54. “This mountains, cool on account of breezes, bears screens in the form of the rows of clouds, white on account of absence of water, to the delight of the meritorious and exceedingly happy people who live on its peaks.
55. “Here, men engaged in yoga contemplation, who employ the means of purifying the mind such as [Sanskrit Text] ( Goodwill ) &c., and who, haying brought about the destruction of the [Sanskrit Text] ( sources of pain in the world ), have attained the [Sanskrit Text] ( a form of contemplation in which a [Sanskrit Text] tries to bring before his mind the gross form of the Eternal ), desire to keep off even the knowledge of the Purusha ( the Soul ) being different from Prakriti ( Nature ), although they have attained it already.
56. “Here, the rays of the sun falling, through the interstices between the leaves, on the emerald ground and making the collections of the minute particles visible ( lit., in which collections of the minute particles become visible or are clearly seen ), assume the beauty of the peacock’s neck bent low.
57. “Here, what woman will not bow to her lover to whom she could be easily drawn by the flight of bees commencing to sing to her-a flight of bees that is exceedingly dark, that never remains in one place, and that bears resemblance to the indistinct and sweet sound of the strings of a lute?
58. “Here, the peaks, bathed, by night, in a flood of water trickling from moonstones struck by the moonbeams, and heated, by day, with fires rising from the sun-stones, are, as it were, practising a very severe penance.
59. “On this ( mountain ), the great lakes, which have great abundance of water [ also, in which many monkey are ( described ) ] and which are beautiful, and which are agitated by the swift movement of wind [ also, which are made bold by the swift son of Wind ([Sanskrit Text]) ] bear resemblance to the words of Vâlmîki, which are [ ( 1 ) which have not left out [Sanskrit Text] and ( 2 ) in which female cranes are not separated from their mates ].
60. “Here joyful young elephants give now and again sweet yet terrible sounds in every direction. In every forest is seen a herd of Chamarî deer, and there shine forth the rays from the grounds of gold and gems.
61. “On this (mountain ), wind, who has obtained ( the pleasure of hearing ) songs by filling the cavities of bamboos, who has come in contact with the hairy bodies of Rallaka deer ( or blankets ), and who is perfumed by rubbing ( himself) against the musk deer, is attached to ( these ) regions ([Sanskrit Text]), just as a sensualist is addicted to the pleasures of sense ([Sanskrit Text])
62. Here, the clouds, who ward off the sun, to the great delight of youths, and who are clever in removing the fatigue caused by the exertion of the sport of cohabitation, make the pitch-dark day ( made pitch-dark by them ) think itself to be night.
63. “Here, this serpent, enraged with the ruttish elephant who broke this tree, his abode, always bent with flowers, is giving out virulent poisons.
64. “On the Himalaya, cold with snow, even S’iva sleeps enveloped in a garment of thick elephant’s skin, but even an utterly destitute person, dwelling on this mountain which is pleasant in all seasons, does not experience the least trouble from the pair of opposite conditions ( viz., heat and cold ).
65. “This mountain, with (by reason of) these crystal table-lands, having their middles dark with ( on account of ) the new line of woods, imitates the beauty of S’iva ( lit., who carries in his hand the trident ), whitened with the unguent of ashes, and wearing a waist-band of a serpent.
66. “Here, the Yâdavas, decked in ornaments of gold, with their fatigue of the day relieved by rivulets having, on both their sides, banka with waters containing full-blown lotuses, drink the delicious wine of the sugar-cane, and take off, in private, the garment from the body of their beloveds for sexual enjoyment.
67. “Here, the sun, though not facing them, puts young women, whose garments have been removed by their lovers, to shame, when his light, dispelling dense darkness, and falling on the silver-walls stainless as mirror, is constantly reflected on the caves of gold.
68. “When you have come as his guest, this high mountain is, as it were, rising hastily to greet you by means of clouds that imitate the beauty of the torrents on the summits, that are impelled by swift winds and (thus) rise up playfully, and that are as dark as the garment of Balarâma.”
Kiratarjuniya by Bharavi
Translated by Romesh Chunder Dutt
An epic poem in eighteen cantos, Kiratarjuniya was written in the sixth century or earlier and concerns the combat between Arjuna and lord Shiva at Indrakeeladri hills in present-day Vijayawada. Along with the Naisadhacarita and the Shishupala Vadha, it is one of the larger three of the six Sanskrit mahakavyas (great epics). The epic was popular among critics, with more than 42 commentaries written on it. Celebrated both for its gravity or depth of meaning, the text is also well regarded for its forceful and playful expressions.
The epic predominantly features the Vīra rasa (mood of valour), expanding upon a minor episode in the Vana Parva (Forest book) in the Mahabharata. It tells how, while the Pandavas are exiled in the forest, Draupadi and Bhima incite Yudhishthira to declare war with the Kauravas. Finally, Arjuna, at the instruction of Indra, propitiates the god Shiva with penance (tapasya) in the forest. Pleased by his austerities, Shiva decides to reward him. When a demon named Muka, in the form of a wild boar, charges toward Arjuna, Shiva appears in the form of a Kirata, a wild mountaineer. Arjuna and the Kirata simultaneously shoot an arrow at the boar, killing it. They argue over who shot first and a battle ensues.
‘Arjuna recognises Shiva and surrenders to him’ by Raja Ravi Varma, nineteenth century
CONTENTS
THE HUNTER AND THE HERO.
BOOK I. DRAUPADÎ’S REMONSTRANCE.
BOOK II. YUDHISHTHIRA’S REPLY.
BOOK III. VVSA’S INSTRUCTIONS.
BOOK IV. A UTUMN FIELDS.
BOOK V. THE HIMALAYAS.
BOOK VI. ARJUNA’S PENANCE.
BOOK VII. THE NYMPHS.
BOOK VIII. THE ADVENT OF INDRA.
BOOK IX. THE ADVENT OF SIVA.
BOOK X. THE BOAR HUNT.
BOOK XI. THE COMBAT.
BOOK XII. PRAYER AND BLESSING.
Romesh Chunder Dutt (1848-1909) was an Indian civil servant, economic historian, writer, and translator of several Sanskrit epics
THE HUNTER AND THE HERO.
THE POEM IS known as Kirâtdrjunijam in Sanscrit, and was composed by Bharavi, who lived in the sixth century after Christ. It is based on the story of the great epic Mahâbhârata. Yudhishthira, the eldest of the five Pândava brothers, the heroes of the epic, has lost his kingdom at a game of dice, and has retired with his brothers and wife to the forest. He sends a forester as a spy to observe how his rival Duryodhana is ruling the kingdom. The spy returns to the exiled king, and the poem begins with his account of Duryodhana’s conduct and administration.
What follows is narrated in the poem itself. Yudhishthira’s wife and brother Bhîma counsel instant war, but Yudhishthira inclines to moderation, and nobly adheres to his plighted word by which he relinquished his kingdom. The great saint Vyasa then appears on the scene, and advises Arjuna, the third of the Pandava brothers, to win celestial arms by penance. Arjuna follows the advice, and engages himself in penances in the Himalayas.
Indra, the chief of the minor gods, has attained his high position by penance, and is jealous of mortals who adopt the same means for attaining the same end. He sends down heavenly nymphs to disturb Arjuna’s penances, and then himself descends in the shape of an anchorite to dissuade Arjuna from the rites in which he is engaged. But Arjuna is proof against temptation and against persuasion. The poet’s descriptions of the peaceful penances which Arjuna performs accoutred in arms, of the winning but vain blandishments of the nymphs, of Indra’s solicitation and advice, and of Arjuna’s lofty determination and devotion to his purpose, are among the finest and most spirited passages in Sanscrit literature.
Indra fails to dissuade Arjuna from his rites, and at la
st reveals himself, and advises Arjuna to worship Siva, one of the Hindu Trinity, for the coveted celestial arms. Arjuna therefore engages once more in penances, and at last Siva appears before him in the guise of a wild hunter. He picks a quarrel with the mortal, and engages in a combat with him. Pleased with Arjuna’s might and heroism, Siva bestows on him the celestial arms, and the poem closes with a hymn to Siva, unsurpassed in its piety and pathos.
The original poem is in eighteen Books, and I have been constrained to abridge it in two places. The description of the nymphs and their blandishments extends to four Books in the original, and I have compressed it into one in the translation, for even celestial charms might cloy if described in the fulness of the original! And the combat between Siva and Arjuna and its happy sequel, which have been described in six Books ill the original, have been compressed into two Books in the translation. Feats of arms have ever been recognised as a fit subject of romance and song, but the shade of the poet must pardon his translator if he hesitates to follow him in those prolonged flights of poetry in which the poet is sustained only by the sonorous beauty of his language and the incomparable vigour of his expression. The Appendix given at the close of the translation will point out to the student of Sanscrit which verses of Books VII to X. in the original have been rendered in Book VII. of the translation, and which verses of the poet’s Books XIII. to XVIII. have been rendered in my Books X. to XII. The remaining Books of the original have been translated in full, verse for verse.
BOOK I. DRAUPADÎ’S REMONSTRANCE.
SENT in hermit’s guise to spy
How Kuru’s monarch ruled his men,
A forester, his task performed,
Yudhishthir met in Dvaita’s glen.
He bowed and spoke, nor pained his bosom
Of the foeman’s rule to tell,
Nor seek those men with accents false
To please our ear who wish us well.
On vengeful thoughts intent, the monarch
Bade the spy his tale unfold;
And sweet in language, rich in import,
Clear in sense, the words he told. (3)
“Great monarchs see but through their spies,
And spies should ne’er deceive their lord;
Forgive my speech if plain or pleasing,
Seldom true is honied word!
False friend! who teaches not his king,
False king! who hears not what they tell
Where king and friends in truth agree,
Fortune’s favours love to dwell!
We foresters are simple men,
And hard a king’s designs to trace;
And if thy foeman’s plans I ken,
’Tis by thy kindness, by thy grace! (6)
“Seated on his throne he trembles
At thee, dwelling in the wood!
The realm he won by trick of dice
He rules by righteous laws and good.
Deep in wiles, he would surpass thee
In his fame for righteousness;
Better far to war with true men
Than to consort with the base!
His passions veiled, by Manu’s laws
He seeks the virtuous path to tread;
By night and day his task dividing,
Seeks a righteous fame to spread.
He treats his menials as his friends,
And as his kinsmen friends withal;
Veiling his wrath he seeks to prove
How conquering love rules over all!
With love impartial, equal care,
He cultivates all virtues well;
And by his worth all varied virtues
In harmonious concert dwell!
His kindness never lacks in gifts,
His gifts with courteous manners flow,
And his courtesy and his favours
Only men of virtue know.
Not for wealth and not in anger,
Ever seeking righteous cause,
On his foe or on his children
Visits sins with equal laws.
Placing trusty guards around him,
Ever wears a fearless mien;
And wealth bestowed at sacrifices
Speaks his gratitude to men.
And by careful thought devised,
His plans, with steady toil pursued,
Open out a prosperous future,
And conjointly lead to good! (15)
“Oars and horses of great chieftains
Throng his palace court around;
Tuskers sent by mighty monarchs
With their perfume moist the ground.
(Elephants are supposed at certain seasons to exude a perfumed juice from their temples.)
And Kuru’s lands are rich in harvests
Ripening without tiller’s toil;
Ask no rain, since Kuru’s monarch
Showers his blessings on the soil.
His bounteous and his peaceful rule
To plenty and to wealth give birth;
Attracted by his godlike worth
Spontaneous yields her wealth the earth.
Mighty chiefs, by wealth attracted,
Warriors famed in many a strife,
Against their monarch never muster,
Serve his cause even with their life.
His task performed, by trusty spies
He learns the plans of other kings;
His secret plan is only known,
Like Heaven’s designs, by fruits it brings!
His bow is never strung nor raised,
Nor doth a frown his face o’erspread;
His kindly rule the chieftains cherish
Like a garland on their head!
Strong in his rule, he now hath placed
Duhsasan young in kingly power;
With offerings due, in holy rites,
By Indra told, he worships Fire!
His foes are quelled, his future glorious,
And his realm extends to sea;
But strife with great men ends in sorrow,
And Duryodhan quakes at thee!
If thy name is spoke in converse,
Quakes at Arjun’s might of arm,
Bends in grief his anguished forehead,
Like a snake by Mantra’s charm!
Prepared he is to do thee battle;
Take then, lord, precautions meet;
We gather words by others spoken,
Such, I lay them at thy feet.” (25)
This said, the woodman went away,
By Yudhishthir honoured well;
And the king in Bhîma’s presence
To Draupadî told the tale.
She heard the tale of foemen’s glory,
Thought of wrongs which they had done,
And to rouse her husband’s anger
Drupad’s daughter thus began. (27)
“Counsel to a saintly monarch
Is rebuke from woman weak;
But ignoring woman’s duty,
Pardon if my feelings speak!
Of thy race the godlike monarchs
Held their rule o’er all this land;
But as tuskers hurl their garlands,
Thou hast hurled it from thy hand!
Weak are they who with the wily
Deal not with responding wile;
For like shafts on mail-less warriors,
Artful foemen on them steal!
Glory, in thy race begotten,
Won by valour, dear as wife,
Who but thee such glory forfeits,
Girt by warriors tried in strife? (31)
“Godlike man! now sadly treading
Paths despised by proud and free,
Doth not raging wrath consume thee
Even as flames the sapless tree?
Men spontaneous yield to heroes
Who in might subdue all ills,
For an all-forgiving creature
Love nor friend nor foeman feels!
Sandal decked great Bhîma’s person!
Dusty, now, he roams the hills!
Scarce I know, O soul of virtue!
If my lord compassion feels!
Arjun, conquering northern nations,
To the poor all treasures gave!
God-like Arjun, clad in wild barks,
Doth he thy compassion move?
Does my lord in patience witness
Yonder twins, so great, so good?
Dwelling uncouth in this forest
Even like tuskers of the wood!
Scarce I guess thy feelings, monarch,
Strange and various are our hearts,
But the thought of thy great sorrow
Cruel grief to me imparts.
Erst you slept on couches sumptuous,
Waked to hear the song of praise;
Now on thorny earth reclining,
Hear the sound the jackals raise!
Erst on rice by Brahmans tasted,
Lived my lord of handsome frame;
Now he lives on forest produce,
Thin and pale even like his fame!
On his feet, on jewels resting,
Wreaths of kings their pollen dropped;
Now they stray in forest jungle,
By the deer or Brahmans cropped.
And thy foes thy fall have compassed!
Thoughts like this my bosom rend;
Sufferings of unconquered heroes.
Brighter glory on them lend! (41 )
“Then spurn this sloth, assume thy prowess,
Dire destruction quick devise;
Hermits saintly, not proud monarchs,
Ever-during patience prize!
If great kings, whose wealth is glory,
Such great insult meekly bore,
Fame and chivalry be banished,
Honours voice be heard no more!
If forgiveness thou wilt cherish,
Quelling pride and noble ire,
Leave this bow of royal glory,
Plait thy locks and worship fire!
Plighted faith with faithless foemen
Should not fetter thee for shame!
Artful monarchs bent on conquests
Fasten on their foes the blame! (45)
“Fettered by oath, and pale through glory lost,
The Sanskrit Epics Page 959