Parva 3 Chapter 121: ubhayasainyayoḥ puṣkaratīrthapraveśaḥ - both armies enter the battlefield

vaiśampāyana said: O king! (O janamejaya!) Afterwards, haṁsa and ḍimbhaka proceeded towards puṣkara, taking up great bows along with chariots having flagstaffs. puraḥsaramahābhūtau saṁharantāvivolbaṇau | prakurvantau siṁharavaṁ bhasmanā parilepitau ||3-121-2 In front of them there were two fierce great bhūta-s, roaring like lions, with their bodies smeared all over with ashes, appearing as if they were ready for destruction. tripuṇḍrakalalāṭāntau rudrākṣapariśobhitau | anyau dvāviva rudrau tau lokasaṁhārakārakau ||3-121-3 Three lines of ashes (tripuṇḍraka) spread fully across their foreheads. They sparkled with the rudra (shiva) - eyed (rudrākṣa) berries of Elaeocarpus Ganitrus. They appeared like other two rudra-s (shiva) about to destroy the whole world. tato'nujagmuḥ śataśaḥ sainyāni nṛpasattama | akṣauhiṇyo daśaivāsamstayoratha samāgatāḥ ||3-121-4 Then, O the best among kings! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) hundreds of armies followed, consisting of all the ten akṣauhiṇi-s of them who had assembled. (Note 1) vicakrastu mahārāja dānavo nagasannibhaḥ | tayoreva sakhā pūrvamāsīccha balaśālinoḥ ||3-121-5 O great king! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued): The giant son of danu, vicakra, comparable to a mountain, is a friend of them (haṁsa and ḍimbhaka) who are powerful. śakro yasya puraḥsaraḥ sthātuṁ shakto na vajrabhṛt | yo hi vīro mahārāja devadaityasamāgame ||3-121-6 O great king! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued): Even śakra, the wielder of vajra will not be able to stand in front of vicakra, in the battle between the deva-s and the sons of diti. devānnighnaṁstathā rājandevendramajayanmahān | akaroccha purā yuddhaṁ viṣṇunā prabhaviṣṇunā ||3-121-7 O king! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued): The great vicakra defeated deva-s and conquered indra. He also fought with viṣṇu, the splendorous viśṇu before. yo hi dvāravatīṁ prāpya babādhe yadupuṅgavān | He went to the city of doors (dvāraka) and attacked the prominent yādavas. sa tadānīṁ mahārāja śrutvā yuddhamupasthitam ||3-121-8 anekaśatasāhasrairdānavaiḥ parighāyudhaiḥ | vṛtaḥ samabhavaddaityo vṛṣṇidveṣānnṛpottama ||3-121-9 O great king! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) Hearing that the battle is approaching, along with many hundreds and thousands of sons of danu, armed with iron clubs, vicakra arrived, O the best among kings, (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued), surrounded by the sons of diti, due to his hatred of vṛṣṇis. haṁsasya ḍimbhakasyātha sāhāyyaṁ kartumudyataḥ | vicakrasyātha daityasya hiḍimbo rākṣaseśvaraḥ ||3-121-10 atīva mitratāṁ yāto dadyātprāṇāṁścha saṁyati | hiḍimba, the lord of rākṣasa-s, who is ready to give his life in the battle, is the best friend of vicakra, the son of diti who was ready to help haṁsa and ḍimbhaka. rākṣasairaparaiḥ sārdhaṁ śilāśūlāsipāṇibhiḥ ||3-121-11 yayau tasya sahāyārthaṁ hiḍimbaḥ puruṣādapaḥ | Along with other rākṣasa-s, who were carrying rocks and spears and holding swords in their hands, hiḍimbha, the man-eater, went to help vicakra. aṣṭāśīti sahasrāṇi rākṣasāstasya cābhavan ||3-121-12 anuyātā mahārāja śilāparighabāhavaḥ | O great king! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) There were eighty-eight thousand rākṣasa-s, who were following, holding rocks and iron clubs in their hands. tayostatra mahāsainyaṁ gacchatoḥ keśavaṁ prati ||3-121-13 miśritaṁ daityasaṅghaiścha rākśasaiścha samantataḥ | atyadbhutaṁ mahāraudraṁ trailokyabhayadāyakam ||3-121-14 As the great army with the groups of the sons of diti mixed with rākṣasa-s all over, proceeded towards keshava (kṛṣṇa), it appeared, most stunning and highly terrible, giving fear to all the three worlds. daityena sahitau tau hi jagmatuḥ puṣkaraṁ prati | tāvetau haṁsaḍimbhakau hantuṁ keśavamaṣjasā ||3-121-15 Both haṁsa and ḍimbhaka proceeded quickly to puṣkara to kill keshava (kṛṣṇa). tataḥ śrutvā jarāsaṁdho vigrahaṁ yadubhiḥ saha | nākaronnṛpasāhāyyaṁ pāpaṁ me bhaviteti ha ||3-121-16 gacchatoḥ samitiṁ rājanhaṁsasya ḍimbhakasya ca | Then king jarāsaṁdha heard about the impending battle (of haṁsa and ḍimbhaka) with yādavas. But O king! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued), he did not help haṁsa and ḍimbhaka, who were going to the battle field, considering that he will incur sin (see nīlakaṇṭha commentary). atitvaritavikrāntāste yayuḥ puṣkaraṁ prati ||3-121-17 siṁhanādaṁ vimuṣchantaḥ kathayantaḥ parasparam | They proceeded to puṣkara, walking with fast steps, roaring like lions and speaking to each other. ahameva nṛpā yuddhaṁ karomi prathamaṁ hareḥ ||3-121-18 ityabruvannṛpā rājaṣchataśaḥ keśavaṁ prati | O king! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) Hundreds of kings told haṁsa and ḍimbhaka about keshava (kṛṣṇa) thus: O kings! I shall fight first with hari (kṛṣṇa). saṁprāptāste nṛpaśreṣṭhāḥ puṣkaraṁ puṇyavardhanam ||3-121-19 munijuṣṭaṁ tapovṛddhairṛṣibhiścha niṣevitam | Those best among kings reached puṣkara, which is resided by sages having wealth of penance and great sages, which increases the merit of those arriving there. atyantabhadraṁ lokeṣu puṣkaraṁ prathamaṁ nṛpa ||3-121-20 O king! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) puṣkara is foremost among the most auspicious places in the world. puṣkaraṁ puṇḍarikākṣo dvāveva jagatīpate | darśanātsparśanāccaiva kilbiṣaccedinau nṛpa ||3-121-21 O the lord of the world (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) There are two items, puṣkara and the lord having the eyes as prosperous as the lotus of creation (viṣṇu), O king (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued ), which on seeing and touching will destroy the roots of all sins. puṣkaraṁ puṇḍarikākṣau dvāveva nṛpasattama | sevyamānau muniśreṣṭhairamaraughairmahātmabhiḥ ||3-121-22 O the best among kings! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) The two items, puṣkara and the lord having the eyes as prosperous as the lotus of creation (viṣṇu) are worshipped by the great souls, the best sages and the groups of deva-s dvāveva hi nṛpaśreṣṭha sarvapāpapraṇāśakau | tāvubhau yatra sahitau tatra te samsthitā nṛpāḥ ||3-121-23 O the best among kings! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) There are only two items (puṣkara and viṣṇu), capable of destroying all sins. All the kings assembled at the place where both were present, dṛṣṭavantau hariṁ viṣṇuṁ viṣṭaraśravasaṁ paraṁ | puṣkaraṁ puṇyanilayaṁ tīrthaṁ brahmaniṣevitaṁ ||3-121-24 and saw the most divine lord viṣṇu, hari as well as the abode of merit, the holy place puṣkara, served by those who know brahma. tābhyāṁ kuru namaskāraṁ manasā nṛpasattama | O the best among kings! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) Pay obeisance to both mentally. aho niḥśeṣamabhavattatra bhūyo na saṁśayaḥ ||3-121-25 sainyaṁ tatra ca saṁprāptaṁ daityarakṣaḥsamākulam | Alas! There is no doubt that the entire army, the army full of the sons of diti and rākṣasa-s which assembled there, was destroyed completely. anekabherīpaṇavajharjharīḍiṇḍimākulam ||3-121-26 nānāpaṇavasaṁmiśraṁ rakṣonādavināditam | pravishya sarasastīraṁ puṣkarasya viśāṁpate | darśayāmāsa deveśaṁ yuddhāya samupasthitam ||3-121-27 O the lord of earth! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) The army along with with many kettle drums, cymbals and varieties of drums such as jharjharī and ḍiṇḍima andmany varieties of cymbals and shouts by rākṣasa-s arrived on the banks of lake puṣkara and saw the lord of gods (kṛṣṇa) who was there for battle. iti śrīmābhārate khileṣu harivaṁśe bhaviṣyaparvaṇi yuddhārthaṁ haṁsaḍimbhakasainyānāṁ puṣkarāgamane ekaviṁśtyadhikaśatatamo'dhyāyaḥ This is the one hundred and twenty first chapter of bhaviṣyaparva, harivaṁśa, khila of mahābhārata, in the episode of haṁsa and ḍimbhaka, both armies enter the battlefield Note 1: Each akṣauhiṇi has 21870 elephants, 21870 chariots, 65610 horses, and 109350 foot soldiers nīlakaṇṭha commentary · 3-121-1 atheti || · 3-121-3 puraḥ sarau ca tau mahābhūtau cheti vigrahaḥ || · 3-121-6 purasaraḥ purogamī | visargalopaḥ pūrvapade ārṣaḥ || · 3-121-10 yo hi purā vṛtaḥ samabhavatsa eva vicakraḥ tasya vicakrasya vṛtasya mitratāṁ yāto hiḍimbo nāma rākṣaseśvara iti yojanā || · 3-121-15 daityena vicakrena tena hiḍimbena || · 3-121-16 nṛpasahāyyaṁ haṁsaḍimbakayoḥ sāhāyyaṁ vigrahamiti tābhyāṁ saha ca śāpaḥ parāsaktaḥ pareṇa hantavya iti śastrātikramajo doṣaḥ || · 3-121-26 tābhyā kuru namaskāraṁ iti vaiśampāyanadivyadṛṣṭyā tamapyarthaṁ vartaṁ mānavatpaśyan janamejayaṁ prerayati | janamejaye tādṛśaṁ śabdajanya parokṣaṁ jṣānaṁ saṁbhāvayan kathāmevānusaṁdhate - sainyamiti | sainyaṁ kartṛ | deveśaṁ darśayāmāsa | ayaṁ kṛṣṇo'ya kṛṣṇa ityanyonyaṁ darśayāmāsetyarthaḥ | dvayoḥ saṁbandhaḥ | iti śrīmahābhārate khileṣu harivamshe bhaviṣyaparvaṇi ṭīkāyāṁ hamsaḍimbakopākhyāne ekaviṁśatyadhikaśatatamo'dhyātaḥ ||