Mahabharata (English)

by Kisari Mohan Ganguli | 2,566,952 words | ISBN-10: 8121505933

The English translation of the Mahabharata is a large text describing ancient India. It is authored by Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa and contains the records of ancient humans. Also, it documents the fate of the Kauravas and the Pandavas family. Another part of the large contents, deal with many philosophical dialogues such as the goals of life. Book...

Section XXIII

Sanjaya said,—

"Beholding the Dhartarashtra army approach for fight, Krishna said these words for Arjuna’s benefit."

"The holy one said,—

'Cleansing thyself, O mighty-armed one, utter on the eve of the battle your hymn to Durga for (compassing) the defeat of the foe."

Sanjaya continued.—

Thus addressed on the eve of battle by Vasudeva endued with great intelligence, Pritha’s son Arjuna, alighting from his car, said the following hymn with joined hands.

"Arjuna said,—

'I bow to you, O leader of Yogins, O you that art identical with Brahman, O you that dwellest in the forest of Mandara, O you that art freed from decrepitude and decay, O Kali, O wife of Kapala, O you that art of a black and tawny hue, I bow to you. O bringer of benefits to your devotees, I bow to you, O Mahakali, O wife of the universal destroyer, I bow to you.

O proud one, O you that rescuest from dangers, O you that art endued with every auspicious attribute. O you that art sprung from the Kata race, O you that deserves the most regardful worship, O fierce one, O giver of victory, O victory’s self, O you that bearest a banner of peacock plumes, O you that art decked with every ornament, O you that bearest an awful spear, O you that holdest a sword and shield, O you that art the younger sister of the chief of cow-herds, O eldest one, O you that were born in the race of the cowherd Nanda! O you that art always fond of buffalo’s blood, O you that were born in the race of Kusika, O you that art dressed in yellow robes, O you that hadst devoured Asuras assuming the face of a wolf[1], I bow to you that art fond of battle!

O Uma,[2] Sakambhari, O you that art white in hue, O you that art black in hue, O you that hast slain the Asura Kaitabha, O you that art yellow-eyed, O you that art diverse-eyed, O you of eyes that have the colour of smoke, I bow to you.

O you that art the Vedas, the Srutis, and the highest virtue, O you that art propitious to Brahmanas engaged in sacrifice, O you that hast a knowledge of the past, you that art ever present in the sacred abodes erected to you in cities of Jamvudvipa, I bow to you. You are the science of Brahma among sciences, and you that art that sleep of creatures from which there is no waking.

O mother of Skanda, O you that possessest the six (highest) attributes, O Durga, O you that dwellest in accessible regions, you are described as Svaha, and Svadha,[3] as Kala, as Kashta, and as Sarasvati, as Savitra the mother of the Vedas, and as the science of Vedanta. With inner soul cleansed, I praise you.

O great goddess, let victory always attend me through your grace on the field of battle. In inaccessible regions, where there is fear, in places of difficulty, in the abodes of your worshippers and in the nether regions (Patala), you always dwellest. You always defeatest the Danavas. You are the unconsciousness, the sleep, the illusion, the modesty, the beauty of (all creatures). You are the twilight, you are the day, you are Savitri, and you are the mother. You are contentment, you are growth, you are light. It is you that supportest the Sun and the Moon and that makes them shine. You are the prosperity of those that are prosperous. The Siddhas and the Charanas behold you in contemplation.[4]'"

Sanjaya continued,—

'Understanding (the measure of) Partha’s devotion, Durga who is always graciously inclined towards mankind, appeared in the firmament and in the presence of Govinda, said these words.

'"The goddess said,—

'Within a short time you shalt conquer your foes, O Pandava. O invincible one, you have Narayana (again) for aiding you. You are incapable of being defeated by foes, even by the wielder of the thunderbolt himself.'

'"Having said this, the boon-giving goddess disappeared soon. The son of Kunti, however, obtaining that boon, regarded himself as successful, and the son of Pritha then mounted his own excellent car. And then Krishna and Arjuna, seated on the same car, blew their celestial conches. The man that recites this hymn rising at dawn, has no fear any time from Yakshas, Rakshasas, and Pisachas. He can have no enemies; he has no fear, from snakes and all animals that have fangs and teeth, as also from kings. He is sure to be victorious in all disputes, and if bound, he is freed from his bonds. He is sure to get over all difficulties, is freed from thieves, is ever victorious in battle and wins the goddess of prosperity for ever. With health and strength, he lives for a hundred years.

"I have known all this through the grace of Vyasa endued with great wisdom. Your wicked sons, however, all entangled in the meshes of death, do not, from ignorance, know them to be Nara and Narayana. Nor do they, entangled in the meshes of death, know that the hour of this kingdom has arrived. Dvaipayana and Narada, and Kanva, and the sinless Rama, had all prevented your son. But he did not accept their words. There where righteousness is, there are glory and beauty. There where modesty is, there are prosperity and intelligence. There where righteousness is, there is Krishna; and there where Krishna is, there is victory."

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

follow Nilakantha in rendering many of the names occurring in this and the succeeding slokas. I retain, however, those names that are of doubtful etymology, as also those that are very common.

[2]:

Every scholar knows the derivation of this word as given in this sloka of Kalidasa (in his Kumara Sambhavam) Umeti matra tapasonishiddha paschadumakhyam Sumukhi Jagama.

[3]:

Both Svaha and Svadha are mantras of high efficacy. Kala and Kastha are divisions of time. Sarasvati implies speech.

[4]:

Sankhye is explained by Nilakantha to be Samyak Khyanam Prakasana Yasmin; hence Atmanatma-vivekarupa Samadhi.

Conclusion:

This concludes Section XXIII of Book 6 (Bhishma Parva) of the Mahabharata, of which an English translation is presented on this page. This book is famous as one of the Itihasa, similair in content to the eighteen Puranas. Book 6 is one of the eighteen books comprising roughly 100,000 Sanskrit metrical verses.

FAQ (frequently asked questions):

Which keywords occur in Section XXIII of Book 6 of the Mahabharata?

The most relevant definitions are: Krishna, Arjuna, Sanjaya, Durga, Pritha, Vedas; since these occur the most in Book 6, Section XXIII. There are a total of 49 unique keywords found in this section mentioned 63 times.

What is the name of the Parva containing Section XXIII of Book 6?

Section XXIII is part of the Bhagavat-Gita Parva which itself is a sub-section of Book 6 (Bhishma Parva). The Bhagavat-Gita Parva contains a total of 112 sections while Book 6 contains a total of 3 such Parvas.

Can I buy a print edition of Section XXIII as contained in Book 6?

Yes! The print edition of the Mahabharata contains the English translation of Section XXIII of Book 6 and can be bought on the main page. The author is Kisari Mohan Ganguli and the latest edition (including Section XXIII) is from 2012.

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