Dashaka 86

साल्वो भैष्मीविवाहे यदुबलविजितश्चन्द्रचूडाद्विमानं
विन्दन् सौभं स मायी त्वयि वसति कुरुंस्त्वत्पुरीमभ्यभाङ्क्षीत् ।
प्रद्युम्नस्तं निरुन्धन्निखिलयदुभटैर्न्यग्रहीदुग्रवीर्यं
तस्यामात्यं द्युमन्तं व्यजनि च समर: सप्तविंशत्यहान्त: ॥१॥

Saalva of magical merits, who was defeated by the Yaadava army at the time of Rukmini's abduction, got Saubh the aerial car as a boon from Shivaa.When Thou were residing in the city of the Kurus, Indraprastha, Saalva attacked Thy city Dwaarika. Pradyumna resisted him heading the entire army of the Yaadavas, and killed his powerful minister Dyumanta. This battle lasted for 27 days.

तावत्त्वं रामशाली त्वरितमुपगत: खण्डितप्रायसैन्यं
सौभेशं तं न्यरुन्धा: स च किल गदया शार्ङ्गमभ्रंशयत्ते ।
मायातातं व्यहिंसीदपि तव पुरतस्तत्त्वयापि क्षणार्धं
नाज्ञायीत्याहुरेके तदिदमवमतं व्यास एव न्यषेधीत् ॥२॥

Along with Balaraam Thou quickly reached Dwaarika and confronted Saalva the owner of the aerial car Saubha whose army was almost destroyed. He knocked down Thy bow Shaaranga with a stroke of his mace. He even killed the likeness of Thy father which he had created by his magical abilities. Some say that even Thou were for a moment deceived by this illusion. But sage Vyaas has refuted this opinion.

क्षिप्त्वा सौभं गदाचूर्णितमुदकनिधौ मङ्क्षु साल्वेऽपि चक्रे-
णोत्कृत्ते दन्तवक्त्र: प्रसभमभिपतन्नभ्यमुञ्चद्गदां ते ।
कौमोदक्या हतोऽसावपि सुकृतनिधिश्चैद्यवत्प्रापदैक्यं
सर्वेषामेष पूर्वं त्वयि धृतमनसां मोक्षणार्थोऽवतार: ॥३॥

The aerial car Saubha was smashed to pieces with a mace and thrown into the sea, Saalva's head was also cut off by Thy Sudershana discus. Dantavaktra then attacked Thee violently and hit Thee with his mace, thereupon Thou killed him, the repository of good deeds, with Thy mace Kaumodaki. He was fortunate like Shishupal (Chedi) and others who had attained union with Thee. The purpose of this incarnation of Thee was to give liberation to all those who had for long fixed their minds on Thee.

त्वय्यायातेऽथ जाते किल कुरुसदसि द्यूतके संयताया:
क्रन्दन्त्या याज्ञसेन्या: सकरुणमकृथाश्चेलमालामनन्ताम् ।
अन्नान्तप्राप्तशर्वांशजमुनिचकितद्रौपदीचिन्तितोऽथ
प्राप्त: शाकान्नमश्नन् मुनिगणमकृथास्तृप्तिमन्तं वनान्ते ॥४॥

After Thy return to Dwaarikaa, a fraudulent game of dice took place in the assembly of the Kurus. Draupadi was dragged there by her hair. Piteously and helplessly crying she prayed to Thee. With compassion Thou endowed her with endless length of clothing. Further, when living in the forest, Draupadi was very frightened because sage Durvaasaa had come there with his people when the food was over. Draupadi again thought of Thee and Thou came to her rescue and ate a bit of the left over leafy vegetable and thereby satiated fully the hunger of the sage and his retinue.

युद्धोद्योगेऽथ मन्त्रे मिलति सति वृत: फल्गुनेन त्वमेक:
कौरव्ये दत्तसैन्य: करिपुरमगमो दूत्यकृत् पाण्डवार्थम् ।
भीष्मद्रोणादिमान्ये तव खलु वचने धिक्कृते कौरवेण
व्यावृण्वन् विश्वरूपं मुनिसदसि पुरीं क्षोभयित्वागतोऽभू: ॥५॥

As the preparations of the war were on and strategies were decided, Arjuna asked Thee alone to be on his side. Agreeing to that, Thou gave Thy army to Duryodhana. Taking on the role of a messenger of the Pandavas, Thou went to Hastinaapur. Indeed Thy words were honoured by Bhishma, Drona and others but Duryodhana rejected them altogether. Revealing Thy Cosmic form in the assembly of the sages Thou shook up the entire Hastinaapur and returned to Dwaarikaa.

जिष्णोस्त्वं कृष्ण सूत: खलु समरमुखे बन्धुघाते दयालुं
खिन्नं तं वीक्ष्य वीरं किमिदमयि सखे नित्य एकोऽयमात्मा ।
को वध्य: कोऽत्र हन्ता तदिह वधभियं प्रोज्झ्य मय्यर्पितात्मा
धर्म्यं युद्धं चरेति प्रकृतिमनयथा दर्शयन् विश्वरूपम् ॥६॥

In Thy role as Arjuna's charioteer, Thou saw the warrior sad and dejected in the face of the war, with the pitiful thought of having to kill his relations and his own people. Thou said to him 'O Friend! What is this? Aatman is eternal and only one. Who is the slain and who is the slayer here? Therefore giving up all fear of killing, surrender yourself to Me and carry out this righteous war.' By saying so and showing him Thy cosmic form, Thou brought Arjuna back to a balanced state of mind.

भक्तोत्तंसेऽथ भीष्मे तव धरणिभरक्षेपकृत्यैकसक्ते
नित्यं नित्यं विभिन्दत्ययुतसमधिकं प्राप्तसादे च पार्थे ।
निश्शस्त्रत्वप्रतिज्ञां विजहदरिवरं धारयन् क्रोधशाली-
वाधावन् प्राञ्जलिं तं नतशिरसमथो वीक्ष्य मोदादपागा: ॥७॥

Bhishma, one of the leading devotees was intent on helping in fulfilling Thy purpose of reducing the burden of the earth, and was killing almost 10,000 warriors everyday. Arjuna had become very exhausted in resisting Bheeshma. Forgetting Thy vow of not taking up arms in the war, Thou rushed towards Bheeshma with Thy great discus in hand as though in great anger. Bheeshma stood with folded hands and bent down his head as Thou approached him. Seeing him thus Thou were full of joy and desisted from attacking him.

युद्धे द्रोणस्य हस्तिस्थिररणभगदत्तेरितं वैष्णवास्त्रं
वक्षस्याधत्त चक्रस्थगितरविमहा: प्रार्दयत्सिन्धुराजम् ।
नागास्त्रे कर्णमुक्ते क्षितिमवनमयन् केवलं कृत्तमौलिं
तत्रे त्रापि पार्थं किमिव नहि भवान् पाण्डवानामकार्षीत् ॥८॥

When the fight with Drona was going on Bhagadatta who was firmly seated on an elephant discharged the Vaishnava missile which Thou attracted towards Thy own chest and saved Arjuna. Arjuna was able to kill Jayadratha when Thy Sudarshana discus hid the rays of the sun. Again when Karna discharged the Naaga missile towards Arjuna, Thou lowered the earth by the pressure of Thy toe, so that only Arjun's crown got cut off and Arjuna was saved here also. What all did Thou not do for the benefit of the Paandavas.

युद्धादौ तीर्थगामी स खलु हलधरो नैमिशक्षेत्रमृच्छ-
न्नप्रत्युत्थायिसूतक्षयकृदथ सुतं तत्पदे कल्पयित्वा ।
यज्ञघ्नं वल्कलं पर्वणि परिदलयन् स्नाततीर्थो रणान्ते
सम्प्राप्तो भीमदुर्योधनरणमशमं वीक्ष्य यात: पुरीं ते ॥९॥

Just when the war was to begin Balaraama had gone away on a pilgrimage. He first covered the holy area of Naimishaaranya. Then he killed Suta for not having got up to honour him and installed his son in his place. Then he destroyed the Asura Valkala, who used to destroy the Yagnyas carried out on the full moon and new moon days. Completing his pilgrimage he returned to Kurukshetra. There when he saw the prolonged fight between Bheema and Duryodhana, he went away to Thy city of Dwaarika.

संसुप्तद्रौपदेयक्षपणहतधियं द्रौणिमेत्य त्वदुक्त्या
तन्मुक्तं ब्राह्ममस्त्रं समहृत विजयो मौलिरत्नं च जह्रे ।
उच्छित्यै पाण्डवानां पुनरपि च विशत्युत्तरागर्भमस्त्रे
रक्षन्नङ्गुष्ठमात्र: किल जठरमगाश्चक्रपाणिर्विभो त्वम् ॥१०॥

Drona's son, the evil minded Ashwatthaamaa had killed the sons of Draupadi when they were fast asleep. On Thy command Arjuna approached him and retracted the Brahmaastra discharged by him and clipped off his crest jewel.To cut off the line of the Paandavas, Ashwatthaamaa again sent the weapon into Uttara's womb to kill the foetus in there. To protect the foetus Thou entered her womb in the size of a thumb with Thy Sudarshana discus in hand.

धर्मौघं धर्मसूनोरभिदधदखिलं छन्दमृत्युस्स भीष्म-
स्त्वां पश्यन् भक्तिभूम्नैव हि सपदि ययौ निष्कलब्रह्मभूयम् ।
संयाज्याथाश्वमेधैस्त्रिभिरतिमहितैर्धर्मजं पूर्णकामं
स्म्प्राप्तो द्वरकां त्वं पवनपुरपते पाहि मां सर्वरोगात् ॥११॥

The entire great Dharmas were taught to Yudhishthira by Bheeshma who could decide the moment of his death. On seeing Thee, by his devotional intensity alone he attained the indivisible state of Brahman. Thou enabled Yudhishthira to perform three great Ashwamedha Yangyas by which all his aspirations were fulfilled. Then Thou returned to Dwaarikaa. O Lord of Guruvaayur! save me from all diseases.