Parva 3 Chapter 124: haṁsabalabhadrayoryuddham - hamsa - balarāma battle

vaiśampāyana said: (O janamejaya!) baladeva (rāma) of righteous soul, the best among archers, took up a bow and quickly shot ten arrows at haṁsa. taṁ pratyavidhyannārācairhaṁsaḥ paṣchabhirāśugaiḥ | tānantare halī cittvā nārācairdaśabhiḥ punaḥ ||3-124-2 In response, haṁsa shot five sharp fast moving arrows at baladeva. The one holding plough, balarāma, split them with ten sharp arrows. nārācenāśu vivyādha lalāṭe haṁsamojasā | balarāma shot a sharp arrow forcefully at the forehead of haṁsa. dṛḍhaṁ patansa nārācastasya saṁjṣāṁ samādade | rathopasthe ciraṁ sthitvā tūṇādbāṇaṁ samādade ||3-124-3 That forceful sharp arrow, striking forcefully, made haṁsa unconscious. He sat in the chariot for a long time and took up an arrow from the quiver. labdhvā haṁsaḥ sa saṁjṣāṁ tu viddhvā tena yadūttamam | siṁhavadvyanadadhaṁso devānvismāpayanraṇe ||3-124-4 Regaining his consciousness, haṁsa shot the best among the sons of yadu (balarāma) with that arrow. In the battle, haṁsa roared like a lion, making the gods wonderstruck. tataḥ kruddho halī viddhastena bāṇena mādhavaḥ | vamaṣchoṇitamatyuṣṇaṁ niḥiśvasaṁścha raṇājire ||3-124-5 Then, the holder of plough, balarāma, became angry. mādhava (balarāma) struck by the arrow, vomited highly warm blood and let off deep breaths in the battle field. lohitāviṣṭagātrastu kuṅkumārdra ivābhavat | With his body covered by blood, he became as though he was made wet by saffron (the pollen of the flowers of crocus sativus). nārācaiḥ śatasāhasrairardayāmāsa mādhavaḥ ||3-124-6 haṁsaṁ haṁsagatiṁ vīraṁ nīlavāsā halayudhaḥ | The valiant one, the one having plough as his weapon, the one wearing blue clothes, mādhava (balarāma) shot one hundred thousand sharp arrows at haṁsa, the one who flies fast like a swan. te muktā niśitā ghorā nārācāścha suvājinaḥ ||3-124-7 rathe dhvaje tathā cāpe cakre tūṇīdvaye nṛpa | patitāḥ sarvato rājanvyathāṁcaiva tathā daduḥ ||3-124-8 O king! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) The sharp and terrible arrows which were shot fast, fell all over the chariots, flags as well as bows, wheels and the quivers of both, and O king, (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued), created distress everywhere. tataḥ kruddho mahārāja haṁso vīryamadānvitaḥ | śareṇa halinaṁ viddhvā dhvajaṁ ciccheda kālavit ||3-124-9 Then O great king! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) haṁsa, having a false pride of valiance, became angry. haṁsa who is knowledgeable about time, shot arrows at the one having plough as his weapon (balarāma) and cut off his flags. śaraiścaturbhiraśvāṁścha sūtaṁ pretādhipaṁ dadau | He killed the four horses with four arrows and sent the charioteer to the king of the dead. tataḥ kruddho halī tasmai gadāṁ gṛhya mahāraṇe ||3-124-10 āpapāta mahābāhurhaṁsaṁ śeṣa iva shvasan | Then the one having plough as weapon (balarāma) became angry. He took up his mace in the great battle. Breathing like the serpent śeṣa, balarāma, the one having powerful arms, jumped at haṁsa. tathā rathaṁ dhvajaṁ cakramaśvānsūtaṁ halāyudhaḥ | babhṣja tilaśaḥ sarvaṁ nanāda ca punaḥ punaḥ ||3-124-11 The one having plough as weapon (balarāma), broke all the chariot, flag, wheels, horses and the charioteer, like the seeds of sesame and roared again and again. bhūyaścha gadayā haṁsaṁ cikṣepa ca balī kila | so'pi haṁso gadāṁ gṛhya rathāttasmādavāpatat ||3-124-12 Again the powerful one (balarāma) threw his mace at haṁsa. Then haṁsa also took up a mace and jumped out of his chariot. tatastau haṁsahalinau yuyudhāte mahāraṇe | mahārathau mahābāhū loke prathitatejsau ||3-124-13 Then haṁsa and the one having plough as his weapon (balarāma) fought a great battle. The great chariot fighters, having powerful arms, whose splendor is famous in the world, atyadbhutaṁ suvikrāntau parasparavadhaiṣiṇau | kṛtaśramau mahāyuddhe haṁsavikrāntagāminau ||3-124-14 having the most wonderful valiance, desiring to kill each other, having fought great battles, moving fast like swans, yathā devāsure yuddhe śakravṛtrau purāmbare | ubhau saṁsaktasarvāṅgau śoṇitena mahāraṇe ||3-124-15 fought like śakra (indra) and vṛtra fought against each other long ago in the sky in the battle between deva-s and asuras. In the great battle, the bodies of both were drenched with blood. atyantakhedinau yuddhe parasparabalena ha | Due to each other's strength, both were highly distressed in the battle. tatashcha dakṣiṇaṁ mārgaṁ balabhadro'nvagacchata ||3-124-16 savyaṁ tu haṁso rājendro vyagṛhṇātsvayameva hi | Then balabhadra took up the right side path and the indra of kings, haṁsa, himself took the path on the left side in the battle. pothayāṣcakraturyuddhe gadābhyāṁ gajavikramau ||3-124-17 yathāprāṇaṁ mahābāhū jaghnaturmaraṇāya tau | In the battle, those with the valiance of elephants, having powerful arms, struck each other with maces, intending to kill by the strikes atipravṛddhaṁ saṅgrāmaṁ devāsuraraṇopamam ||3-124-18 vidadhāte mahāraṅge paśyatāṁ tridivaukasām | As the gods were watching, both fought each other, a highly valiant battle, comparable to the battle between the deva-s and asuras. devāścha munayashcaiva vismayaṁ parijagmire ||3-124-19 aho kalvīdṛśaṁ yuddhaṁ dṛṣṭaṁ pūrvaṁ na ca shrutam | The gods and the sages, struck by wonder, said: Alas! We have neither seen nor heard about a terrible battle like this before. ityūcurvismayavaśāddevagandharvakinnarāḥ ||3-124-20 parasparakṛtotsāhau cakraturyuddhamuttamam | Saying this, the gods, gandharvas and kinnaras wondered. Generating enthusiasm on both sides, they encouraged the best among battles. atha haṁso mahāraṅge dakṣiṇaṁ dakṣiṇottamaḥ ||3-124-21 vyacaranmārgamatyarthaṁ savyaṁ tu balavān balaḥ | Then, in the great battle, haṁsa took up the best path on the right side and the powerful bala(rāma) took up the path on the left side. nikuṣcya jānunī pūrvaṁ cakraturgadayā bhṛśaṁ | raṇe raṇavidāṁ śreṣṭhau paśyatāṁ tridivaukasām ||3-124-22 Bending the knee forward, they, the best among the fighters, fought against each other in the battle with the maces, as the gods were watching. iti śrīmābhārate khileṣu harivaṁśe bhaviṣyaparvaṇi haṁsaḍimbhakopākhyāne haṁsabalabhadrayuddhe caturviṁśtyadhikaśatatamo'dhyāyaḥ This is the one hundred and twenty fourth chapter of bhaviṣyaparva, harivaṁśa, khila of mahābhārata, in the episode of haṁsa and ḍimbhaka, hamsa - balarāma battle nīlakaṇṭha commentary · 3-124-1 baladeva iti || · 3-124-7 suvājinaḥ supakṣāḥ || · 3-124-12 haṁsaṁ cikṣepa prajahāra | balī balarāmaḥ || īti śrīmahābhārate khileṣu harvaṁśe bhaviṣyaparvaṇi ṭīkāyāṁ haṁsaḍimbahkopākhyāne caturviṁśatyādhikaśatatamo'dhyāyaḥ