03039001a bhagavaJ zrotum icchAmi pArthasyAkliSTakarmaNaH 'O illustrious one, I desire to hear
03039001c vistareNa kathAm etAM yathAstrANy upalabdhavAn in detail the history of the acquisition of weapons by arjuna of spotless deeds.
03039002a kathaM sa puruSavyAghro dIrghabAhur dhanaJMjayaH O tell me how that tiger among men, dhanaJjaya, of mighty arms
03039002c vanamM praviSTas tejasvI nirmanuSyam abhItavat and possessed of great energy, entered that solitary forest without fear.
03039003a kiJM ca tena kRtanM tatra vasatA brahmavittama And, O thou foremost of those acquainted with the Veda, what also did arjuna do while dwelling there?
03039003c kathaJM ca bhagavAn sthANur devarAjaz ca toSitaH How also were the illustrious sthAnu and the chief of the celestials gratified by him?
03039004a etad icchAmy ahaM zrotunM tvatprasAdAd dvijottama O thou best of regenerate ones, I desire to hear all this under thy favour.
03039004c tvaM hi sarvajJa divyaJM ca mAnuSaJM caiva vettha ha Thou art omniscient; thou knowest all about the gods and all about men.
03039005a atyadbhutamM mahAprAjJa romaharSaNam arjunaH O brAhmaNa, it was highly extraordinary and without parallel, it maketh one's hair stand on end to hear of it,
03039005c bhavena saha saGMgrAmaJM cakArApratimaGM kila the battle that took place of old between bhava and arjuna --
03039005e purA praharatAM zreSThasH saGMgrAmeSv aparAjitaH that foremost of smiters never defeated in battle.
03039006c zUrANAm api pArthAnAM hRdayAni cakampire Even the hearts of those lions among men--the brave sons of Pritha--trembled in consequence of wonder and joy and a sense of their own inferiority.
03039007a yad yac ca kRtavAn anyat pArthas tad akhilaM vada O tell me in full what else arjuna,
03039007c na hy asya ninditaJM jiSNosH susUkSmam api lakSaye did I do not see even the most trivial thing to jiSNu that is censurable.
03039007e caritanM tasya zUrasya tan me sarvamM prakIrtaya Therefore, recite to me in full the history of that hero.'
03039008 vaizamMpAyana uvAca
03039008a kathayiSyAmi te tAta kathAm etAmM mahAtmanaH vaizaMpAyana said, 'O tiger among kurus, I shall recite to thee that narration,
03039008c divyAGM kauravazArdUla mahatIm adbhutopamAm excellent and extensive and unrivalled, in connection with the illustrious hero.
03039009a gAtrasaMsparzasamMbandhanM tryambakeNa sahAnagha O sinless one,
03039009c pArthasya devadevena zRNu samyak samAgamam hear in detail the particulars about arjuna's meeting with the three-eyed god of gods, and his contact with the illustrious god's person!
03039010a yudhiSThiraniyogAt sa jagAmAmitavikramaH
03039010c zakraM surezvaranM draSTunM devadevaJM ca zaGMkaram 'At yudhiSThira's command, dhanaMjaya of immeasurable prowess set out (from Kamyaka) to obtain a sight of zakra, the chief of the celestials and of Sankara, the god of gods.
03039011a divyanM tad dhanur AdAya khaDgaJM ca puruSarSabhaH And the strong-armed arjuna of great might set out armed with his celestial bow and a sword with golden hilt,
03039011c mahAbalo mahAbAhur arjunaH kAryasiddhaye for the success of the object he had in view,
03039011e dizaM hy udIcIGM kauravyo himavacchikharamM prati northwards, towards the summit of the Himavat.
03039012a aindrisH sthiramanA rAjan sarvalokamahArathaH And, O king, that first of all warriors in the three worlds, the son of indra, with a calm mind, and firmly adhering to his purpose,
03039012c tvarayA parayA yuktas tapase dhRtanizcayaH then devoted himself, without the loss of any time, to ascetic austerities.
03039012e vanaGM kaNTakitaGM ghoram eka evAnvapadyata And he entered, all alone, that terrible forest abounding with thorny plants
03039013a nAnApuSpaphalopetanM nAnApakSiniSevitam and trees and flowers and fruits of various kinds, and inhabited by winged creatures of various species,
03039013c nAnAmRgagaNAkIrNaM siddhacAraNasevitam and swarming with animals of diverse kinds, and resorted to by Siddhas and Charanas.
03039014a tataH prayAte kaunteye vanaM mAnuSavarjitam And when the son of kuntI entered that forest destitute of human beings,
03039014c zaGkhAnAmM paTahAnAJM ca zabdasH samabhavad divi sounds of conchs and drums began to be heard in the heavens.
03039015a puSpavarSaJM ca sumahan nipapAta mahItale And a thick shower of flowers fell upon the earth,
03039015c meghajAlaJM ca vitataJM chAdayAmAsa sarvataH and the clouds spreading over the firmament caused a thick shade.
03039016a atItya vanadurgANi sanMnikarSe mahAgireH Passing over those difficult and woody regions at the foot of the great mountains,
03039016c zuzubhe himavatpRSThe vasamAno 'rjunas tadA arjuna soon reached the breast of the Himavat;
03039017a tatrApazyad drumAn phullAn vihagair valgu nAditAn and staying there for sometime began to shine in his brilliancy. And he beheld there numerous trees with expanding verdure, resounding with the melodious notes of winged warblers.
03039017c nadIz ca bahulAvartA nIlavaiDUryasanMnibhAH And he saw there rivers with currents of the lapis lazuli, broken by the fierce eddies here and there,
