Harivamsha MahA PurANam - ViShNu Parva
    atha tryodasho.adhyAyaH
    dhenukavadhaH
    harivamsha in the mahAbharata - viShNuparva
    Chapter 13 Elimination of Dhenuka
vaishampAyana uvAcha
damite sarparAje tu kR^iShNena yamunAhrade |
tameva cheraturdeshaM sahitau rAmakeshavau ||2-13-1
vaishaMpAyana said:
(O janamejaya!) After kR^iShNa had subjugated the king of serpents in the lake of yamunA , the two brothers, rAma (balarAma) and keshava (kR^iShNa), often wandered in that area together.
Ajagmatustau sahitau godhanaiH saha gominau |
giriM govardhanaM ramyaM vasudevasutAvubhau ||2-13-2
One day, both sons of vasudeva, followed by cows and cow tenders, came near the beautiful govardhana hill.
govardhanasyottarato yamunAtIramAshritam |
dadR^ishAte cha tau vIrau ramyaM tAlavanaM mahat||2-13-3
There, to the north of govardhana and on the banks of yamunA, the two heroes (vIra) found a large, beautiful forest of palm trees.
tau tAlaparNapratate ramye tAlavane ratau |
cheratuH paramaprItau vR^iShapotAvivoddhatau||2-13-4
In that beautiful forest of palm trees, covered by palm leaves, they wandered happily like two calves.
sa tu deshaH sadA snigdho loShThapAShANavarjitaH |
darbhaprAyasthalIbhUtaH sumAhAnkR^iShNamR^ittikaH ||2-13-5
That place was always cool. There was no clay or stones. The land was covered with darbha grass. The soil in that forest was black.
tAlaistairvipulaskandhairuchChritaiH shyAmaparvabhiH |
phalAgrashAkhibhirbhAti nAgahastairivochChritaiH ||2-13-6
The trunks of palm trees were huge, tall and black. With branches full of fruit, the trees looked like a herd of elephants standing with their trunks raised high.
tatra dAmodaro vAkyamuvAcha vadatAM varaH |
aho tAlaphalaiH pakvairvAsiteyaM vanasthalI ||2-13-7
There, dAmodara (kR^iShNa), great among speakers, spoke these words (to balarAma): The forest is full of the fragrance of ripe palm fruits.
svAdUnyArya sugandhIni shyAmAni rasavanti cha |
pakvatAlAni sahitau pAtayAmo laghukramau ||2-13-8
The black, aromatic palm fruits must be tasty and juicy. Both of us should quickly try to fell the ripe palm fruits.
yadyeShAmIdR^isho gandho mAdhuryaghrANatarpaNaH |
rasenAmR^itakalpena bhavitavyaM cha me matiH ||2-13-9
If the fruit is having such a fragrance, sweet to smell, I think that its juice must be tasting like nectar.
dAmodaravachaH shrutvA rauhiNeyo hasanniva |
pAtayanpakvatAlAni chAlayAmAsa tAMstarUn ||2-13-10
Hearing the words of dAmodara (kR^iShNa), the son of rohiNI (balarAma) smiled. The young man started shaking the trees to fell the ripe palm fruits.
tattu tAlavanaM nR^INAmasevyaM duratikramam |
nirmANabhUtamiriNaM puruShAdAlayopamam ||2-13-11
That forest of palms was not used by men. It was not possible for men to enter it. Like the residences of demons, it was deserted by human beings.
dAruNo dhenuko nAma daityo gardabharUpadhR^ik |
kharayUthena mahatA vR^itaH samanusevate ||2-13-12
A terrible daitya named dhenuka in the form of an ass, always surrounded by a large herd of asses, was living there.
sa tu tAlavanaM ghoraM gardabhaH parirakShati |
nR^ipakShishvApadaganAMstrAsayAnaH sudurmatiH ||2-13-13
That forest of palm trees was protected by the terrible ass. The wicked demon did not allow any men, birds or animals to enter it.
tAlashabdaM sa taM shrutvA saMghuShTaM phalapAtanAt |
nAmarShayatsa saMkruddhastAlasvanamiva dvipaH ||2-13-14
He heard the sound of palm trees being shaken to fell the fruits. Like an angry elephant, he did not tolerate the sound of the palm (fruits falling down).
shabdAnukArI saMkruddho darpAviddhasaTAnanaH |
stabdhAkSho heShitapaTuH khurairnirdArayanmahIm ||2-13-15
Following the sound, the angry daitya went. His face with mane was full of pride. With bulged eyes and erect body hair, the terrible ass tore the earth with his hooves without any pity.
AviddhapuchCho hR^iShito vyAttAnana ivAntakaH |
Apatanneva dadR^ishe rauhiNeyamupasthitam ||2-13-16
He came shaking his raised tail and head with wide open mouth, like death. When he arrived, he saw the son of rohiNI standing there.
tAlAnAM tamadho dR^iShTvA sa dhvajAkAramavyayam |
rauhiNeyaM kharo duShTaH so.adashaddashanAyudhaH ||2-13-17
Under the palm trees, he saw the indestructible balarAma, standing like a (tall) flag. The wicked ass using his teeth as weapon, bit the son of rohiNI (balarAma).
padbhyAmubhAbhyAM cha punaH pashchimAbhyAM parA~NmukhaH |
jaghAnorasi daityendro rauhiNeyaM nirAyudham ||2-13-18
Then the king of daitya-s, turning his back and facing west, kicked with his hind legs on the chest of the unarmed son of rohiNI (balarAma).
tAbhyAMeva sa jagrAha padbhyAM taM daityagardabham |
AvarjitamukhaskandhaM prerayaMstAlamUrdhani ||2-13-19
Then balarAma caught the hind legs of the ass - daitya, whirled him round and struck his head and neck on to the palm trees.
saMmagnorukaTigrIvo bhagnapR^iShTho durAkR^itiH |
kharastAlaphalaiH sArdhaM papAta dharaNItale||2-13-20
Thus the demon's head, neck, back and thighs were broken. The deformed body of the demon fell on earth along with palm fruits.
taM gatAsuM gatashrIkaM patitaM vIkShya gardabham |
j~nAtIMstathAparAMstasya tR^iNarAjani so.akShipat ||2-13-21
Seeing that the ass has fallen down losing his vigour and life, the other asses immediately attacked balarAma.
sA bhUrgardabhadehaishcha tAlaiH pakvaishcha pAtitaiH |
babhAse ChannajaladA dyaurivAvyaktashAradI ||2-13-22
balarAma threw those asses also on the palm trees. They fell on earth along with palm fruits and the entire forest area was covered with dead bodies of the asses, like the sky covered with dark clouds.
tasmingardabhadaitye tu sAnuge vinipAtite |
ramyaM tAlavanaM taddhi bhUyo ramyataraM babhau ||2-13-23
When the daitya ass was killed along with his followers, that beautiful tAla forest became more beautiful.
vipramuktamayaM shubhraM viviktAkAradarshanam |
charanti sma sukhaM gAvastattAlavanamuttamam ||2-13-24
All fear of going to that beautiful tAla forest was dispelled. Its deserted regions could be seen by all. The cows could comfortably wander in that beautiful forest.
tataH praviShTAste sarve gopA vanavichAriNaH |
vItashokabhayAyAsAshcha~nchUryante samantataH ||2-13-25
Afterwards, the cow tenders who walk in the forest entered the tAla forest. All their fear and apprehensions were dispelled and they started moving there.
tataH sukham prakIrNAsu goShu nAgendravikramau |
drumaparNAsanaM kR^itvA tau yathArhaM niShIdatuH ||2-13-26
As the cows were grazing happily in the forest, the two elephant kings, (kR^iShNa and rAma) made seats of tree leaves and sat down comfortably.
iti shrImahAbhArate khileshu harivaMshe viShNuparvaNi shishucharyAyAM dhenukavadhe trayodasho.adhyAyaH
Thus this is the thirteenth chapter of viShNuparva of harivaMsha, khila of shrimahAbhArata, elimination of dhenuka.
    nIlakaNTha commentary
atha trayodasho.adhyAye dhenukasyochyate vadhaH |
baladevena tachchakre kShemaM tAlavanaM yathA || 1 ||
"damite" ityadhyAye
"samindragarddabhaM samR^iNetyamuM"
mantramupabR^iMhayati - he indra garddabhaM samR^iNa mArayeti mantrapAdArthaH || iti sh-rIharivaMshe viShNuparvaNi tIkAyAM trayodasho.adhyAya ||
## Itranslated by K. S. Ramachandran, ramachandran_ksr @ yahoo.ca, April 12, 2008
Further proof-read by Gilles Schaufelberger, schaufel @ wanadoo.fr
If you find any errors compared to Chitrashala Press edition, send corrections to A. Harindranath, harindranath_a @ yahoo.com
Translated to English by A. Purushothaman [purushothaman_avaroth @ yahoo.com] and A. Harindranath
July 16, 2009 ##