12(A). ARJUNA’S SHLOKA TO CALM SRI KRISHNA

SRIMAD MAHABHARATA > AARANYA PARVA > ARJUNAABHIGAMANA PARVA > CHAPTER 12(A) - ARJUNA’S SHLOKA TO CALM SRI KRISHNA

“Vaishampaayana said, ‘Hearing that the Paandavaas had been banished, the Bhojas, the Vrishnis, and the Andhakaas went to those heroes (Paandavaas) residing in pain in the great forest. The blood relatives (Daayaadaa in Sanskrit) of Paanchaalaa, and Dhrishtaketu – the king of Chedi, and those celebrated and powerful brothers – the Kekayaas, their hearts fired with anger, went to the forest to see Paarthaas (Paandavaas). Scolding the sons of Dhritarashtra, they said, ‘What should we do?’ Those bulls of the Kshatriya race, with Vaasudeva (Sri Krishna) at their head, sat themselves down round Dharmaraja Yudhishthira.

“Respectfully saluting that foremost of the Kurus (Yudhishthira), Vaasudeva mournfully said, ‘The earth shall drink the blood of Duryodhana, Karna, Duhshaasana and the wicked (Duraatma in Sanskrit) Shakuni! Slaying these in battle and defeating their followers along with their royal allies, will we all install Dharmaraja Yudhishthira on the throne! The wicked deserve to be slain! Certainly, this is eternal Dharma (Sanaatana Dharma in Sanskrit).’

“Vaishampaayana continued, ‘When on account of the wrongs of Paarthaas (Paandavaas), Jaanardana (Sri Krishna) had thus got into anger and seemed bent upon consuming all created things, Arjuna exerted himself to pacify Him. Seeing Keshava angry, Phalguna (Arjuna) began to recite the feats achieved in His former lives by that soul of all things, Himself immeasurable, the eternal one, of infinite energy, the lord of Prajaapati Himself, the supreme ruler of the worlds (Loka Naatha in Sanskrit), (Lord) Vishnu of profound wisdom!

“Arjuna said, ‘In ancient days, you, O (Sri) Krishna, had wandered on the Gandhamaadana mountains (in Himalayas) for ten thousand years as a Muni having His home where evening fell! Living upon water alone, You had, in ancient days of old, O (Sri) Krishna, also stayed for full eleven thousand years by the lake of Pushkara (possibly present-day Pushkar Lake located in Pushkar town, Ajmer district, Rajasthan state, India)! O Madhusoodana (Sri Krishna), with arms upraised and standing on one leg, You had passed a hundred years on the high hills of Badari (present-day Badrinath in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand state, India), living all the while upon air! Leaving aside Your upper garment, with body thin and looking like a bundle of veins, You had lived on the banks of the Saraswati (river), employed in Your yagna extending for twelve years! O (Sri) Krishna of mighty energy (Maha Tejaa in Sanskrit), in observance of Your vow (Niyama in Sanskrit) You had stood on one leg for the length of a thousand years of Devas, on the plains of Prabhasa (possibly present-day Prabhas Patan in Gir Somnath district, Gujarat state, India) which it is the duty of the virtuous (Punya Jana in Sanskrit) to visit! Vyaasa has told me that You are the cause of the creation and its course! O Keshava (Sri Krishna), the lord of Kshetra, You are the mover of all minds, and the beginning and end of all things! All Tapas rests in You, and You too are the embodiment of all yagna, and the eternal one (Sanatana in Sanskrit)! Slaying the Asura Naraka, offspring of the Earth-first produced, You had obtained his ear-rings, and performed, O (Sri) Krishna, the first Ashwamedha yagna! O bull of all the worlds, having performed that feat, You have become victorious over all!

“You had slain all the Daityaas and Daanavaas (Daityaas and Daanavaas are a clan of Asuras) assembled in battle, and giving the Lord of Sachi (Lord Indra) the sovereignty of the universe, You have, O Keshava of mighty arms, taken Your birth among men! O slayer of all enemies (Sri Krishna), having floated on the primordial waters, You subsequently became Hari, (Lord) Brahma, Surya, Dharma, Dhaataa, Yama, Anala (Agni), Vaayu, Vaishravana (Kubera), Rudra, Kaala, the space, and the ten directions! Yourself not yet created, You are the lord of the mobile and the immobile universe, the Creator of all, O You foremost of all existences!

“O Madhusoodana (Sri Krishna), O You of abundant energy, in the forest of Chitraratha You did, O (Sri) Krishna, gratify with Your sacrifice (Dakshina in Sanskrit) the chief of all Devas (Lord Indra), the highest of the high! O Jaanardana (Sri Krishna), at each yagna You did offer, according to shares, gold by hundreds and thousands. O son of the Yaadava race, becoming the son of Aditi, O noble one of the supreme attributes, You have been known as the younger brother of (Lord) Indra (i.e. Lord Vishnu)! O You punisher of enemies (Sri Krishna), even while a child You did, O (Sri) Krishna, in consequence of Your energy, fill by three steps the heaven, the space, and the earth! O You soul of all covering the heaven and the sky (while You were thus transformed), You did dwell in the body of the Sun and pained him with Your own splendour! O noble one, in Your incarnations on those thousand occasions, You had slain, O (Sri) Krishna, sinful Asuras by hundreds! By destroying the Mauravaas, the Paashaas, slaying Nisunda and Naraka.

“You have again rendered safe the road to Praagjyotisha (possibly present-day Guwahati, Assam state, India)! You have slain Aahuti at Jaaruthi, Kraatha and Shishupaala with his followers, Jaraasandha, Shaibya and Shatadhanwaa! On Your chariot roaring like to clouds and bright like the Sun, You did obtain for Your queen the daughter of Bhoja (Rukmini), defeating Rukmi in battle! You did in fury slay Indradyumna and the Yavana called Kasherumaan! slaying Shaalwa, the lord of Saubha, You did destroy that city of Saubha itself! These have all been slain in battle;

“Listen to me as I speak of others (also slain by You)! At Iraavati You have slain king Bhoja equal to Kaarttaveerya in battle, and both Gopati and Taalaketu also have been slain by You! O Janaardana (Sri Krishna), You have also appropriate to Yourself the sacred city of Dwarka, abounding in wealth and agreeable to the Rishi themselves, and You will submerge it at the end within the ocean! O Madhusoodana (Sri Krishna), how can crookedness be in You, as You are devoid, O You of the Daashaarha race, of anger, envy, untruth and cruelty? O You who knows no deterioration, all the Rishis, coming to You seated in Your glory on the sacrificial ground, seek protection of You! O Madhusoodana, You stay at the end of the Yuga, contracting all things and withdrawing this universe into Your own self, O repressor of all enemies!

“O You of the Vrishni race (Sri Krishna), at the beginning of the Yuga, there sprang from Your lotus-like navel, (Lord) Brahma Himself, and lord of all mobile and immobile things, and whose is this entire universe! When the dreadful Daanavaas Madhu and Kaitabha were bent on slaying (Lord) Brahma, seeing their sinful endeavour You were angry, and from Your forehead, O Hari, sprang Shambhu, the holder of the trident (Shoola in Sanskrit). Thus, these two foremost of Devas have sprung from Your body in order to do Your work! It was Naarada who has told me this! O Naaraayana (Sri Krishna), You did, in the forest of Chaitraratha, celebrate with plentiful gifts a grand yagna consisting of a multitude of rites! O Deva, O You of eyes like lotus leaves (Sri Krishna), the actions You had performed while still a boy, having recourse to Your might and aided by Baladeva (Balarama), have never been done by others, nor are they capable of being achieved by others in the future! You did dwell in Kailaasa, accompanied by Brahmanas!’

अर्जुन उवाच

दश वर्षसहस्राणि यत्रसायंगृहो मुनिः |

व्यचरस्त्वं पुरा कृष्णा पर्वते गन्धमादने ||

दश वर्षसहस्राणि दश वर्षशतानि च |

पुष्करेष्ववसः कृष्ण त्वमपो भक्षयन् पुरा ||

ऊर्ध्वबाहुर्विशालायां बदर्यां मधुसूदन |

अतिष्ट एकपादेन वायुभक्षः शतं समाः ||

अवकृष्टोत्तरासङ्गः कृशो धमनिसंततः |

आसीः कृष्ण सरस्वत्यां सत्रे द्वादशवार्षिके ||

प्रभासमप्यथासाद्य तीर्थं पुण्यजनोचितम् |

तथा कृष्ण महातेजा दिव्यं वर्षसहस्रकम् ||

अतिष्ठस्त्वमथैकेन पादेन नियमस्थितः |

लोकप्रवृत्तिहेतुस्त्वमिति व्यासो ममाब्रवीत् ||

क्षेत्रज्ञः सर्वभूतानामादिरन्तश्च केशव |

निधानं तपसां कृष्ण यज्ञस्त्वं च सनातनः ||

निहत्य नरकं भौममाहृत्य मणिकुण्डले |

प्रथमोत्पतितं कृष्ण मेध्यमश्वमवासृजः ||

कृत्वा तत् कर्म लोकानामृषभः सर्वलोकजित् |

अवधीस्त्वं रणे सर्वान् समेतान् दैत्यदानवान् ||

ततः सर्वेश्वरत्वं च सम्प्रदाय शचीपतेः |

मानुषेषु महाबाहो प्रादुर्भूतोअसि केशव ||

स त्वं नारायणो भूत्वा हरिरासीः परंतप |

ब्रह्मा सोमश्च सूर्यश्च धर्मा धाता यमोअनलः ||

वायुर्वैश्रवणो रुद्रः कालः खं पृथिवी दिशः |

अजश्चराचरगुरुः स्रष्टा त्वं पुरुषोत्तम ||

परायणं देवमूर्धा क्रतुभिर्मधुसूदन |

अयजो भूरितेजा वै कृष्ण चैत्ररथे वने ||

शतं शतसहस्राणि सुवर्णस्य जनार्दन |

एकैकस्मिंस्तदा यज्ञे परिपूर्णानि भागशः ||

अदितेरपि पुत्रत्वमेत्य यादवनन्दन |

त्वं विष्णुरिति विख्यात इन्द्रादवरजो विभुः ||

शिशुर्भूत्वा दिवं खं च पृथिवीं च परंतप |

त्रिभिर्विक्रमणैः कृष्ण क्रान्तवानसि तेजसा ||

प्रादुर्भावसहस्रेषु तेषु तेषु त्वया विभो |

अधर्मरुचयः कृष्ण निहताः शतशोअसुराः ||

सादिता मौरवाः पाशा निसुन्दनरकौ हतौ |

कृतः क्षेमः पुनः पन्थाः पुरं प्राग्ज्योतिषं प्रति ||

जारथ्यामाहुतिः क्राथः शिशुपालो जनैः सह |

जरासंधश्च शैब्यश्च शतधन्वा च निर्जितः ||

तथा पर्जन्यघोषेण रथेनादित्यवर्चसा |

अवाप्सीर्महिषीं भोज्यां रणे निर्जित्य रुक्मिणम् ||

इन्द्रद्युम्नो हतः कोपाद् यवनश्च कसेरुमान् |

हतः सौभपतिः शाल्वस्त्वया सौभं च पातितम् ||

एवमेते युधि हता भूयश्चान्याञ्छृणुष्व ह |

इरावत्यां हतो भोजः कार्तवीर्यसमो युधि ||

गोपतिस्तालकेतुश्च त्वया विनिहतावुभौ |

तां च भोगवतीं पुण्यामृषिकान्तां जनार्दन ||

द्वारकामात्मसात् कृत्वा समुद्रं गमयिष्यसि |

न क्रोधो न च मात्सर्यं नानृतं मधुसूदन |

त्वयि तिष्ठति दाशार्ह न नृशंस्यं कुतोअनृजु ||

आसीनं चैत्यमध्ये त्वां दीप्यमानं स्वतेजसा |

आगम्य ऋषयः सर्वेअयाचन्ताभयमच्युत ||

युगान्ते सर्वभूतानि संक्षिप्य मधुसूदन |

आत्मनैवात्मसात् कृत्वा जगदासीः परंतप ||

युगादौ तव वार्ष्णेय नाभिपद्मादजायत |

ब्रह्मा चराचरगुरुर्यस्येदं सकलं जगत् ||

तं हन्तुमुद्यतौ घोरौ दानवौ मधुकैटभौ |

तयोर्व्यतिक्रमं दृष्ट्वा क्रुद्धस्य भवतो हरेः ||

ललाटा ज्जातवाञ्छम्भुः शूलपाणिस्त्रिलोचनः |

इत्थं तावपि देवेशौ त्वच्छरीरसमुद्भवौ ||

त्वन्नियोगकरावेताविति मे नारदोस्ब्रवीत् |

तथा नारायण पुरा क्रतुभिर्भूरिदक्षिणैः ||

इष्टवांस्त्वं महासत्रं कृष्ण चैत्ररथे वने |

नैवं परे नापरे वा करिष्यन्ति कृतानि वा ||

यानि कर्माणि देव त्वं बाल एव महाबलः |

कृतवान् पुण्डरीकाक्ष बलदेवसहायवान् |

कैलासभवने चापि ब्राह्मणैर्न्यवसः सह ||