Chapter Ten

Dhruva Battles the Yakas

|| 4.10.1 ||
maitreya uvca
prajpater duhitara
iumrasya vai dhruva
upayeme bhrami nma
tat-sutau kalpa-vatsarau
Maitreya said: O Vidura! Dhruva married the daughter of
Prajpati iumra, whose name was Bhrami, and her two sons
were Kalpa and Vatsara.
The Tenth Chapter describes how Dhruva, hearing that the Yakas had
killed his brother, goes to Alakpur and kills the Yakas in battle.

|| 4.9.2 ||
ilym api bhryy
vyo putry mah-bala
putram utkala-nmna
yoid-ratnam ajjanat
In another wife, named Il, who was the daughter of Vyu, he
begot a son named Utkala and a very beautiful daughter.
Yoid-ratnam means a jewel of a daughter. The word and should be
supplied.
|| 4.9.3||
uttamas tv aktodvho
mgayy balyas
hata puya-janendrau
tan-mtsya gati gat
Dhruva's younger brother Uttama, who was still unmarried, was
killed while hunting in the Himalaya Mountains by a powerful
Yaka. His mother, Suruci, followed the path of her son.

|| 4.9.4 ||
dhruvo bhrt-vadha rutv

kopmara-ucrpita
jaitra syandanam sthya
gata puya-janlayam
When Dhruva Mahrja heard of the killing of his brother Uttama,
overwhelmed with lamentation and anger, mounting his victorious
chariot, he went to the city of the Yakas, Alakpur.
Arpit means filled with.
|| 4.9.5 ||
gatvodc dia rj
rudrnucara-sevitm
dadara himavad-droy
pur guhyaka-sakulm
Going north, the King saw the city filled with Yakas and
followers of iva in a valley of the Himalayas.
|| 4.9.6 ||
dadhmau akha bhad-bhu
kha dia cnundayan
yenodvigna-da kattar
upadevyo 'trasan bham
Mighty-armed Dhruva blew his conch, causing the directions and
sky to echo. By this the wives of the Yakas, with anxious eyes,
become greatly frightened.
Upadevya means the wives of the Yakas.
|| 4.9.7 ||
tato nikramya balina
upadeva-mah-bha
asahantas tan-nindam
abhipetur udyudh
The powerful Yaka warriors, unable to tolerate the sound, came
out of the city with weapons and attacked Dhruva.
|| 4.9.8 ||
sa tn patato vra
ugra-dhanv mah-ratha

ekaika yugapat sarvn

ahan bais tribhis tribhi
Courageous Dhruva, a great charioteer and fierce archer, when
attacked by them, attacked them all by simultaneously
discharging three arrows at each of them.
|| 4.9.9 ||
te vai lala-lagnais tair
iubhi sarva eva hi
matv nirastam tmnam
asan karma tasya tat
Shot in the forehead by arrows, they all thought they would be
defeated, but praised Dhruvas action.
They praised him in their minds.
|| 4.9.10 ||
te 'pi cmum amyanta
pda-sparam ivorag
arair avidhyan yugapad
dvi-gua pracikrava

Intolerant of the arrows just as snakes are intolerant of the touch

of a foot, the Yakas simultaneously fired twice as many arrows in
retaliation.
Twice as many means that each person fired six arrows at once in
retaliation.
|| 4.9.11-12 ||
tata parigha-nistriai
prsala-paravadhai
akty-ibhir bhuubhi
citra-vjai arair api
abhyavaran prakupit
saratha saha-srathim
icchantas tat pratkartum
ayutn trayodaa

130,000 Yaka soldiers, greatly angry, desiring to defeat Dhruva,

showered him, along with his chariot and charioteer, with various
types of feathered arrows, iron clubs, swords, tridents, lances,
pikes, spears and bhuu weapons.

|| 4.9.13 ||
auttnapdi sa tad
astra-varea bhri
na evdyatcchanna
srea yath giri
Like a mountain covered by torrents of rain, Dhruva could not be
seen, since he was covered by a shower of weapons at that time.
He could not be seen, like a mountain covered by heavy showers of rain
(srea).
|| 4.9.14 ||
hh-kras tadaivst
siddhn divi payatm
hato 'ya mnava sryo
magna puya-janrave
Cries of dismay arose from the Siddhas watching in the sky. He
has been killed. The grandson of Manu, the sun, has sunk in the
ocean of the Yakas.
Like the sun in ocean he has disappeared in the ocean of Yakas. The
hidden meaning is that even in the condition, Dhruva could not be
harmed, just as the sun is not harmed by setting in the ocean.
|| 4.9.15 ||
nadatsu ytudhneu
jaya-kiv atho mdhe
udatihad rathas tasya
nhrd iva bhskara
While the Yakas were proclaiming victory, suddenly Dhruvas
chariot appeared in the battlefield, like the sun appearing
through the mist.
Jayakiu means cries of victory appeared.

|| 4.9.16 ||
dhanur visphrjayan divya
dviat khedam udvahan
astraugha vyadhamad bair
ghannkam ivnila

Twanging his wondrous bow and creating dismay, he dispelled the

mass of weapons with his arrows, just as the wind dispels a mass
of clouds.
Vyadhamat means he ground up.
|| 4.9.17 ||
tasya te cpa-nirmukt
bhittv varmi rakasm
kyn vivius tigm
girn aanayo yath
The arrows released from his bow, piercing the armor of the
demons, entered their bodies, like sharp thunderbolts piercing
mountains.
Two comparisons have been given concerning the mountain. The Yakas
attacked him like rain torrents covering a mountain. He attacked them
like thunderbolts attacking mountains. The arrows of the Yakas were
insignificant to Dhruva, like rain to the mountain, and served to increase
his desire to counterattack, just the rain washes the mountain of dirt and
makes it appear bright. The arrows of Dhruva however took away the life
of the Yakas, like thunderbolts piercing mountains.

|| 4.9.18-19 ||
bhallai sachidyamnn
irobhi cru-kualai
rubhir hema-tlbhair
dorbhir valaya-valgubhi
hra-keyra-mukuair
uai ca mah-dhanai
stts t raa-bhuvo
rejur vra-mano-har

The battlefields, attractive to minds of heroes, were covered with

Yakas heads severed by his arrows, as well as with beautiful
earrings, with thighs like golden palm trees, with arms,
armbands, crowns, necklaces and bracelets and valuable turbans.
stt means covered.
|| 4.9.20 ||
hatvai itare rajird
rako-ga katriya-varya-syakai
pryo vivkvayav vidudruvur
mgendra-vikrita-ythap iva
The remaining Yakas who were not killed, their limbs almost
severed by Dhruvas arrows, fled from the battlefield like herd of
elephants who had become the plaything of a lion
|| 4.9.21 ||
apayamna sa tadtatyina
mah-mdhe kacana mnavottama
pur didkann api nviad dvi
na myin veda cikrita jana
Not seeing his attackers with weapons in the vast battlefield at
all, the best of Manus descendents, though desiring to see the
city, did not enter it. One does not know the plan of the
deceptive enemy.
tatyinam means persons holding weapons.
|| 4.9.22 ||
iti bruva citra-ratha sva-srathi
yatta pare pratiyoga-akita
urva abda jaladher iverita
nabhasvato diku rajo 'nvadyata
Speaking to his charioteer in this way, cautious and worrying
about a counterattack by the enemy, Dhruva then heard a sound
which seemed to come from the ocean. He then saw dust in all
directions caused by the wind.

Dhruva (citrarata) had said, One does not know the plans of deluding
enemy. After that (anu) because of wind (nabhasvata) dust was seen.

|| 4.9.23 ||
kaencchdita vyoma
ghannkena sarvata
visphurat-tait diku
trsayat-stanayitnun

In a moment the sky became completely covered with a mass of

clouds, with flashing lightning and terrifying thunder.
|| 4.9.24 ||
vav rudhiraughskpya-vi-mtra-medasa
nipetur gagand asya
kabandhny agrato 'nagha
The clouds rained torrents of blood, mucus, pus, stool, urine and
marrow. O Vidura! Human trunks began to fall from the sky in
front of Dhruva.
Ask means the body, that which does not release. Thus it refers to
mucus and other components of the body. It usually means blood, but
blood has already been mentioned (rudhira). The masculine ending on
the word medasa is poetic license. The clouds (subject) rained blood. The
bodies fell in front of Dhruva (asya).
|| 4.9.25 ||
tata khe 'dyata girir
nipetu sarvato-diam
gad-parigha-nistriamusal sma-varia
Then he saw a mountain in the sky. Maces, swords, iron-spiked
clubs and other clubs began to fall from it in all directions along
with showers of stones
Sma-varia means along with showers of stones.

.
|| 4.9.26 ||
ahayo 'ani-nivs
vamanto 'gni rukibhi
abhyadhvan gaj matt
siha-vyghr ca ythaa
Snakes breathing thunderbolts and vomiting fire rushed to attack
him with herds of mad elephants, lions and tigers.
|| 4.9.27 ||
samudra rmibhir bhma
plvayan sarvato bhuvam
sasda mah-hrda
kalpnta iva bhaa
The fierce ocean, flooding the earth all directions with waves,
making a terrifying sound, approached him like the flood of water
at the end of the kalpa.

|| 4.9.28 ||
eva-vidhny anekni
trsanny amanasvinm
sasjus tigma-gataya
sury myaysur
The cruel-natured Yakas, like demons, created many such
visions, terrifying to the cowardly by their powers of illusion.
These visions were terrifying to those without courage (amanasvinm).
The Yakas were like demons.
|| 4.9.29 ||
dhruve prayuktm asurais
t mym atidustarm
niamya tasya munaya
am asan samgat
Hearing that the Yakas had cast their magic, difficult to
overcome, upon Dhruva, the sages arrived and prayed for his well
being.

|| 4.9.30 ||
munaya cu
auttnapda bhagavs tava rgadhanv
deva kiotv avanatrti-haro vipakn
yan-nmadheyam abhidhya niamya cddh
loko 'jas tarati dustaram aga mtyum
The sages said: O Dhruva! May the Supreme Lord, carrier of the
bow, reliever of distress to the surrendered souls, by hearing or
chanting whose name people easily cross unsurpassable death,
kill your enemies!
The sages thought that if one can cross death by hearing about the Lord,
then Dhruva could easily overcome the Yakas magic spell. Thus they
made him remember the Nryaa weapon.
Thus ends the commentary on the Tenth Chapter of the Fourth Canto of
the Bhgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the
previous cryas.