standing with their trunks raised high. tatra dāmodaro vākyamuvāca vadatāṁ varaḥ | aho tālaphalaiḥ pakvairvāsiteyaṁ vanasthalī ||2-13-7 There, dāmodara (kṛṣṇa), great among speakers, spoke these words (to balarāma): The forest is full of the fragrance of ripe palm fruits. svādūnyārya sugandhīni śyāmāni rasavanti ca | pakvatālāni sahitau pātayāmo laghukramau ||2-13-8 The black, aromatic palm fruits must be tasty and juicy. Both of us should quickly try to fell the ripe palm fruits. yadyeṣāmīdṛśo gandho mādhuryaghrāṇatarpaṇaḥ | rasenāmṛtakalpena bhavitavyaṁ ca me matiḥ ||2-13-9 If the fruit is having such a fragrance, sweet to smell, I think that its juice must be tasting like nectar. dāmodaravacaḥ śrutvā rauhiṇeyo hasanniva | pātayanpakvatālāni cālayāmāsa tāṁstarūn ||2-13-10 Hearing the words of dāmodara (kṛṣṇa), the son of rohiṇī (balarāma) smiled. The young man started shaking the trees to fell the ripe palm fruits. tattu tālavanaṁ nṝṇāmasevyaṁ duratikramam | nirmāṇabhūtamiriṇaṁ puruṣādālayopamam ||2-13-11 That forest of palms was not used by men. It was not possible for men to enter it. Like the residences of demons, it was deserted by human beings. dāruṇo dhenuko nāma daityo gardabharūpadhṛk | kharayūthena mahatā vṛtaḥ samanusevate ||2-13-12 A terrible daitya named dhenuka in the form of an ass, always surrounded by a large herd of asses, was living there. sa tu tālavanaṁ ghoraṁ gardabhaḥ parirakṣati | nṛpakṣiśvāpadaganāṁstrāsayānaḥ sudurmatiḥ ||2-13-13 That forest of palm trees was protected by the terrible ass. The wicked demon did not allow any men, birds or animals to enter it. tālaśabdaṁ sa taṁ śrutvā saṁghuṣṭaṁ phalapātanāt | nāmarṣayatsa saṁkruddhastālasvanamiva dvipaḥ ||2-13-14 He heard the sound of palm trees being shaken to fell the fruits. Like an angry elephant, he did not tolerate the sound of the palm (fruits falling down). śabdānukārī saṁkruddho darpāviddhasaṭānanaḥ | stabdhākṣo heṣitapaṭuḥ khurairnirdārayanmahīm ||2-13-15 Following the sound, the angry daitya went. His face with mane was full of pride. With bulged eyes and erect body hair, the terrible ass tore the earth with his hooves without any pity. āviddhapuccho hṛṣito vyāttānana ivāntakaḥ | Apatanneva dadṛśe rauhiṇeyamupasthitam ||2-13-16 He came shaking his raised tail and head with wide open mouth, like death. When he arrived, he saw the son of rohiṇī standing there. tālānāṁ tamadho dṛṣṭvā sa dhvajākāramavyayam | rauhiṇeyaṁ kharo duṣṭaḥ so'daśaddaśanāyudhaḥ ||2-13-17 Under the palm trees, he saw the indestructible balarāma, standing like a (tall) flag. The wicked ass using his teeth as weapon, bit the son of rohiṇī (balarāma). padbhyāmubhābhyāṁ ca punaḥ paśchimābhyāṁ parāṅmukhaḥ | jaghānorasi daityendro rauhiṇeyaṁ nirāyudham ||2-13-18 Then the king of daitya-s, turning his back and facing west, kicked with his hind legs on the chest of the unarmed son of rohiṇī (balarāma). tābhyāṁeva sa jagrāha padbhyāṁ taṁ daityagardabham | āvarjitamukhaskandhaṁ prerayaṁstālamūrdhani ||2-13-19 Then balarāma caught the hind legs of the ass - daitya, whirled him round and struck his head and neck on to the palm trees. saṁmagnorukaṭigrīvo bhagnapṛṣṭho durākṛtiḥ | kharastālaphalaiḥ sārdhaṁ papāta dharaṇītale||2-13-20 Thus the demon's head, neck, back and thighs were broken. The deformed body of the demon fell on earth along with palm fruits. taṁ gatāsuṁ gataśrīkaṁ patitaṁ vīkṣya gardabham | jṣātīṁstathāparāṁstasya tṛṇarājani so'kṣipat ||2-13-21 Seeing that the ass has fallen down losing his vigour and life, the other asses immediately attacked balarāma. sā bhūrgardabhadehaiścha tālaiḥ pakvaishcha pātitaiḥ | babhāse channajaladā dyaurivāvyaktaśāradī ||2-13-22 balarāma threw those asses also on the palm trees. They fell on earth along with palm fruits and the entire forest area was covered with dead bodies of the asses, like the sky covered with dark clouds. tasmingardabhadaitye tu sānuge vinipātite | ramyaṁ tālavanaṁ taddhi bhūyo ramyataraṁ babhau ||2-13-23 When the daitya ass was killed along with his followers, that beautiful tāla forest became more beautiful. vipramuktamayaṁ śubhraṁ viviktākāradarśanam | caranti sma sukhaṁ gāvastattālavanamuttamam ||2-13-24 All fear of going to that beautiful tāla forest was dispelled. Its deserted regions could be seen by all. The cows could comfortably wander in that beautiful forest. tataḥ praviṣṭāste sarve gopā vanavicāriṇaḥ | vītaśokabhayāyāsāśchaṣcūryante samantataḥ ||2-13-25 Afterwards, the cow tenders who walk in the forest entered the tāla forest. All their fear and apprehensions were dispelled and they started moving there. tataḥ sukham prakīrṇāsu goṣu nāgendravikramau | drumaparṇāsanaṁ kṛtvā tau yathārhaṁ niṣīdatuḥ ||2-13-26 As the cows were grazing happily in the forest, the two elephant kings, (kṛṣṇa and rāma) made seats of tree leaves and sat down comfortably. iti śrīmahābhārate khileshu harivaṁśe viṣṇuparvaṇi śiśucaryāyāṁ dhenukavadhe trayodaśo'dhyāyaḥ Thus this is the thirteenth chapter of viṣṇuparva of harivaṁśa, khila of śrimahābhārata, elimination of dhenuka. nīlakaṇṭha commentary atha trayodaśo'dhyāye dhenukasyocyate vadhaḥ | baladevena taccakre kṣemaṁ tālavanaṁ yathā || 1 || "damite" ityadhyāye "samindragarddabhaṁ samṛṇetyamuṁ" mantramupabṛṁhayati - he indra garddabhaṁ samṛṇa mārayeti mantrapādārthaḥ || · 2-13-5 sa desho bhātītyuttarasthenānanvyaḥ || · 2-13-8 laghukramau śīghrakriyau || · 2-13-10 nirmāṇabhūtaṁ sārabhūtaṁ | "nirmāṇaṁ nirmitau sāre" iti medinī | athāpi "iriṇaṁ tūṣare śūnye" iti medinī || · 2-13-14 tālasvanaṁ āsphoṭanadhvanīm || · 2-13-15 darpāviddhasaṭānanaḥ madenāviddhā bhrāmitāḥ saṭāḥ kesarā yasmin tathābhūtaṁ ānanaṁ yasya || · 2-13-16 āviddhaṁ ūrdhvīkṛtaṁ puccaṁ yena || · 2-13-19 tābhyāṁ tayoreva padayorjagrāha āvarjitaṁ bhrāmitaṁ mukhaskandhaṁ yasya || iti ś-rīharivaṁśe viṣṇuparvaṇi tīkāyāṁ trayodaśo'dhyāya ||