The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 2 eBook
The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 2
The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series:
Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot
Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media
Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc.
Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns",
"Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations",
"Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About
the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas
for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copyrighted by BookRags, Inc.
Table of Contents
Page 1
SECTION I
(Pandava-Pravesa Parva)
Om! Having bowed down to Narayana, and Nara,
the most exalted of male beings, and also to the goddess
Saraswati, must the word Jaya be uttered.
Janamejaya said, “How did my great-grandfathers,
afflicted with the fear of Duryodhana, pass their
days undiscovered in the city of Virata? And,
O Brahman, how did the highly blessed Draupadi, stricken
with woe, devoted to her lords, and ever adoring the
Deity[1], spend her days unrecognised?”
Vaisampayana said, “Listen, O lord of men, how
thy great grandfathers passed the period of unrecognition
in the city of Virata. Having in this way obtained
boons from the god of Justice, that best of virtuous
men, Yudhishthira, returned to the asylum and related
unto the Brahmanas all that had happened. And
having related everything unto them, Yudhishthira
restored to that regenerate Brahmana, who had followed
him the churning staff and the fire-sticks he had
lost. And, O Bharata, the son of the god of Justice,
the royal Yudhishthira of high soul then called together
all his younger brothers and addressed them, saying,
’Exiled from our kingdom, we have passed twelve
years. The thirteenth year, hard to spend, hath
now come. Do thou therefore, O Arjuna, the son
of Kunti, select some spot where we may pass our days
undiscovered by our enemies.’”
Arjuna replied, “Even by virtue of Dharma’s
boon, we shall, O lord of men, range about undiscovered
by men. Still, for purposes of residence, I shall
mention some spots that are both delightful and secluded.
Do thou select some one of them. Surrounding
the kingdom of the Kurus, are, many countries beautiful
and abounding in corn, such as Panchala, Chedi, Matsya,
Surasena, Pattachchara, Dasarna, Navarashtra, Malla,
Salva, Yugandhara, Saurashtra, Avanti, and the spacious
Kuntirashtra. Which of these, O king, wouldst
thou choose, and where, O foremost of monarchs, shall
we spend this year?”
Yudhishthira said “O them of mighty arms, it
is even so. What that adorable Lord of all creatures
hath said must become true. Surely, after consulting
together, we must select some delightful, auspicious,
and agreeable region for our abode, where we may live
free from fear. The aged Virata, king of the
Matsyas, is virtuous and powerful and charitable,
and is liked by all. And he is also attached to
the Pandavas. Even in the city of Virata, O child,
we shall, O Bharata, spend this year, entering his
service. Tell me, ye sons of the Kuru race, in
what capacities ye will severally present yourselves
before the king of the Matsyas!”
Arjuna said, “O god among men, what service
wilt thou take in Virata’s kingdom? O righteous
one, in what capacity wilt thou reside in the city
of Virata? Thou art mild, and charitable, and
modest, and virtuous, and firm in promise. What
wilt thou, O king, afflicted as thou art with calamity,
do? A king is qualified to bear trouble like an
ordinary person. How wilt thou overcome this
great calamity that has overtaken thee?”
Page 2
Yudhishthira replied, “Ye sons of the Kuru race,
ye bulls among men, hear what I shall do on appearing
before king Virata. Presenting myself as a Brahmana,
Kanka by name, skilled in dice and fond of play, I
shall become a courtier of that high-souled king.
And moving upon chess-boards beautiful pawns made
of ivory, of blue and yellow and red and white hue,
by throws of black and red dice. I shall entertain
the king with his courtiers and friends. And
while I shall continue to thus delight the king, nobody
will succeed in discovering me. And should the
monarch ask me, I shall say, ‘Formerly I was
the bosom friend of Yudhishthira.’ I tell
you that it is thus that I shall pass my days (in the
city of Virata). What office wilt thou, O Vrikodara,
fill in the city of Virata?”
SECTION II
Bhima said, “I intend to present myself before
the lord of Virata as a cook bearing the name of Vallabha.
I am skilled in culinary art, and I shall prepare
curries for the king, and excelling all those skilful
cooks that had hitherto dressed his food I shall gratify
the monarch. And I shall carry mighty loads of
wood. And witnessing that mighty feat, the monarch
will be pleased. And, O Bharata, beholding such
superhuman feats of mine, the servants of the royal
household will honour me as a king. And I shall
have entire control over all kinds of viands and drinks.
And commanded to subdue powerful elephants and mighty
bulls, I will do as bidden. And if any combatants
will fight with me in the lists, then will I vanquish
them, and thereby entertain the monarch. But I
shall not take the life of any of them. I shall
only bring them down in such way that they may not
be killed. And on being asked as regards my antecedent
I shall say that—Formerly I was the wrestler
and cook of Yudhishthira. Thus shall I, O king,
maintain myself.”
Yudhishthira said, “And what office will be
performed by that mighty descendant of the Kurus,
Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, that foremost of men
possessed of long arms, invincible in fight, and before
whom, while he was staying with Krishna, the divine
Agni himself desirous of consuming the forest of Khandava
had formerly appeared in the guise of a Brahmana?
What office will be performed by that best of warriors,
Arjuna, who proceeded to that forest and gratified
Agni, vanquishing on a single car and slaying huge
Nagas and Rakshasas, and who married the sister of
Vasuki himself, the king of the Nagas? Even as
the sun is the foremost of all heat-giving bodies,
as the Brahmana is the best of all bipeds, as the
cobra is the foremost of all serpents, as Fire is the
first of all things possessed of energy, as the thunderbolt
is the foremost of all weapons, as the humped bull
is the foremost of all animals of the bovine breed,
as the ocean is the foremost of all watery expanses,
as clouds charged with rain are the foremost of all
clouds, as Ananta is the first of all Nagas, as Airavata
Page 3
is the foremost of all elephants, as the son is the
foremost of all beloved objects, and lastly, as the
wife is the best of all friends, so, O Vrikodara,
is the youthful Gudakesa, the foremost of all bowmen.
And O Bharata, what office will be performed by Vibhatsu,
the wielder of Gandiva, whose car is drawn by white
horses, and who is not inferior to Indra or Vasudeva
Himself? What office will be performed by Arjuna
who, dwelling for five years in the abode of the thousand-eyed
Deity (Indra) shining in celestial lustre, acquired
by his own energy the science of superhuman arms with
all celestial weapons, and whom I regard as the tenth
Rudra, the thirteenth Aditya, the ninth Vasu, and the
tenth Graha, whose arms, symmetrical and long, have
the skin hardened by constant strokes of the bowstring
and cicatrices which resemble those on the humps of
bulls,—that foremost of warriors who is
as Himavat among mountains, the ocean among expanses
of water, Sakra among the celestial, Havya-vaha (fire)
among the Vasus, the tiger among beasts, and Garuda
among feathery tribes!”
Arjuna replied, “O lord of the Earth, I will
declare myself as one of the neuter sex. O monarch,
it is, indeed difficult to hide the marks of the bowstring
on my arms. I will, however, cover both my cicatrized
arms with bangles. Wearing brilliant rings on
my ears and conch-bangles on my wrists and causing
a braid to hang down from my head, I shall, O king,
appear as one of the third sex, Brihannala by name.
And living as a female I shall (always) entertain
the king and the inmates of the inner apartments by
reciting stories. And, O king, I shall also instruct
the women of Virata’s palace in singing and
delightful modes of dancing and in musical instruments
of diverse kinds. And I shall also recite the
various excellent acts of men and thus conceal myself,
O son of Kunti, by feigning disguise. And, O
Bharata should the king enquire, I will say that,
I lived as a waiting maid of Draupadi in Yudhishthira’s
palace. And, O foremost of kings, concealing
myself by this means, as fire is concealed by ashes,
I shall pass my days agreeably in the palace of Virata.”
Vaisampayana continued, “Having said this, Arjuna,
that best of men and foremost of virtuous persons,
became silent. Then the king addressed another
brother of his."[2]
SECTION III
Yudhishthira said, “Tender, possessed of a graceful
presence, and deserving of every luxury as thou art,
what office wilt thou, O heroic Nakula, discharge
while living in the dominions of that king? Tell
me all about it!”
Page 4
Nakula said, “Under the name of Granthika, I
shall become the keeper of the horses of king Virata.
I have a thorough knowledge (of this work) and am
skilful in tending horses. Besides, the task is
agreeable to me, and I possess great skill in training
and treating horses; and horses are ever dear to me
as they are to thee, O king of the Kurus. At my
hands even colts and mares become docile; these never
become vicious in bearing a rider or drawing a car.[3]
And those persons in the city of Virata that may enquire
of me, I shall, O bull of the Bharata race, say,—Formerly
I was employed by Yudhishthira in the charge of his
horses. Thus disguised, O king, I shall spend
my days delightfully in the city of Virata. No
one will be able to discover me as I will gratify
the monarch thus![4]
Yudhishthira said, “How wilt thou, O Sahadeva,
bear thyself before that king? And what, O child,
is that which thou wilt do in order to live in disguise.”
Sahadeva replied, “I will become a keeper of
the kine of Virata’s king. I am skilled
in milking kine and taking their history as well as
in taming their fierceness. Passing under the
name of Tantripal, I shall perform my duties deftly.
Let thy heart’s fever be dispelled. Formerly
I was frequently employed to look after thy kine,
and, O Lord of earth, I have a particular knowledge
of that work. And, O monarch, I am well-acquainted
with the nature of kine, as also with their auspicious
marks and other matters relating to them. I can
also discriminate bulls with auspicious marks, the
scent of whose urine may make even the barren being
forth child. Even thus will I live, and I always
take delight in work of this kind. Indeed, no
one will then be able to recognise me, and I will
moreover gratify the monarch,”
Yudhishthira said, “This is our beloved wife
dearer to us than our lives. Verily, she deserveth
to be cherished by us like a mother, and regarded
like an elder sister. Unacquainted as she is with
any kind of womanly work, what office will Krishna,
the daughter of Drupada, perform? Delicate and
young, she is a princess of great repute. Devoted
to her lords, and eminently virtuous, also, how will
she live? Since her birth, she hath enjoyed only
garlands and perfume? and ornaments and costly robes.”
Draupadi replied, “There is a class of persons
called Sairindhris,[5] who enter the services of other.
Other females, however (that are respectable) do not
do so. Of this class there are some. I shall
give myself out as a Sairindhri, skilled in dressing
hair. And, O Bharata, on being questioned by
the king, I shall say that I served as a waiting woman
of Draupadi in Yudhishthira’s household.
I shall thus pass my days in disguise. And I
shall serve the famous Sudeshna, the wife of the king.
Surely, obtaining me she will cherish me (duly).
Do not grieve so, O king.”
“Yudhishthira said, “O Krishna, thou speakest
well. But O fair girl, thou wert born in a respectable
family. Chaste as thou art, and always engaged
in observing virtuous vows, thou knowest not what is
sin. Do thou, therefore, conduct thyself in such
a way that sinful men of evil hearts may not be gladdened
by gazing at thee.”
Page 5
SECTION IV
Yudhishthira said, “Ye have already said what
offices ye will respectively perform. I also,
according to the measure of my sense, have said what
office I will perform. Let our priest, accompanied
by charioteers and cooks, repair to the abode of Drupada,
and there maintain our Agnihotra fires. And let
Indrasena and the others, taking with then the empty
cars, speedily proceeded to Dwaravati. Even this
is my wish. And let all these maid-servants of
Draupadi go to the Panchalas, with our charioteers
and cooks. And let all of them say,—We
do not know where the Pandavas have gone leaving us
at the lake of Dwaitavana.”
Vaisampayana said, “Having thus taken counsel
of one another and told one another the offices they
would discharge, the Pandavas sought Dhaumya’s
advice. And Dhaumya also gave them advice in the
following words, saying, Ye sons of Pandu, the arrangements
ye have made regarding the Brahmanas, yours friends,
cars, weapons, and the (sacred) fires, are excellent.
But it behoveth thee, O Yudhishthira, and Arjuna specially,
to make provision for the protection of Draupadi.
Ye king, ye are well-acquainted with the characters
of men. Yet whatever may be your knowledge, friends
may from affection be permitted to repeat what is
already known. Even this is subservient to the
eternal interests of virtue, pleasure, and profit.
I shall, therefore speak to you something. Mark
ye. To dwell with a king is, alas, difficult.
I shall tell you, ye princes, how ye may reside in
the royal household, avoiding every fault. Ye
Kauravas, honourably or otherwise, ye will have to
pass this year in the king’s palace, undiscovered
by those that know you. Then in the fourteenth
year, ye will live happy. O son of Pandu, in
this world, that cherisher and protector of all beings,
the king, who is a deity in an embodied form, is as
a great fire sanctified with all the mantras. [6]
One should present himself before the king, after
having obtained his permission at the gate. No
one should keep contact with royal secrets. Nor
should one desire a seat which another may covet.
He who doth not, regarding himself to be a favourite,
occupy (the king’s) car, or coach, or seat, or
vehicle, or elephant, is alone worthy of dwelling in
a royal household. He that sits not upon a seat
the occupation of which is calculated raise alarm
in the minds of malicious people, is alone worthy of
dwelling in a royal household. No one should,
unasked offer counsel (to a king). Paying homage
in season unto the king, one should silently and respectfully
sit beside the king, for kings take umbrage at babblers,
and disgrace laying counsellors. A wise person
should not contact friendship with the king’s
wife, nor with the inmates of the inner apartments,
nor with those that are objects of royal displeasure.
One about the king should do even the most unimportant
acts and with the king’s knowledge. Behaving
Page 6
thus with a sovereign, one doth not come by harm.
Even if an individual attain the highest office, he
should, as long as he is not asked or commanded, consider
himself as born-blind, having regard to the king’s
dignity, for O repressers of foes, the rulers of men
do not forgive even their sons and grandsons and brothers
when they happen to tamper with their dignity.
Kings should be served with regardful care, even as
Agni and other god; and he that is disloyal to his
sovereign, is certainly destroyed by him. Renouncing
anger, and pride, and negligence, it behoveth a man
to follow the course directed by the monarch.
After carefully deliberating on all things, a person
should set forth before the king those topics that
are both profitable and pleasant; but should a subject
be profitable without being pleasant, he should still
communicate it, despite its disagreeableness.
It behoveth a man to be well-disposed towards the king
in all his interests, and not to indulge in speech
that is alike unpleasant and profitless. Always
thinking—I am not liked by the king—one
should banish negligence, and be intent on bringing
about what is agreeable and advantageous to him.
He that swerveth not from his place, he that is not
friendly to those that are hostile to the king, he
that striveth not to do wrong to the king, is alone
worthy to dwell in a royal household. A learned
man should sit either on the king’s right or
the left; he should not sit behind him for that is
the place appointed for armed guards, and to sit before
him is always interdicted. Let none, when the
king is engaged in doing anything (in respect of his
servants) come forward pressing himself zealously
before others, for even if the aggrieved be very poor,
such conduct would still be inexcusable.[7] It behoveth
no man to reveal to others any lie the king may have
told inasmuch as the king bears ill will to those
that report his falsehoods. Kings also always
disregard persons that regard themselves as learned.
No man should be proud thinking—I am brave,
or, I am intelligent, but a person obtains the good
graces of a king and enjoys the good things of life,
by behaving agreeably to the wishes of the king.
And, O Bharata, obtaining things agreeable, and wealth
also which is so hard to acquire, a person should
always do what is profitable as well as pleasant to
the king. What man that is respected by the wise
can even think of doing mischief to one whose ire
is great impediment and whose favour is productive
of mighty fruits? No one should move his lips,
arms and thighs, before the king. A person should
speak and spit before the king only mildly. In
the presence of even laughable objects, a man should
not break out into loud laughter, like a maniac; nor
should one show (unreasonable) gravity by containing
himself, to the utmost. One should smile modestly,
to show his interest (in what is before him).
He that is ever mindful of the king’s welfare,
and is neither exhilarated by reward nor depressed
Page 7
by disgrace, is alone worthy of dwelling in a royal
household. That learned courtier who always pleaseth
the king and his son with agreeable speeches, succeedeth
in dwelling in a royal household as a favourite.
The favourite courtier who, having lost the royal favour
for just reason, does not speak evil of the king,
regains prosperity. The man who serveth the king
or liveth in his domains, if sagacious, should speak
in praise of the king, both in his presence and absence.
The courtier who attempts to obtain his end by employing
force on the king, cannot keep his place long and
incurs also the risk of death. None should, for
the purpose of self-interest, open communications
with the king’s enemies.[8] Nor should one distinguish
himself above the king in matters requiring ability
and talents. He that is always cheerful and strong,
brave and truthful, and mild, and of subdued senses,
and who followeth his master like his shadow, is alone
worthy to dwell in a royal household. He that
on being entrusted with a work, cometh forward, saying,—I
will do this—is alone worthy of living
in a royal household. He that on being entrusted
with a task, either within the king’s dominion
or out of it, never feareth to undertake it, is alone
fit to reside in a royal household. He that living
away from his home, doth no remember his dear ones,
and who undergoeth (present) misery in expectation
of (future) happiness, is alone worthy of dwelling
in a royal household. One should not dress like
the king, nor should one indulge, in laughter in the
king’s presence nor should one disclose royal
secrets. By acting thus one may win royal favour.
Commissioned to a task, one should not touch bribes
for by such appropriation one becometh liable to fetters
or death. The robes, ornaments, cars, and other
things which the king may be pleased to bestow should
always be used, for by this, one winneth the royal
favour. Ye children, controlling your minds,
do ye spend this year, ye sons of Pandu, behaving
in this way. Regaining your own kingdom, ye may
live as ye please.”
Yudhishthira said, “We have been well taught
by thee. Blessed be thou. There is none
that could say so to us, save our mother Kunti and
Vidura of great wisdom. It behoveth thee to do
all that is necessary now for our departure, and for
enabling us to come safely through this woe, as well
as for our victory over the foe.”
Vaisampayana continued, “Thus addressed by Yudhishthira,
Dhaumya, that best of Brahmanas, performed according
to the ordinance the rites ordained in respect of
departure. And lighting up their fires, he offered,
with mantras, oblations on them for the prosperity
and success of the Pandavas, as for their reconquest
of the whole world. And walking round those fires
and round the Brahmanas of ascetic wealth, the six
set out, placing Yajnaseni in their front. And
when those heroes had departed, Dhaumya, that best
of ascetics, taking their sacred fires, set out for
the Panchalas. And Indrasena, and others already
mentioned, went to the Yadavas, and looking after
the horses and the cars of the Pandavas passed their
time happily and in privacy.”
Page 8
SECTION V
Vaisampayana said, “Girding their waists with
swords, and equipped with finger-protectors made of
iguana skins and with various weapons, those heroes
proceeded in the direction of the river Yamuna.
And those bowmen desirous of (speedily) recovering
their kingdom, hitherto living in inaccessible hills
and forest fastnesses, now terminated their forest-life
and proceeded to the southern bank of that river.
And those mighty warriors endued with great strength
and hitherto leading the lives of hunters by killing
the deer of the forest, passed through Yakrilloma
and Surasena, leaving behind, on their right, the country
of the Panchalas, and on their left, that of the Dasarnas.
And those bowmen, looking wan and wearing beards and
equipped with swords, entered Matsya’s dominions
leaving the forest, giving themselves out as hunters.
And on arriving at that country, Krishna addressed
Yudhishthira, saying, ’We see footpaths here,
and various fields. From this it appears that
Virata’s metropolis is still at a distance.
Pass we here what part of the night is still left,
for great is my fatigue.”
Yudhishthira answered, “O Dhananjaya of Bharata’s
race, do thou take up Panchali and carry her.
Just on emerging from this forest, we arrive at the
city.”
Vaisampayana continued, “Thereupon like the
leader of a herd of elephants, Arjuna speedily took
up Draupadi, and on coming to the vicinity of the
city, let her down. And on reaching the city,
Ruru’s son (Yudhishthira), addressed Arjuna,
saying, ’Where shall we deposit our weapons,
before entering the city? If, O child, we enter
it with our weapons about us, we shall thereby surely
excite the alarm of the citizens. Further, the
tremendous bow, the Gandiva, is known to all men,
so that people will, without doubt, recognise us soon.
And if even one of us is discovered, we shall, according
to promise, have to pass another twelve years in the
forest.’”
Arjuna said, “Hard by yon cemetery and near
that inaccessible peak is a mighty Sami tree, throwing-about
its gigantic branches and difficult to ascend.
Nor is there any human being, who, I think, O Pandu’s
son, will espy us depositing our arms at that place.
That tree is in the midst of an out-of-the way forest
abounding in beasts and snakes, and is in the vicinity
of a dreary cemetery. Stowing away our weapons
on the Sami tree, let us, O Bharata, go to the city,
and live there, free from anxiety!”
Vaisampayana continued, “Having O bull of the
Bharata race spoken thus to king Yudhishthira the
just, Arjuna prepared to deposit the weapons (on the
tree). And that bull among the Kurus, then loosened
the string of the large and dreadful Gandiva, ever
producing thundering twang and always destructive
of hostile hosts, and with which he had conquered,
on a single car, gods and men and Nagas and swelling
provinces. And the warlike Yudhishthira, that
Page 9
represser of foes, unfastened the undecaying string
of that bow with which he had defended the field of
Kurukshstra. And the illustrious Bhimasena unstrung
that bow by means of which that sinless one had vanquished
in fight the Panchals and the lord of Sindhu, and
with which, during his career of conquest, he had,
single-handed, opposed innumerable foes, and hearing
whose twang which was like unto the roar of the thunder
or the splitting of a mountain, enemies always fly
(in panic) from the field of battle. And that
son of Pandu of coppery complexion and mild speech
who is endued with great prowess in the field, and
is called Nakula in consequence of his unexampled beauty
in the family, then unfastened the string of that
bow with which he had conquered all the regions of
the west. And the heroic Sahadeva also, possessed
of a mild disposition, then united the string of that
bow with which he had subjugated the countries of
the south. And with their bows, they put together
their long and flashing swords, their precious quivers,
and their arrows sharp as razors. And Nakula ascended
the tree, and deposited on it the bows and the other
weapons. And he tied them fast on those parts
of the tree which he thought would not break, and where
the rain would not penetrate. And the Pandavas
hung up a corpse (on the tree), knowing that people
smelling the stench of the corpse would say—here
sure, is a dead body, and avoid the tree from a distance.
And on being asked by the shepherds and cowherds regarding
the corpse, those repressers of foes said unto them,
’This is our mother, aged one hundred and eighty
years. We have hung up her dead body, in accordance
with the custom observed by our forefathers.’
And then those resisters of foes approached the city.
And for purposes of non-discovery Yudhisthira kept
these (five) names for himself and his brothers respectively,
viz., Jaya, Jayanta, Vijaya, Jayatsena, and Jayatvala.
Then they entered the great city, with the view to
passing the thirteenth year undiscovered in that kingdom,
agreeably to the promise (to Duryodhana).”
SECTION VI
Vaisampayana said, “And while Yudhishthira was
on his way to the delightful city of Virata, he began
to praise mentally the Divine Durga, the Supreme Goddess
of the Universe, born on the womb of Yasoda, and fond
of the boons bestowed on her by Narayana, sprung from
the race of cowherd Nanda, and the giver of prosperity,
the enhancer (of the glory) of (the worshipper’s)
family, the terrifier of Kansa, and the destroyer of
Asuras,—and saluted the Goddess—her
who ascended the skies when dashed (by Kansa) on a
stony platform, who is the sister of Vasudeva, one
who is always decked in celestial garlands and attired
in celestial robes,—who is armed with scimitar
and shield, and always rescues the worshipper sunk
in sin, like a cow in the mire, who in the hours of
distress calls upon that eternal giver of blessings
Page 10
for relieving him of their burdens. And the king,
desirous with his brothers of obtaining a sight of
the Goddess, invoked her and began to praise her by
reciting various names derived from (approved) hymns.
And Yudhishthira said, ’Salutations to thee,
O giver of boons. O thou that art identical with
Krishna, O maiden, O thou that hast observed the vow
of Brahmacharya, O thou of body bright as the newly-risen
Sun, O thou efface beautiful as the full moon.
Salutations to thee, O thou of four hands and four
faces, O thou of fair round hips and deep bosom, O
thou that wearest bangles made of emeralds and sapphires,
O thou that bearest excellent bracelets on thy upper
arm. Thou shinest, O Goddess, as Padma, the consort
of Narayana. O thou that rangest the etherial
regions, thy true form and thy Brahmacharya are both
of the purest kind. Sable as the black clouds,
thy face is beautiful as that of Sankarshana.
Thou bearest two large arms long as a couple of poles
raised in honour of Indra. In thy (six) other
arms thou bearest a vessel, a lotus, a bell, a noose,
a bow, a large discus, and various other weapons.
Thou art the only female in the universe that possesses!
the attribute of purity. Thou art decked with
a pair of well-made ears graced with excellent rings.
O Goddess, thou shinest with a face that challengeth
the moon in beauty. With an excellent diadem
and beautiful braid with robes made of the bodies
of snakes, and with also the brilliant girdle round
thy hips, thou shinest like the Mandara mountain encircled
with snakes. Thou shinest also with peacock-plumes
standing erect on thy head, and thou hast sanctified
the celestial regions by adopting the vow of perpetual
maiden-hood. It is for this, O thou that hast
slain the Mahishasura, [9] that thou art praised and
worshipped by the gods for the protection of the three
worlds. O thou foremost of all deities, extend
to me thy grace, show me thy mercy, and be thou the
source of blessings to me. Thou art Jaya and
Vijaya, and it is thou that givest victory in battle.
Grant me victory, O Goddess, and give me boons also
at this hour of distress. Thy eternal abode is
on Vindhya—that foremost of mountains.
O Kali, O Kali, thou art the great Kali, ever fond
of wine and meat and animal sacrifice. Capable
of going everywhere at will, and bestowing boons on
thy devotees, thou art ever followed in thy journeys
by Brahma and the other gods. By them that call
upon thee for the relief of their burdens, and by
them also that bow to thee at daybreak on Earth, there
is nothing that cannot be attained in respect either
of offspring or wealth. And because thou rescuest
people from difficulties whether when they are afflicted
in the wilderness or sinking in the great ocean, it
is for this that thou art called Durga[10] by all.
Thou art the sole refuge of men when attacked by robbers
or while afflicted in crossing streams and seas or
in wilderness and; forests. Those men that remember
thee are never prostrated, O great Goddess. Thou
Page 11
art Fame, thou art Prosperity, thou art Steadiness,
thou art Success; thou art the Wife, thou art men’s
Offspring, thou art Knowledge, and thou art the Intellect.
Thou art the two Twilights, the Night Sleep, Light—both
solar and lunar, Beauty, Forgiveness, Mercy, and every
other thing. Thou dispellest, worshipped by the
devotees their fetters, ignorance, loss of children
and loss of wealth, disease, death, and fear.
I, who have been deprived of my kingdom, seek thy
protection. And as I bow to thee with bended head,
O Supreme Goddess, grant me protection, O thou of
eyes like lotus leaves. And be thou as boon-giving
Truth unto us that are acting according to Truth.
And, O Durga, kind as thou art unto all that seek thy
protection, and affectionate unto all thy devotees,
grant me protection!’”
Vaisampayana continued, “Thus praised by the
son of Pandu, the Goddess showed herself unto him.
And approaching the king, she addressed him in these
words, ’O mighty armed king, listen, O Lord,
to these words of mine. Having vanquished and
slain the ranks of the Kauravas through my grace,
victory in battle will soon be thine. Thou shalt
again lord it over the entire Earth, having made thy
dominions destitute of thorns. And, O king, thou
shalt also, with thy brothers, obtain great happiness.
And through my grace, joy and health will be thine.
And they also in the world who will recite my attributes
and achievements will be freed from their sins, and
gratified. I will bestow upon them kingdom, long
life, beauty of person, and offspring. And they,
O king, who will invoke me, after thy manner, in exile
or in the city, in the midst of battle or of dangers
from foes, in forests or in inaccessible deserts, in
seas or mountain fastnesses, there is nothing that
they will not obtain in this world. And ye sons
of Pandu, he will achieve success in every business
of his that will listen to, or himself recite with
devotion, this excellent hymn. And through my
grace neither the Kuru’s spies, nor those that
dwell in the country of the Matsyas, will succeed
in recognising you all as long as ye reside in Virata’s
city!’ And having said these words unto Yudhishthira,
that chastiser of foes, and having arranged for the
protection of the sons of Pandu, the Goddess disappeared
there and then.”
SECTION VII
Vaisampayana said, “Then tying up in his cloth
dice made of gold and set with lapis lazuli, and holding
them below his arm-pit, king Yudhishthira,—that
illustrious lord of men—that high-souled
perpetuator of the Kuru race, regarded by kings, irrepressible
in might, and like unto a snake of virulent poison,—that
bull among men, endued with strength and beauty and
prowess, and possessed of greatness, and resembling
in form a celestial though now like unto the sun enveloped
in dense clouds, or fire covered with ashes, first
made his appearance when the famous king Virata was
seated in his court. And beholding with his followers
Page 12
that son of Pandu in his court, looking like the moon
hid in clouds and possessed of a face beautiful as
the full moon, king Virata addressed his counsellors
and the twice-born ones and the charioteers and the
Vaisyas and others, saying, “Enquire ye who it
is, so like a king that looketh on my court for the
first time. He cannot be a Brahmana. Methinks
he is a man of men, and a lord of earth. He hath
neither slaves, nor cars, nor elephants with him,
yet he shineth like the very Indra. The marks
on his person indicate him to be one whose coronal
locks have undergone the sacred investiture.
Even this is my belief. He approacheth me without
any hesitation, even as an elephant in rut approacheth
an assemblage of lotuses!’
“And as the king was indulging in these thoughts,
that bull among men, Yudhishthira, came before Virata
and addressed him, saying, ’O great king, know
me for a Brahmana who, having lost his all hath come
to thee for the means of subsistence. I desire,
O sinless one, to live here beside thee acting under
thy commands,[11] O lord. The king then, well-pleased,
replied unto him saying, ’Thou art welcome.
Do thou then accept the appointment thou seekest!’
And having appointed the lion among kings in the post
he had prayed for, king Virata addressed him with a
glad heart, saying, ’O child, I ask thee from
affection, from the dominions of what king dost thou
come hither? Tell me also truly what is thy name
and family, and what thou hast a knowledge of.’”
Yudhishthira said, “My name is Kanka, and I
am a Brahmana belonging to the family known by the
name of Vaiyaghra. I am skilled in casting dice,
and formerly I was a friend of Yudhishthira.”
Virata replied, “I will grant thee whatever
boon thou mayst desire. Do thou rule the Matsyas.—I
shall remain in submission to thee. Even cunning
gamblers are liked by me. Thou, on the other hand,
art like a god, and deservest a kingdom.”
Yudhishthira said, “My first prayer, O lord
of earth, is that I may not be involved in any dispute
(on account of dice) with low people. Further,
a person defeated by me (at dice) shall not be permitted
to retain the wealth (won by me). Let this boon
be granted to me through thy grace.”
Virata replied, “I shall certainly slay him
who may happen to displease thee, and should be one
of the twice-born ones, I shall banish him from my
dominions. Let the assembled subjects listen!
Kanka is as much lord of this realm as I myself, Thou
(Kanka) shalt be my friend and shalt ride the same
vehicles as I. And there shall also be at thy disposal
apparel in plenty, and various kinds of viands and
drinks. And thou shalt look into my affairs,
both internal and external. And for thee all my
doors shall be open. When men out of employ or
of strained circumstances will apply to thee, do thou
at all hours bring their words unto me, and I will
surely give them whatever they desire. No fear
shall be thine as long as thou residest with me.”
Page 13
Vaisampayana said, “Having thus obtained an
interview with Virata’s king, and received from
him boons, that heroic bull among men, began to live
happily, highly regarded by all. Nor could any
one discover him as he lived there.”
SECTION VIII
Vaisampayana said, “Then another endued with
the dreadful strength and blazing in beauty, approached
king Virata, with the playful gait of the lion.
And holding in hand a cooking ladle and a spoon, as
also an unsheathed sword of sable hue and without
a spot on the blade, he came in the guise of a cook
illumining all around him by his splendour like the
sun discovering the whole world. And attired in
black and possessed of the strength of the king of
mountains, he approached the king of the Matsyas and
stood before him. And beholding that king-like
person before him, Virata addressed his assembled
subjects saying, ’Who is that youth, that bull
among men, with shoulders broad like those of a lion,
and so exceedingly beautiful? That person, never
seen before, is like the sun. Revolving the matter
in my mind, I cannot ascertain who he is, nor can I
with even serious thoughts guess the intention of that
bull among men (in coming here). Beholding him,
it seems to me that he is either the king of the Gandharvas,
or Purandara himself. Do ye ascertain who it is
that standeth before my eyes. Let him have quickly
what he seeks.’ Thus commanded by king
Virata, his swift-footed messengers went up to the
son of Kunti and informed that younger brother of
Yudhishthira of everything the king had said.
Then the high-souled son of Pandu, approaching Virata,
addressed him in words that were not unsuited to his
object, saying, ’O foremost of kings, I am a
cook, Vallava by name. I am skilled in dressing
dishes. Do thou employ me in the kitchen!’”
Virata said, “I do not believe, O Vallava, that
cooking is thy office. Thou resemblest the deity
of a thousand eyes; and in grace and beauty and prowess,
thou shinest among these all as a king!”
Bhima replied, “O king of kings, I am thy cook
and servant in the first place. It is not curries
only of which I have knowledge, O monarch, although
king Yudhishthira always used in days gone by to taste
my dishes. O lord of earth, I am also a wrestler.
Nor is there one that is equal to me in strength.
And engaging in fight with lions and elephants, I
shall, O sinless one, always contribute to thy entertainment.”
Virata said, “I will even grant thee boons.
Thou wilt do what thou wishest, as thou describest
thyself skilled in it. I do not, however, think,
that this office is worthy of thee, for thou deservest
this (entire) earth girt round by the sea. But
do as thou likest. Be thou the superintendent
of my kitchen, and thou art placed at the head of those
who have been appointed there before by me.”
Vaisampayana continued, “Thus appointed in the
kitchen, Bhima soon became the favourite of king Virata.
And, O king, he continued to live there unrecognised
by the other servants of Virata as also by other people!”
Page 14
SECTION IX
Vaisampayana said, “Binding her black, soft,
fine, long and faultless tresses with crisped ends
into a knotted braid, Draupadi of black eyes and sweet
smiles, throwing it upon her right shoulders, concealed
it by her cloth. And she wore a single piece
of a black and dirty though costly cloth. And
dressing herself as a Sairindhri, she began to wander
hither and thither in seeming affliction. And
beholding her wandering, men and women came to her
hastily and addressed her, saying, ’Who are you?
And what do you seek?’ And she replied, ’I
am a king’s Sairindhri. I desire to serve
any one that will maintain me.’ But beholding
her beauty and dress, and hearing also her speech
that was so sweet, the people could not take her for
a maid-servant in search of subsistence. And it
came to pass that while looking this way and that
from the terrace, Virata’s beloved queen, daughter
of the king of Kekaya, saw Draupadi. And beholding
her forlorn and clad in a single piece of cloth, the
queen addressed her saying, ’O beautiful one,
who are you, and what do you seek?’ Thereupon,
Draupadi answered her, saying, ’O foremost of
queen, I am Sairindhri. I will serve anybody
that will maintain me.’ Then Sudeshna said,
’What you say (regarding your profession) can
never be compatible with so much beauty. (On the contrary)
you might well be the mistress of servants both, male
and female. Your heels are not prominent, and
your thighs touch each other. And your intelligence
is great, and your navel deep, and your words solemn.
And your great toes, and bust and hips, and back and
sides, and toe-nails, and palms are all well-developed.
And your palms, soles, and face are ruddy. And
your speech is sweet even as the voice of the swan.
And your hair is beautiful, and your bust shapely,
and you are possessed of the highest grace. And
your hips and bust are plump. And like a Kashmerean
mare you are furnished with every auspicious mark.
And your eye-lashes are (beautiful) bent, and your
nether-lip is like the ruddy ground. And your
waist is slender, and your neck bears lines that resemble
those of the conch. And your veins are scarcely
visible. Indeed, your countenance is like the
full moon, and your eyes resemble the leaves of the
autumnal lotus, and your body is fragrant as the lotus
itself. Verily, in beauty you resemble Sri herself,
whose seat is the autumnal lotus. Tell me, O
beautiful damsel, who thou art. Thou canst never
be a maidservant. Art thou a Yakshi, a Goddess,
a Gandharvi, or an Apsara? Art thou the daughter
of a celestial, or art thou a female Naga? Art
thou the guardian goddess of some city, a Vidyadhari,
or a Kinnari,—or art thou Rohini herself?
Or art thou Alamvusha, or Misrakesi, Pundarika, or
Malini, or the queen of Indra, or of Varuna? Or,
art thou the spouse of Viswakarma, or of the creative
Lord himself? Of these goddesses who art renowned
in the celestial regions, who art thou, O graceful
one?’
Page 15
“Draupadi replied, ’O auspicious lady,
I am neither a goddess nor a Gandharvi, nor a Yakshi,
nor a Rakshasi. I am a maid-servant of the Sairindhri
class. I tell thee this truly. I know to
dress the hair to pound (fragrant substances) for
preparing unguents, and also to make beautiful and
variegated garlands. O beauteous lady, of jasmines
and lotuses and blue lilies and Champakas. Formerly
I served Krishna’s favourite queen Satyabhama,
and also Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas and the
foremost beauty of the Kuru race. I wander about
alone, earning good food and dress; and as long as
I get these, I continue to live in the place where
they are obtainable. Draupadi herself called me
Malini (maker of garlands).’
“Hearing this, Sudeshna said, ’I would
keep thee upon my head itself, if the doubt did not
cross my mind that the king himself would be attracted
towards thee with his whole heart. Attracted by
thy beauty, the females of the royal household and
my maids are looking at thee. What male person
then is there that can resist thy attraction?
Surely, O thou of well-rounded hips, O damsel of exquisite
charms, beholding thy form of superhuman beauty, king
Virata is sure to forsake me, and will turn to thee
with his whole heart. O thou of faultless limbs,
O thou that art endued with large eyes casting quick
glances, he upon whom thou wilt look with desire is
sure to be stricken. O thou of sweet smiles, O
thou that possessest a faultless form, he that will
behold thee constantly, will surely catch the flame.
Even as a person that climbs up a tree for compassing
his own destruction, even as the crab conceives for
her own ruin, I may, O thou of sweet smiles, bring
destruction upon myself by harbouring thee.’
“Draupadi replied, ’O fair lady, neither
Virata nor any other person will be able to have me,
for my five youthful husbands, who are Gandharvas and
sons of a Gandharva king of exceeding power, always
protect me. None can do me a wrong. It is
the wish of my Gandharva husbands that I should serve
only such persons as will not give me to touch food
already partaken of by another, or tell me to wash
their feet. Any man that attempts to have me
like any common woman, meeteth with death that very
night. No one can succeed in having me, for, O
beautiful lady, O thou of sweet smiles, those beloved
Gandharvas, possessed of great energy and mighty strength
always protect me secretly.’
“Sudeshna said, ’O thou that bringest
delight to the heart, if it is as thou sayest, I will
take thee into my household. Thou shalt not have
to touch food that hath been partaken of by another,
or to wash another’s feet.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Thus addressed
by Virata’s wife, O Janamejaya, Krishna (Draupadi)
ever devoted to her lords, began to live in that city.
Nor could anyone ascertain who in reality she was!’”
SECTION X
Page 16
“Vaisampayana said, ’Then clad in a cowherd’s
dress, and speaking the dialect of cowherds, Sahadeva
came to the cowpen of Virata’s city. And
beholding that bull among men, who was shining in splendour,
the king was struck with amazement. And he directed
his men to summon Sahadeva. And when the latter
came, the king addressed him, saying, ’To whom
dost thou belong? And whence dost thou come?
And what work dost thou seek? I have never seen
thee before. O bull among men, tell me truly about
thee.’
’Having come before the king that afflicter
of foes, Sahadeva answered in accents deep as the
roar of the cloud, ’I am a Vaisya, Arishtanemi
by name. I was employed as a cowherd in the service
of those bulls of the Kuru race, the sons of Pandu.
O foremost of men, I intend now to live beside thee,
for I do not know where those lions among kings, the
sons of Pritha, are. I cannot live without service,
and, O king, I do not like to enter into the service
of anyone else save thee.’
“Hearing these words, Virata said, ’Thou
must either be a Brahmana or a Kshatriya. Thou
lookest as if thou wert the lord of the entire earth
surrounded by the sea. Tell me truly, O thou that
mowest down thy foes. The office of a Vaisya
is not fit for thee. Tell me from the dominions
of what king thou comest, and what thou knowest, and
in what capacity thou wouldst remain with us, and
also what pay thou wouldst accept.’
“Sahadeva answered, ’Yudhishthira, the
eldest of the five sons of Pandu, had one division
of kine numbering eight hundred and ten thousand, and
another, ten thousand, and another, again, twenty thousand,
and so on. I was employed in keeping those cattle.
People used to call me Tantripala. I know the
present, the past, and the future of all kine living
within ten Yojanas, and whose tale has been taken.
My merits were known to that illustrious one, and
the Kuru king Yudhishthira was well-pleased with me.
I am also acquainted with the means which aid kine
in multiplying within a short time, and by which they
may enjoy immunity from disease. Also these arts
are known to me. I can also single out bulls having
auspicious marks for which they are worshipped by
men, and by smelling whose urine, the barren may conceive.’
“Virata said, ’I have a hundred thousand
kine divided into distinct herds. All those together
with their keepers, I place in thy charge. Henceforth
my beasts will be in thy keep.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Then, O king,
undiscovered by that monarch, that lord of men, Sahadeva,
maintained by Virata, began to live happily.
Nor did anyone else (besides his brothers) recognise
him.’”
SECTION XI
Page 17
“Vaisampayana said, ’Next appeared at
the gate of the ramparts another person of enormous
size and exquisite beauty decked in the ornaments of
women, and wearing large ear-rings and beautiful conch-bracelets
overlaid with gold. And that mighty-armed individual
with long and abundant hair floating about his neck,
resembled an elephant in gait. And shaking the
very earth with his tread, he approached Virata and
stood in his court. And beholding the son of
the great Indra, shining with exquisite lustre and
having the gait of a mighty elephant,—that
grinder of foes having his true form concealed in
disguise, entering the council-hall and advancing
towards the monarch, the king addressed all his courtiers,
saying, ‘Whence doth this person come? I
have never heard of him before.’ And when
the men present spoke of the newcomer as one unknown
to them, the king wonderingly said, ’Possessed
of great strength, thou art like unto a celestial,
and young and of darkish hue, thou resemblest the
leader of a herd of elephants. Wearing conch-bracelets
overlaid with gold, a braid, and ear-rings, thou shinest
yet like one amongst those that riding on chariots
wander about equipped with mail and bow and arrows
and decked with garlands and fine hair. I am old
and desirous of relinquishing my burden. Be thou
like my son, or rule thou like myself all the Matsyas.
It seemeth to me that such a person as thou can never
be of the neuter sex.’
“Arjuna said, ’I sing, dance, and play
on instruments. I am proficient in dance and
skilled in song. O lord of men, assign me unto
(the princess) Uttara. I shall be dancing-master
to the royal maiden. As to how I have come by
this form, what will it avail thee to hear the account
which will only augment my pain? Know me, O king
of men, to be Vrihannala, a son or daughter without
father or mother.’
“Virata said, ’O Vrihannala, I give thee
what thou desirest. Instruct my daughter, and
those like her, in dancing. To me, however, this
office seemeth unworthy of thee. Thou deserves!
(the dominion of) the entire earth girt round by the
ocean.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’The king of
the Matsyas then tested Vrihannala in dancing, music,
and other fine arts, and consulting with his various
ministers forthwith caused him to be examined by women.
And learning that this impotency was of a permanent
nature, he sent him to the maiden’s apartments.
And there the mighty Arjuna began giving lessons in
singing and instrumental music to the daughter of
Virata, her friends, and her waiting-maids, and soon
won their good graces. And in this manner the
self-possessed Arjuna lived there in disguise, partaking
of pleasures in their company, and unknown to the
people within or without the palace.’”
SECTION XII
Page 18
“Vaisampayana said, ’After a while, another
powerful son of Pandu was seen making towards king
Virata in haste. And as he advanced, he seemed
to everyone like solar orb emerged from the clouds.
And he began to observe the horses around. And
seeing this, the king of the Matsyas said to his followers,
’I wonder whence this man, possessed of the effulgence
of a celestial, cometh. He looks intently at my
steeds. Verily, he must be proficient in horse-lore.
Let him be ushered into my presence quickly.
He is a warrior and looks like a god!’ And that
destroyer of foes then went up to the king and accosted
him, saying, ’Victory to thee, O king, and blest
be ye.’ As a trainer of horses, I have always
been highly esteemed by kings. I will be a clever
keeper of thy horses.’
“Virata said, ’I will give thee vehicles,
wealth, and spacious quarters. Thou shalt be
the manager of my horses. But first tell me whence
thou comest, who thou art, and how also thou happenest
to come here. Tell us also all the arts thou
art master of.’ Nakula replied, ’O
mower of enemies, know that Yudhishthira is the eldest
brother of the five sons of Pandu. I was formerly
employed by him to keep his horses. I am acquainted
with the temper of steeds, and know perfectly the art
of breaking them. I know also how to correct
vicious horses, and all the methods of treating their
diseases. No animal in my hands becometh weak
or ill. Not to speak of horses, even mares in
my hands will never be found to be vicious. People
called me Granthika by name and so did Yudhishthira,
the son of Pandu.’
“Virata said, ’Whatever horses I have,
I consign to thy care even from today. And all
the keepers of my horses and all my charioteers will
from today be subordinate to thee. If this suits
thee, say what remuneration is desired by thee.
But, O thou that resemblest a celestial, the office
of equerry is not worthy of thee. For thou lookest
like a king and I esteem thee much. The appearance
here hath pleased me as much as if Yudhishthira himself
were here. Oh, how does that blameless son of
Pandu dwell and divert himself in the forest, now
destitute of servants as he is.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’That youth,
like unto a chief of the Gandharvas, was treated thus
respectfully by the delighted king Virata. And
he conducted himself there in such a manner as to make
himself dear and agreeable to all in the palace.
And no one recognised him while living under Virata’s
protection. And it was in this manner then the
sons of Pandu, the very sight of whom had never been
fruitless, continued to live in the country of the
Matsyas. And true to their pledge those lords
of the earth bounded by her belt of seas passed their
days of incognito with great composure notwithstanding
their poignant sufferings.’”
SECTION XIII
(Samayapalana Parva)
“Janamejaya said, ’While living thus disguised
in the city of the Matsyas, what did those descendants
of the Kuru race endued with great prowess, do, O
regenerate one!’
Page 19
“Vaisampayana said, ’Hear, O king, what
those descendants of Kuru did while they dwelt thus
in disguise in the city of the Matsyas, worshipping
the king thereof. By the grace of the sage Trinavindu
and of the high-souled lord of justice, the Pandavas
continued to live unrecognised by others in the city
of Virata. O lord of men, Yudhishthira, as courtier
made himself agreeable to Virata and his sons as also
to all the Matsyas. An adept in the mysteries
of dice, the son of Pandu caused them to play at dice
according to his pleasure and made them sit together
in the dice-hall like a row of birds bound in a string.
And that tiger among men, king Yudhishthira the Just,
unknown to the monarch, distributed among his brothers,
in due proportion, the wealth he won from Virata.
And Bhimasena on his part, sold to Yudhishthira for
price, meat and viands of various kinds which he obtained
from the king. And Arjuna distributed among all
his brothers the proceeds of worn-out cloths which
he earned in the inner apartments of the palace.
And Sahadeva, too, who was disguised as a cowherd
gave milk, curds and clarified butter to his brothers.
And Nakula also shared with his brothers the wealth
the king gave him, satisfied with his management of
the horses. And Draupadi, herself in a pitiable
condition, looked after all those brothers and behaved
in such a way as to remain unrecognized. And
thus ministering unto one another’s wants, those
mighty warriors lived in the capital of Virata as hidden
from view, as if they were once more in their mother’s
womb. And those lords of men, the sons of Pandu,
apprehensive of danger from the son of Dhritarashtra,
continued to dwell there in concealment, watching over
their wife Draupadi. And after three months had
passed away, in the fourth, the grand festival in
honour of the divine Brahma which was celebrated with
pomp in the country of the Matsyas, came off.
And there came athletes from all quarters by thousands,
like hosts of celestials to the abode of Brahma or
of Siva to witness that festival. And they were
endued with huge bodies and great prowess, like the
demons called Kalakhanjas. And elated with their
prowess and proud of their strength, they were highly
honoured by the king. And their shoulders and
waists and necks were like those of lions, and their
bodies were very clean, and their hearts were quite
at ease. And they had many a time won success
in the lists in the presence of kings. And amongst
them there was one who towered above the rest and
challenged them all to a combat. And there was
none that dared to approach him as he proudly stalked
in the arena. And when all the athletes stood
sad and dispirited, the king of the Matsyas made him
fight with his cook. And urged by the king, Bhima
made up his mind reluctantly, for he could not openly
disobey the royal behest. And that tiger among
men then having worshipped the king, entered the spacious
arena, pacing with the careless steps of a tiger.
Page 20
And the son of Kunti then girded up his loins to the
great delight of the spectators. And Bhima then
summoned to the combat that athlete known by the name
of Jimuta who was like unto the Asura Vritra whose
prowess was widely known. And both of them were
possessed of great courage, and both were endued with
terrible prowess. And they were like a couple
of infuriate and huge-bodied elephants, each sixty
years old. And those brave tigers among men then
cheerfully engaged in a wrestling combat, desirous
of vanquishing each other. And terrible was the
encounter that took place between them, like the clash
of the thunderbolt against the stony mountain-breast.
And both of them were exceedingly powerful and extremely
delighted at each other’s strength. And
desirous of vanquishing each other, each stood eager
to take advantage of his adversary’s lapse.
And both were greatly delighted and both looked like
infuriate elephants of prodigious size. And various
were the modes of attack and defence that they exhibited
with their clenched fists.[12] And each dashed against
the other and flung his adversary to a distance.
And each cast the other down and pressed him close
to the ground. And each got up again and squeezed
the other in his arms. And each threw the other
violently off his place by boxing him on the breast.
And each caught the other by the legs and whirling
him round threw him down on the ground. And they
slapped each other with their palms that struck as
hard as the thunderbolt. And they also struck
each other with their outstretched fingers, and stretching
them out like spears thrust the nails into each other’s
body. And they gave each other violent kicks.
And they struck knee and head against head, producing
the crash of one stone against another. And in
this manner that furious combat between those warriors
raged on without weapons, sustained mainly by the
power of their arms and their physical and mental
energy, to the infinite delight of the concourse of
spectators. And all people, O king, took deep
interest in that encounter of those powerful wrestlers
who fought like Indra and the Asura Vritra. And
they cheered both of them with loud acclamations of
applause. And the broad-chested and long-armed
experts in wrestling then pulled and pressed and whirled
and hurled down each other and struck each other with
their knees, expressing all the while their scorn
for each other in loud voices. And they began
to fight with their bare arms in this way, which were
like spiked maces of iron. And at last the powerful
and mighty-armed Bhima, the slayer of his foes, shouting
aloud seized the vociferous athlete by the arms even
as the lion seizes the elephant, and taking him up
from the ground and holding him aloft, began to whirl
him round, to the great astonishment of the assembled
athletes and the people of Matsya. And having
whirled him round and round a hundred times till he
was insensible, the strong-armed Vrikodara dashed him
to death on the ground. And when the brave and
Page 21
renowned Jimuta was thus killed, Virata and his friends
were filled with great delight. And in the exuberance
of his joy, the noble-minded king rewarded Vallava
then and there with the liberality of Kuvera.
And killing numerous athletes and many other men possessed
of great bodily strength, he pleased the king very
much. And when no one could be found there to
encounter him in the lists, the king made him fight
with tigers and lions and elephants. And the king
also made him battle with furious and powerful lions
in the harem for the pleasure of the ladies.
And Arjuna, too, pleased the king and all the ladies
of the inner apartments by singing and dancing.
And Nakula pleased Virata, that best of kings, by
showing him fleet and well-trained steeds that followed
him wherever he went. And the king, gratified
with him, rewarded him with ample presents. And
beholding around Sahadeva a herd of well-trained bullocks,
Virata that bull among men, bestowed upon him also
wealth of diverse kinds. And, O king, Draupadi
distressed to see all those warriors suffer pain,
sighed incessantly. And it was in this way that
those eminent persons lived there in disguise, rendering
services unto king Virata.’”
SECTION XIV
(Kichaka-badha Parva)
“Vaisampayana said, ’Living in such disguise,
those mighty warriors, the sons of Pritha, passed
ten months in Matsya’s city. And, O monarch,
although herself deserving to be waited upon by others,
the daughter of Yajnasena, O Janamejaya, passed her
days in extreme misery, waiting upon Sudeshna.
And residing thus in Sudeshna’s apartments, the
princess of Panchala pleased that lady as also the
other females of the inner apartments. And it
came to pass that as the year was about to expire,
the redoubtable Kichaka, the Commander of Virata’s
forces, chanced to behold the daughter of Drupada.
And beholding that lady endued with the splendour
of a daughter of the celestials, treading the earth
like a goddess, Kichaka, afflicted with the shafts
of Kama, desired to possess her. And burning
with desire’s flame, Virata’s general came
to Sudeshna (his sister) and smilingly addressed her
in these words, ’This beauteous lady had never
before been seen by me in king Virata’s abode.
This damsel maddens me with her beauty, even as a
new wine maddens one with its fragrance. Tell
me, who is this graceful and captivating lady possessed
of the beauty of a goddess, and whose she is, and whence
she hath come. Surely, grinding my heart she
hath reduced me to subjection. It seems to me
that (save her) there is no other medicine for my illness.
O, this fair hand-maid of thine seemeth to me to be
possessed of the beauty of a goddess. Surely,
one like her is ill suited to serve thee. Let
her rule over me and whatever is mine. O, let
her grace my spacious and beautiful palace, decked
with various ornaments of gold, full of viands and
drinks in profusion, with excellent plates, and containing
Page 22
every kind of plenty, besides elephants and horses
and cars in myriads. And having consulted with
Sudeshna thus, Kichaka went to princess Draupadi, and
like a jackal in the forest accosting a lioness, spoke
unto Krishna these words in a winning voice, ’Who
and whose art thou, O beautiful one? And O thou
of beautiful face, whence hast thou come to the city
of Virata? Tell me all this, O fair lady.
Thy beauty and gracefulness are of the very first
order and the comeliness of thy features is unparalleled.
With its loveliness thy face shineth ever like the
resplendent moon. O thou of fair eye-brows, thy
eyes are beautiful and large like lotus-petals.
Thy speech also, O thou of beautiful limbs, resembles
the notes of the cuckoo. O thou of fair hips,
never before in this world have I beheld a woman possessed
of beauty like thine, O thou of faultless features.
Art thou Lakshmi herself having her abode in the midst
of lotuses or, art thou, O slender-waisted one, she
who is called Bhuti[13]. Or, which amongst these—Hri,
Sri, Kirti and Kanti,—art thou, O thou of
beautiful face? Or possessed of beauty like Rati’s,
art thou, she who sporteth in the embraces of the
God of love? O thou that possessest the fairest
of eye-brows, thou shinest beautifully even like the
lovely light of the moon. Who is there in the
whole world that will not succumb to the influence
of desire beholding thy face? Endued with unrivalled
beauty and celestial grace of the most attractive
kind, that face of thine is even like the full moon,
its celestial effulgence resembling his radiant face,
its smile resembling his soft-light, and its eye-lashes
looking like the spokes on his disc? Both thy
bosoms, so beautiful and well-developed and endued
with unrivalled gracefulness and deep and well-rounded
and without any space between them, are certainly
worthy of being decked with garlands of gold.
Resembling in shape the beautiful buds of the lotus,
these thy breast, O thou of fair eye-brows, are even
as the whips of Kama that are urging me forward, O
thou of sweet smiles, O damsel of slender waist, beholding
that waist of thine marked with four wrinkles and
measuring but a span, and slightly stooping forward
because of the weight of thy breasts, and also looking
on those graceful hips of thine broad as the banks
of a river, the incurable fever of desire, O beauteous
lady, afflicteth me sore. The flaming fire of
desire, fierce as a forest conflagration, and fanned
by the hope my heart cherisheth of a union with thee
is consuming me intensely. O thou of exceeding
beauty quench thou that flaming fire kindled by Manmatha.
Union with thee is a rain-charged cloud, and the surrender
of thy person is the shower that the cloud may drop.
O thou of face resembling the moon, the fierce and
maddening shafts of Manmatha whetted and sharpened
by the desire of a union with thee, piercing this
heart of mine in their impetuous course, have penetrated
into its core. O black-eyed lady, those impetuous
Page 23
and cruel shafts are maddening me beyond endurance.
It behoveth thee to relieve me from this plight by
surrendering thyself to me and favouring me with thy
embraces. Decked in beautiful garlands and robes
and adorned with every ornament, sport thou, O sweet
damsel, with me to thy fill. O thou of the gait
of an elephant in rut, deserving as thou art of happiness
though deprived of it now, it behoveth thee not to
dwell here in misery. Let unrivalled weal be
thine. Drinking various kinds of charming and
delicious and ambrosial wines, and sporting at thy
pleasure in the enjoyment of diverse objects of delight,
do thou, O blessed lady, attain auspicious prosperity.
This beauty of thine and this prime of thy youth,
O sweet lady, are now without their use. For,
O beauteous and chaste damsel, endued with such loveliness,
thou dost not shine, like a graceful garland lying
unused and unworn. I will forsake all my old
wives. Let them, O thou of sweet smiles, become
thy slaves. And I also, O fair damsel, will stay
by thee as thy slave, ever obedient to thee, O thou
of the most handsome face.’ Hearing these
words of his, Draupadi replied, ’In desiring
me, a female servant of low extraction, employed in
the despicable office of dressing hair, O Suta’s
son, thou desirest one that deserves not that honour.
Then, again, I am the wife of others. Therefore,
good betide thee, this conduct of thine is not proper.
Do thou remember the precept of morality, viz.,
that persons should take delight only in their wedded
wives. Thou shouldst not, therefore, by any means
bend thy heart to adultery. Surely abstaining
from improper acts is ever the study of those that
are good. Overcome by ignorance sinful men under
the influence of desire come by either extreme infamy
or dreadful calamity.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Thus addressed
by the Sairindhri, the wicked Kichaka losing control
over his senses and overcome by lust, although aware
of the numerous evils of fornication, evils condemned
by everybody and sometimes leading to the destruction
of life itself,—then spoke unto Draupadi,
’It behoveth thee not, O beauteous lady, O thou
of graceful features, thus to disregard me who am,
O thou of sweet smiles, under the power of Manmatha
on thy account. If now, O timid one, thou disregardest
me who am under thy influence and who speak to thee
so fair, thou wilt, O black-eyed damsel, have to repent
for it afterwards. O thou of graceful eye-brows,
the real lord of this entire kingdom, O slender-waisted
lady, is myself. It is me depending upon whom
the people of this realm live. In energy and
prowess I am unrivalled on earth. There is no
other man on earth who rivals me in beauty of person,
in youth, in prosperity, and in the possession of
excellent objects of enjoyment. Why it is, O auspicious
lady, that having it in thy power to enjoy here every
object of desire and every luxury and comfort without
its equal, thou preferest servitude. Becoming
Page 24
the mistress of this kingdom which I shall confer on
thee, O thou of fair face, accept me, and enjoy, O
beauteous one, all excellent objects of desire.’
Addressed in these accursed words by Kichaka, that
chaste daughter of Drupada answered him thus reprovingly,
’Do not, O son of a Suta, act so foolishly and
do not throw away thy life. Know that I am protected
by my five husbands. Thou canst not have me.
I have Gandharvas for my husbands. Enraged they
will slay thee. Therefore, do thou not bring
destruction on thyself. Thou intendest to tread
along a path that is incapable of being trod by men.
Thou, O wicked one, art even like a foolish child
that standing on one shore of the ocean intends to
cross over to the other. Even if thou enterest
into the interior of the earth, or soarest into the
sky, or rushest to the other shore of the ocean, still
thou wilt have no escape from the hands of those sky-ranging
offspring of gods, capable of grinding all foes.
Why dost thou today, O Kichaka, solicit me so persistently
even as a sick person wisheth for the night that will
put a stop to his existence? Why dost thou desire
me, even like an infant lying on its mother’s
lap wishing to catch the moon? For thee that
thus solicitest their beloved wife, there is no refuge
either on earth or in sky. O Kichaka, hast thou
no sense which leads thee to seek thy good and by
which thy life may be saved?’”
SECTION XV
“Vaisampayana said, ’Rejected thus by
the princess, Kichaka, afflicted with maddening lust
and forgetting all sense of propriety, addressed Sudeshna
saying, ’Do thou, Kekaya’s daughter, so
act that thy Sairindhri may come into my arms.
Do thou, O Sudeshna, adopt the means by which the
damsel of the gait of an elephant may accept me; I
am dying of absorbing desire.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Hearing his
profuse lamentations, that gentle lady, the intelligent
queen of Virata, was touched with pity. And having
taken counsel with her own self and reflected on Kichaka’s
purpose and on the anxiety of Krishna, Sudeshna addressed
the Suta’s son in these words, ’Do thou,
on the occasion of some festival, procure viands and
wines for me. I shall then send my Sairindhri
to thee on the pretence of bringing wine. And
when she will repair thither do thou in solitude, free
from interruption, humour her as thou likest.
Thus soothed, she may incline her mind to thee.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Thus addressed,
he went out of his sister’s apartments.
And he soon procured wines well-filtered and worthy
of a king. And employing skilled cooks, he prepared
many and various kinds of choice viands and delicious
drinks and many and various kinds of meat of different
degrees of excellence. And when all this had been
done, that gentle lady Sudeshna, as previously counselled
by Kichaka, desired her Sairindhri to repair to Kichaka’s
abode, saying, ’Get up, O Sairindhri and repair
Page 25
to Kichaka’s abode to bring wine, for, O beauteous
lady, I am afflicted with thirst.’ Thereupon
the Sairindhri replied, ’O princess, I shall
not be able to repair to Kichaka’s apartments.
Thou thyself knowest, O queen, how shameless he is.
O thou of faultless limbs, O beauteous lady, in thy
palace I shall not be able to lead a lustful life,
becoming faithless to my husbands. Thou rememberest,
O gentle lady, O beautiful one, the conditions I had
set down before entering thy house. O thou of
tresses ending in graceful curls, the foolish Kichaka
afflicted by the god of desire, will, on seeing me,
offer me insult. Therefore, I will not go to
his quarters. Thou hast, O princess, many maids
under thee. Do thou, good betide thee, send one
of them. For, surely, Kichaka will insult me.’
Sudeshna said, ’Sent by me, from my abode, surely
he will not harm thee.’ And having said
this, she handed over a golden vessel furnished with
a cover. And filled with apprehension, and weeping,
Draupadi mentally prayed for the protection of the
gods, and set out for Kichaka’s abode for fetching
wine. And she said, ’As I do not know another
person save my husbands, by virtue of that Truth let
Kichaka not be able to overpower me although I may
approach his presence.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’And that helpless
damsel then adored Surya for a moment. And Surya,
having considered all that she urged, commanded a
Rakshasa to protect her invisibly. And from that
time the Rakshasa began to attend upon that blameless
lady under any circumstances. And beholding Krishna
in his presence like a frightened doe, the Suta rose
up from his seat, and felt the joy that is felt by
a person wishing to cross to the other shore, when
he obtains a boat.’”
SECTION XVI
“Kichaka said, ’O thou of tresses ending
in beautiful curls, thou art welcome. Surely,
the night that is gone hath brought me an auspicious
day, for I have got thee today as the mistress of my
house. Do what is agreeable to me. Let golden
chains, and conchs and bright ear-rings made of gold,
manufactured in various countries, and beautiful rubies
and gems, and silken robes and deer-skins, be brought
for thee. I have also an excellent bed prepared
for thee. Come, sitting upon it do thou drink
with me the wine prepared from the honey flower.’
Hearing these words, Draupadi said, ’I have
been sent to thee by the princess for taking away
wine. Do thou speedily bring me wine, for she
told me that she is exceedingly thirsty.’
And this, Kichaka said, ’O gentle lady, others
will carry what the princess wants.’ And
saying this, the Suta’s son caught hold of Draupadi’s
right arm. And at this, Draupadi exclaimed, ’As
I have never, from intoxication of the senses, been
unfaithful to my husbands even at heart, by that Truth,
O wretch, I shall behold thee dragged and lying powerless
on the ground.’
Page 26
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Seeing that
large-eyed lady reproving him in that strain, Kichaka
suddenly seized her by the end of her upper garment
as she attempted to run away. And seized with
violence by Kichaka, the beautiful princess, unable
to tolerate it, and with frame trembling with wrath,
and breathing quickly, dashed him to the ground.
And dashed to the ground thus, the sinful wretch tumbled
down like a tree whose roots had been cut. And
having thrown Kichaka down on the ground when the latter
had seized her, she, trembling all over rushed to the
court, where king Yudhishthira was, for protection.
And while she was running with all her speed, Kichaka
(who followed her), seizing her by the hair, and bringing
her down on the ground, kicked her in the very presence
of the king. Thereupon, O Bharata, the Rakshasa
that had been appointed by Surya to protect Draupadi,
gave Kichaka a shove with a force mighty as that of
the wind. And overpowered by the force of Rakshasa,
Kichaka reeled and fell down senseless on the ground,
even like an uprooted tree. And both Yudhishthira
and Bhimasena who were seated there, beheld with wrathful
eyes that outrage on Krishna by Kichaka. And desirous
of compassing the destruction of the wicked Kichaka,
the illustrious Bhima gnashed his teeth in rage.
And his forehead was covered with sweat, and terrible
wrinkles appeared thereon. And a smoky exhalation
shot forth from his eyes, and his eye-lashes stood
on end. And that slayer of hostile heroes pressed
his forehead with his hands. And impelled by rage,
he was on the point of starting up with speed.
Thereat king Yudhishthira, apprehensive of discovery,
squeezed his thumbs and commanded Bhima to forbear.
And Bhima who then looked like an infuriate elephant
eyeing a large tree, was thus forbidden by his elder
brother. And the latter said, ’Lookest thou,
O cook, for trees for fuel. If thou art in need
of faggots, then go out and fell trees.’
And the weeping Draupadi of fair hips, approaching
the entrance of the court, and seeing her melancholy
lords, desirous yet of keeping up the disguise duty-bound
by their pledge, with eyes burning in fire, spoke
these words unto the king of the Matsyas, ’Alas,
the son of a Suta hath kicked today the proud and
beloved wife of those whose foe can never sleep in
peace even if four kingdoms intervene between him and
them. Alas, the son of a Suta hath kicked today
the proud and beloved wife of those truthful personages,
who are devoted to Brahmanas and who always give away
without asking any thing in gift. Alas! the son
of a Suta hath kicked today the proud and beloved
wife of those, the sounds of whose kettle-drums and
the twangs of whose bow-strings are ceaselessly heard.
Alas, the son of a Suta hath kicked today the proud
and beloved wife of those who are possessed of abundant
energy and might, and who are liberal in gifts and
proud of their dignity. Alas, the son of a Suta
hath kicked today the proud and beloved wife of those
Page 27
who, if they had not been fettered by the ties of
duty, could destroy this entire world. Where,
alas, are those mighty warriors today who, though living
in disguise, have always granted protection unto those
that solicit it? Oh, why do those heroes today,
endued as they are with strength and possessed of
immeasurable energy, quietly suffer, like eunuchs,
their dear and chaste wife to be thus insulted by
a Suta’s son? Oh, where is that wrath of
theirs, that prowess, and that energy, when they quietly
bear their wife to be thus insulted by a wicked wretch?
What can I (a weak woman) do when Virata, deficient
in virtue, coolly suffereth my innocent self to be
thus wronged by a wretch? Thou dost not, O king,
act like a king towards this Kichaka. Thy behaviour
is like that of a robber, and doth not shine in a
court. That I should thus be insulted in thy very
presence, O Matsya, is highly improper. Oh, let
all the courtiers here look at this violence of Kichaka.
Kichaka is ignorant of duty and morality, and Matsya
also is equally so. These courtiers also that
wait upon such a king are destitute of virtue.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’With these and
other words of the same kind the beautiful Krishna
with tearful eyes rebuked the king of the Matsyas.
And hearing her, Virata said, ’I do not know
what your dispute has been out of our sight.
Not knowing the true cause how can I show my discrimination?’
Then the courtiers, having learnt every thing, applauded
Krishna, and they all exclaimed, ‘Well done!’
‘Well done!’ and censured Kichaka.
And the courtiers said, ’That person who owneth
this large-eyed lady having every limb of hers endued
with beauty for his wife, possesseth what is of exceeding
value and hath no occasion to indulge in any grief.
Surely, such a damsel of transcendent beauty and limbs
perfectly faultless is rare among men. Indeed,
it seems to us that she is a goddess.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’And while the
courtiers, having beheld Krishna (under such circumstances),
were applauding her thus, Yudhishthira’s forehead,
from ire, became covered with sweat. And that
bull of the Kuru race then addressed that princess,
his beloved spouse, saying, ’Stay not here,
O Sairindhri; but retire to the apartments of Sudeshna.
The wives of heroes bear affliction for the sake of
their husbands, and undergoing toil in ministering
unto their lords, they at last attain to region where
their husbands may go. Thy Gandharva husbands,
effulgent as the sun, do not, I imagine, consider
this as an occasion for manifesting their wrath, inasmuch
as they do not rush to thy aid. O Sairindhri,
thou art ignorant of the timeliness of things, and
it is for this that thou weepest as an actress, besides
interrupting the play of dice in Matsya’s court.
Retire, O Sairindhri; the Gandharvas will do what
is agreeable to thee. And they will surely display
thy woe and take the life of him that hath wronged
thee.’ Hearing these words the Sairindhri
replied, ’They of whom I am the wedded wife
are, I ween, extremely kind. And as the eldest
of them all is addicted to dice, they are liable to
be oppressed by all.’
Page 28
“Vaisampayana continued, ’And having said
this, the fair-hipped Krishna with dishevelled hair
and eyes red in anger, ran towards the apartments
of Sudhesna. And in consequence of having wept
long her face looked beautiful like the lunar disc
in the firmament, emerged from the clouds. And
beholding her in that condition, Sudeshna asked, ’Who,
O beauteous lady, hath insulted thee? Why, O
amiable damsel, dost thou weep? Who, gentle one,
hath done thee wrong? Whence is this thy grief?’
Thus addressed, Draupadi said, ’As I went to
bring wine for thee, Kichaka struck me in the court
in the very presence of the king, as if in the midst
of a solitary wood.’ Hearing this, Sudeshna
said, ’O thou of tresses ending in beautiful
curls, as Kichaka, maddened by lust hath insulted
thee that art incapable of being possessed by him,
I shall cause him to be slain if thou wishest it.’
Thereupon Draupadi answered, ’Even others will
slay him,—even they whom he hath wronged,
I think it is clear that he will have to go to the
abode of Yama this very day!’”
SECTION XVII
“Vaisampayana said, ’Thus insulted by
the Suta’s son, that illustrious princess, the
beautiful Krishna, eagerly wishing for the destruction
of Virata’s general, went to her quarters.
And Drupada’s daughter of dark hue and slender
waist then performed her ablutions. And washing
her body and cloths with water Krishna began to ponder
weepingly on the means of dispelling her grief.
And she reflected, saying, ’What am I to do?
Whither shall I go? How can my purpose be effected?’
And while she was thinking thus, she remembered Bhima
and said to herself, ’There is none else, save
Bhima, that can today accomplish the purpose on which
my heart is set!’ And afflicted with great grief,
the large-eyed and intelligent Krishna possessed of
powerful protectors then rose up at night, and leaving
her bed speedily proceeded towards the quarters of
Bhimasena, desirous of beholding her lord. And
possessed of great intelligence, the daughter of Drupada
entered her husband’s quarters, saying, ’How
canst thou sleep while that wretched commander of
Virata’s forces, who is my foe, yet liveth,
having perpetrated today that (foul act)?’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Then the chamber
where Bhima slept, breathing hard like a lion, being
filled with the beauty of Drupada’s daughter
and of the high-souled Bhima, blazed forth in splendour.
And Krishna of sweet smiles, finding Bhimasena in
the cooking apartments, approached him with the eagerness
of a three-year old cow brought up in the woods, approaching
a powerful bull, in her first season, or of a she-crane
living by the water-side approaching her mate in the
pairing season. And the Princess of Panchala
then embraced the second son of Pandu, even as a creeper
embraces a huge and mighty Sala on the banks of the
Gomati. And embracing him with her arms, Krishna
of faultless features awaked him as a lioness awaketh
Page 29
a sleeping lion in a trackless forest. And embracing
Bhimasena even as a she-elephant embraceth her mighty
mate, the faultless Panchali addressed him in voice
sweet as the sound of a stringed instrument emitting
Gandhara note. And she said, ’Arise, arise!
Why dost thou, O Bhimasena, lie down as one dead?
Surely, he that is not dead, never suffereth a wicked
wretch that hath disgraced his wife, to live.’
And awakened by the princess, Bhima of mighty arms,
then rose up, and sat upon his couch overlaid with
a rich bed. And he of the Kuru race then addressed
the princess—his beloved wife, saying, ’For
what purpose hast thou come hither in such a hurry?
Thy colour is gone and thou lookest lean and pale.
Tell me everything in detail. I must know the
truth. Whether it be pleasurable or painful,
agreeable, or disagreeable, tell me all. Having
heard everything, I shall apply the remedy. I
alone, O Krishna, am entitled to thy confidence in
all things, for it is I who deliver thee from perils
again and again! Tell me quickly what is thy
wish, and what is the purpose that is in thy view,
and return thou to thy bed before others awake.’”
SECTION XVIII
“Draupadi said, ’What grief hath she not
who hath Yudhishthira for her husband? Knowing
all my griefs, why dost thou ask me? The Pratikamin
dragged me to the court in the midst of an assembly
of courtiers, calling me a slave. That grief,
O Bharata, consumeth me. What other princess,
save Draupadi, would live having suffered such intense
misery? Who else, save myself, could bear such
second insult as the wicked Saindhava offered me while
residing in the forest? Who else of my position,
save myself, could live, having been kicked by Kichaka
in the very sight of the wicked king of the Matsyas?
Of what value is life, O Bharata, when thou, O son
of Kunti, dost not think me miserable, although I am
afflicted with such woes? That vile and wicked
wretch, O Bharata, known by the name of Kichaka, who
is the brother-in-law of king Virata and the commander
of his forces, every day, O tiger among men, addresses
me who am residing in the palace as a Sairindhri,
saying, ’Do thou become my wife.’—Thus
solicited, O slayer of foes, by that wretch deserving
to be slain, my heart is bursting like a fruit ripened
in season. Censure thou that elder brother of
thine addicted to execrable dice, through whose act
alone I have been afflicted with such woe. Who
else, save him that is a desperate gambler, would
play, giving up kingdom and everything including even
myself, in order to lead a life in the woods?
If he had gambled morning and evening for many years
together, staking nishkas by thousand and other kinds
of substantial wealth, still his silver, and gold,
and robes, and vehicles, and teams, and goats, and
sheep, and multitudes of steeds and mares and mules
would not have sustained any diminution. But
now deprived of prosperity by the rivalry of dice,
Page 30
he sits dumb like a fool, reflecting on his own misdeeds.
Alas, he who, while sojourning, was followed by ten
thousand elephants adorned with golden garlands now
supports himself by casting dice. That Yudhishthira
who at Indraprastha was adored by kings of incomparable
prowess by hundreds of thousands, that mighty monarch
in whose kitchen a hundred thousand maid-servants,
plate in hand, used every day to feed numerous guests
day and night, that best of liberal men, who gave
(every day) a thousand nishkas, alas, even he overwhelmed
with woe in consequence of gambling which is the root
of all evil, now supporteth himself by casting dice.
Bards and encomiasts by thousands decked with ear-rings
set with brilliant gems, and gifted with melodious
voice, used to pay him homage morning and evening.
Alas, that Yudhishthira, who was daily waited upon
by a thousand sages of ascetic merit, versed in the
Vedas and having every desire gratified, as his courtiers,—that
Yudhishthira who maintained eighty-eight thousands
of domestic Snatakas with thirty maid-servants assigned
unto each, as also ten thousand yatis not accepting
anything in gift and with vital seed drawn up,—alas,
even that mighty king now liveth in such guise.
That Yudhishthira who is without malice, who is full
of kindness, and who giveth every creature his due,
who hath all these excellent attributes, alas—even
he now liveth in such guise. Possessed of firmness
and unbaffled prowess, with heart disposed to give
every creature his due, king Yudhishthira, moved by
compassion, constantly maintained in his kingdom the
blind, the old, the helpless, the parentless and all
others in his dominions in such distress. Alas,
that Yudhishthira becoming a dependant and a servant
of Matsya, a caster of dice in his court, now calls
himself Kanka. He unto whom while residing at
Indraprastha, all the rulers of earth used to pay
timely tribute,—alas, even he now begs for
subsistence at another’s hands. He to whom
the kings of the earth were in subjection,—alas,
even that king having lost his liberty, liveth in
subjection to others. Having dazzled the entire
earth like the sun by his energy, that Yudhishthira,
alas, is now a courtier of king Virata. O Pandu’s
son, that Pandava who was respectfully waited upon
in court by kings and sages, behold him now waiting
upon another. Alas, beholding Yudhishthira a
courtier sitting beside another and breathing adulatory
speeches to the other, who can help being afflicted
with grief? And beholding the highly wise and
virtuous Yudhishthira, undeserving as he is of serving
others, actually serving another for sustenance, who
can help being afflicted with grief? And, O hero,
that Bharata who was worshipped in court by the entire
earth, do thou now behold him worshipping another.
Why then, O Bharata, dost thou not regard me as one
afflicted with diverse miseries, like one forlorn
and immersed in a sea of sorrow?’”
SECTION XIX
Page 31
“Draupadi said, ’This O Bharata, that
I am going to tell thee is another great grief of
mine. Thou shouldst not blame me, for I tell thee
this from sadness of heart. Who is there whose
grief is not enhanced at sight of thee, O bull of
the Bharata race, engaged in the ignoble office of
a cook, so entirely beneath thee and calling thyself
as one of Vallava caste? What can be sadder than
this, that people should know thee as Virata’s
cook, Vallava by name, and therefore one that is sunk
in servitude? Alas, when thy work of the kitchen
is over, thou humbly sittest beside Virata, calling
thyself as Vallava the cook, then despondency seizeth
my heart. When the king of kings in joy maketh
thee fight with elephants, and the women of the inner
apartments (of the palace) laugh all the while, then
I am sorely distressed. When thou fightest in
the inner apartments with lions, tigers, and buffaloes,
the princess Kaikeyi looking on, then I almost swoon
away. And when Kaikeyi and those maidservants,
leaving their seats, come to assist me and find that
instead of suffering any injury in limbs mine is only
a swoon, the princess speaks unto her women, saying,
’Surely, it is from affection and the duty begot
of intercourse that this lady of sweet smiles grieveth
for the exceedingly powerful cook when he fights with
the beasts. Sairindhri is possessed of great
beauty and Vallava also is eminently handsome.
The heart of woman is hard to know, and they, I fancy,
are deserving of each other. It is, therefore,
likely that the Sairindhri invariably weepeth (at
such times) on account of her connection with her lover.
And then, they both have entered this royal family
at the same time. And speaking such words she
always upbraideth me. And beholding me wroth at
this, she suspects me to be attached to thee.’
When she speaketh thus, great is the grief that I
feel. Indeed, on beholding thee, O Bhima of terrible
prowess, afflicted with such calamity, sunk as I already
am in grief on account of Yudhishthira. I do
not desire to live. That youth who on a single
car had vanquished all celestials and men, is now,
alas, the dancing master of king Virata’s daughter.
That Pritha’s son of immeasurable soul, who
had gratified Agni in the forest of Khandava, is now
living in the inner apartments (of a palace) like fire
hid in a well. Alas, the bull among men, Dhananjaya,
who was ever the terror of foes, is now living in
a guise that is despaired by all. Alas, he whose
mace-like arms have been cicatrized in consequence
of the strokes of his bow-string, alas that Dhananjaya
is passing the days in grief covering his wrists with
bracelets of conchs. Alas, that Dhananjaya the
twang of whose bow-string and the sound of whose leathern
fences made every foe tremble, now entertains only
gladdened women with his songs. Oh, that Dhananjaya
whose head was formerly decked with a diadem of solar
splendour, is now wearing braids ending in unsightly
curls. O Bhima, beholding that terrible bowman,
Page 32
Arjuna, now wearing braids and in the midst of women,
my heart is stricken with woe. That high-souled
hero who is master of all the celestial weapons, and
who is the repository of all the sciences, now weareth
ear-rings (like one of the fair sex). That youth
whom kings of incomparable prowess could not overpower
in fight, even as the waters of the mighty ocean cannot
overleap the continents, is now the dancing-master
of king Virata’s daughters and waits upon them
in disguise. O Bhima, that Arjuna the clatter
of whose car-wheels caused the entire earth with her
mountains and forests, her mobile and immobile things
to tremble, and whose birth dispelled all the sorrows
of Kunti, that exalted hero, that younger brother
of thine, O Bhimasena, now maketh me weep for him.
Beholding him coming towards me, decked in golden
ear-rings and other ornaments, and wearing on the wrists
bracelets of conchs, my heart is afflicted with despondency.
And Dhananjaya who hath not a bowman equal unto him
on earth in prowess, now passeth his days in singing,
surrounded by women. Beholding that son of Pritha
who in virtue, heroism and truth, was the most admired
in the world, now living in the guise of a woman,
my heart is afflicted with sorrow. When I behold,
the godlike Partha in the music-hall like an elephant
with rent temples surrounded by she-elephants in the
midst of females, waiting before Virata the king of
the Matsyas, then I lose all sense of directions.
Surely, my mother-in-law doth not know Dhananjaya to
be afflicted with such extreme distress. Nor
doth she know that descendant of the Kuru race, Ajatasatru,
addicted to disastrous dice, to be sunk in misery.
O Bharata, beholding the youngest of you all, Sahadeva,
superintending the kine, in the guise of a cowherd,
I grow pale. Always thinking of Sahadeva’s
plight, I cannot, O Bhimasena, obtain sleep,—what
to speak you of the rest? I do not know, O mighty-armed
one, what sin Sahadeva may have committed for which
that hero of unbaffled prowess suffereth such misery.
O foremost of the Bharatas, beholding that beloved
brother of thine, that bull among men, employed by
Matsya in looking after his kine, I am filled with
woe. Seeing that hero of proud disposition gratifying
Virata, by living at the head of his cowherds, attired
in robes dyed in red. I am attacked with fever.
My mother-in-law always applauds the heroic Sahadeva
as one possessed of nobility, excellent behaviour,
and rectitude of conduct. Ardently attached to
her sons, the weeping Kunti stood, embracing Sahadeva
while he was about to set out (with us) for the great
forest. And she addressed me saying, “Sahadeva
is bashful and sweet-speeched, and virtuous.
He is also my favourite child. Therefore, O Yajnaseni,
tend him in the forest day and night. Delicate
and brave, devoted to the king, and always worshipping
his elder brother, do thou, O Panchali, feed him thyself.’
O Pandava, beholding that foremost of warriors, Sahadeva,
engaged in tending kine, and sleeping at night on
Page 33
calf-skins, how can I bear to live? He again who
is crowned with the three attributes of beauty, arms,
and intelligence, is now the superintendent of Virata’s
steeds. Behold the change brought on by time.
Granthika (Nakula), at sight of whom hostile hosts
fled from the field of battle, now traineth horses
in the presence of the king, driving them with the
speed. Alas, I now see that handsome youth wait
upon the gorgeously decked and excellent Virata, the
king of the Matsyas, and display horses before him.
O son of Pritha, afflicted as I am with all these
hundred kinds of misery on account of Yudhishthira,
why dost thou, O chastiser of foes, yet deem me happy?
Listen now to me, O son of Kunti, as I tell thee of
other woes far surpassing these. What can be sadder
to me than miseries so various as these should emaciate
me while ye are alive.’”
SECTION XX
“Draupadi said, ’Alas, on account of that
desperate gambler, I am now under Sudeshna’s
command, living in the palace in the guise of a Sairindhri.
And, O chastiser of foes, behold the plight of poignant
woe which I, a princess, am now in. I am living
in expectation of the close of this stated period.[14]
The extreme of misery, therefore, is mine. Success
of purpose, victory, and defeat, as regards mortals,
are transitory. It is in this belief that I am
living in expectation of the return of prosperity
to my husbands. Prosperity and adversity revolve
like a wheel. It is in this belief that I am living
in expectation of the return of prosperity to my husbands.
That cause which bringeth on victory, may bring defeat
as well. I live in this hope. Why dost thou
not, O Bhimasena, regard me as one dead? I have
heard that persons that give may beg: that they
who slay may be slain; and that they who over-throw
others may themselves be overthrown by foes. Nothing
is difficult for Destiny and none can over-ride Destiny.
It is for this that I am awaiting the return of favourable
fortune. As a tank once dried, is filled up once
again, so hoping for a change for the better, I await
the return of prosperity. When one’s business
that hath been well-provided for is seen to be frustrated,
a truly wise person should never strive for bringing
back good fortune. Plunged as I am an sorrow,
asked or unasked by thee to explain the purpose of
these words spoken by me, I shall tell thee everything.
Queen of the sons of Pandu and daughter of Drupada,
who else, save myself, would wish to live, having
fallen into such a plight? O represser of foes,
the misery, therefore, that hath overtaken me, hath
really humiliated the entire Kuru race, the Panchalas,
and the sons of Pandu. Surrounded by numerous
brothers and father-in-law and sons, what other woman
having such cause for joy, save myself, would be afflicted
with such woe? Surely, I must, in my childhood,
have committed act highly offensive to Dhatri through
whose displeasure, O bull of the Bharata race, I have
Page 34
been visited with such consequences. Mark, O son
of Pandu, the pallour that hath come over my complexion
which not even a life in the woods fraught as it was
with extreme misery, could bring about. Thou,
O Pritha’s son, knowest what happiness, O Bhima,
was formerly mine. Even, I, who was such have
now sunk into servitude. Sorely distressed, I
can find no rest. That the mighty-armed and terrible
bowman, Dhananjaya the son of Pritha, should now live
like a fire that hath been put out, maketh me think
of all this as attributable to Destiny. Surely,
O son of Pritha, it is impossible for men to understand
the destinies of creatures (in this world). I,
therefore, think this downfall of yours as something
that could not be averted by forethought. Alas,
she who hath you all, that resemble Indra himself
to attend to her comforts—even she, so chaste
and exalted, hath now to attend to the comforts of
others, that are to her far inferior in rank.
Behold, O Pandava, my plight. It is what I do
not deserve. You are alive, yet behold this inversion
of order that time hath brought. She who had
the whole Earth to the verge of the sea under her
control, is now under the control of Sudeshna and living
in fear of her. She who had dependants to walk
both before and behind her, alas, now herself walketh
before and behind Sudeshna. This, O Kaunteya,
is another grief of mine that is intolerable.
O, listen to it. She who had never, save for
Kunti, pounded unguents even for her own use, now,
good betide thee, poundeth sandal (for others).
O Kaunteya, behold these hands of mine which were
not so before. Saying this she showed him her
hands marked with corns. And she continued, she
who had never feared Kunti herself nor thee and thy
brothers, now standeth in fear before Virata as a
slave, anxious of what that king of kings may say unto
her regarding the proper preparation of the unguents,
for Matsya liketh not sandal pounded by others.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Relating her
woes thus, O Bharata, unto Bhimasena, Krishna began
to weep silently, casting her eyes on Bhima. And
then, with words choked in tears, and sighing repeatedly,
she addressed Bhima in these words, powerfully stirring
his heart, ’Signal, O Bhima, must have been
my offence of old unto the gods, for, unfortunate as
I am. I am yet alive, when, O Pandava, I should
die.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Then that slayer
of hostile heroes, Vrikodara, covering his face with
those delicate hands of his wife marked with corns,
began to weep. And that mighty son of Kunti, holding
the hands of Draupadi in his, shed copious tears.
And afflicted with great woe, he spoke these words.’”
SECTION XXI
Page 35
“Bhima said, ’Fie on the might of my arms
and fie on the Gandiva of Falguni, inasmuch as thy
hands, red before, now become covered with corns.
I would have caused a carnage in Virata’s court
but for the fact that Kunti’s son eyed me (by
way of forbidding it), or like a mighty elephant.
I would, without ado, have crushed the head of Kichaka
intoxicated with the pride of sovereignty. When,
O Krishna, I beheld thee kicked by Kichaka, I conceived
at that instant a wholesale slaughter of the Matsyas.
Yudhishthira, however, forbade me by a glance, and,
O beauteous lady, understanding his intention I have
kept quiet. That we have been deprived of our
kingdom, that I have not yet slain the Kurus, that
I have not yet taken the heads of Suyodhana and Karna,
and Suvala’s son Sakuni, and the wicked Duhsasana,
these acts and omissions, O lady, are consuming every
limb of mine. The thought of those abides in my
heart like a javelin implanted in it. O thou
of graceful hips, do not sacrifice virtue, and, O
noble-hearted lady, subdue thy wrath. If king
Yudhishthira hear from thee such rebukes, he will
surely put an end to his life. If also Dhananjaya
and the twins hear thee speak thus, even they will
renounce life. And if these, O slender-waisted
maiden, give up life. I also shall not be able
to bear my own. In olden days Sarjati’s
daughter, the beautiful Sukanya, followed into the
forest Chyavana of Bhrigu’s race, whose mind
was under complete control, and over whom, while engaged
in ascetic meditation, the ants had built a hill.
Thou mayst have heard that Indrasena also who in beauty
was like unto Narayani herself, followed her husband
aged a thousand years. Thou mayst have heard that
Janaka’s daughter Sita, the princess of Videha,
followed her lord while living in dense woods.
And that lady of graceful hips, Rama’s beloved
wife, afflicted with calamities and persecuted by the
Rakshasas, at length regained the company of Rama.
Lopamudra also, O timid one, endued with youth and
beauty, followed Agastya, renouncing all the objects
of enjoyment unattainable by men. And the intelligent
and faultless Savitri also followed the heroic Satyavan,
the son of Dyumatsena, alone into the world of Yama.
Even like these chaste and beautiful ladies that I
have named, thou, O blessed girl, bloomest with every
virtue. Do thou spend a short while more that
is measured by even a half month. And when the
thirteenth year is complete, thou wilt (again) become
the Queen regnant of a king.’ Hearing these
words, Draupadi said, ’Unable, O Bhima, to bear
my griefs, it is from grief alone that I have shed
these tears. I do not censure Yudhishthira.
Nor is there any use in dwelling on the past.
O Bhima of mighty strength, come quickly forward to
the work of the hour. O Bhima, Kaikeyi, jealous
of my beauty, always pains me by her endeavours to
prevent the king from taking a fancy to me. And
understanding this disposition of hers, the wicked-souled
Kichaka of immoral ways constantly solicits me himself.
Page 36
Angry with him for this, but then suppressing my wrath
I answer that wretch deprived of sense by lust, saying,
’O Kichaka, protect thyself. I am the beloved
queen and wife of five Gandharvas. Those heroes
in wrath will slay thee that art so rash.’
Thus addressed, Kichaka of wicked soul replied unto
me, saying, ’I have not the least fear of the
Gandharvas, O Sairindhri of sweet smiles. I will
slay hundred thousand Gandharvas, encountering them
in battle. Therefore, O timid one, do thou consent.’
Hearing all this, I again addressed the lust-afflicted
Suta, saying, ’Thou art no match for those illustrious
Gandharvas. Of respectable percentage and good
disposition, I ever adhere to virtue and never wish
for the death of any one. It is for this that
thou I vest, O Kichaka!’ At this, that wight
of wicked soul burst out into a loud laughter.
And it came to pass that Kaikeyi previously urged by
Kichaka, and moved by affection for her brother, and
desirous of doing him a good turn, despatched me to
him, saying ’Do thou, O Sairindhri, fetch wine
from Kichaka’s quarter’s!’ On beholding
me the Suta’s son at first addressed me in sweet
words, and when that failed, he became exceedingly
enraged, and intended to use violence. Understanding
the purpose of the wicked Kichaka, I speedily rushed
towards the place where the king was. Felling
me on the ground the wretch then kicked me in the very
presence of the king himself and before the eyes of
Kanka and many others, including charioteers, and
royal favourites, and elephant-riders, and citizens.
I rebuked the king and Kanka again and again.
The king, however, neither prevented Kichaka, nor
inflicted any chastisement on him. The principal
ally of king Virata in war, the cruel Kichaka reft
of virtue is loved by both the king and the queen.
O exalted one, brave, proud, sinful, adulterous, and
engrossed in all objects of enjoyment, he earneth
immense wealth (from the king), and robs the possessions
of others even if they cry in distress. And he
never walketh in the path of virtue, nor doth he any
virtuous act. Of wicked soul, and vicious disposition,
haughty and villainous, and always afflicted by the
shafts of Kama, though repulsed repeatedly, if he
sees me again, he will outrage me. I shall then
surely renounce my life. Although striving to
acquire virtue (on my death) your highly meritorious
acts will come to naught. Ye that are now obeying
your pledge, ye will lose your wife. By protecting,
one’s wife one’s offspring are protected,
and by protecting one’s offspring, one’s
own self is protected. And it is because one begets
one’s own self in one’s wife that the wife
is called Jaya[15] by the wise. The husband also
should be protected by the wife, thinking,—How
else will he take his birth in my womb?—I
have heard it from Brahmanas expounding the duties
of the several orders that a Kshatriya hath no other
duty than subduing enemies. Alas, Kichaka kicked
me in the very presence of Yudhishthira the Just,
Page 37
and also of thyself, O Bhimasena of mighty strength.
It was thou, O Bhima, that didst deliver me from the
terrible Jatasura. It was thou also that with
thy brothers didst vanquish Jayadratha. Do thou
now slay this wretch also who hath insulted me.
Presuming upon his being a favourite of the king, Kichaka,
O Bharata, hath enhanced my woe. Do thou, therefore,
smash this lustful wight even like an earthen pot
dashed upon a stone. If, O Bharata, tomorrow’s
sun sheds his rays upon him who is the source of many
griefs of mine, I shall, surely, mixing poison (with
some drink), drink it up,—for I never shall
yield to Kichaka. Far better it were, O Bhima,
that I should die before thee.’
“Vaisampayana Continued, ’Having said
this, Krishna, hiding her face in Bhima’s breast
began to weep. And Bhima, embracing her, consoled
her to the best of his power. And having abundantly
consoled that slender-waisted daughter of Drupada
by means of words fraught with grave reason and sense,
he wiped with his hands her face flooded with tears.
And thinking of Kichaka and licking with his tongue
the corners of his mouth, Bhima, filled with wrath
thus spake to that distressed lady.’”
SECTION XXII
“Bhima said, ’I will, O timid one, do
even as thou sayest. I will presently slay Kichaka
with all his friends. O Yajnaseni of sweet smiles,
tomorrow evening, renouncing sorrow and grief, manage
to have a meeting with Kichaka. The dancing-hall
that the king of the Matsya hath caused to be erected
is used by the girls for dancing during the day.
They repair, however, to their homes at night.
There in that hall, is an excellent and well-placed
wooden bed-stead. Even there I will make him see
the spirits of his deceased grandsires. But,
O beautiful one, when thou holdest converse with him,
thou must manage it so that others may not espy thee.”
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Having thus
conversed with others, and shed tears in grief, they
waited for the dawn of that night with painful impatience.
And when the night had passed away, Kichaka, rising
in the morning, went to the palace, and accosted Draupadi
saying, ’Throwing thee down in the court I kicked
thee in the presence of the king. Attacked by
mighty self, thou couldst not obtain protection.
This Virata is in name only the king of the Matsyas.
Commanding the forces of this realm it is I, who am
the real lord of the Matsyas. Do thou, O timid
one, accept me cheerfully. I shall become thy
slave. And, O thou of graceful hips, I will immediately
give thee a hundred nishkas, and engage a hundred male
and a hundred female servants (to tend thee), and will
also bestow on thee cars yoked with she-mules.
O timid lady, let our union take place.’
Draupadi replied, ’O Kichaka, know even this
is my condition. Neither thy friends nor thy
brothers should know thy union with me. I am a
terror of detection by those illustrious Gandharvas.
Page 38
Promise me this, and I yield to thee.’
Hearing this Kichaka said, ’I will, O thou of
graceful hips, do even as thou sayest. Afflicted
by the god of love, I will, O beauteous damsel, alone
repair to thy abode for union with thee, O thou of
thighs round and tapering like the trunks of the plantain,—so
that those Gandharvas, effulgent as the sun, may not
come to know of this act of thine.’ Draupadi
said, ’Do thou, when it is dark, go to the dancing-hall
erected by the king of the Matsyas where the girls
dance during the day, repairing to their respective
homes at night. The Gandharvas do not know that
place. We shall then without doubt, escape all
censure.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Reflecting on
the subject of her conversation with Kichaka, that
half a day seemed to Krishna as long as a whole month.
And the stupid Kichaka also, not knowing that it was
Death that had assumed the form of a Sairindhri, returning
home experienced the greatest delight. And deprived
of sense by lust, Kichaka became speedily engaged
in embellishing his person with unguents and garlands
and ornaments. And while he was doing all this,
thinking of that damsel of large eyes, the day seemed
to him to be without an end. And the beauty of
Kichaka, who was about to forsake his beauty for ever,
seemed to heighten, like the wick of a burning lamp
about to expire. And reposing the fullest confidence
in Draupadi, Kichaka, deprived of his senses by lust
and absorbed in the contemplation of expected meeting,
did not even perceive that the day had departed.
Meanwhile, the beautiful Draupadi approaching her
husband Bhima of the Kuru race, stood before him in
the kitchen. And that lady with tresses ending
in beautiful curls then spake unto him, saying, ’O
chastiser of foes, even as thou hadst directed, I have
given Kichaka to understand that our meeting will
take place in the dancing-hall. Alone will he
come at night to the empty hall. Slay him there,
O thou of mighty arms. Do thou, O son of Kunti,
repair to that dancing-hall, and take the life, O
Pandava, of Kichaka, that son of a Suta intoxicated
with vanity. From vanity alone, that son of a
Suta slights the Gandharvas. O best of smiters,
lift him up from the earth even as Krishna had lifted
up the Naga (Kaliya) from the Yamuna. O Pandava,
afflicted as I am with grief, wipe thou my tears, and
blessed be thou, protect thy own honour and that of
thy race.’
“Bhima said, ’Welcome, O beauteous lady,
Except the glad tidings thou bringest me, I need,
O thou of exceeding beauty, no other aid whatever.
The delight that I feel, O thou of great beauty, on
hearing from thee about my coming encounter with Kichaka,
is equal to what I felt in slaying Hidimva. I
swear unto thee by Truth, by my brothers, and by morality,
that I will slay Kichaka even as the lord of the celestials
slew Vritra. Whether secretly or openly, I will
crush Kichaka, and if the Matsyas fight for him, then
I will slay them too. And slaying Duryodhana
Page 39
afterwards, I shall win back the earth. Let Yudhishthira,
the son of Kunti, continue to pay homage unto the
king of Matsya.’ Hearing these words of
Bhima, Draupadi said, ’In order that, O lord,
thou mayst not have to renounce the truth already
pledged to me, do thou, O hero, slay Kichaka in secret.’
Bhima assuring her said, ’Even today I shall
slay Kichaka together with his friends unknown to
others during the darkness of the night. I shall,
O faultless lady, crush, even as an elephant crusheth
a vela fruit, [16] the head of the wicked Kichaka who
wisheth for what is unattainable by him!’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Repairing first
to the place of assignation at night, Bhima sat down,
disguising himself. And he waited there in expectation
of Kichaka, like a lion lying in wait for a deer.
And Kichaka, having embellished his person as he chose,
came to the dancing-hall at the appointed time in
the hope of meeting Panchali. And thinking of
the assignation, he entered the chamber. And having
entered that hall enveloped in deep gloom, that wretch
of wicked soul came upon Bhima of incomparable prowess,
who had come a little before and who was waiting in
a corner. And as an insect approacheth towards
a flaming fire, or a puny animal towards a lion, Kichaka
approached Bhima, lying down in a bed and burning
in anger at the thought of the insult offered to Krishna,
as if he were the Suta’s Death. And having
approached Bhima, Kichaka possessed by lust, and his
heart and soul filled with ecstacy smilingly said,
’O thou of pencilled eye-brows, to thee I have
already given many and various kinds of wealth from
the stores earned by me, as well as hundred maids
and many fine robes, and also a mansion with an inner
apartment adorned with beauteous and lovely and youthful
maid servants and embellished by every kind of sports
and amusements And having set all those apart for
thee, I have speedily come hither. And all on
a sudden, women have begun to praise me, saying, ’There
is not in this world any other person like unto thee
in beauty and dress!’ Hearing this, Bhima said,
’It is well that thou art handsome, and it is
well thou praisest thyself. I think, however,
that thou hadst never before this such pleasurable
touch! Thou hast an acute touch, and knowest the
ways of gallantry. Skilled in the art of love-making,
thou art a favourite with women. There is none
like thee in this world!’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Saying this,
that son of Kunti, the mighty-armed Bhima of terrible
prowess, suddenly rose up, and laughingly said, ’Thy
sister, O wretch, shall today behold thee dragged by
me to the ground, like a mighty elephant, huge as
a mountain, dragged to the ground by a lion.
Thyself slain Sairindhri will live in peace, and we,
her husbands, will also live in peace.’
Saying this, the mighty Bhima seized Kichaka by the
hairs of his head, which were adorned with garlands.
And thus seized with force by the hair, that foremost
of mighty persons, Kichaka, quickly freed his hair
Page 40
and grasped the arms of Bhima. And then between
those lions among men, fired with wrath, between that
chief of the Kichaka clan, and that best of men, there
ensued a hand-to-hand encounter, like that between
two powerful elephants for a female elephant in the
season of spring, or like that which happened in days
of yore between those lions among monkeys, the brothers
Vali and Sugriva. And both equally infuriate
and both eager for victory, both those combatants
raised their arms resembling snakes furnished with
five hoods, and attacked each other with their nails
and teeth, wrought up to frenzy of wrath. Impetuously
assailed by the powerful Kichaka in that encounter,
the resolute Bhima did not waver a single step.
And locked in each other’s embraces and dragging
each other, they fought on like two mighty bulls.
And having nails and teeth for their weapons, the encounter
between them was fierce and terrible like that of two
furious tigers. And felling each other in fury,
they encountered each other like a couple of elephants
with rent temples. And the mighty Bhima then seized
Kichaka, and Kichaka, that foremost of strong persons
threw Bhima down with violence. And as those
mighty combatants fought on, the crash of their arms
produced a loud noise that resembled the clatter of
splitting bamboos. Then Vrikodara throwing Kichaka
down by main force within the room, began to toss
him about furiously even as a hurricane tosseth a
tree. And attacked thus in battle by the powerful
Bhima, Kichaka grew weak and began to tremble.
For all that, however, he tugged at the Pandava to
the best of his power. And attacking Bhima, and
making him wave a little, the mighty Kichaka struck
him with his knees and brought him down to the ground.
And overthrown by the powerful Kichaka, Bhima quickly
rose up like Yama himself with mace in hand. And
thus that powerful Suta and the Pandava, intoxicated
with strength and challenging each other, grappled
with each other at midnight in that solitary place.
And as they roared at each other in wrath, that excellent
and strong edifice began to shake every moment.
And slapped on the chest by the mighty Bhima, Kichaka
fired with wrath moved not a single pace. And
bearing for a moment only that onslaught incapable
of being born on earth, the Suta, overpowered by Bhima’s
might, became enfeebled. And seeing him waning
weak, Bhima endued with great strength forcibly drew
Kichaka towards his breast, and began to press hard.
And breathing hard again and again in wrath, that
best of victors, Vrikodara, forcibly seized Kichaka
by the hair. And having seized Kichaka, the mighty
’Bhima began to roar like a hungry tiger that
hath killed a large animal. And finding him exceedingly
exhausted, Vrikodara bound him fast with his arms,
as one binds a beast with a cord. And then Bhima
began for a long while, to whirl the senseless Kichaka,
who began to roar frightfully like a broken trumpet.[17]
And in order to pacify Krishna’s wrath Vrikodara
Page 41
grasped Kichaka’s throat with his arms and began
to squeeze it. And assailing with his knees the
waist of that worst of the Kichakas, all the limbs
of whose body had been broken into fragments and whose
eye-lids were closed, Vrikodara slew him, as one would
slay a beast. And beholding Kichaka entirely
motionless, the son of Pandu began to roll him about
on the ground. And Bhima then said, ’Slaying
this wretch who intended to violate our wife,—this
thorn in the side of Sairindhri, I am freed from the
debt I owed to my brothers, and have attained perfect
peace.’ And having said this, that foremost
of men, with eyes red in wrath, relinquished his hold
of Kichaka, whose dress and ornaments had been thrown
off his person, whose eyes were rolling, and whose
body was yet trembling. And that foremost of
mighty persons, squeezing his own hands, and biting
his lips in rage, again attacked his adversary and
thrust his arms and legs and neck and head into his
body like the wielder of the Pinaka reducing into
shapeless mass the deer, which form sacrifice had
assumed in order to escape his ire. And having;
crushed all his limbs, and reduced him into a ball
of flesh, the mighty Bhimasena showed him unto Krishna.
And endued with mighty energy that hero then addressed
Draupadi, that foremost of all women, saying, ’Come
princess of Panchala, and see what hath become of
that lustful wretch!’ And saying this, Bhima
of terrible prowess began to press with his feet the
body of that wicked wight. And lighting a torch
then and showing Draupadi the body of Kichaka, that
hero addressed her, saying, ’O thou of tresses
ending in beautiful curls, those that solicit thee,
endued as thou art with an excellent disposition and
every virtue, will be slain by me even as this Kichaka
hath been, O timid one.’ And having accomplished
that difficult task so highly agreeable to Krishna—having
indeed slain Kichaka and thereby pacified his wrath,
Bhima bade farewell to Krishna, the daughter of Drupada,
and quickly went back to the kitchen. And Draupadi
also, that best of women, having caused Kichaka to
be slain had her grief removed and experienced the
greatest delight. And addressing the keepers of
the dancing-hall, she said, ’Come ye and behold
Kichaka who had violated after other people’s
wives lieth down here, slain by my Gandharva husbands.’
And hearing these words the guards of the dancing hall
soon came by thousands to that spot, torches in hand.
And repairing to that room, they beheld the lifeless
Kichaka thrown on the ground, drenched with blood.
And beholding him without arms and legs, they were
filled with grief. And as they gazed at Kichaka,
they were struck with amazement. And seeing that
superhuman act, viz., the overthrow of Kichaka,
they said, ‘Where is his neck, and where are
his legs?’ And beholding him in this plight
they all concluded that he had been killed by a Gandharva.’”
SECTION XXII
Page 42
“Vaisampayana said, ’Then all the relatives
of Kichaka, arriving at that place, beheld him there
and began to wail aloud, surrounding him on all sides.
And beholding Kichaka with every limb mangled, and
lying like a tortoise dragged to dry ground from the
water, all of them were overcome with exceeding fright,
and the bristles of their bodies stood on end.
And seeing him crushed all over by Bhima, like a Danava
by Indra, they proceeded to take him outside, for
performing his funeral obsequies. And then those
persons of the Suta clan thus assembled together espied
Krishna of faultless limbs hard by, who stood reclining
on a pillar. And all the Kichakas assembled there,
exclaimed, ’Let this unchaste woman be slain
for whom Kichaka hath himself lost his life. Or,
without slaying her here, let us cremate her with
him that had lusted after her,—for it behoveth
us to accomplish in every way what is agreeable to
that deceased son of Suta.’ And then they
addressed Virata, saying, ’It is for her sake
that Kichaka hath lost his life. Let him, therefore,
be cremated along with her. It behoveth thee
to grant this permission.’ Thus addressed
by them, king Virata, O monarch, knowing fully well
the prowess of the Suta gave his assent to Sairindhri
being burnt along with the Suta’s son. And
at this, the Kichakas approaching the frightened and
stupefied Krishna of lotus-like eyes, seized her with
violence. And binding that damsel of slender-waist
and placing her upon the bier, they set out with great
energy towards the cemetary. And, O king, while
thus forcibly carried towards the cemetary by those
sons of the Suta tribe, the blameless and chaste Krishna
living under the protections of her lords, then wailed
aloud for the help of her husbands, saying, ’Oh,
let Jaya, and Jayanta, and Vijaya and Jayatsena, and
Jayadvala listen to my words. The Sutas are taking
me away. Let those illustrious Gandharvas endued
with speed of hand, the clatter of whose cars is loud
and the twang of whose bowstrings in the midst of
the mighty conflict are heard like the roar of thunder,
listen to my words,—the Sutas are taking
me away!’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Hearing those
sorrowful words and lamentations of Krishna, Bhima,
without a moment’s reflection started up from
his bed and said, ’I have heard, O Sairindhri
the words thou hast spoken. Thou hast, therefore,
O timid lady, no more fear at the hands of the Sutas.
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Having said
this, the mighty-armed Bhima desirous of slaying the
Kichakas, began to swell his body. And carefully
changing his attire, he went out of the palace by a
wrong egress. And climbing over a wall by the
aid of a tree, he proceeded towards the cemetary whither
the Kichakas had gone. And having leapt over the
wall, and gone out of the excellent city, Bhima impetuously
rushed to where the Sutas were. And, O monarch,
proceeding towards the funeral pyre he beheld a large
tree, tall as palmyra-palm, with gigantic shoulders
Page 43
and withered top. And that slayer of foes grasping
with his arms that tree measuring ten Vyamas, uprooted
it, even like an elephant, and placed it upon his
shoulders. And taking up that tree with trunk
and branches and measuring ten Vyamas, that mighty
hero rushed towards the Sutas, like Yama himself,
mace in hand. And by the impetus of his rush[18]
banians and peepals and Kinsukas falling down on the
earth lay in clusters. And beholding that Gandharva
approach them like a lion in fury, all the Sutas trembling
with fear and greatly distressed, became panic-struck.
And they addressed each other, saying, ’Lo,
the powerful Gandharva cometh hither, filled with
rage, and with an upraised tree in hand. Let Sairindhri,
therefore, from whom this danger of ours hath arisen,
be set free.’ And beholding the tree that
had been uprooted by Bhimasena, they set Draupadi free
and ran breathlessly towards the city And seeing them
run away, Bhima, that mighty son of the Wind-god,
despatched, O foremost of kings, by means of that
tree, a hundred and five of them unto the abode of
Yama, like the wielder of the thunderbolt slaying
the Danavas. And setting Draupadi free from her
bonds, he then, O king, comforted her. And that
mighty-armed and irrepressible Vrikodara, the son
of Pandu, then addressed the distressed princess of
Panchala with face bathed in tears, saying, ’Thus,
O timid one, are they slain that wrong thee without
cause. Return, O Krishna, to the city. Thou
hast no longer any fear; I myself will go to the Virata’s
kitchen by another route.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’It was thus,
O Bharata, that a hundred and five of those Kichakas
were slain. And their corpses lay on the ground,
making the place look like a great forest overspread
with uprooted trees after a hurricane. Thus fell
those hundred and five Kichakas. And including
Virata’s general slain before, the slaughtered
Sutas numbered one hundred and six. And beholding
that exceedingly wonderful feat, men and women that
assembled together, were filled with astonishment.
And the power of speech, O Bharata, was suspended
in every one.’”
SECTION XXIV
“Vaisampayana said, ’And beholding the
Sutas slain, the citizens went to the king, and represented
unto him what had happened, saying, ’O king,
those mighty sons of the Sutas have all been slain
by the Gandharvas. Indeed, they lie scattered
on the earth like huge peaks of mountains riven by
thunder. Sairindhri also, having been set free,
returneth to thy palace in the city. Alas, O
king, if Sairindhri cometh, thy entire kingdom will
be endangered. Sairindhri is endued with great
beauty; the Gandharvas also here exceedingly powerful.
Men again, without doubt, are naturally sexual.
Devise, therefore, O king, without delay, such means
that in consequence of wrongs done to Sairindhri, thy
kingdom may not meet with destruction.’
Hearing those words of theirs, Virata, that lord of
Page 44
hosts, said unto them, ’Do ye perform the last
rites of the Sutas. Let all the Kichakas be burnt,
in one blazing pyre with gems and fragrant unguents
in profusion.’ And filled with fear, the
king then addressed his queen Sudeshna, saying, ’When
Sairindhri comes back, do thou tell her these words
from me, ’Blessed be thou, O fair-faced Sairindhri.
Go thou whithersoever thou likest. The king hath
been alarmed, O thou of graceful hips, at the defeat
already experienced at the hands of the Gandharvas.
Protected as thou art by the Gandharvas, I dare not
personally say all this to thee. A woman, however,
cannot offend, and it is for this that I tell thee
all this through a woman.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Thus delivered
by Bhimasena after the slaughter of the Sutas, the
intelligent and youthful Krishna relieved from all
her fears, washed her limbs and clothes in water,
and proceeded towards the city, like a doe frightened
by a tiger. And beholding her, the citizens,
O king, afflicted with the fear of the Gandharvas fled
in all directions. And some of them went so far
as to shut their eyes. And then, O king at the
gate of the kitchen, the princess of Panchala saw Bhimasena
staying, like an infuriate elephant of gigantic proportions.
And looking upon him with wonder-expanded eyes, Draupadi,
by means of words intelligible to them alone, said,
’I bow unto that prince of the Gandharvas, who
hath rescued me.’ At these words of her,
Bhima said, ’Hearing these words of hers in
obedience to whom those persons were hitherto living
in the city, they will henceforth range here, regarding
themselves as freed from the debt.’[19]
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Then she beheld
the mighty-armed Dhananjaya, in the dancing-hall instructing
king Virata’s daughters in dancing. And
issuing with Arjuna from the dancing-hall, all those
damsels came to Krishna who had arrived there, and
who had been persecuted so sorely, all innocent though
she was. And they said, ’By good luck also
it is, O Sairindhri, that thou hast been delivered
from thy dangers. By good luck it is that thou
hast returned safe. And by good luck also it is
that those Sutas have been slain that had wronged
thee, innocent though thou art.’ Hearing
this, Virhannala said, ’How hast thou, O Sairindhri,
been delivered? And how have those sinful wretches
been slain? I wish to learn all this from thee
exactly as it occurred.’ Sairindhri replied,
’O blessed Vrihannala, always passing thy days
happily in the apartments of the girls, what concern
hast thou with Sairindhri’s fate to say?
Thou hast no grief to bear that Sairindhri hath to
bear! It is for this, that thou askest me thus,
distressed as I am in ridicule.’ Thereat
Vrihannala said, ’O blessed one, Vrihannala
also hath unparalleled sorrows of her own. She
hath become as low as a brute. Thou dost not,
O girl, understand this. I have lived with thee,
and thou, too hast lived with us. When, therefore,
thou art afflicted with misery, who is it that will
not, O thou of beautiful hips, feel it? But no
one can completely read another’s heart.
Therefore it is, O amiable one, that thou knowest not
my heart!’
Page 45
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Then Draupadi,
accompanied by those girls entered the royal abode,
desirous of appearing before Sudeshna. And when
she came before the queen, Virata’s wife addressed
her at the command of the king, saying, ’Do
thou, O Sairindhri, speedily go whithersoever thou
likest. The king, good betide thee, hath been
filled with fear at this discomfiture at the hands
of the Gandharvas. Thou art, O thou of graceful
eye-brows, young and unparalleled on earth in beauty.
Thou art, besides, an object of desire with men.
The Gandharvas again, are exceedingly wrathful.’
Thereat Sairindhri said, ’O beauteous lady, let
the king suffer me to live here for only thirteen
days more. Without doubt, the Gandharvas also
will be highly obliged at this. They will then
convey me hence and do what would be agreeable to
Virata. Without doubt, the king, by doing this,
with his friends, will reap great benefit.’”
SECTION XXV
“Vaisampayana said, ’At the slaughter
of Kichaka and brothers, people, O king, thinking
of this terrible feat, were filled with surprise.
And in the city and the provinces it was generally
bruited about that for bravery the king’s Vallava
and Kichaka were both mighty warriors. The wicked
Kichaka, however, had been an oppressor of men and
a dishonourer of other people’s wives.
And it was for this that wicked of sinful soul had
been slain by the Gandharvas. And it was thus,
O king, that people began to speak, from province
to province of the invincible Kichaka, that slayer
of hostile ranks.
’Meanwhile, the spies employed by Dhritarashtra’s
son, having searched various villages and towns and
kingdoms and done all that they had been commanded
to do and completed their examination, in the manner
directed, of the countries indicated in their orders,
returned to Nagarupa, gratified with at least one
thing that they had learnt.[20] And seeing Dhritarashtra’s
son king Duryodhana of the Kuru race seated in his
court with Drona and Karna and Kripa, with the high-souled
Bhishma, his own brothers, and those great warriors—the
Trigartas, they addressed him, saying, ’O lord
of men, great hath been the care always bestowed by
us in the search after the sons of Pandu in that mighty
forest. Searched have we through the solitary
wilderness abounding with deer and other animals and
overgrown with trees and creepers of diverse kind.
Searched have we also in arbours of matted woods and
plants and creepers of every species, but we have
failed in discovering that track by which Pritha’s
son of irrepressible energy may have gone. Searched
have we in these and other places for their foot-prints.
Searched have we closely, O king, on mountain tops
and in inaccessible fastnesses, in various kingdoms
and provinces teeming with people, in encampments
and cities. No trace have yet been found of the
sons of Pandu. Good betide thee, O bull among
men, it seems that they have perished without leaving
Page 46
a mark behind. O foremost of warriors, although
we followed in the track of those warriors, yet, O
best of men, we soon lost their footprints and do not
know their present residence. O lord of men, for
some time we followed in the wake of their charioteers.
And making our inquiries duly, we truly ascertained
what we desired to know. O slayer of foes, the
charioteers reached Dwaravati without the sons of
Pritha among them. O king, neither the sons of
Pandu, nor the chaste Krishna, are in that city of
Yadavas. O bull of the Bharata race, we have
not been able to discover either their track or their
present abode. Salutations to thee, they are gone
for good. We are acquainted with the disposition
of the sons of Pandu and know something of the feats
achieved by them. It behoveth thee, therefore,
O lord of men, to give us instructions, O monarch,
as to what we should next do in the search after the
sons of Pandu. O hero, listen also to these agreeable
words of ours, promising great good to thee. King
Matsya’s commander, Kichaka of wicked soul, by
whom the Trigartas, O monarch, were repeatedly vanquished
and slain with mighty force, now lieth low on the
ground with all his brothers, slain, O monarch, by
invisible Gandharvas during the hours of darkness,
O thou of unfading glory. Having heard this delightful
news about the discomfiture of our enemies, we have
been exceedingly gratified, O Kauravya. Do thou
now ordain what should next be done.’”
SECTION XXVI
(Go-harana Parva)
“Vaisampayana said, ’Having listened to
these words of his spies, king Duryodhana reflected
inwardly for some time and then addressed his courtiers,
saying, ’It is difficult to ascertain the course
of events definitely. Discern ye all, therefore,
whither the sons of Pandu have gone, of this thirteenth
year which they are to pass undiscovered by us all,
the greater part hath already expired. What remains
is by much the smaller. If, indeed, the sons
of Pandu can pass undiscovered what remains of this
year, devoted to the vow of truth as they are, they
will then have fulfilled their pledge. They will
then return like mighty elephants with temporal juice
trickling down, or like snakes of virulent poison.
Filled with wrath, they will, without doubt, be inflicters
of terrible chastisement on the Kurus. It behoveth
ye, therefore, to make such efforts without loss of
time as may induce the sons of Pandu, acquainted as
they are with the proprieties of time, and staying
as they now are in painful disguise, to re-enter the
woods suppressing their rage. Indeed, adopt ye
such means as may remove all causes of quarrel and
anxiety from the kingdom, making it tranquil and foeless
and incapable of sustaining a diminution of territory.’
Hearing these words of Duryodhana, Kama said, ’Let
other spies, abler and more cunning, and capable of
accomplishing their object, quickly go hence, O Bharata.
Let them, well-disguised, wander through swelling
Page 47
kingdoms and populous provinces, prying into assemblies
of the learned and delightful retreats of provinces.
In the inner apartments of palaces, in shrines and
holy spots, in mines and diverse other regions, the
sons of Pandu should be searched after with well-directed
eagerness. Let the sons of Pandu who are living
in disguise be searched after by well-skilled spies
in large numbers, devoted to their work, themselves
well-disguised, and all well-acquainted with the objects
of their search. Let the search be made on the
banks of rivers, in holy regions, in villages and
towns, in retreats of ascetics, in delightful mountains
and mountain-caves.’ When Karna ceased,
Duryodhana’s second brother Dussasana, wedded
to a sinful disposition, then addressed his eldest
brother and said, ’O monarch, O lord of men,
let those spies only in whom we have confidence, receiving
their rewards in advance, once more go after the search.
This and what else hath been said by Karna have our
fullest approval. Let all the spies engage themselves
in the search according to the directions already
given. Let these and others engage in the search
from province to province according to approved rules.
It is my belief, however, that the track the Pandavas
have followed or their present abode or occupation
will not be discovered. Perhaps, they are closely
concealed; perhaps, they have gone to the other side
of the ocean. Or, perhaps, proud as they are
of their strength and Courage, they have been devoured
by wild beasts; or perhaps, having been overtaken by
some unusual danger, they have perished for eternity.
Therefore, O prince of the Kuru race, dispelling all
anxieties from thy heart, achieve what thou wilt,
always acting according to thy energy.’”
SECTION XXVII
“Vaisampayana said, “Endued with mighty
energy and possessed of great discernment, Drona then
said, ’Persons like the sons of Pandu never
perish nor undergo discomfiture. Brave and skilled
in every science, intelligent and with senses under
control, virtuous and grateful and obedient to the
virtuous Yudhishthira, ever following in the wake of
their eldest brother who is conversant with the conclusions
of policy and virtue and profit, who is attached to
them as a father, and who strictly adhereth to virtue
and is firm in truth,—persons like them
that are thus devoted to their illustrious and royal
brother, who gifted with great intelligence, never
injureth any body and who in his turn himself obeyeth
his younger brothers, never perish in this way.
Why, then, should not (Yudhishthira) the son of Pritha
possessing a knowledge of policy, be able to restore
the prosperity of his brothers who are so obedient
and devoted and high-souled? It is for this that
they are carefully waiting for the arrival of their
opportunity. Men such as these never perish.
This is what I see by my intellect. Do, therefore,
quickly and without loss of time, what should now
Page 48
be done, after proper reflection. And let also
the abode which the sons of Pandu with souls under
control as regards every purpose of life, are to occupy,
be now settled. Heroic and sinless and possessed
of ascetic merit, the Pandavas are difficult to be
discovered (within the period of non-discovery).
Intelligent and possessed of every virtue, devoted
to truth and versed in the principles of policy, endued
with purity and holiness, and the embodiment of immeasurable
energy, the son of Pritha is capable of consuming (his
foes) by a glance alone of his eyes. Knowing
all this, do what is proper. Let us, therefore,
once more search after them, sending Brahmanas and
Charanas, ascetics crowned with success, and others
of this kind who may have a knowledge of those heroes!’”
SECTION XXVIII
“Vaisampayana said, ’Then that grandsire
of the Bharatas, Bhishma the son of Sutanu, conversant
with the Vedas, acquainted with the proprieties of
time and place, and possessing a knowledge of every
duty of morality, after the conclusion of Drona’s
speech, applauded the words of the preceptor and spake
unto the Bharatas for their benefit these words consistent
with virtue, expressive of his attachment to the virtuous
Yudhishthira, rarely spoken by men that are dishonest,
and always meeting with the approbation of the honest.
And the words that Bhishma spake were thoroughly impartial
and worshipped by the wise. And the grandsire
of the Kurus said, ’The words that the regenerate
Drona acquainted with the truth of every affair hath
uttered, are approved by me. I have no hesitation
in saying so. Endued with every auspicious mark,
observant of virtuous vows, possessed of Vedic lore,
devoted to religious observances, conversant with
various sciences, obedient to the counsels of the aged,
adhering to the vow of truth, acquainted with the proprieties
of time, observant of the pledge they have given (in
respect of their exile), pure in their behaviour,
ever adhering to the duties of the Kshatria order,
always obedient to Kesava, high-souled, possessed of
great strength, and ever-bearing the burthens of the
wise, those heroic ones can never wither under misfortune.
Aided by their own energy, sons of Pandu who are now
leading a life of concealment in obedience to virtue,
will surely never perish. It is even this that
my mind surmiseth. Therefore, O Bharata, I am
for employing the aid of honest counsel in our behaviour
towards the sons of Pandu. It would not be the
policy of any wise man to cause them to be discovered
now by means of spies,[21] what we should do unto the
sons of Pandu, I shall say, reflecting with the aid
of the intellect. Know that I shall say nothing
from ill will to thee. People like me should
never give such counsels to him that is dishonest,
for only counsels (like those I would give) should
be offered unto them that are honest. Counsels,
however, that are evil, should under no circumstances
Page 49
be offered. He, O child, that is devoted to truth
and obedient to the aged, he, indeed, that is wise,
while speaking in the midst of an assembly, should
under all circumstances speak the truth, if the acquisition
of virtue be an object with him. I should, therefore,
say that I think differently from all those people
here, in respect of the abode of Yudhishthira the
just in this the thirteenth year of his exile.
The ruler, O child, of the city or the province where
king Yudhishthira resides cannot have any misfortune.
Charitable and liberal and humble and modest must
the people be of the country where king Yudhishthira
resides. Agreeable in speech, with passions under
control, observant of truth, cheerful, healthy, pure
in conduct, and skilful in work must the people be
of the country where king Yudhishthira resides.
The people of the place, where Yudhishthira is, cannot
be envious or malicious, or vain, or proud, but must
all adhere to their respective duties. Indeed,
in the place where Yudhishthira resides, Vedic hymns
will be chanted all around, sacrifices will be performed,
the last full libations will always be poured, [22]
and gifts to Brahmanas will always be in profusion.
There the clouds, without doubt, pour abundant rain,
and furnished with good harvest the country will ever
be without fear. There the paddy will not be
without grain, fruits will not be bereft of juice,
floral garlands will not be without fragrance, and
the conversation of men will always be full of agreeable
words. There where king Yudhishthira resides,
the breezes will be delicious, the meetings of men
will always be friendly, and cause of fear there will
be none. There kine will be plentiful, without
any of them being lean-fleshed or weak, and milk and
curds and butter will all be savoury and nutritious.
There where king Yudhishthira resides, every kind
of corn will be full of nutrition and every edible
full of flavour. There where king Yudhishthira
resides, the objects of all the senses, viz.,—taste,
touch, smell, and hearing, will be endued with excellent
attributes. There where king Yudhishthira resides,
the sights and scenes will be gladdening. And
the regenerate ones of that place will be virtuous
and steady in observing their respective duties.
Indeed, in the country where the sons of Pandu may
have taken up their abode during this thirteenth year
of their exile, the people will be contented and cheerful,
pure in conduct and without misery of any kind.
Devoted to gods and guests and the worship of these
with their whole soul, they will be fond of giving
away, and filled with great energy, they will all
be observant of eternal virtue. There where king
Yudhishthira resides, the people, eschewing all that
is evil, will be desirous of achieving only what is
good. Always observant of sacrifices and pure
vows, and hating untruth in speech, the people of the
place where king Yudhishthira may reside will always
be desirous of obtaining what is good, auspicious
Page 50
and beneficial. There where Yudhishthira resides,
the people will certainly be desirous of achieving
what is good, and their hearts will always incline
towards virtue, and their vows being agreeable they
themselves are ever-engaged in the acquisition of
religious merit. O child, that son of Pritha in
whom are intelligence and charity, the highest tranquillity
and undoubted forgiveness, modesty and prosperity,
and fame and great energy and a love for all creatures,
is incapable of being found out (now that he hath
concealed himself) even by Brahmanas, let alone ordinary
persons. The wise Yudhishthira is living in close
disguise in regions whose characteristics I have described.
Regarding his excellent mode of life, I dare not say
anything more. Reflecting well upon all this,
do without loss of time what thou mayst think to be
beneficial, O prince of the Kuru race, if indeed, thou
hast any faith in me.’”
SECTION XXIX
“Vaisampayana said, ’Then Saradwata’s
son, Kripa said, ’What the aged Bhishma hath
said concerning the Pandavas is reasonable, suited
to the occasion, consistent with virtue and profit,
agreeable to the ear, fraught with sound reason, and
worthy of him. Listen also to what I would say
on this subject. It behoveth thee to ascertain
the track they have followed and their abode also
by means of spies,[23] and to adopt that policy which
may bring about thy welfare. O child, he that
is solicitous of his welfare should not disregard
even an ordinary foe. What shall I say, then,
O child, of the Pandavas who are thorough masters of
all weapons in battle. When, therefore, the time
cometh for the reappearance of the high-souled Pandavas,
who, having entered the forest,[24] are now passing
their days in close disguise, thou shouldst ascertain
thy strength both in thy own kingdom and in those
of other kings. Without doubt, the return of
the Pandavas is at hand. When their promised term
of exile is over, the illustrious and mighty sons
of Pritha, endued with immeasurable prowess, will
come hither bursting with energy. Do thou, therefore,
in order to conclude an advantageous treaty with them,
have recourse to sound policy and address thyself
to increase thy forces and improve the treasury.
O child, ascertaining all these, reckon thou thy own
strength in respect of all thy allies weak and strong.[25]
Ascertaining the efficiency, and weakness, and indifference
of thy forces, as also who amongst them are well-affected
and who are disaffected, we should either fight the
foe or make treaty with him. Having recourse
to the arts of conciliation, disunion, chastisement,
bribery, presents and fair behaviour, attack thy foes
and subdue the weak by might, and win over thy allies
and troops and by soft speeches. When thou hast
(by these means) strengthened thy army and filled thy
treasury, entire success will be thine. When
thou hast done all this, thou wilt be able to fight
with powerful enemies that may present themselves,
let alone the sons of Pandu deficient in troops animals
of their own. By adopting all these expedients
according to the customs of thy order, thou wilt,
O foremost of men, attain enduring happiness in due
time!’”
Page 51
SECTION XXX
“Vaisampayana said, ’Discomfited before,
O monarch, many a time and oft by Matsya’s Suta
Kichaka aided by the Matsyas and the Salyas, the mighty
king of the Trigartas, Susarman, who owned innumerable
cars, regarding the opportunity to be a favourable
one, then spoke the following words without losing
a moment. And, O monarch, forcibly vanquished
along with his relatives by the mighty Kichaka, king
Susarman, eyeing Karna in askance, spoke these words
unto Duryodhana, ’My kingdom hath many a time
been forcibly invaded by the king of the Matsyas.
The mighty Kichaka was that king’s generalissimo.
Crooked and wrathful and of wicked soul, of prowess
famed over all the world, sinful in deeds and highly
cruel, that wretch, however, hath been slain by the
Gandharvas, Kichaka being dead, king Virata, shorn
of pride and his refuge gone, will, I imagine, lose
all courage I think, we ought now to invade that kingdom,
if it pleases thee, O sinless one, as also the illustrious
Karna and all the Kauravas. The accident that
hath happened is, I imagine, a favourable one for us.
Let us, therefore, repair to Virata’s kingdom
abounding in corn. We will appropriate his gems
and other wealth of diverse kinds, and let us go to
share with each other as regards his villages and kingdom.
Or, invading his city by force, let us carry off by
thousands his excellent kine of various species.
Uniting, O king, the forces of the Kauravas and the
Trigartas, let us lift his cattle in droves. Or,
uniting our forces well, we will check his power by
forcing him to sue for peace. Or, destroying
his entire host, we will bring Matsya under subjection.
Having brought him under subjection by just means,
we will live in our kingdom happily, while thy power
also will, without doubt, be enhanced.’
Hearing these words of Susarman, Karna addressed the
king, saying, ’Susarman hath spoken well; the
opportunity is favourable and promises to be profitable
to us. Therefore, if it pleases thee, O sinless
one, let us, drawing up our forces in battle array
and marshalling them in divisions, speedily set out.
Or, let the expedition be managed as Saradwata’s
son Kripa, the preceptor Drona, and the wise and aged
grandsire of the Kurus may think. Consulting
with each other, let us, O lord of earth, speedily
set out to attain our end. What business have
we with the sons of Pandu, destitute as they are of
wealth, might, and prowess? They have either disappeared
for good or have gone to the abode of Yama? We
will, O king, repair without anxiety to Virata’s
city, and plunder his cattle and other wealth of diverse
kinds.’
Page 52
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Accepting these
words of Karna, the son of Surya, king Duryodhana
speedily commanded his brother Dussasana, born immediately
after him and always obedient to his wishes, saying,
’Consulting with the elders, array without delay,
our forces. We will, with all the Kauravas go
to the appointed place. Let also the mighty warrior,
king Susarman, accompanied by a sufficient force with
vehicles and animals, set out with the Trigartas for
the dominions of Matsyas. And let Susarman proceed
first, carefully concealing his intention. Following
in their wake, we will set out the day after in close
array, for the prosperous dominions of king Matsya.
Let the Trigartas, however, suddenly repair to the
city of Virata, and coming upon the cowherds, seize
that immense wealth (of kine). We also marching
in two divisions, will seize thousands of excellent
kine furnished with auspicious marks.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Then, O Lord
of earth, those warriors, the Trigartas, accompanied
by their infantry of terrible prowess, marched towards
the south-eastern direction, intending to wage hostilities
with Virata from the desire of seizing his kine.
And Susarman set out on the seventh day of the dark
fortnight for seizing the kine. And then, O king,
on the eighth day following of the dark fortnight,
the Kauravas also accompanied by all their troops,
began to seize the kine by thousands.”
SECTION XXXI
“Vaisampayana said, ’O mighty king, entering
into king Virata’s service, and dwelling in
disguise in his excellent city, the high-souled Pandavas
of immeasurable prowess, completed the promised period
of non-discovery. And after Kichaka had been
slain, that slayer of hostile heroes, the mighty king
Virata began to rest his hopes on the sons of Kunti.
And it was on the expiry of the thirteenth year of
their exile, O Bharata, that Susarman seized Virata’s
cattle by thousands. And when the cattle had
been seized, the herdsman of Virata came with great
speed to the city, and saw his sovereign, the king
of Matsyas, seated on the throne in the midst of wise
councillors, and those bulls among men, the sons of
Pandu, and surrounded by brave warriors decked with
ear-rings and bracelets. And appearing before
that enhancer of his dominion—King Virata
seated in court—the herdsman bowed down
unto him, and addressed him, saying, ’O foremost
of kings, defeating and humiliating us in battle along
with our friends the Trigartas are seizing thy cattle
by hundreds and by thousands. Do thou, therefore,
speedily rescue them. Oh, see that they are not
lost to thee.’ Hearing these words, the
king arrayed for battle the Matsya force abounding
in cars and elephants and horses and infantry and
standards. And kings and princes speedily put
on, each in its proper place,[26] their shining and
beautiful armour worthy of being worn by heroes.
And Virata’s beloved brother, Satanika, put on
Page 53
a coat of mail made of adamantine steel, adorned with
burnished gold. And Madirakshya, next in birth
to Satanika, put on a strong coat of mail plated with
gold[27] and capable of resisting every weapon.
And the coat of mail that the king himself of the
Matsyas put on was invulnerable and decked with a
hundred suns, a hundred circles, a hundred spots, and
a hundred eyes. And the coat of mail that Suryadatta[28]
put on was bright as the sun, plated with gold, and
broad as a hundred lotuses of the fragrant (Kahlara)
species. And the coat of mail that Virata’s
eldest son, the heroic Sanksha, put on was impenetrable
and made of burnished steel, and decked with a hundred
eyes of gold. And it was thus that those god-like
and mighty warriors by hundreds, furnished with weapons,
and eager for battle, each donned his corselet.
And then they yoked unto their excellent cars of white-hue
steeds equipped in mail. And then was hoisted—Matsya’s
glorious standard on his excellent car decked with
gold and resembling the sun or the moon in its effulgence.
And other Kshatriya warriors also raised on their
respective cars gold-decked standards of various shapes
and devices. And king Matsya then addressed his
brother Satanika born immediately after him, saying,
’Kanka and Vallava and Tantripala and Damagranthi
of great energy will, as it appears to me fight, without
doubt. Give thou unto them cars furnished with
banners and let them case their persons in beautiful
coats of mail that should be both invulnerable and
easy to wear. And let them also have weapons.
Bearing such martial forms and possessed of arms resembling
the trunk of mighty elephants, I can never persuade
myself that they cannot fight.’ Hearing
these words of the king, Satanika, O monarch, immediately
ordered cars for those sons of Pritha, viz.,
the royal Yudhishthira, and Bhima, and Nakula, and
Sahadeva, and commanded by the king, the charioteers,
with cheerful hearts and keeping loyalty in view, very
soon got cars ready (for the Pandavas). And those
repressers of foes then donned those beautiful coats
of mail, invulnerable and easy to wear, that Virata
had ordered for those heroes of spotless fame.
And mounted on cars yoked with good steeds, those
smiters of hostile ranks, those foremost of men, the
sons of Pritha, set out with cheerful hearts.
Indeed, those mighty warriors skilled in fight, those
bulls of the Kuru race and sons of Pandu, those four
heroic brothers possessed of prowess incapable of being
baffled, mounting on cars decked with gold, together
set out, following Virata’s wake. And infuriate
elephants of terrible mien, full sixty years of age,
with shapely tusks and rent temples and juice trickling
down and looking (on that account) like cloud pouring
rain and mounted by trained warriors skilled in fight,
followed the king like unto moving hills. And
the principal warriors of Matsya who cheerfully followed
the king had eight thousand cars, a thousand elephants
and sixty thousand horses. And, O bull among
the Bharatas, that force of Virata, O king, as it marched
forth marking the footprints of the cattle looked exceedingly
beautiful. And on its march that foremost of
armies owned by Virata, crowded with soldiers armed
with strong weapons, and abounding in elephants, horses
and cars, looked really splendid.’”
Page 54
SECTION XXXII
“Vaisampayana said, ’Marching out of the
city, those heroic smiters the Matsyas, arrayed in
order of battle, overtook the Trigartas when the sun
had passed the meridian. And both excited to fury
and both desirous of having the king, the mighty Trigartas
and the Matsyas, irrepressible in battle, sent up
loud roars. And then the terrible and infuriate
elephants ridden over by the skilful combatants of
both sides were urged on with spiked clubs and hooks.
And the encounter, O king, that took place when the
sun was low in the horizon, between the infantry and
cavalry and chariots and elephants of both parties,
was like unto that of old between the gods and the
Asuras, terrible and fierce and sufficient for making
one’s hair stand on end and calculated to increase
the population of Yama’s kingdom. And as
the combatants rushed against one another, smiting
and slashing, thick clouds of dust began to rise, so
that nothing could be discovered. And covered
with the dust raised by the contending armies, birds
began to drop down on the earth. And the sun himself
disappeared behind the thick cloud of arrows shot,
and the firmament looked bright as if with myriads
of the fireflies. And shifting their bows, the
staves of which were decked with gold, from one hand
to another, those heroes began to strike each other
down, discharging their arrows right and left.
And cars encountered cars, and foot-soldiers fought
with foot-soldiers, and horse-men with horsemen, and
elephants with mighty elephants. And they furiously
encountered one another with swords and axes, bearded
darts and javelins, and iron clubs. And although,
O king, those mighty-armed warriors furiously assailed
one another in that conflict, yet neither party succeeded
in prevailing over the other. And severed heads,
some with beautiful noses, some with upper lips deeply
gashed, some decked with ear-rings, and some divided
with wounds about the well-trimmed hair were seen
rolling on the ground covered with dust. And soon
the field of battle was overspread with the limbs
of Kshatriya warriors, cut off by means of arrows
and lying like trunks of Sala trees. And scattered
over with heads decked in ear-rings, and sandal-besmeared
arms looking like the bodies of snakes, the field
of battle became exceedingly beautiful. And as
cars encountered cars, and horsemen encountered horsemen,
and foot-soldiers fought with foot-soldiers, and elephants
met with elephants, the frightful dust soon became
drenched with torrents of blood. And some amongst
the combatants began to swoon away, and the warriors
began to fight reckless of consideration of humanity,
friendship and relationship. And both their course
and sight obstructed by the arrowy shower, vultures
began to alight on the ground. But although those
strong-armed combatants furiously fought with one another,
yet the heroes of neither party succeeded in routing
their antagonists. And Satanika having slain
Page 55
a full hundred of the enemy and Visalaksha full four
hundred, both those mighty warriors penetrated into
the heart of the great Trigarta host. And having
entered into the thick of the Trigarta host, those
famous and mighty heroes began to deprive their antagonists
of their senses by causing a closer conflict to set
in—a conflict, in which the combatants
seized one another by the hair and tore one another
with their nails.[29] And eyeing the point where the
cars of the Trigartas had been mustered in strong
numbers, those heroes at last directed their attack
towards it. And that foremost of car-warriors,
king Virata also, with Suryadatta in his van and Madiraksha
in his rear, having destroyed in that conflict five
hundred cars, eight hundred horses, and five warriors
on great cars, displayed various skilful manoeuvres
on his car on that field of battle. And at last
the king came upon the ruler of the Trigartas mounted
on a golden chariot. And those high-souled and
powerful warriors, desirous of fighting, rushed roaring
against each like two bulls in a cow-pen. Then
that bull among men, irrepressible in battle, Susarman,
the king of the Trigartas, challenged Matsya to a
single combat on car. Then those warriors excited
to fury rushed against each other on their cars and
began to shower their arrows upon each other like
clouds pouring torrents of rain.[30] And enraged with
each other, those fierce warriors, both skilled in
weapons, both wielding swords and darts and maces,
then moved about (on the field of battle) assailing
each other with whetted arrows. Then king Virata
pierced Susarman with ten shafts and each of his four
horses also with five shafts. And Susarman also,
irresistible in battle and conversant with fatal weapons,
pierced king of Matsya with fifty whetted shafts.
And then, O mighty monarch, in consequence of the
dust on the field of battle, the soldiers of both
Susarman and Matsya’s king could not distinguish
one another.’”
SECTION XXXIII
“Vaisampayana said, ’Then, O Bharata,
when the world was enveloped in dust and the gloom
of night, the warriors of both sides, without breaking
the order of battle, desisted for a while.[31] And
then, dispelling the darkness the moon arose illumining
the night and gladdening the hearts of the Kshatriya
warriors. And when everything became visible,
the battle once more began. And it raged on so
furiously that the combatants could not distinguish
one another. And then Trigarta’s lord, Susarman
with his younger brother, and accompanied by all his
cars, rushed towards the king of Matsya. And
descending from their cars, those bulls among Kshatriyas,
the (royal) brothers, mace in hand, rushed furiously
towards the cars of the foe. And the hostile
hosts fiercely assailed each other with maces and
swords and scimitars, battle-axes and bearded darts
with keen edges and points of excellent temper.
And king Susarman, the lord of the Trigartas having
Page 56
by his energy oppressed and defeated the whole army
of the Matsyas, impetuously rushed towards Virata
himself endued with great energy. And the two
brothers having severally slain Virata’s two
steeds and his charioteer, as also those soldiers
that protected his rear, took him captive alive, when
deprived of his car. Then afflicting him sorely,
like a lustful man afflicting a defenceless damsel,
Susarman placed Virata on his own car, and speedily
rushed out of the field. And when the powerful
Virata, deprived of his car, was taken captive, the
Matsyas, harrassed solely by the Trigartas, began
to flee in fear in all directions. And beholding
them panic-stricken, Kunti’s son, Yudhishthira,
addressed that subduer of foes, the mighty-armed Bhima,
saying, ’The king of the Matsyas hath been taken
by the Trigartas. Do thou, O mighty-armed one,
rescue him, so that he may not fall under the power
of the enemy. As we have lived happily in Virata’s
city, having every desire of ours gratified, it behoveth
thee, O Bhimasena, to discharge that debt (by liberating
the king).’ Thereat Bhimasena replied, ’I
will liberate him, O king, at thy command. Mark
the feat I achieve (today) in battling with the foe,
relying solely on the might of my arms. Do thou,
O king, stay aside, along with our brothers and witness
my prowess today. Uprooting this mighty tree
of huge trunk looking like a mace, I will rout the
enemy.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Beholding Bhima
casting his eyes on that tree like a mad elephant,
the heroic king Yudhishthira the just spake unto his
brother, saying, ’Do not, O Bhima, commit such
a rash act. Let the tree stand there. Thou
must not achieve such feats in a super-human manner
by means of that tree, for if thou dost, the people,
O Bharata, will recognise thee and say, This is Bhima.
Take thou, therefore, some human weapon such as a
bow (and arrows), or a dart, or a sword, or a battle-axe.
And taking therefore, O Bhima, some weapon that is
human, liberate thou the king without giving anybody
the means of knowing thee truly. The twins endued
with great strength will defend thy wheels. Fighting
together, O child, liberate the king of the Matsyas!’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Thus addressed,
the mighty Bhimasena endued with great speed, quickly
took up an excellent bow and impetuously shot from
it a shower of arrows, thick as the downpour of a rain-charged
cloud. And Bhima then rushed furiously towards
Susarman of terrible deeds, and assuring Virata with
the words—O good king![32] said unto the
lord of the Trigartas,—Stay! Stay!
Seeing Bhima like unto Yama himself in his rear, saying,
Stay! Stay! Do thou witness this mighty feat,—this
combat that is at hand!—the bull among warriors,
Susarman, seriously considered (the situation), and
taking up his bow turned back, along with his brothers.
Within the twinkling of an eye, Bhima destroyed those
cars that sought to oppose him. And soon again
hundreds of thousands of cars and elephants and horses
Page 57
and horsemen and brave and fierce bowmen were overthrown
by Bhima in the very sight of Virata. And the
hostile infantry also began to be slaughtered by the
illustrious Bhima, mace in hand. And beholding
that terrible onslaught, Susarman, irrepressible in
fight, thought within himself, ’My brother seems
to have already succumbed in the midst of his mighty
host. Is my army going to be annihilated?’
And drawing his bow-string to his ear Susarman then
turned back and began to shoot keen-edged shafts incessantly.
And seeing the Pandavas return to the charge on their
car, the Matsya warriors of mighty host, urging on
their steeds, shot excellent weapons for grinding the
Trigarta soldiers. And Virata’s son also,
exceedingly exasperated began to perform prodigious
fears of valour. And Kunti’s son Yudhishthira
slew a thousand (of the foe), and Bhima showed the
abode of Yama unto seven thousand. And Nakula
sent seven hundred (to their last account) by means
of his shafts. And powerful Sahadeva also, commanded
by Yudhishthira, slew three hundred brave warriors.
And having slain such numbers, that fierce and mighty
warrior, Yudhishthira, with weapons upraised, rushed
against Susarman. And rushing impetuously at
Susarman, that foremost of car-warriors, king Yudhishthira,
assailed him with vollies of shafts. And Susarman
also, in great rage, quickly pierced Yudhishthira
with nine arrows, and each of his four steeds with
four arrows. Then, O king, Kunti’s son Bhima
of quick movements, approaching Susarman crushed his
steeds. And having slain also those soldiers
that protected his rear, he dragged from the car his
antagonist’s charioteer to the ground. And
seeing the king of Trigarta’s car without a
driver, the defender of his car-wheels, the famous
and brave Madiraksha speedily came to his aid.
And thereat, leaping down from Susarman’s car,
and securing the latter’s mace the powerful
Virata ran in pursuit of him. And though old,
he moved on the field, mace in hand, even like a lusty
youth. And beholding Susarman flee Bhima addressed
him, saying, ’Desist, O Prince! This flight
of thine is not proper! With this prowess of
thine, how couldst thou wish to carry off the cattle
by force? How also, forsaking thy follower, dost
thou droop so amidst foes? Thus addressed by
Pritha’s son, the mighty Susarman, that lord
of countless cars saying unto Bhima, Stay! Stay!—suddenly
turned round and rushed at him. Then Bhima, the
son of Pandu, leaping down from his car, as he alone
could do,[33] rushed forward with great coolness,
desirous of taking Susarman’s life. And
desirous of seizing Trigarta’s king advancing
towards him, the mighty Bhimasena rushed impetuously
towards him, even like a lion rushing at a small deer.
And advancing impetuously, the mighty-armed Bhima seized
Susarman by the hair, and lifting him up in wrath,
dashed him down on the ground. And as he lay
crying in agony, the mighty-armed Bhima kicked him
at the head, and placing his knee on his breast dealt
Page 58
him severe blows. And sorely afflicted with that
kicking, the king of Trigartas became senseless.
And when the king of the Trigartas deprived of his
car, had been seized thus, the whole Trigarta army
stricken with panic, broke and fled in all directions,
and the mighty sons of Pandu, endued with modesty
and observant of vows and relying on the might of their
own arms, after having vanquished Susarman, and rescued
the kine as well as other kinds of wealth and having
thus dispelled Virata’s anxiety, stood together
before that monarch. And Bhimasena then said,
’This wretch given to wicked deeds doth not
deserve to escape me with life. But what can I
do? The king is so lenient!’ And then taking
Susarman by the neck as he was lying on the ground
insensible and covered with dust, and binding him
fast, Pritha’s son Vrikodara placed him on his
car, and went to where Yudhishthira was staying in
the midst of the field. And Bhima then showed
Susarman unto the monarch. And beholding Susarman
in that plight, that tiger among men king Yudhishthira
smilingly addressed Bhima—that ornament
of battle,—saying, ‘Let this worst
of men be set free.’ Thus addressed, Bhima
spoke unto the mighty Susarman, saying, ’If,
O wretch, thou wishest to live, listen to those words
of mine. Thou must say in every court and assembly
of men,—I am a slave. On this condition
only I will grant thee thy life. Verily, this
is the law about the vanquished.’ Thereupon
his elder brother affectionately addressed Bhima, saying,
’If thou regardest us as an authority, liberate
this wicked wight. He hath already become king
Virata’s slave. And turning then to Susarman,
he said, ’Thou art freed. Go thou a free
man, and never act again in this way.’”
SECTION XXXIV
“Vaisampayana said, ’Thus addressed by
Yudhishthira Susarman was overwhelmed with shame and
hung down his head. And liberated (from slavery),
he went to king Virata, and having saluted the monarch,
took his departure. And the Pandavas also replying
on the might of their own arms, and endued with modesty
and observant of vows, having slain their enemies
and liberated Susarman, passed that night happily on
the field of battle. And Virata gratified those
mighty warriors, the sons of Kunti, possessed of super-human
prowess with wealth and honour. And Virata said,
“All these gems of mine are now as much mine
as yours. Do ye according to your pleasure live
here happily. And ye smiter of foes in battle,
I will bestow on you damsels decked with ornaments,
wealth in plenty, and other things that ye may like.
Delivered from perils today by your prowess, I am
now crowned with victory. Do ye all become the
lords of the Matsyas.’
Page 59
“Vaisampayana continued, ’And when the
king of the Matsyas had addressed them thus, those
descendants of the Kurus with Yudhishthira at their
head, joining their hands, severally replied unto him
saying, ’We are well-pleased with all that thou
sayest, O monarch. We, however, have been much
gratified that thou hast today been freed from thy
foes.’ Thus answered, that foremost of
kings, Virata the lord of the Matsyas, again addressed
Yudhishthira, saying, ’Come, we will install
thee in sovereignty of the Matsyas. And we will
also bestow on thee things that are rare on earth
and are objects of desire, for thou deservest everything
at our hands. O foremost of Brahmanas of the Vaiyaghra
order I will bestow on thee gems and kine and gold
and rubies and pearls. I bow unto thee.
It is owing to thee that I once more behold today my
sons and kingdom. Afflicted and threatened as
I had been with disaster and danger, it is through
thy prowess that I have not succumbed to the foe.’
Then Yudhishthira again addressed the Matsyas, saying,
’Well-pleased are we with the delightful words
that thou hast spoken. Mayst thou be ever happy,
always practising humanity towards all creatures.
Let messengers now, at thy command, speedily repair
into the city, in order to communicate the glad tidings
to our friends, and proclaim thy victory. Hearing
these words of him, king Matsya ordered the messengers,
saying,’ ’Do ye repair to the city and
proclaim my victory in battle. And let damsels
and courtesons, decked in ornaments, come out of the
city with every kind of musical instruments.’
Hearing this command uttered by the king of the Matsyas,
the men, laying the mandate on their head, all departed
with cheerful hearts. And having repaired to the
city that very night, they proclaimed at the hour
of sunrise the victory of the king about the city-gates.’”
SECTION XXXV
“Vaisampayana said, ’When the king of
the Matsyas, anxious of recovering the kine, had set
out in pursuit of the Trigartas, Duryodhana with his
counsellors invaded the dominions of Virata. And
Bhishma and Drona, and Karna, and Kripa acquainted
with the best of weapons, Aswatthaman, and Suvala’s
son, and Dussasana, O lord of men, and Vivingsati and
Vikarna and Chitrasena endued with great energy, and
Durmukha and Dussaha,—these and many other
great warriors, coming upon the Matsya dominion speedily
drove off the cowherds of king Virata and forcibly
took away the kine. And the Kauravas, surrounding
all sides with a multitude of cars, seized sixty thousands
of kine. And loud was the yell of woe set up by
the cowherds smitten by those warriors in that terrible
conflict. And the chief of the cowherds, greatly
affrighted speedily mounted on a chariot and set out
for the city, bewailing in affliction. And entering
the city of the king, he proceeded to the place, and
speedily alighting from the chariot, got in for relating
(what had happened). And beholding the proud
Page 60
son of Matsya, named Bhuminjaya, he told him everything
about the seizure of the royal kine. And he said,
the Kauravas are taking away sixty thousand kine.
Rise, therefore, O enhancer of the kingdom’s
glory, for brining back thy cattle. O prince,
if thou art desirous of achieving (the kingdom’s)
good set out thyself without loss of time. Indeed,
the king of the Matsyas left thee in the empty city.
The king (thy father) boasteth of thee in court, saying,
’My son, equal unto me, is a hero and is the
supporter of (the glory of) my race. My son is
a warrior skilled in arrows and weapons and is always
possessed of great courage.’—Oh, let
the words of that lord of men be true! O chief
of herd-owners, bring thou back the kine after vanquishing
the Kurus, and consume thou their troops with the
terrific energy of thy arrows. Do thou like a
leader of elephants rushing at a herd, pierce the
ranks of the foe with straight arrows of golden wings,
discharged from thy bow. Thy bow is even like
a Vina. Its two ends represent the ivory pillows;
its string, the main chord; its staff, the finger-board;
and the arrows shot from it musical notes. Do
thou strike in the midst of the foe that Vina of musical
sound.[34] Let thy steeds, O lord, of silvery hue,
be yoked unto thy car, and let thy standard be hoisted,
bearing the emblem of the golden lion. Let thy
keen-edged arrows endued with wings of gold, shot by
thy strong arms, obstruct the path of those kings
and eclipse the very sun. Vanquishing all the
Kurus in battle like unto the wielder of the thunderbolt
defeating the Asuras, return thou again to the city
having achieved great renown. Son of Matsya’s
king, thou art the sole refuge of this kingdom, as
that foremost of virtuous warriors, Arjuna is of the
sons of Pandu. Even like Arjuna of his brothers,
thou art, without doubt, the refuge of those dwelling
within these dominions. Indeed, we, the subject
of this realm, have our protector in thee.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Thus addressed
by the cowherd in the presence of the females, in
words breathing courage, the prince indulging in self-commendation
within the female apartments, spoke these words.’”
SECTION XXXVI
“Uttara said, ’Firm as I am in the use
of the bow, I would set out this very day in the track
of the kine if only some one skilled in the management
of horses becomes my charioteer. I do not, however,
know the man who may be my charioteer. Look ye,
therefore, without delay, for a charioteer for me
that am prepared for starting. My own charioteer
was slain in the great battle that was fought from
day to day for a whole month or at least for eight
and twenty nights. As soon as I get another person
conversant with the management of the steeds.
I will immediately set out, hoisting high my own standard.
Penetrating into the midst of the hostile army abounding
with elephants and horses and chariots, I will bring
Page 61
back the kine, having vanquished the Kurus who are
feeble in strength and weak in weapons. Like
a second wielder of the thunderbolt terrifying the
Danavas, I will bring back the kine this very moment,
affrighting in battle Duryodhana and Bhishma and Karna
and Kripa and Drona with his son, and other mighty
bowmen assembled for fight. Finding none (to
oppose), the Kurus are taking away the kine. What
can I do when I am not there? The assembled Kurus
shall witness my prowess today. And they shall
say unto one another, ’Is it Arjuna himself who
is opposing us?’ “Vaisampayana continued,
’Having heard these words spoken by the prince,
Arjuna fully acquainted with the import of everything,
after a little while cheerfully spake in private unto
his dear wife of faultless beauty, Krishna, the princess
of Panchala, Drupada’s daughter of slender make,
sprung from the (sacrificial) fire and endued with
the virtues of truthfulness and honesty and ever attentive
to the good of her husbands. And the hero said,
’Do thou, O beauteous one, at my request say
unto Uttara without delay, ’This Vrihannala
was formerly the accomplished resolute charioteer
of Pandu’s son (Arjuna). Tried in many a
great battle, even he will be thy charioteer.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Hearing these
words uttered by the prince over and over again in
the midst of the women, Panchali could not quietly
bear those allusions to Vibhatsu. And bashfully
stepping out from among the women, the poor princess
of Panchala gently spake unto him these words, ’The
handsome youth, looking like a mighty elephant and
known by the name of Vrihannala, was formerly the
charioteer of Arjuna. A disciple of that illustrious
warrior, and inferior to none in use of the bow, he
was known to me while I was living with the Pandavas.
It was by him that the reins were held of Arjuna’s
excellent steeds when Agni consumed the forest of
Khandava. It was with him as charioteer that Partha
conquered all creatures at Khandava-prastha.
In fact, there is no charioteer equal unto him.’
“Uttara said, ’Thou knowest, O Sairindhri,
this youth. Thou knowest, what this one of the
neuter sex may or may not be, I cannot, however, O
blessed one, myself request Vrihannala to hold the
reins of my horses.’
“Draupadi said, ’Vrihannala, O hero, will
without doubt, obey the words of thy younger sister[35]—that
damsel of graceful hips. If he consents to be
thy charioteer, thou wilt, without doubt, return, having
vanquished the Kurus and rescued thy kine.’
“Thus addressed by the Sairindhri, Uttara spake
unto his sister, ’Go thyself, O thou of faultless
beauty, and bring Vrihannala hither?’ And despatched
by her brother, she hastily repaired to the dancing-hall
where that strong-armed son of Pandu was staying in
disguise.’”
SECTION XXXVII
Page 62
“Vaisampayana said, ’Thus despatched by
her elder brother, the far-famed daughter of king
Matsya, adorned with a golden necklace, ever obedient
to her brother and possessed of a waist slender as
that of the wasp,[36] endued with the splendour of
Lakshmi herself,[37] decked with the plumes of the
peacock of slender make and graceful limbs, her hips
encircled by a zone of pearls, her eye-lashes slightly
curved, and her form endued with every grace, hastily
repaired to the dancing-hall like a flash of lightning
rushing towards a mass of dark clouds.[38] And the
faultless and auspicious daughter of Virata, of fine
teeth and slender-waist, of thighs close unto each
other and each like the trunk of an elephant, her
person embellished with an excellent garland, sought
the son of Pritha like a she-elephant seeking her
mate. And like unto a precious gem or the very
embodiment of prosperity of Indra, of exceeding beauty
and large eyes, that charming and adored and celebrated
damsel saluted Arjuna. And saluted by her, Partha
asked that maiden of close thighs and golden complexion,
saying ’What brings thee hither, a damsel decked
in a necklace of gold? Why art thou in such a
hurry, O gazelle-eyed maiden? Why is thy face,
O beauteous lady, so cheerless? Tell me all this
without delay!’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Beholding, O
king, his friend, the princess of large-eyes (in that
plight), her friend (Arjuna) cheerfully enquired of
her (in these words) the cause of her arrival there
and then. And having approached that bull among
men, the princess, standing in the midst of her female
attendants, the displaying proper modesty[39], addressed
him, saying, ’The kine of this realm, O Vrihannala,
are being driven away by the Kurus, and it is to conquer
them that my brother will set out bow in hand.
Not long ago his own charioteer was slain in battle,
and there is none equal unto the one slain that can
act as my brother’s charioteer. And unto
him striving to obtain a charioteer, Sairindhri,
O Vrihannala, hath spoken about thy skill in the management
of steeds. Thou wert formerly the favourite charioteer
of Arjuna, and it was with thee that that bull among
the sons of Pandu had alone subjugated the whole earth.
Do thou, therefore, O Vrihannala, act as the charioteer
of my brother. (By this time) our kine have surely
been driven away by the Kurus to a great distance.
Requested by me if thou dost not act up to my words,
I who am asking this service of thee out of affection,
will give up my life!’ Thus addressed by this
friend of graceful hips, that oppressor of foes, endued
with immeasurable prowess, went into the prince’s
presence. And like unto a she-elephant running
after her young one, the princess possessed of large
eyes followed that hero advancing with hasty steps
like unto an elephant with rent temples. And beholding
him from a distance, the prince himself said, ’With
thee as his charioteer, Dhananjaya the son of Kunti
had gratified Agni at the Khandava forest and subjugated
Page 63
the whole world! The Sairindhri hath spoken of
thee to me. She knoweth the Pandavas. Do
thou, therefore, O Vrihannala, hold, as thou didst,
the reins of my steeds, desirous as I am of righting
with the Kurus and rescuing my bovine wealth.
Thou wert formerly the beloved charioteer of Arjuna
and it was with thee that that bull among the sons
of Pandu had alone subjugated the whole earth!’
Thus addressed, Vrihannala replied unto the prince,
saying, ’What ability have I to act as a charioteer
in the field of battle? If it is song or dance
of musical instruments or such other things, I can
entertain thee therewith, but where is my skill for
becoming a charioteer?’
“Uttara said, ’O Vrihannala, be thou a
singer or a dancer, hold thou (for the present), without
loss of time, the reins of my excellent steeds, mounting
upon my car!’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Although that
oppressor of foes, the son of Pandu, was acquainted
with everything, yet in the presence of Uttara, he
began to make many mistakes for the sake of fun.
And when he sought to put the coat of mail on his
body by raising it upwards, the large-eyed maidens,
beholding it, burst out into a loud laughter.
And seeing him quite ignorant of putting on armour,
Uttara himself equipped Vrihannala with a costly coat
of mail. And casing his own person in an excellent
armour of solar effulgence, and hoisting his standard
bearing the figure of a lion, the prince caused Vrihannala
to become his charioteer. And with Vrihannala
to hold his reins, the hero set out, taking with him
many costly bows and a large number of beautiful arrows.
And his friend, Uttara and her maidens then said unto
Vrihannala, ’Do thou, O Vrihannala, bring for
our dolls (when thou comest back) various kinds of
good and fine cloths after vanquishing the Kurus assembled
for battle of whom Bhishma and Drona are foremost!’
Thus addressed, Partha the son of Pandu, in a voice
deep as the roar of the clouds, smilingly said unto
that bevy of fair maidens. If, thus ’Uttara
can vanquish those mighty warriors in battle, I will
certainly bring excellent and beautiful cloths.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Having said
these words, the heroic Arjuna urged the steeds towards
the Kuru army over which floated innumerable flags.
Just, however, as they were starting elderly dames
and maidens, and Brahmanas of rigid vows, beholding
Uttara seated on his excellent car with Vrihannala
as charioteer and under that great banner hoisted on
high, walked round the car to bless the hero.
And the women said, ’Let the victory that Arjuna
treading like a bull had achieved of old on the occasion
of burning the forest of Khandava, be thine, O Vrihannala,
when thou encounterest the Kurus today with prince
Uttara.’”
SECTION XXXVIII
Page 64
’Vaisampayana said, ’Having issued forth
from the city, the dauntless son of Virata addressed
his charioteer, saying, ’Proceed whither the
Kurus are. Defeating the assembled Kurus who
have come hither from desire of victory, and quickly
rescuing my kine from them. I will return to the
capital.’ At these words of the prince,
the son of Pandu urged those excellent steeds.
And endued with the speed of the wind and decked with
necklaces of gold, those steeds, urged by that lion
among men, seemed to fly through the air. And
they had not proceeded far when those smiters of foes,
Dhananjaya and the son of Matsya, sighted the army
of the powerful Kurus. And proceeding towards
the cemetary, they came upon the Kurus and beheld
their army arrayed in order of battle.[40] And that
large army of theirs looked like the vast sea or a
forest of innumerable trees moving through the sky.
And then was seen, O best among the Kurus, the dust
raised by that moving army which reached the sky and
obstructed the sight of all creatures. And beholding
that mighty host abounding in elephants, horses and
chariots, and protected by Karna and Duryodhana and
Kripa and Santanu’s son, and that intelligent
and great bowman Drona, with his son (Aswatthaman),
the son of Virata, agitated with fear and the bristles
on his body standing on their ends, thus spake unto
Partha, ’I dare not fight with the Kurus.
See, the bristles on my body have stood on their ends.
I am incapable of battling with this countless host
of the Kurus, abounding in the heroic warriors, that
are extremely fierce and difficult of being vanquished
even by the celestials. I do not venture to penetrate
into the army of the Bharatas consisting of terrible
bowmen and abounding in horses and elephants and cars
and footsoldiers and banners. My mind is too
much perturbed by the very sight of the foe on the
field of battle on which stand Drona and Bhishma,
and Kripa, and Karna, and Vivingsati, and Aswatthaman
and Vikarna, and Saumadatti, and Vahlika, and the heroic
king Duryodhana also—that foremost of car-warriors,
and many other splendid bowmen, all skilled in battle.
My hairs have stood on their ends, and I am fainting
with fear at the very sight of these smiters, the Kurus
arrayed in order of battle.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’And the low-minded
and foolish Uttara out of folly alone, began to bewail
(his fate) in the presence of the high-spirited (Arjuna)
disguised (as his charioteer) in these words, ’My
father hath gone out to meet the Trigartas taking with
him his whole army, leaving me in the empty city.
There are no troops to assist me. Alone and a
mere boy who has not undergone much exercise in arms,
I am unable to encounter these innumerable warriors
and all skilled in weapons. Do thou, therefore,
O Vrihannala, cease to advance!’
Page 65
“Vrihannala said, ’Why dost thou look
so pale through fear and enhance the joy of thy foes?
As yet thou hast done nothing on the field of battle
with the enemy. It was thou that hadst ordered
me, saying, Take me towards the Kauravas. I will,
therefore, take thee, thither where those innumerable
flags are. I will certainly take thee, O mighty-armed
one, into the midst of the hostile Kurus, prepared
to fight as they are for the kine like hawks for meat.
I would do this, even if I regarded them to have come
hither for battling for a much higher stake such as
the sovereignty of the earth. Having, at the
time of setting out, talked before both men and women
so highly of thy manliness, why wouldst thou desist
from the fight? If thou shouldst return home without
recapturing the kine, brave men and even women, when
they meet together, will laugh at thee (in derision).
As regards myself, I cannot return to the city without
having rescued the kine, applauded as I have been so
highly by the Sairindhri in respect of my skill in
driving cars. It is for those praises by the
Sairindhri and for those words of thine also (that
I have come). Why should I not, therefore, give
battle to the Kurus? (As regards thyself), be thou
still.’
“Uttara said, ’Let the Kurus rob the Matsyas
off all their wealth. Let men and women, O Vrihannala,
laugh at me. Let my kine perish, let the city
be a desert. Let me stand exposed before my father.
Still there is no need of battle.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Saying this,
that much affrighted prince decked in ear-ring jumped
down from his car, and throwing down his bow and arrows
began to flee, sacrificing honour and pride. Vrihannala,
however, exclaimed, ’This is not the practice
of the brave, this flight of a Kshatriya from the
field of battle. Even death in battle is better
than flight from fear.’ Having said this,
Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, coming down from that
excellent car ran after that prince thus running away,
his own long braid and pure red garments fluttering
in the air. And some soldiers, not knowing that
it was Arjuna who was thus running with his braid
fluttering in the air, burst out into laughter at the
sight. And beholding him thus running, the Kurus
began to argue, ’Who is this person, thus disguised
like fire concealed in ashes? He is partly a man
and partly a woman. Although bearing a neuter
form, he yet resembleth Arjuna. His are the same
head and neck, and his the same arms like unto a couple
of maces. And this one’s gait also is like
unto his. He can be none else than Dhananjaya.
As Indra is among the celestials, so Dhananjaya is
among men. Who else in this world than Dhananjaya,
would alone come against us? Virata left a single
son of his in the empty city. He hath come out
from childishness and not from true heroism. It
is Uttara who must have come out of the city, having,
without doubt, made as a charioteer Arjuna, the son
of Pritha, now living in disguise. It seems that
he is now flying away in panic at sight of our army.
And without doubt Dhananjaya runneth after him to
bring him back.’
Page 66
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Beholding the
disguised son of Pandu, the Kauravas, O Bharata, began
to indulge in these surmises, but they could not come
to any definite conclusion. Meanwhile, Dhananjaya,
hastily pursuing the retreating Uttara, seized him
by the hair within a hundred steps. And seized
by Arjuna, the son of Virata began to lament most
woefully like one in great affliction, and said, ’Listen,
O good Vrihannala, O thou of handsome waist.
Turn thou quickly the course of the car. He that
liveth meeteth with prosperity. I will give thee
a hundred coins of pure gold and eight lapis lazuli
of great brightness set with gold, and one chariot
furnished with a golden flag-staff and drawn by excellent
steeds, and also ten elephants of infuriate prowess.
Do thou, O Vrihannala, set me free.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Thus addressed,
that tiger among men laughingly dragged Uttara who
was almost deprived of his senses and who was uttering
these words of lamentation towards the car. And
the son of Pritha then addressed the affrighted prince
who had nearly lost his senses, saying, ’If,
O chastiser of foes, thou dost not venture to fight
with enemy, come thou and hold the reins of the steeds
as I fight with the foe. Protected by the might
of my arms, penetrate thou yon formidable and invincible
array of cars guarded by heroic and mighty warriors.
Fear not, O chastiser of foes, thou art a Kshatriya
and the foremost of royal princess. Why dost
thou, O tiger among men, succumb in the midst of the
foe? I shall surely fight with the Kurus and recover
the kine, penetrating into this formidable and inaccessible
array of cars. Be thou my charioteer, O best
of men, I will fight with the Kurus.’ Thus
speaking unto Uttara, the son of Virata, Vibhatsu,
heretofore unconquered in battle, for a while comforted
him. And then the son of Pritha, that foremost
of smiters, raised on the car that fainting and reluctant
prince stricken with fear!’”
SECTION XXXIX
“Vaisampayana said, ’Beholding that bull
among men seated on the car in the habit of a person
of the third sex, driving toward the Sami tree, having
taken (the flying) Uttara up, all the great car-warriors
of the Kurus with Bhishma and Drona at their head,
became affrighted at heart, suspecting the comer to
be Dhananjaya. And seeing them so dispirited and
marking also the many wonderful portents, that foremost
of all wielders of arms, the preceptor Drona, son
of Bharadwaja, said, ’Violent and hot are the
winds that below, showering gravels in profusion.
The sky also is overcast with a gloom of ashy hue.
The clouds present the strange sight of being dry
and waterless. Our weapons also of various kinds
are coming out of their cases. The jackals are
yelling hideously affrighted at the conflagrations
on all sides.[41] The horses too are shedding tears,
and our banners are trembling though moved by none.
Such being the inauspicious indications seen, a great
Page 67
danger is at hand. Stay ye with vigilance, Protect
ye your own selves and array the troops in order of
battle. Stand ye, expecting a terrible slaughter,
and guard ye well the kine. This mighty bowman,
this foremost of all wielders of weapons, this hero
that hath come in the habit of a person of the third
sex, is the son of Pritha. There is no doubt
of this.’ Then addressing Bhishma, the
preceptor continued, ’O offspring of the Ganges,
apparelled as a woman, this is Kiriti called after
a tree, the son of the enemy of the mountains, and
having on his banner the sign of devastator of the
gardens of Lanka’s lord. Vanquishing us
he will surely take away the kine today! [42] This
chastiser of foes is the valiant son of Pritha surnamed
Savyasachin. He doth not desist from conflict
even with the gods and demons combined. Put to
great hardship in the forest he cometh in wrath.
Taught by even Indra himself, he is like unto Indra
in battle. Therefore, ye Kauravas, I do not see
any hero who can withstand him. It is said that
the lord Mahadeva himself, disguised in the attire
of a hunter, was gratified by this son of Pritha in
battle on the mountains of Himavat.’ Hearing
these words, Karna said, ’You always censure
us by speaking on the virtues of Falguna, Arjuna,
however, is not equal to even a full sixteenth part
of myself or Duryodhana!’ And Duryodhana said,
’If this be Partha, O Radheya, then my purpose
hath already been fulfilled, for then, O king, if
traced out, the Pandavas shall have to wander for twelve
years again. Or, if this one be any other person
in a eunuch’s garb, I will soon prostrate him
on the earth with keen-edged arrows.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’The son of Dhritarashtra,
O chastiser of foes, having said this, Bhishma and
Drona and Kripa and Drona’s son all applauded
his manliness!’”
SECTION XL
“Vaisampayana said, ’Having reached that
Sami tree, and having ascertained Virata’s son
to be exceedingly delicate and inexperienced in battle,
Partha addressed him, saying, ’Enjoined by me,
O Uttara, quickly take down (from this tree) some
bows that are there. For these bows of thine
are unable to bear my strength, my heavy weight when
I shall grind down horses and elephants, and the stretch
of my arms when I seek to vanquish the foe. Therefore,
O Bhuminjaya, climb thou up this tree of thick foliage,
for in this tree are tied the bows and arrows and banners
and excellent coats of mail of the heroic sons of Pandu,
viz., Yudhishthira and Bhima and Vibhatsu and
the twins. There also is that bow of great energy,
the Gandiva of Arjuna, which singly is equal to many
thousands of other bows and which is capable of extending
the limits of a kingdom. Large like a palmyra
tree, able to bear the greatest stress, the largest
of all weapons, capable of obstructing the foe, handsome,
and smooth, and broad, without a knot, and adorned
with gold, it is stiff and beautiful in make and beareth
the heaviest weight. And the other bows also
that are there, of Yudhishthira and Bhima and Vibhatsu
and the twins, are equally mighty and tough.’”
Page 68
SECTION XLI
“Uttara said, ’It hath been heard by us
that a corpse is tied in this tree. How can I,
therefore, being a prince by birth, touch it with my
hands? Born in the Kshatriya order, and the son
of a great king, and always observant of mantras and
vows, it is not becoming of me to touch it. Why
shouldst thou, O Vrihannala, make me a polluted and
unclean bearer of corpses, by compelling me to come
in contact with a corpse?’
“Vrihannala said, ’Thou shalt, O king
of kings, remain clean and unpolluted. Do not
fear, there are only bows in this tree and not corpses.
Heir to the king of the Matsyas, and born in a noble
family, why should I, O prince, make thee do such
a reproachable deed?’
“Vaisampayana said, ’Thus addressed by
Partha, Virata’s son, decked in ear-rings, alighted
from the car, and climbed up that Sami tree reluctantly.
And staying on the car, Dhananjaya, that slayer of
enemies, said, unto him, ’Speedily bring thou
down those bows from the top of the tree. And
cutting off their wrappings first and then the ropes
with which they were tied, the prince beheld the Gandiva
there along with four other bows. And as they
were united, the splendour of those bows radiant as
the sun, began to shine with great effulgence like
unto that of the planets about the time of their rising.
And beholding the forms of those bows, so like unto
sighing snakes, he become afflicted with fear and in
a moment the bristles of his body stood on their ends.
And touching those large bows of great splendour,
Virata’s son, O king, thus spake unto Arjuna!’”
SECTION XLII
“Uttara said, ’To what warrior of fame
doth this excellent bow belong, on which are a hundred
golden bosses and which hath such radiant ends?
Whose is this excellent bow of good sides and easy
hold, on the staff of which shine golden elephants
of such brightness? Whose is this excellent bow,
adorned with three scores of Indragoapkas [43] of pure
gold, placed on the back of the staff at proper intervals?
Whose is this excellent bow, furnished with three
golden suns of great effulgence, blazing forth with
such brilliancy? Whose is this beautiful bow which
is variegated with gold and gems, and on which are
golden insects set with beautiful stones? Whose
are these arrows furnished with wing around, numbering
a thousand, having golden heads, and cased in golden
quivers? Who owneth these large shafts, so thick,
furnished with vulturine wings whetted on stone, yellowish
in hue, sharp-pointed, well-tempered, and entirely
made of iron? Whose is this sable quiver, [44]
bearing five images of tigers, which holdeth shafts
intermixed with boar-eared arrows altogether numbering
ten? Whose are these seven hundred arrows, long
and thick, capable of drinking (the enemy’s)
blood, and looking like the crescent-shaped moon?
[45] Whose are these gold-crested arrows whetted on
Page 69
stones, the lower halves of which are well-furnished
with wings of the hue of parrots’ feather and
the upper halves, of well-tempered steels? [46] Whose
is this excellent sword irresistible, and terrible
to adversaries, with the mark of a toad on it, and
pointed like a toad’s head? [47] Cased in variegated
sheath of tiger-skin, whose is this large sword of
excellent blade and variegated with gold and furnished
with tinkling bells? Whose is this handsome scimitar
of polished blade and golden hilt? Manufactured
in the country of the Nishadas, irresistible, incapable
of being broken, whose is this sword of polished blade
in a scabbard of cow-skin? Whose is this beautiful
and long sword, sable in hue as the sky, mounted with
gold, well-tempered, and cased in a sheath of goat-skin?
Who owneth this heavy, well-tempered, and broad sword,
just longer than the breadth of thirty fingers, polished
by constant clash with other’s weapons and kept
in a case of gold, bright as fire? Whose is this
beautiful scimitar of sable blade covered with golden
bosses, capable of cutting through the bodies of adversaries,
whose touch is as fatal as that of a venomous snake
which is irresistible and exciteth the terror of foes?
Asked by me, O Vrihannala, do thou answer me truly.
Great is my wonder at the sight of all these excellent
objects.’”
SECTION XLIII
“Vrihannala said, ’That about which thou
hath first enquired is Arjuna’s bow, of world-wide
fame, called Gandiva, capable of devastating hostile
hosts. Embellished with gold, this Gandiva, the
highest and largest of all weapons belonged to Arjuna.
Alone equal unto a hundred thousand weapons, and always
capable of extending the confines of kingdoms, it is
with this that Partha vanquisheth in battle both men
and celestials. Worshipped ever by the gods,
the Danavas and the Gandharvas and variegated with
excellent colours, this large and smooth bow is without
a knot or stain anywhere. Shiva held it first
for a thousand years. Afterwards Prajapati held
it for five hundred and three years. After that
Sakra, for five and eighty years. And then Soma
held it for five hundred years. And after that
Varuna held it for a hundred years. And finally
Partha, surnamed Swetavahana,[48] hath held it for
five and sixty years.[49] Endued with great energy
and of high celestial origin, this is the best of
all bows. Adored among gods and men, it hath a
handsome form. Partha obtained this beautiful
bow from Varuna. This other bow of handsome sides
and golden handle is Bhima’s with which that
son of Pritha, that chastiser of foes, had conquered
the whole of the eastern regions. This other
excellent bow of beautiful shape, adorned with images
of Indragopakas, belongeth, O Virata’s son, to
king Yudhishthira. This other weapon with golden
suns of blazing splendour shedding a dazzling effulgence
around, belongeth to Nakula. And this bow adorned
with golden images of insects and set also with gems
Page 70
and stones, belongeth to that son of Madri who is
called Sahadeva. These winged arrows, thousand
in number, sharp as razors and destructive as the
poison of snakes, belong, O Virata’s son, to
Arjuna. When shooting them in battle against foes,
these swift arrows blaze forth more brilliantly and
become inexhaustible. And these long and thick
shafts resembling the lunar crescent in shape, keen-edged
and capable of thinning the enemy’s ranks, belong
to Bhima. And this quiver bearing five images
of tigers, full of yellowish shafts whetted on stone
and furnished with golden wings belong to Nakula.
This is the quiver of the intelligent son of Madri,
with which he had conquered in battle the whole of
the western regions. And these arrows, all effulgent
as, the sun, painted all over with various colours,
and capable of destroying enemies by thousands are
those of Sahadeva. And these short and well-tempered
and thick shafts, furnished with long feathers and
golden heads, and consisting of three knots, belong
to king Yudhishthira. And this sword with blade
long and carved with the image of a toad and head
shaped as a toad’s mouth, strong and irresistible
belongeth to Arjuna. Cased in a sheath of tiger-skin,
of long blade, handsome and irresistible, and terrible
to adversaries, this sword belongeth to Bhimasena.
Of excellent blade and cased in a well-painted sheath,
and furnished with a golden hilt, this handsome sword
belongeth to the wise Kaurava—Yudhishthira
the just. And this sword of strong blade, irresistible
and intended for various excellent modes of fight and
cased in a sheath of goat-skin, belongeth to Nakula.
And this huge scimitar, cased in a sheath of cow-skin,
strong and irresistible belongeth to Sahadeva.’”
SECTION XLIV
“Uttara said, ’Indeed, these weapons adorned
with gold, belonging to the light-handed and high-souled
Partha, look exceedingly beautiful. But where
are that Arjuna, the son of Pritha, and Yudhishthira
of the Kuru race, and Nakula, and Sahadeva, and Bhimasena,
the sons of Pandu? Having lost their kingdom
at dice, the high-souled Pandavas, capable of destroying
all foes, are no longer heard of. Where also is
Draupadi, the princess of Panchala, famed as the gem
among women, who followed the sons of Pandu after
their defeat at dice to the forest?’
“Arjuna said, ’I am Arjuna, called also
Partha. Thy father’s courtier is Yudhishthira
and thy father’s cook Vallava is Bhimasena, the
groom of horses is Nakula, and Sahadeva is in the
cow-pen. And know thou that the Sairindhri is
Draupadi, for whose sake the Kichakas have been slain.’
“Uttara said, ’I would believe all this
if thou canst enumerate the ten names of Partha, previously
heard by me!’
“Arjuna said, ’I will, O son of Virata,
tell thee my ten names. Listen thou and compare
them with what thou hadst heard before. Listen
to them with close attention and concentrated mind.
They are Arjuna, Falguna, Jishnu, Kiritin, Swetavahana,
Vibhatsu, Vijaya, Krishna, Savyasachin and Dhananjaya.”
Page 71
“Uttara said, ’Tell me truly why art thou
called Vijaya, and why Swetavahana. Why art thou
named Krishna and why Arjuna and Falguna and Jishnu
and Kiritin and Vibhatsu, and for what art thou Dhananjaya
and Savyasachin? I have heard before about the
origin of the several names of that hero, and can
put faith in thy words if thou canst tell me all about
them.’
“Arjuna said, ’They called me Dhananjaya
because I lived in the midst of wealth, having subjugated
all the countries and taking away their treasures.
They called me Vijaya because when I go out to battle
with invincible kings, I never return (from the field)
without vanquishing them. I am called Swetavahana
because when battling with the foe, white horses decked
in golden armour are always yoked unto my car.
They call me Falguna because I was born on the breast
of the Himavat on a day when the constellation Uttara
Falguna was on the ascendent. I am named Kiritin
from a diadem, resplendent like the sun, having been
placed of old on my head by Indra during my encounter
with the powerful Danavas. I am known as Vibhatsu
among gods and men, for my never having committed a
detestable deed on the battle-field. And since
both of my hands are capable of drawing the Gandiva,
I am known as Savyasachin among gods and men.
They call me Arjuna because my complexion is very rare
within the four boundaries of the earth and because
also my acts are always stainless. I am known
among human beings and celestials by the name of Jishnu,
because I am unapproachable and incapable of being
kept down, and a tamer of adversaries and son of the
slayer of Paka. And Krishna, my tenth appellation,
was given to me by my father out of affection towards
his black-skinned boy of great purity.’
“Vaisampayana continued, “The son of Virata
then, approaching nearer saluted Partha and said,
’My name is Bhuminjaya, and I am also called
Uttara. It is by good luck, O Partha, that I behold
thee. Thou art welcome, O Dhananjaya. O
thou with red eyes, and arms that are mighty and each
like unto the trunk of an elephant, it behoveth thee
to pardon what I said unto thee from ignorance.
And as wonderful and difficult have been the feats
achieved by thee before, my fears have been dispelled,
and indeed the love I bear to thee is great.’”
SECTION XLV
“Uttara said, ’O hero, mounting on this
large car with myself as driver, which division of
the (hostile) army wouldst thou penetrate? Commanded
by thee, I would drive thee thither?’
“Arjuna said, ’I am pleased with thee,
O tiger among men. Thou hast no cause of fear.
I will rout all thy foes in battle, O great warrior,
And, O thou of mighty arms, be at thy ease. Accomplishing
great and terrible feats in the melee, I will fight
with thy foes. Tie quickly all those quivers
to my car, and take (from among those) a sword of polished
blade and adorned with gold.’
Page 72
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Hearing these
words of Arjuna, Uttara cast off all inactivity.
And he speedily alighted from the tree, bringing with
him Arjuna’s weapons. Then Arjuna addressed
him, saying, ’Yes, I will fight with the Kurus
and recover thy kine. Protected by me, the top
of this car will be to thee as a citadel. The
passages and alleys and other divisions of this car
will be the streets and edifices of that fortified
city. These my arms will be its ramparts and
gateways. This treble pole and my quiver will
constitute defensive works inaccessible to the foe.
This my banner—single and grand—will
it not alone be equal unto those of thy city?
This my bow-string will constitute the catapults and
cannons for vomiting forth missiles on the besiezing
ghost. My excited wrath will make that fortress
formidable, and the clatter of my car-wheels—will
it not resemble the kettle-drums of thy capital?
Ridden by myself wielding the Gandiva, this car will
be incapable of being vanquished by the hostile host,
O son of Virata, let thy fear be dispelled.’
“Uttara said, ’I am no longer afraid of
these. I know thy steadiness in battle, which
is even like unto that of Kesava or Indra himself.
But reflecting on this, I am continually bewildered.
Foolish as I am, I am incapable of arriving at certain
conclusion. By what distressful circumstances
could a person of such handsome limbs and auspicious
signs become deprived of manhood! Indeed, thou
seemest to me to be Mahadeva, or Indra, or the chief
of the Gandharvas, dwelling in the guise only of one
of the third sex.’
“Arjuna said, ’I tell thee truly that
I am only observing this vow for a whole year agreeable
to the behest of my elder brother. O thou of mighty
arms, I am not truly one of the neuter sex, but I have
adopted this vow of eunuchism from subservience to
another’s will and from desire of religious
merit. O prince, know me now to have completed
my vow.’
“Uttara said, ’Thou hast conferred a great
favour on me today, for I now find that my suspicion
was not altogether unfounded. Indeed, such a
person as thou, O best of men, cannot be of the neuter
sex. I have now an ally in battle. I can
now fight with the celestials themselves. My fears
have been dispelled. What shall I do? Command
me now. Trained in driving cars by a learned
preceptor I will, O bull among men, hold the reins
of thy horses that are capable of breaking the ranks
of hostile cars. Know me, O bull among men, to
be as competent a charioteer as Daruka of Vasudeva,
or Matali of Sakra. The horse that is yoked unto
the right-hand pole (of thy car) and whose hoofs as
they light on the ground are scarcely visible when
running, is like unto Sugriva of Krishna. This
other handsome horse, the foremost of his race, that
is yoked unto the left pole, is, I regard, equal in
speed to Meghapushpa. This (third) beautiful
horse, clad in golden mail, yoked unto the rear-pole
on the left, is, I regard, Sivya equal in speed to
but superior in strength. And this (fourth) horse,
yoked to the rear-pole on the right, is regarded as
superior to Valahaka in speed and strength. This
car is worthy of bearing on the field of battle a
bowman like thee, and thou also art worthy of fighting
on this car. This is what I think!’
Page 73
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Then Arjuna,
endued with great energy, took off the bracelets from
his arms and wore on his hands a pair of beautiful
gloves embroidered with gold. And he then tied
his black and curling locks with a piece of white
cloth. And seated on that excellent car with
face turned to the east, the mighty-armed hero, purifying
his body and concentrating his soul, recalled to his
mind all his weapons. And all the weapons came,
and addressing the royal son of Partha, said, ’We
are here, O illustrious one. We are thy servants,
O son of Indra.’ And bowing unto them,
Partha received them unto his hands and replied unto
them, saying, ‘Dwell ye all in my memory.’
And obtaining all his weapons, the hero looked cheerful.
And quickly stringing his bow, the Gandiva, he twanged
it. And the twang of that bow was as loud as the
collision of two mighty bulls. And dreadful was
the sound that filled the earth, and violent was the
wind that blew on all sides. And thick was the
shower of fallen meteors [50] and all sides were enveloped
in gloom. And the birds began to totter in the
skies and large trees began to shake. [51] And loud
as the burst of the thunder, the Kurus knew from that
sound that it was Arjuna that drew with his hands
the string of his best of bows from his car.
And Uttara said, ’Thou, O best of Pandavas, art
alone. These mighty car-warriors are many.
How wilt thou vanquish in battle all these that are
skilled in every kind of weapon? Thou, O son of
Kunti, art without a follower, while the Kauravas
have many. It is for this, O thou of mighty arms,
that I stay beside thee, stricken with fear.’
Bursting out into loud laughter, Partha said unto
him, ’Be not afraid, O hero, what friendly follower
had I while fighting with the mighty Gandharvas on
the occasion of the Ghoshayatra? Who was my ally
while engaged in the terrific conflict at Khandava
against so many celestials and Danavas? Who was
my ally when I fought, on behalf of the lord of the
celestials against the mighty Nivatakavachas and the
Paulomas! And who was my ally, O child, while
I encountered in battle innumerable kings at the Swayamvara
to the princess of Panchala? Trained in arms by
the preceptor Drona, by Sakra, and Vaisravana, and
Yama, and Varuna, and Agni, and Kripa, and Krishna
of Madhu’s race, and by the wielder of the Pinaka
(Siva), why shall I not fight with these? Drive
thou my car speedily, and let thy heart’s fever
be dispelled.’”
SECTION XLVI
“Vaisampayana said, ’Making Uttara his
charioteer, and circumambulating the Sami tree, the
son of Pandu set out taking all his weapons with him.
And that mighty car-warrior set out with Uttara as
the driver of his car, having taken down that banner
with the lion’s figure and deposited it at the
foot of the Sami tree. And he hoisted on that
car his own golden banner bearing the figure of an
ape with a lion’s tail, which was a celestial
Page 74
illusion contrived by Viswakarman himself. For,
as soon, indeed, as he had thought of that gift of
Agni, than the latter, knowing his wish, ordered those
superhuman creatures (that usually sat there) to take
their place in that banner. And furnished with
a beautiful flag of handsome make, with quivers attached
to it, and adored with gold, that excellent flag-staff
of celestial beauty than quickly fell from the firmament
on his car. [52] And beholding that banner arrived
on his car, the hero circumambulated it (respectively).
And then the ape-bannered Vibhatsu, the son of Kunti,
called also Swetavahana, with fingers cased in leathern
fences of the Iguana skin, and taking up his bow and
arrows set out in a northernly direction. And
that grinder of foes, possessed of great strength,
then forcibly blew his large conch-shell, of thundering
sound, capable of making the bristles of foes to stand
on their ends. And at the sound of that conch,
those steeds endued with swiftness dropped down on
the ground on their knees. And Uttara also, greatly
affrighted, sat down on the car. And thereupon
the son of Kunti took the reins himself and raising
the steeds, placed them in their proper positions.
And embracing Uttara, he encouraged him also, saying,
’Fear not, O foremost of princes, thou art,
O chastiser of foes, a Kshatriya by birth. Why,
O tiger among men, dost thou become so dispirited in
the midst of foes? Thou must have heard before
the blare of many conchs and the note of many trumpets,
and the roar also of many elephants in the midst of
ranks arrayed for battled. Why art thou, therefore,
so dispirited and agitated and terrified by the blare
of this conch, as if thou wert an ordinary person?’
“Uttara said, ’Heard have I the blare
of many a conch and many a trumpet and the roar of
many an elephant stationed in the battle-array, but
never have I heard before the blare of such conch.
Nor have I ever seen a banner like this. Never
before have I heard also the twang of a bow such as
this. Truly, sir, with the blare of this conch,
the twang of this bow, the superhuman cries of the
creatures stationed on this banner, and the battle
of this car, my mind is greatly bewildered. My
perception of the directions also is confused, and
my heart is painfully afflicted. The whole firmament
seemeth to me to have been covered by this banner,
and everything seemeth to be hidden from my view!
My ears also have been deafened by the twang of the
Gandiva![53]
“Arjuna said, ’Firmly stand thou on the
car, pressing thy feet on it, and tightly catch hold
of the bridles, for I will blow the conch again.’
“Vaisampayana said, ’Arjuna then blew
his conch again, that conch which filled foes with
grief and enhanced the joy of friends. And the
sound was so loud that it seemed to split hills and
mountains, and pierce mountain-caves and the cardinal
points. And Uttara once again sat down on the
car, clinging to it in fear. And with the blare
of the conch and the rattle of the car-wheels, and
the twang of the Gandiva, the earth itself seemed
to tremble. And beholding Uttara’s fight,
Dhananjaya began to comfort him again.’
Page 75
“Meanwhile, Drona said, ’From the rattle
of the car, and from the manner in which the clouds
have enveloped the sky and the earth itself trembles,
this warrior can be none else than Savyasachin.
Our weapons do not shine, our steeds are dispirited,
and our fires, though fed with fuel, do not blare
up. All this is ominous. All our animals
are setting up a frightful howl, gazing towards the
sun. The crows are perching on our banners.
All this is ominous. Yon vultures and kites on
our right portend a great danger. That jackal
also, running through our ranks, waileth dismally.
Lo, it hath escaped unstruck. All this portends
a heavy calamity. The bristles also of ye all
are on their ends. Surely, this forebodes a great
destruction of Kshatriyas in battle. Things endued
with light are all pale; beasts and birds look fierce;
and there are to be witnessed many terrific portents
indicative of the destruction of Kshatriyas. And
these omens forebode great havoc among ourselves.
O king, thy ranks seem to be confounded by these blazing
meteors, and thy animals look dispirited and seem
to be weeping. Vultures and kites are wheeling
all around thy troops. Thou shalt have to repent
upon beholding thy army afflicted by Partha’s
arrows. Indeed, our ranks seem to have been already
vanquished, for none is eager to go to fight.
All our warriors are of pale face, and almost deprived
of their senses. Sending the kine ahead we should
stand here, ready to strike, with all our warriors
arrayed in order of battle.”
SECTION XLVII
“Vaisampayana said, ’King Duryodhana then,
on the field of battle said unto Bhishma, and unto
Drona—that tiger among warriors, and unto
Kripa—that mighty car-warrior, these words,
’Both myself and Kama had said this unto the
preceptors[54] I refer to the subject again, for I
am not satisfied with having said it once. Even
this was the pledge of the sons of Pandu that if defeated
(at dice) they would reside to our knowledge in countries
and woods for twelve years, and one more year unknown
to us. That thirteenth year, instead of being
over, is yet running. Vibhatsu, therefore, who
is still to live undiscovered hath appeared before
us. And if Vibhatsu hath come before the term
of exile is at end, the Pandavas shall have to pass
another twelve years in the woods. Whether it
is due to forgetfulness (on their part) induced by
desire of dominion, or whether it is a mistake of ours,
it behoveth Bhishma to calculate the shortness or
excess (of the promised period). When an object
of desire may or may not be attained, a doubt necessarily
attaches to one of the alternatives, and what is decided
in one way often ends differently. [55] Even moralists
are puzzled in judging of their own acts. [56] As
regards ourselves, we have come hither to fight with
the Matsyas and to seize their kine stationed towards
the north. If, meanwhile, it is Arjuna that hath
come, what fault can attach to us? We have come
Page 76
hither to fight against the Matsyas on behalf of the
Trigartas; and as numerous were the acts represented
unto us of the oppressions committed by the Matsyas.
it was for this that we promised aid to the Trigartas
who were overcome with fear. And it was agreed
between us that they should first seize, on the afternoon
of the seventh lunar day, the enormous wealth of kine
that the Matsyas have, and that we should, at sunrise
of the eighteen day of the moon, seize these kine when
the king of the Matsyas would be pursuing those first
seized. It may be that the Trigartas are now
bringing a way the kine, or being defeated, are coming
towards us for negotiating with the king of the Matsyas.
Or, it may be, that having driven the Trigartas off,
the king of the Matsyas, at the head of this people
and his whole army of fierce warriors, appeareth on
the scene and advanceth to make night-attacks upon
us. It may be that some one leader among them,
endued with mighty energy, is advancing for vanquishing
us, or, it may be that the king himself of the Matsyas
is come. But be it the king of the Matsyas or
Vibhatsu, we must all fight him. Even this hath
been our pledge. Why are all these of foremost
car-warriors,—Bhishma and Drona and Kripa
and Vikarna and Drona’s son,—now
sitting on their cars, panic-stricken? At present
there is nothing better than fighting. Therefore,
make up your minds. If, for the cattle we have
seized, an encounter takes place with the divine wielder
himself of the thunderbolt or even with Yama, who is
there that will be liable to reach Hastinapura?
Pierced by the shafts (of the foe), how will the foot-soldiers,
in flying through the deep forest with their backs
on the field, escape with life, when escape for the
cavalry is doubtful? Hearing these words of Duryodhana,
Karna said, ’Disregarding the preceptor, make
all arrangements. He knoweth well the intentions
of the Pandavas and striketh terror in our hearts.
I see that his affection for Arjuna is very great.
Seeing him only coming, he chanteth his praises.
Make ye such arrangements that our troops may not break.
Everything is in confusion for Drona’s having
only heard the neigh of (Arjuna’s) steeds.
Make ye such arrangements that these troops, come to
a distant land in this hot season and in the midst
of this mighty forest, may not fall into confusion
and be subjugated by the foe. The Pandavas are
always the special favourites of the preceptor.
The selfish Pandavas have stationed Drona amongst
us. Indeed, he betrayeth himself by his speech.
Who would ever extol a person upon hearing the neigh
only of his steeds? Horses always neigh, whether
walking or standing, the winds blow at all times;
and Indra also always showereth rain. The roar
of the clouds may frequently be heard. What hath
Partha to do with these, and why is he to be praised
for these? All this (on Drona’s part), therefore,
is due only to either the desire of doing good to
Arjuna or to his wrath and hatred towards us.
Page 77
Preceptors are wise, and sinless, and very kind to
all creatures. They, however, should never be
consulted at times of peril. It is in luxurious
palaces, and assemblies and pleasure-gardens, that
learned men, capable of making speeches, seem to be
in their place. Performing many wonderful things,
in the assembly, it is there that learned men find
their place, or even there where sacrificial utensils
and their proper placing and washing are needed.
In a knowledge of the lapses of others, in studying
the characters of men, in the science of horses and
elephants and cars, in treating the diseases of asses
and camels and goats and sheeps and kine, in planning
buildings and gateways, and in pointing out the defects
of food and drink, the learned are truly in their
own sphere. Disregarding learned men that extol
the heroism of the foe, make ye such arrangements
that the foe may be destroyed. Placing the kine
securely, array the troops in order of battle.
Place guards in proper places so that we may fight
the foe.’”
SECTION XLVIII
“Karna said, ’I behold all these blessed
ones, looking as if alarmed and panic-struck and unresolved
and unwilling to fight. If he that is come is
the king of the Matsyas or Vibhatsu, even I will resist
him as the banks resist the swelling sea. Shot
from my bow these straight and flying arrows, like
gliding snakes, are all sure of aim. Discharged
by my light hands, these keen-edged arrows furnished
with golden wings shall cover Partha all over, like
locusts shrouding a tree. Strongly pressed by
these winged arrows, the bow-string will cause these
my leathern fences to produce sounds that will be
heard to resemble those of a couple of kettle-drums.
Having been engaged in ascetic austerities for the
(last) eight and five years, Vibhatsu will strike
me but mildly in this conflict, and the son of Kunti
having become a Brahmana endued with good qualities,
hath thus become a fit person to quietly receive shafts
by thousands shot by me. This mighty bowman is
indeed, celebrated over the three worlds. I,
too, am, by no means, inferior to Arjuna, that foremost
of human beings. With golden arrows furnished
with vulturine wings shot on all sides, let the firmament
seem today to swarm with fire-flies. Slaying
Arjuna in battle, I will discharge today that debt,
difficult of repayments, but promised of old by me
unto Dhritarashtra’s son. When man is there,
even amongst all the gods and the Asuras, that will
endure to stand in the teeth of the straight arrows
shot from my bow? Let my flying arrows, winged
and depressed at the middle, present the spectacle
of the coursing of the fire-flies through the welkin.
Hard though he be as Indra’s thunderbolt and
possessed of the energy of the chief of the celestials,
I will surely grind Partha, even as one afflicts an
elephant by means of burning brands. A heroic
and mighty car-warrior as he is, and the foremost
of all wielders of weapons I shall seize the unresisting
Page 78
Partha, even like Garuda seizing a snake. Irresistible
like fire, and fed by the fuel of swords, darts, and
arrows, the blazing Pandava-fire that consumeth foes,
will be extinguished even by myself who am like unto
a mighty cloud incessantly dropping an arrowy shower,—the
multitude of cars (I will lead) constituting its thunder,
and the speed of my horses, the wind in advance.
Discharged from my bow, my arrows like venomous snakes
will pierce Partha’s body, like serpent penetrating
through an ant-hill. Pierced with well-tempered
and straight shafts endued with golden wings and great
energy, behold ye today the son of Kunti decked like
a hill covered with Karnikara flowers. Having
obtained weapons from that best of ascetics—the
son of Jamadagni, I would, relying on their energy,
fight with even the celestials. Struck with my
javelin, the ape stationed on his banner-top shall
fall down today on the ground, uttering terrible cries.
The firmament will today be filled with the cries of
the (super-human) creatures stationed in the flagstaff
of the foe, and afflicted by me, they will fly away
in all directions. I shall today pluck up by
the roots the long-existing dart in Duryodhan’s
heart by throwing Arjuna down from his car. The
Kauravas will today behold Partha with his car broken,
his horses killed, his valour gone, and himself sighing
like a snake. Let the Kauravas, following their
own will go away taking this wealth of kine, or, if
they wish, let them stay on their cars and witness
my combat.’”
SECTION XLIX
“Kripa said, ’O Radheya, thy crooked heart
always inclineth to war. Thou knowest not the
true nature of things; nor dost thou take into account
their after-consequences. There are various kinds
of expedients inferrable from the scriptures.
Of these, a battle hath been regarded by those acquainted
with the past, as the most sinful. It is only
when time and place are favourable that military operations
can lead to success. In the present instance,
however, the time being unfavourable, no good results
will be deprived. A display of prowess in proper
time and place becometh beneficial. It is by
the favourableness or otherwise (of time and place)
that the opportuneness of an act is determined.
Learned men can never act according to the ideas of
a car-maker. Considering all this, an encounter
with Partha is not advisible for us. Alone he
saved the Kurus (from the Gandharvas), and alone he
satiated Agni. Alone he led the life of a Brahmacharin
for five years (on the breast of Himavat). Taking
up Subhadra on his car, alone he challenged Krishna
to single combat. Alone he fought with Rudra
who stood before him as a forester. It was in
this very forest that Partha rescued Krishna while
she was being taken away (by Jayadratha). It
is he alone that hath, for five years, studied the
science of weapons under Indra. Alone vanquishing
all foes he hath spread the fame of the Kurus.
Page 79
Alone that chastiser of foes vanquished in battle
Chitrasena, the king of the Gandharvas and in a moment
his invincible troops also. Alone he overthrew
in battle the fierce Nivatakavachas and the Kalakhanchas,
that were both incapable of being slain by the gods
themselves. What, however, O Kama, hath been
achieved by thee single-handed like any of the sons
of Pandu, each of whom had alone subjugated many lords
of earth? Even Indra himself is unfit to encounter
Partha in battle. He, therefore, that desireth
to fight with Arjuna should take a sedative.
As to thyself, thou desirest to take out the fangs
of an angry snake of virulent poison by stretching
forth thy right hand and extending thy forefinger.
Or, wandering alone in the forest thou desirest to
ride an infuriate elephant and go to a boar without
a hook in hand. Or, rubbed over with clarified
butter and dressed in silken robes, thou desirest
to pass through the midst of a blazing fire fed with
fat and tallow and clarified butter. Who is there
that would, binding his own hands and feet and tying
a huge stone unto his neck, cross the ocean swimming
with his bare arms? What manliness is there in
such an act? O Kama, he is a fool that would,
without, skill in weapons and without strength, desire
to fight with Partha who is so mighty and skilled
in weapons? Dishonestly deceived by us and liberated
from thirteen years’ exile, will not the illustrious
hero annihilate us? Having ignorantly come to
a place where Partha lay concealed like fire hidden
in a well, we have, indeed, exposed to a great danger.
But irresistible though he be in battle, we should
fight against him. Let, therefore, our troops,
clad in mail, stand here arrayed in ranks and ready
to strike. Let Drona and Duryodhana and Bhishma
and thyself and Drona’s son and ourselves, all
fight with the son of Pritha. Do not O Kama,
act so rashly as to fight alone. If we six car-warriors
be united, we can then be a match for and fight with
that son of Pritha who is resolved to fight and who
is as fierce as the wielder of the thunderbolt.
Aided by our troops arrayed in ranks, ourselves—great
bowmen—standing carefully will fight with
Arjuna even as the Danavas encounter Vasava in battle.’”
SECTION L
“Aswatthaman said, ’The kine, O Karna,
have not yet been won, nor have they yet crossed the
boundary (of their owner’s dominions), nor have
they yet reached Hastinapura. Why dost thou,
therefore, boast of thyself? Having won numerous
battles, and acquired enormous wealth, and vanquished
hostile hosts, men of true heroism speak not a word
of their prowess. Fire burneth mutely and mutely
doth the sun shine. Mutely also doth the Earth
bear creatures, both mobile and immobile. The
Self-existent hath sanctioned such offices for the
four orders that having recourse to them each may
acquire wealth without being censurable. A Brahmana,
having studied the Vedas, should perform sacrifices
Page 80
himself, and officiate at the sacrifices of others.
And a Kshatriya, depending upon the bow, should perform
sacrifices himself but should never officiate at the
sacrifices of others. And of Vaisya, having earned
wealth, should cause the rites enjoined in the Vedas
to be performed for himself. A Sudra should always
wait upon and serve the other three orders. As
regards those that live by practising the profession
of flowers and vendors of meat, they may earn wealth
by expedients fraught with deceit and fraud. Always
acting according to the dictates of the scriptures,
the exalted sons of Pandu acquired the sovereignty
of the whole earth, and they always act respectfully
towards their superiors, even if the latter prove hostile
to them. What Kshatriya is there that expressed
delight at having obtained a kingdom by means of dice,
like this wicked and shameless son of Dhritarashtra?
Having acquired wealth in this way by deceit and fraud
like a vendor of meat, who that is wise boast of it?
In what single combat didst thou vanquish Dhananjaya,
or Nakula, or Sahadeva, although thou hast robbed
them of their wealth? In what battle didst thou
defeat Yudhishthira, or Bhima that foremost of strong
men? In what battle was Indraprastha conquered
by thee? What thou hast done, however, O thou
of wicked deeds, is to drag that princess to court
while she was ill and had but one raiment on?
Thou hast cut the mighty root, delicate as the sandal,
of the Pandava tree. Actuated by desire of wealth,
when thou madest the Pandavas act as slaves, rememberest
thou what Vidura said! We see that men and others,
even insects and ants, show forgiveness according
to their power of endurance. The son of Pandu,
however, is incapable of forgiving the sufferings
of Draupadi. Surely, Dhananjaya cometh here for
the destruction of the sons of Dhritarashtra.
It is true, affecting great wisdom, thou art for making
speeches but will not Vibhatsu, that slayer of foes,
exterminate us all! If it be gods, or Gandharvas
or Asuras, or Rakshasas, will Dhananjaya the son of
Kunti, desist to fight from panic? Inflamed with
wrath upon whomsoever he will fall, even him he will
overthrow like a tree under the weight of Garuda!
Superior to thee in prowess, in bowmanship equal unto
the lord himself of the celestials, and in battle
equal unto Vasudeva himself, who is there that would
not praise Partha? Counteracting celestial weapons
with celestial, and human weapons with human, what
man is a match for Arjuna? Those acquainted with
the scriptures declare that a disciple is no way inferior
to a son, and it is for this that the son of Pandu
is a favourite of Drona. Employ thou the means
now which thou hadst adopted in the match at dice,—the
same means, viz., by which thou hadst subjugated
Indraprastha, and the same means by which thou hadst
dragged Krishna to the assembly! This thy wise
uncle, fully conversant with the duties of the Kshatriya
order—this deceitful gambler Sakuni, the
Page 81
prince of Gandhara, let him fight now! The Gandiva,
however, doth not cast dice such as the Krita or the
Dwapara, but it shooteth upon foes blazing and keen-edged
shafts by myriads. The fierce arrows shot from
the Gandiva, endued with great energy and furnished
with vulturine wings, car, pierce even mountains.
The destroyer of all, named Yama, and Vayu, and the
horse-faced Agni, leave some remnant behind, but Dhananjaya
inflamed with wrath never doth so. As thou hadst,
aided by thy uncle, played a dice in the assembly
so do fight in this battle protected by Suvala’s
son. Let the preceptor, if he chooses fight;
I shall not, however, fight with Dhananjaya.
We are to fight with the king of the Matsyas, if indeed,
he cometh in the track of the kine.’”
SECTION LI
“Bhishma said, ’Drona’s son observeth
well, and Kripa, too observeth rightly. As for
Kama, it is only out of regard for the duties of the
Kshatriya order that he desireth to fight. No
man of wisdom can blame the preceptor. I, however,
am of opinion that fight we must, considering both
the time and the place. Why should not that man
be bewildered who hath five adversaries effulgent
as five suns, who are heroic combatants and who have
just emerged from adversity? Even those conversant
with morality are bewildered in respect of their own
interests. It is for this, O king, that I tell
thee this, whether my words be acceptable to you or
not. What Karna said unto thee was only for raising
our (drooping) courage. As regards thyself, O
preceptor’s son, forgive everything. The
business at hand is very grave. When the son
of Kunti hath come, this is not the time for quarrel.
Everything should now be forgiven by thyself and the
preceptor Kripa. Like light in the sun, the mastery
of all weapons doth reside in you. As beauty
is never separated from Chandramas, so are the Vedas
and the Brahma weapon both established in you.
It is often seen that the four Vedas dwell in one
object and Kshatriya attributes in another. We
have never heard of these two dwelling together in
any other person than the preceptor of the Bharata
race and his son. Even this is what I think.
In the Vedantas, in the Puranas, and in old histories,
who save Jamadagni, O king, would be Drona’s
superior? A combination of the Brahma weapon
with the Vedas,—this is never to be seen
anywhere else. O preceptor’s son, do thou
forgive. This is not the time for disunion.
Let all of us, uniting, fight with Indra’s son
who hath come. Of all the calamities that may
befall an army that have been enumerated by men of
wisdom, the worst is disunion among the leaders.
Aswatthaman said, ’O bull among men, these thy
just observations, need not be uttered in our presence;
the preceptor, however, filled with wrath, had spoken
of Arjuna’s virtues. The virtues of even
an enemy should be admitted, while the faults of even
one’s preceptor may be pointed out; therefore
one should, to the best of his power, declare the
merits of a son or a disciple.’
Page 82
“Duryodhana said, ’Let the preceptor grant
his forgiveness and let peace be restored. If
the preceptor be at one with us, whatever should be
done (in view of the present emergency) would seem
to have been already done.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Then, O Bharata,
Duryodhana assisted by Kama and Kripa, and the high-souled
Bhishma pacified Drona.’
“Drona said, ’Appeased I have already
been at the words first spoken by Bhishma, the son
of Santanu. Let such arrangements be made that
Partha may not be able to approach Duryodhana in battle.
And let such arrangements be made that king Duryodhana
may not be captured by the foe, in consequence either
of his rashness or want of judgment. Arjuna hath
not, to be sure, revealed himself before the expiry
of the term of exile. Nor will he pardon this
act (of ours) today, having only recovered the kine.
Let such arrangements, therefore, be made that he may
not succeed in attacking Dhritarashtra’s son
and defeating our troops. Like myself (who am
doubtful of the completion of period of exile) Duryodhana
also had said so before. Bearing it in mind,
it behoveth the son of Ganga to say what is true.’”
SECTION LII
“Bhishma said, ’The wheel of time revolves
with its divisions, viz., with Kalas and Kasthas
and Muhurtas and days and fortnights and months and
constellations and planets and seasons and years.
In consequence of their fractional excesses and the
deviations of also of the heavenly bodies, there is
an increase of two months in every five years.
It seems to me that calculating this wise, there would
be an excess of five months and twelve nights in thirteen
years. Everything, therefore, that the sons of
Pandu had promised, hath been exactly fulfilled by
them. Knowing this to be certain, Vibhatsu hath
made his appearance. All of them are high-souled
and fully conversant with the meanings of the scriptures.
How would they deviate from virtue that have Yudhishthira
for their guide? The sons of Kunti do not yield
to temptation. They have achieved a difficult
feat. If they had coveted the possession of their
kingdom by unfair means, then those descendants of
the Kuru race would have sought to display their prowess
at the time of the match at dice. Bound in bonds
of virtue, they did not deviate from the duties of
the Kshatriya order. He that will regard them
to have behaved falsely will surely meet with defeat.
The sons of Pritha would prefer death to falsehood.
When the time, however, comes, those bulls among men—the
Pandava’s—endued with energy like
that of Sikra, would not give up what is theirs even
if it is defended by the wielder himself of the thunderbolt.
We shall have to oppose in battle the foremost of
all wielders of weapons. Therefore, let such
advantageous arrangements as have the sanction of the
good and the honest be now made without loss of time
so that our possessions may not be appropriated by
Page 83
the foe. O king of kings, O Kaurava, I have never
seen a battle in which one of the parties could say,—we
are sure to win. When a battle occurs, there
must be victory or defeat, prosperity or adversity.
Without doubt, a party to a battle must have either
of the two. Therefore, O king of kings, whether
a battle be now proper or not consistent with virtue
or not, make thy arrangements soon, for Dhananjaya
is at hand.’
“Duryodhana said, ’I will not, O grandsire,
give back the Pandavas their kingdom. Let every
preparation, therefore, for battle be made without
delay.’
“Bhishma said, ’Listen to what I regard
as proper, if it pleases thee. I should always
say what is for thy good, O Kaurava. Proceed thou
towards the capital, without loss of time, taking
with thee a fourth part of the army. And let
another fourth march, escorting the kine. With
half the troops we will fight the Pandava. Myself
and Drona, and Karna and Aswatthaman and Kripa will
resolutely withstand Vibhatsu, or the king of the
Matsyas, or Indra himself, if he approaches. Indeed,
we will withstand any of these like the bank withstanding
the surging sea.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’These words
spoken by the high-souled Bhishma were acceptable
to them, and the king of the Kauravas acted accordingly
without delay. And having sent away the king and
then the kine, Bhishma began to array the soldiers
in order of battle. And addressing the preceptor,
he said, ’O preceptor, stand thou in the centre,
and let Aswatthaman stand on the left, and let the
wise Kripa, son of Saradwata, defend the right wing,
and let Karna of the Suta caste, clad in mail, stand
in the van. I will stand in the rear of the whole
army, protecting it from that point.’”
SECTION LIII
“Vaisampayana said, ’After the Kauravas,
O Bharata, had taken their stand in this order, Arjuna,
filling the air with the rattle and din of his car,
advanced quickly towards them. And the Kurus beheld
his banner-top and heard the rattle and din of his
car as also the twang of the Gandiva stretched repeatedly
by him. And noting all this, and seeing that great
car-warrior—the wielder of the Gandiva—come,
Drona spoke thus, ’That is the banner-top of
Partha which shineth at a distance, and this is the
noise of his car, and that is the ape that roareth
frightfully. Indeed, the ape striketh terror
in the troops. And there stationed on that excellent
car, the foremost of car-warriors draweth that best
of bows, the Gandiva, whose twang is as loud as the
thunder. Behold, these two shafts coming together
fall at my feet, and two others pass off barely touching
my ears. Completing the period of exile and having
achieved many wonderful feats, Partha saluteth me
and whispereth in my ears. Endued with wisdom
and beloved of his relatives, this Dhananjaya, the
son of Pandu, is, indeed, beheld by us after a long
time, blazing with beauty and grace. Possessed
of car and arrows, furnished with handsome fences
and quiver and conch and banner and coat of mail, decked
with diadem and scimitar and bow, the son of Pritha
shineth like the blazing (Homa) fire surrounded with
sacrificial ladles and fed with sacrificial butter.’
Page 84
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Beholding the
Kurus ready for battle, Arjuna addressing Matsya’s
son in words suitable to the occasion, said, ’O
charioteer, restrain thou the steeds at such a point
whence my arrows may reach the enemy. Meanwhile,
let me see, where, in the midst of this army, is that
vile wretch of the Kuru race. Disregarding all
these, and singling out that vainest of princes I
will fall upon his head, for upon the defeat of that
wretch the others will regard themselves as defeated.
There standeth Drona, and thereafter him his son.
And there are those great bowmen—Bhishma
and Kripa and Kama. I do not see, however, the
king there. I suspect that anxious to save his
life, he retreateth by the southern road, taking away
with him the kine. Leaving this array of car-warriors,
proceed to the spot where Suyodhana is. There
will I fight, O son of Virata, for there the battle
will not be fruitless, Defeating him I will come back,
taking away the kine.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Thus addressed,
the son of Virata restrained the steeds with an effort
and turned them by a pull at the bridle from the spot
where those bulls of the Kuru race were, and urged
them on towards the place where Duryodhana was.
And as Arjuna went away leaving that thick array of
cars, Kripa, guessing his intention, addressed his
own comrades, saying, ’This Vibhatsu desireth
not to take up his stand at a spot remote from the
king. Let us quickly fall upon the flanks of the
advancing hero. When inflamed with wrath, none
else, unassisted, can encounter him in battle save
the deity of a thousand eyes, or Krishna the son of
Devaki. Of what use to us would the kine be or
this vast wealth also, if Duryodhana were to sink,
like a boat, in the ocean of Partha?’ Meanwhile,
Vibhatsu, having proceeded towards that division of
the army, announced himself speedily by name, and
covered the troops with his arrows thick as locusts.
And covered with those countless shafts shot by Partha,
the hostile warriors could not see anything, the earth
itself and the sky becoming overwhelmed therewith.
And the soldiers who had been ready for the fight
were so confounded that none could even the flee from
the field. And beholding the light-handedness
of Partha they all applauded it mentally. And
Arjuna then blew his conch which always made the bristles
of the foe stand erect. And twanging his best
of bows, he urged the creatures on his flagstaff to
roar more frightfully. And at the blare of his
conch and the rattle of his car-wheels, and the twang
of the Gandiva, and the roar of the superhuman creatures
stationed on his flagstaff, the earth itself began
to tremble. And shaking their upraised tails
and lowing together, the kine turned back, proceeding
along the southern road.’”
SECTION LIV
Page 85
“Vaisampayana said, ’Having disorganised
the hostile host by force and having recovered the
kine, that foremost of bowmen, desirous of fighting
again, proceeded towards Duryodhana. And beholding
the kine running wild towards the city of the Matsyas,
the foremost warriors of the Kurus regarded Kiritin
to have already achieved success. And all of a
sudden they fell upon Arjuna who was advancing towards
Duryodhana. And beholding their countless divisions
firmly arrayed in order of battle with countless banners
waving over them, that slayer of foes, addressing the
son of the king of the Matsyas, said, ’Urge on,
to the best of their speed by this road, these white
steeds decked with golden bridles. Strive thou
well, for I would approach this crowd of Kuru lions.
Like an elephant desiring an encounter with another,
the Suta’s son of wicked soul eagerly desireth
a battle with me. Take me, O prince, to him who
hath grown so proud under the patronage of Duryodhana.
Thus addressed, the son of Virata by means of those
large steeds endued with the speed of the wind and
furnished with golden armour, broke that array of cars
and took the Pandava into the midst of the battle-field.
And seeing this those mighty car-warriors, Chitrasena
and Sangramajit and Satrusaha and Jaya, desirous of
aiding Karna, rushed with arrows and long shafts,
towards the advancing hero of Bharata’s race.
Then that foremost of men, inflamed with wrath, began
to consume by means of fiery arrows shot from his
bow, that array of cars belonging to those bulls among
the Kurus, like a tremendous conflagration consuming
a forest. Then, when the battle began to rage
furiously, the Kuru hero, Vikarna, mounted on his car,
approached that foremost of car-warriors, Partha, the
younger brother of Bhima,—showering upon
him terrible shafts thick and long. Then cutting
Vikarna’s bow furnished with a tough string and
horns overlaid with gold, Arjuna cut off his flagstaff.
And Vikarna, beholding his flagstaff cut off, speedily
took to flight. And after Vikarna’s flight,
Satruntapa, unable to repress his ire, began to afflict
Partha, that obstructer of foes and achiever of super-human
feats, by means of a perfect shower of arrows.
And drowned, as it were, in the midst of the Kuru-array,
Arjuna, pierced by that mighty car-warrior,—king
Satruntapa—pierced the latter in return
with five and then slew his car-driver with ten shafts,
and pierced by that bull of the Bharata race with
an arrow capable of cleaving the thickest coat of
mail, Satruntapa fell dead on the field of battle,
like a tree from a mountain-top torn up by the wind.
And those brave bulls among men, mangled in battle
by that braver bull among men, began to waver and
tremble like mighty forests shaken by the violence
of the wind that blows at the time of the universal
dissolution. And struck in battle by Partha,
the son of Vasava, those well-dressed heroes among
men—those givers of wealth endued with the
energy of Vasava—defeated and deprived
Page 86
of life, began to measure their lengths on the ground,
like full-grown Himalayan elephants clad in mails
of black steel decked with gold. And like unto
a raging fire consuming a forest at the close of summer,
that foremost of men, wielding the Gandiva, ranged
the field in all directions, slaying his foes in battle
thus. And as the wind rangeth at will, scattering
masses of clouds and fallen leaves in the season of
spring, so did that foremost of car-warriors—Kiritin—ranged
in that battle, scattering all his foes before him.
And soon slaying the red steeds yoked unto the car
of Sangramajit, the brother of Vikatana’s son,
that hero decked in diadem and endued with great vigour
then cut off his antagonist’s head by a crescent-shaped
arrow. And when his brother was slain, Vikartana’s
son of the Suta caste, mustering all his prowess,
rushed at Arjuna, like a huge elephant with out-stretched
tusks, or like a tiger at a mighty bull. And
the son of Vikarna quickly pierced the son of Pandu
with twelve shafts and all his steeds also in every
part of their bodies and Virata’s son too in
his hand. And rushing impetuously against Vikarna’s
son who was suddenly advancing against him, Kiritin
attacked him fiercely like Garuda of variegated plumage
swooping down upon a snake. And both of them
were foremost of bowmen, and both were endued with
great strength, and both were capable of slaying foes.
And seeing that an encounter was imminent between
them, the Kauravas, anxious to witness it, stood aloof
as lookers on. And beholding the offender Karna,
the son of Pandu, excited to fury, and glad also at
having him, soon made him, his horses, his car, and
car-driver invisible by means of a frightful shower
of countless arrows. And the warriors of the Bharatas
headed by Bhishma, with their horses, elephants, and
cars, pierced by Kiritin and rendered invisible by
means of his shafts, their ranks also scattered and
broken, began to wail aloud in grief. The illustrious
and heroic Karna, however counteracting with numberless
arrows of his own those shafts by Arjuna’s hand,
soon burst forth in view with bow and arrows like
a blazing fire. And then there arose the sound
of loud clapping of hands, with the blare of conchs
and trumpets and kettle-drums made by the Kurus while
they applauded Vikartana’s son who filled the
atmosphere with the sound of his bow-string flapping
against his fence. And beholding Kiritin filling
the air with the twang of Gandiva, and the upraised
tail of the monkey that constituted his flag and that
terrible creature yelling furiously from the top of
his flagstaff, Karna sent forth a loud roar.
And afflicting by means of his shafts, Vikartana’s
son along with his steeds, car and car-driver, Kiritin
impetuously poured an arrowy shower on him, casting
his eyes on the grandsire and Drona and Kripa.
And Vikartana’s son also poured upon Partha a
heavy shower of arrows like a rain-charged cloud.
And the diadem-decked Arjuna also covered Karna with
Page 87
a thick down-pour of keen-edged shafts. And the
two heroes stationed on their cars, creating clouds
of keen-edged arrows in a combat carried on by means
of countless shafts and weapons, appeared to the spectators
like the sun and the moon covered by clouds, and the
light-handed Karna, unable to bear the sight of the
foe, pierced the four horses of the diadem-decked
hero with whetted arrows, and then struck his car-driver
with three shafts, and his flagstaff also with three.
Thus struck, that grinder of all adversaries in battle,
that bull of the Kuru race, Jishnu wielding the Gandiva,
like a lion awaked from slumber, furiously attacked
Kama by means of straight-going arrows. And afflicted
by the arrowy shower (of Karna), that illustrious achiever
of super-human deeds soon displayed a thick shower
of arrows in return. And he covered Karna’s
car with countless shafts like the sun covering the
different worlds with rays. And like a lion attacked
by an elephant, Arjuna, taking some keen crescent-shaped
arrows from out of his quiver and drawing his bow
to his ear, pierced the Suta’s son on every part
of his body. And that grinder of foes pierced
Karna’s arms and thighs and head and forehead
and neck and other principal parts of his body with
whetted shafts endued with the impetuosity of the
thunderbolt and shot from the Gandiva in battle.
And mangled and afflicted by the arrows shot by Partha
the son of Pandu, Vikartana’s son, quitted the
van of battle, and quickly took to flight, like one
elephant vanquished by another.’”
SECTION LV
“Vaisampayana said, ’After the son of
Radha had fled from the field, other warriors headed
by Duryodhana, one after another, fell upon the son
of Pandu with their respective divisions. And
like the shore withstanding the fury of the surging
sea, that warrior withstood the rage of that countless
host rushing towards him, arrayed in order of battle
and showering clouds of arrows. And that foremost
of car-warriors, Kunti’s son Vibhatsu of white
steeds, rushed towards the foe, discharging celestial
weapons all the while. Partha soon covered all
the points of the horizon with countless arrows shot
from the Gandiva, like the sun covering the whole
earth with his rays. And amongst those that fought
on cars and horses and elephants, and amongst the
mail-clad foot-soldiers, there was none that had on
his body a space of even two finger’s breadth
unwounded with sharp arrows. And for his dexterity
in applying celestial weapons, and for the training
of the steeds and the skill of Uttara, and for the
coursing of his weapons, and his prowess and light-handedness,
people began to regard Arjuna as the fire that blazeth
forth during the time of the universal dissolution
for consuming all created things. And none amongst
the foe could cast his eyes on Arjuna who shone like
a blazing fire of great effulgence. And mangled
by the arrows of Arjuna, the hostile ranks looked
Page 88
like newly-risen clouds on the breast of a hill reflecting
the solar rays, or like groves of Asoka trees resplendent
with clusters of flowers. Indeed, afflicted by
the arrows of Partha, the soldiers looked like these,
or like a beautiful garland whose flowers gradually
wither and drop away: And the all-pervading wind
bore on its wings in the sky the torn flags and umbrellas
of the hostile host. And affrighted at the havoc
amongst their own ranks, the steeds fled in all directions,
freed from their yokes by means of Partha’s arrows
and dragging after them broken portions of cars and
elephants, struck on their ears and ribs and tusks
and nether lips and other delicate parts of the body,
began to drop down on the battle-field. And the
earth, bestrewn in a short time with the corpses of
elephants belonging to the Kauravas, looked like the
sky overcast with masses of black clouds. And
as that fire of blazing flames at the end of the yuga
consumeth all perishable things of the world, both
mobile and immobile, so did Partha, O king, consumeth
all foes in battle. And by the energy of his weapons
and the twang of his bow, and the preter-natural yells
of the creatures stationed on his flagstaff, and the
terrible roar of the monkey, and by the blast of his
conch, that mighty grinder of foes, Vibhatsu, struck
terror into the hearts of all the troops of Duryodhana.
And the strength of every hostile warrior seemed,
as it were, to be levelled to the dust at the very
sight of Arjuna. And unwilling to commit the daring
act of sin of slaying them that were defenceless,
Arjuna suddenly fell back and attacked the army from
behind by means of clouds of keen-edged arrows proceeding
towards their aims like hawks let off by fowlers.
And he soon covered the entire welkin with clusters
of blood-drinking arrows. And as the (infinite)
rays of the powerful sun, entering a small vessel,
are contracted within it for want of space, so the
countless shafts of Arjuna could not find space for
their expansion even within the vast welkin.
Foes were able to behold Arjuna’s car, when near,
only once, for immediately after, they were with their
horses, sent to the other world. And as his arrows
unobstructed by the bodies of foes always passed through
them, so his car, unimpeded by hostile ranks, always
passed through the latter. And, indeed, he began
to toss about and agitate the hostile troops with
great violence like the thousand-headed Vasuki sporting
in the great ocean. And as Kiritin incessantly
shot his shafts, the noise of the bow-string, transcending
every sound, was so loud that the like of it had never
been heard before by created beings. And the
elephants crowding the field, their bodies pierced
with (blazing) arrows with small intervals between
looked like black clouds coruscated with solar rays.
And ranging in all directions and shooting (arrows)
right and left, Arjuna’s bow was always to be
seen drawn to a perfect circle. And the arrows
of the wielder of the Gandiva never fell upon anything
Page 89
except the aim, even as the eye never dwelleth on
anything that is not beautiful. And as the track
of a herd of elephants marching through the forest
is made of itself, so was the track was made of itself
for the car of Kiritin. And struck and mangled
by Partha, the hostile warriors thought that,—Verily,
Indra himself, desirous of Partha’s victory,
accompanied by all the immortals is slaying us!
And they also regarded Vijaya, who was making a terrible
slaughter around, to be none else than Death himself
who having assumed the form of Arjuna, was slaying
all creatures. And the troops of the Kurus, struck
by Partha, were so mangled and shattered that the
scene looked like the achievement of Partha himself
and could be compared with nothing else save what was
observable in Partha’s combats. And he
severed the heads of foes, even as reapers cut off
the tops of deciduous herbs. And the Kurus all
lost their energy owing to the terror begot of Arjuna.
And tossed and mangled by the Arjuna-gale, the forest
of Arjuna’s foes reddened the earth with purple
secretions. And the dust mixed with blood, uplifted
by the wind, made the very rays of the sun redder
still. And soon the sun-decked sky became so
red that it looked very much like the evening.
Indeed, the sun ceaseth to shed his rays as soon as
he sets, but the son of Pandu ceased not to shoot
his shafts. And that hero of inconceivable energy
overwhelmed, by means of all celestial weapons, all
the great bowmen of the enemy, although they were
possessed of great prowess. And Arjuna then shot
three and seventy arrows of sharp points at Drona,
and ten at Dussaha and eight at Drona’s son,
and twelve at Dussasana, and three at Kripa, the son
of Saradwat. And that slayer of foes pierced
Bhishma, the son of Santanu, with arrows, and king
Duryodhana with a hundred. And, lastly, he pierced
Karna in the ear with a bearded shaft. And when
that great bowmen Karna, skilled in all weapons, was
thus pierced, and his horses and car and car-driver
were all destroyed, the troops that supported him began
to break. And beholding those soldiers break
and give way the son of Virata desirous of knowing
Partha’s purpose, addressed him on the field
of battle, and said, ’O Partha, standing on
this beautiful car, with myself as charioteer, towards
which division shall I go? For, commanded by thee,
I would soon take thee thither.’
“Arjuna replied, ’O Uttara, yonder auspicious
warrior whom thou seest cased in coat of tiger-skin
and stationed on his car furnished with a blue-flag
and drawn by red steeds, is Kripa. There is to
be seen the van of Kripa’s division. Take
me thither. I shall show that great bowman my
swift-handedness in archery. And that warrior
whose flag beareth the device of an elegant water-pot
worked in gold, is the preceptor Drona—that
foremost of all wielders of weapons. He is always
an object of regard with me, as also with all bearers
of arms. Do thou, therefore, circumambulate that
Page 90
great hero cheerfully. Let us bend our heads there,
for that is the eternal virtue. If Drona strikes
my body first, then I shall strike him, for then he
will not be able to resent it. There, close to
Drona, that warrior whose flag beareth the device of
a bow, is the preceptor’s son, the great car-warrior
Aswatthaman, who is always an object of regard with
me as also with every bearer of arms. Do thou,
therefore, stop again and again, while thou comest
by his car. There, that warrior who stayeth on
his car, cased in golden mail and surrounded by a
third part of the army consisting of the most efficient
troops, and whose flag beareth the device of an elephant
in a ground of gold, is the illustrious king Duryodhana,
the son of Dhritarashtra. O hero, take before
him this thy car that is capable of grinding hostile
cars. This king is difficult of being vanquished
in battle and is capable of grinding all foes.
He is regarded as the first of all Drona’s disciples
in lightness of hand. I shall, in battle, show
him my superior swiftness in archery. There,
that warrior whose flag beareth the device of a stout
chord for binding elephants, is Karna, the son of Vikartana,
already known to thee. When thou comest before
that wicked son of Radha, be thou very careful, for
he always challengeth me to an encounter. And
that warrior whose flag is blue and beareth the device
of five stars with a sun (in the centre), and who
endued with great energy stayeth on his car holding
a huge bow in hand and wearing excellent fences, and
over whose head is an umbrella of pure white, who
standeth at the head of a multitudinous array of cars
with various flags and banners like the sun in advance
of masses of black clouds, and whose mail of gold looks
bright as the sun or the moon, and who with his helmet
of gold striketh terror into my heart, is Bhishma,
the son of Santanu and the grandsire of us all.
Entertained with regal splendour by Duryodhana, he
is very partial and well-affected towards that prince.
Let him be approached last of all, for he may, even
now, be an obstacle to me. While fighting with
me, do thou carefully guide the steeds. Thus
addressed by him, Virata’s son, O king, guided
Savyasachin’s car with great alacrity towards
the spot where Kripa stood anxious to fight.’”
SECTION LVI
“Vaisampayana said, ’And the ranks of
those fierce bowmen, the Kurus, looked like masses
of clouds in the rainy season drifting before a gentle
wind. And close (to those ranks of foot-soldiers)
stood the enemy’s horses ridden by terrible
warriors. And there were also elephants of terrible
mien, looking resplendent in beautiful armour, ridden
by skilled combatants and urged on with iron crows
and hooks. And, O king, mounted on a beautiful
car, Sakra came there accompanied by the celestials,—the
Viswas and Maruts. And crowded with gods, Yakshas,
Gandharvas and Nagas, the firmament looked as resplendent
Page 91
as it does when bespangled with the planetary constellation
in a cloudless night. And the celestials came
there, each on his own car, desirous of beholding the
efficacy of their weapons in human warfare, and for
witnessing also the fierce and mighty combat that
would take place when Bhishma and Arjuna would meet.
And embellished with gems of every kind and capable
of going everywhere at the will of the rider, the
heavenly car of the lord of the celestials, whose
roof was upheld by a hundred thousand pillars of gold
with (a central) one made entirely of jewels and gems,
was conspicuous in the clear sky. And there appeared
on the scene three and thirty gods with Vasava (at
their head), and (many) Gandharvas and Rakshasas and
Nagas and Pitris, together with the great Rishis.
And seated on the car of the lord of the celestials,
appeared the effulgent persons of king, Vasumanas and
Valakshas and Supratarddana, and Ashtaka and Sivi and
Yayati and Nahusha and Gaya and Manu and Puru and
Raghu and Bhanu and Krisaswa and Sagara and Nala.
And there shone in a splendid array, each in its proper
place the cars of Agni and Isa and Soma and Varuna
and Prajapati and Dhatri and Vidhatri and Kuvera and
Yama, and Alamvusha and Ugrasena and others, and of
the Gandharva Tumburu. And all the celestials
and the Siddhas, and all the foremost of sages came
there to behold that encounter between Arjuna and
the Kurus. And the sacred fragrance of celestial
garlands filled the air like that of blossoming woods
at the advent of spring. And the red and reddish
umbrellas and robes and garlands and chamaras of the
gods, as they were stationed there, looked exceedingly
beautiful. And the dust of the earth soon disappeared
and (celestial) effulgence lit up everything.
And redolent of divine perfumes, the breeze began to
soothe the combatants. And the firmament seemed
ablaze and exceedingly beautiful, decked with already
arrived and arriving cars of handsome and various
make, all illumined with diverse sorts of jewels, and
brought thither by the foremost of the celestials.
And surrounded by the celestials, and wearing a garland
of lotuses and lilies the powerful wielder of the
thunderbolt looked exceedingly beautiful on his car.
And the slayer of Vala, although he steadfastly gazed
at his son on the field of battle, was not satiated
with such gazing,’”
SECTION LVII
“Vaisampayana said, ’Beholding the army
of the Kurus arrayed in order of battle, that descendant
of the Kuru race, Partha, addressing Virata’s
son, said, ’Do thou proceed to the spot where
Kripa, the son of Saradwat, is going by the southern
side of that car whose flag is seen to bear the device
of a golden altar.’
Page 92
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Hearing these
words of Dhananjaya, the son of Virata urged, without
a moment’s delay, those steeds of silvery hue
decked in golden armour. And making them adopt,
one after another, every kind of the swifter paces,
he urged those fiery steeds resembling the moon in
colour. And versed in horse-lore, Uttara, having
approached the Kuru host, turned back those steeds
endued with the speed of the wind. And skilled
in guiding vehicles, the prince of Matsya, sometimes
wheeling about, and sometimes proceeding in circular
mazes, and sometimes turning to the left, began to
be wilder the Kurus. And wheeling round, the
intrepid and mighty son of Virata at last approached
the car of Kripa, and stood confronting him.
Then announcing his own name, Arjuna powerfully blew
that best of conchs called Devadatta, of loud blare.
And blown on the field of battle by the mighty Jishnu,
the blare of that conch was heard like the splitting
of a mountain. And seeing that the conch did
not break into a hundred fragments when blown by Arjuna,
the Kurus with all their warriors began to applaud
it highly. And having reached the very heavens,
that sound coming back was heard even like the crash
of the thunderbolt hurled by Maghavat on the mountain
breast. Thereupon that heroic and intrepid and
mighty car-warrior, Saradwat’s son Kripa, endued
with strength and prowess, waxing wroth at Arjuna,
and unable to bear that sound and eager for fight,
took up his own sea-begotten conch and blew it vehemently.
And filling the three worlds with that sound, that
foremost of car-warriors took up a large bow and twanged
the bow-string powerfully. And those mighty car-warriors,
equal unto two suns, standing opposed to each other,
shone like two masses of autumnal clouds. Then
Saradwat’s son quickly pierced Partha, that slayer
of hostile heroes, with ten swift and whetted arrows
capable of entering into the very vitals. And
Pritha’s son also, on his part, drawing that
foremost of weapons, the Gandiva, celebrated over the
world, shot innumerable iron-arrows, all capable of
penetrating into the very core of the body. Thereupon
Kripa, by means of whetted shafts, cut into hundreds
and thousands of fragments, those blood-drinking arrows
of Partha before they could come up. Then that
mighty car-warrior, Partha also, in wrath displaying
various manoeuvres, covered all sides with a shower
of arrows. And covering the entire welkin with
his shafts, that mighty warrior of immeasurable soul,
the son of Pritha, enveloped Kripa with hundred of
shafts. And sorely afflicted by those whetted
arrows resembling flames of fire, Kripa waxed wroth
and quickly afflicting the high-souled Partha of immeasurable
prowess with ten thousand shafts, set up on the field
of battle a loud roar. Then the heroic Arjuna
quickly pierced the four steeds of his adversary with
four fatal arrows shot from the Gandiva, sharp and
straight, and furnished with golden wings. And
pierced by means of those whetted arrows resembling
Page 93
flames of fire those steeds suddenly reared themselves,
and in consequence Kripa reeled off his place.
And seeing Gautama thrown off his place, the slayer
of hostile heroes, the descendant of the Kuru race,
out of regard for his opponent’s dignity, ceased
to discharge his shafts at him. Then regaining
his proper place, Gautama quickly pierced Savyasachin
with ten arrows furnished with feathers of the Kanka
bird. Then with a crescent-shaped arrow of keen
edge, Partha cut off Kripa’s bow and leathern
fences. And soon Partha cut off Kripa’s
coat of mail also by means of arrows capable of penetrating
the very vitals, but he did not wound his person.
And divested of his coat of mail, his body resembled
that of a serpent which hath in season cast off its
slough. And as soon as his bow had been cut off
by Partha, Gautama took up another and stringed it
in a trice. And strange to say, that bow of him
was also cut off by Kunti’s son, by means of
straight shafts. And in this way that slayer
of hostile heroes, the son of Pandu, cut off other
bows as soon as they were taken up, one after another,
by Saradwat’s son. And when all his bows
were thus cut off, that mighty hero hurled, from his
car, at Pandu’s son, a javelin like unto the
blazing thunderbolt. Thereupon, as the gold-decked
javelin came whizzing through the air with the flash
of a meteor, Arjuna cut it off by means of ten arrows.
And beholding his dart thus cut off by the intelligent
Arjuna, Kripa quickly took up another bow and almost
simultaneously shot a number of crescent-shaped arrows.
Partha, however, quickly cut them into fragments by
means of ten keen-edged shafts, and endued with great
energy, the son of Pritha then, inflamed with wrath
on the field of battle, discharged three and ten arrows
whetted on stone and resembling flames of fire.
And with one of these he cut off the yoke of his adversary’s
car, and with four pierced his four steeds, and with
the sixth he severed the head of his antagonist’s
car-driver from off his body. And with three
that mighty car-warrior pierced, in that encounter,
the triple bamboo-pole of Kripa’s car and with
two, its wheels. And with the twelfth arrow he
cut off Kripa’s flagstaff. And with the
thirteenth Falguni, who was like Indra himself as
if smiling in derision, pierced Kripa in the breast.
Then with his bow cut off, his car broken, his steeds
slain, his car-driver killed, Kripa leapt down and
taking up a mace quickly hurled it at Arjuna.
But that heavy and polished mace hurled by Kripa was
sent back along its course, struck by means of Arjuna’s
arrows. And then the warriors (of Kripa’s
division), desirous of rescuing wrathful son of Saradwat
encountered Partha from all sides and covered him
with their arrows. Then the son of Virata, turning
the steed to the left began to perform circuitous
evolution called Yamaka and thus withstood all those
warriors. And those illustrious bulls among men,
taking Kripa with them who had been deprived of his
car, led him away from the vicinity of Dhananiaya,
the son of Kunti.’”
Page 94
SECTION LVIII
“Vaisampayana said, ’After Kripa had thus
been taken away, the invincible Drona of red steeds,
taking up his bow to which he had already stringed
an arrow, rushed towards Arjuna of white steeds.
And beholding at no great distance from him the preceptor
advancing on his golden car, Arjuna that foremost
of victorious warriors, addressing Uttara, said, ’Blessed
be thou, O friend, carry me before that warrior on
whose high banner-top is seen a golden altar resembling
a long flame of fire and decked with numerous flags
placed around, and whose car is drawn by steeds that
are red and large, exceedingly handsome and highly-trained,
of face pleasant and of quiet mien, and like unto
corals in colour and with faces of coppery hue, for
that warrior is Drona with whom I desire to fight.
Of long arms and endued with mighty energy possessed
of strength and beauty of person, celebrated over
all the worlds for his prowess, resembling Usanas
himself in intelligence and Vrihaspati in knowledge
of morality, he is conversant with the four Vedas
and devoted to the practice of Brahmacharya virtues.
O friend, the use of the celestial weapons together
with the mysteries of their withdrawal and the entire-science
of weapons, always reside in him. Forgiveness,
self-control, truth, abstention from injury, rectitude
of conduct,—these and countless other virtues
always dwell in that regenerate one. I desire
to fight with that highly-blessed one on the field.
Therefore, take me before the preceptor and carry me
thither, O Uttara.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Thus addressed
by Arjuna, Virata’s son urged his steeds decked
with gold towards the car of Bharadwaja’s son.
And Drona also rushed towards the impetuously advancing
Partha, the son of Pandu,—that foremost
of car-warriors,—like an infuriate elephant
rushing towards an infuriate compeer. And the
son of Bharadwaja then blew his conch whose blare
resembled that of a hundred trumpets. And at that
sound the whole army become agitated like the sea in
a tempest. And beholding those excellent steeds
red in hue mingling in battle with Arjuna’s
steeds of swan-like whiteness endued with the speed
of the mind, all the spectators were filled with wonder.
And seeing on the field of battle those car-warriors—the
preceptor Drona and his disciple Partha—both
endued with prowess, both invincible, both well-trained,
both possessed of great energy and great strength,
engaged with each other, that mighty host of the Bharatas
began to tremble frequently. And that mighty
car-warrior Partha, possessed of great prowess and
filled with joy upon reaching Drona’s car on
his own, saluted the preceptor. And that slayer
of hostile heroes, the mighty armed son of Kunti, then
addressed Drona in an humble and sweet tone, saying,
’Having completed our exile in the woods, we
are now desirous of avenging our wrongs. Even
invincible in battle, it doth not behove thee to be
Page 95
angry with us. O sinless one, I will not strike
thee unless thou strikest me first. Even this
is my intention. It behoveth thee to act as thou
choosest.’ Thus addressed Drona discharged
at him more than twenty arrows. But the light-handed
Partha cut them off before they could reach him.
And at this, the mighty Drona, displaying his lightness
of hand in the use of weapons, covered Partha’s
car with a thousand arrows. And desirous of angering,
Partha, that hero of immeasurable soul, then covered
his steeds of silvery whiteness with arrows whetted
on stone and winged with the feathers of the Kanka
bird. And when the battle between Drona and Kiritin
thus commenced, both of them discharging in the encounter
arrows of blazing splendour, both well-known for their
achievements, both equal to the wind itself in speed,
both conversant with celestial weapons, and both endued
with mighty energy, began shooting clouds of arrows
to bewilder the royal Kshatriyas. And all the
warriors that were assembled there were filled with
wonder at sight of all this. And they all admired
Drona who quickly shot clouds of arrows exclaiming,—Well
done! Well done! Indeed, who else save Falguna,
is worthy of fighting with Drona in battle? Surely
the duties of a Kshatriya are stern, for Arjuna fighteth
with even his own preceptor!—And it was
thus that they who stood on the field of battle said
unto one another. And inflamed with fire, those
mighty-armed heroes standing before other, and each
incapable of overcoming the other, covered each other
with arrowy showers. And Bharadwaja’s son,
waxing worth, drew his large and unconquerable bow
plated on the back with gold, and pierced Falguna with
his arrows. And discharging at Arjuna’s
car innumerable whetted arrows possessed of solar
effulgence, he entirely shrouded the light of the sun.
And that great car-warrior of mighty arms, violently
pierced Pritha’s son with keen-edged shafts
even as the clouds shower upon a mountain. Then
taking up that foremost of bows, the Gandiva, destructive
of foes and capable of withstanding the greatest strain,
the impetuous son of Pandu cheerfully discharged countless
shafts of various kinds adorned with gold, and that
powerful warrior also baffled in a moment Drona’s
arrowy shower by means of those shafts shot from his
own bow. And at this the spectators wondered
greatly. And the handsome Dhananjaya, the son
of Pritha, ranging on his car, displayed his weapons
on all sides at the same time. And the entire
welkin covered with his arrows, became one wide expanse
of shade. And at this Drona become invisible
like the sun enveloped in mist. And shrouded
by those excellent arrows on all sides, Drona looked
like a mountain on fire. And beholding his own
car completely enveloped by the arrows of Pritha’s
son, Drona that ornament of battle, bent his terrible
and foremost of bows whose noise was as loud as that
of the clouds. And drawing that first of weapons,
which was like unto a circle of fire, he discharged
Page 96
a cloud of keen-edged shafts. And then there were
heard on the field loud sounds like the splitting
of bamboos set on fire. And that warrior of immeasurable
soul, shooting from his bow arrows furnished with
golden wings, covered all sides, shrouding the very
light of the sun. And those arrows with knots
well-peeled off, and furnished with golden wings,
looked like flocks of birds in the sky. And the
arrows discharged by Drona from his bow, touching
one another at the wings, appeared like one endless
line in the sky. And those heroes, thus discharging
their arrows decked with gold, seemed to cover the
sky with showers of meteors. And furnished with
feathers of the Kanka bird, those arrows looked like
rows of cranes ranging in the autumnal sky. And
the fierce and terrible encounter that took place
between the illustrious Drona and Arjuna resembled
that between Virata and Vasava of old. And discharging
arrows at each other from bows drawn at their fullest
stretch, they resembled two elephants assailing each
other with their tusks. And those wrathful warriors—those
ornaments of battle—fighting strictly according
to established usage, displayed in that conflict various
celestial weapons in due order. Then that foremost
of victorious men, Arjuna, by means of his keen shafts
resisted the whetted arrows shot by that best of preceptors.
And displaying before the spectators various weapons,
that hero of terrible prowess covered the sky with
various kinds of arrows. And beholding that tiger
among men, Arjuna, endued with fierce energy and intent
upon striking him, that foremost of warriors and best
of preceptors (from affection) began to fight with
him playfully by means of smooth and straight arrows.
And Bharadwaja’s son fought on with Falguna,
resisting with his own the celestial weapons shot by
the former. And the fight that took place between
those enraged lions among men, incapable of bearing
each other, was like unto encounter between the gods
and the Danavas. And the son of Pandu repeatedly
baffled with his own, the Aindra, the Vayavya, and
the Agneya weapons that were shot by Drona. And
discharging keen shafts, those mighty bowmen, by their
arrowy showers completely covered the sky and made
a wide expanse of shade. And then the arrows
shot by Arjuna, falling on the bodies of hostile warriors,
produced the crash of thunderbolt. O king, elephants,
cars, and horses, bathed in blood, looked like Kinsuka
trees crowned with flowers. And in that encounter
between Drona and Arjuna, beholding the field covered
with arms decked with bangles, and gorgeously-attired
car-warriors, and coats of mail variegated with gold,
and with banners lying scattered all about, and with
warriors slain by means of Partha’s arrows, the
Kuru host became panic-stricken. And shaking
their bows capable of bearing much strain, those combatants
began to shroud and weaken each other with their shafts.
And, O bull of the Bharata race, the encounter that
took place between Drona and Kunti’s son was
Page 97
dreadful in the extreme and resembled that between
Vali and Vasava. And staking their very lives,
they began to pierce each other straight arrows shot
from their fully-stretched bow-strings. And a
voice was heard in the sky applauding Drona, and saying,
’Difficult is the feat performed by Drona, inasmuch
as he fighteth with Arjuna,—that grinder
of foes, that warrior endued with mighty energy, of
firm grasp, and invincible in battle,—that
conqueror of both celestials and Daityas, that foremost
of all car-warriors.’ And beholding Partha’s
infallibility, training, fleetness of hand, and the
range also of Arjuna’s, arrows, Drona became
amazed. And, O bull of the Bharata race, lifting
up his excellent bow, the Gandiva the unforbearing
Partha drew it now with one hand and now with another
shot an arrowy shower. And beholding that shower
resembling a flight of locusts, the spectators wondering
applauded him exclaiming, ‘Excellent’!
‘Excellent’! And so ceaselessly did
he shoot his arrows that the very air was unable to
penetrate the thick array. And the spectators
could not perceive any interval between the taking
up of the arrows and letting them off. And in
that fierce encounter characterised by lightness of
hand in the discharge of weapons, Partha began to
shoot his arrows more quickly than before. And
then all at once hundreds and thousands of straight
arrows fell upon Drona’s car. And, O bull
of the Bharata race, beholding Drona completely covered
by the wielder of the Gandiva with his arrows, the
Kuru army set up exclamation of ‘Oh’!
and ‘Alas’! And Maghavat, together
with those Gandharvas and Apsaras that have come there,
applauded the fleetness of Partha’s hand.
And that mighty car-warrior, the preceptor’s
son, then resisted the Pandva with a mighty array
of cars. And although enraged with Arjuna, yet
Aswatthaman mentally admired that feat of the high-souled
son of Pritha. And waxing wroth, he rushed towards
Partha, and discharged at him an arrowy shower like
a heavy down-pour by the cloud. And turning his
steeds towards Drona’s son, Partha gave Drona
an opportunity to leave the field. And thereupon
the latter, wounded in that terrible encounter, and
his mail and banner gone sped away by the aid of swift
horses.’”
SECTION LIX
“Vaisampayana said, ’Then, O mighty king,
Drona’s son rushed to an encounter with Arjuna
in battle. And beholding his rush to the conflict
like a hurricane, showering shafts like a rain charged
cloud Pritha’s son received him with a cloud
of arrows. And terrible was the encounter between
them, like that between the gods and the Danavas.
And they shot arrows at each other like Virata and
Vasava. And the welkin being enveloped on all
sides with arrows, the sun was completely hidden, and
the air itself was hushed. And, O conqueror of
hostile cities, as they assailed and struck each other,
loud sounds arose as of bamboos on fire. And,
Page 98
O king, Aswatthaman’s horses being sorely afflicted
by Arjuna, they became bewildered and could not ascertain
which way to go. And as Pritha’s son ranged
on the field, the powerful son of Drona finding an
opportunity, cut off the string of the Gandiva with
an arrow furnished with a horse-shoe head And beholding
that extraordinary feat of his, the celestials applauded
him highly. And exclaiming—’Well
done’!—–’Well done’!
Drona and Bhishma, and Karna, and the mighty warrior
Kripa, all applauded that feat of his greatly.
And the son of Drona, drawing his excellent bow, pierced
with his shafts, furnished with the feathers of the
Kanka bird, the breast of Partha, that bull among warriors.
Thereupon, with a loud laughter, the mighty-armed son
of Pritha attached a strong and fresh string to Gandiva.
And moistening his bow-string with the sweat that
stood on his forehead resembling the crescent moon,
Pritha’s son advanced towards his adversary,
even as an infuriated leader of a herd of elephants
rusheth at another elephant. And the encounter
that took place between those two matchless heroes
on the field of battle was exceedingly fierce and
made the bristles of the spectators stand on their
ends. And as those heroes endued with mighty energy
fought on, the two mighty elephants, the Kurus beheld
them with wonder. And those brave bulls among
men assailed each other with arrows of snaky forms
and resembling blazing fires. And as the couple
of quivers belonging to the Pandava was inexhaustible,
that hero was able to remain on the field immovable
as a mountain. And as Aswatthaman’s arrows,
in consequence of his ceaseless discharge in that
conflict, were quickly exhausted, it was for this
that Arjuna prevailed over his adversary. Then
Karna, drawing his large bow with great force twanged
the bow-string. And thereupon arose loud exclamation
of ‘Oh’! and ‘Alas’! And
Pritha’s son, casting his eyes towards the spot
where that bow was twanged, beheld before him the
son of Radha. And at that sight his wrath was
greatly excited. And inflamed with ire and desirous
of slaying Karna, that bull of the Kuru race stared
at him with rolling eyes. And, O king, beholding
Partha turn away from Aswatthaman’s side, the
Kuru warriors discharged thousands of arrows on Arjuna.
And the mighty-armed Dhananjaya, that conqueror of
foes, leaving Drona’s son, all on a sudden rushed
towards Karna. And rushing towards Karna, with
eyes reddened in anger the son of Kunti, desirous
of a single combat with him, said these words.”
SECTION LX
“Arjuna said, ’The time, O Karna, hath
now come for making good thy loquacious boast in the
midst of the assembly, viz., that there is none
equal to thee in fight. Today, O Karna, contending
with me in terrible conflict, thou shalt know thy
own strength, and shalt no longer disregard others.
Abandoning good breeding, thou hadst uttered many harsh
words, but this that thou endeavourest to do, is,
Page 99
I think, exceedingly difficult. Do thou now,
O Radha’s son, contending with me in the sight
of the Kurus, make good what thou hadst said before
in disregard of myself. Thou who hadst witnessed
Panchala’s princess outraged by villains in the
midst of the court, do thou now reap the fruit of that
act of thine. Fettered by the bonds of morality
before, I desisted from vengeance then. Behold
now, O son of Radha, the fruit of that wrath in conflict
at hand. O wicked wight, we have suffered much
misery in that forest for full twelve; years.
Reap thou today the fruits of our concentrated vengeance.
Come, O Karna, cope with me in battle. Let these
thy Kaurava warriors witness the conflict. Hearing
these words, Karna replied, ’Do thou, O Partha,
accomplish in deed what thou sayst in words. The
world knows that thy words verily exceed thy deed.
That thou hadst foreborne formerly was owing to thy
inability to do anything. If we witness thy prowess
even now, we may acknowledge its truth. If thy
past forbearance was due to thy having been bound
by the bonds of morality, truly thou art equally bound
now although thou regardest thyself free. Having
as thou sayst, passed thy exile in the woods in strict
accordance with thy pledge and being therefore weakened
by practising an ascetic course of life, how canst
thou desire a combat with me now! O Pritha’s
son, if Sakra himself fight on thy side, still I would
feel no anxiety in putting forth my prowess.
Thy wish, O son of Kunti, is about to be gratified.
Do thou fight with me now, and behold my strength.’
Hearing this, Arjuna said, ’Even now, O Radha’s
son, thou hadst fled from battle with me, and it is
for this that thou livest although thy younger brother
hath been slain. What other person, save thee,
having beheld his younger brother slain in battle
would himself fly from the field, and boast as thou
dost, amid good and true men?’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Having said
these words unto Karna, the invincible Vibhatsu rushed
at him and charged a volley, of shafts capable of
penetrating through a coat of mail. But that mighty
car-warrior, Karna, received with great alacrity that
discharge with an arrowy shower of his own, heavy
as the downpour of the clouds. And that fierce
volley of arrows covered all sides and severally pierced
the steeds and arms and leathern fences of the combatants.
And incapable of putting up with that assault, Arjuna
cut off the strings of Karna’s quiver by means
of a straight and sharp arrow. Thereupon, taking
out from his quiver another arrow, Karna pierced the
Pandava in the hand at which the latter’s hold
of the bow was loosened. And then the mighty-armed
Partha cut off Karna’s bow into fragments.
And Karna replied by hurling a dart at his adversary,
but Arjuna cut it off by means of his arrows.
And then the warriors that followed the son of Radha
rushed in crowds at Arjuna, but Partha sent them all
to the abode of Yama by means of arrows shot from the
Page 100
Gandiva. And Vibhatsu slew the steeds of Karna
by means of sharp and tough arrows shot from the bow-string
drawn to the ear, and deprived of life they dropped
down on the ground. And taking another sharp and
blazing arrow endued with great energy, the mighty
son of Kunti pierced the breast of Kama. And
that arrow, cleaving through his mail, penetrated into
his body. And at this, Karna’s vision was
obscured and his senses left him. And regaining
consciousness, he felt a great pain, and leaving the
combat fled in a northernly direction. And at
this, the mighty car-warrior Arjuna and Uttara, both
began to address him contumely.’”
SECTION LXI
“Vaisampayana said, ’Having defeated Vikartana’s
son, Arjuna said unto the son of Virata, ’Take
me towards that division where yonder device of a
golden palmyra is seen. There our grandfather,
Santanu’s son, like unto a celestial, waiteth,
desirous of an encounter with me.’ Thereupon,
beholding that mighty host thronged with cars and horses
and elephants, Uttara, sorely pierced with arrows,
said, ’O hero, I am no longer able to guide
thy excellent steeds. My spirits droop and my
mind is exceedingly bewildered. All the directions
seem to be whirling before my eyes in consequence
of the energy of the celestial weapons used by thee
and the Kurus. I have been deprived of my senses
by the stench of fat and blood and flesh. Beholding
all this, from terror my mind is, as it were, cleft
in twain. Never before had I beheld such a muster
of horses in battle. And at the flapping of fences,
and the blare of conchs, the leonine roars made by
the warriors and the shrieks of elephants, and the
twang of the Gandiva resembling the thunder, I have,
O hero, been so stupefied that I have been deprived
of both hearing and memory. And, O hero, beholding
thee incessantly drawing to a circle, in course of
the conflict, the Gandiva which resembleth a circle
of fire, my sight faileth me and my heart is rent
asunder. And seeing thy fierce form in battle,
like that of the wielder of the Pinaka while inflamed
with wrath, and looking also at the terrible arrows
shot by thee, I am filled with fear. I fail to
see when thou takest up thy excellent arrows, when
thou fixest them on the bow-string, and when thou
lettest them off. And though all this is done
before my eyes, yet, deprived of my senses, I do not
see it. My spirits are drooping and earth itself
seems to be swimming before me. I have no strength
to hold the whip and the reins.’ Hearing
these words, Arjuna said, ’Do thou not fear.
Assure thyself. Thou also hast, on the field of
battle performed, O bull among men, wonderful feats.
Blessed be thou, thou art a prince and born in the
illustrious line of Matsyas. It behoveth thee
not to feel dispirited in chastising thy foes.
Therefore, O prince, stationed on my car, muster all
thy fortitude and hold the reins of my steeds, O slayer
of foes, when I once more become engaged in battle.’
Page 101
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Having said
this unto Virata’s son, that best of men and
foremost of car-warriors, the mighty-armed Arjuna,
again addressed the son of Virata, saying. ’Take
me without delay to the van of Bhishma’s division.
I will cut off his very bow-string in the battle.
Thou shalt behold today the celestial weapons of blazing
beauty, shot by me, look like flashes of lightning
disporting amid the clouds in the sky. The Kauravas
shall behold the gold decked back of my Gandiva today,
and assembled together the foe shall dispute, saying,—By
which hand of his, the right or the left, doth he
should? And I shall cause a dreadful river (of
death) to flow today towards the other world with blood
for its waters and cars for its eddies, and elephants
for its crocodiles. I shall today, with my straight
arrows, extirpate the Kuru forest having hands and
feet and heads and backs and arms for the branches
of its trees. Alone, bow in hand, vanquishing
the Kuru host, a hundred paths shall open before me
like those of a forest in conflagration. Struck
by me thou shalt today behold the Kuru army moving
round and round like a wheel (unable to fly off the
field). I shall show thee today my excellent
training in arrows and weapons. Stay thou on my
car firmly, whether the ground be smooth or uneven.
I can pierce with my winged arrows even the mountain
of Sumeru that stands touching the very heavens.
I slew of old, at Indra’s command, hundreds
and thousands of Paulomas and Kalakhanjas in battle.
I have obtained my firmness of grasp from Indra, and
my lightness of hand from Brahman, and I have learnt
various modes of fierce attack and defence amid crowds
of foes from Prajapati. I vanquished, on the
other side of the great ocean, sixty thousands of car-warriors—all
fierce archers—residing in Hiranyapura.
Behold, now I defeat the multitudinous host of the
Kurus like a tempest scattering a heap of cotton.
With my fiery arrows I shall today set the Kuru-forest
to fire, having banners for its trees, the foot-soldiers
for its shrubs, and the car-warriors for its beasts
of prey. Like unto the wielder of the thunderbolt
overthrowing the Danavas, alone I shall, with my straight
arrows, bring down from the chambers of their cars
the mighty warrior of the Kuru army stationed therein
and struggling in the conflict to the best of their
power. I have obtained from Rudra the Raudra,
from Varuna the Varuna from Agni the Agneya, from
the god of Wind the Vayava, and from Sakra the thunderbolt
and other weapons. I shall certainly exterminate
the fierce Dhartarashtra-forest though protected by
many leonine warriors. Therefore, O Virata’s
son, let thy fears be dispelled.’
Page 102
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Thus assured
by Savyasachin, the son of Virata penetrated into
that fierce array of cars protected by Bhishma.
The son of Ganga, however, of fierce deeds, cheerfully
withstood the mighty-armed hero advancing from desire
of vanquishing the heroes in battle. Jishnu,
then, confronting Bhishma, cut off his standard clean
off at the roots by shooting a gold-decked arrow pierced
by which it fell to the ground. And at this,
four mighty warriors, Dussasana and Vikarna and Dussaha
and Vivingsati, skilled in weapons and endued with
great energy, and all decked with handsome garlands
and ornaments, rushed towards that terrible bowman.
And advancing towards Vibhatsu—that fierce
archer, these all encompassed him around. Then
the heroic Dussasana pierced the son of Virata with
a crescent-shaped arrow and he pierced Arjuna with
another arrow in the breast. And Jishnu, confronting
Dussasana, cut off by means of a sharp-edged arrow
furnished with vulturine wings his adversary’s
bow plaited with gold, and then pierced his person
in the breast by means of five arrows. And afflicted
by the arrows of Partha. Dussasana fled, leaving
the combat. Then Vikarna, the son of Dhritarashtra,
pierced Arjuna—that slayer of hostile heroes,
by means of sharp and straight arrows furnished with
vulturine wings. But the son of Kunti within a
moment hit him also in the forehead with straight shafts.
And pierced by Arjuna, he fell down from his car.
And at this, Dussaha, supported by Vivingsati, covered
Arjuna with a cloud of sharp arrows, impelled by the
desire of rescuing his brother. Dhananjaya, however,
without the least anxiety, pierced both of them almost
at the same instant by means of couple of keen-edged
arrows and then slew the steeds of both. And there
upon, both those sons of Dhritarashtra, deprived of
their steeds and their bodies mangled were taken away
by the warrior behind them who had rushed forward
with other cars. Then the unvanquished Vibhatsu,
the mighty son of Kunti, decked with diadem and sure
of aim, simultaneously attacked all sides with his
arrows.’”
SECTION LXII
“Vaisampayana said, ’Then, O thou of the
Bharata race, all the great car-warriors of the Kurus,
united together, began to assail Arjuna to the best
of their might from all sides. But that hero of
immeasurable soul completely covered all those mighty
car-warriors with clouds of arrows, even as the mist
covereth the mountains. And the roars of huge
elephants and conchs, mingling together, produced
a loud up roar. And penetrating through the bodies
of elephants and horses as also through steel coats
of mail, the arrows shot by Partha fell by thousands.
And shooting shafts with the utmost celerity, the
son of Pandu seemed in that contest to resemble the
blazing sun of an autumnal midday. And afflicted
with fear, the car-warriors began to leap down from
their cars and the horse-soldiers from horse-back,
Page 103
while the foot-soldiers began to fly in all directions.
And loud was the clatter made by Arjuna’s shafts
as they cleft the coats of mail belonging to mighty
warriors, made of steel, silver, and copper.
And the field was soon covered with the corpses of
warriors mounted on elephants and horses, all mangled
by the shafts of Partha of great impetuosity like
unto sighing snakes. And then it seemed as if
Dhananjaya, bow in hand, was dancing on the field of
battle. And sorely affrighted at the twang of
the Gandiva resembling the noise of the thunder, many
were the combatants that fled from that terrible conflict.
And the field of battle was bestrewn with severed heads
decked with turbans, ear-rings and necklaces of gold,
and the earth looked beautiful by being scattered
all over with human trunks mangled by shafts, and arms
having bows in their grasp and hands decked with ornaments.
And, O bull of the Bharata race, in consequence of
heads cut off by whetted shafts ceaselessly falling
on the ground, it seemed as if a shower of stones
fell from the sky. And that Partha of formidable
prowess, displaying his fierceness, now ranged the
field of battle, pouring the terrible fire of his
wrath upon the sons of Dhritarashtra. And beholding
the fierce prowess of Arjuna who thus scorched the
hostile host, the Kuru warriors, in the very presence
of Duryodhana, became dispirited and ceased to fight.
And, O Bharata, having struck terror into that host
and routed those mighty car-warriors, that fore-most
of victors, ranged on the field. And the son
of Pandu then created on the field of battle a dreadful
river of blood, with waving billows, like unto the
river of death that is created by Time at the end
of the Yuga, having the dishevelled hair of the dead
and the dying for its floating moss and straw, with
bows and arrows for its boats, fierce in the extreme
and having flesh and animal juices for its mire.
And coats of mail and turbans floated thick on its
surface. And elephants constituted its alligators
and the cars its rafts. And marrow and fat and
blood constituted its currents. And it was calculated
to strike terror into the hearts of the spectators.
And dreadful to behold, and fearful in the extreme,
and resounding with the yells of ferocious beasts,
keen edged weapons constituted its crocodiles.
And Rakshasas and other cannibals haunted it from
one end to the other. And strings of pearls constituted
its ripples, and various excellent ornaments, its bubbles.
And having swarms of arrows for its fierce eddies
and steeds for its tortoises, it was incapable of
being crossed. And the mighty car warrior constituted
its large island, and it resounded with the bleat of
conchs and the sound of drums. And the river
of blood that Partha created was incapable of being
crossed. Indeed, so swift-handed was Arjuna that
the spectators could not perceive any interval between
his taking up an arrow, and fixing it on the bow-string,
and letting it off by a stretch of the Gandiva.’”
Page 104
SECTION LXIII
“Vaisampayana said, ’Then while a great
havoc was being made among the Kurus, Santanu’s
son, Bhishma, and grandsire of the Bharatas rushed
at Arjuna, taking up an excellent bow adorned with
gold, and many arrows also of keen points and capable
of piercing into the very vitals of the foe and afflicting
him sorely. And in consequence of a white umbrella
being held over his head, that tiger among men looked
beautiful like unto a hill at sunrise. And the
son of Ganga, blowing his conch cheered the sons of
Dhritarashtra, and wheeling along his right came upon
Vibhatsu and impeded his course. And that slayer
of hostile heroes, the son of Kunti, beholding him
approach, received him with a glad heart, like a hill
receiving a rain-charged cloud. And Bhishma, endued
with great energy, pierced Partha’s flag-staff
with eight arrows. The arrows reaching the flag-staff
of Pandu’s son, struck the blazing ape and those
creatures also stationed in the banner-top. And
then the son of Pandu, with a mighty javelin of sharp-edge
cut of Bhishma’s umbrella which instantly fell
on the ground. And then the light-handed son of
Kunti struck his adversary’s flag-staff also
with many shafts, and then his steeds and then the
couple of drivers that protected Bhishma’s flanks.
And unable to bear this, Bhishma though cognisant of
the Pandava’s might, covered Dhananjaya with
a powerful celestial weapon. And the son of Pandu,
of immeasurable soul, hurling in return a celestial
weapon at Bhishma, received that from Bhishma like
a hill receiving a deep mass of clouds. And the
encounter that took place between Partha and Bhishma,
was fierce and the Kaurava warriors with their troops
stood as lookers on. And in the conflict between
Bhishma and the son of Pandu, shafts striking against
shafts shone in the air like fireflies in the season
of rains. And, O king, in consequence of Partha’s
shooting arrows with both his right and left hands,
the bent Gandiva seemed like a continuous circle of
fire. And the son of Kunti then covered Bhishma
with hundreds of sharp and keen-edged arrows, like
a cloud covering the mountain-breast with its heavy
downpour. And Bhishma baffled with the own arrows
that arrowy shower, like the bank resisting the swelling
sea, and covered the son of Pandu in return.
And those warriors, cut into a thousand pieces in
battle, fell fast in the vicinity of Falguna’s
car. And then there was a downpour, from the
car of Pandu’s son, of arrows furnished with
golden wing, and raining through the sky like a flight
of locusts. And Bhishma again repelled that arrowy
shower with hundreds of whetted shafts shot by him.
And then the Kauravas exclaimed.—Excellent!
Excellent!—Indeed, Bhishma hath performed
an exceedingly difficult feat inasmuch as he hath
fought with Arjuna. Dhananjaya is mighty and youthful,
and dexterous and swift of hand. Who else, save
Bhishma, the son of Santanu, or Krishna, the son of
Page 105
Devaki, or the mighty son of Bharadwaja, the foremost
of preceptors, is able to bear the impetus of Partha
in battle? And repelling weapons with weapons,
those two bulls of the Bharata race, both endued with
great might, fought on playfully and infatuated the
eyes of all created beings. And those illustrious
warriors ranged on the field of battle, using the
celestials weapons obtained from Prajapati and Indra,
and Agni and the fierce Rudra, and Kuvera, and Varuna,
and Yama, and Vayu. And all beings were greatly
surprised, upon beholding those warriors engaged in
combat. And they all exclaimed,—Bravo
Partha of long arms? Bravo Bhishma! Indeed,
this application of celestial weapons that is being
witnessed in the combat between Bhishma and Partha
is rare among human beings.”
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Thus raged that
conflict with weapons between those warriors conversant
with all weapons. And when that conflict of celestial
weapons ceased, then commenced a conflict with arrows.
And Jishnu approaching his opponent, cut of with an
arrow sharp like a razor the gold-decked bow of Bhishma.
Within the twinkling of the eye, however, Bhishma,
that mighty-armed and great car-warrior, took up another
bow and stringed it. And inflamed with wrath,
he showered upon Dhananjaya a cloud of arrows.
And Arjuna, too, endued with great energy, rained upon
Bhishma innumerable sharp-pointed and keen-edged arrows.
And Bhishma also shot clouds of arrows upon Pandu’s
son. And conversant with celestial weapons and
engaged in shooting and each other, arrows of keen
points, no distinction, O king, could then be perceived
between those illustrious warriors. And that
mighty car-warrior, Kunti’s son, covered with
a diadem, and the heroic son of Santanu, obscured
the ten directions with their arrows. And the
Pandava covered Bhishma, and Bhishma also covered
the Pandava, with clouds of shafts. And, O king,
wonderful was this combat that took place in this
world of men. And the heroic warriors that protected
Bhishma’s car, slain by the son of Pandu, fell
prostrate, O monarch, beside the car of Kunti’s
son. And the feathery arrows of Svetavahana,
shot from the Gandiva, fell in all directions as if
with the object of making a wholesale slaughter of
the foe. And issuing forth from his car those
blazing arrows furnished with golden wings looked like
rows of swans in the sky. And all the celestials
with Indra, stationed in the firmament, gazed with
wonder upon another celestial weapon hurled with great
force by that wonderful archer Arjuna. And beholding
that wonderful weapon of great beauty, the mighty
Gandiva, Chitrasena, highly pleased, addressed the
lord of celestials, saying, ’Behold these arrows
shot by Partha coursing through the sky in one continuous
line. Wonderful is the dexterity of Jishnu in
evolving this celestial weapon! Human beings are
incapable of shooting such a weapon, for it does not
exist among men. How wonderful again is this
concourse of mighty weapons existing from days of
Page 106
old! No interval can be perceived between his
taking up the arrows, fixing them on the bow-string,
and letting them off by stretching the Gandiva.
The soldiers are incapable of even looking at the son
of Pandu, who is like unto the midday sun blazing
in the sky. So also none ventures to look at
Bhishma, the son of Ganga. Both are famous for
their achievements, and both are of fierce prowess.
Both are equal in feats of heroism, and both are difficult
of being vanquished in battle.’
’Thus addressed by the Gandharva about that
combat between Partha and Bhishma, the lord of the
celestials, O Bharata, paid proper respect unto both
by a shower of celestial flowers. Meanwhile, Bhishma,
the son of Santanu, assailed Arjuna on the left side,
while that drawer of the bow with either hands was
on the point of piercing him. And at this, Vibhatsu,
laughing aloud, cut off with an arrow of keen edge
and furnished with vulturine wings, the bow of Bhishma,
that hero of solar effulgence. And then Dhananjaya,
the son of Kunti, pierced Bhishma in the breast with
ten shafts although the latter was contending with
all his prowess. And sorely afflicted with pain
Ganga’s son of mighty arms and irresistible
in battle, stood for a long time leaning on the pole
of his car. And beholding him deprived of consciousness
the driver of his car-steeds, calling to mind the
instructions about protecting the warriors when in
a swoon, led him away for safety.’”
SECTION LXIV
“Vaisampayana said, ’After Bhishma had
fled, leaving the van of battle, the illustrious son
of Dhritarashtra hoisting high flag approached Arjuna,
bow in hand and setting up a loud roar. And with
a spear-headed shaft shot from his bow stretched to
the ear, he pierced on the forehead of that terrible
bowman of fierce prowess, Dhanajaya, ranging amidst
the foes. And pierced with that keen shaft of
golden point on the forehead, that hero of famous
deeds looked resplendent, O king, like unto a beautiful
hill with a single peak. And cut by that arrow,
the warm life-blood gushed out profusely from the
wound. And the blood trickling down his body
shone beautifully like a wreath of golden flowers.
And struck by Duryodhana with the shaft, the swift-handed
Arjuna of unfailing strength, swelling with rage,
pierced the king in return, taking up arrows that
were endued with the energy of snakes of virulent poison.
And Duryodhana of formidable energy attacked Partha,
and Partha also, that foremost of heroes, attacked
Duryodhana. And it was that those foremost of
men, both born in the race of Ajamida, struck each
other alike in the combat. And then (seated)
on an infuriate elephant huge as a mountain and supported
by four cars, Vikarna rushed against Jishnu, the son
of Kunti. And beholding that huge elephant, advancing
with speed, Dhananjaya struck him on the head between
the temples with an iron arrow of great impetus shot
from the bow-string stretched to the ear. And
Page 107
like the thunderbolt hurled by Indra splitting a mountain,
that arrow furnished with vulturine wings, shot by
Partha, penetrated, up to the very feathers, into the
body of that elephant huge as hill. And sorely
afflicted by the shaft, that lord of the elephant
species began to tremble, and deprived of strength
fell down on the ground in intense anguish, like the
peak of mountain riven by thunder. And that best
of elephants falling down on the earth, Vikarna suddenly
alighting in great terror, ran back full eight hundred
paces and ascended on the car of Vivingsati. And
having slain with that thunder-like arrow that elephant
huge as a mighty hill and looking like a mass of clouds,
the son of Pritha smote Duryodhana in the breast with
another arrow of the same kind. And both the elephant
and the king having thus been wounded, and Vikarna
having broken and fled along with the supporters of
the king’s car, the other warriors, smitten with
the arrows shot from the Gandiva, fled from the field
in panic. And beholding the elephant slain by
Partha, and all the other warriors running away, Duryodhana,
the foremost of the Kurus, turning away his car precipitately
fled in that direction where Partha was not. And
when Duryodhana was fast running away in alarm, pierced
by that arrow and vomitting forth blood, Kiritin,
still eager for battle and capable of enduring every
enemy, thus censured him from wrath, ’Sacrificing
thy great fame and glory, why dost thou fly away,
turning the back? Why are not those trumpet? sounded
now, as they were when thou hadst set out from thy
kingdom? Lo, I am an obedient servant of Yudhishthira,
myself being the third son of Pritha, standing here
for battle. Turn back, show me thy face, O son
of Dhritarashtra, and bear in thy mind the behaviour
of kings. The name Duryodhana bestowed on thee
before is hereby rendered meaningless. When thou
runnest away, leaving the battle, where is thy persistence
in battle? Neither do I behold thy body-guards.
O Duryodhana, before nor behind. O foremost of
men, fly thou away and save thy life which is dear
from the hands of Pandu’s son.’”
SECTION LXV
“Vaisampayana said, ’Thus summoned to
battle by the illustrious hero, Dhritarashtra’s
son turned back stung by those censures, like an infuriate
and mighty elephant pricked by a hook. And stung
by those reproaches and unable to bear them, that
mighty and brave car-warrior endued with great swiftness,
turned back on his car, like a snake that is trampled
under foot. And beholding Duryodhana turn back
with his wounds, Karna, that hero among men, decked
with a golden necklace, stopped the king on the way
and soothing him, himself proceeded along the north
of Duryodhana’s car to meet Partha in battle.
And the mighty-armed Bhishma also, the son of Santanu,
turning back his steeds decked with gold, enormous
in size, and of tawny hue, rushed bow in hand, for
protecting Duryodhana from Partha’s hand.
Page 108
And Drona and Kripa and Vivingsati and Dussasana and
others also, quickly turning back, rushed forward with
speed with drawn bows and arrows fixed on the bow-strings,
for protecting Duryodhana. And beholding those
divisions advance towards him like the swelling surges
of the ocean, Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha, quickly
rushed at them like a crane rushing at a descending
cloud. And with celestial weapons in their hands,
they completely surrounded the son of Pritha and rained
on him from all sides a perfect shower of shafts, like
clouds showering on the mountain breast a heavy downpour
of rain, And warding off with weapons, all the weapons
of those bulls among the Kurus, the wielder of the
Gandiva who was capable of enduring all foes, evolved
another irresistible weapon obtained from Indra, called
Sanmohana. And entirely covering the cardinal
and other directions with sharp and keen-edged arrows
furnished with beautiful feathers, that mighty hero
stupefied their senses with the twang of the Gandiva.
And once more, taking up with both his hands that
large conch of loud blare, Partha, that slayer of
foes, blew it with force and filled the cardinal and
other points, the whole earth, and sky, with that
noise. And those foremost of the Kuru heroes
were all deprived of their senses by the sound of that
conch blown by Partha. And all of them stood still,
their bows, from which they were never separated,
dropping down from their hands. And when the
Kuru army became insensible, Partha calling to mind
the words of Uttara, addressed the son of the Matsya
king, saying, ’O best of men, go thou among
the Kurus, so long as they remain insensible, and bring
away the white garments of Drona and Kripa, and the
yellow and handsome ones of Karna, as also the blue
ones of the king and Drona’s son. Methinks,
Bhishma is not stupefied, for he knoweth how to counteract
this weapon of mine. So, pass thou on, keeping
his steeds to thy left; for those that are sensible
should thus be avoided,’ Hearing these words,
the illustrious son of Matsya, giving up the reins
of the steeds, jumped down from the car and taking
off the garments of the warriors, came back to his
place. And the son of Virata then urged the four
handsome steeds with flanks adorned with golden armours.
And those white steeds, urged on, took Arjuna away
from the midst of battle-field and beyond the array
of the infantry bearing standards in their hands.
And, Bhishma, beholding that best of men thus going
away, struck him with arrows. And Partha, too,
having slain Bhishma’s steeds, pierced him with
ten shafts. And abandoning Bhishma on the field
of battle, having first slain his car-driver, Arjuna
with a good-looking bow in hand came out of that multitude
of cars, like the sun emerging from the clouds.
And Dhritarashtra’s son, that foremost of heroes
among the Kurus, recovering his senses, saw the son
of Pritha standing like the lord of the celestials,
alone on the battle-field. And he said in hurry
Page 109
(unto Bhishma), ’How hath this one escape from
thee? Do thou afflict him in such a way that
he may not escape.’ And at this, Santanu’s
son, smiling, said unto him, ’Where had been
this sense of thine, and where had been thy prowess
too, when thou hadst been in a state of unconsciousness
renouncing thy arrows and handsome bow? Vibhatsu
is not addicted to the commission of atrocious deeds;
nor is his soul inclined to sin. He renounceth
not his principles even for the sake of the three worlds.
It is for this only that all of us have not been slain
in this battle. O thou foremost of Kuru heroes,
go back to the city of the Kurus, and let Partha also
go away, having conquered the kine. Do thou never
foolishly throw away thy own good. Indeed, that
which leadeth to one’s welfare ought to be accomplished.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Having listened
to the words of the grandsire that tended to his own
welfare, the wrathful king Duryodhana no longer eager
for battle, drew a deep sigh and became silent.
And reflecting that the advice of Bhishma was beneficial
and seeing that the Pandavas gaining in strength,
the other warriors also, desirous of protecting Duryodhana,
resolved to return. And beholding those foremost
of Kuru heroes departing for their city, Dhananjaya,
the son of Pritha, with a cheerful heart followed
them for a while, desirous of addressing and worshipping
them. And having worshipped the aged grandsire—the
son of Santanu, as also the preceptor Drona, and having
saluted with beautiful arrows Drona’s son and
Kripa and other venerable ones among the Kurus, the
son of Pritha broke into fragments Duryodhana’s
crown decked with precious gems, with another arrow.
And having saluted all the venerable and brave warriors
thus, he filled the three worlds with the twang of
the Gandiva. And suddenly blowing his conch called
Devadatta, the hero pierced the hearts of all his
foes. And having humbled the hostile, he looked
resplendent on his car decked with a handsome flag.
And beholding the Kurus depart, Kiritin cheerfully
said unto Matsya’s son, ’Turn back thy
steeds; thy kine have been recovered; the foe is going
away and do thou also return to thy city with a cheerful
heart.’ And the celestials also, having
witnessed that most wonderful encounter between Falguna
and the Kurus, were highly delighted, and went to
their respective abodes, reflecting upon Partha’s
feats.’”
SECTION LXVI
“Vaisampayana said, ’Having vanquished
the Kurus in battle, that one with eyes like those
of a bull brought back that profuse cattle wealth of
Virata. And while the Dhritarashtra, after their
rout, were going away, a large number of Kuru-soldiers
issuing out of the deep forest appeared with slow
steps before Partha, their hearts afflicted with fear.
And they stood before him with joined palms and with
hair dishevelled. And fatigued with hunger and
thirst, arrived in a foreign land, insensible with
terror, and confused in mind, they all bowed down unto
the son of Pritha and said,—We are thy
slaves.’
Page 110
“Arjuna said, ’Welcome, blessed be ye.
Go ye away. Ye have no cause of fear. I
will not take the lives of them that are afflicted.
Ye have my assurance of protection.
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Hearing these
words of assurance, the assembled warriors greeted
him with benedictions in praise of his achievements
and fame and wishing him long life. And the Kauravas
were unable to confront Arjuna while after routing
the foe he proceeded towards the city of Virata, like
an elephant with rent temples. And having routed
the whole army of the Kuru like a violent wind scattering
the clouds, that slayer of foes, Partha, regardfully
addressing the prince of Matsya, said, ’It is
known to thee alone, O child, that the sons of Pritha
are all living with thy father. Do not eulogise
them upon entering the city, for then the king of
the Matsyas may hide himself in fear. On the other
hand, entering the city, do thou proclaim in the presence
of thy father that the deed is thy own, saying,—By
me hath the army of the Kurus been vanquished and
by me have the kine been recovered from the foe!’
“Uttara said, ’The feat thou hast achieved
is beyond my power. I do not possess the ability
to achieve it. I shall not, however, O Savyasachin,
discover thee to my father, as long as thou wilt not
tell me to do it.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Having vanquished
the hostile army and wrested the whole of the cattle
wealth from the Kurus, Jishnu returned again to the
cemetery and having approached the same Sami tree stood
there with body mangled by the arrows of the enemy.
Then that terrible monkey blazing like fire ascended
into the sky with those other creatures in the flag-staff.
And the illusion created (by Viswakarma) melted away
and Uttara’s own banner bearing the device of
a lion was set up on the car again. And having
replaced the arrows and quivers of those foremost of
the Kuru princes, and also that other weapon the (Gandiva)
which enhances the fierceness of a battle, the illustrious
prince of Matsya set out for the city with a glad
heart, having Kiritin as his charioteer. And having
achieved an exceedingly mighty feat and slain the foe,
Partha also, that slayer of foes, binding his hair
into a braid as before, took the reins from Uttara’s
hands. And that illustrious hero entered the city
of Virata, with a cheerful heart rehabilitating himself
as Vrihannala, the car-driver of Uttara.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’When all the
Kauravas utterly routed and vanquished, set out in
a dejected mood for Hastinapura, Falguna, on his way
back, addressed Uttara, saying, ’O prince, O
hero of mighty arms, seeing the kine escorted in advance
of us by the cowherds, we shall enter Virata’s
metropolis in the afternoon, having tended the steeds
with drink and a bath. Let the cowherds, despatched
by thee, speedily repair to the city with the good
news and proclaim thy victory.’
Page 111
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Agreeable to
Arjuna’s words, Uttara speedily ordered the
messengers, saying, ’Go ye and proclaim the king’s
victory. The foe hath been routed, and the kine
have been recovered. And the Matsya and the Bharata
princes having thus consulted together re-approached
the same Sami tree. And gratified with the victory
they had won, and arrived at the foot of the Sami
tree, they wore on their persons and took up on their
car the ornaments and robes they had left there.
And having vanquished the whole hostile army and recovered
the whole of the wealth from the Kurus, the heroic
son of Virata returned to the city with Vrihannala
as his car-driver.’”
SECTION LXVII
“Vaisampayana said, ’Having speedily recovered
his wealth Virata owning a large army entered his
city with a cheerful heart, accompanied by the four
Pandavas. And having vanquished the Trigartas
in battle and recovered all the kine, that mighty
monarch, along with the sons of Pritha, looked resplendent
and blazed forth in beauty. And as the brave
king, that enhancer of the joys of friends, was seated
on his throne, all his subjects headed by the Brahmanas
stood before him. And worshipped by them, the
king of the Matsyas, at the head of his army, saluted
the Brahmanas and his subjects in return and dismissed
them cheerfully. And Virata, the king of the
Matsyas owning a large army, enquired after Uttara,
saying, ‘Where hath Uttara gone?’ And the
women and the maidens of the palace and the other
females living in the inner apartments joyfully said
unto him, ’Our kine having been seized by the
Kurus, Bhuminjaya incensed at this and from excess
of bravery hath issued forth alone with only Vrihannala
as his second, for vanquishing the six mighty car-warriors,
Bhishma the son of Santanu, and Kripa, and Karna, and
Duryodhana, and Drona, and Drona’s son who have
all come with the Kuru army.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Then king Virata,
hearing that his brave son had gone forth with only
one car and with Vrihannala as his car-driver, became
filled with grief, and addressing his chief counsellors,
said, ’Without doubt, the Kauravas and other
lords of earth, learning the defeat of the Trigartas,
will never keep their ground. Therefore, let
those of my warriors that have not been wounded by
the Trigartas go out, accompanied by a mighty force,
for the protection of Uttara.’ And saying
this, the king speedily despatched, for the sake of
his son, horses and elephants and cars and a large
number of foot-soldiers, equipped and decked with
various kinds of weapons and ornaments. And it
was thus that Virata, the king of the Matsyas, owning
a large army, quickly ordered out a large division
consisting of four kinds of troops. And having
done this, he said, ’Learn ye, without loss
of time whether the prince liveth still or not!
I myself think that he who hath got a person of the
neuter sex for his car-driver is not alive.’
Page 112
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Then king Yudhishthira
the just, smilingly said unto the afflicted king Virata,
’If, O monarch, Vrihannala hath been his charioteer,
the foe will never be able to take away thy kine today.
Protected by that charioteer, thy son will be able
to vanquish in battle all the lords of earth allied
with the Kurus, indeed, even the gods and the Asuras
and the Siddhas and the Yakshas together.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Meanwhile, the
swift-footed messengers despatched by Uttara, having
reached Virata’s city, gave tidings of the victory.
And the minister-in-chief then informed the king of
everything, viz., the great victory that had
been won, the defeat of the Kurus, and the expected
arrival of Uttara. And he said, ’All the
kine have been brought back, the Kurus have been defeated,
and Uttara, that slayer of foes, is well with his
car-driver.’ Then Yudhishthira said, ’By
good luck it is that the kine have been recovered
and the Kurus routed. I do not, however, regard
it strange that thy son should have vanquished the
Kurus, for his victory is assured that hath Vrihannala
for his charioteer.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Hearing of the
victory of his son possessed of immeasurable might,
king Virata became so glad that the bristles of his
body stood erect. And having made presents of
raiments unto the messengers, he ordered his ministers,
saying, ’Let the highways be decorated with
flags, and let all the gods and goddesses be worshipped
with flowery offerings. And let princes and brave
warriors, and musicians and harlots decked in ornaments,
march out to receive my son. And let the bellman,
speedily riding an intoxicated elephant, proclaim my
victory at places where four roads meet. And
let Uttara, too, in gorgeous attire and surrounded
by virgins and chanters of eulogies, go forth to receive
my son.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Having listened
to these words of the king, all the citizens with
auspicious things in hand, and many amongst them with
cymbals and trumpets and conchs, and beautiful women
attired in gorgeous robes, and reciters of auspicious
and sacred hymns, accompanied by encomiasts and minstrels,
and drummers and other kinds of musicians issued forth
from the city of the mighty Virata to welcome Uttara
of immeasurable prowess. And having despatched
troops and maidens and courtezens decked in ornaments,
the wise king of the Matsyas cheerfully said these
words, ’O Sairindhri, fetch the dice. And,
O Kanka, let the play commence.’ The son
of Pandu replied, saying, ’We have heard it said
that one whose heart is filled with joy should not
play with a cunning gambler. I do not therefore,
dare gamble with thee that are so transported with
joy. I am ever desirous of doing what is for thy
good. Let the play, however, commence if it pleases
thee.’
Page 113
“Virata said, ’My female slaves and kine,
my gold and whatsoever other wealth I have, nothing
of all this shall thou be able to protect today even
if I do not gamble.’ Kanka said in reply,
’O monarch, O bestower of honours, what business
hast thou with gamble which is attended with numerous
evils? Gambling is fraught with many evils; it
should, therefore, be shunned. Thou mayst have
seen or at least heard of Yudhishthira, the son of
Pandu. He lost his extensive and prosperous kingdom
and his god-like brothers at dice. For this, I
am averse to gambling. But if thou likest, O
king, I will play.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’While the play
was going on, Matsya said unto the son of Pandu, ’Lo,
the Kauravas that are so formidable have been vanquished
in battle by my son.’ Upon this, the illustrious
king Yudhishthira said, ’Why should not he conquer
that hath Vrihannala for his charioteer?’
’Thus addressed, King Matsya became angry and
said unto Pandu’s son, ’Thou wretch of
a Brahmana, dost thou compare one of the neuter sex
with my son! Hast thou no knowledge of what is
proper and what improper for one to say? Without
doubt, thou disregardest me. Why should not my
son vanquish all those with Bhishma and Drona as their
leaders? O Brahmana, for friendship only I pardon
thee this thy offence. Thou must not, however,
say so again if thou wishest to live.’
“Yudhishthira said, ’There where Bhishma
and Drona and Drona’s son and the son of Vikartana
and Kripa and king Duryodhana and other royal and
mighty car-warriors are assembled or there where Indra
himself is surrounded by the Maruts, what other person
than Vrihannala can fight, encountering them all!
None hath been, none will be, his equal in strength
of arms! Indeed, it is Vrihannala only whose heart
is filled with joy at sight of a terrible conflict.
It is he who had vanquished the celestials and the
Asuras and human beings fighting together. With
such a one for his ally, why should not thy son conquer
the foe? Virata said, ’Repeatedly forbidden
by me, thou dost not yet restrain thy tongue.
If there is none to punish, no one would practise
virtue.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Saying this,
the king inflamed with anger forcibly struck Yudhishthira
in the face with a dice, and reproached him angrily,
saying, ’Let it not occur again! And having
been violently struck, blood began to flow from his
nose. But the son of Pritha held it in his hands
before it fell on the ground. And the virtuous
Yudhishthira then glanced at Draupadi who was standing
by his side. Ever obedient to the wishes of her
lord, the faultless Draupadi, understanding his meaning,
and bringing a golden vessel filled with water, received
the blood that flowed from his nose. Meanwhile;
Uttara, entertained with sweet perfumes of diverse
kinds and decked with floral chaplets, slowly entered
the city, received with respect by the citizens, the
women, and the people of the provinces. And approaching
Page 114
the gate of the palace he sent the news of his arrival
to his father. And the porter then, approaching
the king, said, ’Thy son Uttara, waiteth at the
gate with Vrihannala as his companion.’
And the Matsya king, with a cheerful heart, said unto
him, ‘Do thou usher both, as I am very anxious
to see them.’ Then Yudhishthira, the king
of t e Kurus, gently whispered unto the ears of the
warder, ’Let Uttara enter alone; Vrihannala must
not come in. Such is the vow of that hero of
mighty arms that whoever causeth a wound on my person
or sheddeth my blood except in battle, shall not live.
Inflamed with rage he will never bear patiently to
see me bleeding, but will slay Virata even now with
his counsellors and troops and steeds.’”
SECTION LXVIII
“Vaisampayana said, ’Then Bhuminjaya,
the eldest son of the king, entered, and having worshipped
the feet of his father approached Kanka. And
he beheld Kanka covered with blood, and seated on the
ground at one end of the court, and waited upon by
the Sairindhri. And seeing this, Uttara asked
his father in a hurry, saying, ’By whom, O king,
hath this one been struck? By whom hath this
sinful act been perpetrated?’
“Virata said, ’This crooked Brahmana hath
been struck by me. He deserveth even more than
this. When I was praising thee, he praised that
person of the third sex.’
“Uttara said, ’Thou hast, O king, committed
an improper act. Do thou speedily propitiate
him so that the virulent poison of a Brahmana’s
curse may not consume thee to thy roots!’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Having heard
the words of his son, Virata, that enhancer of the
limits of his kingdom, began to soothe Kunti’s
son, who was like unto a fire hid in ashes, for obtaining
his forgiveness. And unto the king desirous of
obtaining his pardon the Pandava replied, ’O
king, I have long ago forgiven it. Anger I have
none. Had this blood from my nostrils fallen
on the ground, then, without doubt, thou, O monarch,
wouldst have been destroyed with thy kingdom.
I do not, however, blame thee, O king, for having
struck an innocent person. For, O king, they
that are powerful generally act with unreasoning severity.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’When the bleeding
had stopped, Vrihannala entered (the council-room)
and having saluted both Virata and Kanka, stood silent.
And the king, having appeased the chief of the Kurus,
began to praise, in Savyasachin’s hearing, Uttara
who had returned from the battle. And the king
said, ’O enhancer of the joys of Kekaya’s
princess, in thee have I truly a son! I never
had nor shall have, a son that is equal to thee!
How, indeed, couldst thou, O Child, encounter that
Karna who leaveth not a single mark unhit amongst
even a thousand that he may aim at all at once?
How couldst thou, O child, encounter that Bhishma who
hath no equal in the whole world of men? How also
couldst thou, O child, encounter Drona, that foremost
Page 115
of all wielders of weapons, that preceptor of the
Vrishnis and Kauravas, twice-born one who may be regarded
as the preceptor of all the Kshatriyas? How couldst
thou meet in battle the celebrated Aswatthaman?
How couldst thou, O child, encounter that Duryodhana,
the prince who is capable of piercing even a mountain
with his mighty arrows? My foes have all been
thrashed. A delicious breeze seems to blow around
me. And since thou hast recovered in battle the
whole of my wealth that had been seized by the Kurus,
it seems that all those mighty warriors were struck
with panic. Without doubt, thou, O bull amongst
men, has routed the foe and snatched away from them
my wealth of kine, like his prey from a tiger.’”
SECTION LXIX
“Uttara said, ’The kine have not been
recovered by me, nor have the foe been vanquished
by me. All that hath been accomplished by the
son of a deity. Capable of striking like a thunderbolt,
that youth of celestial origin, beholding me running
away in fear, stopped me and himself mounted on my
car. It was by him that the kine have been recovered
and the Kauravas vanquished. The deed, O father,
is that hero’s and not mine. It was he
that repulsed with arrows Kripa and Drona and Drona’s
son of powerful energy, and the Suta’s son and
Bhishma. That mighty hero then spoke unto the
affrighted prince Duryodhana who was running away like
the leader of a head of elephants, these words, ’O
prince of the Kuru race, I do not see that thou art
safe by any means even at Hastinapura. Protect
thy life by putting forth thy might. Thou shalt
not escape me by flight. Therefore, make up thy
mind for fight. If victorious, the sovereignty
of the earth will be thine, or if slain, heaven itself
will be thine.’
’Thus addressed, king Duryodhana—that
tiger among men surrounded by his counsellors,—sighing
on his car like a snake turned back, showered arrows
endued with the speed and force of thunderbolts.
Beholding all this, venerable sire, my thighs began
to quake. Then that celestial youth pierced with
arrows the Kuru army consisting of leonine warriors.
And having pierced and afflicted that crowd of cars,
that youth, stout as the lion, laughed at them and
robbed them of their clothes and attires. Indeed,
the six great car-warriors of the Kurus were vanquished
by that hero alone, even like herds of animals ranging
in the forest by a single tiger in rage.’
“Virata said, ’Where is that mighty-armed
and famous youth of celestial origin, that hero who
recovered in battle my wealth that had been seized
by the Kurus? I am anxious to behold and worship
that mighty warrior of celestial origin who hath saved
thee and my kine also.’
“Uttara replied, ’The mighty son of a
deity disappeared there and then. I think, however,
that he will show himself either tomorrow or the day
after.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Virata, that
owner of a large army, remained ignorant of the son
of Pandu who was thus described unto him by Uttara,
and who was living in the palace in disguise.
And permitted by the high-souled Virata, Partha presented
with his own hands the garments he had brought, unto
Virata’s daughter. And the beautiful Uttara,
obtaining those new and costly clothes of diverse
kinds, became highly glad, along with the son of the
Matsya king.’”
Page 116
SECTION LXX
“Vaisampayana said, ’Then, on the third
day, attired in white robes after a bath, and decked
in ornaments of all kinds, those great car-warriors,
the five Pandava brothers, having accomplished their
row, and with Yudhishthira at their head, looked resplendent
as they entered the palace-gate like five intoxicated
elephants. And having entered the council-hall
of Virata, they took their seats on the thrones reserved
for kings, and shone brilliantly like fires on the
sacrificial altar. And after Pandavas had taken
their seats, Virata, that lord of earth, came there
for holding his council and discharging other royal
offices. And beholding the illustrious Pandavas
blazing like fires, the king reflected for a moment.
And them, filled with wrath, the Matsya king spoke
unto Kanka seated there like a celestial and looking
like the lord of celestials surrounded by the Maruts.
And he said, ’A player at dice thou wert employed
by me as a courtier! How couldst thou occupy the
royal seat thus attired in handsome robes and ornaments?”
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Hearing these
words of Virata, O king, and desirous of jesting with
him, Arjuna smilingly said in reply, ’This person,
O king, deserveth to occupy the same seat with Indra
himself. Devoted to the Brahmanas, acquainted
with the Vedas, indifferent to luxury and carnal enjoyments,
habitually performing sacrifices, steady in vows,
this one, indeed, is the very embodiment of virtue,
The foremost of all Persons endued with energy and
superior to every body on earth in intelligence, devoted
to asceticism, he is conversant with various weapons.
No other person among the mobile and immobile creatures
of the three worlds possesseth or will ever possess
such knowledge of weapons. And there is none
even amongst the gods, or Asuras, or men, or Rakshasas,
or Gandharvas, or Yaksha chiefs, or Kinnaras—or
mighty Uragas, who is like him. Endued with great
foresight and energy, beloved by the citizens and
inhabitants of the provinces, he is the mightiest of
car-warriors amongst the sons of Pandu. A performer
of sacrifices, devoted to morality, and of subdued
passions, like unto a great Rishi, this royal sage
is celebrated over all the worlds. Possessed of
great strength and great intelligence, able and truthful,
he hath all his senses under complete control.
Equal unto Indra in wealth and Kuvera in hoarding,
he is the protector of the worlds like unto Manu himself
of mighty prowess. Endued with great might, he
is even such. Kind unto all creatures he is no
other than the bull of the Kuru race, king Yudhishthira
the just. The achievements of this king resemble
the sun himself of blazing effulgence. And his
fame hath travelled in all directions like the rays
of that luminary. And like the rays following
the risen sun of blazing effulgence, ten thousand
swift elephants followed him, O king, when he dwelt
among the Kurus. And, O king, thirty thousand
Page 117
cars decked in gold and drawn by the best steeds,
also used to follow him then. And full eight
hundred bards adorned with ear-rings set with shining
gems, and accompanied by minstrels, recited his praises
in those days, like the Rishis adorning Indra.
And, O king, the Kauravas and other lords of earth
always waited upon him like slaves, as the celestials
upon Kuvera. This eminent king, resembling the
bright-rayed sun, made all lords of earth pay tribute
unto him like persons of the agricultural class.
And eighty-eight thousands of high-souled Snatakas
depended for their subsistence upon this king practising
excellent vows. This illustrious lord protected
the aged and the helpless, the maimed and the blind,
as his sons, and he ruled over his subjects virtuously.
Steady in morality and self-control, capable of restraining
his anger, bountiful, devoted to the Brahmanas, and
truthful, this one is the son of Pandu. The prosperity
and prowess of this one afflict king Suyodhana with
his followers including Kama and Suvala’s son.
And, O lord of men, the virtues of this one are incapable
of being enumerated. This son of Pandu is devoted
to morality and always abstains from injury.
Possessed of such attributes, doth not this bull among
kings, this son of Pandu, deserve, O monarch, to occupy
a royal seat?’”
SECTION LXXI
“Virata said, ’If this one, indeed, be
the Kuru king Yudhisthira the son of Kunti, which
amongst these is his brother Arjuna, and which, the
mighty Bhima. Which of these is Nakula, and which
Sahadeva and where is the celebrated Draupadi?
After their defeat at dice, the sons of Pritha have
not been heard of by any one.’
“Arjuna said, ’Even this one, O king,
who is called Vallava and is thy cook, is that Bhima
of mighty arms and terrible prowess and furious impetus.
It was he who slew the furious Rakshasas on the mountains
of Gandhamadana, and procured for Krishna celestial
flowers of great fragrance. Even he is that Gandharva,
who slew the Kichaka of wicked soul and it was he
who killed tigers and bears and boars in the inner
apartment of thy palace. He who had been the keeper
of thy horse is that slayer of foes called Nakula,
and this one is Sahadeva, the keeper of thy kine.
Both these sons of Madri are great car-warriors, possessed
of great fame and beauty of person. These two
bulls of the Bharata race, attired in handsome robes
and decked in excellent ornaments, are a match for
a thousand great car-warriors. And even this
lady of eyes like lotus-petals and slender-waist and
sweet smiles is Drupada’s daughter, thy wife’s
Sairindhri, for whose sake, O king, the Kichakas were
slain. I am, O king, Arjuna who, it is evident,
thou hast heard, is that son of Pritha, who is Bhima’s
junior and the senior of the twins! We have, O
king, happily passed in thy abode the period of non-discovery,
like infants in the womb!’
Page 118
“Vaisampayana continued, ’After Arjuna
had pointed out those heroes—the five Pandavas,
the son of Virata then spoke of Arjuna’s prowess.
And Uttara once again identified the sons of Pritha.
And the prince said, ’That one whose complexion
is bright like that of pure gold, who is stout like
a full-grown lion, whose nose is so prominent, whose
eyes are large and expansive, and whose face is broad
and of coppery hue, is the king of the Kurus.
And behold, that one whose tread is like that of an
infuriate elephant, whose complexion is like that
of heated gold, whose shoulders are broad and expanded,
and whose arms are long and thick, is Vrikodara.
And he who stands by his side, that youth of darkish
hue, who is like unto a leader of a herd of elephants,
whose shoulders are broad like those of a lion, whose
tread is like that of a mighty elephant, and whose
eyes are large and expansive like lotus-leaves, is
Arjuna that foremost of bowmen. All lo, close
to the king, are those foremost of men, the twins,
like unto Vishnu and Indra, and who have no equals,
in the world of men, in beauty, might, and behaviour.
And close by them, behold, standeth Krishna, beautiful
as gold, like unto the very embodiment of light, possessing
the complexion of the blue lotus, like unto a celestial
damsel, and resembling the living embodiment of Lakshmi
herself.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Then Virata’s
son began to describe the prowess of Arjuna, saying,
’Even this one is he that slew the foe, like
unto a lion devastating a flock of deer. Even
he ranged through, crowds of hostile cars, slaying
their best of car-warriors. By him was slain a
huge, infuriate elephant by means of a single arrow.
Pierced by him, that huge beast having its flanks
adorned with an armour of gold, fell down piercing
the earth with his tusks. By him have the kine
been recovered and the Kauravas vanquished in battle.
My ears have been deafened by the blare of his conch.
It was by this hero of fierce deeds that Bhishma and
Drona, along with Duryodhana, were vanquished.
That achievement is his and not mine.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Hearing these
words of his, the mighty king of the Matsyas, considering
himself guilty of having offended Yudhishthira, said
unto Uttara in reply, ’I think the time hath
come for me to propitiate the sons of Pandu.
And, if thou likest, I shall bestow my daughter Uttara
upon Arjuna.’
“Uttara said, ’Worthy of our adorations
and worship and respect, the time hath come for worshipping
the illustrious sons of Pandu who deserve to be worshipped
by us.’
“Virata said, ’When brought under the
foe’s subjection in battle, it was Bhimasena
that rescued me. My kine also have been recovered
by Arjuna. It is through the might of their arms
that we have obtained victory in battle. Such
being the case, all of us, with our counsellors, shall
propitiate Yudhishthira the son of Kunti. Blessed
be thou, with all thy brothers, O bull among the sons
of Pandu. If, O king, we have ever said or done
anything in ignorance to offend thee, it behoveth thee
to forgive us. The son of Pandu is virtuous.’
Page 119
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Then the high-souled
Virata, delighted greatly, approached king Yudhishthira
and made an alliance with him, and offered him his
whole kingdom together with the sceptre and treasury
and metropolis. And addressing all the Pandavas,
and especially Dhananjaya, the mighty king of the
Matsyas repeatedly said, ’By good luck it is
that I see you.’ And having again and again
embraced Yudhishthira and Bhima and the sons of Madri,
and smelt their heads, Virata, that owner of a large
army, was not satiated with gazing at them. And
being highly pleased, he said unto king Yudhishthira,
’By good luck it is that I see you safe from
woods. By good luck it is that ye have accomplished
with difficulty the period of exile, undiscovered
by those wicked wights. I make over my entire
kingdom to the sons of Pritha, and what else I have.
Let the sons of Pandu accept these without the slightest
hesitation. And let Dhananjaya, called also Savyasachin,
accept the hand of Uttara: for that best of men
is fit to be her lord.’ Thus addressed,
king Yudhishthira the just cast a look upon Dhananjaya,
the son of Pritha. And looked at by his brother,
Arjuna said unto the Matsya king, ’O monarch,
I accept thy daughter as my daughter-in-law.
And alliance of this kind between the Matsya and the
Bharatas is, indeed, desirable.’”
SECTION LXXII
“Virata said, ’Why, O best among the Pandavas,
dost thou not wish to accept as wife this my daughter
that I bestow upon thee?’
“Arjuna said, ’Residing in thy inner apartments,
I had occasion always to behold thy daughter, and
she too, alone or in company trusted me as her father.
Well-versed in singing and dancing, I was liked and
regarded by her, and, indeed, thy daughter always
regardeth me as her protector. O king, I lived
for one whole year with her though she had attained
the age of puberty. Under these circumstances,
thyself or other men may not without reason, entertain
suspicions against her or me. Therefore, O king,
myself who am pure, and have my senses under control,
beg to thee, O monarch, thy daughter as my daughter-in-law.
Thus do I attest her purity. There is no difference
between a daughter-in-law and a daughter, as also
between a son and son’s own-self. By adopting
this course, therefore, her purity will be proved.
I am afraid of slanderous and false accusations.
I accept, therefore, O king, thy daughter Uttara as
my daughter-in-law. Surpassing all in knowledge
of weapons, resembling a celestial youth in beauty,
my son, the mighty-armed Abhimanyu is the favourite
nephew of Vasudeva, the wielder of the discus.
He, O king, is fit to be thy son-in-law and the husband
of thy daughter.’
“Virata said, ’It behoveth the best of
the Kurus, Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, who is so
virtuous and wise, to say this. O son of Pritha,
do thou carry out what thou thinkest should be done
after this. He that hath Arjuna for the father
of his son-in-law, hath all his desires gratified.’
Page 120
“Vaisampayana continued, ’The monarch
having said this, Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti,
gave his assent to what was thus agreed upon between
the Matsya king and Arjuna. And, O Bharata, the
son of Kunti sent invitations to Vasudeva and to all
his friends and relatives, and Virata also did the
same. And then, after the expiry of the thirteenth
year, the five Pandavas took up their abode in one
of Virata’s towns called Upaplavya, and Vibhatsu,
the son of Pandu, brought over Abhimanyu and Janardana,
and also many people of the Dasarha race from the
Anarta country. And the king of Kasi, and also
Saivya, being very friendly to Yudhishthira, arrived
there, each accompanied by an Akshauhini of troops.
And the mighty Drupada, also with the heroic sons
of Draupadi and the unvanquished Sikhandin, and that
foremost of wielder of weapons, the invincible Dhrishtadyumna
came there with another Akshauhini of troops.
And all the kings that came were not only lords of
Akshauhini, but performers of sacrifices with gifts
in profusion to Brahmanas, conversant with the Vedas
endued with heroism, and ready to die in battle.
And beholding them arrived, that foremost of virtuous
men, the king of the Matsyas, adored them duly, and
entertained their troops and servants and carriers
of burdens. And he was highly pleased to bestow
his daughter upon Abhimanyu. And after the kings
had come there from different parts of the country,
there came Vasudeva decked in floral garlands, and
Halayudha, and Kritavarman, the son of Hridika, and
Yuyudhana, the son of Satyaki, and Anadhristi and
Akrura, and Samva and Nisatha. And these repressers
of foes came there bringing with them Abhimanyu and
his mother. And Indrasena and others, having
lived at Dwaraka for one whole year, came there, bringing
with them the well adorned cars of the Pandavas.
And there came also ten thousand elephants and ten
thousand cars, and hundred millions of horses and
hundred billions of foot-soldiers, and innumerable
Vrishni and Andhaka and Bhoja warriors of great energy,
in the train of that tiger among the Vrishnis, Vasudeva
of great effulgence. And Krishna gave unto each
of the illustrious sons of Pandu numerous female slaves,
and gems and robes. And then the nuptial festival
set in between the families of the Matsya king and
the Pandavas. And then conchs and cymbals and
horns and drums and other musical instruments appointed
by the Pandavas, began to play in the palace of Virata.
And deer of various kinds and clean animals by hundreds
were slain. And wines of various kinds and intoxicating
juices of trees were profusely collected. And
mimes and bards and encomiasts, versed in singing
and legendary lore, waited upon the kings, and chanted
their praises and genealogies. And the matrons
of the Matsyas of symmetrical bodies and limbs, and
wearing ear-rings of pearls and gems, headed by Sudeshna,
came to the place where the marriage knot was to be
tied. And amongst those beautiful females of
Page 121
fair complexion and excellent ornaments, Krishna was
the foremost in beauty and fame and splendour.
And they all came there, leading forth the princess
Uttara decked in every ornament and resembling the
daughter of the great Indra himself. And then
Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, accepted Virata’s
daughter of faultless limbs on behalf of his son by
Subhadra. And that great king, Yudhishthira,
the son of Kunti, who stood there like Indra, also
accepted her as his daughter-in-law. And having
accepted her, the son of Pritha, with Janardana before
him, caused the nuptial ceremonies to be performed
of the illustrious son of Subhadra. And Virata
then gave him (as dowry) seven thousand steeds endued
with the speed of the wind and two hundred elephants
of the best kind and much wealth also. And having
duly poured libations of clarified butter on the blazing
fire, and paid homage unto the twice-born ones, Virata
offered to the Pandavas his kingdom, army, treasury,
and his own self. And after the marriage had taken
place, Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, gave away
unto the Brahmanas all the wealth that had been brought
by Krishna of unfading glory. And he also gave
away thousands of kine, and diverse kinds of robes,
and various excellent ornaments, and vehicles, and
beds, delicious viands of various kinds, and cardinal
drinks of diverse species. And the king also made
gifts of land unto the Brahmanas with due rites, and
also cattle by thousands. And he also gave away
thousands of steeds and much gold and much wealth
of other kinds, unto persons of all ages. And,
O bull of the Bharata race, the city of the Matsya
king, thronged with men cheerful and well-fed, shone
brightly like a great festival.’”
The end of Virata Parva
FOOTNOTES
1. Brahma Vadini—Nilakantha explains
this as Krishna-kirtanasila.
2. This speech of Vaisampayana is not included
in some texts within the second section. To include
it, however, in the third, is evidently a mistake.
3. The sloka commencing with Adushta and ending
ratheshu cha does not occur in texts except those
in Bengal.
4. A difference reading is observable here.
The sense, however, is the same.
5. An independent female artisan working in another
person’s house.—Wilson.
6. Some of the Bengal text and Sarvastramaya
for Sarvamantramaya. The former is evidently
incorrect.
7. This is a very difficult sloka. Nilakantha
adopts the reading Sanjayet. The Bengal editions
read Sanjapet. If the latter be the correct reading,
the meaning then would be,—’Let none
talk about what transpires in the presence of the
king. For those even that are poor, regard it
as a grave fault.’ The sense evidently
is that the occurrences in respect of a king which
one witnesses should not be divulged. Even they
that are powerless regard such divulgence of what
occurs in respect of them as an insult to them, and,
therefore, inexcusable.
Page 122
8. The Bengal editions, read Rajna in the instrumental
case. Following a manuscript text of a Pandit
of my acquaintance I read Rajnas in the genitive.
9. Mahishasura, the son of Rambhasura. Durga
had to fight for many many years before she could
slay this formidable Asura. The story occurs in
the Markandeya Purana. To this day, Bengal during
the great Durga Puja festival in autumn, worships
the goddess with great veneration.
10. Literally, one that rescues from difficulty.
11. Kamachara is explained by Nilakantha thus,
although in other places it bears a quite different
meaning.
12. Krita—attack; Pratikrita—warding
it off; Sankata—clenched Some texts read
Sankatakais. The meaning then would be ‘cased
in gauntlets.’
13. Bhuti, Hri, Sri, Kirti and Kanti are respectively
the feminine embodiments of Prosperity, Modesty, Beauty,
Fame and Loveliness.
14. What Draupadi means is that instead of passing
her days in joy and happiness, instead of being able
to wish time to be stationary with her, she is obliged
in consequence of her misery, to wish time to pass
off quickly.
15. Jayate asyas—i.e., she from whom
one is born.
16. Some texts read, Vilwam nagaviodhara—i.e.,
’As an elephant lifts up a vela fruit.’
17. Veri means both a kettle-drum and a trumpet.
The latter however conveys a better meaning here.
18. Literature, force of his thighs.
19. What Bhima says is this.—Then
Gandharvas, your husbands, are always obedient to
thee! If they have been able to do thee a service,
they have only repaid a debt.
20. Krita-krita—Nilakantha explains
this to mean ’imagining themselves to have achieved
success in their mission’ for having learnt of
Kichaka’s death, they could readily guess the
presence of the Pandavas there. This is too far-fetched
and does not at all agree with the spirit of their
report to Duryodhana below. And then the same
word occurs in the very last line of the Section.
I take it that in both places the word has been used
in the same sense.
21. This is a very difficult sloka. I am
not sure that I have understood it alright. Both
Nilakantha and Arjuna Misra are silent. Instead
of depending, however, on my own intelligence, I have
consulted several friends who have read the Mahabharata
thoroughly. The grammatical structure is easy.
The only difficulty consists in the second half of
the sloka. The meaning, however, I have given
is consistent with the tenor of Bhishma’s advice.
22. Indicating the unobstructed completion of
the sacrifice.
23. The word tirtha here means, as Nilakantha
rightly explains spies and not holy spots.
24. Satram is explained by Nilakantha to mean
here ‘false disguise.’ I think, however,
such an interpretation to be far-fetched. It evidently
means ’forest’,—the use of ‘pravisteshu’
in connection with it almost settles the point.
Page 123
25. This sloka is not correctly printed in any
of the texts that I have seen. The reading that
I adopt is that the second word is the participle
of the root budh and not the instrumental of budhi;
the last word again of the second line is a compound
of valavatsu and avaleshu instead of (as printed in
many books) valavatswavaleshu. Any other reading
would certainly be incorrect. I have not consulted
the Bombay text.
26. Bhagasas lit., each in its proper place.
It may also mean, ’according to their respective
division.’
27. Kalyana-patalam is explained by Nilakantha
to mean suvarna pattachchaditam.
28. One of the generals of Virata.
29. Some differences of reading are noticeable
here, for Yasaswinau some texts read Manaswinau, and
for Vahusamravdhau-Vahusanrambhat; and for Nakha-naki—Ratha-rathi.
30. Some texts read Ghanabiva for Ghanarva.
The latter is unquestionably better in form.
31. The word in the original is Muhurta equal
to 48 minutes. Nilakantha points out very ingeniously
that the night being the seventh of the dark fortnight,
the moon would not rise till after 14 Dandas from the
hour of sunset, a Danda being equal to 24 minutes.
A Muhurta, therefore implies not 48 minutes exactly,
but some time.
32. Some Vikshyainam, Nilakantha explains Sama
as a word spoken by Bhima for assuring the captive
Virata, and Vikshya as ‘assuring’ or ’consoling
by a glance.’ Perhaps this is right.
33. The adjective Bhima-sankasas as explained
by Nilakantha is in this sense, quoting the celebrated
simile of Valmiki.
34. To understand the comparison would require
in the reader a knowledge of the mechanism of the
Indian Vina. Briefly, the Vina consists of a
bamboo of about cubits attached to two gourds towards
its ends. Along the bamboo which serves the purpose
of a finger-board, is the main chord and several thinner
wires. All these pass over a number of frets,
two and a half heptachords, representing the total
compass of the instrument. The wires rest towards
their ends on two pieces of ivory called Upadhanas
in Sanskrit or Swaris in Urdu.
35. Some read kaniasi for vaviasi. Both
words are the same, and mean the same thing.
36. Vedi-Vilagna madhya—Vedi in this
connection means a wasp and not, as explained by Mallinatha
in his commentary of the Kumarasambhava, a sacrificial
platform. I would remark in passing that many
of the most poetic and striking adjectives in both
the Raghu and the Kumarasambhava of Kalidasa are borrowed
unblushingly from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
37. Padma patrabha-nibha may also mean ’of
the splendour of the gem called Marakata.’
Nilakantha, however, shows that this would militate
against the adjective Kankojwalatwacham below.
38. The princess being of the complexion of burnished
gold and Arjuna dark as a mass of clouds, the comparison
is exceedingly appropriate. The Vaishnava poets
of Bengal never tire of this simile in speaking of
Radha and Krishna in the groves of Vrindavana.
Page 124
39. The words in the original is pranayam, lit.,
love. Nilakantha, however, explains it as meaning
modesty, humility. I think, Nilakantha is right.
The relations between Arjuna and the princess were
like those between father and daughter.
40. This sloka is not correctly printed in any
of the texts that I have seen. The Burdwan Pandits
read tat-samim. This I think, is correct, but
then asasada in the singular when the other verbs are
all dual seems to be correct. The poet must have
used some other verb in the dual for asasada.
41. Some texts read Diptasya for Diptayam.
42. This sloka does not occur in every text.
This is a typical illustration of the round about
way, frequently adopted by Sanskrit writers, of expressing
a simple truth. The excuse in the present instance
consists in Drona’s unwillingness to identify
the solitary hero with Arjuna, in the midst of all
his hearers. Nadiji is an exclamation referring
to Bhishma, the son of the river Ganga. Lankesa-vanari-ketu
is simply ‘ape-bannered,’ or as rendered
in the text, having the devastator of the gardens
of Lanka’s lord for the sign of his banner.
Nagahvaya is ‘named after tree’ for Arjuna
is the name of an Indian tree. Nagri-sunu is
’Indra’s son’,—Indra being
the foe of mountain, for formerly it was he who cut
off the wings of all mountains and compelled them to
be stationary. He failed only in the case of
Mainaka, the son of Himavat.
43. Indian insects of a particular kind.
44. Most editions read chapas which is evidently
wrong. The correct reading is avapas, meaning
quiver. The Burdwan Pandits give this latter
reading.
45. Some read chandrargha-darsanas. The
correct reading is chandrardha-darsanas.
46. Most editions read hema-punkha and silasita
in the instrumental plural; the correct reading is
their nominative plural forms.
47. Sayaka means here, as explained by Nilakantha,
a sword, and not a shaft.
48. From the colour of his steeds.
49. Nilakantha spends much learning and ingenuity
in making out that sixty-five years in this connection
means thirty-two years of ordinary human computation.
50. Some texts read,—’One large
meteor fell.’
51. In some editions read,—Bharata
dwijam, and Maha-hardam for maha-drumam. The
meaning would then be,—’The banners
(of the hostile army) began to tremble in the sky,
and large lakes were agitated.”
52. Some texts read Maharatham (incorrectly)
for hiranmayan. Indeed, Maharatham would give
no meaning in this connection. The incomplete
edition of the Roy Press under the auspices of the
Principal of the Calcutta Sanskrit College abounds
with such incorrect readings and misprints.
53. The Roy Press edition adds here a line which
looks very much like an interpolation.
54. The true reading is Acharya in the dual number,
meaning Drona and Kripa. Some texts read the
word in the singular form. Nilakantha notices
both these reading, but prefers the dual to the singular.
Page 125
55. The meaning is rather doubtful. Duryodhana
seems to say that ’the hostile appearance of
Arjuna has been an act of imprudence on his part.
The Pandavas, after the expiry of the thirteenth year,
would claim their kingdom. I, Duryodhana, may
or may not accede to their demand. When, therefore,
it was not certain that Arjuna would be refused by
me, his hostile appearance is unwise. He has
come sure of victory, but he may yet be defeated.’
56. The sense seems to be that when moralists
even are puzzled in judging of the propriety or otherwise
of their acts, it can easily be imagined that the
Pandavas, however virtuous, have, in the matter of
this their appearance, acted wrongly, for, after all,
the thirteenth year may not have really been over
as believed by them. Or, it may mean, that as
regards our presence here, we have not acted imprudently
when even moralists cannot always arrive at right
conclusion. It seems that for this Duryodhana
proceeds to justify that presence in the following
sentences.
The Mahabharata
of
Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa
BOOK 5
UDYOGA PARVA
Translated into English Prose from the Original Sanskrit
Text
by
Kisari Mohan Ganguli
[1883-1896]
Scanned at sacred-texts.com, 2004. Proofed by
John Bruno Hare, October 2004.
THE MAHABHARATA
UDYOGA PARAVA
SECTION I
Om! Having bowed down to Narayana,
and Nara the most exalted of male beings, and also
to the goddess Saraswati, must the word Jaya be uttered.
“Vaisampayana said, ’Then those valiant
descendants of Kuru, who belonged to the same party
(with Virata), having joyfully celebrated the nuptials
of Abhimanyu and rested themselves that night, presented
themselves at dawn, well pleased, in the court of
Virata, And the chamber of the king of the Matsya
was full of riches, and variegated with choice gems
and precious stones, with seats methodically arranged,
adorned with garlands, and filled with fragrance.
And those mighty monarchs of men all came to that
place, And on the seats in front sat the two kings
Virata and Drupada. And the revered and aged
rulers of the earth, and Valarama and Krishna along
with their father, all sat there. And close to
the king of Panchala was seated the great hero of
the race of Sini, together with the son of Rohini.
And side by side with the king of the Matsya sat Krishna
and Yudhishthira, and all the sons of king Drupada,
and Bhima and Arjuna, and the two sons of Madri, and
Pradyumna and Samva, both valiant in battle, and Abhimanyu
with Virata’s sons. And those princes, the
sons of Draupadi, rivalling their fathers in valour,
strength, grace, and prowess, sat upon excellent seats
Page 126
inlaid with gold. And when those mighty heroes
wearing shining ornaments and robes had set themselves
down, that gorgeous assembly of kings looked beautiful
like the firmament spangled with resplendent stars.
And those valiant men, assembled together, having
conversed with one another upon various topics, remained
for some time in a pensive mood, with their eyes fixed
upon Krishna. And at the end of their talk, Krishna
drew their attention to the affairs of the Pandavas.
And those powerful kings together listened to Krishna’s
speech, pregnant and lofty. And Krishna said,
It is known to you all, how this Yudhishthira was
deceitfully defeated at dice by the son of Suvala,
and how he was robbed of his kingdom and how a stipulation
was made by him concerning his exile in the forest.
And capable as they were of conquering the earth by
force, the sons of Pandu remained firm in their plighted
faith. And accordingly for six and seven years
these incomparable men accomplished the cruel task
imposed upon them. And this last, the thirteenth
year, was exceedingly hard for them to pass. Yet
unrecognised by any one they have passed it, as known
to you, suffering unendurable hardships of various
kinds. This is known to you all. These illustrious
men have spent the thirteenth year, employed in menial
service of others. This being so, it is for you
to consider what will be for the good of both Yudhishthira
and Duryodhana, and what, as regards the Kurus and
the Pandavas, will be consistent with the rules of
righteousness and, propriety and what will meet with
the approbation of all. The virtuous king Yudhishthira
would not unrighteously covet even the celestial kingdom.
But righteously he would accept the rule even of a
single village. How the sons of Dhritarashtra
fraudulently robbed him of his paternal kingdom, and
how he hath passed a life of unendurable hardships,
are known to all the kings assembled here. The
sons of Dhritarashtra are incapable of overcoming
by strength Arjuna, the son of Pritha. Nevertheless,
king Yudhishthira and his friends have no other desire
than the good of Dhritarashtra’s son. These
brave sons of Kunti, and the two sons of Madri, ask
for only what they themselves, achieving victory in
battle, had won from the defeated kings. You,
no doubt, know full well how those enemies of the
Pandavas—with the object of possessing
themselves of the kingdom, endeavoured by various means
to destroy them, when they were yet mere boys.
So wicked and rancorous they were. Consider,
how grasping they are and how virtuous Yudhishthira
is. Consider also the relationship that exists
between them. I beseech you all to consult together
and also think separately. The Pandavas have
always had a regard for truth. They have fulfilled
their promise to the very letter. If now treated
wrongfully by the sons of Dhritarashtra, they would
slay them all though banded together. They have
friends, who, on being informed of their unworthy
treatment at the hands of others, would stand by them,
Page 127
engaged in fight with their persecutors, and willingly
slay them even if they should lose their own lives
for it. If you suppose them to be too few to
be capable of winning a victory over their enemies,
you must know that united together and followed by
their friends, they would, no doubt, try their utmost
to destroy those enemies. What Duryodhana thinks
is not exactly known, nor what he may do. When
the mind of the other side is not known, what opinion
can be formed by you as to what is best to be done?
Therefore, let a person, virtuous and honest and of
respectable birth, and wary,—an able ambassador,
set out to beseech them mildly for inducing them to
give half the kingdom to Yudhishthira. Having
listened to the speech of Krishna, marked by prudence
and a regard for virtue and showing a pacific and
impartial spirit, his elder brother then addressed
the assembly bestowing high encomiums on the words
of the younger brother.’”
SECTION II
“Baladeva said, ’You have all listened
to the speech of him who is the elder brother of Gada,
characterised as it is by a sense of virtue and prudence,
and salutary alike to Yudhishthira and king Duryodhana.
These valiant sons of Kunti are ready to give up half
their kingdom, and they make this sacrifice for the
sake of Duryodhana. The sons of Dhritarashtra,
therefore, should give up half of the kingdom, and
should rejoice and be exceedingly happy with us that
the quarrel can be so satisfactorily settled.
These mighty persons having obtained the kingdom would,
no doubt, be pacified and happy, provided the opposite
party behave well. For them to be pacified will
redound to the welfare of men. And I should be
well-pleased if somebody from here, with the view of
pacifying both the Kurus and the Pandavas, should undertake
a journey and ascertain what is the mind of Duryodhana
and explain the views of Yudhishthira. Let him
respectfully salute Bhishma the heroic scion of Kuru’s
race, and the magnanimous son of Vichitravirya, and
Drona along with his son, and Vidura and Kripa, and
the king of Gandhara, along with the Suta’s
son. Let him also pay his respects to all the
other sons of Dhritarashtra, to all who are renowned
for strength and learning, devoted to their proper
duties, heroic, and conversant with signs of the times.
When all these persons are gathered together and when
also the elderly citizens are assembled, let him speak
words full of humility and likely to serve the interests
of Yudhishthira, At all events, let them not be provoked,
for they have taken possession of the kingdom with
a strong hand. When Yudhishthira had his throne,
he forgot himself by being engaged in gambling and
was dispossessed by them of his kingdom. This
valiant Kuru, this descendant of Ajamida, Yudhishthira,
though not skilled in dice and though dissuaded by
all his friends, challenged the son of the king of
Gandhara, an adept at dice, to the match. There
Page 128
were then at that place thousands of dice-players
whom Yudhishthira could defeat in a match. Taking
however, no notice of any of them, he challenged Suvala’s
son of all men to the game, and so he lost. And
although the dice constantly went against him, he would
still have Sakuni alone for his opponent. Competing
with Sakuni in the play, he sustained a crushing defeat.
For this, no blame can attach to Sakuni. Let the
messenger make use of words characterised by humility,
words intended to conciliate Vichitravirya’s
son. The messenger may thus bring round Dhritarashtra’s
son to his own views. Do not seek war with the
Kurus; address Duryodhana in only a conciliatory tone,
The object may possibly fail to be gained by war,
but it may be gained by conciliation, and by this
means also it may be gained enduringly.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’While that valiant
scion of Madhu’s race was even continuing his
speech, the gallant son of the race of Sini suddenly
rose up and indignantly condemned the words of the
former by these words of his.’
SECTION III
“Satyaki said, ’Even as a man’s
heart is, so doth he speak! Thou art speaking
in strict conformity with the nature of thy heart.
There are brave men, and likewise those that are cowards.
Men may be divided into these two well defined classes.
As upon a single large tree there may be two boughs
one of which beareth fruits while the other doth not,
so from the self-same line of progenitors may spring
persons that are imbecile as well as those that are
endowed with great strength O thou bearing the sign
of a plough on thy banner, I do not, in sooth, condemn
the words thou hast spoken, but I simply condemn those,
O son of Madhu, who are listening to thy words!
How, indeed, can he, who unblushingly dares attach
even the slightest blame in the virtuous king Yudhishthira
be permitted to speak at all in the midst of the assembly?
Persons clever in the game of dice challenged the
magnanimous Yudhishthira unskilled as he is in play,
and confiding in them he was defeated! Can such
persons be said to have virtuously won the game?
If they had come to Yudhishthira while playing in
this house with his brothers and defeated him there,
then what they would have won would have been righteously
won. But they challenged Yudhishthira who was
bound in conscience to follow the rules observed by
the military caste, and they won by a trick. What
is there in this conduct of theirs that is righteous?
And how can this Yudhishthira here, having performed
to the utmost the stipulations entered into by way
of stakes in the play, freed from the promise of a
sojourn in the forest, and therefore entitled to his
ancestral throne, humble himself? Even if Yudhishthira
coveted other people’s possessions, still it
would not behove him to beg! How can they be
said to be righteous and not intent on usurping the
throne when, although the Pandavas have lived out their
Page 129
sojourn of concealment unrecognised, they still say
that the latter had been recognised? They were
besought by Bhishma and the magnanimous Drona, but
they would not yet consent to give back to the Pandavas
the throne that belongeth to them by right of birth.
The means with which I would beseech them would be
sharp arrows. I shall fight and with a strong
hand force them to prostrate themselves at the feet
of the illustrious son of Kunti. If, however,
they do not bow at the feet of the wise Yudhishthira,
then they and their partisans must go to the regions
of Yama. When Yuyudhana (myself) is enraged and
resolved to fight, they, to be sure, are unequal to
withstand his impetus, as mountains are unable to resist
that of the thunderbolt. Who can withstand Arjuna
in fight, or him who hath the discus for his weapon
in battle, or myself as well? Who can withstand
the unapproachable Bhima? And who, having regard
for his life, would come near the twin brothers who
firmly grasp their bows and resemble the death-dealing
Yama in intelligence? Who would approach Dhrishtadyumna,
the son of Drupada, or these five sons of the Pandavas
who have added lustre to Draupadi’s name, rivalling
their fathers in valour, equal to them in every respect
and full of martial pride, or him of the powerful
bow, Subhadra’s son, irresistible by even the
gods themselves; or Gada, or Pradyumna, or Samva,
resembling Yama or the thunderbolt or fire? We
shall slay Dhritarashtra’s son and Sakuni and
Karna in battle, and place the Pandava on the throne.
There is no sin in slaying them that are bent on slaying
us: but to be a beggar before foes is both impious
and infamous. I ask you to be diligent in doing
that which is heartily desired by Yudhishthira.
Let Pandu’s son get back the kingdom resigned
by Dhritarashtra! Either Yudhishthira should get
back his kingdom this very day or all our enemies
shall lie down on the earth slain by me!’
SECTION IV
“Drupada said, ’O mighty-armed one, it
will, without doubt, be even as thou hast said!
Never will Duryodhana give up the kingdom by peaceful
means, and Dhritarashtra, who dotes on his son, will
follow him in his wish. And so will Bhishma and
Drona from imbecility, and Karna and Sakuni from folly.
The words of Valadeva command themselves to my judgment;
the course pointed out by him should, indeed, be followed
by a man who desires peaceful settlement. But
Duryodhana should never be addressed in mild words.
Vicious by nature, he, I believe cannot be brought
to reason by mildness. In respect of an ass,
mildness is in place; but in respect of animals of
the bovine species, severity should be resorted to.
If any one were to speak mild words to Duryodhana,
vicious by nature that wicked wight would consider
the speaker to be an imbecile person. If a mild
course is adopted towards him, the fool will think
that he has won. Let us do even this, let us
make preparations; let us send word to our friends
Page 130
that they may collect an army for us. Let speedy
messengers go to Salya, and Dhrishtaketu, and Jayatsena,
and the prince of the Kekayas. Duryodhana also,
on his part, will send word to all the kings, Rightminded
persons, however, respond to the request of those that
first beseech them. Therefore, I ask you to make
haste in first preferring your suit to these rulers
of men. Meseems that a great undertaking is awaiting
us. Quickly send word to Salya, and to the kings
under him, and to king Bhagadatta of immeasurable
valour residing on the eastern sea-coast, and to fierce
Hardikya, and Ahuka, and the king of the Mallas of
powerful understanding, and Rochamana. Let Vrihanta
be summoned and king Senavindu, and Vahlika and Mudjakesa
and the ruler of the Chedis, and Suparsva, Suvahu;
and that great hero, Paurava; and also the kings of
the Sakas, the Pahlavas, and the Daradas, and Surari,
and Nadija, and king Karnavest, and Nila, and the
valiant king Viradharman; and Durjaya, and Dantavakra,
and Rukmi, and Janamejaya; and Ashada and Vayuvega,
and king Purvapali; and Bhuritejas, and Devaka, and
Ekalaya with his sons; and also the kings of the Krausha
race, and the valiant Kshemamurti, and the kings of
the Kamboja and the Richika tribes, and of the western
sea-coast; and Jayatsena and the king of Kashi, and
the rulers of the land of the five rivers, and the
proud son of Kratha, and the rulers of the mountain
regions, and Janaki, and Susarman and Maniman, and
Potimatsyaka, and the valiant Dhrishtaketu, and the
ruler of the kingdom of Pansu; and Paundra, and Dandadhara,
and the brave Vrihatsena; and Aparajita, and Nishada
and Srenimat and Vasumat; and Vrihadvala of great
strength, and Vahu the conqueror of hostile cities;
and the warlike king Samudrasena with his son; and
Uddhava, and Kshemaka and king Vatadhana; and Srutayus,
and Dridhayus, and the gallant son of Salwa; and the
king of the Kalingas, and Kumara, unconquerable in
battle. Speedily send word to these. This
is what recommends itself to me. And let this
my priest, learned Brahmana, be sent, O king, to Dhritarashtra.
Tell him the words he is to say and what Duryodhana
should be told; and how Bhishma is to be addressed,
and how Drona, that best of car-warriors!”
SECTION V
“Krishna said, ’These worlds are worthy
of the chief of the Somaka tribe, and are calculated
to promote the interests of Pandu’s son of immeasurable
strength. As we are desirous of adopting a politic
course, this is, no doubt, our first duty; a man acting
otherwise would be a great fool. But our relationship
to both the Kurus and the Pandus is equal, howsoever
these two parties may behave with each other.
Both you and we have been invited here on the occasion
of a marriage. The marriage having now been celebrated,
let us go home well-pleased. You are the foremost
of kings, both in years and learning; and here we all,
no doubt are as if your pupils. Dhritarashtra
Page 131
has always entertained a great respect for you; and
you are also a friend of the preceptors Drona and
Kripa. I, therefore, ask you to send a message
(to the Kurus) in the interests of the Pandavas.
We all resolve even upon this that you should send
a message unto them. If that chief of the Kuru
race should make peace on equitable terms, then the
brotherly feelings between the Kuras and the Pandus
will sustain no injury. If on the other hand,
the son of Dhritarashtra should wax haughty and from
folly refuse to make peace, then, having summoned
others, summon us too. The holder of Gadiva then
will be fired with wrath and the dull-headed and wicked
Duryodhana, with his partisans and friends, will meet
his fate.’
“Vaisampayana said, ’King Virata, then
having honoured Krishna, sent him home with his followers
and relatives. And after Krishna had set out for
Dwaraka, Yudhishthira and his followers, with king
Virata, began to make preparations for war. And
Virata and his relatives sent word to all the monarchs,
and king Drupada also did the same. And at the
request of those lions of the Kuru race, as also of
the two kings of the Matsyas and the Panchalas, many
lords of the earth possessed of great strength, came
to the place with cheerful hearts. And when the
sons of Dhritarashtra heard that the Pandavas had
collected a large army, they also assembled many rulers
of the earth. And, O king, at that time the whole
land became thronged with the rulers of the earth
who were marching to espouse the cause of either the
Kurus or the Pandavas. And the land was full of
military bands composed of four kinds of forces.
And from all sides the forces began to pour in.
And the goddess Earth with her mountains and forests
seemed to tremble beneath their tread. And the
king of the Panchalas, having consulted the wishes
of Yudhishthira, despatched to the Kurus his own priest,
who was old both in years and understanding.’
SECTION VI
“Drupada said, ’Of beings those that are
endowed with life are superior. Of living beings
those that are endowed with intelligence are superior.
Of intelligent creatures men are superior. Of
men the twice-born are superior. Of the twice-born,
students of the Veda are superior. Of students
of the Veda those of cultured understanding are superior.
Of cultured men practical persons are superior.
And finally, of practical men those knowing the Supreme
Being are superior. You, it seems to me, are
at the very top of those that are of cultured understanding.
You are distinguished both for age and learning.
You are equal in intellect to either Sukra or Vrihaspati,
the son of Angiras. You know what kind of man
the chief of the Kuru race is, and what kind of man
also is Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti. It was
with Dhritarashtra’s knowledge that the Pandavas
were-deceived by their opponents. Though instructed
by Vidura he yet follows his son! Sakuni advisedly
Page 132
challenged Yudhishthira to a gambling match although
the latter was unskilled in gambling while the former
was an adept in it. Unskilled in play, Yudhishthira
was guileless and firm in following the rules of the
military order. Having thus cheated the virtuous
king Yudhishthira, they will, by no means, voluntarily
yield up the kingdom. If you speak words of righteousness
unto Dhritarashtra, you will certainly gain the hearts
of his fighting men. Vidura also will make use
of those words of yours and will thus alienate the
hearts of Bhishma, and Drona, and Kripa, and others.
When the officers of state are alienated and fighting
men are backward, the task of the enemy will be to
gain back their hearts. In the meantime, the Pandavas
will, with ease and with their whole hearts, address
themselves in preparing the army and in collecting
stores. And when the enemy’s adherents are
estranged, and while you are hanging about them, they
will surely not be able to make adequate preparations
for war. This course seems expedient in this wise.
On your meeting with Dhritarashtra it is possible that
Dhritarashtra may do what you say. And as you
are virtuous, you must therefore act virtuously towards
them. And to the compassionate, you must descant
upon the various hardships that the Pandavas have
endured. And you must estrange the hearts of
the aged persons by discoursing upon the family usages
which were followed by their forefathers. I do
not entertain the slightest doubt in this matter.
Nor need you be apprehensive of any danger from them,
for you are a Brahmana, versed in the Vedas; and you
are going thither as an ambassador, and more specially,
you are an aged man. Therefore, I ask you to
set out without delay towards the Kauravas with the
object of promoting the interests of the Pandavas,
timing your departure under the (astrological) combination
called Pushya and at that part of the day called Jaya.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Thus instructed
by the magnanimous Drupada, the virtuous priest set
out for Hastinapura (the city called after the elephant).
And that learned man, well-versed in the principles
of the science of politics, started with a following
of disciples towards the Kurus for the sake of promoting
the welfare of Pandu’s sons.’
SECTION VII
“Vaisampayana said, ’Having despatched
the priest to the city called after the elephant they
sent messengers to the kings of various countries.
And having sent messengers to other places, the Kuru
hero Dhananjaya, that bull among men and son of Kunti,
himself set out for Dwaraka. And after Krishna
and Valadeva, the descendants of Madhu, had both departed
for Dwaraka with all the Vrishnis, the Andhakas and
the Bhojas, by hundreds, the royal son of Dhritarashtra
had, by sending secret emissaries, furnished himself
with information of all the doings of the Pandavas.
And learning that Krishna was on his way, the prince
Page 133
went to the city of Dwaraka by means of fine horses
possessing the speed of the wind, and taking with
him a small number of troops. And on that very
day the son of Kunti and Pandu, Dhananjaya, also speedily
arrived at the beautiful city of the Anarta land.
And the two scions of the Kuru race, those tigers
among men, on arriving there saw that Krishna was
asleep, and drew near him as he lay down. And
as Krishna was sleeping, Duryodhana entered the room,
and sat down on a fine seat at the head of the bed.
And after him entered that wearer of the diadem the
magnanimous Arjuna. And stood at the back of
the bed, bowing and joining his hands. And when
the descendant of Vrishni, Krishna awoke, he first
cast his eyes on Arjuna. And having asked them
as to the safety of their journey, and having fitly
bestowed his greetings upon them, the slayer of Madhu
questioned them as to the occasion of their visit.
Then Duryodhana addressed Krishna, with a cheerful
countenance, saying, It behoveth you to lend me your
help in the impending war. Arjuna and myself are
both equally your friends. And, O descendant
of Madhu, you also bear the same relationship to both
of us. And today, O slayer of Madhu, I have been
the first to come to you. Right-minded persons
take up the cause of him who comes first to them.
This is how the ancients acted. And, O Krishna,
you stand at the very top of all right-minded persons
in the world, and are always respected. I ask
you to follow the rule of conduct observed by rightminded
men.’ Thereat Krishna replied, ’That
you have come first, O king, I do not in the least
doubt. But, O king, the son of Kunti, Dhananjaya,
has been first beheld by me. On account of your
first arrival, and on account of my having beheld
Arjuna first, I shall, no doubt, lend my assistance,
O Suyodhana, to both. But it is said that those
who are junior in years should have the first choice.
Therefore, Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, is entitled
to first choice. There is a large body of cowherds
numbering ten crores, rivalling me in strength and
known as the Narayanas, all of whom are able to fight
in the thick of battle. These soldiers, irresistible
in battle, shall be sent to one of you and I alone,
resolved not to fight on the field, and laying down
my arms, will go to the other. You may, O son
of Kunti, first select whichever of these two commends
itself to you. For, according to law, you have
the right to the first choice.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Thus addressed
by Krishna, Dhananjaya the son of Kunti selected Kesava
who was not to fight on the battle-field, even Narayana
himself, the slayer of foes, increate, born among men
at his own will,—the foremost of all Kshatriyas
and above all the gods and the Danavas. And Duryodhana
selected for himself that entire army (composed of
the Narayanas). And, O descendant of Bharata,
having obtained those troops numbering thousands upon
thousands, he was exceedingly delighted, although
he knew that Krishna was not on his side. And
Page 134
having secured that army possessed of terrible prowess,
Duryodhana went to the son of Rohini of great strength,
and explained to him, the object of his visit.
The descendant of Sura in reply addressed the following
words to Dhritarashtra’s son, ’Thou shouldst
remember, O tiger among men, all that I said at the
marriage ceremony celebrated by Vitrata. O thou
delighter of the race of Kuru, for thy sake I then
contradicted Krishna and spoke against his opinions.
And again and again I alluded to the equality of our
relationship to both the parties. But Krishna
did not adopt the views I then expressed; nor can
I separate myself from Krishna for even a single moment.
And seeing that I cannot act against Krishna even this
is resolution formed by me, viz., that I will
fight neither for Kunti’s sons nor for you.
And, O bull of the Bharatas, born as thou art in Bharata’s
race that is honoured by all the kings, go and fight
in accordance with the rules of propriety.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Thus addressed,
Duryodhana embraced that hero wielding a plough for
his weapon of battle, and although knowing that Krishna
had been taken away from his side, he yet regarded
Arjuna as already vanquished. And the royal son
of Dhritarashtra then went to Kritavarman. And
Kritavarman gave him a body of troops numbering an
Akshauhini. And surrounded by that military host,
terrible to behold, the Kaurava marched forth delighting
his friends. And after Duryodhana had departed,
Krishna, the Creator of the world, clad in yellow attire,
addressed Kiritin, saying, ’For what reason is
it that you have selected me who will not fight at
all?’
“Thereupon Arjuna answered, ’I question
not that you are able to slay them all. I also
am alone capable of slaying them, O best of men.
But you are an illustrious person in the world; and
this renown will accompany you. I also am a suitor
for fame; therefore, you have been selected by me.
It hath been always my desire to have you for driving
my car. I, therefore, ask you to fulfil my desire
cherished for a long time.’
“Vasudeva’s son thereupon said, It beseems
thee well, O Kunti’s son, that thou measurest
thyself with me. I will act as thy charioteer;
let thy wish be fulfilled.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Then with a
glad heart, Kunti’s son, accompanied by Krishna
as well as by the flower of the Dasarha race, came
back to Yudhishthira.’
SECTION VIII
“Vaisampayana said, ’O king, having learnt
the news from the messengers, Salya, accompanied by
a large body of troops and by his sons, all of whom
were mighty in battle, was coming to the Pandavas.
His encampment covered an area of one and a half yojana,
so large was the force owned by that best of men.
He was the master, O king, of an Akshauhini and had
great prowess and valour. And there were in his
army heroes bearing armour of various colours, with
diverse kinds of banners and bows and ornaments and
Page 135
cars and animals, all wearing excellent garlands, and
various robes and ornaments. And hundreds and
thousands of foremost of Kshatriyas were the leaders
of his troops, dressed and decorated in the manner
of their native land. And he proceeded by slow
marches, giving rest to his troops, towards the place
where the Pandava was. And the creatures of the
earth felt oppressed and the earth trembled under
the tread of his troops. And king Duryodhana,
hearing that magnanimous and mighty hero was on his
way, hastened towards him and paid him honours, O
best of the Bharata race and caused finely decorated
places of entertainment to be constructed at different
spots for his reception, on beautiful sites, and whither
many artists were directed to entertain the guests.
And those pavilions contained garlands and meat and
the choicest viands and drinks, and wells of various
forms, capable of refreshing the heart, and tanks of
various forms, and edibles, and roomy apartments.
And arriving at those pavilions, and waited upon like
a very god by the servants of Duryodhana located at
different spots, Salya reached another house of entertainment
resplendent as a retreat of the celestials. And
there, greeted with choice creature-comforts fit for
beings superior to man, he deemed himself superior
even to the lord himself of the gods and thought meanly
of Indra as compared with himself. And that foremost
of Kshatriyas, well-pleased, asked the servants, saying,
’Where are those men of Yudhishthira, who have
prepared these places of refreshment? Let those
men who made these be brought to me. I deem them
worthy of being rewarded by me. I must reward
them, let it so please the son of Kunti!’ The
servants, surprised, submitted the whole matter to
Duryodhana. And when Salya was exceedingly pleased
and ready to grant even his life, Duryodhana, who
had remained concealed, came forward and showed himself
to his maternal uncle. And the kind of the Madras
saw him and understood that it was Duryodhana who
had taken all the trouble to receive him. And
Salya embraced Duryodhana and said, ’Accept something
that you may desire.’
“Duryodhana thereupon said, ’O thou auspicious
one, let thy word be true, grant me a boon. I
ask thee to be the leader of all my army.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’And hearing
this, Salya said, ’Be it so! What else
is to be done?’ And the son of Gandhari repeated
again and again, ‘It is done.’ And
Salya said, ’O Duryodhana, O best of men, go
to thy own city. I shall proceed to pay a visit
to Yudhishthira, the subduer of foes. O king,
I shall speedily come back, O ruler of men. That
best of men, Pandu’s son Yudhishthira, must,
by all means, be visited by me.’ And bearing
this Duryodhana said, ’O king, O ruler of the
earth, having seen the Pandava, come speedily back.
I depend entirely upon thee, O king of kings.
Remember the boon that thou hast granted me.’
And Salya answered, ’Good betide thee!
I shall come speedily back. Repair to thy own
Page 136
city, O protector of men.’ And then those
two kings Salya and Duryodhana embraced each other.
And having thus greeted Salya, Duryodhana came back
to his own city. And Salya went to inform the
sons of Kunti of that proceeding of his. And
having reached Upaplavya, and entered the encampment,
Salya saw there all the sons of Panda. And the
mighty-armed Salya having met the sons of Panda, accepted
as usual water for washing his feet, and the customary
gifts of honour including a cow. And the king
of the Madras, that slayer of foes, first asked them
how they were, and then with great delight embraced
Yudhishthira, and Bhima, and Arjuna, and the sons of
his sister the two twin-brothers. And when all
had sat down, Salya spoke to Yudhishthira, the son
of Kunti, saying, ’O tiger among kings, O thou
delighter of the race of Kuru, is it all well with
thee? O best of victors, how fortunately hast
thou spent the term of thy residence in the wilderness,
O king, O lord of monarchs, it was an exceedingly hard
task that thou hast performed by dwelling in the wilderness
together with thy brothers and this noble lady here.
And awfully difficult task again was that sojourn
of thine,—the period of concealment,—which
task also thou hast performed, O descendant of Bharata;
for one pulled down from a throne it is nothing but
hardship that awaits him. O king, where is there
any happiness for him! O afflicter of thy foes,
in compensation for all this vast misery wrought by
Dhritarashtra’s son, thou wilt attain to proportional
happiness after having killed thy foes, O great king,
O lord of men, the ways of the world are known to
thee. Therefore, O my son, thou art never guided
by avarice in any of thy dealings. O descendant
of Bharata, do thou treat on the foot-prints of ancient
saintly kings. My son, Yudhishthira, be steady
in the path of liberality, and self-abnegation, and
truth. And, O royal Yudhishthira, mercy and self
control, and truth and universal sympathy, and everything
wonderful in this world, are to be found in thee.
Thou art mild, munificent, religious, and liberal,
and thou regardest virtue as the highest good.
O king, many are the rules of virtue that prevail
amongst men, and all those are known to thee.
O my son, O afflicter of foes, thou knowest in fact
everything relating to this world. O king, O best
of Bharata’s race, how lucky it is that thou
hast come out of this difficulty of thine. How
lucky, O king, O foremost of monarchs, O lord, it is
that I see thee, so virtuous a soul, a treasure-house
of righteousness, freed with thy followers from this.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Then, O descendant
of Bharata, the king spoke of his meeting with Duryodhana
and gave a detailed account regarding that promise
of his and that boon granted by himself. And Yudhishthira
said, O valiant king, it has been well-done by thee
that being pleased at heart thou hast plighted thy
truth to Duryodhana. But good betide thee, O ruler
of the earth, I ask thee to do one thing only.
Page 137
O king, O best of men, thou wilt have to do it solely
for my sake, though it may not be proper to be done.
O valiant one, hear what I submit to thee. O great
king, thou art equal to Krishna on the field of battle.
When, O best of kings, the single combat between Karna
and Arjuna will take place, I have no doubt thou wilt
have to drive Karna’s car. On that occasion,
if thou art inclined to do good to me, thou must protect
Arjuna. O king, thou must likewise so act that
the Suta’s son Karna may be dispirited and the
victory may be ours. Improper it no doubt is;
but, O my uncle, for all that thou must do it.
Salya said, ’Good betide thee. Listen, O
son of Panda. Thou tellest me to so act that
the vile son of the Suta may be dispirited in fight.
To be sure, I shall be his charioteer’ on the
field, for he always considers me equal to Krishna.
O tiger like descendant of Kuru, I shall certainly
speak to him, when desirous of fighting on the field
of battle, words contradictory and fraught with harm
to him, so that bereft of pride and valour, he may
be easily slain by his antagonist. This I tell
thee truly. Asked by thee to do it, this I am
determined to do, O my son. Whatever else I may
be able to bring about, I shall do for thy good.
Whatever troubles were suffered by thee together with
Draupadi on the occasion of the game at dice, the rude
inhuman words uttered by the Suta’s son, the
misery inflicted by the Asura Jata and by Kichaka,
O illustrious one, all the miseries experienced by
Draupadi, like those formerly experienced by Damayanti,—will
all, O hero, end in joy. Thou shouldst not be
aggrieved at this; for Destiny is all powerful in
this world; and, O Yudhishthira, high-minded persons
have to endure miseries of various kinds, nay, even
the gods themselves, O king, have suffered misfortunes.
O king, O descendant of Bharata, it is narrated that
the high-minded Indra, the chief of the celestials,
had to endure together with his wife very great misery,
indeed.’
SECTION IX
“Yudhishthira said, ’O foremost of monarchs,
I wish to know how it was that great and unparalleled
misery had to be endured by the illustrious Indra
together with his queen.’
“Salya said, ’Listen, O king, to me as
I relate this ancient story of the events of former
days,—how, O descendant of Bharata, misery
befell Indra and his wife. Once Twashtri, the
lord of creatures and the foremost of celestials,
was engaged in practising rigid austerities. And
it is said that from antipathy to Indra he created
a son having three heads. And that being of universal
form possessed of great lustre hankered after Indra’s
seat. And possessed of those three awful faces
resembling the sun, the moon, and the fire, he read
the Vedas with one mouth, drank wine with another,
and looked with the third as if he would absorb all
the cardinal points. And given to the practice
of austerities, and mild being and self-controlled,
Page 138
he was intent upon a life of religious practices and
austerities. And his practice of austerities,
O subduer of foes, was rigid and terrible and of an
exceedingly severe character. And beholding the
austerities, courage, and truthfulness of this one
possessed of immeasurable energy, Indra became anxious,
fearing lest that being should take his place.
And Indra reflected, ’How may he be made to addict
himself to sensual enjoyments; how may he be made to
cease his practice of such rigid austerities?
For were the three-headed being to wax strong, he
would absorb the whole universe.’ And it
was thus that Indra pondered in his mind; and, O best
of Bharata’s race, endued with intelligence,
he ordered the celestial nymphs to tempt the son of
Twashtri. And he commanded them, saying, ’Be
quick, and go without delay, and so tempt him that
the three-headed being may plunge himself into sensual
enjoyment to the utmost extent. Furnished with
captivating hips, array yourselves in voluptuous attires,
and decking yourselves in charming necklaces, do ye
display gestures and blandishments of love. Endued
with loveliness, do ye tempt him and alleviate my
dread. I feel restless in my heart, O lovely
damsels. Avert ye, ladies, this awful peril that
hangs over me. Good betide you.’
“Then the nymphs said, ’O Indra, O slayer
of Vala, we shall so endeavour to allure him that
thou wilt have nothing to fear at his hands. That
very receptacle of austerities, sitting now as if
scorching everything with his eyes, O god, we are
going together to tempt. We shall try to bring
him under our control, and to put an end to your fears.’
“Salya continued, ’Commanded by Indra,
they then went to the three-headed being. And
arriving there, those lovely damsels tempted him with
various gestures of love, displaying their fine figures.
But engaged in the practice of exceedingly severe
austerities, although he looked at them, yet he was
not influenced by desire. Of subdued senses he
was like the ocean, full to the brim, in gravity.
And the nymphs after having tried their best, came
back to Indra. And they all with joined hands
spoke to the lord of the celestials, saying, ’O,
that unapproachable being is incapable of being disturbed
by us. O highly gifted being, thou mayst do what
now may seem proper to thee.’ The high-minded
Indra honoured the nymphs and then dismissed them
reflecting, O Yudhishthira, solely upon other means
of destroying his foe. And endued with intelligence,
he fixed upon a contrivance for destroying the three-headed
being. And he said, ’Let me today hurt
my thunderbolt at him. By this means he will speedily
be killed. Even a strong person should not overlook
a rising foe, contemptible though he may be.’
And thus reflecting upon the lessons inculcated in
treatises of learning, he was firmly resolved upon
slaying that being. Then Indra, enraged, hurled
at the three-headed being his thunderbolt which looked
like fire and was terrible to behold, and which inspired
Page 139
dread. And forcibly struck by that thunderbolt,
he was slain and fell down, as falls on the earth
the loosened summit of a hill. And beholding
him slain by the thunderbolt, and lying down huge as
a hill, the chief of the celestials found no peace,
and felt as if scorched by the effulgent appearance
of the dead; for though slain, he had a blazing and
effulgent appearance and looked like one alive.
And, strange to say, though lifeless, his heads seemed
to be alive as they were beheld lying low on the field.
And exceedingly afraid of that lustre, Indra remained
plunged in thought. And at that time, O great
king, bearing an axe on his shoulder, a carpenter
came to the forest and approached the spot where lay
that being. And Indra, the lord of Sachi, who
was afraid, saw the carpenter come there by chance.
And the chastiser of Paka said unto him immediately,
‘Do this my behest. Quickly cut off this
one’s heads.’ The carpenter thereupon
said, ’His shoulders are broad: this axe
will not be able to cut them off. Nor shall I
be able to do what is condemned by righteous persons.’
And Indra said, ’Do not fear, quickly do what
I say. At my command thy axe shall equal the
thunderbolt.’ The carpenter said, ’Whom
am I to take thee to be who hast done this frightful
deed today? This I wish to learn, tell me the
exact truth.’ And Indra said, ’O
carpenter, I am Indra, the chief of the gods.
Let this be known to thee. Do thou act just as
I have told thee. Do not hesitate, O carpenter!
The carpenter said, ’O Indra, how is it that
thou art not ashamed of this thy inhuman act?
How it is that thou hast no dread of the sin of slaying
a Brahmana, after having slain this son of a saint?’
Indra said, ’I shall afterwards perform some
religious ceremony of a rigorous kind to purify myself
from this taint. This was a powerful enemy of
mine whom I have killed with my thunderbolt.
Even now I am uneasy, O carpenter; I, indeed, dread
him even now. Do thou quickly cut off his heads,
I shall bestow my favour upon thee. In sacrifices,
men will give thee the head of the sacrificial beast
as thy share. This is the favour I confer on thee.
Do thou quickly perform what I desire.’
“Salya said, ’Hearing this, the carpenter,
at the request of the great Indra, immediately severed
the heads of the three-headed one with his axe.
And when the heads were cut off, out flew therefrom
a number of birds, viz., partridges, quails and
sparrows. And from the mouth wherewith he used
to recite the Vedas and to drink the Soma-juice, came
out partridges in quick succession. And, O king,
O son of Pandu, from the mouth with which he used
to look at the cardinal points as if absorbing them
all, a number of quails came forth. And from that
mouth of the three-headed being which used to drink
wine, out flew a number of sparrows and hawks.
And the heads having been cut off Indra was freed
from his trepidation, and went to heaven, glad at heart.
And the carpenter also went back to his house.
Page 140
And the slayer of Asuras, having killed his foe, considered
his object gained. Now when the lord of creatures,
Twashtri, heard that his son had been slain by Indra,
his eyes became red with ire, and he spoke the following
words, ’Since Indra hath killed my son who had
committed no offence at all, who was constantly engaged
in the practice of austerities, who was merciful, possessed
of self-control, and of subdued passions, therefore,
for the destruction of Indra, I will create Vritra.
Let the worlds behold what power I possess, and how
mighty is the practice of austerities! Let that
inhuman, wicked-minded lord of the gods also witness
the same!’ And saying this, that enraged one,
famous for his austerities, washed his mouth with
water, made offerings on the fire, created the terrible
Vritra, and spoke to him, saying, ’O destined
slayer of Indra, grow in might even from the strength
of my austere rites.’ And that Asura grew
in might, towering towards the firmament, and resembling
the son of fire. And he asked, ‘Risen like
the doomsday sun, what am I to do?’ ‘Kill
Indra,’ was the reply. And then he departed
towards the celestial regions. And next ensued
a great fight between Vritra and Indra, both fired
with wrath. And there took place a terrible combat,
O best of Kuru’s race. And the heroic Vritra
seized the celestial lord who had performed a hundred
sacrifices. And filled with wrath, he whirled
Indra and threw him into his mouth. And when
Indra was swallowed up by Vritra, the terrified senior
gods, possessed of great might, created Jrimbhika
to kill Vritra. And as Vritra yawned and his
mouth opened the slayer of the Asura, Vala contracted
the different parts of his body, and came out from
within Vritra’s mouth. And thenceforth
the yawn attaches itself to the living breath of animated
beings in three worlds. And the gods rejoiced
at the egress of Indra. And once again commenced
the terrible fight between Vritra and Indra, both
full of ire. And it was waged for a long while,
O best of Bharata’s race. And when Vritra,
inspired with the mighty spirit of Twashtri and himself
endowed with strength, got the upper hand in fight,
Indra turned back And on his retreat, the gods became
exceedingly distressed. And all of them together
with Indra were overpowered by the might of Twashtri.
And they all consulted with the saints, O descendant
of Bharata. And they deliberated as to what was
proper to be done, and were overwhelmed with dread.
And seated on the top of the Mandara mountain, and
bent on killing Vritra, they only bethought themselves
of Vishnu, the indestructible one.’
SECTION X
“Indra said, This whole indestructible universe,
O gods, hath been pervaded by Vritra. There is
nothing that can be equal to the task of opposing
him. I was capable of yore, but now I am incapable.
What good betide you, can I do? I believe him
to be unapproachable. Powerful and magnanimous,
possessing immeasurable strength in fight, he would
be able to swallow up all the three worlds with the
gods, the Asuras, and the men. Therefore, hear
ye dwellers of heaven, this is my resolution.
Proceeding to the abode of Vishnu, in company with
that high-souled Being must we consult, and ascertain
the means of slaying this ruthless wretch.’
Page 141
“Salya continued, ’Indra having thus spoken,
the gods with that host of Rishis repaired to the
mighty god Vishnu to place themselves under the-protection
of that protector of all. And afflicted with the
dread of Vritra, they said unto the Supreme Lord of
the deities. Thou hadst in former times covered
the three worlds with three steps. Thou hadst
procured the ambrosial food, O Vishnu, and destroyed
the Asuras in battle. Thou didst bind the great
Asura Vali and hadst raised Indra to the throne of
heaven. Thou art the lord of the gods, and this
entire universe is pervaded by thee. Thou art
the God, the mighty Deity, saluted by all persons.
Be thou the refuge of all the celestials together with
Indra, O best of gods. The whole universe, O slayer
of Asuras, hath been pervaded by Vritra. And
Vishnu said, ’I am no doubt bound to do what
is for your good. I shall, therefore, tell you
of a contrivance whereby he may be annihilated.
Do ye with the Rishis and the Gandharvas repair to
the place where Vritra that bearer of a universal form
is and adopt towards him a conciliatory policy.
You will thus succeed in overthrowing him. By
virtue of my power, victory, ye gods, will be won by
Indra, for, remaining invisible, I shall enter into
his thunderbolt, that best of weapons. O foremost
of gods, depart ye with the Rishis and the Gandharvas.
Let there be no delay in effecting a peace between
Indra and Vritra.’
“Salya continued, ’When he had thus spoken,
the Rishis and the celestials placed Indra at their
head, and uniting together, went away. Approaching
Indra they behold Vritra glowing and resplendent as
if scorching the ten points, and swallowing all the
three worlds, and resembling the sun or the moon.
And then the Rishis, came up to Vritra and spoke to
him in conciliatory terms, saying, ’O thou unconquerable
being, the whole of this universe hath been pervaded
by thy energy. Thou art not able however to overpower
Indra, O best of mighty beings. A long period
hath now elapsed since you began to fight. All
beings, with the gods and the Asuras and men, are
suffering from the effects of the fight. Let there
be eternal friendship between thee and Indra.
Thou shalt be happy and shall dwell eternally in Indra’s
regions.’ And the mighty Vritra having heard
the words of the saints, bowed his head unto them.
And the Asura (thus) spoke, ’What you, O highly-gifted
beings, and also all these Gandharvas are saying,
I have heard. Ye stainless beings, hear also what
I have got to say. How can there be peace between
us two, Indra and myself? How can there be friendship,
ye gods, between two hostile powers?’ The Rishis
said, ’Friendship among righteous persons happens
at a single meeting. It is a desirable object.
Thereafter will happen what is fated to be. The
opportunity of forming friendship with a righteous
person should not be sacrificed. Therefore, the
friendship of the righteous should be sought.
The friendship of the righteous is (like) excellent
Page 142
wealth, for he that is wise would give advice when
it is needed. The friendship of a good person
is of great use; therefore, a wise person should not
desire to kill a righteous one. Indra is honoured
by the righteous, and is the refuge of magnanimous
persons, being veracious and unblamable, and knows
what virtue is, and is possessed of a refined judgment.
Let there be eternal friendship between thee and Indra,
as described above. In this way, have faith (in
him); let not thy heart be differently inclined.’
“Salya said, ’Hearing these words of the
great Rishis, the illustrious Asura spoke to them,
’No doubt, the Rishis, endued with supernatural
powers, are to be respected by me. Let what I
am going to say, ye gods, be performed in its entirety;
then I shall do everything that (these) best of Brahmanas
have said to me. Ye lords of the Brahmana race,
ordain so that Indra himself or the gods do not kill
me by what is dry, or wet; by stone, or by wood; by
a weapon fit for close fight, or by a missile; in
the day time, or at night. On those terms eternal
peace with Indra would be acceptable to me,—Very
good! was what the Rishis told him, O best of Bharata
race.’ Thus peace having been concluded,
Vritra was very much pleased. And Indra also
became pleased though constantly occupied with the
thought of killing Vritra. And the chief of the
deities passed his time in search of a loophole, uneasy
(in mind). And on a certain day when it was evening
and the hour awful, Indra caught sight of the mighty
Asura on the coast of the sea. And he bethought
himself of the boon that was granted to the illustrious
Asura, saying, ’This is the awful evening time;
it is neither day, nor night; and this Vritra, my enemy,
who hath stripped me of my all, must undoubtedly be
killed by me. It I do not kill Vritra, this great
and mighty Asura of gigantic frame, even by deceit,
it will not go well with me.’ And as Indra
thought of all this, bearing Vishnu in mind he beheld
at that instant in the sea a mass of froth as large
as a hill. And he said, ’This is neither
dry, nor wet, nor is it a weapon; let me hurl it at
Vritra. Without doubt, he will die immediately.’
And he threw at Vritra that mass of froth blended with
the thunderbolt. And Vishnu, having entered within
that froth, put an end to the life of Vritra.
And when Vritra was killed, the cardinal points were
free from gloom; and there also blew a pleasant breeze;
and all beings were much pleased. And the deities
with the Gandharvas and Yakshas and Rakshasas, with
the great snakes and saints, glorified the mighty Indra
with various laudatory hymns. And saluted by all
beings, Indra spoke words of encouragement to all.
And his heart was glad as also that of everyone of
the gods for having killed the foe. And knowing
the nature of virtue, he worshipped Vishnu, the most
praiseworthy of all objects in the world. Now
when the mighty Vritra, terrible to the gods, was killed,
Indra became overpowered by falsehood, and he became
Page 143
exceedingly sad; and he was also overpowered by the
sin of Brahmanicide on account of having killed the
three-headed son of Twashtri. And he betook himself
to the confines of the worlds, and became bereft of
his senses and consciousness. And overpowered
by his own sins, he could not be recognised.
And he lay concealed in water, just like a writhing
snake. And when the lord of celestials, oppressed
with the dread of Brahmanicide, had vanished from
sight, the earth looked as if a havoc had passed over
it. And it became treeless, and its woods withered;
and the course of rivers was interrupted; and the
reservoirs lost all their water; and there was distress
among animals on account of cessation of rains.
And the deities and all the great Rishis were in exceeding
fear; and the world had no king, and was overtaken
by disasters. Then the deities and the divine
saints in heaven, separated from the chief of the
gods, became terrified, and wondered who was to be
their king. And nobody had any inclination to
act as the king of the gods.’
SECTION XI
“Salya said, ’Then all the Rishis and
the superior gods said, “Let the handsome Nahusha
be crowned as king of the gods. He is powerful
and renowned, and devoted to virtue ever more.’
And they all went and said to him, ‘O lord of
the earth, be thou our king.’ And Nahusha
intent on his welfare, spoke to those gods and saints
accompanied by the progenitors (of mankind), ’I
am feeble; I am not capable of protecting you; it is
a powerful person who should be your king; it is Indra
who hath always been possessed of strength.’
And all the gods, led by the saints, spoke again to
him, ’Aided by the virtue of our austerities,
rule thou the kingdom of heaven. There is no
doubt that we have all our respective fears. Be
crowned, O lord of monarchs, as the king of heaven.
Whatever being may stand within thy sight, whether
he be a god, an Asura, a Yaksha, a saint, a Pitri,
or a Gandharva, thou shalt absorb his power and (thereby)
wax strong. Always placing virtue before (all
other things), be thou the ruler of the worlds.
Protect also the Brahmarsis (Brahmana saints) and
the gods in heaven.’ Then, O lord of monarchs,
Nahusha was crowned king in heaven. And placing
virtue before (everything else), he became the ruler
of all the worlds. And though always of a virtuous
disposition, yet when he obtained that precious boon
and the kingdom of heaven, Nahusha assumed a sensual
turn of mind. And when Nahusha became the king
of the gods, he surrounded himself with celestial
nymphs, and with damsels of celestial birth, and took
to enjoyments of various kinds, in the Nandana groves,
on mount Kailasa, on the crest of Himavat, on Mandara.
the White hill Sahya, Mahendra and Malaya, as, also
upon seas and rivers. And he listened to various
divine narratives that captivated both the ear and
the heart, and to the play of musical instruments of
different sorts, and to sweet vocal strains.
Page 144
And Viswavasu and Narada and bevies of celestial nymphs
and bands of Gandharvas and the six seasons in living
shapes, attended upon the king of the gods. And
fragrant breezes, refreshingly cool, blew round him.
And while that wretch was thus enjoying himself, on
one occasion the goddess who was the favourite queen
of Indra came in his sight. And that vicious
soul, having looked at her, said to the courtiers,
’Why doth not this goddess, the queen of Indra,
attend upon me? I am the monarch of the gods,
and also the ruler of the worlds. Let Sachi make
haste and visit me at my house.’ Saddened
at hearing this, the goddess said to Vrihaspati, ’Protect
me, O Brahmana, from this Nahusha. I come to
you as my refuge. You always say, O Brahmana,
that I have got on my person all the auspicious marks,
being the favourite of the divine king; that I am
chaste, devoted to my lord, and destined never to become
a widow. All this about me you have said before.
Let your words be made true. O possessor of great
powers, O lord, you never spoke words that were vain.
Therefore, O best of Brahmanas, this that you have
said ought to be true.’ Then Vrihaspati
said to the queen of Indra who was beside herself
through fear, ’What thou hast been told by me
will come to be true, be sure, O goddess. Thou
shalt see Indra, the lord of the gods, who will soon
come back here. I tell thee truly, thou hast no
fear from Nahusha; I shall soon unite thee with Indra.’
Now Nahusha came to hear that Indra’s queen
had taken refuge with Vrihaspati, the son of Angiras.
And at this, the king became highly enraged.’
SECTION XII
“Salya said, ’Seeing Nahusha enraged,
the gods led by the saints spoke unto him, ’Who
was now their king of awful mien? O king of gods,
quit thy wrath. When thou art in wrath, O lord,
the Universe, with its Asuras and Gandharvas, its
Kinnaras, and great snakes, quaketh. Quit this
wrath, thou righteous being. Persons like thee
do not put themselves out. That goddess is another
person’s wife. Be pacified, O lord of gods!
Turn back thy inclination from the sin of outraging
another’s wife. Thou art the king of gods,
prosperity to thee! Protect thy subjects in all
righteousness?’ So addressed, he heeded not the
saying rendered senseless by lust. And the king
spoke to the gods, in allusion to Indra, ’Ahalya
of spotless fame, the wife of a saint, was outraged
by Indra while her husband was alive. Why did
ye not prevent him? Many were the deeds of inhumanity,
of unrighteousness, of deceit, committed by Indra in
former times. Why did ye not prevent him?
Let the goddess do my pleasure; that would be her
permanent good. And so the same will ever more
rebound to your safety, ye gods!’
“The gods said, ’We shall bring to thee
the queen of Indra even as thou hast laid the command,
’O lord of heaven! Quit this wrath, thou
valiant soul! Be pacified, O lord of gods!’
Page 145
“Salya continued, ’Thus having spoken
to him, the gods with the saint went to inform Vrihaspati
and the queen of Indra of the said news. And
they said, ’We know, O foremost of Brahmanas,
that the queen of Indra hath betaken herself to thy
house, for protection, and that thou hast promised
her protection, O best of divine saints! But we,
the gods and Gandharvas and saints, beseech thee,
O thou of great lustre, to give up the queen of Indra
to Nahusha. Nahusha, the king of gods, of great
effulgence, is superior to Indra. Let her, that
lady of choice figure and complexion, choose him as
her lord!’ Thus addressed, the goddess gave
vent to tears; and sobbing audibly, she mourned in
piteous accents. And she spoke to Vrihaspati,
’O best of divine saints, I do not desire Nahusha
to be my lord. I have betaken myself to thy protection,
O Brahmana! Deliver me from this great peril!’
“Vrihaspati said, ’My resolution is this,
I shall not abandon one that hath sought my protection.
O thou of unblamable life, I shall not abandon thee,
virtuous as thou art and of a truthful disposition!
I do not desire to do an improper act, specially as
I am a Brahmana knowing what righteousness is, having
a regard for truth, and aware also of the precepts
of virtue. I shall never do it. Go your ways,
ye best of gods. Hear what hath formerly been
sung by Brahma with regard to the matter at hand.
He that delivereth up to a foe of a person terrified
and asking for protection obtaineth no protection
when he himself is in need of it. His seed doth
not grow at seed-time and rain doth not come to him
in the season of rains. He that delivereth up
to a foe a person terrified and asking for protection
never succeedeth in anything that he undertaketh;
senseless as he is, he droppeth paralysed from heaven;
the god refuse offerings made by him. His progeny
die an untimely death and his forefathers always quarrel
(among themselves). The gods with Indra and their
head dart the thunderbolt at him. Know it to be
so, I shall not deliver up this Sachi here, the queen
of Indra, famous in the world as his favourite consort.
O ye best of gods, what may be for both her good and
mine I ask you to do. Sachi I shall never deliver
up!’
“Salya continued, ’Then the gods and the
Gandharvas said these words to the preceptor of the
gods, ’O Vrihaspati, deliberate upon something
that may be conformable to sound policy!’ Vrihaspati
said, ’Let this goddess of auspicious looks
ask for time from Nahusha in order to make up her
mind to his proposal. This will be for the good
of Indra’s queen, and of us as well. Time,
ye gods, may give rise to many impediments. Time
will send time onward. Nahusha is proud and powerful
by virtue of the boon granted to him!’
Page 146
“Salya continued, ’Vrihaspati having spoken
so, the gods, delighted then said, ’Well hast
thou said, O Brahmana. This is for the good of
all the gods. It is no doubt so. Only, let
this goddess be propitiated.’ Then the
assembled gods led by Agni, with a view to the welfare
of all the worlds, spoke to Indra’s queen in
a quiet way. And the gods said, ’Thou art
supporting the whole universe of things mobile and
immobile. Thou art chaste and true: go thou
to Nahusha. That vicious being, lustful after
thee, will shortly fall: and Indra, O goddess,
will get the sovereignty of the gods!’ Ascertaining
this to be the result of that deliberation, Indra’s
queen, for attaining her end, went bashfully to Nahusha
of awful mien. The vicious Nahusha also, rendered
senseless by lust, saw how youthful and lovely she
was, and became highly pleased.’
SECTION XIII
“Salya said, ’Now then Nahusha, the king
of the gods, looked at her and said, ’O thou
of sweet smiles, I am the Indra of all the three worlds.
O thou of beautiful thighs and fair complexion, accept
me as thy lord!’ That chaste goddess, thus addressed
by Nahusha, was terrified and quaked like a plantain-stalk
at a breezy spot. She bowed her head to Brahma,
and joining her hands spoke to Nahusha, the king of
the gods, of awful mien, said, ’O lord of the
deities, I desire to obtain time. It is not known
what hath become of Indra, or where he is. Having
enquired into the truth regarding him, if, O lord,
I obtain no news of him, then I shall visit thee;
this tell I thee for truth.’ Thus addressed
by Indra’s queen, Nahusha was pleased.
And Nahusha said, ’Let it be so, O lady of lovely
hips, even as thou art telling me. Thou wilt come,
after having ascertained the news. I hope thou
wilt remember thy plighted truth.’ Dismissed
by Nahusha, she of auspicious looks stepped out; and
that famous lady went to the abode of Vrihaspati.
And, O best of kings, the gods with Agni at their
head, when they heard her words, deliberated, intent
upon what would promote the interests of Indra.
And they then joined the powerful Vishnu, the God
of gods. And skilled in making speeches, the
uneasy gods spoke the following words to him, ’Indra,
the lord of all the gods, hath been overpowered by
the sin of Brahmanicide. Thou, O lord of the
gods, art the first-born, the ruler of the universe,
and our refuge. Thou hadst assumed the form of
Vishnu for the protection of all beings. When
Vritra was killed through thy energy, Indra was overwhelmed
by the sin of Brahmanicide. O best of all the
gods, prescribe the means of setting him free.’
Having heard these words of the gods, Vishnu said,
’Let Indra. offer sacrifice to me. Even
I shall purify the holder of the thunderbolt.
The chastiser of Paka, having performed the holy horse-sacrifice,
will fearlessly regain his dignity as lord of the
gods. And the wicked-minded Nahusha will be led
to destruction by his evil deeds. For a certain
Page 147
period, ye gods, ye must be patient, being vigilant
at the same time.’ Having heard these words
of Vishnu, words that were true, and pleasant like
ambrosia to their ears, the gods, with their preceptor,
and with the Rishis proceeded to that spot where Indra
was uneasy with fear. And there, O king, was performed
a great horse-sacrifice, capable of removing the sin
of Brahmanicide, for the purification of the high-minded
and great Indra. And the lord of the gods,—O
Yudhishthira, divided the sin of Brahmanicide among
trees and rivers and mountains and the earth and women.
And having distributed it thus among those beings
and parted with it, Indra was free from fever.
And rid of his sin, he came to himself. And at
that place, the slayer of the Asura Vala, quaked when
he looked at Nahusha, before whom all animated beings
felt cowed, and who was unapproachable by virtue of
the boon the Rishis had granted to him. And the
divine husband of Sachi vanished from sight once again.
And invisible to all beings, he wandered biding his
time. And Indra having disappeared, Sachi fell
into grief. And exceedingly miserable, she bewailed,
’Alas! O Indra, if ever I have made a gift,
or made offering to the gods, or have propitiated my
spiritual guides, if there is any truth in me, then
I pray that my chastity may remain inviolate.
I bow myself to this goddess Night,—holy,
pure, running her course during this the northern
journey of the sun,[1] let my desire be fulfilled.’
Saying this, she, in a purified condition of body
and soul, worshipped the goddess Night. And in
the name of her chastity and truth she had recourse
to divination.[2] And she asked, ’Show me the
place where the king of the gods is. Let truth
be verified by truth.’ And it was thus
that she addressed the goddess of Divination.’
SECTION XIV
“Salya said, ’Then the goddess of Divination
stood near that chaste and beautiful lady. And
having beheld that goddess, youthful and lovely, standing
before her, Indra’s queen, glad at heart, paid
respects to them and said, ‘I desire to know
who thou art, O thou of lovely face.’ And
Divination said, ’I am Divination, O goddess,
come near thee. Since thou art truthful, therefore,
O high-minded lady, do I appear in thy sight.
Since thou art devoted to thy lord, employed in controlling
thyself, and engaged in the practice of religious
rites, I shall show thee the god Indra, the slayer
of Vritra. Quickly come after me, so may good
betide thee! Thou shalt see that best of gods.’
Then Divination proceeded and the divine queen of
Indra went after her. And she crossed the heavenly
groves, and many mountains; and then having crossed
the Himavat mountains, she came to its northern side.
And having reached the sea, extending over many yojanas,
she came upon a large island covered with various
trees and plants. And there she saw a beautiful
lake, of heavenly appearance, covered with birds,
Page 148
eight hundred miles in length, and as many in breadth.
And upon it, O descendant of Bharata, were full-blown
lotuses of heavenly appearance, of five colours, hummed
round by bees, and counting by thousands. And
in the middle of that lake, there was a large and
beautiful assemblage of lotuses having in its midst
a large white lotus standing on a lofty stalk.
And penetrating into the lotus-stalk, along with Sachi,
she saw Indra there who had entered into its fibres.
And seeing her lord lying there in a minute form, Sachi
also assumed a minute form, so did the goddess of
divination too. And Indra’s queen began
to glorify him by reciting his celebrated deeds of
yore. And thus glorified, the divine Purandara
spoke to Sachi, ’For what purpose hast thou
come? How also have I been found out?’ Then
the goddess spoke of the acts of Nahusha. And
she said, ’O performer of a hundred sacrifices,
having obtained the sovereignty of the three worlds,
powerful and haughty and of a vicious soul, he hath
commanded me to visit him, and the cruel wretch hath
even assigned me a definite time. If thou wilt
not protect me, O lord, he will bring me under his
power. For this reason, O Indra, have I come
to thee in alarm. O thou of powerful arms, slay
the terrible Nahusha of vicious soul. Discover
thyself, O slayer of Daityas and Danavas. O lord,
assume thy own strength and rule the celestial kingdom.’”
SECTION XV
“Salya said, ’Thus addressed by Sachi,
the illustrious god said to her again, ’This
is not the time for putting forth valour. Nahusha
is stronger than I am. O beautiful lady, he hath
been strengthened by the Rishis with the merits of
offerings to the gods and the Pitris. I shall
have recourse to policy now. Thou wilt have to
carry it out, O goddess. O lady, thou must do
it secretly and must not disclose it to any person.
O lady of a beautiful waist, going to Nahusha in private,
tell him, O lord of the Universe, thou must visit
me mounted on a nice vehicle borne by Rishis.
In that case I shall be pleased and shall place myself
at thy disposal. This shouldst thou tell him.’
And thus addressed by the king of the gods, his lotus-eyed
consort expressed her consent and went to Nahusha.
And Nahusha, having seen her, smilingly addressed her,
saying, ’I welcome thee, O lady of lovely thighs.
What is thy pleasure, O thou of sweet smiles.
Accept me, O lady of propitious looks, who am devoted
to thee. What is thy will, O spirited dame.
I shall do thy wish, O lady of propitious looks and
slender waist. Nor needst thou be bashful, O thou
of lovely hips. Have trust in me. In the
name of truth I swear, O goddess, that I shall do
thy bidding.’
Page 149
“Sachi said, ’O lord of Universe, I wanted
the time that thou hast assigned to me. Thereafter,
O lord of the gods, thou shalt be my husband.
I have a wish. Attend and hear, O king of the
gods. What it is I shall say, O king, so that
thou mayst do what I like. This is an indulgence
that I ask from thy love for me. If thou grantest
it, I shall be at thy disposal. Indra had horses
for carrying him, and elephants, and cars. I
want thee to have, O king of the gods, a novel vehicle,
such as never belonged to Vishnu, or Rudra, or the
Asuras, or the Rakshasas, O lord. Let a number
of highly dignified Rishis, united together, bear thee
in a palanquin. This is what commends itself
to me. Thou shouldst not liken thyself to the
Asuras or the gods. Thou absorbest the strength
of all by thy own strength as soon as they look at
thee. There is none so strong as to be able to
stand before thee.’
“Salya continued, ’Thus addressed, Nahusha
was very much pleased. And the lord of the deities
said to that lady of faultless features, ’O lady
of the fairest complexion, thou hast spoken of a vehicle
never heard of before. I like it exceedingly,
O goddess. I am in thy power, O thou of lovely
face. He cannot be a feeble person who employeth
Rishis for bearing him. I have practised austerities,
and am mighty. I am the lord of the past, the
present, and the future. The Universe would be
no more if I were in rage. The whole Universe
is established in me. O thou of sweet smiles,
the gods, the Asuras and Gandharvas, and snakes, and
Rakshasas are together unable to cope with me when
I am in rage. Whomsoever I gaze upon I divest
him of his energy. Therefore, thy request I shall
no doubt fulfil, O goddess. The seven Rishis,
and also the regenerate Rishis, shall carry me.
See our greatness and splendour, O lady of lovely
complexion.’
“Salya continued, ’Having thus addressed
that goddess of lovely face, and having dismissed
her thus, he harnessed to his heavenly car a number
of saints devoted to the practice of austerities.
A disregarder of Brahmanas, endued with power and
intoxicated with pride, capricious, and of vicious
soul, he employed those saints to carry him. Meanwhile,
dismissed by Nahusha, Sachi went to Vrihaspati and
said, ’But little remaineth of the term assigned
by Nahusha to me. But compassionate unto me who
respect thee so, and quickly find out Indra.’
“The illustrious Vrihaspati then said to her,
’Very good, thou needst not, O goddess, fear,
Nahusha of vicious soul. Surely, he shall not
long retain his power. The wretch, in fact, is
already gone, being regardless of virtue and because,
O lovely dame, of his employing the great saints to
carry him. And I shall perform a sacrifice for
the destruction of this vicious wretch, and I shall
find out Indra. Thou needst not fear. Fare
thee well.’ And Vrihaspati of great power
then kindled a fire in the prescribed form, and put
the very best offerings upon it in order to ascertain
Page 150
where the king of the gods was. And having put
his offerings, O king, he said to the Fire, ‘Search
out Indra.’ And there upon that revered
god, the eater of burnt offerings, assumed of his own
accord a wonderful feminine form and vanished from
sight at that very spot. And endued with speed
of the mind, he searched everywhere, mountains and
forests, earth and sky, and came back to Vrihaspati
within the twinkling of the eye. And Agni said,
Vrihaspati, nowhere in these places do I find the
king of the gods. The waters alone remain to be
searched. I am always backward in entering the
waters. I have no ingress therein. O Brahmana,
what I am to do for thee.’ The preceptor
of the gods then said to him, ’O illustrious
god, do thou enter the water.’
“Agni said, ’I cannot enter the water.
Therein it is extinction that awaits me. I place
myself in thy hand, O thou of great effulgence.
Mayst thou fare well! Fire rose from water, the
military caste rose from the priestly caste; and iron
had its origin in stone. The power of these which
can penetrate all other things, hath no operation upon
the sources from which they spring.’”
SECTION XVI
“Vrihaspati said, ’Thou art the mouth,
O Agni, of all the gods. Thou art the carrier
of sacred offerings. Thou, like a witness, hast
access to the inner souls of all creatures. The
poets call thee single, and again three-fold.
O eater of burnt offerings, abandoned by thee the Universe
would forthwith cease to be. The Brahmanas by
bowing to thee, win with their wives and sons an eternal
region, the reward of their own meritorious deeds.
O Agni, it is thou who art the bearer of sacred offerings.
Thou, O Agni, art thyself the best offering. In
a sacrificial ceremony of the supreme order, it is
thee that they worship with incessant gifts and offerings.
O bearer of offerings, having created the three worlds,
thou when the hour cometh, consumeth them in thy unkindled
form. Thou art the mother of the whole Universe;
and thou again, O Agni, art its termination.
The wise call thee identical with the clouds and with
the lightning; flames issuing from thee, support all
creatures. All the waters are deposited in thee;
so is this entire world. To thee, O purifier,
nothing is unknown in the three worlds. Every
body taketh kindly to his progenitor; do thou enter
the waters without fear. I shall render thee
strong with the eternal hymns of the Veda. Thus
glorified, the bearer of burnt offerings, that best
of poets, well-pleased, spoke laudable words to Vrihaspati.
And he said, ’I shall show Indra to thee.
This I tell thee for truth.’
Page 151
“Salya continued, ’Then Agni entered the
waters including seas and tiny ponds, and came to
that reservoir, where, O best of Bharata’s race,
while searching the lotus flowers, he saw the king
of the gods lying within the fibres of a lotus-stalk.
And soon coming back, he informed Vrihaspati how Indra
had taken refuge in the fibres of a lotus-stalk, assuming
a minute form. Then Vrihaspati, accompanied by
the gods, the saints and the Gandharvas, went and
glorified the slayer of Vala by referring to his former
deeds. And he said, ’O Indra, the great
Asura Namuchi was killed by thee; and those two Asuras
also of terrible strength, viz., Samvara and
Vala. Wax strong, O performer of a hundred sacrifices,
and slay all thy foes. Rise, O Indra! Behold,
here are assembled the gods and the saints. O
Indra, O great lord, by slaying Asuras, thou hast delivered
the worlds. Having got the froth of waters, strengthened
with Vishnu’s energy, thou formerly slew Vritra.
Thou art the refuge of all creatures and art adorable.
There is no being equal to thee. All the creatures,
O Indra, are supported by thee, Thou didst build the
greatness of the gods. Deliver all, together
with the worlds by assuming thy strength, O great
Indra.’ And thus glorified, Indra increased
little by little; and having assumed his own form,
he waxed strong and spoke to the preceptor Vrihaspati
standing before. And he said, ’What business
of yours yet remaineth; the great Asuras, son of Twashtri,
hath been killed; and Vritra also, whose form was
exceedingly big and who destroyed the worlds.’
“Vrihaspati said, ’The human Nahusha,
a king, having, obtained the throne of heaven by virtue
of the power of the divine saints, is giving us exceeding
trouble.’
“Indra said, ’How hath Nahusha obtained
the throne of heaven, difficult to get? What
austerities did he practise? How great is his
power, O Vrihaspati!’
“Vrihaspati said, ’The gods having been
frightened, wished for a king of heaven, for thou
hadst given up the high dignity of heaven’s ruler.
Then the gods, the Pitris of the universe, the saints,
and the principal Gandharvas, all met together, O
Indra, and went to Nahusha and said, ’Be thou
our king, and the defender of the Universe!’
To them said Nahusha, ’I am not able; fill me
with your power and with the virtue of your austerities!’
So told, the deities strengthened him, O king of the
gods! And thereupon Nahusha became a person of
terrible strength, and becoming thus the ruler of
the three worlds, he hath put the great saints in
harness, and the wretch is thus journeying from world
to world. Mayst thou never see Nahusha who is
terrible. He emitteth poison from his eyes, and
absorbeth the energy of all. All the gods are
exceedingly frightened; they go about concealed and
do not cast a glance at him!’
Page 152
“Salya continued, While that best of Angira’s
race was thus speaking, there came that guardian of
the world, Kuvera, and also Yama the son of Surya,
and the old god Soma, and Varuna. And arrived
there they said to the great Indra, ’How lucky
that the son of Twashtri hath been killed, and Vritra
also! How lucky, O Indra, that we are beholding
thee safe and sound, while all thy enemies have been
killed!’ Indra received all those guardians
of the worlds, and with a glad heart greeted them in
proper form with a view to requesting them in connection
with Nahusha. And he said, ’Nahusha of
terrible mien is the king of the gods; therein lend
me your assistance.’ They replied, ’Nahusha
is of awful mien; his sight is poison; we are afraid
of him, O God. If thou overthrowest Nahusha, then
we shall be entitled to our shares of sacrificial offerings,
O Indra.’ Indra said, ’Let it be
so. You and the ruler of the waters, and Yama,
and Kuvera shall this day be crowned along with me.
Aided by all the gods, let us overthrow the foe Nahusha
of terrible gaze.’ Then Agni also said
to Indra, ’Give me a share in sacrificial offerings.
I also shall lend you my assistance.’ Indra
said to him, ’O Agni, thou also shalt get a
share in great sacrifices,—there will be
a single share (in such) for both Indra and Agni.’
“Salya continued, ’Thus did the illustrious
lord Indra, the chastiser of Paka, the giver of boons,
bestow, after deliberation upon Kuvera the sovereignty
over the Yakshas, and all the wealth of the world;
upon Yama, the sovereignty over the Pitris; and upon
Varuna, that over the waters.’
SECTION XVII
“Salya said, ’Now when the great Indra,
the intelligent chief of the gods, was deliberating
with the guardians of the world and other deities
upon the means of slaying Nahusha, there appeared at
that spot the venerable ascetic Agastya. And
Agastya honoured the lord of the gods and said, ’How
fortunate that thou art flourishing after the destruction
of that being of universal form, as also that of Vritra.
And how fortunate. O Purandara, Nahusha hath
been hurled from the throne of heaven. How fortunate,
O slayer of Vala, that I behold thee with all thy enemies
killed.’
“Indra said, ’Hath thy journey hither
been pleasant, O great saint, I am delighted to see
thee. Accept from me water for washing thy feet
and face, as also the Arghya and the cow.’
“Salya continued, ’Indra, well-pleased,
began to question that best of saints and greatest
of Brahmanas when he was seated on a seat after receiving
due honours, thus, O revered saint, O best of Brahmanas,
I wish to have it recited by thee how Nahusha of vicious
soul was hurled from heaven.’
Page 153
“Agastya said, ’Listen, O Indra, to the
pleasant narrative how the wicked and vicious Nahusha,
intoxicated with pride of strength, had been hurled
from heaven. The pure-spirited Brahmanas and celestial
saints, while carrying him, weary with toil, questioned
that vicious one, O best of victors, saying, ’O
Indra, there are certain hymns in the Vedas, directed
to be recited while sprinkling the cows. Are they
authentic or not? Nahusha, who had lost his senses
by the operation of the Tamas, told them that they
were not authentic.’ The saints then said,
’Thou art tending towards unrighteousness; thou
takest not to the righteous path. The greatest
saints have formerly said they are authentic, O Indra.’
And incited by Untruth, he touched me on my head with
his foot. At this, O lord of Sachi, he became
divested of power and of good looks. Then, as
he was agitated and overpowered with fear, I spoke
to him, ’Since thou hast pronounced as spurious
the unexceptionable hymns of the Veda which have been
recited by Brahmarsis (Brahmana saints), and since
thou hast touched my head with thy foot, and since
thou, O ignorant wretch, hast turned these unapproachable
saints, equal to Brahma, into animals for carrying
thee, therefore, O wretch, be divested of thy lustre,
and being hurled headlong, fall thou from heaven,
the effect of all thy good deeds being exhausted.
For ten thousand years, thou shalt, in the form of
an enormous snake, roam over the earth. When
that period is full, thou mayst come back to heaven.
Thus hath that wretch been hurled from the throne of
heaven, O repressor of foes.’ How fortunate,
O Indra, that we are flourishing now. That thorn
of the Brahmanas hath been killed. O lord of
Sachi, repair thou to heaven, protect the worlds, subdue
thy senses, subdue thy foes, and be glorified by the
great saints.’
“Salya continued, ’Then, O ruler of men,
the gods, and the bands of great saints were exceedingly
pleased. And so also were the Pitris, the Yakshas,
the Snakes, the Rakshasas, the Gandharvas, and all
the bands of celestial nymphs. And the tanks,
the rivers, the mountains, and the seas also were
highly pleased. And all came up and said, ’How
fortunate, O slayer of foes, that thou art flourishing!
How fortunate, that the intelligent Agastya hath killed
the vicious Nahusha! How fortunate that the vile
individual hath been turned into a snake to roam over
the earth!’”
SECTION XVIII
“Salya said, “Then Indra, glorified by
the bands of Gandharvas and celestial nymphs, mounted
on Airavata, the king of elephants, characterised
by auspicious marks. And the illustrious Agni,
and the great saint Vrihaspati, and Yama, and Varuna,
and Kuvera, the lord of riches, accompanied him.
And the lord Sakra, the slayer of Vritra, then went
to the three worlds surrounded by the gods together
with the Gandharvas and the celestial nymphs.
And the performer of a hundred sacrifices, the king
Page 154
of the deities, was thus united with his queen.
And he began to protect the worlds with exceeding
gladness. Then the illustrious divine saint Angiras
arrived in the assembly of Indra and worshipped him
duly by reciting the hymns of the Atharva. And
the great lord Indra became satisfied and granted
a boon to the Atharvangiras. And Indra said,
’Thou wilt be known as a Rishi of the name Atharvangiras
in the Atharva Veda, and thou wilt also get a share
in sacrifices.’ And having honoured Atharvangiras
thus, the great lord Indra, the performer of a hundred
sacrifices, parted with him, O great king. And
he honoured all the deities and all the saints endued
with wealth of asceticism. And, O king, Indra,
well-pleased, governed the people virtuously.
Thus was misery endured by Indra with his wife.
And with the view of slaying his foes, even he had
to pass a period in concealment. Thou shouldst
not take it to heart that thou, O king of kings, hast
suffered with Draupadi as also with thy high-minded
brothers in the great forest. O king of kings,
O descendant of Bharata, O delighter of Kuru’s
race, thou wilt get back thy kingdom in the same way
as Indra got his, after having killed Vritra.
The vicious Nahusha, that enemy of Brahmanas, of evil
mind, was overthrown by the curse of Agastya, and
reduced to nothing for endless years. Similarly,
O slayer of foes, thy enemies, Karna and Duryodhana
and others of vicious souls will quickly be destroyed.
Then, O hero, thou wilt enjoy the whole of this earth,
as far as the sea, with thy brothers and this Draupadi.
This story of the victory of Indra, equal to the Veda
in its sacred character, should be listened to by a
king desirous of victory and when his forces have
been arrayed in order of battle. Therefore, O
best of victors, I am reciting it to thee for thy victory,
O Yudhishthira. High-souled persons attain prosperity
when they are glorified. O Yudhishthira, the
destruction of high-souled Kshatriyas is at hand by
reason of the crimes of Duryodhana, and through the
might also of Bhima and Arjuna. He who readeth
this story of Indra’s victory with a heart full
of religious faith, is cleansed of his sins, attaineth
a region of bliss, and obtaineth joy both in this
world and in the next. He hath no fear of his
foes; he never becometh a sonless man, never encountereth
any peril whatever, and enjoyeth long life. Everywhere
victory declareth for him, and he knoweth not what
defeat is.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’O best of Bharata’s
race, the king, that best of righteous men, thus encouraged
by Salya, honoured him in proper form. And Yudhishthira,
the son of Kunti, of powerful arms, having beard the
words of Salya, spoke to the king of the Madras the
following words, ’There is no doubt that thou
wilt act as the charioteer of Karna. Thou must
damp the spirits of Karna then by recounting the praises
of Arjuna.’
“Salya said, ’Let it be so. I shall
do just as thou tellest me. And I shall do for
thee anything else that I may be able to do.’
Page 155
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Then Salya,
the king of the Madras, bade farewell to the sons
of Kunti. And that handsome man then went with
his army to Duryodhana, O repressor of foes.’”
SECTION XIX
“Vaisampayana said, ’Then Yuyudhana, the
great hero of the Satwata race, came to Yudhishthira
with a large army of foot, and horses and cars and
elephants. And his soldiers of great valour come
from various lands, bore various weapons of war, and
heroic in look they beautified the Pandava army.
And that army looked splendid by reason of battleaxes,
and missiles and spears, and lances, and mallets,
and clubs, and staves, and cords, and stainless swords,
and daggers, and arrows of various kinds, all of the
best temper. And the army, beautified by those
weapons, and resembling in colour the cloudy sky,
assumed an appearance like to amass of clouds with
lightning-flashes in its midst. And the army counted
an Akshauhini of troops. And when absorbed in
the troops of Yudhishthira it entirely disappeared,
as doth a small river when it enters the sea.
And similarly, the powerful chief of the Chedis, Dhrishtaketu,
accompanied by an Akshauhini, came to the sons of
Pandu of immeasurable strength. And the king
of Magadha, Jayatsena of great strength, brought with
him for Yudhishthira an Akshauhini of troops.
And similarly, Pandya, who dwelt on the coast-land
near the sea, came accompanied by troops of various
kinds to Yudhishthira, the king of kings. And,
O king, when all these troops had assembled, his army,
finely dressed and exceedingly strong, assumed an
appearance pleasant to the eye. And the army of
Drupada, also was beautified by valiant soldiers who
had come from various lands, and also by his mighty
sons. And similarly, Virata, the king of the Matsyas,
a leader of troops, accompanied by the king of the
hilly regions, came to Pandu’s sons. And
for the high-souled sons of Pandu there were thus
assembled from various directions, seven Akshauhini
of troops, bristling with banners of various forms.
And eager to fight with the Kurus, they gladdened
the hearts of the Pandavas. And in the same way
king Bhagadatta, gladdening the heart of Dhritarashtra’s
son, gave an Akshauhini of troops to him. And
the unassailable mass of his troops, crowded with
Chins and Kiratas, all looking like figures of gold,
assumed a beauty like to that of a forest of Karnikara
trees. And so the valiant Bhurisravas, and Salya,
O son of Kuru, came to Duryodhana, with an Akshauhini
of troops each. And Kritavarman, the son of Hridika,
accompanied by the Bhojas, the Andhas, and the Kukuras,
came to Duryodhana with an Akshauhini of troops.
And the body of his troops composed of those mighty
soldiers, who wore on their persons garlands of many-coloured
flowers, looked as graceful as a number of sportive
elephants that have passed through a wood. And
others led by Jayadratha, the dwellers of the land
of Sindhusauvira, came in such force that the hills
Page 156
seemed to tremble under their tread. And their
force, counting an Akshauhini, looked like a mass
of clouds moved by the wind. And Sudakshina,
the king of the Kambhojas, O ruler of men, accompanied
by the Yavanas and Sakas, came to the Kuru chief with
an Akshauhini of troops. And the body of his
troops that looked like a flight of locusts, meeting
with the Kuru force, was absorbed and disappeared in
it. And similarly came king Nila, the resident
of the city of the Mahishmati, with mighty soldiers
from the southern country who carried weapons of pretty
make. And the two kings of Avanti, accompanied
by a mighty force, brought to Duryodhana, each a separate
Akshauhini of troops. And those tigers among
men, the five royal brothers, the princes of Kekaya,
hastened to Duryodhana with an Akshauhini of troops,
and gladdened his heart. And from the illustrious
king, of other quarters there came, O best of Bharata’s
race, three large divisions of troops. And thus
Duryodhana had a force which numbered eleven Akshauhinis
all eager to fight with the sons of Kunti, and bristling
with banners of various forms. And, O descendant
of Bharata, there was no space in the city of Hastinapura
even for the principal leaders of Duryodhana’s
army. And for this reason the land of the five
rivers, and the whole of the region called Kurujangala,
and the forest of Rohitaka which was uniformly wild,
and Ahichatra and Kalakuta, and the banks of the Ganga,
and Varana, and Vatadhana, and the hill tracts on
the border of the Yamuna—the whole of this
extensive tract—full of abundant corn and
wealth, was entirely overspread with the army of the
Kauravas. And that army, so arranged, was beheld
by the priest who had been sent by the king of the
Panchalas to the Kurus.’”
SECTION XX
“Vaisampayana said, ’Then Drupada’s
priest, having approached the Kaurava chief, was honoured
by Dhritarashtra as also by Bhishma and Vidura.
And having first told the news of the welfare of the
Pandavas, he enquired about the welfare of the Kauravas.
And he spoke the following words in the midst of all
the leaders of Duryodhana’s army, ’The
eternal duties of kings are known to you all.
But though known, I shall yet recite them as an introduction
to what I am going to say. Both Dhritarashtra
and Pandu are known to be sons of the same father.
There is no doubt that the share of each to the paternal
wealth should be equal. The sons of Dhritarashtra
obtained the paternal wealth. Why did not the
sons of Pandu at all receive their paternal portion?
Ye are aware how formerly the sons of Pandu did not
receive their paternal property which was all usurped
by Dhritarashtra’s sons. The latter endeavoured
in various ways to remove the sons of Pandu from their
path by employment even of murderous contrivances;
but as their destined terms of life had not wholly
run out, the sons of Pandu could not be sent to the
abode of Yama. Then again, when those high-souled
Page 157
princes had carved out a kingdom by their own strength,
the mean-minded sons of Dhritarashtra, aided by Suvala’s
son, robbed them of it by deceit. This Dhritarashtra
gave his sanction even to that act as hath been usual
with him. And for thirteen years they were then
sent to sojourn in the great wilderness. In the
council-hall, they had also been subjected to indignities
of various kinds, along with their wife, valiant though
they were. And great also were the sufferings
that they had to endure in the woods. Those virtuous
princes had also to endure unspeakable woes in the
city of Virata,—such as are endured only
by vicious men when their souls transmigrate into the
forms of inferior beings, Ye best of Kuru’s
race, overlooking all these injuries of yore they
desire nothing but a peaceful settlement with the Kurus!
Remembering their behaviour, and that of Duryodhana
also, the latter’s friends should entreat him
to consent to peace! The heroic sons of Pandu
are not eager for war with the Kurus. They desire
to get back their own share without involving the
world in ruin. If Dhritarashtra’s son assigns
a reason in favour of war, that can never be a proper
reason. The sons of Pandu are more powerful.
Seven Akshauhinis of troops have been collected on
behalf of Yudhishthira, all eager to fight with the
Kurus, and they are now awaiting his word of command.
Others there are tigers among men, equal in might
to a thousand Akshauhinis, such as Satyaki and Bhimasena,
and the twin brothers of mighty strength. It
is true that these eleven divisions of troops are
arrayed on one side, but these are balanced on the
other by the mighty-armed Dhananjaya of manifold form.
And as Kiritin exceeds in strength even all these
troops together, so also doth Vasudeva’s son
of great effulgence and powerful intellect. Who
is there that would fight, in view of the magnitude
of the opposing force, the valour of Arjuna, and the
wisdom of Krishna? Therefore, I ask you to give
back what should be given, as dictated by morality
and compact. Do not let the opportunity pass!’”
SECTION XXI
“Vaisampayana said, ’Having heard his
words, Bhishma, senior in wisdom, and endued with
great effulgence, paid honours to him, and then spoke
words suitable to the occasion. And he said, ’How
fortunate that they are all well, with Krishna!
How fortunate that they have procured aid, and that
they are inclined to a virtuous course! How fortunate
that those scions of Kuru’s race desire peace
with their cousins! There is no doubt that what
thou hast said is true. Thy words, however, are
exceedingly sharp,—the reason, I suppose,
being that thou art a Brahmana. No doubt, the
sons of Pandu were much harassed both here and in woods.
No doubt, by law they are entitled to get all the
property of their father. Arjuna, the son of
Pritha, is strong trained in weapons, and is a great
car-warrior. Who, in sooth, can withstand in battle
Page 158
Dhananjaya the son of Pandu. Even the wielder
himself of the thunderbolt cannot,—other
bowmen are hardly worth mention. My belief is
that he is a match for all the three worlds!’
And while Bhishma was thus speaking, Karna wrathfully
and insolently interrupted his words, and looking
at Duryodhana said, ’There is no creature in
the world, O Brahmana, who is not informed of all these
facts. What is the good of repeating them again
and again? On behalf of Duryodhana, Sakuni formerly
won in game of dice. Yudhishthira, the son of
Pandu went to the woods according to a stipulation.
He is now paying no regard to that stipulation, but
confident of aid from the Matsyas and Panchalas, he
wisheth to get back his ancestral throne. O learned
man, Duryodhana would not yield even a single foot
of land if thou appealest to his fears, but if justice
requires, he would give up the whole earth even to
a foe. If they wish to get back their ancestral
throne, they should pass the specified period of time
in the forest as had been stipulated. Afterwards
let them live as the dependants of Duryodhana, safe
and sound. From dull-headedness, however, let
them not turn their mind towards an absolutely unrighteous
course. If, nevertheless, abandoning the path
of virtue, they desire war, then when they encounter
in battle these praise-worthy Kurus, they will remember
these my words.’
“Bhishma said, ’What is the use of thy
talking, O Radha’s son? Thou shouldst remember
that occasion when Pritha’s son, single-handed,
over-powered in battle six car-warriors. If we
do not act as this Brahmana hath said, to be sure,
we shall be all slain by him in battle!”
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Then Dhritarashtra
pacified Bhishma with words of entreaty, rebuked the
son of Radha, and spoke the following words, What
Bhishma, Santanu’s son, hath said is salutary
for us, as also for the Pandavas, and likewise for
the whole universe. I shall, however, after deliberation,
send Sanjaya to the sons of Pandu. So thou needst
not wait. Go thou to the son of Pandu this very
day.’ The Kaurava chief then honoured Drupada’s
priest and sent him back to the Pandavas. And
summoning Sanjaya to the council-hall, he addressed
him in the following words.”
SECTION XXII
“Dhritarashtra said, ’They say, O Sanjaya,
that the Pandavas have arrived at Upaplavya.
Go thou and enquire after them. Thou must greet
Ajatasatru in the following words, ’By good
luck it is that (emerged from the woods) thou hast
reached such a city. And to all of them thou must
say, O Sanjaya, these words. Are ye well, having
spent that harassing period of sojourn, ye who were
unworthy of such harassment?’ In no time will
they be appeased towards us, for though treated treacherously
(by foes), yet they are righteous and good. In
no case, O Sanjaya, have I ever met with any untruthfulness
on the part of the Pandavas. It was by their own
Page 159
valour that they had won all their prosperity, and
(yet) they were ever dutiful to me. Though I
scrutinized their conduct, I could never find fault
with them,—no, not even a single fault for
which we might blame them. They always act mindful
of virtue and wealth; they never give way to love
of sensual enjoyments, or cold, or hunger, or thirst;
they subdue steep and laziness and wrath and joy and
heedlessness. The sons of Pritha, mindful of
both virtue and wealth, are ever pleasant to all.
On proper occasions they part with their wealth to
friends. Friendship with them never loses its
ardour on account of length of time; for they bestow
honours and wealth on every one according to his deserts.
Not a soul in the race of Ajamida ever entertains
hatred for them excepting this vile, capricious, dull-headed
Duryodhana, and excepting also the still more mean-minded
Karna. These two always enhance the energy of
those high-souled ones who have been divested of both
friends and happiness. Enterprising and brought
up in every indulgence, Duryodhana reckons all that
to be well-done. It is childish on Duryodhana’s
part to think that it is possible to rob the Pandavas
of their just share so long as they are alive.
It is wise to yield to Yudhishthira his due share before
the war,—to him whose steps are followed
by Arjuna and Krishna and Bhima and Satyaki and the
two sons of Madri and the warriors of the Srinjaya
race. That wielder of the Gandiva, Savyasachin,
seated on his car, would alone be able to devastate
the whole world. And likewise the victorious and
high-souled Krishna, the lord of the three worlds,
incapable of defeat is able to do the same. What
mortal would stand before him who is the one worthiest
person in all the worlds and who discharges his multitude
of arrows that roar like the clouds, covering all
sides, like flights of swiftly-coursing locusts?
Alone on his car, holding the Gandiva, he had conquered
the northern regions as also the Kurus of the north
and brought away with him all their wealth. He
converted the people of the Dravida land to be a portion
of his own army. It was Falguna, the wielder of
the Gandiva, who defeating in the Khandava woods all
the gods together with Indra, made offerings to Agni,
enhancing the honour and fame of the Pandavas.
Of all wielders again of the mace, there is none equal
to Bhima; and there is none also who is so skilful
a rider of elephants. On car, they say, he yields
not to even Arjuna; and as to might of arms, he is
equal to ten thousand elephants. Well-trained
and active, he who hath again been rendered bitterly
hostile, would in anger consume the Dhartarashtras
in no time. Always wrathful, and strong of arms,
he is not capable of being subdued in battle by even
Indra himself. Of great heart, and strong, and
endued with great lightness of hand, the two (twin)
brothers, sons of Madri, carefully trained by Arjuna,
would leave not a foe alive, like to a pair of hawks
preying upon large flocks of birds. This our
Page 160
army, so full, to tell thee the truth, will be nowhere
when it will encounter them. In their side will
be Dhrishtadyumna, endued with great activity,—one
who is regarded as one of the Pandavas themselves.
The chief of the Somaka tribe, with his followers,
is, I have heard, so devoted to the cause of the Pandavas
that he is ready to lay down his very life for them.
Who would be able to withstand Yudhishthira who hath
the best of the Vrishni tribe (Krishna) for his leader?
I have heard that Virata, the chief of the Matsyas,
with whom the Pandavas had lived for some time and
whose wishes were fulfilled by them, old in years,
is devoted, along with his sons to the Pandava cause,
and hath become an adherent of Yudhishthira.
Deposed from the throne of the Kekaya land, and desirous
of being reinstated thereon, the five mighty brothers
from that land, wielding mighty bows, are now following
the sons of Pritha ready to fight. All who are
valiant among the lords of the earth have been brought
together and are devoted to the Pandava cause.
I hear that they are bold, worthy, and respectful,—they
who have allied themselves to the virtuous king Yudhishthira
from feelings of attachment to him. And many warriors
dwelling on the hills and inaccessible fastnesses,
and many that are high in lineage and old in years,
and many Mlechcha tribes also wielding weapons of
various kinds, have been assembled together and are
devoted to the cause of the Pandavas. And there
hath come Pandya also, who, hardly inferior to Indra
on the field of battle, is followed when he fights
by numberless warriors of great courage. Remarkably
heroic and endued with prowess and energy that have
no parallel, he is devoted to the Pandava cause.
That same Satyaki who, I have heard, obtained weapons
from Drona and Arjuna and Krishna and Kripa and Bhishma,
and who is said to be equal to the son of Krishna,
is devotedly attached to the Pandava cause. And
the assembled kings of the Chedi and the Karusha tribes
have all taken the part of the Pandavas with all their
resources. That one in their midst, who, having
been endued with blazing beauty, shone like the sun,
whom all persons deemed unassailable in battle and
the very best of all drawers of the bow on earth,
was slain by Krishna in a trice, by help of his own
great might, and counting for naught the bold spirit
of all the Kshatriya kings. Kesava cast his eyes
on that Sishupala and smote him, enhancing the fame
and honour of the sons of Pandu. It was the same
Sishupala who was highly honoured by those kings at
whose head stood the king of the Karusha tribe.
Then the other kings, deeming Krishna unassailable
when seated on his car drawn by Sugriva and other steeds,
left the chief of the Chedis and ran away like small
animals at the sight of a lion. And it was thus
that he, who, from audacity had sought to oppose and
encounter Krishna in a combat hand to hand, was slain
by Krishna and lay down lifeless, resembling a Karnikara
tree uprooted by a gale. O Sanjaya, O son of
Page 161
Gavalgana, what they have told me of the activity
of Krishna in cause of Pandu’s sons, and what
I remember of his past achievements, leave me no peace
of mind. No foe whatsoever is capable of withstanding
them, who are under the lead of that lion of the Vrishni
tribe. My heart is trembling with fear upon learning
that the two Krishnas, are seated on the selfsame
car. If my dull-headed son forbear to fight with
those two, then may he fare well,—else those
two will consume the race of Kuru as Indra and Upendra
consume the Daitya hosts. Dhananjaya is, I conceive,
equal to Indra, and the greatest of the Vrishni race,
Krishna, is the Eternal Vishnu himself. The son
of Kunti and Pandu, Yudhishthira, is virtuous and
brave and eschews deeds that bring on shame.
Endued with great energy, he hath been wronged by
Duryodhana. If he were not high-minded, the would
in wrath burn the Dhritarashtras. I do not so
much dread Arjuna or Bhima or Krishna or the twin
brothers as I dread the wrath of the king, O Suta,
when his wrath is excited. His austerities are
great; he is devoted to Brahmacharya practices.
His heart’s wishes will certainly be fulfilled.
When I think of his wrath, O Sanjaya, and consider
how just it is, I am filled with alarm. Go thou
speedily on a car, despatched by me, where the troops
of the king of the Panchalas are encamped. Thou
wilt ask Yudhishthira about his welfare. Thou
wilt repeatedly address him in affectionate terms.
Thou wilt also meet Krishna, O child, who is the chief
of all brave men and who is endued with a magnanimous
soul. Him also thou wilt ask on my part as to
his welfare, and tell him that Dhritarashtra is desirous
of peace with Pandu’s sons. O Suta, there
is nothing that Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, would
not do at the bidding of Krishna. Kesava is as
dear to them as their own selves. Possessed of
great learning, he is ever devoted to their cause.
Thou wilt also enquire about the welfare of all the
assembled sons of Pandu and the Srinjayas and Satyaki
and Virata and all the five sons of Draupadi, professing
to be a messenger from me. And whatsoever also
thou mayst deem to be opportune, and beneficial for
the Bharata race, all that, O Sanjaya, thou must say
in the midst of those kings,—everything,
in sooth, that may not be unpalatable or provocative
of war.’
SECTION XXIII
“Vaisampayana said, ’Having beard these
words of king Dhritarashtra Sanjaya went to Upaplavya
to see the Pandavas of immeasurable strength.
And having approached king Yudhishthira, the son of
Kunti, he made obeisance to him first and then spoke.
And the son of Gavalgana, by name Sanjaya and by caste
a Suta, cheerfully spoke unto Ajatasatru, ’How
lucky, O king, that I see you hale, attended by friends
and little inferior to the great Indra. The aged
and wise king Dhritarashtra, the son of Ambika, hath
enquired about your welfare. I hope Bhimasena
is well, and that Dhananjaya, that foremost of the
Pandavas, and these two sons of Madri, are well.
I hope princess Krishna also, the daughter of Drupada,
is well,—she who never swerves from the
path of truth, that lady of great energy, that wife
of heroes. I hope she is well with her sons,—she
in whom are centred all your dearest joys and whose
welfare you constantly pray for.’
Page 162
“Yudhishthira said, ’O Sanjaya, the son
of Gavalgana, hath thy journey here been safe?
We are pleased with thy sight. I ask thee in return
how thou art. I am, O learned man, in excellent
health with my younger brothers. O Suta, after
a long while do I now receive news of the aged king
of the Kurus, that descendant of Bharata. Having
seen thee, O Sanjaya, I feel as if I have seen the
king himself, so pleased I am! Is our aged grandsire
Bhishma, the descendant of Kuru, endued with great
energy and the highest wisdom and always devoted to
the practices of his own order, O sire, in health?
I hope he still retains all his former habits.
I hope the high-souled king Dhritarashtra, the so-n
of Vichitravirya, is in health with his sons.
I hope the great king Vahlika, the son of Pratipa,
endued with great learning, is also in health.
I hope, O sire, that Somadatta is in health, and Bhurisravas,
and Satyasandha, and Sala, and Drona with his son,
and the Brahmana Kripa are also well. I hope
all those mighty bowmen are free from disease.
O Sanjaya, all those greatest and best of bowmen,
endued with the highest intelligence and versed in
letters, and occupying the very top of those who wield
weapons, have attached themselves to the Kurus.
I hope those bowmen receive their honours due.
I hope they are free from disease. How happy
are they in whose kingdom dwells the mighty and handsome
bowman, the well-behaved son of Drona! I hope
Yuyutsu, the highly intelligent son of Dhritarashtra
by his Vaisya wife is in health. I hope, O sire,
the adviser Karna, whose counsels are followed by
the dull-headed Suyodhana, is in health. I hope,
the aged ladies, the mothers of the Bharata race,
and the kitchen-maidens, the bond-maids, the daughters-in-law,
the boys, the sister’s sons, and ‘the
sisters, and the daughters’ sons of Dhritarashtra’s
house are all free from trouble. O sire, I hope
the king still allows their former subsistence to
the Brahmanas. I hope, O Sanjaya, Dhritarashtra’s
son hath not seized those gifts to the Brahmanas that
I made. I hope Dhritarashtra with his sons meets
in a spirit of forbearance any over-bearing conduct
on the part of the Brahmanas. I hope he never
neglects to make provision for them, that being the
sole highway to heaven. For this is the excellent
and clear light that hath been provided by the Creator
in this world of living beings. If like dull-headed
persons, the sons of Kuru do not treat the Brahmanas
in a forbearing spirit, wholesale destruction will
overtake them. I hope king Dhritarashtra and
his son try to provide for the functionaries of state.
I hope there are no enemies for theirs, who, disguised
as friends, are conspiring for their ruin. O
sire, I hope none of these Kurus talk of our having
committed any crimes. I hope Drona and his son
and the heroic Kripa do not talk of our having been
guilty in any way. I hope all the Kurus look
up to king Dhritarashtra and his sons as the protectors
of their tribe. I hope when they see a horde
Page 163
of robbers, they remember the deeds of Arjuna, the
leader in all fields of battle. I hope they remember
the arrows shot from the Gandiva, which course through
the air in a straight path, impelled onwards by the
stretched bow-string in contact with the fingers of
his hand, and making a noise loud as that of the thunder.
I have not seen the warrior that excels or even rivals
Arjuna who can shoot by a single effort of his hand
sixty-one whetted and keen-edged shafts furnished
with excellent feathers. Do they remember Bhima
also, who, endued with great activity causeth hostile
hosts arrayed in battle to tremble in dread, like
an elephant with rent temples agitating a forest of
reeds? Do they remember the mighty Sahadeva, the
son of Madri, who in Dantakura conquered the Kalingas,
shooting arrows by both the left and right hand?
Do they remember Nakula, who, O Sanjaya, was sent,
under your eye, to conquer the Sivis and the Trigartas,
and who brought the western region under my power?
Do they remember the disgrace that was theirs when
under evil counsels they came to the woods of Dwaitavana
on pretence of taking away their cattle? Those
wicked ones having been over-powered by their enemies
were afterwards liberated by Bhimasena and Arjuna,
myself protecting the rear of Arjuna (in the fight
that ensued) and Bhima protecting the rear of the sons
of Madri, and the wielder of the Gandiva coming out
unharmed from the press of battle having made a great
slaughter of the hostile host,—do they remember
that? It is not by a single good deed, O Sanjaya,
that happiness can here be attained, when by all our
endeavours we are unable to win over the son of Dhritarashtra!”
SECTION XXIV
“Sanjaya said, ’It is even so as thou
hast said, O son of Pandu! Dost thou enquire
about the welfare of the Kurus and of the foremost
ones among them? Free from illness of every kind
and in the possession of excellent spirit are those
foremost ones among the Kurus about whom, O son of
Pritha, thou enquirest. Know, O son of Pandu,
that there are certainly righteous and aged men, as
also men that are sinful and wicked about Dhritarashtra’s
son. Dhritarashtra’s son would make gifts
even to his enemies; it is not likely, therefore,
that he should withdraw the donations made to the
Brahmanas. It is customary with you, Kshatriyas,
to follow a rule fit for butchers, that leads you
to do harm to those that bear no ill-will to you;
but the practice is not good. Dhritarashtra with
his sons would be guilty of the sin of intestine dissension,
where he, like a bad man, to bear ill-will towards
you who are righteous. He does not approve of
this injury (done to you); he is exceedingly sorry
for it; he grieves at his heart-the old man—O
Yudhishthira,—for, having communicated
with the Brahmanas, he hath learnt that provoking intestine
dissensions is the greatest of all sins. O king
of men, they remember thy prowess on the field, and
Page 164
that of Arjuna, who taketh the lead in the field of
battle. They remember Bhima wielding his mace
when the sound of the conch-shell and the drum rises
to the highest pitch. They remember those mighty
car-warriors, the two sons of Madri, who on the field
of battle career in all directions, shooting incessant
showers of shafts on hostile hosts, and who know not
what it is to tremble in fight. I believe, O
king, that which Futurity hath in store for a particular
person cannot be known, since thou, O son of Pandu,
who art endowed with all the virtues, hast had to
suffer trouble of such unendurable kind. All
this, no doubt, O Yudhishthira, thou wilt again make
up by help of your intelligence. The sons of
Pandu, all equal to Indra would never abandon virtue
for the sake of pleasure. Thou, O Yudhishthira,
wilt so make up thy intelligence that they all, viz.,
the sons of Dhritarashtra and Pandu and the Srinjayas,
and all the kings who have been assembled here, will
attain peace. O Yudhishthira, bear what thy sire
Dhritarashtra having consulted with his ministers
and sons, hath spoken to me. Be attentive to
the same.’”
SECTION XXV
“Yudhishthira said, ’Here are met the
Pandavas and the Srinjayas, and Krishna, and Yuyudhana
and Virata, O son of the Suta Gavalgana, tell us all
that Dhritarashtra hath directed thee to say.’
“Sanjaya said, ’I greet Yudhishthira,
and Vrikodara and Dhananjaya, and the two sons of
Madri, and Vasudeva the descendant of Sura, and Satyaki,
and the aged ruler of the Panchalas, and Dhrishtadyumna,
the son of Prishata. Let all listen to the words
I say from a desire for the welfare of the Kurus.
King Dhritarashtra, eagerly welcoming the chance of
peace, hastened the preparation of my car for this
journey here. Let it be acceptable to king Yudhishthira
with his brothers and sons and relations. Let
the son of Pandu prefer peace. The sons of Pritha
are endowed with every virtue with steadiness and
mildness and candour. Born in a high family,
they are humane, liberal, and loath to do any act which
would bring on shame. They know what is proper
to be done. A base deed is not befitting you,
for you are so high-minded, and have such a terrible
following of troops. If you committed a sinful
act, it would be a blot on your fair name, as a drop
of collyrium on a white cloth. Who could knowingly
be ever guilty of an act, which would result in universal
slaughter, which would be sinful and lead to hell,—an
act consisting in the destruction (of men), an act
the result of which, whether it be victory or defeat,
is or the self-same value? Blessed are they that
have served their relative’s cause. They
are the true sons and friends and relatives (of Kuru’s
race) who would lay down life, life which is liable
to be abused by misdeeds, in order to ensure the welfare
of the Kurus. If you, ye sons of Pritha, chastise
the Kurus, by defeating and slaying all your foes,—that
Page 165
subsequent life of yours would be equivalent to death,
for what, in sooth, is life after having killed all
your kinsfolk? Who, even if he were Indra himself
with all the gods on his side, would be able to defeat
you who are aided by Kesava and Chekitanas, and Satyaki,
and are protected by Dhrishtadyumna’s arms?
Who again, O king, can defeat in battle the Kurus
who are protected by Drona and Bhishma, and Aswatthaman,
and Salya, and Kripa and Karna with a host of Kshatriya
kings? Who, without loss to himself, is able to
slay the vast force assembled by Dhritarashtra’s
son? Therefore it is, that I do not see any good
either in victory or in defeat. How can the sons
of Pritha, like base persons of low lineage, commit
an act of unrighteousness? Therefore, I appease,
I prostrate myself before Krishna and the aged kin
I g of the Panchalas. I betake myself to you
as my refuge, with joined hands, so that both the
Kurus and the Srinjayas may be benefited. It is
not likely that either Krishna or Dhananjaya will
not act up to these my words. Either of them
would lay down his life, if besought (to do so).
Therefore, I say this for the success of my mission.
This is the desire of the king and his counsellor
Bhishma, that there may be confirmed peace between
you (and the Kurus).’”
SECTION XXVI
“Yudhishthira said, ’What words from me,
O Sanjaya, hast thou heard, indicative of war, that
thou apprehendest war? O sire, peace is preferable
to war. Who, O charioteer, having got the other
alternative would wish to fight? It is known
to me, O Sanjaya, that if a man can have every wish
of his heart without having to do anything, he would
hardly like to do anything even though it might be
of the least troublesome kind, far less would he engage
in war. Why should a man ever go to war?
Who is so cursed by the gods that he would select war?
The sons of Pritha, no doubt, desire their own happiness
but their conduct is ever marked by righteousness
and conducive to the good of the world. They
desire only that happiness which results from righteousness.
He that fondly followeth the lead of his senses, and
is desirous of obtaining happiness and avoiding misery,
betaketh himself to action which in its essence is
nothing but misery. He that hankers after pleasure
causeth his body to suffer; one free from such hankering
knoweth not what misery is. As an enkindled fire,
if more fuel be put upon it, blazeth forth again with
augmented force, so desire is never satiated with the
acquisition of its object but gaineth force like unkindled
fire when clarified butter is poured upon it.
Compare all this abundant fund of enjoyment which king
Dhritarashtra hath with what we possess. He that
is unfortunate never winneth victories. He that
is unfortunate enjoyeth not the voice of music.
He that is unfortunate doth not enjoy garlands and
scents! nor can one that is unfortunate enjoy cool
and fragrant unguents! and finally he that is unfortunate
Page 166
weareth not fine clothes. If this were not so,
we would never have been driven from the Kurus.
Although, however, all this is true, yet none cherished
torments of the heart. The king being himself
in trouble seeketh protection in the might of others.
This is not wise. Let him, however, receive from
others the same behaviour that he displays towards
them. The man who casteth a burning fire at midday
in the season of spring in a forest of dense underwood,
hath certainly, when that fire blazeth forth by aid
of the wind, to grieve for his lot if he wisheth to
escape. O Sanjaya, why doth king Dhritarashtra
now bewail, although he hath all this prosperity?
It is because he had followed at first the counsels
of his wicked son of vicious soul, addicted to crooked
ways and confirmed in folly. Duryodhana disregarded
the words of Vidura, the best of his well-wishers,
as if the latter were hostile to him. King Dhritarashtra,
desirous solely of satisfying his sons, would knowingly
enter upon an unrighteous course. Indeed, on account
of his fondness for his son, he would not pay heed
to Vidura, who, out of all the Kurus, is the wisest
and best of all his well-wishers, possessing vast learning,
clever in speech, and righteous in act. King Dhritarashtra
is desirous of satisfying his son, who, while himself
seeking honours from others, is envious and wrathful,
who transgresses the rules for the acquisition of
virtue and wealth, whose tongue is foul, who always
follows the dictates of his wrath, whose soul is absorbed
in sensual pleasures, and who, full of unfriendly
feelings to many, obeys no law, and whose life is evil,
heart implacable, and understanding vicious. For
such a son as this, king Dhritarashtra knowingly abandoned
virtue and pleasure. Even then, O Sanjaya, when
I was engaged in that game of dice I thought that the
destruction of the Kurus was at hand, for when speaking
those wise and excellent words Vidura obtained no
praise from Dhritarashtra. Then, O charioteer,
did trouble overtake the Kurus when they disregarded
the words of Vidura. So long as they had placed
themselves under the lead of his wisdom, their kingdom
was in a flourishing state. Hear from me, O charioteer,
who are the counsellors now of the covetous Duryodhana.
They are Dussasana, and Sakuni the son of Suvala,
and Karna the Suta’s son! O son of Gavalgana,
look at this folly of his! So I do not see, though
I think about it, how there can be prosperity for
the Kurus and the Srinjayas when Dhritarashtra hath
taken the throne from others, and the far seeing Vidura
hath been banished elsewhere. Dhritarashtra with
his sons is now looking for an extensive and undisputed
sovereignty over the whole world. Absolute peace
is, therefore, unattainable. He regardeth what
he hath already got to be his own. When Arjuna
taketh up his weapon in fight, Karna believeth him
capable of being withstood. Formerly there took
place many great battles. Why could not Karna
then be of any avail to them. It is known to
Page 167
Karna and Drona and the grandsire Bhishma, as also
to many other Kurus, that there is no wielder of the
bow, comparable to Arjuna. It is known to all
the assembled rulers of the earth, how the sovereignty
was obtained by Duryodhana although that repressor
of foes, Arjuna, was alive. Pertinanciously doth
Dhritarashtra’s son believe that it is possible
to rob the sons of Pandu of what is their own, although
he knoweth having himself gone to the place of fight,
how Arjuna comforted himself when he had nothing but
a bow four cubits long for his weapon of battle.
Dhritarashtra’s sons are alive simply because
they have not as yet heard that twang of the stretch
Gandiva. Duryodhana believeth his object already
gained, as long as he beholdeth not the wrathful Bhima.
O sire, even Indra would forbear to rob us of our
sovereignty as long as Bhima and Arjuna and the heroic
Nakula and the patient Sahadeva are alive! O
charioteer, the old king with his son still entertains
the notion that his sons will not be perished, O Sanjaya,
on the field of battle, consumed by the fiery wrath
of Pandu’s sons. Thou knowest, O Sanjaya,
what misery we have suffered! For my respect to
thee, I would forgive them all. Thou knowest
what transpired between ourselves and those sons of
Kuru. Thou knowest how we comforted ourselves
towards Dhritarashtra’s son. Let the same
state of things still continue, I shall seek peace,
as thou counsellest me to do. Let me have Indraprastha
for my kingdom, Let this be given to me by Duryodhana,
the chief of Bharata’s race.’”
SECTION XXVII
“Sanjaya said, ’O Pandava, the world hath
heard thy conduct being righteous. I see it also
to be so, O son of Pritha. Life is transient,
that may end in great infamy; considering this, thou
shouldst not perish. O Ajatasatru, if without
war, the Kurus will not yield thy share, I think,
it is far better for thee to live upon alms in the
kingdom of the Andhakas and the Vrishnis than obtain
sovereignty by war. Since this mortal existence
is for only a short period, and greatly liable to blame,
subject to constant suffering, and unstable, and since
it is never comparable to a good name, therefore,
O Pandava, never perpetrate a sin. It is the
desires, O ruler of men, which adhere to mortal men
and are an obstruction to a virtuous life. Therefore,
a wise man should beforehand kill them all and thereby
gain a stainless fame in the world, O son of Pritha.
The thirst after wealth is but like fetter in this
world; the virtue of those that seek it is sure to
suffer. He is wise who seeketh virtue alone;
desires being increased, a man must suffer in his temporal
concerns, O sire. Placing virtue before all other
concerns of life, a man shineth like the sun when
its splendour is great. A man devoid of virtue,
and of vicious soul, is overtaken by ruin, although
he may obtain the whole of this earth. Thou hast
studied the Vedas, lived the life of a saintly Brahman,
Page 168
hast performed sacrificial rites, made charities to
Brahmanas. Even remembering the highest position
(attainable by beings), thou hast also devoted thy
soul for years and years to the pursuit of pleasure.
He who, devoting himself excessively to the pleasures
and joys of life, never employeth himself in the practice
of religious meditation, must be exceedingly miserable.
His joys forsake him after his wealth is gone and
his strong instincts goad him on towards his wonted
pursuit of pleasure. Similarly, he who, never
having lived a continent life, forsaketh the path
of virtue and commiteth sin, hath no faith in existence
of a world to come. Dull as he is after death
he hath torment (for his lot). In the world to
come, whether one’s deeds be good or evil these
deeds are in no case, annihilated. Deeds, good
and evil, precede the agent (in his journey to the
world to come); the agent is sure to follow in their
path. Your work (in this life) is celebrated by
all as comparable to that food, savoury and dainty,
which is proper to be offered with reverence to the
Brahmanas—the food which is offered in
religious ceremonies with large donations (to the officiating
priests). All acts are done, so long as this
body lasts, O son of Pritha. After death there
is nothing to be done. And thou hast done mighty
deeds that will do good to thee in the world to come,
and they are admired by righteous men. There
(in the next world) one is free from death and decrepitude
and fear, and from hunger and thirst, and from all
that is disagreeable to the mind; there is nothing
to be done in that place, unless it be to delight
one’s senses. Of this kind, O ruler of men,
is the result of our deeds. Therefore, do not
from desire act any longer in this world. Do
not, O Pandu’s son, betake to action in this
world and thereby thus take leave of truth and sobriety
and candour and humanity. Thou mayst perform
the Rajasuya and the Aswamedha sacrifices, but do not
even come near an action which in itself is sin!
If after such a length of time, ye sons of Pritha,
you now give way to hate, and commit the sinful deed,
in vain, for virtue’s sake, did ye dwell for
years and years in the woods in such misery!
It was in vain that you went to exile, after parting
with all your army; for this army was entirely in your
control then. And these persons who are now assisting
you, have been always obedient to you,—this
Krishna, and Satyaki, and Virata of the golden car,
of Matsya land, with his son at the head of martial
warriors. All the kings, formerly vanquished
by you would have espoused your cause at first.
Possessed of mighty resources, dreaded by all, having
an army, and followed behind by Krishna and Arjuna,
you might have slain your foremost of foes on the
field of battle. You might have (then) brought
low Duryodhana’s pride. O Pandava, why
have you allowed your foes to grow so powerful?
Why have you weakened your friends? Why have you
sojourned in the woods for years and years? Why
Page 169
are you now desirous of fighting, having let the proper
opportunity slip? An unwise or an unrighteous
man may win prosperity by means of fighting; but a
wise and a righteous man, were he free from pride
to betake to fight (against better instinct), doth
only fall away from a prosperous path. O Pritha’s
son, your understanding inclines not to an unrighteous
course. From wrath you ever committed a sinful
act. Then what is the cause, and what is the reason,
for which you are now intent to do this deed, against
the dictates of wisdom? Wrath, O mighty king,
is a bitter drug, though it has nothing to do with
disease; it brings on a disease of the head, robs one
of his fair fame, and leads to sinful acts. It
is drunk up (controlled) by those that are righteous
and not by those that are unrighteous. I ask you
to swallow it and to desist from war. Who would
incline himself to wrath which leads to sin?
Forbearance would be more beneficial to you than love
of enjoyments where Bhishma would be slain, and Drona
with his son, and Kripa, and Somadatta’s son,
and Vikarna and Vivingsati, and Karna and Duryodhana.
Having slain all these, what bliss may that be, O Pritha’s
son, which you will get? Tell me that! Even
having won the entire sea-girt earth, you will never
be free from decrepitude and death, pleasure and pain,
bliss and misery. Knowing all this, do not be
engaged in war. If you are desirous of taking
this course, because your counsellors desire the same,
then give up (everything) to them, and run away.
You should not fall away from this path which leads
to the region of the gods!’”
SECTION XXVIII
“Yudhishthira said, ’Without doubt, O
Sanjaya, it is true that righteous deeds are the foremost
of all our acts, as thou sayest. Thou shouldst,
however, ensure me having first ascertained whether
it is virtue or vice that I practise. When vice
assumes the aspects of virtue and virtue itself wholly
seems as vice, and virtue, again, appears in its native
form, they that are learned should discriminate it
by means of their reason. So, again, virtue and
vice, which are both eternal and absolute, exchange
their aspects during seasons of distress. One
should follow without deviation the duties prescribed
for the order to which he belongs by birth. Know,
O Sanjaya, that duties in seasons of distress are
otherwise. When his means of living are totally
gone, the man, that is destitute should certainly
desire those other means by which he may be able to
discharge the sanctioned duties of his order.
One that is not destitute of his means of living,
as also one that is in distress, are, O Sanjaya, both
to be blamed, if they act as if the state of each were
otherwise. When the Creator hath ordained expiation
for those Brahmanas, who, without wishing for self-destruction,
betake themselves to acts not sanctioned for them,
this proves that people may, in season of distress,
betake to acts not ordained for the orders to which
Page 170
they belong. And, O Sanjaya, thou shouldst regard
them as worthy that adhere to the practices of their
own order in usual times as also those that do not
adhere to them in season of distress; thou shouldst
censure them that act otherwise in usual times while
adhering to their ordained practices during times of
distress. As regards men desiring to bring their
minds under control, when they endeavour to acquire
a knowledge of self, the practices that are ordained
for the best, viz., the Brahmanas, are equally
ordained for them. As regards those, however,
that are not Brahmanas and that do not endeavour to
acquire knowledge of self, those practices should be
followed by them that are ordained for their respective
orders in seasons of distress or otherwise. Even
that is the path followed by our fathers and grandfathers
before us and those also that had lived before them.
As regards those that are desirous of knowledge and
avoiding to act, even these also hold the same view
and regard themselves as orthodox. I do not,
therefore, think that there is any other path.
Whatsoever wealth there may be in this earth, whatsoever
there may be among the gods, or whatsoever there may
be unattainable by them,—the region of the
Prajapati, or heaven or the region of Brahma himself,
I would not, O Sanjaya, seek it by unrighteous means.
Here is Krishna, the giver of virtue’s fruits,
who is clever, politic, intelligent, who has waited
upon the Brahmanas, who knows everything’ and
counsels various mighty kings. Let the celebrated
Krishna say whether I would be censurable if I dismiss
all idea of peace, of whether if I fight, I should
be abandoning the duties of my caste, for Krishna
seeketh the welfare of both sides. This Satyaki,
these Chedis, the Andhakas, the Vrishnis, the Bhojas,
the Kukuras, the Srinjayas, adopting the counsels
of Krishna, slay their foes and delight their friends.
The Vrishnis and the Andhakas, at whose head stands
Ugrasena, led by Krishna, have become like Indra, high-spirited,
devoted to truth, mighty, and happy. Vabhru, the
king of Kasi, having obtained Krishna, that fructifier
of wishes, as his brother, and upon whom Krishna showers
all the blessings of life, as the clouds upon all
earthly creatures, when the hot season is over, hath
attained the highest prosperity, O sire, so great
is this Krishna! Him you must know as the great
judge of the propriety or otherwise of all acts.
Krishna is dear to us, and is the most illustrious
of men. I never disregard what Krishna sayeth.’”
SECTION XXIX
“Krishna said, ’I desire, O Sanjaya, that
the sons of Pandu may not be ruined; that they may
prosper, and attain their wishes. Similarly, I
pray for the prosperity of king Dhritarashtra whose
sons are many. For evermore, O Sanjaya, my desire
hath been that I should tell them nothing else than
that peace would be acceptable to king Dhritarashtra.
I also deem it proper for the sons of Pandu.
Page 171
A peaceful disposition of an exceedingly rare character
hath been displayed by Pandu’s son in this matter.
When Dhritarashtra and his sons, however, are so covetous,
I do not see why hostility should not run high?
Thou canst not pretend, O Sanjaya, to be more versed
than I am or Yudhishthira. is, in the niceties of
right and wrong. Then why dost thou speak words
of reproach with reference to the conduct of Yudhishthira
who is enterprising, mindful of his own duty, and
thoughtful, from the very beginning, of the welfare
of his family, agreeably to the injunctions (of treatises
of morality)? With regard to the topic at hand,
the Brahmanas have held opinions of various kinds.
Some say that success in the world to come depends
upon work. Some declare that action should be
shunned and that salvation is attainable by knowledge.
The Brahmanas say—that though one may have
a knowledge of eatable things, yet his hunger will
not be appeased unless he actually eats. Those
branches of knowledge that help the doing of work,
bear fruit, but not other kinds, for the fruit of
work is of ocular demonstration. A thirsty person
drinks water, and by that act his thirst is allayed.
This result proceeds, no doubt, from work. Therein
lies the efficacy of work. If anyone thinks that
something else is better than work, I deem, his work
and his words are meaningless. In the other world,
it is by virtue of work that the gods flourish.
It is by work that the wind blows. It is by virtue
of work that the sleepless Surya rises every day and
becomes the cause of day and night, and Soma passes
through the months and the fortnights and the combinations
of constellations. Fire is kindled of itself
and burns by virtue of work, doing good to mankind.
The sleepless goddess Earth, sustains by force this
very great burden. The sleepless rivers, giving
satisfaction to all (organised) beings, carry their
waters with speed. The sleepless Indra, possessed
of a mighty force, pours down rain, resounding the
heaven and the cardinal points. Desirous of being
the greatest of the gods, he led a life of austerities
such as a holy Brahmana leads. Indra gave up pleasure,
and all things agreeable to the heart. He sedulously
cherished virtue and truth and self-control, and forbearance,
and impartiality, and humanity. It was by work
that he attained a position the highest (of all).
Following the above course of life, Indra attained
the high sovereignty over the gods. Vrihaspati,
intently and with self-control, led in a proper manner
that life of austerities which a Brahmana leads.
He gave up pleasure and controlled his senses and
thereby attained the position of the preceptor of
the celestials. Similarly, the constellations
in the other world, by virtue of work, and the Rudras,
the Adityas, the Vasus, king Yama, and Kuvera, and
the Gandharvas, the Yakshas, and the celestial nymphs,
all attained their present position by work.
In the other world, the saints shine, following a
Page 172
life of study, austerity and work (combined).
Knowing, O Sanjaya, that this is the rule followed
by the best of Brahmanas, and Kshatriyas, and Vaisyas,
and thou being one of the wisest men,—why
art thou making this endeavour on behalf of those
sons of Kurus? Thou must know that Yudhishthira
is constantly engaged in the study of the Vedas.
He is inclined to the horse-sacrifice and the Rajasuya.
Again, he rides horses and elephants, is arrayed in
armour, mounts a car, and takes up the bow and all
kinds of weapons. Now, if the sons of Pritha can
see a course of action not involving the slaughter
of the sons of Kuru, they would adopt it. Their
virtue would then be saved, and an act of religious
merit also would be achieved by them, even if they
would have then to force Bhima to follow a conduct
marked by humanity. On the other hand, if in
doing what their forefathers did, they should meet
with death under inevitable destiny, then in trying
their utmost to discharge their duty, such death would
even be worthy of praise. Supposing thou approvest
of peace alone I should like to hear what thou mayst
have to say to this question,—which way
doth the injunction of religious law lie, viz.,
whether it is proper for the king to fight or not?—Thou
must, O Sanjaya, take into thy consideration the division
of the four castes, and the scheme of respective duties
allotted to each. Thou must hear that course
of action the Pandavas are going to adopt. Then
mayst thou praise or censure, just as it may please
thee. A Brahmana should study, offer sacrifices,
make charities, and sojourn to the best of all holy
places on the earth; he should teach, minister as
a priest in sacrifices offered by others worthy of
such help, and accept gifts from persons who are known.
Similarly, a Kshatriya should protect the people in
accordance with the injunctions of the law, diligently
practise the virtue of charity, offer sacrifices,
study the whole Veda, take a wife, and lead a virtuous
householder’s life. If he be possessed of
a virtuous soul, and if he practise the holy virtues,
he may easily attain the religion of the Supreme Being.
A Vaisya should study and diligently earn and accumulate
wealth by means of commerce, agriculture, and the tending
of cattle. He should so act as to please the
Brahmanas and the Kshatriyas, be virtuous, do good
works, and be a householder. The following are
the duties declared for a Sudra from the olden times.
He should serve the Brahmanas and submit to them;
should not study; sacrifices are forbidden to him;
he should be diligent and be constantly enterprising
in doing all that is for his good. The king protects
all these with (proper) care, and sets all the castes
to perform their respective duties. He should
not be given to sensual enjoyments. He should
be impartial, and treat all his subjects on an equal
footing. The King should never obey the dictates
of such desires as are opposed to righteousness.
If there be any body who is more praise-worthy than
Page 173
he, who is well-known and gifted with all the virtues,
the king should instruct his subjects to see him.
A bad (king), however, would not understand this.
Growing strong, and inhuman and becoming a mark for
destiny’s wrath, he would cast covetous eye on
the riches of others. Then comes war, for which
purpose came into being weapons, and armour, and bows.
Indra invented these contrivances, for putting the
plunderers to death. He also contrived armours,
and weapons, and bows. Religious merit is acquired
by putting the robbers to death. Many awful evils
have manifested themselves on account of the Kurus
having been unrighteous, and unmindful of law and
religion. This is not right, O Sanjaya.
Now, king Dhritarashtra with his sons, hath unreasonably
seized what lawfully belonged to Pandu’s son.
He minds not the immemorial law observable by kings.
All the Kurus are following in the wake. A thief
who steals wealth unseen and one who forcibly seizes
the same, in open day-light, are both to be condemned,
O Sanjaya. What is the difference between them
and Dhritarashtra’s sons? From avarice he
regards that to be righteous which he intends to do,
following the dictates of his wrath. The shares
of the Pandavas is, no doubt, fixed. Why should
that share of theirs be seized by that fool?
This being the state of things, it would be praiseworthy
for us to be even killed in fight. A paternal
kingdom is preferable to sovereignty received from
a stranger. These time-honoured rules of law,
O Sanjaya, thou must propound to the Kurus, in the
midst of the assembled kings,—I mean those
dull-headed fools who have been assembled together
by Dhritarashtra’s son, and who are already under
the clutches of death. Look once more at that
vilest of all their acts,—the conduct of
the Kurus in the council-hall. That those Kurus,
at whose head stood Bhishma did not interfere when
the beloved wife of the sons of Pandu, daughter of
Drupada, of fare fame, pure life, and conduct worthy
of praise, was seized, while weeping, by that slave
of lust. The Kurus all, including young and old,
were present there. If they had then prevented
that indignity offered to her, then I should have been
pleased with Dhritarashtra’s behaviour.
It would have been for the final good of his sons
also. Dussasana forcibly took Krishna into the
midst of the public hall wherein were seated her fathers-in-law.
Carried there, expecting sympathy, she found none
to take her part, except Vidura. The kings uttered
not a word of protest, solely because they were a set
of imbeciles. Vidura alone spoke words of opposition,
from a sense of duty,—words conceived in
righteousness addressed to that man (Duryodhana) of
little sense. Thou didst not, O Sanjaya, then
say what law and morality were, but now thou comest
to instruct the son of Pandu! Krishna, however,
having repaired to the hall at that time made everything
right, for like a vessel in the sea, she rescued the
Pandavas as also herself, from that gathering ocean
Page 174
(of misfortunes)! Then in that hall, while Krishna
stood, the charioteer’s son addressed her in
the presence of her fathers-in-law saying, ’O
Daughter of Drupada thou hast no refuge. Better
betake thyself as a bond-woman to the house of Dhritarashtra’s
son. Thy husbands, being defeated, no longer exist.
Thou hast a loving soul, choose some one else for
thy lord.’ This speech, proceeding from
Karna, was a wordy arrow, sharp, cutting all hopes,
hitting the tenderest parts of the organisation, and
frightful. It buried itself deep in Arjuna’s
heart. When the sons of Pandu were about to adopt
the garments made of the skins of black deer, Dussasana
spoke the following pungent words, ’These all
are mean eunuchs, ruined, and damned for a lengthened
time.’ And Sakuni, the king of the Gandhara
land, spoke to Yudhishthira at the time of the game
of dice the following words by way of a wily trick,
’Nakula hath been won by me from you, what else
have you got? Now you should better stake your
wife Draupadi’. You know, O Sanjaya, all
these words of an approbrious kind which were spoken
at the time of the game of dice. I desire to
go personally to the Kurus, in order to settle this
difficult matter. If without injury to the Pandava
cause I succeed in bringing about this peace with the
Kurus, an act of religious merit, resulting in very
great blessings, will then have been done by me; and
the Kurus also will have been extricated from the meshes
of death. I hope that when I shall speak to the
Kurus words of wisdom, resting on rules of righteousness,
words fraught with sense and free from all tendency
to inhumanity, Dhritarashtra’s son will, in my
presence, pay heed to them. I hope that when
I arrive, the Kurus will pay me due respect.
Else thou mayst rest assured that those vicious sons
of Dhritarashtra, already scorched by their own vicious
acts, will be burnt up by Arjuna and Bhima ready for
battle. When Pandu’s sons were defeated
(at the play), Dhritarashtra’s sons spoke to
them words that were harsh and rude. But when
the time will come, Bhima will, no doubt, take care
to remind Duryodhana of those words. Duryodhana
is a big tree of evil passions; Karna is its trunk;
Sakuni is its branches; Dussasana forms its abundant
blossoms and fruits; (while) the wise king Dhritarashtra
is its toots. Yudhishthira is a big tree of righteousness;
Arjuna is its trunk; and Bhima is its branches; the
sons of Madri are its abundant flowers and fruits;
and its roots are myself and religion and religious
men. King Dhritarashtra with his sons constitutes
a forest, while, O Sanjaya, the sons of Pandu are
its tigers. Do not, oh, cut down the forest with
its tigers, and let not the tigers be driven away
from the forest. The tiger, out of the woods,
is easily slain; the wood also, that is without a
tiger, is easily cut down. Therefore, it is the
tiger that protects the forest and the forest that
shelters the tiger. The Dhritarashtras are as
creepers, while, O Sanjaya, the Pandavas are Sala trees.
Page 175
A creeper can never flourish unless it hath a large
tree to twine round. The sons of Pritha are ready
to wait upon Dhritarashtra as, indeed, those repressors
of foes are ready for war. Let king Dhritarashtra
now do what may be proper for him to do. The
virtuous and the high-souled sons of Pandu, though
competent to be engaged in fight, are yet now in place
(with their cousins). O learned man, represent
all this truly (to Dhritarashtra).’”
SECTION XXX
“Sanjaya said, ’I did thee farewell, O
divine ruler of men. I will now depart, O son
of Pandu. Let prosperity be thine. I hope,
I have not carried away by the feelings of my heart,
given utterance to anything offensive. I would
also bid farewell to Janardana, to Bhima and Arjuna,
to the son of Madri, to Satyaki, and to Chekitana,
and take my departure. Let peace and happiness
be yours. Let all the kings look at me with eyes
of affection.’
“Yudhishthira said, ’Permitted by us,
O Sanjaya, take your leave. Peace to thee!
O learned man, thou never thinkest ill of us.
Both they and we know thee to be a person of pure
heart in the midst of all in the court (of the Kurus).
Besides, being an ambassador now, O Sanjaya, thou art
faithful, beloved by us, of agreeable speech and excellent
conduct, and well-affected towards us. Thy mind
is never clouded, and even if addressed harshly thou
art never moved to wrath. O Suta, thou never
utterest harsh and cutting words, or those that are
false or bitter. We know that thy words, free
from malice, are always fraught with morality and
grave import. Amongst envoys thou art the most
dear to us. Beside thee, there is another, who
may come here, and that is Vidura. Formerly,
we always used to see thee. Thou art, indeed,
a friend to us as dear as Dhananjaya. Proceeding
hence, O Sanjaya, with all speed, thou shouldst wait
upon those Brahmanas of pure energy and devoted to
study according to the Brahmacharya mode,—those,
namely, that are devoted to the study of the Vedas
while leading lives of mendicancy, those ascetics that
habitually dwell in the woods, as also the aged ones
of other classes, should all be addressed by thee
in my name, O Sanjaya, and then their welfare should
be enquired into by thee. O Suta, repairing unto
the priest of king Dhritarashtra as also unto his
preceptors and Ritwijas, thou shouldst address them
and enquire after their welfare. Even amongst
them that are, though not well-born at least aged,
endued with energy, and possessed of good behaviour
and strength, who remembering speak of us and practise
according to their might even the least virtue, should
first be informed of my peace, O Sanjaya, and then
shouldst thou enquire after their welfare. Thou
shouldst also enquire after the welfare of those that
live in the kingdom carrying on trade, and those that
live there filling important offices of state.
Our beloved preceptor Drona, who is fully versed in
Page 176
morality, who is our counsellor, who had practised
the Brahmacharya vow for mastering the Vedas, who
once again hath made the science of weapons full and
complete, and who is always graciously inclined towards
us, should be greeted by thee in our name. Thou
shouldst also enquire into the welfare of Aswatthaman,
endued with great learning, devoted to the study of
the Vedas, leading the Brahmacharya mode of life,
possessed of great activity, and like unto a youth
of the Gandharva race, and who, besides, hath once
again made the science of weapons full and complete.
Thou must also, O Sanjaya, repair to the abode of Kripa,
the son of Saradwat, that mighty car-warrior and foremost
of all persons having a knowledge of self, and repeatedly
saluting him in my name touch his feet with thy hand.
Thou shouldst also, touching his feet, represent me
as hale unto that foremost of the Kurus, Bhishma, in
whom are combined bravery, and abstention from injury,
and asceticism, and wisdom and good behaviour, and
Vedic learning, and great excellence, and firmness.
Saluting unto also the wise, venerable, and blind king
(Dhritarashtra), who possessed of great learning and
reverential to the old, is the leader of the Kurus.
Thou shouldst also, O Sanjaya, enquire, O sire, about
the welfare of the eldest of Dhritarashtra’s
sons, Suyodhana, who is wicked and ignorant and deceitful
and vicious, and who now governs the entire world.
Thou shouldst also enquire about the welfare of even
the wicked Dussasana, that mighty bowman and hero
among the Kurus, who is the younger of Duryodhana
and who possesses a character like that of his elder
brother. Thou shouldst, O Sanjaya, also salute
the wise chief of the Vahlikas, who always cherishes
no other wish save that there should be peace among
the Bharatas. I think, thou shouldst also worship
that Somadatta who is endued with numerous excellent
qualities, who is wise and possesses a merciful heart,
and who from his affection for the Kurus always controls
his anger towards them. The son of Somadatta is
worthy of the greatest reverence among the Kurus.
He is my friend and is a brother to us. A mighty
bowman and the foremost of car-warriors, he is worthy
in all respects. Thou shouldst, O Sanjaya, enquire
after his welfare along with that of his friends and
counsellors. Others there are of youthful age
and of consideration amongst the Kurus, who bear a
relationship to us like that of sons, grandsons, and
brothers. Unto each of these thou must speak
words which thou mayst consider suitable, enquiring,
O Suta, after his welfare. Thou must also enquire
about the welfare of those kings that have been assembled
by Dhritarashtra’s son for fighting with the
Pandavas, viz., the Kekayas, the Vasatis, the
Salwakas, the Amvashthas, and the leading Trigartas,
and of those endued with great bravery that have come
from the east, the north, the south, and the west,
and of those that have come from hilly countries,
in fact, of all amongst them that are not cruel and
Page 177
that lead good lives. Thou shouldst also represent
unto all those persons who ride on elephants, and
horses and cars, and who fight on foot,—that
mighty host composed of honourable men,—that
I am well, and then thou must enquire about their
own welfare. Thou must also enquire about the
welfare of those that serve the king in the matter
of his revenue or as his door-keepers, or as the leaders
of his troops, or as the accountants of his income
and outlay, or as officers constantly occupied in
looking after other important concerns. Thou must,
O sire, also enquire about the welfare of Dhritarashtra’s
son by his Vaisya wife,—that youth who
is one of the best of the Kuru race,—who
never falls into error, who possesseth vast wisdom,
who is endued with every virtue, and who never cherishes
a liking for this war! Thou shouldst also ask
about the welfare of Chitrasena who is unrivalled in
the tricks of dice, whose tricks are never detected
by others, who plays well, who is well-versed in the
art of handling the dice, and who is unconquerable
in play but not in fight. Thou must also, O sire,
enquire about the welfare of Sakuni, the king of the
Gandharas, that native of the hilly country, who is
unrivalled in deceitful games at dice, who enhances
the pride of Dhritarashtra’s son, and whose
understanding naturally leads to falsehood. Thou
must also enquire about the welfare of Karna, the son
of Vikartana, that hero who is ready to vanquish,
alone and unassisted, mounted on his car, the Pandavas
whom no one dares assail in battle, that Karna who
is unparalleled in deluding those that are already
deluded. Thou must also enquire about the welfare
of Vidura, O sire, who alone is devoted to us, who
is our instructor, who reared us, who is our father
and mother and friend, whose understanding finds obstruction
in nought, whose ken reaches far, and who is our counsellor.
Thou must also salute all the aged dames and those
who are known to be possessed of merit, and those
who are like mothers to us, meeting them gathered together
in one place. Thou must tell them, O Sanjaya,
these words at first,—Ye mothers of living
sons, I hope, your sons comfort themselves towards
you in a kindly, considerate, and worthy way.—Thou
must then tell them that Yudhishthira is doing well
with his sons. Those ladies, O Sanjaya, who are
in the rank of our wives, thou must ask as to their
welfare also addressing them in these words,—I
hope, you are well-protected. I hope, your fair
fame hath suffered no injury. I hope, you are
dwelling within your abodes blamelessly and carefully.
I hope, you are comforting yourselves towards your
fathers-in-law in a kindly, praise-worthy and considerate
way. You must steadily adopt such a conduct for
yourselves as will help you to win your husband’s
favour! Those young ladies, O Sanjaya, who bear
a relationship to us like that of your daughters-in-law,
who have been brought from high families, who are
possessed of merit and who are mothers of children,—thou
Page 178
must meet them all and tell them that Yudhishthira
send his kindly greetings to them. Thou must,
O Sanjaya, embrace the daughters of your house, and
must ask them about their welfare on my behalf.
Thou must tell them,—May your husbands
be kindly and agreeable; may you be agreeable to your
husbands; may you have ornaments and clothes and perfumery
and cleanliness; may you be happy and have at your
command the joys of life; may your looks be pretty
and words pleasant; Thou must ask, O sire, the women
of the house as to their welfare. Thou must also
represent unto the maid-servants and man-servants
there, may be of the Kurus, and also the many humpbacked
and lame ones among them, that I am doing well, and
thou must then ask them about their welfare.
Thou must tell them,—I hope, Dhritarashtra’s
son still vouchsafes the same kindly treatment to
you. I hope, he gives you the comforts of life.—Thou
must also represent unto those that are defective
in limb, those that are imbecile, the dwarfs to whom
Dhritarashtra gives food and raiment from motives of
humanity, those that are blind, and all those that
are aged, as also to the many that have the use only
of their hands being destitute of legs, that I am doing
well, and that I ask them regarding their welfare,
addressing them in the following words,—Fear
not, nor be dispirited on account of your unhappy
lives so full of sufferings; no doubt, sins must have
been committed by you in your former lives. When
I shall check my foes, and delight my friends, I shall
satisfy you by gifts of food and clothes.—Thou
shouldst also, O sire, at our request, enquire after
the welfare of those that are masterless and weak,
and of those that vainly strive to earn a living,
and of those that are ignorant, in fact, of all those
persons that are in pitiable circumstances. O
charioteer, meeting those others, that coming from
different quarters, have sought the protection of the
Dhritarashtras, and in fact, all who deserve our greetings,
thou shouldst also enquire about their welfare and
peace. Thou shouldst also enquire about the welfare
of those who have come to the Kurus of their own accord
or who have been invited, as also of all the ambassadors
arrived from all sides and then represent unto them
that I am well. As regards the warriors that
have been obtained by Dhritarashtra’s son, there
are none equal to them on earth. Virtue, however,
is eternal, and virtue is my power for the destruction
of my enemies. Thou shouldst, O Sanjaya, also
represent unto Suyodhana, the son of Dhritarashtra,
the following,—That desire of thine which
torments thy heart, viz., the desire of ruling
the Kurus without a rival, is very unreasonable.
It had no justification. As for ourselves, we
will never act in such a way as to do anything that
may be disagreeable to thee! O foremost of heroes
anwng the Bharatas, either give me lack my own Indraprastha
or fight with me!’”
SECTION XXXI
Page 179
“Yudhishthira said, ’O Sanjaya, the righteous
and the unrighteous, the young and the old, the weak
and the strong, are all under the control of the Creator,
It is that Supreme Lord who imparteth knowledge to
the child and childishness to the learned, according
to his own will. If Dhritarashtra ask thee about
our strength, tell him everything truly, having cheerfully
consulted with everyone here and ascertained the truth.
O son of Gavalgana, repairing unto the Kurus, thou
wilt salute the mighty Dhritarashtra, and touching
his feet enquire after his welfare speaking in our
name. And when seated in the midst of the Kurus,
tell him from us.—The sons of Pandu, O
king, are living happily in consequence of thy prowess.
It was through thy grace, O repressor of foes, that
those children of tender years had obtained a kingdom.
Having first bestowed a kingdom on them, thou shouldst
not now be indifferent to them, for destruction then
would overtake them! The whole of this kingdom,
O Sanjaya, is not fit to be owned by one person.
Tell him again, from us.—O sire, we wish
to live united. Do not suffer thyself to be vanquished
by foes.—Thou shouldst again, O Sanjaya,
bending thy head, in my name salute the grandsire
of the Bharatas, Bhishma, the son of Santanu.
Having saluted our grandsire, he should then be told.—By
thee, when Santanu’s race was about to be extinct,
it was revived. Therefore, O sire, do that according
to thy own judgment by which thy grandsons may all
live in amity with one another. Thou shouldst
then address Vidura also, that adviser of the Kurus,
saying.—Counseleth peace, O amiable one,
from desire of doing good unto Yudhishthira.—Thou
shouldst address the unforbearing prince Duryodhana
also, when seated in the midst of the Kurus, beseeching
him again and again, saying,—The insults
thou hadst offered to innocent and helpless Draupadi
in the midst of the assembly, we will quietly bear,
simply because we have no mind to see the Kurus slain.
The other injuries also, both before and after that,
the sons of Pandu are quietly bearing, although they
are possessed of might to avenge them. All this,
indeed, the Kauravas know. O amiable one, thou
hadst even exiled us dressed in deer-skins. We
are bearing that also because we do not want to see
the Kurus slain. Dussasana, in obedience to thee,
had dragged Krishna, disregarding Kunti. That
act also will be forgiven by us. But, O chastiser
of foes, we must have our proper share of the kingdom.
O bull among men, turn thy coveting heart from what
belongeth to others. Peace then, O king, will
be amongst our gladdened selves. We are desirous
of peace; give us even a single province of the empire.
Give us even Kusasthala, Vrikasthala, Makandi, Varanavata,
and for the fifth any other that thou likest.
Even this will end the quarrel. O Suyodhana, give
unto thy five brothers at least five villages,—O
Sanjaya, O thou of great wisdom, let there be peace
between us and our cousins. Tell him also,—Let
brothers follow brothers, let sires unite with sons.
Let the Panchalas mingle with the Kurus in merry laughter.
That I may see the Kurus and the Panchalas whole and
sound, is what I desire. O bull of the Bharata
race, with, cheerful hearts let us make peace.
O Sanjaya, I am equally capable of war and peace.
I am prepared to acquire wealth as well as to earn
virtue. I am fit enough for severity as for softness.’”
Page 180
SECTION XXXII
“Vaisampayana said, ’Dismissed with salutation
by the Pandavas, Sanjaya set out for (Hastinapura)
having executed all the commands of the illustrious
Dhritarashtra. Reaching Hastinapura he quickly
entered it, and presented himself at the gate of the
inner apartments of the palace. Addressing the
porter, he said, ’O gate-keeper, say unto Dhritarashtra
that I, Sanjaya, have just arrived, coming from the
sons of Pandu. Do not delay. If the king
be awake, then only shouldst thou say so, O keeper,
for I like to enter having first apprised him of my
arrival. In the present instance I have something
of very great importance to communicate.’
Hearing this, the gate-keeper went to the king and
addressed him, saying, ’O lord of earth, I bow
to thee. Sanjaya is at thy gates, desirous of
seeing thee. He cometh, bearing a message from
the Pandavas. Issue your commands, O king, as
to what he should do.’
“The king said, ’Tell Sanjaya that I am
happy and hale. Let him enter. Welcome to
Sanjaya. I am always ready to receive him.
Why should he stay outside whose admission is never
forbidden?”
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Then, with the
king’s permission, having entered that spacious
apartment, the Suta’s son, with joined hands,
approached the royal son of Vichitravirya who was protected
by many wise, valiant, and righteous persons, and
who was then seated on his throne. And Sanjaya
addressed him, saying, ’I am Sanjaya, O king.
I bow unto thee. O chief of men, proceeding hence
I found the sons of Pandu. After having paid
his salutations to thee, Pandu’s son, the intelligent
Yudhishthira, enquired of thy welfare. And well-pleased,
he also enquireth after thy sons, and asketh thee
whether thou art happy with thy sons and grandsons
and friends and counsellors, and, O king, all those
that depend upon thee.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’O child, giving
my blessings to Ajatasatru, I ask thee, O Sanjaya,
whether that king of the Kauravas, Pritha’s son,
is well with his sons and brothers and counsellors.’
“Sanjaya said, ’Pandu’s son is well
with his counsellors. He desires possessions
of that which he formerly had as his own. He seeketh
virtue and wealth without doing anything that is censurable,
possesseth intelligence and vast learning, and is,
besides, far-sighted and of excellent disposition.
With that son of Pandu, abstention from injury is
even superior to virtue, and virtue superior to the
accumulation of wealth. His mind, O Bharata,
is always inclined to happiness and joy, and to such
course of action as are virtuous and conducive to the
higher ends of life. Even like doll pulled this
way and that by threads, man (in this world) moveth,
swayed by a force not his own. Beholding the sufferings
of Yudhishthira, I regard the force of destiny to
be Superior to the effect of human exertion.
Beholding again thy unworthy deeds, which, besides,
Page 181
being highly sinful and unspeakable, are sure to terminate
in misery, it seemeth to me that one of thy nature
winneth praise only so long as his able foe bideth
his time. Renouncing all sin, even as a serpent
casteth off its worn out slough which it cannot any
longer retain, the heroic Ajatasatru shineth in his
natural perfection, leaving his load of sins to be
borne by thee. Consider, O king, thy own acts
which are contrary to both religion and profit, and
to the behaviour of those that are righteous.
Thou hast, O king, earned a bad repute in this world,
and wilt reap misery in the next. Obeying the
counsels of thy son thou hopest to enjoy this doubtful
property, keeping them aloof. This unrighteous
deed is loudly bruited about in the world, Therefore,
O foremost of the Bharatas, this deed is unworthy
of thee. Calamity overtaketh him who is deficient
in wisdom, or who is of low birth, or who is cruel,
or who cherisheth hostility for a long time, or who
is not steady in Kshatriya virtues, or is devoid of
energy, or is of a bad disposition, in fact, him who
hath such marks. It is by virtue of luck that
a person taketh his birth in good race, or becometh
strong, or famous, or versed in various lore, or possesseth
the comforts of life, or becometh capable of subduing
his senses, or discriminating virtue and vice that
are always linked together. What person is there,
who, attended upon by foremost of counsellors, possessed
of intelligence, capable of discriminating between
virtue and vice in times of distress, not destitute
of the rituals of religion, and retaining the use
of all his faculties, would commit cruel deeds.
These counsellors, ever devoted to thy work, wait here
united together. Even this is their firm determination
(viz., that the Pandavas are not to get back their
share). The destruction of the Kurus, therefore,
is certain to be brought about by the force of circumstances.
If, provoked by the offences, Yudhishthira wisheth
for misery to thee, then Kurus will be destroyed prematurely,
while, imparting all his sins to thee, the blame of
that deed will be thine in this world. Indeed,
what else is there save the will of the Gods, for
Arjuna, the son of Pritha, leaving this world ascended
to the very heavens and was honoured there very greatly.
This proves that individual exertion is nothing.
There is, no doubt, as to this. Seeing that the
attributes of high birth, bravery, etc., depended
for their development or otherwise on acts, and beholding
also prosperity and adversity and stability and instability
(in persons and their possessions), king Vali, in
his search after causes, having failed to discover
a beginning (in the chain of acts of former lives one
before another), regarded the eternal Essence to be
the cause of everything. The eye, the ear, the
nose, the touch, and the tongue, these are the doors
of a person’s knowledge. If desire be curbed,
these would be gratified by themselves. Therefore,
cheerfully and without repining one should control
Page 182
the senses. Others there are that think differently.
They hold that if a person’s acts are well-applied,
these must produce the desired result. Thus the
child begot by the act of the mother and the father
grows when duly tended with food and drink. Men
in this world become subject to love and hate, pleasure
and pain, praise and blame. A man is praised
when he behaves honestly. Thee I blame, since
these dissensions of the Bharatas (whose root thou
art) will surely bring about the destruction of innumerable
lives. If peace be not concluded, then through
thy fault Arjuna will consume the Kurus like a blazing
fire consuming a heap of dried grass. O ruler
of men, thou alone of all the world, yielding to thy
son whom no restraints can blind, hadst regarded thyself
as crowned with success and abstained from avoiding
dispute at the time of the match at dice. Behold
now the fruit of that (weakness of thine)! O
monarch, by rejecting advisers that are faithful and
accepting those that deserve no confidence, this extensive
and prosperous empire, O son of Kuru, thou art unable
to retain owing to thy weakness. Wearied by my
fast journey and very much fatigued, I solicit thy
permission to go to bed now, O lion of men, for tomorrow
morning will the Kurus, assembled together in the
council-hall, hear the words of Ajatasatru.’”
SECTION XXXIII
“Vaisampayana said, ’King Dhritarashtra
endued with great wisdom (then) said to the orderly-in-waiting,
’I desire to see Vidura. Bring him here
without delay.’ Despatched by Dhritarashtra,
the messenger went to Kshatri and said, ’O thou
of great wisdom, our lord the mighty king desireth
to see thee.’ Thus addressed, Vidura (set
out and) coming to the palace, spoke unto the orderly,
‘Apprise Dhritarashtra of my arrival.’
Thereupon the orderly went to Dhritarashtra, and said,
O, foremost of kings, Vidura is here at thy command.
He wisheth to behold thy feet. Command me as
to what he is to do.’ Thereupon Dhritarashtra
said, ’Let Vidura of great wisdom and foresight
enter. I am never unwilling or unprepared to
see Vidura.’ The orderly then went out and
spoke unto Vidura, ’O Kshatri, enter the inner
apartments of the wise king. The king says that
he is never unwilling to see thee.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Having entered
Dhritarashtra’s chamber, Vidura said with joined
hands unto that ruler of men who was then plunged in
thought, ’O thou of great wisdom, I am Vidura,
arrived here at thy command. If there is anything
to be done, here I am, command me!’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’O Vidura, Sanjaya
hath come back. He hath gone away after rebuking
me. Tomorrow he will deliver, in the midst of
the court, Ajatasatru’s message. I have
not been able today to ascertain what the message
is of the Kuru hero. Therefore, my body is burning,
and that hath produced sleeplessness. Tell us
what may be good for a person that is sleepless and
burning. Thou art, O child, versed in both religion
and profit. Ever since, Sanjaya hath returned
from the Pandavas, my heart knoweth no peace.
Filled with anxiety about what he may deliver, all
my senses have been disordered’.
Page 183
“Vidura said, ’Sleeplessness overtaketh
thief, a lustful person, him that hath lost all his
wealth, him that hath failed to achieve success, and
him also that is weak and hath been attacked by a strong
person. I hope, O king, that none of these grave
calamities have overtaken thee. I hope, thou
dost not grieve, coveting the wealth of others.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’I desire to hear
from thee words that are beneficial and fraught with
high morality. In this race of royal Rishis thou
alone art reverenced by the wise.’ Vidura
replied, ’King (Yudhishthira), graced with every
virtue, is worthy of being the sovereign of the three
worlds; yet, O Dhritarashtra, however worthy of being
kept by thy side, he was exiled by thee. Thou
art, however, possessed of qualities which are thy
very reverse of those possessed by him. Although
virtuous and versed in morality, thou hast yet no right
to a share in the kingdom owing to thy loss of sight.
In consequence of his inoffensiveness and kindness,
his righteousness, love of truth and energy, and his
remembering the reverence that is due to thee, Yudhishthira
patiently bears innumerable wrongs. Having bestowed
on Duryodhana and Suvala’s son and Karna, and
Dussasana the management of the empire, how canst
thou hope for prosperity? He that is not served
from the high ends of life by the aid of self-knowledge,
exertion, forbearance and steadiness in virtue, is
called wise. These again are the marks of a wise
man, viz., adherence to acts, worthy of praise
and rejection of what is blamable, faith, and reverence.
He whom neither anger nor joy, nor pride, nor false
modesty, nor stupefaction, nor vanity, can draw away
from the high ends of life, is considered as wise.
He whose intended acts, and proposed counsels remain
concealed from foes, and whose acts become known only
after they have been done, is considered wise.
He whose proposed actions are never obstructed by heat
or cold, fear of attachment, prosperity or adversity,
is considered wise. He whose judgment dissociated
from desire, followeth both virtue and profit, and
who disregarding pleasure chooseth such ends as are
serviceable in both worlds, is considered wise.
They that exert to the best of their might, and act
also to the best of their might, and disregard nothing
as insignificant, are called wise. He that understandeth
quickly, listeneth patiently, pursueth his objects
with judgment and not from desire and spendeth not
his breath on the affairs of others without being asked,
is said to possess the foremost mark of wisdom.
They that do not strive for objects that are unattainable,
that do not grieve for what is lost and gone, that
do not suffer their minds to be clouded amid calamities,
are regarded to possess intellects endued with wisdom.
He who striveth, having commenced anything, till it
is completed, who never wasteth his time, and who
hath his soul under control, is regarded wise.
They that are wise, O bull of the Bharata race, always
Page 184
delight in honest deeds, do what tendeth to their
happiness and prosperity, and never sneer at what
is good. He who exulteth not at honours, and grieveth
not at slights, and remaineth cool and unagitated
like a lake in the course of Ganga, is reckoned as
wise. That man who knoweth the nature of all creatures
(viz., that everything is subject to destruction),
who is cognisant also of the connections of all acts,
and who is proficient in the knowledge of the means
that men may resort to (for attaining their objects),
is reckoned as wise. He who speaketh boldly,
can converse on various subjects, knoweth the science
of argumentation, possesseth genius, and can interpret
the meaning of what is writ in books, is reckoned as
wise. He whose studies are regulated by reason,
and whose reason followeth the scriptures, and who
never abstaineth from paying respect to those that
are good, is called a wise man. He, on the other
hand, who is ignorant of scripture yet vain, poor
yet proud, and who resorteth to unfair means for the
acquisition of his objects, is a fool. He who,
forsaking his own, concerneth himself with the objects
of others, and who practiseth deceitful means for
serving his friends, is called a fool. He who
wisheth for those things that should not be desired,
and forsaketh those that may legitimately be desired,
and who beareth malice to those that are powerful,
is regarded to be a foolish soul. He who regardeth
his foe as his friend, who hateth and beareth malice
to his friend, and who committeth wicked deeds, is
said to be a person of foolish soul. O bull of
the Bharata race, he who divulgeth his projects, doubteth
in all things, and spendeth a long time in doing what
requireth a short time, is a fool. He who doth
not perform the Sraddha for the Pitris, nor worshippeth
the deities, nor acquireth noble-minded friends, is
said to be a person of foolish soul. That worst
of men who entereth a place uninvited, and talketh
much without being asked, and reposeth trust on untrustworthy
wights, is a fool. That man who being himself
guilty casteth the blame on others, and who though
impotent giveth vent to anger, is the most foolish
of men. That man, who, without knowing his own
strength and dissociated from both virtue and profit,
desireth an object difficult of acquisition, without
again adopting adequate means, is said to be destitute
of intelligence. O king, he who punisheth one
that is undeserving of punishment, payeth homage to
persons without their knowledge, and waiteth upon
misers, is said to be of little sense. But he
that, having attained immense wealth and prosperity
or acquired (vast) learning, doth not bear himself
haughtily, is reckoned as wise. Who, again, is
more heartless than he, who, though possessed of affluence,
eateth himself and weareth excellent robes himself
without distributing his wealth among his dependents?
While one person committeth sins, many reap the advantage
resulting therefrom; (yet in the end) it is the doer
Page 185
alone to whom the sin attacheth while those that enjoy
the fruit escape unhurt. When a bowman shooteth
an arrow, he may or may not succeed in slaying even
a single person, but when an intelligent individual
applieth his intelligence (viciously); it may destroy
an entire kingdom with the king. Discriminating
the two by means of the one, bring under thy subjection
the three by means of four, and also conquering the
five and knowing the six, and abstaining from the
seven, be happy. Poison slayeth but one person,
and a weapon also but one; wicked counsels, however,
destroy an entire kingdom with king and subject.
Alone one should not partake of any savoury viand,
nor alone reflect on concerns of profit, nor alone
go upon a journey, nor alone remain awake among sleeping
companions. That Being who is One without a second,
and whom, O king, thou hast not been able to comprehend,
is Truth’s self, and the Way to heaven, even
like a boat in the ocean. There is one only defect
in forgiving persons, and not another; that defect
is that people take a forgiving person to be weak.
That defect, however, should not be taken into consideration,
for forgiveness is a great power. Forgiveness
is a virtue of the weak, and an ornament of the strong.
Forgiveness subdueth (all) in this world; what is
there that forgiveness cannot achieve? What can
a wicked person do unto him who carrieth the sabre
of forgiveness in his hand? Fire falling on a
grassless ground is extinguished of itself. And
unforgiving individual defileth himself with many enormities.
Righteousness is the one highest good; and forgiveness
is the one supreme peace; knowledge is one supreme
contentment; and benevolence, one sole happiness.
Even as a serpent devoureth animals living in holes,
the earth devoureth these two, viz., a king who
is incompetent to fight, and a Brahmana who doth not
sojourn to holy places. A man may attain renown
in this world by doing two things, viz., by refraining
from harsh speech, and by disregarding those that
are wicked. O tiger among men, these two have
not a will of their own, viz., those women who
covet men simply because the latter are coveted by
others of their sex, and that person who worships
another simply because the latter is worshipped by
others. These two are like sharp thorns afflicting
the body, viz., the desires of a poor man, and
the anger of the impotent. These two persons never
shine because of their incompatible acts, viz.,
a householder without exertion, and a beggar busied
in schemes. These two, O king, live (as it were)
in a region higher than heaven itself, viz.,
a man of power endued with forgiveness, and poor man
that is charitable. Of things honestly got, these
two must be looked upon as misuse, viz., making
gifts to the unworthy and refusing the worthy.
These two should be thrown into the water, tightly
binding weights to their necks, viz., a wealthy
man that doth not give away, and a poor man that is
Page 186
proud. These two, O tiger among men, can pierce
the orb itself of the sun, viz., a mendicant
accomplished in yoga, and a warrior that hath fallen
in open fight. O bull of the Bharata race, persons
versed in the Vedas have said that men’s means
are good, middling, and bad. Men also, O king,
are good, indifferent, and bad. They should,
therefore, be respectively employed in that kind of
work for which they may be fit. These three, O
king, cannot have wealth of their own, viz.,
the wife, the slave, and the son, and whatever may
be earned by them would be his to whom they belong.
Great fear springeth from these three crimes, viz.,
theft of other’s property, outrage on other’s
wives, and breach with friend. These three, besides,
being destructive to one’s own self, are the
gates of hell, viz., lust, anger, and covetousness.
Therefore, every one should renounce them. These
three should never be forsaken even in imminent danger,
viz., a follower, one who seeks protection, saying,—I
am thine,—and lastly one who hath come
to your abode. Verily, O Bharata, liberating a
foe from distress, alone amounteth in point of merit,
to these three taken together, viz., conferring
a boon, acquiring a kingdom, and obtaining a son.
Learned men have declared that a king, although powerful,
should never consult with these four, viz., men
of small sense, men that are procrastinating, men
that are indolent, and men that are flatterers.
O sire, crowned with prosperity and leading the life
of a householder, let these four dwell with thee,
viz., old consanguineous, relatives, high-born
persons fallen into adversity, poor friends, and issueless
sisters. On being asked by the chief of the celestials,
Vrihaspati, O mighty king declared four things capable
of fructifying or occurring within a single day, viz.,
the resolve of the gods, the comprehensions of intelligent
persons, the humility of learned men, and the destruction
of the sinful. These four that are calculated
to remove fear, bring on fear when they are improperly
performed, viz., the Agni-hotra, the vow of silence,
study, and sacrifice (in general). O bull of
the Bharata race, these five fires, should be worshipped
with regard by a person, viz., father, mother,
fire (proper), soul and preceptor. By serving
these five, men attain great fame in this world, viz.,
the gods, the Pitris, men, beggars, and guests.
These five follow thee wherever thou goest, viz.,
friends, foes, those that are indifferent, dependants,
and those that are entitled to maintenance. Of
the five senses beholding to man, if one springeth
a leak, then from that single hole runneth out all
his intelligence, even like water running out from
a perforated leathern vessel. The six faults
should be avoided by a person who wisheth to attain
prosperity, viz., sleep, drowsiness, fear, anger,
indolence and procrastination. These six should
be renounced like a splitting vessel in the sea, viz.,
Page 187
a preceptor that cannot expound the scriptures, a
priest that is illiterate, a king that is unable to
protect, a wife that speaketh disagreeable words, a
cow-herd that doth not wish to go to the fields, and
a barber that wisheth to renounce a village for the
woods. Verily, those six qualities should never
be forsaken by men, viz., truth, charity, diligence,
benevolence, forgiveness and patience. These six
are instantly destroyed, if neglected, viz.,
kine, service, agriculture, a wife, learning, and the
wealth of a Sudra. These six forget those who
have bestowed obligations on them, viz., educated
disciples, their preceptors; married persons, their
mothers; persons whose desires have been gratified,
women; they who have achieved success, they who had
rendered aid; they who have crossed a river, the boat
(that carried them over); and patients that have been
cured, their physicians. Health, unindebtedness,
living at home, companionship with good men, certainty
as regards the means of livelihood, and living without
fear, these six. O king, conduce to the happiness
of men. These six are always miserable, viz.,
the envious, the malicious, the discontented, the
irascible, the ever-suspicious, and those depending
upon the fortunes of others. These six, O king,
comprise the happiness of men, viz., acquirement
of wealth, uninterrupted health, a beloved and a sweet-speeched
wife, an obedient son, and knowledge that is lucrative.
He that succeedeth in gaining the mastery over the
six that are always present in the human heart, being
thus the master of his senses, never committeth sin,
and therefore suffereth calamity. These six may
be seen to subsist upon other six, viz., thieves,
upon persons that are careless; physicians, on persons
that are ailing; women, upon persons suffering from
lust; priests, upon them that sacrifice; a king, upon
persons that quarrel; and lastly men of learning, upon
them that are without it. A king should renounce
these seven faults that are productive of calamity,
inasmuch as they are able to effect the ruin of even
monarchs firmly established; these are women, dice,
hunting, drinking, harshness of speech, severity of
punishment, and misuse of wealth. These eight
are the immediate indications of a man destined to
destruction, viz., hating the Brahmanas, disputes
with Brahmanas, appropriation of a Brahmana’s
possessions, taking the life of Brahmana, taking a
pleasure in reviling Brahmanas, grieving to hear the
praises of Brahmanas, forgetting them on ceremonious
occasions, and giving vent to spite when they ask for
anything. These transgressions a wise man should
understand, and understanding, eschew. These
eight, O Bharata, are the very cream of happiness,
and these only are attainable here, viz., meeting
with friends, accession of immense wealth, embracing
a son, union for intercourse, conversation with friends
in proper times, the advancement of persons belong
to one’s own party, the acquisition of what had
Page 188
been anticipated, and respect in society. These
eight qualities glorify a man, viz., wisdom,
high birth, self-restraint, learning, prowess, moderation
in speech gift according to one’s power, and
gratitude. This house hath nine doors, three
pillars, and five witnesses. It is presided over
by the soul. That learned man who knoweth all
this is truly wise. O Dhritarashtra, these ten
do not know what virtue is viz., the intoxicated,
inattentive, the raving, the fatigued, the angry, the
starving, the hasty, the covetous, the frightened,
and the lustful. Therefore, he that is wise must
eschew the company of these. In this connection
is cited the old story about what transpired between
Suyodhana and (Prahlada), the chief of the Asuras
in relation to the latter’s son. That king
who renounceth lust and anger, who bestoweth wealth
upon proper recipients, and is discriminating, learned,
and active, is regarded as an authority of all men.
Great prosperity attends upon that king who knoweth
how to inspire confidence in others, who inflicteth
punishment on those whose guilt hath been proved,
who is acquainted with the proper measure of punishment,
and who knoweth when mercy is to be shown. He
is a wise person who doth not disregard even a weak
foe; who proceeds with intelligence in respect of
a foe, anxiously watching for an opportunity; who
doth not desire hostilities with persons stronger than
himself; and who displayeth his prowess in season.
That illustrious person who doth not grieve when a
calamity hath already come upon him, who exerteth with
all his senses collected, and who patiently beareth
misery in season, is certainly the foremost of persons,
and all his foes are vanquished. He who doth
not live away from hope uselessly, who doth not make
friends with sinful persons, who never outrageth another’s
wife, who never betrayeth arrogance, and who never
committeth a theft or showeth ingratitude or indulgeth
in drinking is always happy. He who never boastfully
striveth to attain the three objects of human pursuit,
who when asked, telleth the truth, who quarreleth
not even for the sake of friends, and who never becometh
angry though slighted, is reckoned as wise. He
who beareth not malice towards others but is kind to
all, who being weak disputeth not with others, who
speaketh not arrogantly, and forgeteth a quarrel,
is praised everywhere. That man who never assumeth
a haughty mien, who never censureth others praising
himself the while, and never addresseth harsh words
to others for getting himself, is ever loved by all.
He who raketh not up old hostilities, who behaveth
neither arrogantly nor with too much humility, and
who even when distressed never committeth an improper
act, is considered by respectable men a person of
good conduct. He who exulteth not at his own happiness,
nor delighteth in another’s misery, and who
repenteth not after having made a gift, is said to
be a man of good nature and conduct. He who desireth
to obtain a knowledge of the customs of different
Page 189
countries, and also the languages of different nations,
and of the usages of different orders of men, knoweth
at once all that is high and low; and wherever he may
go, he is sure to gain an ascendancy over even those
that are glad. The intelligent man who relinquisheth
pride, folly, insolence, sinful acts, disloyalty towards
the king, crookedness of behaviour, enmity with many,
and also quarrels with men that are drunk, mad and
wicked, is the foremost of his species. The very
gods bestow prosperity upon him who daily practiseth
self-restraint, purification, auspicious rites, worship
of the gods, expiatory ceremonies, and other rites
of universal observance. The acts of that learned
man are well-conceived, and well-applied who formeth
matrimonial alliances with persons of equal positions
and not with those that are inferior, who placeth
those before him that are more qualified, and who
talketh, behaveth and maketh friendships with persons
of equal position. He who eateth frugally after
dividing the food amongst his dependants, who sleepeth
little after working much, and who, when solicited
giveth away even unto his foes, hath his soul under
control, and calamities always keep themselves aloof
from him. He whose counsels are well-kept and
well-carried out into practice, and whose acts in
consequence thereof are never known by others to injure
men, succeedeth in securing even his most trifling
objects. He who is intent upon abstaining from
injury to all creatures, who is truthful, gentle,
charitable, and pure in mind, shineth greatly among
his kinsmen like a precious gem of the purest ray
having its origin in an excellent mine. That
man who feeleth shame even though his faults be not
known to any save himself, is highly honoured among
all men. Possessed of a pure heart and boundless
energy and abstracted within himself, he shineth in
consequence of his energy like the very sun. King
Pandu consumed by a (Brahmana’s) curse, had
five sons born unto him in the woods that are like
five Indras. O son of Ambika, thou hast brought
up those children and taught them everything.
They are obedient to thy commands. Giving them
back their just share of the kingdom, O sire, filled
with joy, be thou happy with thy sons. Then,
O monarch, thou shalt inspire confidence in both the
gods and men.’”
SECTION XXXIV
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Tell me what may
be done by a person that is sleepless and burning
with anxieties, for thou alone amongst us, O child,
art versed in both religion and profit. Advise
me wisely, O Vidura. O thou of magnanimous heart,
tell me what is thou deemest to be beneficial for
Ajatasatru and what is productive of good to the Kurus.
Apprehending future evils. I look back only on
my previous guilt: I ask thee with anxious heart,
O learned one, tell me what is exactly in Ajatasatru’s
mind,’
Page 190
“Vidura said, ’Even if unasked, one should
speak truly, whether his words be good or bad, hateful
or pleasing, unto him whose defeat one doth not wish.
I shall, therefore, say, O king, what is for the good
of the Kurus. I shall say what is both beneficial
and consistent with morality. Listen to me.
Do not, O Bharata, set the heart upon means of success
that are unjust and improper. A man of intelligence
must not grieve if any purpose of his doth not succeed,
notwithstanding the application of fair and proper
means. Before one engageth in an act, one should
consider the competence of the agent, the nature of
the act itself, and its purpose, for all acts are
dependent on these. Considering these one should
begin an act, and not take it up on a sudden impulse.
He that is wise should either do an act or desist
from it fully considering his own ability, the nature
of the act, and the consequence also of success.
The king who knoweth not proportion or measure as
regards territory, gain, loss, treasury, population,
and punishment, cannot retain his kingdom long.
He, on the other hand, who is acquainted with the
measures of these as prescribed in treatises, being
necessarily possessed of the knowledge of religion
and profit, can retain his kingdom. As the stars
are affected by the planets, so is this world affected
by the senses, when they are directed, uncontrolled,
to their respective objects. Like the moon during
the lighted fortnight, calamities increase in respect
of him who is vanquished by the five senses in their
natural state, which ever lead him towards various
acts. He who wisheth to control his counsellors
before controlling his own self, or to subdue his
adversaries before controlling his counsellors, at
last succumbs deprived of strength. He, therefore,
who first subdueth his own self regarding it as a foe,
never faileth to subdue his counsellors and adversaries
at last. Great prosperity waiteth upon him who
hath subdued his senses, or controlled his soul, or
who is capable of punishing all offenders, or who
acteth with judgment or who is blessed with patience.
One’s body, O king, is one’s car; the soul
within is the driver; and the senses are its steeds.
Drawn by those excellent steeds, when well-trained,
he that is wise, pleasantly performeth the journey
of life, and awake in peace. The horses that are
unbroken and incapable of being controlled, always
lead an unskilful driver to destruction in the course
of the journey; so one’s senses, unsubdued,
lead only to destruction. The inexperienced wight,
who, led by this unsubdued senses, hopeth to extract
evil from good and good from evil, necessarily confoundeth
misery with happiness. He, who, forsaking religion
and profit, followeth the lead of his senses, loseth
without delay prosperity, life, wealth and wife.
He, who is the master of riches but not of his senses,
certainly loseth his riches in consequence of his
want of mastery over his senses. One should seek
to know one’s self by means of one’s own
Page 191
self, controlling one’s mind, intellect, and
senses, for one’s self is one’s friend
as, indeed, it is one’s own foe. That man,
who hath conquered self by means of self, hath his
self for a friend, for one’s self is ever one’s
friend or foe. Desire and anger, O king, break
through wisdom, just as a large fish breaks through
a net of thin cords. He, who in this world regarding
both religion and profit, seeketh to acquire the means
of success, winneth happiness, possessing all he had
sought. He, who, without subduing his five inner
foes of mental origin, wisheth to vanquish other adversaries,
is, in fact, overpowered by the latter. It is
seen that many evil-minded kings, owing to want of
mastery over their senses, are ruined by acts of their
own, occasioned by the lust of territory. As
fuel that is wet burneth with that which is dry, so
a sinless man is punished equally with the sinful in
consequence of constant association with the latter.
Therefore, friendship with the sinful should be avoided.
He that, from ignorance, faileth to control his five
greedy foes, having five distinct objects, is overwhelmed
by calamities. Guilelessness and simplicity,
purity and contentment, sweetness of speech and self-restraint,
truth and steadiness,—these are never the
attributes of the wicked. Self-knowledge and steadiness,
patience and devotion to virtue, competence to keep
counsels and charity,—these,—O
Bharata, never exist in inferior men. Fools seek
to injure the wise by false reproaches and evil speeches,
The consequence is, that by this they take upon themselves
the sins of the wise, while the latter, freed from
their sins, are forgiven. In malice lieth the
strength of the wicked; in criminal code, the strength
of kings, in attentions of the weak and of women;
and in forgiveness that of the virtuous. To control
speech, O king, is said to be most difficult.
It is not easy to hold a long conversation uttering
words full of meaning and delightful to the hearers.
Well-spoken speech is productive of many beneficial
results; and ill-spoken speech, O king, is the cause
of evils. A forest pierced by arrows, or cut
down by hatchets may again grow, but one’s heart
wounded and censured by ill-spoken words never recovereth.
Weapons, such as arrows, bullets, and bearded darts,
can be easily extracted from the body, but a wordy
dagger plunged deep into the heart is incapable of
being taken out. Wordy arrows are shot from the
mouth; smitten by them one grieveth day and night.
A learned man should not discharge such arrows, for
do they not touch the very vitals of others.
He, to whom the gods ordain defeat, hath his senses
taken away, and it is for this that he stoopeth to
ignoble deeds. When the intellect becometh dim
and destruction is nigh, wrong, looking like right.,
firmly sticketh to the heart. Thou dost not clearly
see it, O bull of the Bharata race, that clouded intellect
hath now possessed thy sons in consequence of their
hostility to the Pandavas. Endued with every auspicious
Page 192
mark and deserving to rule the three worlds, Yudhishthira
is obedient to thy commands. Let him, O Dhritarashtra,
rule the earth, to the exclusion of all thy sons,
Yudhishthira is the foremost of all thy heirs.
Endued with energy and wisdom, and acquainted with
the truths of religion and profit, Yudhishthira, that
foremost of righteous men, hath, O king of kings,
suffered much misery out of kindness and sympathy,
in order to preserve thy reputation.”
SECTION XXXV
“Dhritarashtra said, ’O thou of great
intelligence, tell me again words such as these, consistent
with religion and profit. My thirst for hearing
them is not quenched. What thou sayst is charming!”
“Vidura said, ’Ablution in all the holy
places and kindness to all creatures,—these
two are equal. Perhaps, kindness to all creatures
surpasseth the former. O master, show kindness
unto all thy sons, for by that winning great fame
in this world, thou wilt have heaven hereafter.
As long as a man’s good deeds are spoken of in
this world, so long, O tiger among men, is he glorified
in heaven. In this connection is cited an old
story about the conversation between Virochana and
Sudhanwan, both suitors for Kesini’s hand.
Once on a time, O king, there was a maiden of the
name of Kesini, unrivalled for beauty; moved by the
desire of obtaining a good husband, she resolved to
choose her lord in Swayamvara. Then one of the
sons of Diti, Virochana by name, went to that spot,
desirous of obtaining the maiden. Beholding that
chief of the Daityas, Kesini addressed him, saying,
’Are Brahmanas superior, O Virochana, or are
the sons of Diti superior? And why also should
not Sudhanwan sit on the sofa?’ Virochana said,
’Sprung from Prajapati himself, we, O Kesini,
are the best and at the top of all creatures, and this
world is ours without doubt. Who are the gods,
and who are the Brahmanas?’ Kesini said, ’We
will, O Virochana, stay here in this very pavilion.
Sudhanwan will come here on the morrow, and let me
see both of you sitting together.’ Virochana
said, ’O amiable and timid girl, I will do what
thou sayst. Thou wilt behold Sudhanwan and myself
met together in the morning.’
“Vidura continued, ’When the night had
passed away and the solar disc had risen, Sudhanwan,
O best of kings, came to that place where, O master,
Virochana was waiting with Kesini. And Sudhanwan
saw there both Prahlada’s son and Kesini.
And beholding the Brahmana arrived, Kesini, O bull
of the Bharata race, rising up from hers, offered him
a seat, water to wash his feet, and Arghya. And
asked by Virochana (to share his seat) Sudhanwan said,
’O son of Prahlada, I touch thy excellent golden
seat. I cannot, however, suffer myself to be
regarded as thy equal, and sit on it with thee.’
Virochana said, ’A piece of wooden plank, an
animal skin, or a mat of grass or straw,—these
only, O Sudhanwan, are fit for thee. Thou deservest
Page 193
not, however, the same seat with me.’ Sudhanwan
said, ’Father and son. Brahmanas of the
same age and equal learning, two Kshatriyas, two Vaisyas
and two Sudras, can sit together on the same seat,
Except these, no other can sit together. Your
father used to pay his regards to me, taking a seat
lower than that occupied by me. Thou art a child,
brought tip in every luxury at home and thou understandest
nothing.’ Virochana said, ’Staking
all the gold, kine, horses, and every other kind of
wealth that we have among the Asuras, let us, O Sudhanwan,
ask them this question that are able to answer.’
Sudhanwan said, ’Let alone your gold, kine,
and heroes, O Virochana? Making our lives forfeited,
we will ask them this question that are competent.’
Virochana said, ’Wagering our lives where shall
we go? I will not appear before any of the gods
and never before any among men.’ Sudhanwan
said, ’Having wagered our lives, we will approach
thy father, for he, Prahlada, will never say an untruth
even for the sake of his son.’
“Vidura continued, ’Having thus laid a
wager, Virochana and Sudhanwan, both moved by rage,
proceeded to that place where Prahlada was. And
beholding them together, Prahlada said, ’These
two who had never before been companions, are now
seen together coming hither by the same road, like
two angry snakes. Have ye now become companions,—ye
who were never companions before? I ask thee,
O Virochana, has there been friendship between thee
and Sudhanwan?’ Virochana said, ’There
is no friendship between me and Sudhanwan. On
the other hand, we have both wagered our lives.
O chief of the Asuras, I shall ask thee a question,
do not answer it untruly!’ Prahlada said, ’Let
water, and honey and curds, be brought for Sudhanwan.
Thou deservest our worship, O Brahmana. A white
and fat cow is ready for thee.’ Sudhanwan
said, ’Water and honey and curds, have been
presented to me on my way hither. I shall ask
thee a question. Prahlada, answer it truly! are
Brahmanas superior, or is Virochana superior?’
Prahlada said, O Brahmana, this one is my only son.
Thou also art present here in person. How can
one like us answer a question about which ye two have
quarrelled? Sudhanwan said, ’Give unto thy
son thy kine and other precious wealth that thou mayst
have, but, O wise one, thou shouldst declare the truth
when we two are disputing about it.’ Prahlada
said, ’How doth that misuser of his tongue suffer,
O Sudhanwan, who answereth not truly but falsely,
a question that is put to him? I ask thee this.’
Sudhanwan said, ’The person that misuseth his
tongue suffers like the deserted wife, who pineth,
at night, beholding her husband sleeping in the arms
of a co-wife; like a person who hath lost at dice,
or who is weighed down with an unbearable load of anxieties.
Such a man hath also to stay, starving outside the
citygates, into which his admission is barred.
Indeed, he that giveth false evidence is destined to
always find his foes. He that speaketh a lie on
Page 194
account of an animal, casteth down from heaven five
of his sires of the ascending order. He that
speaketh a lie on account of a cow casteth down from
heaven ten of his ancestors. A lie on account
of a horse causeth the downfall of a hundred; and
a lie on account of a human being, the downfall of
a thousand of one’s sires of the ascending order.
An untruth on account of gold ruineth the members
of one’s race both born and unborn, while an
untruth for the sake of land ruineth everything.
Therefore, never speak an untruth for the sake of
land.’ Prahlada said, ’Angiras is
superior to myself, and Sudhanwan is superior to thee,
O Virochana. Mother also of Sudhanwan is superior
to thy mother; therefore, thou, O Virochana, hath
been defeated by Sudhanwan. This Sudhanwan is
now the master of thy life. But, O Sudhanwan,
I wish that thou shouldst grant Virochana his life.’
Sudhanwan said, ’Since, O Prahlada, thou hast
preferred virtue and hast not, from temptation, said
an untruth, I grant thy son his life that is dear
to thee. So here is thy son Virochana, O Prahlada,
restored by me to thee. He shall, however, have
to wash my feet in the presence of the maiden Kesini.’
“Vidura continued, ’For these reasons,
O king of kings, it behoveth thee not to say an untruth
for the sake of land. Saying an untruth from
affection for thy son, O king, hasten not to destruction,
with all thy children and counsellors. The gods
do not protect men, taking up clubs in their hands
after the manner of herdsmen; unto those, however,
they wish to protect, they grant intelligence.
There is no doubt that one’s objects meet with
success in proportion to the attention he directs to
righteousness and morality. The Vedas never rescue
from sin a deceitful person living by falsehood.
On the other hand, they forsake him while he is on
his death-bed, like newly fledged birds forsaking their
nests. Drinking, quarrels, enmity with large
numbers of men, all connections with connubial disputes,
and severance of relationship between husband and
wife, internal dissensions, disloyalty to the king,—these
and all paths that are sinful, should, it is said,
be avoided. A palmist, a thief turned into a
merchant, a fowler, a physician, an enemy, a friend,
and a minstrel, these seven are incompetent as witness.
An Agnihotra performed from motives of pride, abstention
from speech, practised from similar motives, study
and sacrifice from the same motives,—these
four, of themselves innocent, become harmful when
practised unduly. One that setteth fire to a
dwelling house, an administerer of poison, a pander,
a vendor of the Soma-juice, a maker of arrows, an
astrologer, one that injureth friends, an adulterer,
one that causeth abortion, a violater of his preceptor’s
bed, a Brahmana addicted to drink, one that is sharp-speeched,
a raker of old sores, an atheist, a reviler of the
Vedas, and taker of bribes, one whose investiture
with the sacred thread has been delayed beyond the
Page 195
prescribed age, one that secretly slayeth cattle,
and one that slayeth him who prayeth for protection,—these
all are reckoned as equal in moral turpitude as the
slayers of Brahmanas. Gold is tested by fire;
a well-born person, by his deportment; an honest man,
by his conduct. A brave man is tested during
a season of panic; he that is self-controlled, in
times of poverty; and friends and foes, in times of
calamity and danger. Decrepitude destroyeth beauty;
ambitious hopes, patience; death, life, envy, righteousness,
anger, prosperity, companionship with the low, good
behaviour; lust, modesty, and pride, everything.
Prosperity taketh its birth in good deeds, groweth
in consequence of activity, driveth its roots deep
in consequence of skill, and acquireth stability owing
to self-control. Wisdom, good lineage, self-control,
acquaintance with the scriptures, prowess, absence
of garrulity, gift to the extent of one’s power,
and grateful ness,—these eight qualities
shed a lustre upon their possessor. But, O sire,
there is one endowment which alone can cause all these
attributes to come together; the fact is, when the
king honoureth a particular person, the royal favour
can cause all these attributes to shed their lustre
(on the favourite). Those eight, O king, in the
world of men, are indications of heaven. Of the
eight (mentioned below) four are inseparably connected,
with the good, and four others are always followed
by the good. The first four which are inseparably
connected with the good, are sacrifice, gift, study
and asceticism, while the other four that are always
followed by the good, are self-restraint, truth, simplicity,
and abstention from injury to all.
’Sacrifice, study, charity, asceticism, truth,
forgiveness, mercy, and contentment constitute the
eight different paths of righteousness. The first
four of these may be practised from motives of pride,
but the last four can exist only in those that are
truly noble. That is no assembly where there
are no old men, and they are not old who do not declare
what morality is. That is not morality which
is separated from truth, and that is not truth which
is fraught with deceit. Truth, beauty, acquaintance
with the scriptures, knowledge, high birth, good behaviour,
strength, wealth, bravery, and capacity for varied
talk,—these ten are of heavenly origin.
A sinful person, by committing sin, is overtaken by
evil consequences. A virtuous man, by practising
virtue, reapeth great happiness. Therefore, a
man, rigidly resolved, should abstain from sin.
Sin, repeatedly perpetrated, destroyeth intelligence;
and the man who hath lost intelligence, repeatedly
committeth sin. Virtue, repeatedly practised,
enhanceth intelligence; and the man whose intelligence
hath increased, repeatedly practiseth virtue.
The virtuous man, by practising virtue, goeth to regions
of blessedness. Therefore, a man should, firmly
resolved, practise virtue. He that is envious,
he that injureth others deeply, he that is cruel,
Page 196
he that constantly quarreleth, he that is deceitful,
soon meeteth with great misery for practising these
sins. He that is not envious and is possessed
of wisdom, by always doing what is good, never meeteth
with great misery; on the other hand, he shineth everywhere.
He that draweth wisdom from them that are wise is really
learned and wise. And he that is wise, by attending
to both virtue and profit, succeedeth in attaining
to happiness. Do that during the day which may
enable thee to pass the night in happiness; and do
that during eight months of the year which may enable
thee to pass the season of rains happily. Do
that during youth which may ensure a happy old age;
and do that during thy whole life here which may enable
thee to live happily hereafter. The wise prize
that food which is easily digested, that wife whose
youth hath passed away, that hero who is victorious
and that ascetic whose efforts have been crowned with
success. The gap that is sought to be filled
by wealth acquired wrongfully, remaineth uncovered,
while new ones appear in other places. The preceptor
controlleth them whose souls are under their own control;
the king controlleth persons that are wicked; while
they that sin secretly have their controller in Yama,
the son of Vivaswat. The greatness of Rishis,
of rivers, of river-banks, of high-souled men, and
the cause of woman’s wickedness, cannot be ascertained.
O king, he that is devoted to the worship of the Brahmanas,
he that giveth away, he that behaveth righteously towards
his relatives, and the Kshatriya that behaveth nobly,
rule the earth for ever. He that is possessed
of bravery, he that is possessed of learning, and
he that knows how to protect others,—these
three are always able to gather flowers of gold from
the earth. Of acts, those accomplished by intelligence
are first; those accomplished by the arms, second;
those by the thighs, and those by bearing weights
upon the head, are the very worst. Reposing the
care of thy kingdom on Duryodhana, on Sakuni, on foolish
Dussasana, and on Karna, how canst thou hope for prosperity?
Possessed of every virtue, the Pandavas, O bull of
the Bharata race, depend on thee as their father.
O, repose thou on them as on thy sons!”
SECTION XXXVI
“Vidura said, ’In this connection is cited
the old story of the discourse between the son of
Atri and the deities called Sadhyas is as heard by
us. In days of old, the deities known by the
name of Sadhyas questioned the highly wise and great
Rishi of rigid vows (the son of Atri), while the latter
was wandering in the guise of one depending on eleemosynary
charity for livelihood. The Sadhyas said, ’We
are, O great Rishi, deities known as Sadhyas.
Beholding thee, we are unable to guess who thou art.
It seemeth to us, however, that thou art possessed
of intelligence and self-control in consequence of
acquaintance with the scriptures. It, therefore,
behoveth thee to discourse to us in magnanimous words
Page 197
fraught with learning.’ The mendicant Rishi
answered, ’Ye immortals, it hath been heard
by me that by untying all the knots in the heart by
the aid of tranquillity, and by mastery over all the
passions, and observance of true religion, one should
regard both the agreeable and the disagreeable like
his own self. One should not return the slanders
or reproaches of others for the pain that is felt
by him who beareth silently, consumeth the slanderer;
and he that beareth, succeedeth also in appropriating
the virtues of the slanderer. Indulge not in
slanders and reproaches. Do not humiliate and
insult others. Quarrel not with friends.
Abstain from companionship with those that are vile
and low. Be not arrogant and ignoble in conduct.
Avoid words that are harsh and fraught with anger.
Harsh words burn and scorch the very vitals, bones,
heart, and the very sources of the life of men.
Therefore, he, that is virtuous, should always abstain
from harsh and angry words. That worst of men
is of harsh and wrathful speech, who pierceth the
vitals of others with wordy thorns, beareth hell in
his tongue, and should ever be regarded as a dispenser
of misery to men. The man that is wise, pierced
by another’s wordy arrows, sharp-pointed and
smarting like fire or the sun, should, even if deeply
wounded and burning with pain, bear them patiently
remembering that the slanderer’s merits become
his. He that waiteth upon one that is good or
upon one that is wicked, upon one that is possessed
of ascetic merit or upon one that is a thief, soon
taketh the colour from that companion of his, like
a cloth from the dye in which it is soaked. The
very gods desire his company, who, stung with reproach,
returneth if not himself nor causeth others to return
it, or who being struck doth not himself return the
blow nor causeth other to do it, and who wisheth not
the slightest injury to him that injureth him.
Silence, it is said, is better than speech, if speak
you must, then it is better to say the truth; if truth
is to be said, it is better to say what is agreeable;
and if what is agreeable is to be said, then it is
better to say what is consistent with morality.
A man becometh exactly like him with whom he liveth,
or like him whom he regardeth, or like that which
he wisheth to be. One is freed from those things
from which one abstaineth, and if one abstaineth from
everything he hath not to suffer even the least misery.
Such a man neither vanquisheth others, nor is vanquished
by others. He never injureth nor opposeth others.
He is unmoved by praise or blame. He neither
grieveth nor exalteth in joy. That man is regarded
as the first of his species who wisheth for the prosperity
of all and never setteth his heart on the misery of
others, who is truthful in speech, humble in behaviour,
and hath all his passions under control. That
man is regarded as a mediocre in goodness who never
consoleth others by saying what is not true; who giveth
having promise; and who keepeth an eye over the weakness
Page 198
of others. These, however, are the indications
of a bad man, viz., incapacity to be controlled;
liability to be afflicted by dangers; proneness to
give way to wrath, ungratefulness; inability to become
another’s friend, and wickedness of heart.
He too is the worst of men, who is dissatisfied with
any good that may come to him from others who is suspicious
of his own self, and who driveth away from himself
all his true friends. He that desireth prosperity
to himself, should wait upon them that are good, and
at times upon them that are indifferent, but never
upon them that are bad. He that is wicked, earneth
wealth, it is true, by putting forth his strength,
by constant effort, by intelligence, and by prowess,
but he can never win honest fame, nor can he acquire
the virtues and manners of high families (in any of
which he may be born).’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’The gods, they that
regard both virtue and profit without swerving from
either, and they that are possessed of great learning,
express a liking for high families. I ask thee,
O Vidura, this question,—what are those
families that are called high?’
“Vidura said, ’Asceticism, self-restraint,
knowledge of the Vedas, sacrifices, pure marriages,
and gifts of food,—those families in which
these seven exist or are practised duly, are regarded
as high. There are high families who deviate
not from the right course whose deceased ancestors
are never pained (by witnessing the wrong-doings of
their descendants), who cheerfully practise all the
virtues, who desire to enhance the pure fame of the
line in which they are born, and who avoid every kind
of falsehood. Families that are high, fall down
and become low owing to the absence of sacrifices,
impure marriages, abandonment of the Vedas, and insults
offered to Brahmanas. High families fall off and
become low owing to their members disregarding or speaking
ill of Brahmanas, or to the misappropriation, O Bharata,
of what had been deposited with them by others.
Those families that are possessed of members, wealth
and kine, are not regarded as families if they be wanting
in good manners and conduct, while families wanting
in wealth but distinguished by manners and good conduct
are regarded as such and win great reputation.
Therefore, should good manners and good conduct be
maintained with care, for, as regards wealth, it cometh
or goeth. He that is wanting in wealth is not
really wanting, but he that is wanting in manners
and conduct is really in want. Those families
that abound in kine and other cattle and in the produce
of the field are not really worthy of regard and fame
if they be wanting in manners and conduct. Let
none in our race be a fomenter of quarrels, none serve
a king as minister, none steal the wealth of others,
none provoke intestine dissensions, none be deceitful
or false in behaviour, and none eat before serving
the Rishis, the gods, and guests. He, in our
race, who slayeth Brahmanas, or entertaineth feelings
Page 199
of aversion towards them, or impedeth or otherwise
injureth agriculture, doth not deserve to mix with
us. Straw (for a seat), ground (for sitting upon),
water (to wash the feet and face), and, fourthly sweet
words,—these are never wanting in the houses
of the good. Virtuous men devoted to the practice
of righteous acts, when desirous of entertaining (guests),
have these things ready for being offered with reverence.
As the Sandal tree, O king, though thin, is competent
to bear weights which timbers of other trees (much
thicker) cannot; so they that belong to high families
are always able to bear the weight of great cares
which ordinary men cannot. He is no friend whose
anger inspireth fear, or who is to be waited upon
with fear. He, however, on whom one can repose
confidence as on a father, is a true friend. Other
friendships are nominal connection. He that beareth
himself as a friend, even though unconnected by birth
of blood, is a true friend, a real refuge, and a protector.
He, whose heart is unsteady, or who doth not wait upon
the aged, or who is of a restless disposition cannot
make friends. Success (in the attainment of objects)
forsaketh the person whose heart is unsteady, or who
hath no control over his mind, or who is a slave of
his senses, like swans forsaking a tank whose waters
have dried up. They that are of weak minds suddenly
give way to anger and are gratified without sufficient
cause; they are like clouds that are so inconstant.
The very birds of prey abstain from touching the dead
bodies of those who having been served and benefited
by friends, show ingratitude to the latter. Beest
thou poor or beest thou rich, thou shouldst honour
thy friends. Until some service is asked, the
sincerity or otherwise of friends cannot be known.
Sorrow killeth beauty; sorrow killeth strength; sorrow
killeth the understanding; and sorrow bringeth on
disease. Grief, instead of helping the acquisition
of his object, drieth up the body, and maketh one’s
foes glad. Therefore, do not yield to grief, Men
repeatedly die and are reborn; repeatedly they wither
away and grow; repeatedly they ask others for help,
and they themselves are asked for help; repeatedly
they lament and are lamented. Happiness and misery,
plenty and want, gain and loss, life and death, are
shared by all in due order. Therefore, he that
is self-controlled should neither exult in joy nor
repine in sorrow. The six senses are always restless.
Through the most predominant one amongst them one’s
understanding escapeth in proportion to the strength
it assumes, like water from a pot through its holes.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’King Yudhishthira
who is like a flame of fire, has been deceived by
me. He will surely exterminate in battle all my
wicked sons. Everything, therefore, seems to
me to be fraught with danger, and my mind is full
of anxiety, O thou of great intelligence, tell me such
words as may dispel my anxiety.’
Page 200
“Vidura said, ’O sinless one, in nothing
else than knowledge and asceticism, in nothing else
than restraining the senses, in nothing else than
complete abandonment of avarice, do I see thy good.
Fear is dispelled by self-knowledge; by asceticism
one winneth what is great and valuable; by waiting
upon superiors learning is acquired; and peace is
gained by self-restraint. They that desire salvation
without having acquired the merit attainable by gifts,
or that which is attainable by practising the ritual
of the Vedas, do not sojourn through life, freed from
anger and aversion. The happiness that may be
derived from a judicious course of study, from a battle
fought virtuously, from ascetic austerities performed
rigidly, always increaseth at the end. They that
are no longer in peace with their relatives, obtain
no steep even if they have recourse to well-made beds;
nor do they, O king, derive any plea. sure from women,
or the laudatory hymns of bards and eulogists.
Such persons can never practise virtue. Happiness
can never be theirs, in this world. Honours can
never be theirs, and peace hath no charm for them.
Counsels that are for their benefit please them not.
They never acquire what they have not, nor succeed
in retaining what they have, O king, there is no other
end for such men save destruction. As milk is
possible in kine, asceticism in Brahmanas, and inconstancy
in women, so fear is possible from relatives.
Numerous thin threads of equal length, collected together,
are competent to bear, from the strength of numbers,
the constant rolling of the shuttle-cock over them.
The case is even so with relatives that are good,
O bull of the Bharata race, separated from one another,
burning brands produce only smoke; but brought together
they blaze forth into a powerful flame. The case
is even so, O Dhritarashtra, with relatives.
They, O Dhritarashtra, who tyrannise over Brahmanas,
women, relatives, and kine, soon fall off their stalks,
like fruits that are ripe. And the tree that
stands singly, though gigantic and strong and deep-rooted,
hath its trunk soon smashed and twisted by a mighty
wind. Those trees, however, that grow in close
compact are competent owing to mutual dependence to
resist winds more violent still. Thus he that
is single, however, endowed with all the virtues,
is regarded by foes as capable of being vanquished
like an isolated tree by the wind. Relatives,
again, in consequence of mutual dependence and mutual
aid, grow together, like lotus-stalks in a lake.
These must never be slain, viz., Brahmanas, kine,
relatives, children, women, those whose food is eaten,
and those also that yield by asking for protection.
O king, without wealth no good quality can show itself
in a person. If, however, thou art in health,
thou canst achieve thy good, for he is dead who is
unhealthy and ill. O king, anger is a kind of
bitter, pungent, acrid, and hot drink, painful in
its consequences: it is a kind of headache not
Page 201
born of any physical illness, and they that are unwise
can never digest it. Do thou, O king, swallow
it up and obtain peace. They that are tortured
by disease have no liking for enjoyments, nor do they
desire any happiness from wealth. The sick, however,
filled with sorrow, know not what happiness is or what
the enjoyments of wealth are. Beholding Draupadi
won at dice, I told thee before, O king, these words,—They
that are honest avoid deceit in play. Therefore,
stop Duryodhana! Thou didst not, however, act
according to my words. That is not strength which
is opposed to softness. On the other hand, strength
mixed with softness constitutes true policy which should
ever be pursued. That prosperity which is dependent
on crookedness alone is destined to be destroyed.
That prosperity, however, which depends on both strength
and softness, descends to sons and grandsons in tact.
Let, therefore, thy sons cherish the Pandavas, and
the Pandavas also cherish thy sons. O king, let
the Kurus and the Pandavas, both having same friends
and same foes, live together in happiness and prosperity.
Thou art, today, O king, the refuge of the sons of
Kuru. Indeed, the race of Kuru, O Ajamida, is
dependent on thee. O sire, preserving thy fame
unsullied, cherish thou the children of Pandu, afflicted
as they are with the sufferings of exile. O descendant
of Kuru, make peace with the sons of Pandu. Let
not thy foes discover thy holes. They all, O god
among men, are devoted to truth. O king of men,
withdraw Duryodhana from his evil ways.’”
SECTION XXXVII
“Vidura said, ’O son of Vichitravirya,
Manu, the son of the Self-created, hath, O king, spoken
of the following seven and ten kinds of men, as those
that strike empty space with their fists, or seek to
bend the vapoury bow of Indra in the sky, or desire
to catch the intangible rays of the sun. These
seven and ten kinds of foolish men are as follow:
he who seeketh to control a person that is incapable
of being controlled; he who is content with small
gains; he who humbly pays court to enemies; he who
seeks to restrain women’s frailty; he who asketh
him for gifts who should never be asked; he who boasteth,
having done anything; he who, born in a high family,
perpetrateth an improper deed; he who being weak always
wageth hostilities with one that is powerful; he who
talketh to a person listening scoffingly; he who desireth
to have that which is unattainable; he who being a
father-in-law, jesteth with his daughter-in-law; he
who boasteth at having his alarms dispelled by his
daughter-in-law; he who scattereth his own seeds in
another’s field; he who speaketh ill of his
own wife; he who having received anything from another
sayeth that he doth not remember it, he who, having
given away anything in words in holy places, boasteth
at home when asked to make good his words, and he
who striveth to prove the truth of what is false.
The envoys of Yama, with nooses in hand, drag those
Page 202
persons to hell. One should behave towards another
just as that other behaveth towards him. Even
this is consistent with social polity. One may
behave deceitfully towards him that behaveth deceitfully,
but honestly towards him that is honest in his behaviour.
Old age killeth beauty; patience, hope; death, life;
the practice of virtue, worldly enjoyments; lust, modesty;
companionship with the wicked, good behaviour; anger,
prosperity; and pride, everything.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Man hath been spoken
of in all the Vedas as having hundred years for the
period of his life. For what reason then, do not
all men attain the allotted period?’
“Vidura said, ’Excess of pride, excess
in speech, excess in eating, anger, the desire of
enjoyment, and intestine dissensions,—these,
O king, are six sharp swords that cut off the period
of life allotted to creatures. It is these which
kill men, and not death. Knowing this, blessed
be thou!’
’He who appropriates to himself the wife of
one who hath confided in him; he who violates the
bed of his preceptor; that Brahmana, O Bharata, who
becomes the husband of a Sudra woman, or drinks wines;
he who commendeth Brahmanas or becometh their master,
or taketh away the lands that support them; and he
who taketh the lives of those who yield asking for
protection, are all guilty of the sin of slaying Brahmanas.
The Vedas declare that contact with these requires
expiation. He that accepts the teaching of the
wise; he that is acquainted with the rules of morality;
he that is liberal; he that eateth having first dedicated
the food to the gods and Pitris; he that envieth none;
he that is incapable of doing anything that injureth
others; he that is grateful, truthful, humble and
learned, succeedeth in attaining to heaven.
’They are abundant, O king, that can always
speak agreeable words. The speaker, however,
is rare, as also the hearer, of words that are disagreeable
but medicinal. That man who, without regarding
what is agreeable or disagreeable to his master but
keeping virtue alone in view, sayeth what is unpalatable,
but medicinal, truly addeth to the strength of the
king. For the sake of the family a member may
be sacrificed; for the sake of the village, a family
may be sacrificed; for the sake of a kingdom a village
may be sacrificed; and for the sake of one’s
soul, the whole earth may be sacrificed. One
should protect his wealth in view of the calamities
that may overtake him; by his wealth one should protect
his wives, and by both his wealth and wives one should
protect his own self. From very olden times it
hath been seen that gambling provoketh quarrels.
Therefore, he that is wise, should not resort to it
even in jest. O son of Pratipa, at the time of
that gambling match I told thee, O king—this
is not proper. But, O son of Vichitravirya, like
medicine to a sick man, those words of mine were not
agreeable to thee. O king, thou desirest to vanquish
the sons of Pandu, who are just as peacocks of variegated
Page 203
plumage, whereas thy sons are all as crows. Forsaking
lions thou art protecting jackals! O king, when
the time cometh, thou wilt have to grieve for all
this. That master, O sire, who doth not give vent
to his displeasure with devoted servants zealously
pursuing his good, enlisteth the confidence of his
servants. In fact, the latter adhere to him even
in distress. By confiscating the grants to one’s
servants or stopping their pay, one should not seek
to amass wealth, for even affectionate counsellors
deprived of their means of life and enjoyment, turn
against him and leave him (in distress). Reflecting
first on all intended acts and adjusting the wages
and allowances of servants with his income and expenditure,
a king should make proper alliances, for there is
nothing that cannot be accomplished by alliances.
That officer who fully understanding the intentions
of his royal master dischargeth all duties with alacrity,
and who is respectable himself and devoted to his master,
always telleth what is for his master’s good,
and who is fully acquainted with the extent of his
own might and with that also of those against, whom
he may be engaged, should be regarded by the king as
his second self. That servant, however, who commanded
(by his master) disregardeth the latter’s injunctions
and who enjoined to do anything refuseth to submit,
proud as he is of his own intelligence and given to
arguing against his master, should be got rid of without
the least delay. Men of learning say that a servant
should be endued with these eight qualities, viz.,
absence of pride, ability, absence of procrastination,
kindness, cleanliness, incorruptibility, birth in
a family free from the taint of disease, and weightiness
of speech. No man should confidently enter an
enemy’s house after dusk even with notice.
One should not at night lurk in the yard of another’s
premises, nor should one seek to enjoy a woman to
whom the king himself might make love. Never set
thyself against the decision to which a person hath
arrived who keepeth low company and who is in the
habit of consulting all he meeteth. Never tell
him,—I do not believe thee,—but
assigning some reason send him away on a pretext.
A king who is exceedingly merciful, a woman of lewd
character, the servant of a king, a son, a brother,
a widow having an infant son one serving in the army,
and one that hath suffered great losses, should never
be engaged in pecuniary transactions of lending or
borrowing. These eight qualities shed a lustre
on men, viz., wisdom, high lineage, acquaintance
with scriptures, self-restraint, prowess, moderation
in speech, gift to the extent of one’s power,
and gratefulness. These high qualities, O sire,
are necessarily brought together by one only by gifts.
When the king favours a person, that incident (of
royal favour) bringeth in all others and holdeth them
together. He that performeth ablutions winneth
these ten, viz., strength, beauty, a clear voice,
capacity to utter all the alphabetical sounds, delicacy
Page 204
of touch, fineness of scent, cleanliness, gracefulness,
delicacy of limbs, and beautiful women. He that
eateth sparingly winneth these six, viz., health,
long life, and ease; his progeny also becometh healthy,
and nobody reproacheth him for gluttony. One
should not give shelter to these in his house, viz.,
one that always acteth improperly, one that eateth
too much, one that is hated by all, one that is exceedingly
deceitful, one that is cruel, one that is ignorant
of the proprieties of time and place, and one that
dresseth indecently. A person, however distressed,
should never solicit a miser for alms, or one that
speaketh ill of others, or one that is unacquainted
with the shastras, or a dweller in the woods, or one
that is cunning, or one that doth not regard persons
worthy of regard, or one that is cruel, or one that
habitually quarrels with others, or one that is ungrateful.
A person should never wait upon these six worst of
men, viz., one that is a foe, one that always
errs, one that is wedded to falsehood, one that is
wanting in devotion to the gods, one that is without
affection, and one that always regards himself competent
to do everything. One’s purposes depend
(for their success) on means; and means are dependent,
again, on the nature of the purposes (sought to be
accomplished by them). They are intimately connected
with each other, so that success depends on both.
Begetting sons and rendering them independent by making
some provision for them, and bestowing maiden daughters
on eligible persons, one should retire to the woods,
and desire to live as a Muni. One should, for
obtaining the favours of the Supreme Being, do that
which is for the good of all creatures as also for
his own happiness, for it is this which is the root
of the successful of all one’s objects.
What anxiety hath he for a livelihood that hath intelligence,
energy, prowess, strength, alacrity and perseverance?
’Behold the evils of a rupture with the Pandavas
which would sadden the very gods with Sakra.
These are, first, enmity between them that are all
thy sons; secondly, a life of continued anxiety; thirdly,
the loss of the fair fame of the Kurus; and lastly,
the joy of those that are thy enemies. The wrath
of Bhishma, O thou of the splendour of Indra, of Drona,
and the king Yudhishthira, will consume the whole world,
like a comet of large proportions falling transversely
on the earth. Thy hundred sons and Karna and
the sons of Pandu can together rule the vast earth
with the belt of the seas. O king, the Dhartarashtras
constitute a forest of which the Pandavas are, I think,
tigers. O, do not cut down that forest with its
tigers! O, let not the tigers be driven from that
forest! There can be no forest without tigers,
and no tigers without a forest. The forest shelters
the tigers and tigers guard the forest!’
Page 205
They that are sinful never seek so much to ascertain
the good qualities of others as to ascertain their
faults. He that desires the highest success in
all matters connected with worldly profit, should from
the very beginning practise virtue, for true profit
is never separated from heaven. He whose soul
hath been dissociated from sin and firmly fixed on
virtue, hath understood all things in their natural
and adventitious states; he that followeth virtue,
profit, and desire, in proper seasons, obtaineth,
both here and hereafter, a combination of all three.
He that restraineth the force of both anger and joy,
and never, O king, loseth his senses under calamities,
winneth prosperity. Listen to me, O king.
Men are said to have five different kinds of strength,
Of these, the strength of arms is regarded to be of
the most inferior kind. Blessed be thou, the
acquisition of good counsellors is regarded as the
second kind of strength. The wise have said that
the acquisition of wealth is the third kind of strength.
The strength of birth, O king, which one naturally
acquireth from one’s sires and grandsires, is
regarded as the fourth kind of strength. That,
however, O Bharata, by which all these are won, and
which is the foremost of all kinds of strength, is
called the strength of the intellect. Having
provoked the hostility of a person who is capable
of inflicting great injury on a fellow creature, one
should not gather assurance from the thought that
one liveth at a distance from the other. Who
that is wise that can place his trust on women, kings,
serpents, his own master, enemies, enjoyments, and
period of life? There are no physicians nor medicines
for one that hath been struck by the arrow of wisdom.
In the case of such a person neither the mantras of
homa, nor auspicious ceremonies, nor the mantras of
the Atharva Veda, nor any of the antidotes of poison,
are of any efficacy. Serpents, fire, lions, and
consanguineous relatives,—none of these,
O Bharata, should be disregarded by a man; all of
these are possessed of great power. Fire is a
thing of great energy in this world. It lurketh
in wood and never consumeth it till it is ignited
by others. That very fire, when brought out by
friction, consumeth by its energy not only the wood
in which it lurketh, but also an entire forest and
many other things. Men of high lineage are just
like fire in energy. Endued with forgiveness,
they betray no outward symptoms of wrath and are quiet
like fire in wood. Thou, O king, with thy sons
art possessed of the virtue of creepers, and the sons
of Pandu are regarded as Sala trees. A creeper
never groweth unless there is a large tree to twine
round. O king, O son of Ambika, thy son is as
a forest. O sire, know that the Pandavas are the
lions of that forest. Without its lions the forest
is doomed to destruction, and lions also are doomed
to destruction without the forest (to shelter them).’”
SECTION XXXVIII
Page 206
“Vidura said, ’The heart of a young man,
when an aged and venerable person cometh to his house
(as a guest), soareth aloft. By advancing forward
and saluting him, he getteth it back. He that
is self-controlled, first offering a seat, and bringing
water and causing his guest’s feet to be washed
and making the usual enquiries of welcome, should then
speak of his own affairs, and taking everything into
consideration, offer him food. The wise have
said that man liveth in vain in whose dwelling a Brahmana
conversant with mantras doth not accept water, honey
and curds, and kine from fear of being unable to appropriate
them, or from miserliness and unwillingness with which
the gifts are made. A physician, a maker of arrows,
even one that hath given up the vow of Brahmacharya
before it is complete, a thief, a crooked-minded man,
a Brahmana that drinks, one that causeth miscarriage,
one that liveth by serving in the army, and one that
selleth the Vedas, when arrived as a guest, however
undeserving he may be the offer of water should be
regarded (by a householder) as exceedingly dear.
A Brahmana should never be a seller of salt, of cooked
food, curds, milk, honey, oil, clarified butter, sesame,
meat, fruits, roots, potherbs, dyed clothes, all kinds
of perfumery, and treacle. He that never giveth
way to anger, he that is above grief, he that is no
longer in need of friendship and quarrels, he that
disregardeth both praise and blame, and he that standeth
aloof from both what is agreeable and disagreeable,
like one perfectly withdrawn from the world, is a
real Yogin of the Bhikshu order. That virtuous
ascetic who liveth on rice growing wild, or roots,
or potherbs, who hath his soul under control, who
carefully keepeth his fire for worship, and dwelling
in the woods is always regardful of guests, is indeed,
the foremost of his brotherhood. Having wronged
an intelligent person, one should never gather assurance
from the fact that one liveth at a distance from the
person wronged. Long are the arms which intelligent
persons have, by which they can return wrongs for
wrongs done to them, One should never put trust on
him who should not be trusted, nor put too much trust
on him who should be trusted, for the danger that
ariseth from one’s having reposed trust on another
cutteth off one’s very roots. One should
renounce envy, protect one’s wives, give to others
what is their due, and be agreeable in speech.
One should be sweet-tongued and pleasant in his address
as regards one’s wives, but should never be their
slave. It hath been said that wives that are
highly blessed and virtuous, worthy of worship and
the ornaments of their homes, are really embodiments
of domestic prosperity. They should, therefore,
be protected particularly. One should devolve
the looking over of his inner apartments on his father;
of the kitchen, on his mother; of the kine, on somebody
he looks upon as his own self, but as regards agriculture,
one should look over it himself. One should look
Page 207
after guests of the trader-caste through his servants,
and those of the Brahmana caste through his sons.
Fire hath its origin in water; Kshatriyas in Brahmanas;
and iron in stone. The energy of those (i.e.,
fire, Kshatriyas, and iron) can affect all things but
is neutralised as soon as the things come in contact
with their progenitors. Fire lieth concealed
in wood without showing itself externally. Good
and forgiving men born of high families and endued
with fiery energy, do not betray any outward symptoms
of what is within them. That king whose counsels
cannot be known by either outsiders or those about
him, but who knoweth the counsels of others through
his spies, enjoyeth his prosperity long. One
should never speak of what one intends to do.
Let anything thou doest in respect of virtue, profit,
and desire, be not known till it is done. Let
counsels be not divulged. Ascending on the mountain-top
or on the terrace of a palace, or proceeding to a
wilderness devoid of trees and plants, one should,
in secrecy, mature his counsels. O Bharata, neither
a friend who is without learning, nor a learned friend
who hath no control over his senses, deserveth to
be a repository of state secrets. O king, never
make one thy minister without examining him well,
for a king’s finances and the keeping of his
counsels both depend on his minister. That king
is the foremost of rulers, whose ministers know his
acts in respect of virtue, profit and desire, only
after they are done. The king whose counsels
are kept close, without doubt, commandeth success.
He that from ignorance committeth acts that are censurable,
loseth his very life in consequence of the untoward
results of those acts. The doing of acts that
are praise-worthy is always attended with ease.
Omission to do such acts leadeth to repentance.
As a Brahmana without having studied the Vedas is
not fit to officiate at a Sraddha (in honour of the
Pitris), so he that hath not heard of the six (means
for protecting a kingdom) deserveth not to take part
in political deliberations. O king, he that hath
an eye upon increase, decrease, and surplus, he that
is conversant with the six means and knoweth also his
own self, he whose conduct is always applauded, bringeth
the whole earth under subjection to himself.
He whose anger and joy are productive of consequences,
he who looketh over personally what should be done,
he who hath his treasury under his own control, bringeth
the whole earth under subjection to himself.
The king should be content with the name he wins and
the umbrella that is held over his head. He should
divide the wealth of the kingdom among these that
serve him. Alone he should not appropriate everything.
A Brahmana knoweth a Brahmana, the husband understandeth
the wife, the king knoweth the minister, and monarchs
know monarchs. A foe that deserveth death, when
brought under subjection should never be set free.
If one be weak one should pay court to one’s
foe that is stronger, even if the latter deserves death;
Page 208
but one should kill that foe as soon as one commandeth
sufficient strength, for, if not killed, dangers soon
arise from him. One should, with an effort, control
his wrath against the gods, kings, Brahmanas, old men,
children, and those that are helpless. He that
is wise should avoid unprofitable quarrels such as
fools only engage in. By this one winneth great
fame in this world and avoideth misery and unhappiness.
People never desire him for a master whose grace is
fruitless and whose wrath goest for nothing, like
women never desiring him for a husband who is a eunuch.
Intelligence doth not exist for the acquisition of
wealth, nor is idleness the cause of adversity; the
man of wisdom only knoweth, and not others, the cause
of the diversities of condition in this world.
The fool, O Bharata, always disregardeth those that
are elderly in years, and eminent in conduct and knowledge,
in intelligence, wealth, and lineage. Calamities
soon come upon them that are of wicked disposition,
devoid of wisdom, envious, or sinful, foul-tongued,
and wrathful. Absence of deceitfulness, gift,
observance of the established rules of intercourse,
and speech well-controlled, bring all creatures under
subjection. He that is without deceitfulness,
he that is active, grateful, intelligent, and guileless,
even if his treasury be empty, obtaineth friends, counsellors,
and servants. Intelligence, tranquillity of mind,
self-control, purity, absence of harsh speech and
unwillingness to do anything disagreeable to friends,—these
seven are regarded as the fuel of prosperity’s
flame. The wretch who doth not give to others
their due, who is of wicked soul, who is ungrateful,
and shameless, should, O king, be avoided. The
guilty person who provoketh another about him that
is innocent, cannot sleep peacefully at night, like
a person passing the night with a snake in the same
room. They, O Bharata, who upon being angry endanger
one’s possessions and means of acquisition,
should always be propitiated like the very gods.
Those objects that depend upon women, careless persons,
men that have fallen away from the duties of their
caste, and those that are wicked in disposition, are
doubtful of success. They sink helplessly.
O king, like a raft made of stone, who have a woman,
a deceitful person, or a child, for their guide.
They that are competent in the general principles
of work, though not in particular kinds of work are
regarded by men as learned and wise for particular
kinds of work, are subsidiary, That man who is highly
spoken of by swindlers, mimes and women of ill fame,
is more dead than alive, Forsaking these mighty bowmen
of immeasurable energy, viz., the son of Pandu,
thou hast. O Bharata, devolved on Duryodhana,
the cares of a mighty empire. Thou shalt, therefore,
soon see that swelling affluence fall off, like Vali
fallen off from the three worlds.’”
SECTION XXXIX
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Man is not the disposer
of either his prosperity or adversity. He is
like a wooden doll moved by strings. Indeed, the
Creator hath made man subject to Destiny. Go
on telling me, I am attentive to what thou sayest.’
Page 209
“Vidura said, ’O Bharata, by speaking
words out of season even Vrihaspati himself incurreth
reproach and the charge of ignorance, one becometh
agreeable by gift, another by sweet words, a third
by the force of incantation and drugs. He, however,
that is naturally agreeable, always remaineth so.
He that is hated by another is never regarded by that
other as honest or intelligent or wise. One attributeth
everything good to him one loveth; and everything
evil to him one hateth. O king, as soon as Duryodhana
was born I told thee,—thou shouldst abandon
this one son, for by abandoning him thou wouldst secure
the prosperity of thy hundred sons,—and
by keeping him, destruction would overtake thy hundred
sons, that gain should never be regarded highly which
leadeth to loss. On the other hand, that loss
even should be regarded highly which would bring on
gain. That is no loss, O king, which bringeth
on gain. That, however, should be reckoned as
loss which is certain to bring about greater losses
still. Some become eminent in consequence of good
qualities; others become so in consequence of wealth.
Avoid them, O Dhritarashtra, that are eminent in wealth
but destitute of good qualities!’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’All that you sayest
is approved by the wise and is for my future good.
I dare not, however, abandon my son. It is well-known
that where there is righteousness there is victory.’
“Vidura said, ’He that is graced with
every virtue and is endued with humility, is never
indifferent to even the minutest sufferings of living
creatures. They, however, that are ever employed
in speaking ill of others, always strive with activity
quarrelling with one another and in all matters, calculated
to give pain to others. There is sin in accepting
gifts from, and danger in making gifts to them, whose
very sight is inauspicious and whose companionship
is fraught with danger. They that are quarrelsome,
covetous, shameless, deceitful, are known unrighteous,
and their companionship should always be avoided.
One should also avoid those men that are endued with
similar faults of a grave nature, When the occasion
that caused the friendship is over the friendship of
those that are low, the beneficial result of that
connection, and the happiness also derivable from
it, all come to an end. They then strive to speak
ill of their (late) friend and endeavour to inflict
loss on him, and if the loss they sustain be even
very small, for all that they, from want of self-control,
fail to enjoy peace. He that is learned, examining
everything carefully and reflecting well, should, from
a distance, avoid the friendship of vile and wicked-minded
persons such as these. He that helpeth his poor
and wretched and helpless relatives, obtain children
and animals and enjoyeth prosperity that knoweth no
end. They that desire their own benefit should
always succour their relatives. By every means,
therefore, O king, do thou seek the growth of thy race.
Page 210
Prosperity will be thine, O Monarch, if thou behavest
well towards all thy relatives. Even relatives
that are destitute of good qualities should be protected.
O bull of the Bharata race, how much more, therefore,
should they be protected that are endued with every
virtue and are humbly expectant of thy favours?
Favour thou the heroic sons of Pandu, O monarch, and
let a few villages be assigned to them for their maintenance.
By acting thus, O king, fame will be thine in this
world. Thou art old; thou shouldst, therefore,
control thy sons. I should say what is for thy
good. Know me as one that wishes well to thee.
He that desireth his own good should never quarrel,
O sire, with his relatives. O bull of the Bharata
race, happiness should ever be enjoyed with one’s
relatives, and not without them, to eat with one another,
to talk with one another, and to love one another,
are what relatives should always do. They should
never quarrel. In this world it is the relatives
that rescue, and the relatives that ruin (relatives).
Those amongst them that are righteous rescue; while
those that are unrighteous sink (their brethren).
O king, be thou, O giver of honours, righteous in
thy conduct towards the sons of Pandu. Surrounded
by them, thou wouldst be unconquerable by thy foes.
If a relative shrinks in the presence of a prosperous
relative, like a deer at sight of a hunter armed with
arrows, then the prosperous relative hath to take
upon himself all the sins of the other. O best
of men, repentance will be thine (for this thy inaction
at present) when in future thou wilt hear of the death
of either the Pandavas or thy sons. O, think of
all this. When life itself is unstable, one should
in the very beginning avoid that act in consequence
of which one would have to indulge in regrets having
entered the chamber of woe. True it is that a
person other than Bhargava, the author of the science
of morality is liable to commit actions that go against
morality. It is seen, however, that a just notion
of consequence is present in all persons of intelligence.
Thou art an aged scion of Kuru’s race.
If Duryodhana inflicted these wrongs on the sons of
Pandu, it is thy duty, O king of men, to undo them
all. Re-instating them in their position, thou
wilt, in this world, be cleansed of all thy sins and
be, O king of men, an object of worship with even
those that have their souls under control. Reflecting
on the well-spoken words of the wise according to
their consequences, he that engageth in acts never
loseth fame. The knowledge imparted by even men
of learning and skill is imperfect, for that which
is sought to be inculcated is ill-understood, or,
if understood, is not accomplished in practice.
That learned person who never doth an act, the consequences
of which are sin and misery, always groweth (in prosperity).
The person, however, of wicked soul, who from folly
pursueth his sinful course commenced before falleth
into a slough of deep mire. He that is wise should
Page 211
ever keep in view the (following) six conduits by which
counsels become divulged, and he that desireth success
and a long dynasty should ever guard himself from
those six. They are, intoxication, sleep, inattention
to spies, set over one by another, one’s own
demeanour as dependent on the working of one’s
own heart, confidence reposed on a wicked counsellor,
and unskilful envoys. Knowing these six doors
(through which counsels are divulged), he that keepeth
them shut while pursuing the attainment of virtue,
profit, and desire, succeedeth in standing over the
heads of his foes. Without an acquaintance with
the scriptures and without waiting upon the old, neither
virtue nor profit can be known (or won) by persons
blessed even with the intelligence of Vrihaspati.
A thing is lost if cast into the sea; words are lost
if addressed to one that listens not; the scriptures
are lost on one that hath not his soul under control;
and a libation of clarified butter is lost if poured
over the ashes left by a fire that is extinguished.
He that is endued with the intelligence maketh friendships
with those that are wise, having first examined by
the aid of his intelligence, repeatedly searching by
his understanding, and using his ears, eyes, and judgment.
Humility removeth obloquy, ears, failure, prowess;
forgiveness always conquereth anger; and auspicious
rites destroy all indications of evil. One’s
lineage, O king, is tested by his objects of enjoyment,
place of birth, house, behaviour, food, and dress.
When an object of enjoyment is available, even that
one who hath attained emancipation is not unwilling
to enjoy; what, again, need be said of him that is
yet wedded to desire? A king should cherish a
counsellor that worshippeth persons of wisdom, is endued
with learning, virtue, agreeable appearance, friends,
sweet speech, and a good heart. Whether of low
or high birth, he who doth not transgress the rules
of polite intercourse, who hath an eye on virtue,
who is endued with humility and modesty, is superior
to a hundred persons of high birth. The friendship
of those persons never cooleth, whose hearts, secret
pursuits, and pleasures, and acquirements, accord
in every respect. He that is intelligent should
avoid an ignorant person of wicked soul, like a pit
whose mouth is covered with grass, for friendship with
such a person can never last. The man of wisdom
should never contract friendship with those that are
proud, ignorant, fierce, rash and fallen off from righteousness.
He that is grateful, virtuous, truthful, large-hearted,
and devoted, and he that hath his senses under control,
preserveth his dignity, and never forsaketh a friend,
should be desired for a friend. The withdrawal
of the senses from their respective objects is equivalent
to death itself. Their excessive indulgence again
would ruin the very gods. Humility, love of all
creatures, forgiveness, and respect for friends,—these,
the learned have said, lengthen life. He who
with a firm resolution striveth to accomplish by a
Page 212
virtuous policy purposes that have once been frustrated,
is said to possess real manhood. That man attaineth
all his objects, who is conversant with remedies to
be applied in the future, who is firmly resolved in
the present, and who could anticipate in the past how
an act begun would end. That which a man pursueth
in word, deed, and thought, winneth him for its own;
therefore, one should always seek that which is for
his good. Effort after securing what is good,
the properties of time, place, and means, acquaintance
with the scriptures, activity, straightforwardness,
and frequent meetings with those that are good,—these
bring about prosperity. Perseverance is the root
of prosperity, of gain, and of what is beneficial.
The man that pursueth an object with perseverance
and without giving it up in vexation, is really great,
and enjoyeth happiness that is unending. O sire,
there is nothing more conducive of happiness and nothing
more proper for a man of power and energy as foregiveness
in every place and at all times. He that is weak
should forgive under all circumstances. He that
is possessed of power should show forgiveness from
motives of virtue; and he, to whom the success or
failure of his objects is the same, is naturally forgiving.
That pleasure the pursuit of which doth not injure
one’s virtue and profit, should certainly be
pursued to one’s fill. One should not,
however, act like a fool by giving free indulgence
to his senses. Prosperity never resides in one
who suffers himself to be tortured by a grief, who
is addicted to evil ways, who denies Godhead, who is
idle, who hath not his senses under control, and who
is divested of exertion. The man that is humble,
and who from humility is modest is regarded as weak
and persecuted by persons of misdirected intelligence.
Prosperity never approacheth from fear the person
that is excessively liberal, that giveth away without
measure, that is possessed of extraordinary bravery,
that practiseth the most rigid vows, and that is very
proud of his wisdom. Prosperity doth not reside
in one that is highly accomplished, nor in one that
is without any accomplishment. She doth not desire
a combination of all the virtues, nor is she pleased
with the total absence of all virtues. Blind,
like a mad cow, prosperity resides with some one who
is not remarkable. The fruits of the Vedas are
ceremonies performed before the (homa) fire; the fruits
of an acquaintance with the scriptures are goodness
of disposition and conduct. The fruits of women
are the pleasures of intercourse and offspring; and
the fruits of wealth are enjoyment and charity.
He that performeth acts tending to secure his prosperity
in the other world with wealth acquired sinfully, never
reapeth the fruits of these acts in the other world,
in consequence of the sinfulness of the acquisitions
(spent for the purpose). In the midst of deserts,
or deep woods, or inaccessible fastnesses, amid all
kinds of dangers and alarms or in view of deadly weapons
Page 213
upraised for striking him, he that hath strength of
mind entertaineth no fear. Exertion, self-control,
skill, carefulness, steadiness, memory, and commencement
of acts after mature deliberation,—know
that these are the roots of prosperity. Austerities
constitute the strength of ascetics; the Vedas are
the strength of those conversant with them; in envy
lieth the strength of the wicked; and in forgiveness,
the strength of the virtuous. These eight, viz.,
water, roots, fruits, milk, clarified butter (what
is done at) the desire of a Brahmana, (or at) the
command of a preceptor, and medicine, are not destructive
of a vow. That which is antagonistic to one’s
own self, should never be applied in respect of another.
Briefly even this is virtue. Other kinds of virtue
there are, but these proceed from caprice. Anger
must be conquered by forgiveness; and the wicked must
be conquered by honesty; the miser must be conquered
by liberality, and falsehood must be conquered by
truth. One should not place trust on a woman,
a swindler, an idle person, a coward, one that is fierce,
one that boasts of his own power, a thief, an ungrateful
person, and an atheist. Achievements, period
of life, fame, and power—these four always
expand in the case of him that respectfully saluteth
his superiors and waiteth upon the old. Do not
set thy heart after these objects which cannot be
acquired except by very painful exertion, or by sacrificing
righteousness, or by bowing down to an enemy.
A man without knowledge is to be pitied; an act of
intercourse that is not fruitful is to be pitied;
the people of a kingdom that are without food are to
be pitied; and a kingdom without a king is to be pitied.
These constitute the source of pain and weakness to
embodied creatures; the rains, decay of hills and
mountains; absence of enjoyment, anguish of women;
and wordy arrows of the heart. The scum of the
Vedas is want of study; of Brahmanas, absence of vows;
of the Earth, the Vahlikas; of man, untruth; of the
chaste woman, curiosity; of women, exile from home.
The scum of gold is silver; of silver, tin; of tin,
lead; and of lead, useless dross. One cannot
conquer sleep by lying down; women by desire; fire
by fuel; and wine by drinking. His life is, indeed,
crowned with success who hath won his friends by gifts,
his foes in battle, and wife by food and drink; they
who have thousands live; they, who have hundreds, also
live. O Dhritarashtra, forsake desire. There
is none who cannot manage to live by some means or
other. Thy paddy, wheat, gold, animals, and women
that are on earth all cannot satiate even one person
.. Reflecting on this, they that are wise never
grieve for want of universal dominion. O king,
I again tell thee, adopt an equal conduct towards
thy children, i.e., towards the sons of Pandu
and thy own sons.’”
SECTION XL
Page 214
“Vidura said, ’Worshipped by the good
and abandoning pride, that good man who pursueth his
objects without outstepping the limits of his power,
soon succeedeth in winning fame, for they that are
good, when gratified with a person, are certainly
competent to bestow happiness on him. He that
forsaketh, of his own accord, even a great object owing
to its being fraught with unrighteousness, liveth
happily, casting off all foes, like a snake that hath
cast off its slough. A victory gained by an untruth,
deceitful conduct towards the king, and insincerity
of intentions expressed before the preceptor,—these
three are each equal to the sin of slaying a Brahmana.
Excessive envy, death, and boastfulness, are the causes
of the destruction of prosperity. Carelessness
in waiting upon preceptor, haste, and boastlessness,
are the three enemies of knowledge. Idleness,
inattention, confusion of the intellect, restlessness,
gathering for killing time, haughtiness, pride, and
covetous ness,—these seven constitute,
it is said, the faults of students in the pursuit of
learning. How can they that desire pleasure have
knowledge? Students, again, engaged in the pursuit
of learning, cannot have pleasure. Votaries of
pleasure must give up knowledge, and votaries of knowledge
must give up pleasure. Fire is never gratified
with fuel (but can consume any measure thereof).
The great ocean is never gratified with the rivers
it receives (but can receive any number of them).
Death is never gratified even with entire living creatures.
A beautiful woman is never gratified with any number
of men (she may have). O king, hope killeth patience;
Yama killeth growth; anger killeth prosperity; miserliness
killeth fame; absence of tending killeth cattle; one
angry Brahmana destroyeth a whole kingdom. Let
goats, brass, silver, honey, antidotes of poison, birds,
Brahmanas versed in the Vedas, old relatives, and men
of high birth sunk in poverty, be always present in
thy house. O Bharata, Manu hath said that goats,
bulls, sandal, lyres, mirrors, honey, clarified butter,
iron, copper, conch-shells, salagram (the stony-image
of Vishnu with gold within) and gorochana should always
be kept in one’s house for the worship of the
gods. Brahmanas, and guests, for all those objects
are auspicious. O sire, I would impart to thee
another sacred lesson productive of great fruits,
and which is the highest of all teachings, viz.,
virtue should never be forsaken from desire, fear,
or temptation, nay, nor for the sake of life itself.
Virtue is everlasting; pleasure and pain are transitory;
life is, indeed, everlasting but its particular phases
are transitory. Forsaking those which are transitory,
betake thyself to that which is everlasting, and let
contentment be thine, for contentment is the highest
of all acquisitions. Behold, illustrious and
mighty kings, having ruled lands abounding with wealth
and corn, have become the victims of the Universal
Destroyer, leaving behind their kingdoms and vast
Page 215
sources of enjoyment. The son brought up with
anxious care, when dead, is taken up and carried away
by men (to the burning ground). With the dishevelled
hair and crying piteously, they then cast the body
into the funeral pyre, as if it were a piece of wood.
Others enjoy the deceased’s wealth, while birds
and fire feast on the elements of his body. With
two only he goeth to the other world, viz., his
merits and his sins which keep him company. Throwing
away the body, O sire, relatives, friends, and sons
retrace their steps, like birds abandoning trees without
blossoms and fruits. The person cast into the
funeral pyre is followed only by his own acts.
Therefore, should men carefully and gradually earn
the merit of righteousness. In the world above
this, and also in that below this, there are regions
of great gloom and darkness. Know, O king, that
those are regions where the senses of men are exceedingly
afflicted. Oh, let not any of those places to
thine. Carefully listening to these words, if
thou canst act according to them, thou wilt obtain
great fame in this world of men, and fear will not
be thine here or hereafter. O Bharata, the soul
is spoken of as a river; religious merit constitutes
its sacred baths; truth, its water; self-control,
its banks; kindness, its waves. He that is righteous
purifieth himself by a bath therein, for the soul is
sacred, and the absence of desire is the highest merit.
O king, life is a river whose waters are the five
senses, and whose crocodiles and sharks are desire
and anger. Making self-control thy raft, cross
thou its eddies which are represented by repeated
births! Worshipping and gratifying friends that
are eminent in wisdom, virtue, learning, and years,
he that asketh their advice about what he should do
and should not do, is never misled. One should
restrain one’s lust and stomach by patience;
one’s hands and feet by one’s eyes; one’s
eyes and ears by one’s mind; and one’s
mind and words by one’s acts. That Brahmana
who never omitteth to perform his ablutions, who always
weareth his sacred thread, who always attendeth to
the study of the Vedas, who always avoideth food that
is unclean, who telleth the truth and performeth acts
in honour of his preceptor, never falleth off from
the region of Brahma. Having studied the Vedas,
poured libations into fire, performed sacrifices,
protected subjects, sanctified his soul by drawing
weapons for protecting kine and Brahmanas, and died
on the field of battle, the Kshatriya attaineth to
heaven. Having studied the Vedas, and distributed
in proper time, his wealth among Brahmanas, Kshatriyas,
and his own dependents, and inhaled the sanctified
smoke of the three kinds of fires, the Vaisya enjoyeth
heavenly bliss in the other world. Having properly
worshipped Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, and Vaisayas in
due order, and having burnt his sins, by gratifying
them, and then peacefully casting off his body, the
Sudra enjoyeth the bliss of heaven. The duties
of the four orders are thus set forth before thee.
Listen now to the reason of my speech as I discourse
it. Yudhishthira, the son of Pandu, is falling
off from the duties of the Kshatriya order. Place
him, therefore, O king, in a position to discharge
the duties of kings.’
Page 216
“Dhritarashtra said, It is even so as thou always
teachest me. O amiable one, my heart also inclineth
that very way of which thou tellest me. Although,
however, I incline in my mind towards the Pandavas
even as thou teachest me to do, yet as soon as I come
in contact with Duryodhana it turneth off in a different
way. No creature is able to avert fate.
Indeed, Destiny, I think, is certain to take its course;
individual exertion is futile.’”
SECTION XLI
(Sanat-sujata Parva)
“Dhritarashtra said, ’If there is anything
still left unsaid by thee, O Vidura, say it then,
as I am ready to listen to thee. The discourse
is, indeed, charming.’
“Vidura. said, ’O Dhritarashtra, O thou
of the Bharata race, that ancient and immortal Rishi
Sanat-sujata who, leading a life perpetual celibacy,
hath said that there is no Death,—that foremost
of all intelligent persons,—will expound
to thee all the doubts, in thy mind, both expressed
and unexpressed.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Dost thou not know
what that immortal Rishi will say unto me? O
Vidura, do thou say it, if indeed, thou hast that degree
of wisdom.’
“Vidura said, ’I am born in the Sudra
order and, therefore, do not venture to say more than
what I have already said. The understanding,
however, of that Rishi leading a life of celibacy,
is regarded by me to be infinite. He that is
a Brahmana by birth, by discoursing on even the profoundest
mysteries, never incureth the censure of the gods.
It is for this alone that I do not discourse to thee,
upon the subject.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Tell me, O Vidura,
how with this body of mine I can meet with that ancient
and immortal one?’
“Vaisampayana said, ’Then Vidura began
to think of that Rishi of rigid vows. And knowing
that he was thought of, the Rishi, O Bharata, showed
himself there. Vidura then received him with the
rites prescribed by ordinance. And when, having
rested a while, the Rishi was seated at his ease,
Vidura addressed him, saying, ’O illustrious
one, there is a doubt in Dhritarashtra’s mind
which is incapable of being explained away by me.
It behoveth thee, therefore, to expound it, so that
listening to thy discourse, this chief of men may
tide over all this sorrows, and to that gain and loss,
what is agreeable and what disagreeable, decrepitude
and death, fright and jealously, hunger and thirst,
pride and prosperity, dislike, sleep, lust and wrath,
and decrease and increase may all be borne by him!’”
SECTION XLII
“Vaisampayana said, ’Then the illustrious
and wise king Dhritarashtra, having applauded the
words spoken by Vidura, questioned Sanat-sujata in
secret, desirous of obtaining the highest of all knowledge.
And the king questioned the Rishi saying, ’O
Sanat-sujata, I hear that thou art of the opinion
that there is no Death. Again it is said that
the gods and the Asuras, practise ascetic austerities
in order to avoid death. Of these two opinions,
then, which is true?’
Page 217
“Sanat-sujata said, ’Some say, death is
avertable by particular acts; others’ opinion
there is no death; thou hast asked me which of these
is true. Listen to me, O king, as I discourse
to thee on this, so that thy doubts may be removed.
Know, O Kshatriya, that both of these are true.
The learned are of opinion that death results from
ignorance. I say that ignorance is Death, and
so the absence of ignorance (Knowledge) is immortality.
It is from ignorance that the Asuras became subject
to defeat and death, and it is from the absence of
ignorance that the gods have attained the nature of
Brahman. Death doth not devour creatures like
a tiger; its form itself is unascertainable. Besides
this, some imagine Yama to be Death. This, however,
is due to the weakness of the mind. The pursuit
of Brahman or self-knowledge is immortality. That
(imaginary) god (Yama) holdeth his sway in the region
of the Pitris, being the source of bliss to the virtuous
and of woe to the sinful. It is at his command
that death in the form of wrath, ignorance, and covetousness,
occurreth among men. Swayed by pride, men always
walk in unrighteous path. None amongst them succeeds
in attaining to his real nature. With their understanding
clouded, and themselves swayed by there passions, they
cast off their bodies and repeatedly fall into hell.
They are always followed by their senses. It
is for this that ignorance receives the name of death.
Those men that desire the fruits of action when the
time cometh for enjoying those fruits, proceed to
heaven, casting off their bodies. Hence they
cannot avoid death. Embodied creatures, from inability
to attain the knowledge of Brahman and from their
connection with earthly enjoyments, are obliged to
sojourn in a cycle of re-births, up and down and around,
The natural inclination of man towards pursuits that
are unreal is alone the cause of the senses being
led to error. The soul that is constantly affected
by the pursuit of objects that are unreal, remembering
only that with which it is always engaged, adoreth
only earthly enjoyments that surround it. The
desire of enjoyments first killeth men. Lust and
wrath soon follow behind it. These three, viz.,
the desire of enjoyments, lust, and wrath, lead foolish
men to death. They, however, that have conquered
their souls, succeed by self-restraint, to escape death.
He that hath conquered his soul without suffering
himself to be excited by his ambitious desire, conquereth
these, regarding them as of no value, by the aid of
self-knowledge. Ignorance, assuming the form of
Yama, cannot devour that learned man who controlled
his desires in this manner. That man who followeth
his desires is destroyed along with his desires.
He, however, that can renounce desire, can certainly
drive away all kinds of woe. Desire is, indeed,
ignorance and darkness and hell in respect of all
creatures, for swayed by it they lose their senses.
As intoxicated persons in walking along a street reel
Page 218
towards ruts and holes, so men under the influence
of desire, misled by deluding joys, run towards destruction.
What can death do to a person whose soul hath not been
confounded or misled by desire? To him, death
hath no terrors, like a tiger made of straw.
Therefore, O Kshatriya, if the existence of desire,
which is ignorance, is to be destroyed, no wish, not
even the slightest one, is either to be thought of
or pursued. That soul, which is in thy body,
associated as it is with wrath and covetousness and
filled with ignorance, that is death. Knowing
that death arises in this way, he that relies on knowledge,
entertaineth no fear of death. Indeed, as the
body is destroyed when brought under the influence
of death, so death itself is destroyed when it comes
under the influence of knowledge.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’The Vedas declare
the emancipating capacity of those highly sacred and
eternal regions, that are said to be obtainable by
the regenerate classes by prayers and sacrifices.
Knowing this, why should not a learned person have
recourse to (religious) acts?’[3]
“Sanat-sujata said, ’Indeed, he that is
without knowledge proceedeth thither by the path indicated
by thee, and the Vedas also declare that thither are
both bliss and emancipation. But he that regardeth
the material body to be self, if he succeeds in renouncing
desire, at once attaineth emancipation (or Brahman).
If, however, one seeketh emancipation without renouncing
desire, one must have to proceed along the (prescribed)
route of action, taking care to destroy the chances
of his retracing the routes that he hath once passed
over.’[4]
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Who is it that urgeth
that Unborn and Ancient One? If, again, it is
He that is all this Universe in consequence of His
having entered everything (without desire as He is)
what can be His action, or his happiness? O learned
sage, tell me all this truly.’[5]
“Sanat-sujata said, ’There is great objection
in completely identifying (as here) the two that are
different Creatures always spring from the union of
Conditions (with what in its essence is without Conditions).
This view doth not detract from the supremacy of the
Unborn and the Ancient One. As for men, they
also originate in the union of Conditions. All
this that appears is nothing but that everlasting Supreme
Soul. Indeed, the universe is created by the
Supreme Soul itself undergoing transformations.
The Vedas to attribute this power (of self-transformation)
to the Supreme Soul. For the identity, again,
of the power and its possessor, both the Vedas and
others are the authority.’[6]
“Dhritarashtra said, ’In this world, some
practise virtue, and some renounce action or Karma
(adopting what is called Sannyasa Yoga). (Respecting
those that practise virtue) I ask, is virtue competent
to destroy vice, or is it itself destroyed by vice?’
Page 219
“Sanat-sujata said, ’The fruits of virtue
and of (perfect) inaction are both serviceable in
that respect (i.e., for procuring emancipation).
Indeed, both are sure means for the attainment of emancipation.
The man, however, that is wise, achieveth success
by knowledge (inaction). On the other hand, the
materialist acquireth merit (by action) and (as the
consequence thereof) emancipation. He hath also
(in course of his pursuit) to incur sin. Having
obtained again fruits of both virtue and vice which
are transitory, (heaven having its end as also hell
in respect of the virtuous and the sinful), the man
of action becometh once more addicted to action as
the consequence of his own previous virtues and vices.
The man of action, however, who possesseth intelligence,
destroyeth his sins by his virtuous acts. Virtue,
therefore, is strong, and hence the success of the
man of action.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Tell me, according
to their gradation, of those eternal regions that
are said to be attainable, as the fruits of their
own virtuous acts, by regenerate persons, engaged in
the practice of virtue. Speak unto me of others’
regions also of a similar kind. O learned sire,
I do not wish to hear of actions (towards which man’s
heart naturally inclineth, however interdicted or
sinful they may be).’
“Sanat-sujata said, ’Those regenerate
persons that take pride in their Yoga practices, like
strong men in their own strength, departing hence,
shine in the region of Brahman. Those regenerate
persons that proudly exert in performing sacrifices
and other Vedic rites, as the fruit of that knowledge
which is theirs, in consequence of those acts, freed
from this world, proceed to that region which is the
abode of the deities. There are others, again,
conversant with the Vedas, who are of opinion that
the performance of the sacrifices and rites (ordained
by the Vedas) is obligatory (their non-performance
being sinful). Wedded to external forms, though
seeking the development of the inner self (for they
practise these rites for only virtue’s sake and
not for the accomplishment of particular aims), these
persons should not be regarded very highly (although
some respect should be theirs). Wherever, again,
food and drink worthy of a Brahmana are abundant, like
grass and reeds in a spot during the rainy season,
there should the Yogin seek for his livelihood (without
afflicting the householder of scanty means); by no
means should he afflict his own self by hunger and
thirst. In a place, where there may be both inconvenience
and danger to one, for one’s aversion, to disclose
one’s superiority, he that doth not proclaim
his superiority is better than he that doth.
The food offered by that person who is not pained
at the sight of another disclosing his superiority,
and who never eateth without offering the prescribed
share to Brahmanas and guests, is approved by the
righteous. As a dog oftentimes devoureth its
own evacuations to its injury, so those Yogins devour
Page 220
their own vomit who procure their livelihood by disclosing
their pre-eminence. The wise know him for a Brahmana,
who, living in the midst of kindred, wishes his religious
practices to remain always unknown to them. What
other Brahmana deserveth to know the Supreme Soul,
that is unconditioned, without attributes, unchangeable,
one and alone, and without duality of any kind?
In consequence of such practices, a Kshatriya can know
the Supreme Soul and behold it in his own soul.
He that regardeth the Soul to be the acting and feeling
Self,—what sins are not committed by that
thief who robbeth the soul of its attributes?
A Brahmana should be without exertion, should never
accept gifts, should win the respect of the righteous,
should be quiet, and though conversant with the Vedas
should seem to be otherwise, for then only may he
attain to knowledge and know Brahman. They that
are poor in earthly but rich in heavenly wealth and
sacrifices, become unconquerable and fearless, and
they should be regarded as embodiments of Brahman.
That person even, in this world, who (by performing
sacrifices) succeedeth in meeting with the gods that
bestow all kinds of desirable objects (on performers
of sacrifices), is not equal to him that knoweth Brahman
for the performer of sacrifices hath to undergo exertions
(while he that knoweth Brahman attaineth to Him without
such exertions). He was said to be really honoured,
who, destitute of actions, is honoured by the deities.
He should never regard himself as honoured who is
honoured by others. One should not, therefore,
grieveth when one is not honoured by others. People
act according to their nature just as they open and
shut their eyelids; and it is only the learned that
pay respect to others. The man that is respected
should think so. They again, in this world, that
are foolish, apt to sin, and adepts in deceit, never
pay respect to those that are worthy of respect; on
the other hand, they always show disrespect to such
persons. The world’s esteem and asceticism
(practices of Mauna), can never exist together.
Know that this world is for those that are candidates
for esteem, while the other world is for those that
are devoted to asceticism. Here, in this world,
O Kshatriya, happiness (the world’s esteem)
resides in worldly prosperity. The latter, however,
is an impediment (to heavenly bliss). Heavenly
prosperity, on the other hand, is unattainable by
one that is without true wisdom. The righteous
say that there are various kinds of gates, all difficult
of being guarded, for giving access to the last kind
of prosperity. These are truth, uprightness,
modesty, self-control, purity of mind and conduct and
knowledge (of the Vedas). These six are destructive
of vanity and ignorance.’”
SECTION XLIII
“Dhritarashtra said, ’What is the object
of asceticism (mauna)? Of the two kinds of mauna
(viz., the restraining of speech and meditation),
which is approved by thee? O learned one, tell
me the true aspect of mauna. Can a person of
learning attain to a state of quietude and emancipation
(moksha) by that mauna? O Muni, how also is asceticism
(mauna) to be practised here?’
Page 221
“Sanat-sujata said, ’Since the Supreme
Soul cannot be penetrated by both the Vedas and the
mind, it is for this that Soul itself is called mauna.
That from which both the Vedic syllable Om and this
one (ordinary sounds) have arisen, that One, O king,
is displayed as the Word.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Is he that knoweth
both the Rig and the Yajus Vedas, is he that knoweth
the Sama Veda, sullied by sins or not when he commiteth
sins?’
“Sanat-sujata said, ’I tell thee truly
that the man that hath not restrained his senses is
not rescued from his sinful acts by either the Sama
or the Rig, or the Yajus Veda. The Vedas never
rescue from sin the deceitful person living by deceit.
On the other hand, like newfledged birds forsaking
their nest, the Vedas forsake such a person at the
end.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’O thou that hast
restrained thy senses, if, indeed, the Vedas are not
competent to rescue a person without the aid of virtue,
whence then is this delusion of the Brahmanas that
the Vedas are always destructive of sins?’
“Sanat-sujata said, ’O magnanimous one,
this universe hath sprung from that Supreme Soul by
the union of Conditions respecting name, form, and
other attributes. The Vedas also, pointing it
out duly, declare the same, and inculcate that the
Supreme Soul and the universe are different and not
identical. It is for attaining to that Supreme
Soul that asceticism and sacrifices are ordained,
and it is by these two that the man of learning earneth
virtue. Destroying sin by virtue, his soul is
enlightened by knowledge. The man of knowledge,
by the aid of knowledge, attaineth to the Supreme
Soul. Otherwise, he that coveteth the four objects
of human pursuit, taking with him all that he doth
here, enjoyeth their fruits hereafter, and (as those
fruits) are not everlasting cometh back to the region
of action (when the enjoyment is over). Indeed,
the fruits of ascetic austerities performed in this
world have to be enjoyed in the other world (as regards
those persons who have not obtained the mastery of
their souls). As regards those Brahmanas employed
in ascetic practices (who have the mastery of their
souls), even these regions are capable of yielding
fruits.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’O Sanat-sujata,
how can ascetic austerities which are all of the same
kind, be sometimes successful and sometimes unsuccessful?
Tell us this in order that we may know it!’
“Sanat-sujata said, ’That asceticism which
is not stained by (desire and other) faults is said
to be capable of procuring emancipation, and is, therefore,
successful, while the asceticism that is stained by
vanity and want of true devotion is regarded unsuccessful.
All thy enquiries, O Kshatriya, touch the very root
of asceticism. It is by asceticism that they
that are learned, know Brahman and win immortality!’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’I have listened
to what thou hast said about asceticism unstained
by faults, and by which I have succeeded in knowing
an eternal mystery. Tell me now, O Sanat-sujata,
about asceticism that is stained by faults!’
Page 222
“Sanat-sujata said, ’O king, the twelve,
including anger, as also the thirteen kinds of wickedness,
are the faults of asceticism that is stained.
Anger, lust, avarice, ignorance of right and wrong,
discontent, cruelty, malice, vanity, grief, love of
pleasure, envy, and speaking ill of others, are generally
the faults of human beings. These twelve should
always be avoided by men. Any one amongst these
can singly effect the destruction of men, O bull among
men. Indeed, every one of these wait for opportunity
in respect of men, like a hunter expectant of opportunities
in respect of deer. Assertion of one’s own
superiority, desire of enjoying others’ wives,
humiliating others from excess of pride, wrathfulness,
fickleness, and refusing to maintain those worthy of
being maintained, these six acts of wickedness are
always practised by sinful men defying all dangers
here and hereafter. He that regards the gratification
of lust to be one of life’s aims, he that is
exceedingly proud, he that grieves having given away,
he that never spends money, he that persecutes his
subjects by exacting hateful taxes, he that delights
in the humiliation of others, and he that hates his
own wives,—these seven are others that
are also called wicked. Righteousness, truth
(abstention from injury and truthfulness of speech),
self-restraint, asceticism, delight in the happiness
of others, modesty, forbearance, love of others, sacrifices,
gifts, perseverance, knowledge of the scriptures,—these
twelve constitute the practices of Brahmanas.
He that succeeds in acquiring these twelve, becomes
competent to sway the entire earth. He that is
endued with three, two, or even one, of these, should
be regarded of heavenly prosperity. Self-restraint,
renunciation, and knowledge of Self,—in
these are emancipation. Those Brahmanas that are
endued with wisdom, say, that these are attributes
in which truth predominates. Self-restraint is
constituted by eighteen virtues. Breaches and
non-observance of ordained acts and omissions, falsehood,
malice, lust, wealth, love of (sensual) pleasure,
anger, grief, thirst, avarice, deceit, joy in the
misery of others, envy, injuring others, regret, aversion
from pious acts, forgetfulness of duty, calumniating
others, and vanity-he that is freed from these (eighteen)
vices; is said by the righteous to be self-restrained.
The eighteen faults (that have been enumerated) constitute
what is called mada or pride. Renunciation is
of six kinds. The reverse of those six again
are faults called mada. (The faults, therefore, that
go by the name of mada are eighteen and six).
The six kinds of renunciation are all commendable.
The third only is difficult of practice, but by that
all sorrow is overcome. Indeed, if that kind
of renunciation be accomplished in practice, he that
accomplishes it overcomes all the pairs of contraries
in the world.
Page 223
’The six kinds of renunciation are all commendable.
They are these: The first is never experiencing
joy on occasions of prosperity. The second is
the abandonment of sacrifices, prayers, and pious acts.
That which is called the third, O king, is the abandonment
of desire or withdrawing from the world. Indeed,
it is in consequence of this third kind of renunciation
of desire, which is evidenced by the abandonment of
all objects of enjoyment (without enjoying them) and
not their abandonment after having enjoyed them to
the fill, nor by abandonment after acquisition, nor
by abandonment only after one has become incompetent
to enjoy from loss of appetite. The fourth kind
of renunciation consists in this: One should
not grieve nor suffer his self to be afflicted by grief
when one’s actions fail, notwithstanding one’s
possession of all the virtues and all kinds of wealth.
Or, when anything disagreeable happens, one feeleth
no pain. The fifth kind of renunciation consists
in not soliciting even one’s sons, wives, and
others that may all be very dear. The sixth kind
consists in giving away to a deserving person who
solicits, which act of gifts is always productive of
merit. By these again, one acquires the knowledge
of Self. As regards this last attribute, it involves
eight qualities. These are truth, meditation,
distinction of subject and object, capacity for drawing
inferences, withdrawal from the world, never taking
what belongeth to others, the practices of Brahmacharya
vows (abstinence), and non-acceptance (of gifts).
’So also the attribute of mada (the opposite
of dama or self-restraint) hath faults which have
all been indicated (in the scriptures). These
faults should be avoided. I have spoken (to thee)
of renunciation and self-knowledge. And as, self-Knowledge
hath eight virtues, so the want of it hath eight faults.
Those faults should be avoided. O Bharata, he
that is liberated from this five senses, mind, the
past and the future, becomes happy. O king, let
thy soul be devoted to truth; all the worlds are established
on truth; indeed, self-control, renunciation, and
self-knowledge are said to have truth for their foremost
attribute. Avoiding (these) faults, one should
practise asceticism here. The Ordainer hath ordained
that truth alone should be the vow of the righteous.
Asceticism, that is dissociated from these faults and
endued with these virtues, becomes the source of great
prosperity, I have now briefly told these about that
sin-destroying and sacred subject which thou hadst
asked me and which is capable of liberating a person
from birth, death, and decrepitude.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’With Akhyana (Puranas)
as their fifth, the Vedas declare the Supreme Soul
to be this universe consisting of mobile and immobile
things. Others regard four God-heads; and others
three; others again regard two; and others only one;
and others regard Brahman alone as the sole existent
object (there being nothing else possessing a separate
existence). Amongst these, which should I know
to be really possessed of the knowledge of Brahman.’
Page 224
“Sanat-sujata, ’There is but one Brahman
which is Truth’s self. It is from ignorance
of that One, that god-heads have been conceived to
be diverse. But who is there, O king, that hath
attained to Truth’s self or Brahman? Man
regardeth himself wise without knowing that One Object
of knowledge, and from desire of happiness is engaged
in study and the practices of charity and sacrifices.
They have deviated from Truth (Brahman) and entertain
purposes corresponding (with their state) and hence
relying on the truth of Vedic texts thereof perform
sacrifices. Some perform (or attain the object
of) sacrifices by the mind (meditation), some by words
(recitation of particular prayers, or Yapa); and some
by acts (actual consummation of the Yatishtoma and
other costly rites). The person, however, who
seeketh Brahman through Truth, obtaineth his desired
objects at home. When however, one’s purposes
become abortive (through absence of knowledge of Self),
one should adopt vows of silence and such like, called
Dikshavrata. Indeed, Diksha cometh from the root
Diksha, meaning the observance of vows. As regards
those that have knowledge of Self, with them Truth
is the highest object of pursuit.’
’The fruits of knowledge are visible; asceticism
yieldeth fruits hereafter. A Brahmana who (without
knowledge and asceticism) hath only read much should
only be known as a great reader. Therefore, O
Kshatriya, never think that one can be a Brahman (Brahman-knowing)
by only reading the scriptures. He, on the other
hand, should be known by thee to be possessed of the
knowledge of the Brahman who doth not deviate from
Truth. O Kshatriya, the verses that were recited
by Atharvan to a conclave of great sages, in days
of old, are known by the name of Chhandas. They
are not be regarded as acquainted with the Chhandas
who have only read through the Vedas, without having
attained to the knowledge of Him who is known through
the Vedas. The Chhandas, O best of men, become
the means of obtaining Brahman independently and without
the necessity of anything foreign. They cannot
be regarded as acquainted with the Chhandas who are
acquainted only with the modes of sacrifice enjoined
in the Vedas. On the other hand, having waited
upon those that are acquainted with the Vedas, have
not the righteous attained to the Object that is knowable
by the Vedas? There is none who hath truly caught
the sense of the Vedas or there may be some who have,
O king, caught the sense. He that hath only read
the Vedas, doth not know the Object knowable by them.
He, however, that is established in Truth, know the
Object knowable by the Vedas. Amongst those faculties
which lead to perception of the body as the acting
agent, there is none by which true knowledge may be
acquired. By the mind alone one cannot acquire
the knowledge of Self and Not-Self. Indeed, he
that knoweth Self also knoweth what is Not-self.
He, on the other hand, that knoweth only what is Not-self,
doth not know Truth. He, again, that knoweth the
Page 225
proofs, knoweth also that which is sought to be proved.
But what that Object in its nature is (which is sought
to be proved) is not known to either the Vedas or
those that are acquainted with the Vedas. For
all that, however, those Brahmanas that are (truly)
acquainted with the Vedas succeed in obtaining a knowledge
of the Object knowable (by the Vedas) through the
Vedas. As the branch of a particular tree is sometimes
resorted to for pointing out the lunar digit of the
first day of the lighted fortnight so the Vedas are
used for indicating the highest attributes of the Supreme
Soul. I know him to be a Brahmana (possessing
a knowledge of Brahman) who expoundeth the doubts
of others, having himself mastered all his own doubts,
and who is possessed of the knowledge of Self.
One cannot find what the Soul is by seeking in the
East, the South, the West, the North, or in the subsidiary
directions or horizontally. Very rarely can it
be found in him who regardeth this body be to Self.
Beyond the conception of even the Vedas, the man of
Yoga-meditation only can behold the Supreme.
Completely restraining all thy senses and thy mind
also seek thou that Brahman which is known to reside
in thy own Soul. He is not a Muni who practiseth
only Yoga-meditation; nor he who liveth only in the
woods (having retired from the world). He, however,
is a Muni and is superior to all who knoweth his own
nature. In consequence of one’s being able
to expound every object (Vyakarana), one is said to
be endued with universal knowledge (Vaiyakarana);
and, indeed, the science itself is called Vyakarana
owing to its being able to expound every object to
its very root (which is Brahman). The man who
beholdeth all the regions as present before his eyes,
is said to be possessed of universal knowledge.
He that stayeth in Truth and knoweth Brahman is said
to be a Brahmana, and a Brahmana, possesseth universal
knowledge. A Kshatriya also, that practises such
virtues, may behold Brahman. He may also attain
to that high state by ascending step by step, according
to what is indicated in the Vedas. Knowing it
for certain, I tell thee this.’”
SECTION XLIV
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Excellent, O Sanat-sujata,
as this thy discourse is, treating of the attainment
of Brahman and the origin of the universe. I
pray thee, O celebrated Rishi, to go on telling me
words such as these, that are unconnected with objects
of worldly desire and are, therefore, rare among men.’
“Sanat-sujata said, ’That Brahman about
which thou askest me with such joy is not to be attained
soon. After (the senses have been restrained
and) the will hath been merged in the pure intellect,
the state that succeeds in one of utter absence of
worldly thought. Even that is knowledge (leading
to the attainment of Brahman). It is attainable
only by practising Brahmacharya.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Thou sayest that
the knowledge of Brahman dwelleth of itself in the
mind, being only discovered by Brahmacharya; that is
dwelling in the mind, it requires for its manifestation
no efforts (such as are necessary for work) being
manifested (of itself) during the seeking (by means
of Brahmacharya). How then is the immortality
associated with the attainment of Brahman?’
Page 226
“Sanat-sujata said, ’Though residing in
and inherent to the mind, the knowledge of Brahman
is still unmanifest. It is by the aid of the pure
intellect and Brahmacharya that, that knowledge is
made manifest. Indeed, having attained to that
knowledge, Yogins forsake this world. It is always
to be found among eminent preceptors. I shall
now discourse to thee on that knowledge.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’What should be the
nature of that Brahmacharya by which the knowledge
of Brahman might be attained without much difficulty?
O regenerate one, tell me this.’
“Sanat-sujata said, ’They, who, residing
in the abodes of their preceptors and winning their
good will and friendship, practise Brahmacharya austerities,
become even in this world the embodiments of Brahman
and casting off their bodies are united with the Supreme
Soul. They that in this world desirous of obtaining
the state of Brahman, subdue all desires, and endued
as they are with righteousness, they succeed in dissociating
the Soul from the body like a blade projected from
a clump of heath. The body, O Bharata, is created
by these, viz., the father and the mother; the
(new) birth, however, that is due to the preceptor’s
instructions is sacred, free from decrepitude, and
immortal. Discoursing upon Brahman and granting
immortality, he who wraps all persons with (the mantle
of) truth, should be regarded as father and mother;
and bearing in mind the good he does, one should never
do him any injury. A disciple must habitually
salute his preceptor with respect, and with purity
(of body and mind) and well-directed attention, he
must betake to study. He must not consider any
service as mean, and must not harbour anger.
Even this is the first step of Brahmacharya. The
practices of that disciple who acquires knowledge
by observing the duties ordained for one of his class
are regarded also as the first step of Brahmacharya.
A disciple should, with his very life and all his possessions,
in thought, word and deed, do all that is agreeable
to the preceptor. This is regarded as the second
step of Brahmacharya. He should behave towards
his preceptor’s wife and son also in the same
way as towards his preceptor himself. This also
is regarded as the second step of Brahmacharya.
Bearing well in mind what has been done to him by the
preceptor, and understanding also its object, the disciple
should, with a delighted heart think,—I
have been taught and made great by him. This is
the third step of Brahmacharya. Without requiring
the preceptor by payment of the final gift, a wise
disciple must not betake to another mode of life;
nor should he say or even think of in his mind,—I
make this gift. This is the fourth step of Brahmacharya.
He attaineth the first step of (knowledge of Brahman
which is) the object of Brahmacharya by aid of time;
the second step, through the preceptor’s prelections;
the third, by the power of his own understanding;
and finally, the fourth, by discussion. The learned
Page 227
have said that Brahmacharya is constituted by the
twelve virtues, the Yoga-practices are called its Angas,
and perseverance in Yoga-meditation called is its
Valam and one is crowned with success in this in consequence
of the preceptor’s aid and the understanding
of the sense of the Vedas. Whatever wealth a
disciple, thus engaged, may earn, should all be given
to the preceptor. It is thus that the preceptor
obtaineth his highly praise-worthy livelihood.
And thus also should the disciple behave towards the
preceptor’s son. Thus stationed (in Brahmacharya),
the disciple thriveth by all means in this world and
obtaineth numerous progeny and fame. Men also
from all directions shower wealth upon him; and many
people come to his abode for practising Brahmacharya.
It is through Brahmacharya of this kind that the celestials
attained to their divinity, and sages, highly blessed
and of great wisdom, have obtained the region of Brahman.
It is by this that the Gandharvas and the Apsaras
acquired such personal beauty, and it is through Brahmacharya
that Surya riseth to make the day. As the seekers
of the philosopher’s stone derive great happiness
when they obtain the object of their search those
mentioned above (the celestials and others), on completing
their Brahmacharya, derive great happiness in consequence
of being able to have whatever they desire. He,
O king, who devoted to the practice of ascetic austerities,
betaketh himself to Brahmacharya in its entirety and
thereby purifieth his body, is truly wise, for by this
he becometh like a child (free from all evil passions)
and triumpheth over death at last. Men, O Kshatriya,
by work, however, pure, obtain only worlds that are
perishable; he, however, that is blessed with Knowledge,
attaineth, by the aid of that Knowledge, to Brahman
which is everlasting. There is no other path
(than Knowledge or the attainment of Brahman) leading
to emancipation.
“Dhritarashtra said, ’The existence of
Brahman, thou sayest, a wise man perceiveth in his
own soul. Now, is Brahman white, or red, or black
or blue, or purple? Tell me what is the true
form and colour of the Omnipresent and Eternal Brahman?’
“Sanat-sujata said, ’Indeed, Brahman as
(perceived) may appear as white, red, black, brown,
or bright. But neither on the earth, nor in the
sky, nor in the water of the ocean, is there anything
like it, Neither in the stars, nor in lightning, nor
in the clouds, is its form to be seen, nor is it visible
in the atmosphere, nor in the deities, nor in the moon,
nor in the sun. Neither in the Riks, nor among
the Yajus, nor among the Atharvans, nor in the pure
Samans, it is to be found. Verily, O king, it
is not to be found in Rathantara or Varhadratha, nor
in great sacrifices. Incapable of being compassed
and lying beyond the reach of the limited intellect,
even the universal Destroyer, after the Dissolution,
is himself lost in it. Incapable of being gazed
at, it is subtle as the edge of the razor, and grosser
Page 228
than mountains. It is the basis upon which everything
is founded; it is unchangeable; it is this visible
universe (omnipresent); it is vast; it is delightful;
creatures have all sprung from it and are to return
to it. Free from all kinds of duality, it is
manifest as the universe and all-pervading. Men
of learning say that it is without any change, except
in the language used to describe it. They are
emancipated that are acquainted with That in which
this universe is established.’”
SECTION XLV
“Sanat-sujata said, ’Sorrow, anger, covetousness,
lust, ignorance, laziness, malice, self-importance,
continuous desire of gain, affection, jealousy and
evil speech,—these twelve, O monarch, are
grave faults that are destructive of men’s lives.
Each of these, O monarch, wait for opportunities to
seize mankind. Afflicted by them, men lose their
senses and commit sinful acts. He that is covetous,
he that is fierce, he that is harsh of speech, he
that is garrulous, he that is given to nursing anger,
he that is boastful,—these six of wicked
disposition, on obtaining wealth, cannot treat others
with courtesy. He that regardeth sensual gratification
as the end of life, he that is self-conceited, he
that boasteth having made a gift, he that never spendeth,
he that is weak in mind, he that is given to self-admiration,
and he that hateth his own wife,—these
seven are counted as wicked men of sinful habits.
Righteousness, truth, asceticism, self-restraint, contentment,
modesty, renunciation, love of others, gift, acquaintance
with the scriptures, patience, and forgiveness,—these
twelve are the practices of a Brahmana. He that
doth not fall off from these twelve, may sway the entire
earth. He that is endued with three, or two,
or even one, of these, doth never regard anything
as his own to the exclusion of others. Self-restraint,
renunciation, and knowledge,—in these reside
emancipation. These are the attributes of Brahmanas
endued with wisdom and regarding Brahman as the highest
of all objects of attainment. True or false, it
is not laudable for a Brahmana to speak ill of others;
they that do this have hell for their abode.
Mada hath eighteen faults which have not yet been enumerated
by me. They are ill-will towards others, throwing
obstacles in the way of virtuous acts, detraction,
falsehood in speech, lust, anger, dependence, speaking
ill of others, finding out the faults of others for
report, waste of wealth, quarrel, insolence, cruelty
to living creatures, malice, ignorance, disregard
of those that are worthy of regard, loss of the senses
of right and wrong, and always seeking to injure others.
A wise man, therefore, should not give way to mada,
for the accompaniments of mada are censurable.
Friendship is said to possess six indications; firstly,
friends delight in the prosperity of friends, and secondly,
are distressed at their adversity. If any one
asketh for anything which is dear to his heart, but
Page 229
which should not be asked for, a true friend surely
giveth away even that. Fourthly, a true friend
who is of a righteous disposition, when asked, can
give away his very prosperity, his beloved sons, and
even his own wife. Fifthly, a friend should not
dwell in the house of a friend, on whom he may have
bestowed everything, but should enjoy what he earneth
himself. Sixthly, a friend stoppeth not to sacrifice
his own good (for his friend). The man of wealth
who seeketh to acquire those good qualities, and who
becometh charitable and righteous restraineth his
five senses from their respective objects. Such
restraint of the senses is asceticism. When it
groweth in degree, it is capable of winning regions
of bliss hereafter (unlike Knowledge which leadeth
to success even here). They that have fallen
off from patience (and are incapable, therefore, of
attaining to Knowledge) acquire such asceticism in
consequence of the purpose they entertain, viz.,
the attainment of bliss in the high regions hereafter.
In consequence of his ability to grasp that Truth
(Brahman) from which sacrifices flow, the Yogin is
capable of performing sacrifices by the mind.
Another performeth sacrifices by Words (Yapa) and
another by Work. Truth (Brahman) resides in him
who knoweth Brahman as vested with attributes.
It dwelleth more completely in him who knoweth Brahman
as divested of attributes. Listen now to something
else from me. This high and celebrated philosophy
should be taught (to disciples). All other systems
are only a farrago of words. The whole of this
(universe) is established in this Yoga-philosophy.
They that are acquainted with it are not subjected
to death. O king, one cannot, by Work, however
well-accomplished, attain to Truth (Brahman).
The man that is destitute of knowledge even if he poureth
homa libations or performeth sacrifices, can never,
by Work, O king, attain to immortality (emancipation).
Nor doth he enjoy great happiness at the end.
Restraining all the external senses and alone, one
should seek Brahman. Giving up Work, one should
not exert mentally. One should also (while thus
engaged) avoid experiencing joy at praise or anger
at blame. O Kshatriya, by conducting himself
in this way according to the successive steps indicated
in the Vedas, one may, even here, attain to Brahman.
This, O learned one, is all that I tell thee.’”
SECTION XLVI
“Sanat-sujata said, ’The primary Seed
(of the universe), called Mahayasas, is destitute
of accidents, is pure Knowledge, and blazeth with
effulgence. It leadeth the senses, and it is in
consequence of that Seed that Surya shineth.
That Eternal One endued with Divinity is beheld by
Yogins (by their mental eye). It is in consequence
of that Seed (which is Joy’s self) that Brahman
becomes capable of Creation and it is through it that
Brahman increaseth in expansion. It is that Seed
which entering into luminous bodies giveth light and
Page 230
heat. Without deriving its light and heat from
any other thing it is self-luminous, and is an object
of terror to all luminous bodies. The Eternal
One endued with Divinity is beheld by Yogins (by their
mental eye). The body composed of the five grosser
elements, that are themselves sprung from the five
subtler ones,—the latter, in their turn,
originating in one homogeneous substance called Brahman—is
upheld (realised) in consciousness by both the creature-Soul
endued with life and Iswara. (These two, during sleep
and the universal dissolution, are deprived of consciousness).
Brahman on the other hand, which is never bereft of
consciousness, and which is the Sun’s Sun, upholdeth
both these two and also the Earth and the Heaven.
The Eternal One endued with Divinity is beheld by
Yogins (by their mental eye). The Seed upholdeth
the two gods, the Earth and the Heaven, the Directions,
and the whole Universe. It is from that Seed that
directions (points of the compass) and rivers spring,
and the vast seas also have derived their origin.
The Eternal One endued with Divinity is beheld by Yogins
(by their mental eye). The body is like a car
destined to destruction. Its acts, however, are
undying. Tied to the wheels of that car (which
are represented by the acts of past lives), the senses,
that are as steeds, lead, through the region of consciousness,
the man of wisdom towards that Increate and Unchangeable
One, that One endued with Divinity is beheld by Yogins
(by their mental eye). The form of that One cannot
be displayed by any comparison. None ever beholdeth
Him by the eye. They that know him by the rapt
faculties, the mind, and the heart, become freed from
death. The Eternal One endued with Divinity is
beheld by Yogins (by their mental eye). The stream
of illusion is terrible; guarded by the gods, it hath
twelve fruits. Drinking of its waters and beholding
many sweet things in its midst, men swim along it
to and fro. This stream flows from that Seed.
That Eternal One endued with Divinity is beheld by
Yogins (by their mental eye). Destined to sojourn
to and fro, the creature-Soul, having reflected enjoyeth
(in the other world) only half of the fruits of his
acts. It is that creature-Soul which is Iswara,
pervading everything in the universe. It is Iswara
that hath ordained sacrifices. That Eternal One
endued with Divinity is beheld by Yogins (by their
mental eye). Souls divested of accidents, resorting
to Avidya, which is like unto a tree of golden foliage,
assume accidents, and take births in different orders
according to their propensities. That Eternal
One endued with Divinity (in Whom all those Souls
are united) is beheld by Yogins (by their mental eye).
Accidents (which coming in contact with Brahman make
the latter assume many forms) raise the universe in
its Fulness from that Brahman which is full.
Those accidents also, in their Fulness, arise from
Brahman in its Fulness. When one succeeds in
dispelling all accidents from Brahman which is ever
Page 231
Full, that which remains is Brahman in its Fulness.
That Eternal One endued with Divinity is beheld by
Yogins (by their mental eye). It is from that
Seed that the five elements have arisen, and it is
in it that the power resideth for controlling them.
It is from that Seed that both the consumer and the
consumed (called Agni and Soma) have sprung, and it
is in it that the living organisms with the senses
rest. Everything should be regarded to have sprung
from it. That Seed called in the Vedas TATH (Tad),
we are unable to describe. That Eternal One endued
with Divinity is beheld by Yogins (by their mental
eye). The vital air called Apana is swallowed
up by the Air called Prana; Prana is swallowed up
by the Will, and the Will by the Intellect, and the
Intellect by the Supreme Soul. That Eternal One
endued with Divinity is beheld by Yogins (by their
mental eye). The Supreme Soul endued with four
legs, called respectively Waking, Dream, profound
Sleep, and Turiya, like unto a swan, treading above
the unfathomable ocean of worldly affairs doth not
put forth one leg that is hid deep. Unto him
that beholdeth that leg (viz., Turiya) as put forth
for the purpose of guiding the other three, both death
and emancipation are the same. That Eternal One
endued with Divinity is beheld by Yogins (by their
mental eye). Of the measure of the thumb, ever
Full, and different from this eternal organism, coming
in contact with the Vital airs, the Will, the Intellect,
and the ten Senses, it moveth to and fro. That
Supreme Controller, worthy of reverential hymns, capable
of everything when vested with accidents and the prime
cause of everything, is manifest as Knowledge in creature-Souls.
Fools alone do not behold him; that Eternal One endued
with Divinity is beheld by Yogins (by their mental
eye). Among individuals there are those that
have obtained the mastery of their minds, and those
that have not. Yet in all men the Supreme Soul
may be seen equally. Indeed, it resideth equally
in him that is emancipate and in him that is not, with
only this difference that they that are emancipate
obtain honey flowing in a thick jet. That Eternal
One endued with Divinity is beheld by Yogins (by their
mental eye). When one maketh life’s Sojourn,
having attained to the knowledge of Self and Not-Self,
then it matters little whether his Agni-hotra is performed
or not. O monarch, let not such words as ’I
am thy servant’ fall from their lips. The
Supreme Soul hath another name, viz., Pure Knowledge.
They only that have restrained their minds obtain
Him. That Eternal One endued with Divinity is
beheld by Yogins (by their mental eye). Even
such is He. Illustrious and Full, all living creatures
are merged into Him. He that knoweth that embodiment
of Fullness attaineth to his object (emancipation)
even here. That Eternal One endued with Divinity
is beheld by Yogins (by their mental eye). That
which flieth away stretching forth thousands of wings,
yea, if endued with the speed of the mind, must yet
Page 232
come back to the Central Spirit within the living
organism (in which the most distant things reside...
That Eternal One endued with Divinity) is beheld by
Yogins (by their mental eye). His form cannot
be an object of sight. They only, that are of
pure hearts, can behold him. When one seeketh
the good of all, succeedeth in controlling his mind,
and never suffereth his heart to be affected by grief,
then he is said to have purified his heart. Those
again that can abandon the world and all its cares,
become immortal. (That Supreme Soul which is undying),—that
Eternal One endued with Divinity—is beheld
by Yogins (by their mental eye). Like serpents
concealing themselves in holes, there are persons
who following the dictates of their preceptors, or
by their own conduct conceal their vices from scrutiny’s
gaze. They that are of little sense are deceived
by these. In fact, bearing themselves outwardly
without any impropriety, these deceive their victims
for leading them to hell. (Him, therefore, who may
be attained by companionship with persons of the very
opposite class), that Eternal One endued with Divinity—is
beheld by Yogins (by their mental eye). He that
is emancipate thinks,—this transitory organism
can never make me liable to joy and grief and the
other attributes inhering to it: nor can there
be, in my case, anything like death and birth:
and, further, when Brahman, which hath no opposing
force to contend against and which is alike in all
times and all places, constitutes the resting-place
of both realities and unrealities, how can emancipation
be mine? It is I alone that am the origin and
the end of all causes and effects.—(Existing
in the form of I or Self) that Eternal One endued
with Divinity is beheld by Yogins (by their mental
eye). The Brahman-knowing person, who is equal
unto Brahman itself, is neither glorified by good acts
nor defiled by bad ones. It is only in ordinary
men that acts, good or bad, produce different results.
The person that knoweth Brahman should be regarded
as identical with Amrita or the state called Kaivalya
which is incapable of being affected by either virtue
or vice. One should, therefore, disposing his
mind in the way indicated, attain to that essence of
sweetness (Brahman). That Eternal One endued
with Divinity is beheld by Yogins (by their mental
eye). Slander grieveth not the heart of the person
that knoweth Brahman not the thought—I
have not studied (the Veda), or, I have not performed
my Agni-hotra. The knowledge of Brahman soon imparteth
to him that wisdom which they only obtain who have
restrained their mind. (That Brahman which freeth
the Soul from grief and ignorance)-that Eternal One
endued with Divinity-is beheld by Yogins (by their
mental eye). He, therefore, that beholdeth his
own Self in everything, hath no longer to grieve,
for they only have to grieve who are employed in diverse
other occupations of the world. As one’s
purposes (appeasing thirst, etc.) may be served
Page 233
in a well as in a large reservoir or vast expanse,
so the various purposes of the Vedas may all be derivable
by him that knoweth the Soul. Dwelling in the
heart, and of the measure of the thumb, that illustrious
One—the embodiment of Fullness—is
not an object of sight. Unborn he moveth, awake
day and night. He that knoweth him, becometh
both learned and full of joy. I am called the
mother and father. I am again the son. Of
all that was, and of all that we will be, I am the
Soul. O Bharata, I am the old grandsire, I am
the father, I am the son. Ye are staying in my
soul, yet ye are not mine, nor am I yours! The
Soul is the cause of my birth and procreation.
I am the warp and woof of the universe. That
upon which I rest is indestructible. Unborn I
move, awake day and night. It is I knowing whom
one becometh both learned and full of joy. Subtler
than the subtle, of excellent eyes capable of looking
into both the past and the future, Brahman is awake
in every creature. They that knows Him know that
Universal Father dwelleth in the heart of every created
thing!’”
SECTION XLVII
“Vaisampayana said, ’Thus conversing with
Sanat-sujata and the learned Vidura, the king passed
that night. And after the night had passed away,
all the princes and chiefs, entered the court-hall
with joyous hearts and desirous of seeing that Suta
(who had returned). And anxious to hear the message
of Partha’s, fraught with virtue and profit,
all the kings with Dhritarashtra at their head, went
to that beautiful hall. Spotlessly white and
spacious, it was adorned with a golden floor.
And effulgent as the moon and exceedingly beautiful,
it was sprinkled over with sandal-water. And
it was spread over with excellent seats made of gold
and wood, and marble and ivory. And all the seats
were wrapped with excellent covers. And Bhishma
and Drona and Kripa and Salya, and Kritavarman and
Jayadratha, and Aswatthaman and Vikarna, and Somadatta
and Vahlika and Vidura of great wisdom and Yuyutsu,
the great car-warrior,—all these heroic
kings in a body, O bull among the Bharatas, having
Dhritarashtra at their head, entered that hall of great
beauty. And Dussasana and Chitrasena, and Sakuni,
the son of Suvala, and Durmukha and Dussaha, Karna
and Uluka and Vivingsati,—these also, with
Duryodhana, the wrathful king of the Kurus, at their
head, entered that hall, O monarch, like the celestials
forming the train of Sakra himself. And filled
with these heroes possessed of arms like maces of iron,
that hall looked, O king, like a mountain-cave filled
with lions. And all these mighty bowmen, endued
with great energy and blazing, with solar effulgence,
entering the hall, seated themselves on those beautiful
seats. And after all those kings, O Bharata, had
taken their seats, the orderly-in-waiting announced
the arrival of the Suta’s son, saying, ’Yonder
cometh the car that was despatched to the Pandavas.
Page 234
Our envoy hath returned quickly, by the aid of well-trained
steeds of the, Sindhu breed.’ And having
approached the place with speed and alighted from the
car, Sanjaya adorned with ear-rings entered that hall
full of high-souled kings. And the Suta said,
’Ye Kauravas, know that having gone to the Pandavas
I am just returning from them. The sons of Pandu
offer their congratulations to all the Kurus according
to the age of each. Having offered their respects
in return, the sons of Pritha have saluted the aged
ones, and those that are equal to them in years, and
those also that are younger, just as each should,
according to his years, be saluted. Listen, ye
kings, to what I, instructed before by Dhritarashtra,
said to the Pandavas, having gone to them from this
place.’
SECTION XLVIII
“Dhritarashtra said, “I ask thee, O Sanjaya,
in the presence of my boy and of these kings, what
words were said by the illustrious Dhananjaya of might
that knoweth no diminution,—that leader
of warriors,—that destroyer of the lives
of the wicked?’
“Sanjaya said, ’Let Duryodhana listen
to the words which the high-souled Arjuna, eager for
fight, uttered, with Yudhishthira’s sanction
and in the hearing of Kesava. Fearless (in battle)
and conscious of the might of his arms, the heroic
Kiritin, eager for fight, spoke thus unto me in the
presence of Vasudeva, ’Do thou, O suta, say unto
Dhritarashtra’s son, in the presence of all
the Kurus, and also in the hearing of that Suta’s
son, of foul tongue and wicked soul, of little sense,
stupid reason, and of numbered days, who always desires
to fight against me, and also in the hearing of those
kings assembled for fighting against the Pandavas,
and do thou see that all the words now uttered by
me are heard well by that king with his counsellors.’
O monarch, even as the celestials eagerly listen to
the words of their chief armed with the thunderbolt,
so did the Pandavas and the Srinjayas listened to
those words of grave import uttered by Kiritin.
Just these are the words spoken by Arjuna, the wielder
of Gandiva, eager for the fight and with eyes red as
the lotus, ’If Dhritarashtra’s son doth
not surrender to king Yudhishthira of the Ajamida
race, his kingdom, then (it is evident) there must
be some sinful act committed by the sons of Dhritarashtra,
whose consequences are yet unreaped by them, for it
can be nothing else when they desire battle with Bhimasena
and Arjuna, and the Aswins and Vasudeva and Sini’s
son, and Dhrishtadyumna infallible in arms, and Sikhandin,
and Yudhishthira, who is like Indra himself and who
can consume heaven and earth by merely wishing them
ill. If Dhritarashtra’s son desireth war
with these, then will all objects of the Pandavas
be accomplished. Do not, therefore, propose peace
for the sons of Pandu, but have war if thou likest.
That bed of woe in the woods which was Yudhishthira’s
when that virtuous son of Pandu lived in exile; Oh,
Page 235
let a more painful bed than that, on the bare earth,
be now Duryodhana’s and let him lie down on it,
as his last, deprived of life. Win thou over
those men that were ruled by the wicked Duryodhana
of unjust conduct to the side of Pandu’s son
endued with modesty and wisdom and asceticism and
self-restraint and valour and might regulated by virtue.
Endued with humility and righteousness, with asceticism
and self-restraint and with valour regulated by virtue,
and always speaking the truth, our king, though afflicted
by numerous deceptions, hath forgiven all and hath
patiently borne great wrongs. When the eldest
son of Pandu, of soul under proper control, will indignantly
dart at the Kurus his terrible wrath accumulated for
years, then will the son of Dhritarashtra repent for
this war. As a blazing fire burning all around
consumeth dry grass in the hot season, so will Yudhishthira,
inflamed with wrath, consume the Dhritarashtra host
by glance alone of his eye. When Dhritarashtra’s
son will behold Bhimasena, that wrathful Pandava of
terrific impetus, stationed on his car, mace in hand,
vomiting the venom of his wrath, then will Duryodhana
repent for this war. Indeed, when he will behold
Bhimasena, who always fighteth in the van, accoutred
in mail, scarcely capable of being looked at even by
his own followers felling hostile heroes and devastating
the enemy’s ranks like Yama himself, then will
the exceedingly vain Duryodhana recollect these words.
When he will behold elephants, looking like mountain-peaks,
felled by Bhimasena, blood flowing their broken heads
like water from broken casks, then will Dhritarashtra’s
son repent for this war. When falling upon the
sons of Dhritarashtra the fierce Bhima of terrible
mien, mace in hand, will slaughter them, like a huge
lion falling upon a herd of kine, then will Duryodhana
repent for this war. When the heroic Bhima undaunted
even in situations of great danger and skilled in
weapons-when that grinder of hostile hosts in battle,—mounted
on his car, and alone will crush by his mace crowds
of superior cars and entire ranks of infantry, seize
by his nooses strong as iron, the elephants of the
hostile army, and mow down the Dhritarashtra’s
host, like a sturdy woodsman cutting a forest down
with an axe, then will Dhritarashtra’s son repent
for this war. When he will behold the Dhartarashtra’s
host consumed like a hamlet full of straw-built huts
by fire, or a field of ripe corn by lightning,—indeed
when he will behold his vast army scattered, its leaders
slain, and men running away with their back towards
the field afflicted with fear, and all the warriors,
humbled to the dust, being scorched by Bhimasena with
the fire of his weapons,—then will the son
of Dhritarashtra repent for this war, When Nakula,
that warrior of wonderful feats, that foremost of
all car-warriors, dexterously shooting arrows by hundreds,
will mangle the car-warriors of Duryodhana, then will
the son of Dhritarashtra repent for this war.
Page 236
Accustomed to enjoy all the comforts and luxuries of
life, when Nakula, recollecting that bed of woe on
which he had slept for a long time in the woods, will
vomit the poison of his wrath like an angry snake,
then will the son of Dhritarashtra repent for this
war. Ready to lay down their very lives, the
(allied) monarchs, O Suta, urged to battle by king
Yudhishthira the just, will furiously advance on their
resplendent cars against the (hostile) army. Beholding
this, the son of Dhritarashtra will certainly have
to repent. When the Kuru prince will behold the
five heroic sons of (Draupadi), tender in years but
not in acts, and all well-versed in arms, rush, reckless
of their lives, against the Kauravas, then will that
son of Dhritarashtra repent for this war. When
bent upon carnage Sahadeva, mounted on his car of noiseless
wheels, and motion incapable of being obstructed,
and set with golden stars, and drawn by well-trained
steeds, will make the heads of monarchs roll on the
field of battle with volleys of arrows,—indeed,
beholding that warrior skilled in weapons, seated
on his car in the midst of that frightful havoc, turning
now to the left and now to the right and falling upon
the foe in all directions, then will the son of Dhritarashtra
repent for this war. Indeed, when the modest
but mighty Sahadeva, skilled in battle, truthful,
conversant with all the ways of morality, and endued
with great activity and impetuousness, will fall upon
the son of Gandhari in fierce encounter and rout all
his followers, then will the son of Dhritarashtra
repent for this war. When he will behold the sons
of Draupadi, those great bowmen, those heroes skilled
in weapons and well-versed in all the ways of chariot-fighting,
dart at the foe like snakes of virulent poison, then
will the son of Dhritarashtra repent for this war.
When that slayer of hostile heroes, Abhimanyu, skilled
in arms like Krishna himself, will overpower the foe
showering upon them, like the very clouds, a thick
downpour of arrows, then will the son of Dhritarashtra
repent for this war. Indeed, when he will behold
that son of Subhadra, a child in years but not in
energy, skilled in weapons and like unto Indra himself,
failing like Death’s self upon the ranks of the
foe, then will the son of Dhritarashtra repent for
this war. When the youthful Prabhadrakas, endued
with great activity, well-versed in battle, and possessed
of the energy of lions will overthrow the sons of
Dhritarashtra with all their troops, then will Duryodhana
repent for this war. When those veteran car-warriors
Virata and Drupada will assail, at the head of their
respective divisions, the sons of Dhritarashtra and
their ranks, then will Duryodhana repent for this
war. When Drupada, skilled in weapons, and seated
on his car, desirous of plucking the heads of youthful
warriors, will wrathfully strike them off with arrows
shot from his bow, then will the son of Dhritarashtra
repent for this war. When that slayer of hostile
Page 237
heroes, Virata will penetrate into the ranks of the
foe, grinding all before him with the aid of his Matsya
warriors of cool courage, then will the son of Dhritarashtra
repent for this war. When he will behold in the
very van the eldest son of the Matsya king, of cool
courage and collected mien, seated on his car and
accoutred in mail on behalf of the Pandavas, then
will the son of Dhritarashtra. repent for this war.
I tell thee truly that when that foremost of Kaurava
heroes, the virtuous son of Santanu, will be slain
in battle by Sikhandin, then all our foes, without
doubt, will perish. Indeed, when, overthrowing
numerous car-warriors, Sikhandin, seated on his own
well-protected car, will proceed towards Bhishma,
crushing multitudes of (hostile) cars by means of his
own powerful steeds, then will the son of Dhritarashtra
repent for this war. When he will behold Dhristadyumna
unto whom Drona hath imparted all the mysteries of
the science of weapons, stationed in splendour in the
very van of the Srinjaya ranks, then will the son
of Dhritarashtra repent. Indeed, when the leader
of the Pandava host, of immeasurable prowess and capable
of withstanding the rush of any force, will proceed
to attack Drona in battle, crushing with his arrows
the Dhritarashtra ranks, then will Duryodhana repent
for this war. What enemy can withstand him who
hath, for fighting in his van, that lion of the Vrishni
race, that chief of the Somakas, who is modest and
intelligent, mighty and endued with great energy,
and blessed with every kind of prosperity? Say
also this (unto Duryodhana),—Do not covet
(the kingdom). We have chosen, for our leader,
the dauntless and mighty car-warrior Satyaki, the grandson
of Sini, skilled in weapons and having none on earth
as his equal. Of broad chest and long arms, that
grinder of foes, unrivalled in battle, and acquainted
with the best of weapons, the grandson of Sini, skilled
in arms and perfectly dauntless, is a mighty car-warrior
wielding a bow of full four cubits’ length.
When that slayer of foes, that chief of the Sinis,
urged by me, will shower, like the very clouds, his
arrows on the foe, completely overwhelming their leaders
with that downpour, then will the son of Dhritarashtra
repent for this war. When that illustrious warrior
of long arms and firm grasp of the bow, musters his
resolution for fight, the foe then, like kine getting
the scent of the lion, fly away from him before even
commencing the encounter. That illustrious warrior
of long arms and firm grasp of the bow is capable of
splitting the very hills and destroying the entire
universe. Practised in weapons, skilled (in battle),
and endued with exceeding lightness of hand, he shineth
on the field of battle like the sun himself in the
sky. That lion of the Vrishni race, that scion
of Yadu’s line, of superior training, hath diverse
wonderful and excellent weapons. Indeed, Satyaki
is possessed of a knowledge of all those uses of weapons
that are said to be of the highest excellence.
Page 238
When he will behold in battle the golden car of Satyaki
of Madhu’s race, drawn by four white steeds,
then will that wretch of uncontrolled passions, the
son of Dhritarashtra, repent. When he will also
behold my terrible car, endued with the effulgence
of gold and bright gems, drawn by white steeds and
furnished with the banner bearing the device of the
Ape and guided by Kesava himself, then will that wretch
of uncontrolled passions repent. When he will
hear the fierce twang produced by the constant stretch
of the bow-string with fingers cased in leather gloves,—that
terrible twang, loud as the rolling of the thunder,
of my bow Gandiva wielded by me in the midst of the
great battle,—then will that wicked wretch,
the son of Dhritarashtra repent, beholding himself
abandoned by his troops, flying away like kine from
the field of battle in all directions, overwhelmed
with the darkness created by my arrowy downpour.
When he will behold innumerable keen-edged arrows,
furnished with beautiful wings, and capable of penetrating
into the very vitals, shot from the string of Gandiva,
like fierce and terrible flashes of lightning emitted
by the clouds, destroying enemies by thousands, and
devouring numberless steeds and elephants clad in mail,
then will the son of Dhritarashtra repent for this
war. When he will behold the arrows shot by the
enemy turned off, or turned back struck by my shafts,
or cut to pieces pierced transversely by my arrows,
then will the foolish son of Dhritarashtra repent
for this war. When broad-headed arrows shot by
my hands will strike off the heads of youthful warriors,
like birds picking off fruits from the tree-tops,
then will the son of Dhritarashtra repent for this
war. When he will behold excellent warriors of
his failing down from their cars, and elephants and
steeds rolling on the field, deprived of life by my
arrows, then will the son of Dhritarashtra repent for
this war. When he will behold his brothers, even
before fairly coming within the range of the enemy’s
weapons, die all around, without having achieved anything
in battle, then will the son of Dhritarashtra repent
for this war. When pouring my blazing shafts
incessantly, I will, like Death himself with mouth
wide-open, destroy on all sides multitudes of cars
and foot-soldiers, then will that wretch repent.
When he will behold his own troops, covered with the
dust raised by my car wander in all directions, torn
to pieces by Gandiva and reft of senses, then will
that wretch repent. When he will behold his whole
army running away in fear in all directions, mangled
in limbs, and bereft of senses; when he will behold
his steeds, elephants, and foremost of heroes slain;
when he will see his troops thirsty, struck with panic,
wailing aloud, dead and dying, with their animals
exhausted; and hair, bones and skulls lying in heaps
around like half-wrought works of the Creator, then
will that wretch repent. When he will behold
on my car, Gandiva, Vasudeva, and the celestial conch
Page 239
Panchajanya, myself, my couple of inexhaustible quivers,
and my conch called Devadatta as also my white steeds,
then will the son of Dhritarashtra repent for this
war. When I consume the Kauravas, like Agni consuming
innumerable wicked souls assembled together at the
time of ushering in another Yuga at the end of the
last one, then Dhritarashtra with all his sons repent.
When the wicked, hearted and the wrathful son of Dhritarashtra
will be deprived of prosperity with brothers and army
and followers, then, reft of pride and losing heart
and trembling all over, will that fool repent.
One morning when I had finished my water-rites and
prayers, a Brahmana spoke unto me these pleasant words,
’O Partha, thou shalt have to execute a very
difficult task. O Savyasachin, thou shalt have
to fight with thy foes. Either Indra riding on
his excellent steed and thunderbolt in hand will walk
before thee slaying thy foes in battle, or Krishna,
the son of Vasudeva will protect thee from behind
riding on his car drawn by the steeds headed by Sugriva.
Relying on those words, I have, in this battle passing
over Indra, the wielder of the thunderbolt, preferred
Vasudeva as my ally. That Krishna hath been obtained
by me for the destruction of those wicked ones.
I see the hand of the gods in all this. The person
whose success is only wished for by Krishna, without
the latter’s actually taking up arms in his
behalf, is certain to prevail over all enemies, even
if those be the celestials with Indra at their head,
while anxiety there is none if they be human.
He that wisheth to conquer in battle that foremost
of heroes, Vasudeva’s son Krishna endued with
great energy, wisheth to cross by his two arms alone
the great ocean of wide expanse and immeasurable water.
He. that wisheth to split by a slap of his palm the
high Kailasa mountain, is not able to do the slightest
damage to the mountain although his hand only with
its nails is sure to wear away. He that would
conquer Vasudeva in battle, would, with his two arms,
extinguish a blazing fire, stop the Sun and the Moon,
and plunder by force the Amrita of the gods,—that
Vasudeva, viz., who having mowed down in battle
by main force all the royal warriors of the Bhoja
race, had carried off on a single car Rukmini of great
fame for making her his wife; and by her was afterwards
born Pradyumna of high soul. It was this favourite
of the gods, who, having speedily smashed the Gandharas
and conquered all the sons of Nagnajit, forcibly liberated
from confinement king Sudarsana of great energy.
It was he that slew king Pandya by striking his breast
against his, and moved down the Kalingas in battle
Burnt by him, the city of Varanasi remained for many
years without e king, incapable of being defeated
by others. Ekalavya, the king of the Nishadas,
always used to challenge this one to battle; but slain
by Krishna he lay dead like the Asura Jambha violently
thrashed on a hillock. It was Krishna, who, having
Baladeva for his second, slew Ugrasena’s wicked
Page 240
son (Kansa), seated in court in the midst of the Vrishnis
and the Andhakas, and then gave unto Ugrasena the
kingdom. It was Krishna who fought with king Salya,
the lord of Saubha, stationed in the skies, fearless
in consequence of his powers of illusion; and it was
he, who, at the gate of Subha caught with his hands
the fierce Sataghni (hurled by Saubha’s lord).
What mortal is able to bear his might? The Asuras
had a city named Pragjyotisha, which was formidable,
inaccessible and unbearable. It was there that
the mighty Naraka, the son of the Earth, kept the
jewelled ear-rings of Aditi, having brought them by
force. The very gods, who, fearless of death,
assembled together with Sakra at their head were incapable
of conquering him. Beholding Kesava’s prowess
and might, and weapon that is irresistible, and knowing
also the object of his birth, the gods employed him
for the destruction of those Asuras. Vasudeva,
too, endued with all the divine attributes that ensure
success, agreed to undertake that exceedingly difficult
task. In the city of Nirmochana that hero slew
six thousand Asuras, and cutting into pieces innumerable
keen-edged shafts, he slew Mura and hosts of Rakshasas,
and then entered that city. It was there, that
an encounter took place between the mighty’ Naraka
and Vishnu of immeasurable strength. Slain by
Krishna, Naraka lay lifeless there, like a Karnikara
tree uprooted by the wind. Having slain the Earth’s
son, Naraka, and also Mura, and having recovered those
jewelled ear-rings, the learned Krishna of unparalleled
prowess came back, adorned with beauty and undying
fame. Having witnessed his terrible feats in that
battle, the gods then and there blessed him saying,
’Fatigue will never be thine in fights, neither
the firmament nor the waters shall stop thy course,
nor shall weapons penetrate thy body.’
And Krishna, by all this, regarded himself amply rewarded.
Immeasurable, and possessed of great might, in Vasudeva
ever exist all the virtues. And yet the son of
Dhritarashtra seeketh to vanquish that unbearable
Vishnu of infinite energy, for that wretch often thinks
of imprisoning him. Krishna, however, beareth
all this for our sake only. That wretch seeketh
to create a sudden disunion between Krishna and myself.
How far, however, he is capable of taking away the
affection of Krishna from the Pandavas, he will see
on the field of battle. Having bowed down unto
Santanu’s son, and also Drona with his son,
and the unrivalled son of Saradwat, I shall fight for
regaining our kingdom. The God of justice himself,
I am sure, will bring destruction on that sinful man
who will fight with the Pandavas. Deceitfully
defeated at dice by those wretches, ourselves, of
royal birth, had to pass twelve years in great distress
in the forest and one long year in a state of concealment.
When those Pandavas are still alive, how shall the
sons of Dhritarashtra rejoice, possessing rank and
affluence? If they vanquish us in fight, aided
by the very gods headed by Indra, the then practice
Page 241
of vice would be better than virtue, and surely there
would be nothing like righteousness on earth.
If man is affected by his acts, if we be superior
to Duryodhana, then, I hope that, with Vasudeva as
my second, I shall slay Duryodhana, with all his kinsmen.
O lord of men, if the act of robbing us of our kingdom
be wicked, if these our own good deeds be not fruitless,
than beholding both this and that, it seems to me,
the overthrow of Duryodhana is certain. Ye Kauravas,
ye will see it with your eyes that, if they fight,
the sons of Dhritarashtra shall certainly perish.
If they act otherwise instead of fighting, then they
may live; but in the event of a battle ensuing, none
of them will be left alive. Slaying all the sons
of Dhritarashtra along with Karna, I shall surely
wrest the hole of their kingdom, Do ye, meanwhile,
whatever ye think best, and enjoy also your wives
and other sweet things of life. There are, with
us, many aged Brahmanas, versed in various sciences,
of amiable behaviour, well-born, acquainted with the
cycle of the years, engaged in the study of astrology,
capable of understanding with certainty the motions
of planets and the conjunctions of stars as also of
explaining the mysteries of fate, and answering questions
relating to the future, acquainted with the signs
of the Zodiac, and versed with the occurrences of
every hour, who are prophesying the great destruction
of the Kurus and the Srinjayas, and the ultimate victory
of the Pandavas, so that Yudhishthira, who never made
an enemy, already regardeth his objects fulfilled
in consequence of the slaughter of his foes. And
Janardana also, that lion among the Vrishnis, endued
with the knowledge of the invisible future, without
doubt, beholdeth all this. And I also, with unerring
foresight, myself behold that future, for that foresight
of mine, acquired of old, is not obstructed.
The sons of Dhritarashtra, if they fight, will not
live. My bow, Gandiva, yawneth without being
handled; my bow-string trembleth without being stretched;
and arrows also, issuing from my quiver’s mouth,
are again and again seeking to fly. My bright
scimitar issueth of itself from its sheath, like a
snake quitting its own worn off slough; and on the
top of my flag-staff are heard terrific voices,—When
shall thy car be yoked, O Kiritin? Innumerable
jackals set up hideous howls at night, and Rakshasas
frequently alight from the sky; deer and jackals and
peacocks, crows and vultures and cranes, and wolves
and birds of golden plumage, follow in the rear of
my car when my white steeds are yoked unto it.
Single-handed I can despatch, with arrowy showers,
all warlike kings, to the regions of death. As
a blazing fire consumeth a forest in the hot season,
so, exhibiting diverse courses, I will hurl those
great weapons called Sthur-karna, Pasupata, and Brahma,
and all those that Sakra gave me, all of which are
endued with fierce impetuosity. And with their
aid, setting my heart on the destruction of those
Page 242
monarchs, I will leave no remnant of those that come
to the field of battle. I will rest, having done
all this. Even this is my chief and decided resolve.
Tell them this, O son of Gavalgana. Look at the
folly of Duryodhana! O Suta, they that are invincible
in battle even if encountered with the aid of the very
gods headed by Indra,—even against them
that son of Dhritarashtra thinketh of warring!
But so let it be even as the aged Bhishma, the son
of Santanu, and Kripa, and Drona with his son, and
Vidura endued with great wisdom, are saying, ’May
the Kauravas all live long!”
SECTION XLIX
“Vaisampayana said, ’In the midst, O Bharata,
of all those assembled kings, Bhishma, the son of
Santanu, then said these words unto Duryodhana, ’Once
on a time, Vrihaspati and Sakra went to Brahma.
The Maruts also with Indra, the Vasus with Agni, the
Adityas, the Sadhyas, the seven celestial Rishis,
the Gandharvas, Viswavasu, and the beautiful tribes
of the Apsaras, all approached the ancient Grandsire.
And having bowed down unto the Lord of the universe,
all those dwellers of heaven sat around him.
Just then, the two ancient deities, the Rishis Nara
and Narayana, as if drawing unto themselves by their
own energy the minds and energies of all who were
present there, left the place.’ Thereupon,
Vrihaspati asked Brahma, saying,—Who are
these two that leave the place without worshipping
thee? Tell us, O Grandsire, who are they?
Thus asked, Brahma said, ’These two, endued
with ascetic merit, blazing with effulgence and beauty,
illuminating both the earth and the heaven, possessed
of great might, and pervading and surpassing all, are
Nara and Narayana, dwelling now in the region of Brahman
having arrived from the other world. Endued with
great might and prowess, they shine in consequence
of their own asceticism. By their acts they always
contribute to the joy of the world. Worshipped
by the gods and the Gandharvas, they exist only for
the destruction of Asuras.’
“Bhishma continued, ’Having heard these
words, Sakra went to the spot where those two were
practising ascetic austerities, accompanied by all
the celestials and having Vrihaspati at their head.
At that time, the dwellers of heaven had been very
much alarmed in consequence of a war raging between
themselves and the Asuras. And Indra asked that
illustrious couple to grant him a boon. Thus solicited,
O best of the Bharata race, those two said,—Name
thou the boon.—Upon this Sakra said unto
them,—Give us your aid.—They
then said unto Sakra,—We will do what thou
wishest. And then it was with their aid that Sakra
subsequently vanquished the Daityas and the Danavas.
The chastiser of foes, Nara, slew in battle hundreds
and thousands of Indra’s foes among the Paulomas
and the Kalakhanjas. It was this Arjuna, who,
riding on a whirling car, severed in battle, with
a broad-headed arrow, the head of the Asura Jambha
Page 243
while the latter was about to swallow him. It
was he who afflicted (the Daitya city of Hiranyapura)
on the other side of the ocean, having vanquished
in battle sixty thousands of Nivatakavachas. It
was this conqueror of hostile towns, this Arjuna of
mighty arms, that gratified Agni, having vanquished
the very gods with Indra at their head. And Narayana
also hath, in this world, destroyed in the same way
numberless other Daityas and Danavas. Even such
are those two of mighty energy that are now seen united
with each other. It hath been heard by us that
the two heroic and mighty car-warriors, Vasudeva and
Arjuna, that are now united with each other, are those
same ancient gods, the divine Nara and Narayana.
Amongst all on earth they are incapable of being vanquished
by the Asuras and the gods headed by Indra himself.
That Narayana is Krishna, and that Nara is Falguna.
Indeed, they are one Soul born in twain. These
two, by their acts, enjoy numerous eternal and inexhaustible
regions, and are repeatedly born in those worlds when
destructive wars are necessary. For this reason
their mission is to fight. Just this is what
Narada, conversant with the Vedas, had said unto the
Vrishnis. When thou, O Duryodhana, wilt see Kesava
with conch-shell and discus, and mace in hand, and
that terrible wielder of the bow, Arjuna, armed with
weapons, when thou wilt behold those eternal and illustrious
ones, the two Krishnas seated on the same car, then
wilt thou, O child, remember these my words.
Why should not such danger threaten the Kurus when
thy intellect, O child, hath fallen off from both
profit and virtue? If thou heedest not my words,
thou shalt then have to hear of the slaughter of many,
for all the Kauravas accept thy opinion. Thou
art alone in holding as true the opinion, O bull of
the Bharata race, only three persons, viz., Karna,
a low-born Suta’s son cursed by Rama, Sakuni,
the son of Suvala, and thy mean and sinful brother
Dussasana.’
’Karna said. ’It behoveth thee not,
O blessed grandsire, to use such words towards me,
for I have adopted the duties of the Kshatriya order
without falling off from those of my own. Besides,
what wickedness is there in me? I have no sin
known to any one of Dhritarashtra’s people.
I have never done any injury to Dhritarashtra’s
son; on the other hand, I will slay all the Pandavas
in battle. How can they that are wise make peace
again with those that have before been injured?
It is always my duty to do all that is agreeable to
king Dhritarashtra, and especially to Duryodhana,
for he is in possession of the kingdom.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Having listened
to these words of Karna, Bhishma the son of Santanu,
addressing king Dhritarashtra, again said, ’Although
this one often boasteth saying,—I shall
slay the Pandavas,—yet he is not equal
to even a sixteenth part of high-souled Pandavas.
Know that the great calamity that is about to overtake
thy sons of wicked souls, is the act of this wretched
Page 244
son of a Suta! Relying upon him, thy foolish
son Suyodhana hath insulted those heroes of celestial
descent, those chastiser of all foes. What, however,
is that difficult feat achieved by this wretch before
that is equal to any of those achieved of old by every
one of the Pandavas? Beholding in the city of
Virata his beloved brother slain by Dhananjaya who
displayed such prowess, what did this one then do?
When Dhananjaya, rushing against all the assembled
Kurus, crushed them and took away their robes, was
this one not there then? When thy son was being
led away as a captive by the Gandharvas on the occasion
of the tale of the cattle, where was this son of a
Suta then who now belloweth like a bull? Even
there, it was Bhima, and the illustrious Partha, and
the twins, that encountered the Gandharvas and vanquished
them. Ever beautiful, and always unmindful of
both virtue and profit, these, O bull of the Bharata
race, are the many false things, blessed be thou,
that this one uttereth.’
’Having heard these words of Bhishma, the high-souled
son of Bharadwaja, having paid due homage unto Dhritarashtra
and the assembled kings, spoke unto him these words,
’Do that, O king, which the best of the Bharatas,
Bhishma, hath said. It behoveth thee not to act
according to the words of those that are covetous
of wealth. Peace with the Pandavas, before the
war breaks out, seems to be the best. Everything
said by Arjuna and repeated here by Sanjaya, will,
I know, be accomplished by that son of Pandu, for
there is no bowman equal unto him in the three world!’
Without regarding, however, these words spoken by
both Drona and Bhishma, the king again asked Sanjaya
about the Pandavas. From that moment, when the
king returned not a proper answer to Bhishma and Drona,
the Kauravas gave up all hopes of life.’”
SECTION L
“Dhritarashtra said, ’What did that Pandava
king, the son of Dharma, say, O Sanjaya, after hearing
that a large force hath been assembled here for gladdening
us? How also is Yudhishthira acting, in view of
the coming strife, O Suta, who amongst his brothers
and sons are looking up to his face, desirous of receiving
his orders? Provoked as he is by the deceptions
of my wicked sons, who, again, are dissuading that
king of virtuous behaviour and conversant with virtue,
saying,—Have peace?’
“Sanjaya said, ’All the Panchalas, along
with the other sons of Pandu, are looking up to Yudhishthira’s
face, blessed be thou, and he too is restraining them
all. Multitudes of cars belonging to the Pandavas
and the Panchalas are coming in separate bodies for
gladdening Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, ready to
march to the field of battle. As the sky brightens
up at the advent of the rising sun, so the Panchalas
are rejoicing at their union with Kunti’s son
of blazing splendour, risen like a flood of light.
The Panchalas, the Kekayas, and the Matsyas, along
with the very herdsmen that attend on their kine and
sheep, are rejoicing and gladdening Yudhishthira,
the son of Pandu. Brahmana and Kshatriya girls
and the very daughters of the Vaisyas, in large number,
are coming in playful mood for beholding Partha accounted
in coat of mail.’
Page 245
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Tell us, O Sanjaya,
of the forces of Dhrishtadyumna, as also of the Somakas,
and of all others, with which the Pandavas intend
to fight with us.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Thus interrogated,
in the midst of the Kurus and in their very hall,
the son of Gavalgana’ became thoughtful for a
moment and seemed to draw repeatedly deep and long
sights; and suddenly he fell down in a swoon without
any apparent reason. Then in that assembly of
kings, Vidura said loudly, ’Sanjaya, O great
king, hath fallen down on the ground senseless, and
cannot utter a word, bereft of sense and his intellect
clouded.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Without doubt, Sanjaya,
having seen those mighty car-warriors, the sons of
Kunti, hath his mind filled with great anxiety in
consequence of those tigers among men.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Having recovered
consciousness, and being comforted, Sanjaya addressed
king Dhritarashtra in the midst of that concourse
of Kurus in that hall, saying, ’Indeed, O king
of kings, I saw those great warriors, the sons of
Kunti, thinned in body, in consequence of the restraint
in which they had lived in the place of the king of
the Matsyas. Hear, O King, with whom the Pandavas
will contend against you. With that hero Dhrishtadyumna
as their ally, they will fight against you. With
that personage of virtuous soul, who never forsaketh
truth through anger or fear, temptation, or for the
sake of wealth, of disputation; and who is, O King,
a very authority in matters of religion, himself being
the best of those that practise virtue;—with
him, who hath never made an enemy, the sons of Pandu
will fight against you.’ He unto whom no
one on earth is equal in might of arms, and who, wielding
his bow had brought all kings under subjection, and
who, vanquishing of old all the people of Kasi and
Anga and Magadha, as also the Kalingas;—with
that Bhimasena will the sons of Pandu fight against,
you. Indeed, he through whose might the four
sons of Pandu quickly could alight on the earth, having
issued forth from the (burning) house of lac that
son of Kunti, Vrikodara, who became the means of their
rescue from the cannibal Hidimva; that son of Kunti,
Vrikodara, who became their refuge when the daughter
of Yajnasena was being carried away by Jayadratha;
indeed, with that Bhima. who rescued the assembled
Pandavas from the conflagration at Varanavata; even
with him (as their ally) will they fight against you.
He, who for the gratification of Krishna slew the
Krodhavasas, having penetrated the rugged and terrible
mountains of Gandhamadana, he to whose arms hath been
imparted the might of ten thousand elephants; with
that Bhimasena (as their ally) the Pandavas will fight
against you. That hero, who, for the gratification
of Agni, with Krishna only for his second, bravely
vanquished of yore Purandara in fight; he who gratified
by combat that God of gods, the trident-bearing lord
of Uma—Mahadeva himself having the mountains
Page 246
for his abode; that foremost of warriors who subjugated
all the kings of the earth—with that Vijaya
(as their ally) the Pandavas will encounter you in
battle. That wonderful warrior Nakula, who vanquished
the whole of the western world teeming with Mlechchas,
is present in the Pandava camp. With that handsome
hero, that unrivalled bowman, that son of Madri, O
Kauravya, the Pandavas will fight against you.
He who vanquished in battle the warriors of Kasi,
Anga, and Kalinga,—with that Sahadeva will
the Pandavas encounter you in battle. He, who
in energy hath for his equals only four men on earth,
viz., Aswatthaman and Dhrishtaketu and Rukmi
and Pradyumna,—with that Sahadeva, youngest
in years, that hero among men, that gladdener of Madri’s
heart, with him, O King, will you have a destructive
battle. She, who, while living of yore as the
daughter of the king of Kasi, had practised the austerest
penances; she, who, O bull of the Bharata race, desiring
even in a subsequent life to compass the destruction
of Bhishma, took her birth as the daughter of Panchala,
and accidentally became afterwards a male; who, O
tiger among men, is conversant with the merits and
demerits of both sexes; that invincible prince of
the Panchala who encountered the Kalingas in battle,
with what Sikhandin skilled in every weapon, will the
Pandavas fight against you. She whom a Yaksha
for Bhishma’s destruction metamorphosed into
a male, with that formidable bowman will the Pandavas
fight against you. With those mighty bowmen, all,
brothers those five Kekaya princes, with those heroes
clad in mail will the Pandavas fight against you.
With that warrior of long arms: endued with great
activity in the use of weapons, possessed of intelligence
and prowess incapable of being baffled, with that
Yuyudhana, the lion of the Vrishni race, will you
have to fight. He, who had been the refuge of
the high-souled Pandavas for a time, with that Virata,
will ye have an encounter in battle. The lord
of Kasi, that mighty car-warrior who ruleth in Varanasi
hath become an ally of theirs; with him the Pandavas
will fight against you. The high-souled sons
of Draupadi, tender in years but invincible in battle,
and unapproachable like snakes of virulent poison,
with them, will the Pandavas fight against you.
He, that in energy is like unto Krishna and in self-restraint
unto Yudhishthira, with that Abhimanyu, will the Pandavas
fight against you. That war-like son of Sisupala,
Dhrishtaketu of great fame, who in energy is beyond
comparison and who when angry is incapable of being
withstood in battle, with that king of the Chedis
who has joined the Pandavas at the head of an Akshauhini
of his own, will the sons of Pandu fight against you.
He that is the refuge of the Pandavas, even as Vasava
is of the celestials, with that Vasudeva, the Pandavas
will fight against you. He also, O bull of Bharata
race, Sarabha the brother of the king of the Chedis,
who again is united with Karakarsa, with both these,
Page 247
the Pandavas will fight against you. Sahadeva,
the son of Jarasandha, and Jayatsena, both unrivalled
heroes in battle, are resolved upon fighting for the
Pandavas. And Drupada too, possessed of great
might, and followed by a large force, and reckless
of his life, is resolved to fight for the Pandavas.
Relying upon these and other kings by hundreds, of
both the eastern and northern countries, king Yudhishthira
the just, is prepared for battle.’”
SECTION LI
“Dhritarashtra said, ’All these named
by thee are, indeed, endued with great courage, but
all of them together are equal to Bhima singly.
My fear, O child, from the wrathful Bhima is, indeed,
very great, like that of fat deer from an enraged
tiger. I pass all my nights in sleeplessness,
breathing deep and hot sighs afraid of Vrikodara, O
child, like an animal of any other species afraid
of the lion. Of mighty arms, and in energy equal
unto Sakra himself, I see not in this whole army even
one that can withstand him in battle. Exceedingly
wrathful and determined in animosity, that son of
Kunti and Pandu smileth not even in jest, is mad with
rage, casteth his glances obliquely, and speaketh in
a voice of thunder. Of great impetuosity and
great courage, of long arms and great might, he will
not, in battle, leave even one of my foolish sons alive.
Indeed, Vrikodara, that bull among the Kurus, whirling
his mace in battle, will, like a second Yama mace
in hand slay all my sons who are afflicted by a heavy
calamity. Even now I see that terrible mace of
his, with eight sides made of steel, and adorned with
gold, uplifted like a Brahmana’s curse.
As a lion of mighty strength among a flock of deer,
Bhima will range among my troops. He only (amongst
his brothers) always displayed his strength cruelly
towards my sons. Eating voraciously, and endued
with great impetuosity, from his very childhood he
hath been behaving inimically towards my children.
My heart trembleth (to remember) that even in their
childhood, Duryodhana and other sons of mine, while
fighting with him (sportively) were always ground down
by the elephant-like Bhima. Alas, my sons have
always been oppressed by his might, and it is that
Bhima of terrible prowess that hath been the cause
of this rupture. Even now I behold Bhima, mad
with rage, fighting in the very van, and devouring
the whole of my host consisting of men, elephants,
and steeds. Equal unto Drona and Arjuna in weapons,
his speed equal unto the velocity of the wind, and
in wrath like unto Maheswara himself, who is there,
O Sanjaya, that would slay that wrathful and terrible
hero in battle? I think it to be a great gain
that my sons were not even then slain by that slayer
of enemies who is endued with such energy. How
can a human being withstand the impetuosity of that
warrior in battle who slew Yakshas and Rakshasas of
terrible might before? O Sanjaya, even in his
childhood he was never completely under my control.
Page 248
Injured by my wicked sons, how can that son of Pandu
come under my control now? Cruel and extremely
wrathful, he would break but not bend. Of oblique
glances and contracted eye-brows, how can he be induced
to remain quiet? Endued with heroism, of incomparable
might and fair complexion, tall like a palmyra tree,
and in height taller than Arjuna by the span of the
thumb, the second son of Pandu surpasseth the very
steeds in swiftness, and elephants in strength, speaketh
in indistinct accents, and possesseth eyes having
the hue of honey. As regards form and might,
even such was he in his very boyhood, as I truly heard
long before from the lips of Vyasa! Terrible
and possessed of cruel might, when angry he will destroy
in battle with his iron-mace cars and elephants and
men and horses. By acting against his wishes,
that foremost of smiters who is ever wrathful and
furious, hath before been, O child, insulted by me.
Alas, how will my sons bear that mace of his which
is straight, made of steel, thick, of beautiful sides,
adorned with gold, capable of slaying a hundred, and
producing a terrible sound when hurled at the foe?
Alas, O child, my foolish sons are desirous of crossing
that inaccessible ocean constituted by Bhima, which
is really shoreless, without a raft on it, immeasurable
in depth, and full of currents impetuous as the course
of arrows. Fools in reality though boasting of
their wisdom, alas, my children do not listen to me
even though I cry out. Beholding only the honey
they do not see the terrible fall that is before them.
They that will rush to battle with Death himself in
that human shape, are certainly doomed to destruction
by the Supreme Ordainer, like animals within the lion’s
view. Full four cubits in length, endued with
six sides and great might, and having also a deadly
touch, when he will hurl his mace from’ the
sting, how shall my sons, O child, bear its impetus?
Whirling his mace and breaking therewith the heads
of (hostile) elephants, licking with his tongue the
corners of his mouth and drawing long breaths, when
he will rush with loud roars against mighty elephants,
returning the yells of those infuriated beasts that
might rush against him, and when entering the close
array of cars he will slay, after taking proper aim,
the chief warriors before him, what mortal of my party
will escape from him looking like a blazing flame?
Crushing my forces and cutting a passage through them,
that mighty armed hero, dancing with mace in hand,
will exhibit the scene, witnessed during the universal
Dissolution at the end of a Yuga. Like an infuriated
elephant crushing trees adorned with flowers, Vrikodara,
in battle will, furiously penetrate the ranks of my
sons. Depriving my warriors of their cars, drivers,
steeds, and flag-staff, and afflicting all warriors
fighting from cars and the backs of elephants, that
tiger among men will, O Sanjaya, like the impetuous
current of Ganga throwing down diverse trees standing
on its banks, crush in battle the troops of my sons.
Page 249
Without doubt, O Sanjaya, afflicted by the fear of
Bhimasena, my sons and their dependents and all the
allied kings will fly in different directions.
It was this Bhima who, having entered of old, with
Vasudeva’s aid, the innermost apartments of
Jarasandha, overthrew that king endued with great energy;
that lord of Magadha, the mighty Jarasandha, having
fully brought under his subjection the goddess Earth,
oppressed her by his energy. That the Kauravas
in consequence of Bhishma’s prowess, and the
Andhakas and the Vrishnis in consequence of their
policy, could not be subjugated by him was due only
to their good fortune. What could be more wonderful
than that the heroic son of Pandu, of mighty arms
and without any weapons, having approached that king,
slew him in a trice? Like a venomous snake, whose
poison hath accumulated for years, Bhima will, O Sanjaya,
vomit in battle the poison of his wrath upon my sons!
Like the foremost of the celestials, the great Indra,
smiting the Danavas with his thunderbolt, Bhimasena
will, mace in hand, slay all my sons! Incapable
of being withstood or resisted, of fierce impetus
and powers, and with eyes of a coppery hue, I behold
even now that Vrikodara failing upon my sons.
Without mace or bow, without car or coat of mail,
fighting with his bare arms only, what man is there
that can stand before him? Bhishma, that regenerate
Drona, and Kripa the son of Saradwat,—these
are as much acquainted as I myself with the energy
of the intelligent Bhima. Acquainted with the
practice of those that are noble, and desirous of
death in battle, these bulls among men will take their
stand in the van of our army. Destiny is everywhere
powerful, especially in the case of a male person,
for beholding the victory of the Pandavas in battle,
I do not yet restrain my sons. These mighty bowmen
of mine, desirous of treading in that ancient track
leading up to heaven, will lay down their lives in
battle, taking care, however, of earthly fame.
O child, my sons are the same to these mighty bowmen
as the Pandavas are to them, for all of them are grandsons
of Bhishma and disciples of Drona and Kripa.
O Sanjaya, the little acceptable services that we
have been able to do unto these three venerable ones,
will certainly be repaid by them owing to their own
noble dispositions. It is said that death in
battle of a Kshatriya, who hath taken up arms and
desireth to observe Kshatriya practices is, indeed,
both good and meritorious. I weep, however, for
all those that will fight against the Pandavas.
That very danger hath now come which was foreseen by
Vidura at the outset. It seems, O Sanjaya, that
wisdom is incapable of dispelling woe; on the other
hand, it is overwhelming woe that dispelleth wisdom.
When the very sages, that are emancipated from all
worldly concerns and that behold, standing aloof,
all the affairs of the universe, are affected by prosperity
and adversity, what wonder is there that I should
grieve, I who have my affections fixed on a thousand
Page 250
things such as sons, kingdom, wives, grandsons, and
relatives? What good can possibly be in store
for me on the accession of such a frightful danger?
Reflecting on every circumstance, I see the certain
destruction of the Kurus. That match at dice
seems to be the cause of this great danger of the Kurus.
Alas, this sin was committed from temptation by foolish
Duryodhana, desirous of wealth; I believe all this
to be the untoward effect of ever-fleeting Time that
bringeth on everything. Tied to the wheel of
Time, like its periphery, I am not capable of flying
away from it. Tell me, O Sanjaya, where shall
I go? What shall I do, and, how shall I do it?
These foolish Kauravas will all be destroyed, their
Time having come. Helplessly I shall have to
hear the wailing of women when my hundred sons will
all be slain. Oh, how may death come upon me?
As a blazing fire in the summer season., when urged
by the wind, consumeth dry grass, so will Bhima, mace
in hand, and united with Arjuna, slay all on my side!’”
SECTION LII
“Dhritarashtra said, ’He whom we have
never heard to speak a falsehood, he who hath Dhananjaya
to fight for him, may have the sovereignty of even
the three worlds. Reflecting from day to day I
do not find the warrior who may, on his car, advance
in battle against the wielder of Gandiva. When
that wielder of Gandiva will shoot winged arrows and
Nalikas and shafts capable of piercing the breast
of warriors, there is no rival of his in battle.
If those bulls among men, those heroes,—Drona
and Karna,—those foremost of mighty men,
versed in weapons and invincible in battle, withstand
him, the result may be very doubtful, but I am sure
that the victory will not be mine. Karna is both
compassionate and heedless, and preceptor is aged
and hath affection for this pupil. Partha, however,
is able and mighty, of firm grasp (of the bow).
Terrible will be the encounter between them, without
resulting in any one’s defeat. Conversant
with weapons and endued with heroism, all of them have
earned great fame. They may relinquish the very
sovereignty of the gods, but not the chance of winning
victory. There would be peace, without doubt,
upon the fall of either of these two (Drona and Karna)
or of Falguna, There is none, however, who can either
slay or vanquish Arjuna. Alas, how may his wrath
that hath been excited against my foolish sons be
pacified. Others there are acquainted with the
use of weapons, that conqueror are conquered; but
it is heard that Falguna always conquereth. Three
and thirty years have passed away since the time, when
Arjuna, having invited Agni, gratified him at Khandava,
vanquishing all the celestials. We have never
heard of his defeat anywhere, O child. Like the
case of Indra, victory is always Arjuna’s, who
hath for his charioteer in battle Hrishikesa, endued
with the same character and position. We hear
that the two Krishnas on the same car and the stringed
Page 251
Gandiva,—these three forces,—have
been united together. As regards ourselves, we
have not a bow of that kind, or a warrior like Arjuna,
or a charioteer like Krishna. The foolish followers
of Duryodhana are not aware of this. O Sanjaya,
the blazing thunderbolt falling on the head leaveth
something undestroyed, but the arrows, O child, shot
by Kiritin leave nothing undestroyed. Even now
I behold Dhanajaya shooting his arrows and committing
a havoc around, picking off heads from bodies with
his arrowy showers! Even now I behold the arrowy
conflagration, blazing all around, issuing from the
Gandiva, consuming in battle the ranks of my sons.
Even now it seemeth to me that, struck with panic
at the rattle of Savyasachin’s car, my vast
army consisting of diverse forces is running away
in all directions. As a tremendous conflagration,
wandering in all directions, of swelling flames and
urged by the wind, consumeth dry leaves and grass,
so will the great fame of Arjuna’s weapons consume
all my troops. Kiritin, appearing as a foe in
battle, will vomit innumerable arrows and become irresistible
like all destroying Death urged forward by the Supreme
Ordainer. When I shall constantly hear of evil
omens of diverse kinds happening in the homes of the
Kurus. and around them and on the field of battle,
then will destruction, without doubt, overtake the
Bharats.’”
SECTION LIII
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Endued with great
prowess and eager for victory, even as the sons themselves
of Pandu are, so are their followers, who are all
resolved to sacrifice their lives and determined to
win victory. Even thou, O son, hast told me of
my mighty enemies, viz., the kings of the Panchalas,
the Kekayas, the Matsyas, and the Magadhas. He,
again, who at his will can bring under his subjection
all the three worlds with Indra at their head, even
that Creator of the universe, the mighty Krishna is
bent on giving victory upon the Pandavas. As regards
Satyaki, he acquired in no time the whole science
of arms from Arjuna. That scion of Sini’s
race will stand on the battle-field, shooting his shafts
like husbandmen sowing seeds. The prince of Panchala,
Dhristadyumna, that mighty car-warrior of merciless
deeds, acquainted with all superior weapons, will
fight with my host. Great is my fear, O child
from the wrath of Yudhishthira, from the prowess of
Arjuna, and from the Twins and Bhimasena. When
those lords of men will, in the midst of my army, spread
their superhuman net of arrows, I fear my troops will
not come out of it. It is for this, O Sanjaya,
that I weep. That son of Pandu, Yudhishthira,
is handsome, endued with great energy, highly blessed,
possessed of Brahma force, intelligent, of great wisdom,
and virtuous soul. Having allies and counsellors,
united with persons ready for battle, and possessing
brothers and father-in-law who are all heroes and mighty
car-warriors, that tiger among men, the son of Pandu,
Page 252
is also endued with patience, capable of keeping his
counsels, compassionate, modest, of powers incapable
of being baffled, possessed of great learning, with
soul under proper control, ever waiting upon the aged,
and subdued senses; possessed thus of every accomplishment,
he is like unto a blazing fire. What fool, doomed
to destruction and deprived of sense, will jump, moth-like,
into that blazing and irresistible Pandava fire!
Alas, I have behaved deceitfully towards him.
The king, like unto a fire of long flames, will destroy
all my foolish sons in battle without leaving any
alive. I, therefore, think that it is not proper
to fight with them. Ye Kauravas, be ye of the
same mind. Without doubt, the whole race of Kuru
will be destroyed, in case of hostilities being waged.
This appears to me very clearly, and if we act accordingly,
my mind may have peace. If war with them doth
not seem beneficial to you, then we will strive to
bring about peace. Yudhishthira will never be
indifferent when he sees us distressed, for he censures
me only as the cause of this unjust war.’”
SECTION LIV
“Sanjaya said, It is even so, O great king,
as thou, O Bharata, sayest. On the event of battle,
the destruction of the Kshatriyas by means of Gandiva
is certain. This, however, I do not understand,
how when thou art always wise and especially acquainted
with the prowess of Savyasachin, thou followest yet
the counsels of thy sons. Having O bull of the
Bharata race, injured the sons of Pritha from the
very beginning, having in fact, committed sins repeatedly,
this is not, O great king, the time (to grieve).
He that occupies the position of a father and a friend,
if he is always watchful and of good heart, should
seek the welfare (of his children); but he that injures,
cannot be called a father. Hearing of the defeat
of the Pandavas at dice, thou hadst, O king, laughed
like a child, saying, ‘This is won, this is
acquired!’ When the harshest speeches were addressed
to the sons of Pritha, thou didst not then interfere,
pleased at the prospect of thy sons winning the whole
kingdom. Thou couldst not however, then see before
thee inevitable fall. The country of the Kurus,
including the region called Jangala is, O king, thy
paternal kingdom. Thou hast, however, obtained
the whole earth by those heroes. Won by the strength
of their arms, the sons of Pritha made over thee this
extensive empire. Thou thinkest, however, O best
of kings, that all this was acquired by thee.
When thy sons, seized by the king of the Gandharvas,
were about to sink in a shoreless sea without a raft
to save them, it was Partha, O king, that brought
them back. Thou hadst, like a child, repeatedly
laughed, O monarch, at the Pandavas when they were
defeated at dice and were going into exile. When
Arjuna poureth a shower of keen arrows, the very oceans
dry up, let alone beings of flesh and blood.
Falguna is the foremost of all shooters; Gandiva is
Page 253
the foremost of all bows; Kesava is the foremost of
all beings; the Sudarsana is the foremost of all weapons;
and of cars, that furnished with the banner bearing
the blazing Ape on it is the foremost. That car
of his, bearing all these and drawn by white steeds,
will, O king, consume us all in battle like the upraised
wheel of Time. O bull of the Bharata race, his
is even now the whole earth and he is the foremost
of all kings, who hath Bhima and Arjuna to fight for
him. Beholding the host sinking in despair when
smitten by Bhima, the Kauravas headed by Duryodhana
will all meet destruction. Struck with the fear
of Bhima and Arjuna, the sons, O king, and the kings
following them, will not, O lord, be able to win victory.
The Matsyas, the Panchalas, the Salways and the Surasenas,
all decline to pay thee homage now and all disregard
thee. Acquainted with the energy of that wise
king, all of them, however, have joined that son of
Pritha, and for their devotion to him they are always
opposed to thy sons. He that, by his evil deeds,
afflicted the sons of Pandu, who are all wedded to
virtue and undeserving of destruction, he that hateth
them even now,—that sinful man, O monarch,
who is none else than thy son,—should,
with all his adherents, be checked by all means.
It behoveth thee not to bewail in this strain.
Even this was said by myself as well as by the wise
Vidura at the time of the gambling match at dice.
These thy lamentations in connection with the Pandavas,
as if thou wert a helpless person, are, O king, all
useless.’”
SECTION LV
“Duryodhana said, ’Fear not, O king.
Nor shouldest thou grieve for us. O monarch,
O lord, we are quite able to vanquish the foe in battle.
When the Parthas had been exiled to the woods, there
came unto them the slayer of Madhu with a vast army
in battle array and capable of crushing hostile kingdoms;
and there also came unto them the Kekayas, and Dhrishtaketu,
and Dhrishtadyumna of Pritha’s race and numerous
other kings in their train; and all those great car-warriors
were assembled in a place not far from Indraprastha;
and having assembled together they censured thee and
all the Kurus. And O Bharata, all those warriors
with Krishna at their head paid their homage unto
Yudhishthira clad in deerskin and seated in their
midst. And all those kings then suggested to Yudhishthira
that he should take back the kingdom. And all
of them desired to slay thee with all the followers.
And hearing of all this, O bull of the Bharata race,
I addressed Bhishma and Drona and Kripa, struck with
fear, O king, at the prospect of the ruin that threatened
our kindred. And I said unto them, ’I think
the Pandavas will not abide by the agreement made by
them; Vasudeva desireth our utter extinction.
I think also that with the exception of Vidura all
of you will be slain, although the chief of the Kurus,
Dhritarashtra, conversant with morality, will not be
Page 254
included in the slaughter, O sire, effecting our complete
destruction, Janardana wisheth to bestow upon Yudhishthira
the entire kingdom of the Kurus. What should
be done? Shall we surrender, or fly, or shall
we fight the foe giving up every hope of life?
If, indeed, we stand up against them, our defeat is
certain, for all the kings of the earth are under
Yudhishthira’s command. The people of the
realm are all annoyed with us, and all our friends
also are angry with us. All the kings of the earth
are speaking ill of us, and especially all our friends
and relatives. There can be no fault in our surrender,
for from time immemorial, the weaker party is known
to conclude peace. I grieve, however, for that
lord of men, my, blind father, who may, on my account,
be overtaken by woe and misery that is endless. [It
is known to thee, O king, even before this, that thy
other sons were all opposed to the foe for pleasing
me only]. Those mighty car-warriors, the sons
of Pandu, will, indeed, avenge their wrongs by destroying
the whole race of king Dhritarashtra with all his
counsellors.—(It was thus that I addressed
them, and) seeing me afflicted by great anxiety and
my senses tortured, Drona and Bhishma and Kripa and
Drona’s son then addressed me, saying, ’Fear
not, O represser of foes, for if the foe wage hostilities
with us, they will not be able to vanquish us when
we take the field. Every one of us is singly capable
of vanquishing all the kings of the earth. Let
them come. With keen-edged arrows we will curb
their pride. Inflamed with anger upon the death
of his father, this Bhishma (amongst us) in days of
old had conquered all the kings of the earth, on a
single car. O Bharata, his wrath excited, that
best of the Kurus smote numberless ones amongst them,
whereupon from fear, they are surrendered to this
Devavrata seeking his protection. That Bhishma,
united with us, is still capable of vanquishing the
foe in battle. Let thy fears, therefore, O bull
of the Bharata race, be all dispelled.’
“Duryodhana continued, ’Even this was
the resolve then formed by these heroes of immeasurable
energy. The whole earth was formerly under the
foe’s command. Now, however, they are incapable
of vanquishing us in battle, for our enemies, the
sons of Pandu, are now without allies and destitute
of energy. O bull of the Bharata race, the sovereignty
of the earth now resteth in me, and the kings also,
assembled by me, are of the same mind with me in weal
or woe. Know thou, O best of the Kuru race, that
all these kings, O slayer of foes, can, for my sake,
enter into the fire or the sea. They are all
laughing at thee, beholding thee filled with grief
and including in these lamentations like one out of
his wits, and affrighted at the praises of the foe.
Every one amongst these kings is able to withstand
the Pandavas. Indeed, sire, every one regardeth
himself; let thy fears, therefore, be dispelled.
Even Vasava himself is not capable of vanquishing
Page 255
my vast host. The Self-create Brahma himself,
if desirous of slaying it, cannot annihilate it.
Having given up all hopes of a city, Yudhishthira
craveth only five villages, affrighted, O lord, at
the army I have assembled and at my power. The
belief thou entertainest in the prowess of Vrikodara,
the son of Kunti, is unfounded. O Bharata, thou
knowest not the extent of my prowess. There is
none on earth equal to me in an encounter with the
mace. None have ever surpassed me in such an
encounter, nor will any surpass me. With devoted
application and undergoing many privations, I have
lived in my preceptor’s abode. I have completed
my knowledge and exercises there. It is for this
that I have no fear either of Bhima or of others.
When I humbly waited upon Sankarshana (my preceptor),
blessed be thou, it was his firm conviction that Duryodhana
hath no equal in the mace. In battle I am Sankarshana’s
equal, and in might there is none superior to me on
earth. Bhima will never be able to bear the blow
of my mace in battle. A single blow, O king,
that I may wrathfully deal unto Bhima will certainly,
O hero, carry him without delay to the abode of Yama.
O king, I wish to see Vrikodara mace in hand.
This hath been my long-cherished desire. Struck
in battle with my mace, Vrikodara, the son of Pritha,
will fall dead on the ground, his limbs shattered.
Smitten with a blow of my mace, the mountains of Himavat
may split into a hundred thousands fragments.
Vrikodra himself knoweth this truth, as also Vasudeva
and Arjuna, that there is no one equal to Duryodhana
in the use of mace. Let thy fears, therefore,
caused by Vrikodara. be dispelled, for I will certainly
slay him in fierce conflict. Do not, O king, give
way to melancholy. And after I have slain him,
numerous car-warriors of equal or superior energy,
will, O bull among the Bharatas, speedily throw Arjuna
down. Bhishma, Drona Kripa and Drona’s son,
Karna and, Bhurisravas, Salya, the king of Pragjyotish,
and Jayadratha, the king of the Sindhus,—every
one of these, O Bharata, is singly capable of slaying
the Pandavas. When united together, they will,
within a moment, send Arjuna to the abode of Yama.
There, indeed, is no reason why the united army of
all the kings will be incapable of vanquishing Dhananjaya
singly. A hundred times shrouded by immeasurable
arrows shot by Bhishma and Drona and Drona’s
son and Kripa, and deprived of strength, Partha will
have to go unto Yama’s abode. Our grandsire
born of Ganga is, O Bharata, superior to Santanu himself.
Like unto a regenerate saint, and incapable of being
withstood by the very celestials, he took his birth
amongst men. There is no slayer of Bhishma, O
king, on earth, for his father, being gratified, gave
him the boon,—Thou shalt not die except
when it is thy own wish. And Drona took his birth
in a water-pot from the regenerate saint Bharadwaja.
And from Drona hath taken birth his son, having a knowledge
of the highest weapons. And this the foremost
Page 256
of preceptors. Kripa also, hath taken his birth
from the great Rishi Gautama. Born in a clump
of heath this illustrious one, I think, is incapable
of being slain. Then again, O king, the father,
mother and maternal uncle of Aswatthaman,—these
three,—are not born of woman’s womb.
I have that hero also on my side. All these mighty
car-warriors, O king, are like unto celestials, and
can, O bull of the Bharata race, inflict pain on Sakra
himself in battle. Arjuna is incapable of even
looking at any one of these singly. When united
together, these tigers among men will certainly slay
Dhananjaya. Karna also, I suppose, is equal unto
Bhishma and Drona and Kripa. O Bharata, Rama
himself had told him,—Thou art equal unto
me. Karna had two ear-rings born with him, of
great brilliance and beauty; for Sachi’s gratification
Indra begged them of that repressor of foes, in exchange,
O king, of an infallible and terrible shaft. How
would Dhananjaya, therefore, escape with life from
Karna who is protected by that arrow? My success,
therefore, O king, is as certain as a fruit held fast
in my own grasp. The utter defeat also of my foes
is already bruited about on earth. This Bhishma,
O Bharata, killeth every day ten thousand soldiers.
Equal unto him are these bowmen, Drona, Drona’s
son and Kripa. Then, O repressor of foes, the
ranks of the Samsaptaka warriors have made this resolution,—Either
we will slay Arjuna or that Ape-bannered warrior will
slay us. There are other kings also, who firm
in their resolve of slaying Savyasachin, regard him
as unequal to themselves. Why dost thou then
apprehend danger from the Pandavas? When Bhimasena
will be slain, O Bharata, who else (amongst them) will
fight? Tell me this, O repressor of foes, if
thou knowest any amongst the foes. The five brothers,
with Dhrishtadyumna and Satyaki,—these seven
warriors of the enemy, O king, are regarded as their
chief strength. Those, however, amongst us, that
are our chief warriors, are Bhishma, Drona, Kripa,
Drona’s son, Karna, Somadatta, Vahlika, and Salya,
the king of Pragjyotisha, the two kings (Vindha and
Anuvinda) of Avanti, and Jayadratha; and then, O king,
thy sons Dussasana, Durmukha, Dussaha, Srutayu; Chitrasena,
Purumitra, Vivingsati, Sala, Bhurisravas, and Vikarna.
O king, I have assembled one and ten Akshauhinis.
The army of the enemy is less than mine, amounting
only to seven Akshauhinis. How then can I be
defeated? Vrihaspati hath said that an army which
is less by a third ought to be encountered. My
army, O king, exceedeth that of the foe by a third.
Besides, O Bharata, I know that the enemy hath many
defects, while mine, O lord, are endued with many good
virtues. Knowing all this, O Bharata, as also
the superiority of my force and the inferiority of
the Pandavas, it behoveth thee not to lose thy senses.
’Having said this, O Bharata, that conqueror
of hostile chiefs, Duryodhana, asked Sanjaya again,
anxious to known more about the doings of the Pandavas.’”
Page 257
SECTION LVI
“Duryodhana said, ’Having obtained, O
Sanjaya, an army numbering seven Akshauhinis, what
is Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, with the other kings
in his company, doing in view of the war?’
“Sanjaya said, ’Yudhishthira, O king,
is very cheerful in view of the battle. And so
also are Bhimasena and Arjuna. The twins also
are perfectly fearless. Desirous of making an
experiment of the mantras (obtained by him).
Vibhatsu, the son of Kunti, yoked his celestial car
illuminating all the directions. Accoutred in
mail, he looked like a mass of clouds charged with
lightning. After reflecting for a while, he cheerfully
addressed me, saying,—Behold, O Sanjaya,
these preliminary signs. We will certainly conquer.’
Indeed, what Vibhatsu said unto me appeared to me
to be true.’
“Duryodhana said, ’Thou rejoicest to applaud
those sons of Pritha defeated at dice. Tell us
now what sort of steeds are yoked unto Arjuna’s
car and what sort of banners are set up on it?’
“Sanjaya said, ’O great king, the celestial
artificer called Tashtri or Bhaumana, aided by Sakra
and Dhatri, created forms of diverse kinds and great
beauty for Arjuna’s car. And displaying
divine illusion they placed on his flagstaff those
celestial forms, large and small, of great value.
And at Bhimasena’s request, Hanumat, the son
of the Wind-god, will also place his own image on
it. And Bhaumana has, in its creation, had recourse
to such illusion that that banner covers, both perpendicularly
and laterally, an area of one yojana, and even if trees
stand in its way, its course cannot be impeded.
Indeed, even as Sakra’s bow of diverse colours
is exhibited in the firmament, and nobody knows of
what it is made, so hath that banner been contrived
by Bhaumana, for its form is varied and ever varying.
And as column of smoke mixed with fire riseth up,
covering the sky and displaying many bright hues and
elegant shapes, so doth that banner contrived by Bhaumana
rear its head. Indeed, it hath no weight, nor
is it capable of being obstructed. And unto that
car are a century of excellent celestial steeds of
white hue and endued with the speed of the mind, all
presented by Chitrasena (the king of the Gandharvas).
And neither on earth, O king, nor in the sky, nor in
heaven, their course can be impeded. And formerly
a boon hath been granted to the effect that their
number would always remain full how often so ever they
might be slain. And unto Yudhishthira’s
car are yoked large steeds of equal energy and white
in colour like ivory. And unto Bhimasena’s
car are yoked courses endued with the speed of the
wind and the splendour of the seven Rishis. And
steeds of sable bodies and backs variegated like the
wings of the Tittri bird, all presented by his gratified
brother Falguna, and superior to those of the heroic
Falguna himself, cheerfully carry Sahadeva. And
Nakula of Ajamida’s race, the son of Madri, is
borne, like Indra the slayer of Vritra, by excellent
steeds, presented by the great Indra himself, all
mighty as the wind and endued with great speed.
And excellent steed of large size, equal unto those
of the Pandavas themselves in years and strength,
endued with great swiftness and of handsome make,
and all presented by the celestials, carry those youthful
princes, the sons of Subhadra and Draupadi.’”
Page 258
SECTION LVII
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Whom hast thou,
O Sanjaya, seen to have, from affection, arrived there,
and who will, on behalf of the Pandavas, fight my
son’s forces?’
“Sanjaya said, ’I have seen Krishna, the
foremost of the Andhakas and the Vrishnis, arrived
there, and Chekitana, as also Satyaki, otherwise called
Yuyudhana. And those two mighty car-warriors,
proud of their strength and famed over all the world,
have joined the Pandavas, each with a separate Akshauhini
of troops. And Drupada, the king of the Panchalas,
surrounded by his ten heroic sons—Satyajit
and others—headed by Dhrishtadyumna, and
well-protected by Sikhandin, and having furnished his
soldiers with every necessary thing, hath come there
with a full Akshauhini, desirous of honouring Yudhishthira.
And that lord of earth, Virata, with his two sons
Sankha and Uttara, as also with those heroes Suryadatta
and others—headed by Madiraksha and surrounded
by one Akshauhini of troops, hath thus accompanied
by brothers and sons, joined the son of Pritha.
And the son of Jarasandha, the king of Magadha, and
Dhrishtaketu, the king of the Chedis, have separately
come there, each accompanied by an Akshauhini of troops.
And the five brothers of Kekaya, all having purple
flags, have joined the Pandavas, surrounded by an
Akshauhini of troops. Then numbering to this
extent, have I seen assembled there, and these, on
behalf of the Pandavas, will encounter the Dhartarashtra
host. That great car-warrior, Dhrishtadyumna,
who is acquainted with human, celestial, Gandharva
and Asura arrays of battle, leadeth that host.
O king, Bhishma, the son of Santanu, has been assigned
to Sikhandin as his share; and Virata with all his
Matsya warriors will support Sikhandin. The mighty
king of the Madras hath been assigned to the eldest
son of Pandu as his share, though some are of opinion
that those two are not well-matched. Duryodhana
with his sons and his ninety-nine brothers, as also
the rulers of the east and the south, have been assigned
to Bhimasena as his share. Karna, the son of
Vikartana, and Jayadratha the king of the Sindhus,
have been assigned to Arjuna as his share. And
those heroes also on the earth who are incapable of
being withstood and who are proud of their might,
have been accepted by Arjuna as his share. And
those mighty bowmen, the five royal brothers of Kekaya,
will put forth their strength in battle, accepting
the Kekaya warriors (on Dhritarashtra’s side)
as antagonists. And in their share are included
the Malavas also, and the Salwakas, as also, the two
famous warriors of the Trigarta host who have sworn
to conquer or die. And all the sons of Duryodhana
and Dussasana, as also king Vrihadvala, have been
assigned to Subhadra’s son as his share.
And those great bowmen, the sons of Draupadi, having
cars furnished with gold-embroidered banners, all
headed by Dhrishtadyumna, will, O Bharata, advance
Page 259
against Drona. And Chekitana on his car desireth
to encounter Somadatta in single combat with him,
while Satyaki is anxious to battle against the Bhoja
chief, Kritavarman. And the heroic son of Madri,
Sahadeva, who setteth up terrible roars in battle,
hath intended to take as his share thy brother-in-law,
the son of Suvala. And Nakula also, the son of
Madravati, hath intended to take as his share the deceitful
Uluka and the tribes of the Saraswatas. As for
all the other kings of the earth, O Monarch, who will
go to battle, the sons of Pandu have, by naming them,
distributed them in their own respective shares.
Thus hath the Pandava host been distributed into divisions.
Do thou now, without delay, with thy sons, act as
thou thinkest best.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Alas, all my foolish
sons, addicted to deceitful dice, are already dead
when it is the mighty Bhima with whom they desire
to encounter in the field of battle. All the kings
of the earth too, consecrated by Death himself for
sacrifice, will rush to the Gandiva, like so many
moths into fire. Methinks my host is already put
to flight by those illustrious warriors formerly injured
by me. Who, indeed, shall follow to battle my
warriors, whose ranks will be broken by the sons of
Pandu in the encounter? All of them are mighty
car-warriors, possessed of great bravery, of famous
achievements, endued with great prowess, equal unto
the fiery sun in energy, and all victorious in battle.
Those that have Yudhishthira for their leader, the
slayer of Madhu for their protector, the heroic Savyasachin
and Vrikodara for their warriors, and Nakula, and
Sahadeva, and Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Prishata,
and Satyaki, and Drupada, and Dhrishtaketu with his
son, and Uttamaujas, and the unconquerable Yudhamanyu
of the Panchalas, and Sikhandin, and Kshatradeva,
and Uttara, the son of Virata, and Kasayas, the Chedis,
the Matsyas, the Srinjayas, Vabhru the son of Virata,
the Panchalas, and the Prabhadrakas, for fighting
for them, those, indeed, from whom Indra himself cannot,
if they are unwilling, snatch this earth,—those
heroes, cool and steady, in fight, who can split the
very mountains—alas, it is with them that
are endued with every virtue and possessed of superhuman
prowess that this wicked son of mine, O Sanjaya, desireth
to fight, disregarding me even though I am crying
myself hoarse!’
“Duryodhana said, ’Both the Pandavas and
ourselves are of the same race; both they and we tread
upon the same earth, why dost thou think that victory
will declare itself for only the Pandavas? Bhishma,
Drona, Kripa, the unconquerable Karna, Jayadratha,
Somadatta, and Aswatthaman-all mighty bowmen and endued
with great energy,—are incapable of being
vanquished by Indra himself united with the celestials.
What sayst thou then, O father of the Pandavas?
Ali these noble and heroic kings of the earth, bearing
weapons, O father, are quite capable, for my sake,
of withstanding the Pandavas, while the latter are
not capable of even gazing at my troops. I am
powerful enough to encounter in battle the Pandavas
with their sons. O Bharata, all those rulers of
the earth, who are anxious for my welfare, will certainly
seize all the Pandavas like a herd of young deer by
means of net. I tell thee, in consequence of our
crowds of cars and snares of arrows, the Panchalas
and the Pandavas will all be routed.’
Page 260
“Dhritarashtra said, ’O Sanjaya, this
my son speaketh like a mad man, for he is incapable
of vanquishing in battle Yudhishthira the just.
This Bhishma truly knoweth the might of the famous,
powerful, virtuous, and high-souled Pandavas and their
sons, for he doth not wish a battle with those illustrious
ones. But tell me again O Sanjaya, of their movements.
Tell me, who are inciting those illustrious and mighty
bowmen endued with great activity, like priests enkindling
(Homa) fires with libations of clarified butter?’
“Sanjaya said, ’O Bharata, Dhrishtadyumna
is always urging the Pandavas to war, saying, ’Fight
ye, best among the Bharatas. Do not entertain
the least fear. All those rulers of the earth,
who, courted by Dhritarashtra’s son, will become
in that fierce encounter target of showers of weapons,—indeed,
I alone will encounter all those angry kings assembled
together with their relatives, like a whale seizing
little fishes from the water. Bhishma and Drona
and Kripa and Karna and Drona’s son and Salya
and Suyodhana,—them all I withstand, like
the bank resisting the swelling sea.’ Unto
him saying thus, the virtuous king Yudhishthira said,
’The Panchalas and the Pandavas wholly depend
upon thy prowess and steadiness. Rescue us safely
from the war. I know, O mighty-armed one, that
thou art firm in the duties of the Kshatriya order.
Thou art, indeed, quite competent to smite alone the
Kauravas. When the latter, eager for fight, will
stand before us, what thou, O repressor of foes, wilt
arrange, will certainly be for our good. Even
this is the opinion of those acquainted with the scriptures,
that the hero, who, displaying his prowess, relieth
those that after the rout run away from the battle-field,
seeking for protection, is to be bought with a thousand.
Thou, O bull among men, art brave, mighty, and powerful.
Without doubt, thou art that deliverer of those that
are over-powered with fear on the field of battle.’
And when the righteous Yudhishthira the son of Kunti
said this, Dhrishtadyumna fearlessly addressed me in
these words, ’Go thou, O Suta, without delay,
and say unto all those that have come to fight for
Duryodhana, say unto the Kurus of the Pratipa dynasty
with the Vahlikas, the son of Saradwata and Karna and
Drona, and Drona’s son, and Jayadratha, and
Dussasana, and Vikarna and king Duryodhana, and Bhishma,—Do
not suffer yourselves to be slain by Arjuna, who is
protected by the celestials. Before that happens,
let some good man approach Yudhishthira and entreat
that son of Pandu, that best of men, to accept the
kingdom (surrendered by them) without delay. There
is no warrior on the earth like unto Savyasachin,
son of Pandu, of prowess incapable of being baffled.
The celestial car of the holder of Gandiva is protected
by the very gods. He is incapable of being vanquished
by human beings. Do not, therefore, bend your
mind to war!’”
SECTION LVIII
Page 261
“Dhritarashtra said, Yudhishthira the son of
Pandu is endued with Kshatriya energy and leadeth
the Brahmacharya mode of life from his very youth.
Alas, with him these foolish sons of mine desire to
fight, disregarding me that am thus bewailing.
I ask thee, O Duryodhana, O foremost of the Bharata
race, desist from hostility. O chastiser of foes,
under any circumstances, war is never applauded.
Half the earth is quite enough for the maintenance
of thyself and all thy followers. Give back unto
the sons of Pandu, O chastiser of foes, their proper
share. All the Kauravas deem just this to be
consistent with justice, that thou shouldst make peace
with the high-souled sons of Pandu. Reflect thus,
O son, and thou wilt find that this thy army is for
thy own death. Thou understandest not this from
thy own folly. I myself do not desire war, nor
Vahlika, nor Bhishma, nor Drona, nor Aswatthaman, nor
Sanjaya, nor Somadatta, nor Salya, nor Kripa, nor
Satyavrata, nor Purumitra, nor Bhurisravas,—in
fact, none of these desireth war. Indeed, those
warriors upon whom the Kauravas, when afflicted by
the foe, will have to rely, do not approve of the
war. O child, let that be acceptable to thee.
Alas, thou dost not seek it of thy own will, but it
is Karna and the evil-minded Dussasana and Sakuni,
the son of Suvala, that are leading thee to it.’
“Duryodhana said, ’I challenge the Pandavas
to battle, without depending upon thyself, Drona,
or Aswatthaman, or Sanjaya, or Vikarna, or Kamvoja,
or Kripa, or Vahlika, or Satyavrata, or Purumitra,
or Bhurisravas, or others of thy party. But,
O bull among men, only myself and Karna, O sire, are
prepared to celebrate the sacrifice of battle with
all the necessary rites, making Yudhishthira the victim.
In that sacrifice, my car will be the altar; my sword
will be the smaller ladle, my mace, the large one,
for pouring libations; my coat of mail will be assembly
of spectators; my four steeds will be the officiating
priests; my arrows will be the blades of Kusa grass;
and fame will be the clarified butter. O king,
performing, in honour of Yama, such a sacrifice in
battle, the ingredients of which will all be furnished
by ourselves, we will return victoriously covered
with glory, after having slain our foes. Three
of us, O sire, viz., myself and Karna and my
brother Dussasana,—will slay the Pandavas
in battle. Either I, slaying the Pandavas, will
sway this Earth, or the sons of Pandu, having slain
me, will enjoy this Earth. O king, O thou of
unfading glory, I would sacrifice my life, kingdom,
wealth, everything, but would not be able to live side
by side with the Pandavas. O venerable one, I
will not surrender to the Pandavas even that much
of land which may be covered by the sharp point of
a needle.’
Page 262
“Dhritarashtra said, ’I now abandon Duryodhana
for ever. ’A nevertheless grieve for you
all, ye kings, that will follow this fool who is about
to proceed to Yama’s abode. Like tigers
among a herd of deer, those foremost of smiters-the
sons of Pandu,—will smite down your principal
leaders assembled for battle. Methinks, the Bharata
host, like a helpless woman, will be afflicted and
crushed and hurled to a distance by Yuyudhana of long
arms. Adding to the strength of Yudhishthira’s
army, which without him was already sufficient, Sini’s
son will take up his stand on the field of battle
and scatter his arrows like seeds on a cultivated field.
And Bhimasena will take up his position in the very
van of the combatants, and all his soldiers will fearlessly
stand in his rear, as behind a rampart. Indeed,
when thou, O Duryodhana, wilt behold elephants, huge
as hills, prostrated on the ground with their tusks
disabled, their temples crushed and bodies dyed with
gore,—in fact, when thou wilt see them
lying on the field of battle like riven hills, then,
afraid of a clash with him, thou wilt remember these
my words. Beholding thy host consisting of cars,
steeds, and elephants, consumed by Bhimasena, and
presenting the spectacle of a wide-spread conflagration’s
track, thou wilt remember these my words. If
ye do not make peace with the Pandavas, overwhelming
calamity will be yours. Slain by Bhimasena with
his mace, ye will rest in peace. Indeed, when
thou wilt see the Kuru host levelled to the ground
by Bhima, like a large forest torn up by the roots,
then wilt thou remember these my words.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Having said
this unto all those rulers of the earth, the king
addressing Sanjaya again, asked him as follows.’”
SECTION LIX
Dhritarashtra said, ’Tell me, O thou of great
wisdom, what high-souled Vasudeva and Dhananjaya said.
I am anxious to hear from thee all about this.’
“Sanjaya said, ’Listen, O king, as I tell
thee the state in which I found Krishna and Dhananjaya.
I will also, O Bharata, tell thee what those heroes
said; O king, with looks bent down and hands joined
together, and with senses well restrained, I entered
the inner apartments for conferring with those gods
among men. Neither Abhimanyu nor the Twins can
repair to that place where are the two Krishnas and
Draupadi and lady Satyabhama. There I beheld
those chastisers of foes, exhilarated with Bassia
wine, their bodies adorned with garlands of flowers.
Attired in excellent robes and adorned with celestial
ornaments, they sat on a golden dais, decked with
numerous gems, and covered over with carpets of diverse
texture and hue. And I beheld Kesava’s feet
resting upon Arjuna’s lap while those of the
high-souled Arjuna rested upon the laps of Krishna
and Satyabhama. Partha then pointed out to me
(for a seat) a foot-stool made of gold. Touching
it with my hand, I seated myself down on the ground.
Page 263
And when he withdraw his feet from the foot-stool,
I beheld auspicious marks on both his soles.
Those consisted of two longitudinal lines running
from heels to fore-toe, O sire, endued with black
complexions, of high statures, and erect like Sala
trunks, beholding those youthful heroes, both seated
on the same seat, a great fear seized me. They
seemed to me to be Indra and Vishnu seated together,
though Duryodhana of dull sense knoweth it no consequence
of his reliance on Drona and Bhishma and on the loud
vaunts of Karna. That very moment, I was convinced
that the wishes of Yudhishthira the just, who had those
two for obeying his orders, were certain to succeed.
Being hospitably entertained with food and drink,
and honoured with other courtesies, I conveyed to
them thy message, placing my joined hands on my head.
Then Partha, removing Kesava’s auspicious foot
from his lap, with his hand scarred by the flappings
of the bow-string, urged him to speak. Sitting
up erect like Indra’s banner, adorned with every
ornament, and resembling Indra himself in energy,
Krishna then addressed me. And the words which
that best of speakers said were sweet, charming and
mild, though awful and alarming to the son of Dhritarashtra.
Indeed, the words uttered by Krishna, who alone is
fit to speak, were of correct emphasis and accent,
and pregnant with meaning, though heart-rending in
the end. And Vasudeva said, ’O Sanjaya,
say thou these words unto the wise Dhritarashtra and
in the hearing of that foremost of the Kurus, Bhishma,
and also of Drona, having first saluted at our request,
O Suta, all the aged ones and hawing enquired after
the welfare of the younger ones, ’Do ye celebrate
diverse sacrifices, making presents unto the Brahmanas,
and rejoice with your sons and wives, for a great
danger threatens ye? Do ye give away wealth unto
deserving persons, beget desirable sons, and do agreeable
offices to those that are dear to thee, for king Yudhishthira
is eager for victory?’ While I was at a distance,
Krishna with tears addressing me said, ’That
debt, accumulating with time, hath not yet been paid
off by me. Ye have provoked hostilities with
that Savyasachin, who hath for his bow the invincible
Gandiva, of fiery energy, and who hath me for his helpmate.
Who, even if he were Purandara himself, would challenge
Partha having me for his help-mate, unless, of course,
his span of life were full? He that is capable
of vanquishing Arjuna in battle is, indeed, able to
uphold the Earth with his two arms, to consume all
created things in anger and hurl the celestials from
Heaven. Among the celestials, Asuras, and men,
among Yakshas, Gandharvas, and Nagas, I do not find
the person that can encounter Arjuna in battle.
That wonderful story which is heard of an encounter
in the city of Virata between a single person on one
side and innumerable warriors on the other, is sufficient
proof of this. That ye all fled in all directions
being routed in the city of Virata by that son of
Pandu singly, is sufficient proof of this. Might,
prowess, energy, speed, lightness of hand, indefatiguableness,
and patience are not to be found in any one else save
Partha.’ Thus spoke Hrishikesa cheering
up Partha by his words and roaring like rain-charged
clouds in the firmament. Having heard these words
of Kesava, the diadem-decked Arjuna, of white steeds,
also spoke to the same effect.’”
Page 264
SECTION LX
“Vaisampayana said, ’Having heard these
words of Sanjaya, the monarch endued with the eye
of wisdom, took that speech into his consideration
as regards its merits and demerits. And having
counted in detail the merits and demerits as far as
he could, and having exactly ascertained the strength
and weakness of both parties, the learned and intelligent
king, ever desirous of victory to his sons, then began
to compare the powers of both sides. And having
at last ascertained that the Pandavas were endued
with strength and energy both human and divine, and
that the Kurus were much weaker Dhritarashtra said
unto Duryodhana, ’This anxiety, O Duryodhana,
always filleth me. Indeed, it doth not leave me.
Truly, it seemeth that I behold it with my eye.
This conviction is not a matter of inference.
All created beings show great affection for their offsprings,
and do, to the best of their power, what is agreeable
and beneficial to them. This is generally to
be seen also in the case of benefactors. They
that are good always desire to return the good done
to them and to do what is highly agreeable to their
benefactors. Remembering what was done to him
to Khandava, Agni will, no doubt, reader aid to Arjuna
in this terrible encounter between the Kurus and the
Pandavas. And from parental affection, Dharma.
and other celestials duly invoked, will come together
to the aid of the Pandavas. I think that to save
them from Bhishma and Drona and Kripa, the celestials
will be filled with wrath, resembling the thunderbolt
in its effects. Endued with energy and well-versed
in the use of weapons, those tigers among men, the
sons of Pritha, when united with the celestials, will
be incapable of being even gazed upon by human warriors,
He who hath the irresistible, excellent and celestial
Gandiva for his bow, he who hath a couple of celestial
quivers obtained from Varuna,—large, full
of shafts, and inexhaustible, he on whose banner,
that is unobstructed like smoke in its action, is stationed
the monkey-image of celestial origin, whose car is
unequalled on the earth girt by the four seas, and
the rattle of which as heard by men is like the roar
of the clouds, and which like the rolling of the thunder
frightens the foe; he whom the whole world regards
as superhuman in energy; he whom all the kings of
the earth know to be the vanquisher of the very gods
in battle; he that taketh up five hundred arrows at
a time and in the twinkling of the eye, shooteth them,
unseen by other, to a great distance; that son of
Pritha and tiger among car-warriors and chastiser
of foes, whom Bhishma and Drona and Kripa and Drona’s
son and Salya, the king of the Madras, and in fact,
all impartial persons, regard as incapable of being
vanquished by even earthly kings of superhuman prowess,
when ready for fight who shooteth at one stretch full
five hundred arrows, and who is equal unto Kartavirya
in strength of arms; that great bowman, Arjuna, equal
Page 265
unto Indra or Upendra in prowess,—I behold
that great warrior committing a great havoc in this
terrible battle. O Bharata, reflecting day and
night on this, I am unhappy and sleepless, through
anxiety for the welfare of the Kurus. A terrible
destruction is about to overtake the Kurus, if there
is nothing but Peace for ending this quarrel.
I am for peace with the Parthas and not for war.
O child, I always deem the Pandavas mightier than the
Kurus.’”
SECTION LXI
“Vaisampayana said, ’Hearing these words
of his father, the passionate son of Dhritarashtra
inflamed with great wrath, again said these words,
of envy, of ’Thou thinkest the Parthas having
the celestials for their allies, are incapable of
being vanquished. Let this thy fear, O best of
kings, be dispelled. The gods attained to their
divinity for absence of desire, covetousness, and
of enmity, as also for their indifference to all worldly
affairs. Formerly, Dwaipayana-Vyasa and Narada
of great ascetic austerities, and Rama, the son of
Jamadagni, told us this. The gods never like
human beings engage in work, O bull of the Bharata
race, from desire, or wrath, or covetousness, or envy.
Indeed, if Agni, or Vayu, or Dharma, or Indra, or
the Aswins had ever engaged themselves in works from
worldly desire, then the sons of Pritha could never
have fallen into distress. Do not, therefore,
by any means, indulge in such anxiety, because the
gods, O Bharata, always set their eyes on affairs
worthy of themselves. If, however, envy or lust
become noticeable in the gods in consequence of their
yielding to desire, then, according to what has been
ordained by the gods themselves, such envy or Just
can never prevail. Charmed by me, Agni will be
instantly extinguished, even if he blazes up all around
for consuming all creatures. The energy with which
the gods are endued is, indeed, great, but know, O
Bharata, that mine is greater than that of the gods.
If the Earth herself cleaves in twain, or mountain
crests split, I can re-unite them, O king, by my incantations
before the eyes of all. If for the destruction
of this universe of animate and inanimate, mobile
and immobile creatures, there happeneth a terrific
tempest or stony shower of loud roar, I can always,
from compassion for created beings, stop it before
the eyes of all. When the waters are solidified
by me, even cars and infantry can move over them.
It is I who set agoing all the affairs of both gods
and Asuras. Unto whatever countries I go with
my Akshauhinis on any mission, my steeds move whithersoever
I desire. Within my dominions there are no fearful
snakes, and protected by my incantations, creatures
within my territories are never injured by others
that are frightful. The very clouds, O king,
pour, as regards those dwelling in my dominions, showers
as much as they desire and when they desire.
All my subjects, again, are devoted to religion and
are never subject to calamities of season. The
Page 266
Aswins, Vayu, Agni, Indra with the Maruts, and Dharma
will not venture to protect my foes. If these
had been able to protect by their might my adversaries,
never would the sons of Pritha have fallen into such
distress for three and ten years. I tell thee
truly that neither gods, nor Gandharvas nor Asuras
nor Rakshasas are capable of saving him who hath incurred
my displeasure; I have never before been baffled as
regards the reward to punishment that I intended to
bestow or inflict on friend or foe. If ever,
O repressor of foes, I said this is to be,—that
hath always been. People, therefore, have always
known me as a speaker of truth. All persons can
bear witness to my greatness, the fame of which hath
spread all around. I mention this, O king, for
thy information and not from pride. Never had
I, O king, praised myself before, for to praise one’s
own self is mean. Thou wilt hear of defeat of
the Pandavas and the Matsyas, the Panchalas and the
Kekayas, of Satyaki and Vasudeva, at my hands.
Indeed, as rivers, on entering the ocean, are entirely
lost in it, so the Pandavas with all their followers,
on approaching me, will all be annihilated. My
intelligence is superior, my energy is superior, my
prowess is superior, my knowledge is superior, my resources
are superior by far to those of the Pandavas.
Whatever knowledge of weapons is in the Grandsire,
in Drona, and Kripa, and Salya, and Shalya, exist in
me as well.
’Having said these words, O Bharata, Duryodhana,
that repressor of foes, again asked Sanjaya, in order
to ascertain the proceedings of Yudhishthira bent
upon war.’”
SECTION LXII
“Vaisampayana said, ’Without much minding
Dhritarashtra, the son of Vichitravirya who was about
to ask of Partha, Karna said unto Dhritarashtra’s
son these words, cheering up the spirit of the assembled
Kurus, ’Coming to know of the false pretence
under which I obtained the Brahma weapon of old from
Rama, the latter told me,—When thy hour
will come thy memory will fail thee in respect of
this weapon. Even for so great an offence I was
cursed so lightly by that great Rishi, my preceptor.
That great Rishi of fierce energy is capable of consuming
even the entire Earth with her seas. By attention
and personal bravery, I appeased his heart. I
have that weapon with me still, and my period is not
yet run. I am, therefore, fully competent (to
win victory) Let the responsibility be mine.
Having obtained the favour of that Rishi, I will slay
within the twinkling of an eye the Panchalas, the Karushas,
the Matsyas, and the sons of Pritha with their sons
and grandsons, and bestow on thee numerous regions
won by my weapons. Let the Grandsire and Drona
and all the kings stay with thee. I will slay
the sons of Pritha, marching forth with the chief
warriors of my army. Let that task be mine.’
Unto him speaking thus, Bhishma said, ’What sayest
thou, O Karna? Thy intellect is clouded at the
Page 267
approach of thy hour. Knowest thou not, O Karna,
that when the chief is slain, the sons of Dhritarashtra
will all be slain? Having heard of the feat achieved
by Dhananjaya, with Krishna only as his ally, at the
burning of the Khandava forest, it behoveth thee with
thy friends and relatives to restrain thy mind.
The shaft that the illustrious and adorable chief
of the celestials, the great Indra, gave thee, thou
wilt see, will be broken and reduced to ashes when
struck by Kesava with his discus. That other
shaft of serpentine mouth that shineth (in thy quiver)
and is respectfully worshipped by thee with flowery
garlands, will, O Karna, when struck by the son of
Pandu with his shafts, perish with thee. O Karna,
the slayer of Vana and Bhumi’s son (Naraka),
Vasudeva himself, who hath, in the thickest of battle,
slain foes equal and even superior to thee, protecteth
the diadem-decked Arjuna’.
“Karna said, ’Without doubt, the chief
of the Vrishnis is even so. Further, I admit,
that that high-souled one is even more than that.
Let, however, the Grandsire listen to the effect of
the bit of harsh speech that he hath uttered.
I lay down my weapons. The Grandsire will henceforth
behold me in court only and not in battle. After
thou hast become quiet, the rulers of the earth will
behold my prowess in this world.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Having said
this, that great bowman (Karna), leaving the court
went to his own abode. Bhishma, however, O king,
addressing Duryodhana in the midst of the Kurus, and
laughing aloud, said, ’How truly doth the Suta’s
son keep his promise. Why having repeatedly given
his pledge, saying,—The kings of Avanti
and Kalinga, Jayadratha, and Chediddhaja and Valhika
standing as spectators, I will slay hostile warriors
by thousands and tens of thousands,—how
will he discharge that obligation? Having distributed
his divisions in counter-array and scattering heads
by thousands, behold the havoc committed by Bhimasena.
Indeed, that moment, when, representing himself as
a Brahmana unto the holy and blameless Rama, Vikartana’s
son obtained that weapon, that vile wretch lost both
his virtue and asceticism.’ O king of kings,
when Bhishma said this after Karna had gone away giving
up his weapons, Duryodhana, that foolish son of Vichitravirya’s
son, addressed Santanu’s son in these words.’”
SECTION LXIII
“Duryodhana said, ’The son of Pritha are
all as other men, and are, in fact, of earthly birth
as other men. Why then dost thou think that they
are sure to win victory? Both ourselves and they
are equal in energy, in prowess, in age, in intelligence,
in knowledge of the scriptures, in weapons, in the
art of war, in lightness of hand, and in skill.
All of us are of the of same species, all being men
by birth. How then, O grandsire, dost thou know
that victory will be theirs? I do not seek the
accomplishment of my aims by relying upon thee, or
Page 268
Drona, or Kripa or Valhika, or upon the other kings.
Myself, and Karna, the son of Vikartana, and my brother
Dussasana, will slay in battle the five sons of Pandu
by sharpened arrows. Then shall we, O king, gratify
Brahmanas by performing great sacrifices of diverse
kinds, with abundant Dakshinas, and by gifts of kine
and horses and wealth. When my troops will drag
by the aid of their mighty arms the Pandavas in battle,
like hunters dragging a herd of deer by a net, or
whirlpools drawing a crewless boat, then the sons
of Pandu, beholding us their foe, supported by crowds
and cars and elephants, will give up their pride,
and not they alone but Kesava also.’ Hearing
this, Vidura said, ’Venerable persons of infallible
knowledge say that in this world self-restraint is
highly beneficial. In the case of Brahmana especially,
it is his duty. He whose self-restraint followeth
charity, asceticism, knowledge, and study of the Vedas,
always winneth success, forgiveness, and the fruit
of his gifts. Self-restraint enhanceth energy,
and is an excellent and holy attribute. Freed
from sin and his energy increased by Self-restraint,
one acquireth even Brahma through it. People
are always afraid of those that are without self-restraint,
as if the latter were very Rakshasas. And it is
for keeping these under check that the self-Existent
created the Kshatriyas. It hath been said that
Self-restraint is an excellent vow for all the four
modes of life. I regard those attributes as its
indications which woe their origin to self-restraint,
Those indications are forgiveness, firmness of mind,
abstention from injury, an equal regard for all things,
truthfulness of speech, simplicity, control over the
senses, patience, gentleness of speech, modesty, steadiness,
liberality, mildness, contentment, and faith, he that
hath self-restraint casteth off Just, avarice, pride,
wrath, sleep, boastfulness, self-esteem, malice, and
sorrow. Purity and absence of crookedness and
fraud, are the distinctive marks of a man of self-restraint.
He that is not covetous, that is satisfied with a
little, that regardeth not objects provoking lust,
and that is as grave as the ocean, is known as a man
of self-restraint. He that is well-behaved, of
good disposition and contented soul, that knoweth
his own self is possessed of wisdom, winneth great
regard here and attaineth to a blissful state hereafter.
Possessed of mature wisdom, he that hath no fear of
other creatures and whom other creatures fear not,
is said to be the foremost of men. Seeking the
good of all, he is a universal friend, and no one
is made unhappy by him. Endued with gravity,
like that of the ocean and enjoying contentment in
consequence of his wisdom, such a man is always calm
and cheerful. Regulating their conduct according
to the acts practised by the righteous olden times
and before their eyes, they that are self-restrained,
being devoted to peace, rejoice in this world.
Or, abandoning Action, because contented in consequence
Page 269
of Knowledge, such a person, with his senses under
control moveth quickly in this world, waiting for
the inevitable hour and absorption into Brahma.
And as the track of feathery creatures in the sky
is incapable of being perceived, so the path of the
sage enjoying contentment in consequence of Knowledge
is not visible. Abandoning, the world he that
betaketh himself, in pursuit of emancipation, to the
Sannyasa mode of life, hath bright and eternal regions
assigned to him in heaven.’”
SECTION LXIV
“Vidura said, ’We have heard, O sire,
from old men, that once on a time a fowler spread
his net on the ground for catching feathery denizens
of the air. And in that net were ensnared at
the same time two birds that lived together.
And taking the net up, the two winged creatures soared
together into the air. And seeing them soar into
the sky, the fowler, without giving way to despair,
began to follow them in the direction they flew, Just
then, an ascetic living in a hermitage (close by),
who had finished his morning prayers, saw the fowler
running in that manner hoping still to secure the
feathery creatures. And seeing that tenant of
the earth quickly pursuing those tenants of the air,
the ascetic, O Kaurava, addressed him in this Sloka,—O
fowler, it appears very strange and wonderful to me
that thou, that art a treader of the earth, pursuest
yet a couple of creatures that are tenants of the
air. The fowler said, ’These two, united
together, are taking away my snare. There, however,
where they will quarrel they will come under my control.’
“Vidura continued, ’The two birds, doomed
to death, soon after quarrelled. And when the
foolish pair quarrelled, they both fell on the earth.
And when, ensnared in the meshes of death, they began
to contend angrily against each other, the fowler
approached unperceived and sized them both. Even
thus those kinsmen who fall out with one another for
the sake of wealth fall into the hands of the enemy
like the birds I have cited, in consequence of their
quarrel. Eating together, talking together,—these
are the duties of kinsmen, and not contention under
any circumstances. Those kinsmen, that with loving
hearts wait on the old, become unconquerable like
a forest guarded by lions. While those, O bull
of the Bharata race, that having won enormous riches
nevertheless, behave like mean-minded men, always
contribute to the prosperity of their foes. Kinsmen,
O Dhritarashtra, O bull of the Bharata race, are like
charred brands, which blaze up when united but only
smoke when disunited. I will now tell thee something
else that I saw on a mountain-breast. Having
listened to that also, do, O Kaurava, what is for thy
best. Once on a time we repaired to the northern
mountain, accompanied by some hunters and a number
of Brahmanas, fond of discoursing on charms and medicinal
plants. That northern mountain, Gandhamadana,
looked like a grove. As its breast was overgrown
Page 270
on all sides with trees and diverse kinds of luminous
medicinal herbs, it was inhabited by Siddhas and Gandharvas.
And there we all saw a quantity of honey, of a bright
yellow colour and of the measure of a jar, placed
on an inaccessible precipice of the mountain.
That honey, which was Kuvera’s favourite drink,
was guarded by snakes of virulent poison. And
it was such that a mortal, drinking of it would win
immortality, a sightless man obtain sight, and an old
man would become a youth. It was that those Brahmanas
conversant with sorcery spoke about that honey.
And the hunters’ seeing that honey, desired,
O king, to obtain it. And they all perished in
that inaccessible mountain-cave abounding with snakes.
In the same way, this thy son desireth to enjoy the
whole earth without a rival. He beholdeth the
honey, but seeth not, from folly, the terrible fall.
It is true, Duryodhana desireth an encounter in battle
with Savyasachin, but I do not see that energy or
prowess in him which may carry him safe through it.
On a single car Arjuna conquered the whole earth.
At the head of their hosts Bhishma and Drona and others
were frightened by Arjuna and utterly routed at the
city of Virata. Remember what took place on that
occasion. He forgiveth still, looking up to thy
face and waiting to know what thou wouldst do.
Drupada, and the king of Matsyas, and Dhananjaya,
when angry, will, like flames of fire urged by the
wind, leave no remnant (of thy army). O Dhritarashtra,
take king Yudhishthira on thy lap since both parties
can, under no circumstances, have victory when thy
will be engaged in battle.’”
SECTION LXV
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Consider, O Duryodhana,
O dear son, what I tell thee. Like an ignorant
traveller thou thinkest, the wrong path to be the
right one, since thou art desirous of robbing the energy
of the five sons of Pandu, who are even as the five
elements of the universe in their subtle form upholding
all mobile and immobile things. Without the certain
sacrifice of thy life thou art unable to vanquish Yudhishthira,
the son of Kunti, who is the foremost of all virtuous
persons in this world. Alas, like a tree defying
the mighty tempest, thou chafest at Bhimasena who
hath not his peer (among men) in might and who is equal
unto Yama himself in battle. What man of sense
would encounter in battle the wielder of Gandiva,
who is the foremost of all wielders of weapons, as
the Meru among mountains? What man is there whom
Dhrishtadyumna, the prince of Panchala, cannot overthrow,
shooting his arrows among the foes, like the chief
of the celestials hurling his thunderbolt? That
honoured warrior among the Andhakas and the Vrishnis,
the irresistible Satyaki, ever engaged in the good
of the Pandavas, will also slaughter thy host.
What man of sense, again, would encounter the lotus-eyed
Krishna, who, as regards the measure of his energy
and power, surpasseth the three worlds? As regards
Page 271
Krishna, his wives, kinsmen, relatives, his own soul
and the whole earth, put on one scale, weigheth with
Dhananjaya on the other. That Vasudeva, upon
whom Arjuna relieth, is irresistible, and that host
where Kesava is, becometh irresistible everywhere.
Listen, therefore, O child, to the counsels of those
well-wishers of thine whose words are always for thy
good. Accept thou thy aged grandsire, Bhishma,
the son of Santanu, as thy guide. Listen thou
to what I say, and what these well-wishers of the
Kurus, Drona, and Kripa, and Vikarna, and king Vahlika
say. These all are as I myself. It behoveth
thee to regard them as much as thou regardest me,
since, O Bharata, all these are conversant with morality
and bear affection to thee as much as I myself do.
The panic and rout, before thy eyes, at the city of
Virata, of all thy troops with thy brothers, after
surrender of the king,—indeed, that wonderful
story that is heard of an encounter at that city between
one and many, are sufficient proof (of the wisdom
of what I say). When Arjuna singly achieves all
that, what will not the Pandavas achieve when united
together? Take them by the hands as thy brothers,
and cherish them with a share of the kingdom.’”
SECTION LXVI
“Vaisampayana said, ’Having addressed
Suyodhana thus, the highly blessed and wise Dhritarashtra
again asked Sanjaya, saying, ’Tell me, O Sanjaya,
what thou hast not yet said, viz., what Arjuna
told thee after the conclusion of Vasudeva’s
speech, for great is my curiosity to hear it.’
“Sanjaya said, ’Having heard the words
spoken by Vasudeva, the irresistible Dhananjaya, the
son of Kunti, when the opportunity came, said these
words in the hearing of Vasudeva. ’O Sanjaya,
our grandsire, the son of Santanu, and Dhritarashtra,
and Drona, and Kripa, and Karna, and king Vahlika,
and Drona’s son, and Somadatta, and Sakuni the
son of Suvala; and Dussasana, and Sala, and Purumitra,
and Vivingsati; Vikarna, and Chitrasena, and king
Jayatsena, and Vinda and Anuvinda, the two chiefs
of Avanti, and Bhurisravas, and king Bhagadatta, and
king Jarasandha and other rulers of the earth, assembled
there to fight for the good of the Kauravas, are all
on the eve of death. They have been assembled
by Dhritarashtra’s son for being offered up as
libations on the blazing Pandava-fire. In my
name, Sanjaya, enquire after the welfare of those
assembled kings according to their respective ranks,
paying them proper regard at the same time. Thou
shouldest also, O Sanjaya, say this, in the presence
of all kings, unto Suyodhana-that foremost of all sinful
men. Wrathful and wicked, of sinful soul and exceedingly
covetous, do thou, O Sanjaya, see that that fool with
his counsellors hears all that I say.’
And with this preface, Pritha’s son Dhananjaya,
endued with great wisdom, and possessed of large eyes
with red corners, glancing at Vasudeva, then spoke
unto me these words pregnant with both virtue and
Page 272
profit, ’Thou hast already heard the measured
words spoken by the high-souled chief of the Madhu’s
race. Say unto the assembled kings that those
are also my words. And say this also for me, unto
those kings,—Do ye together try to act
in such a way that libations may not have to be poured
into the arrowy fire of the great sacrifice of battle,
in which the rattle of car-wheels will sound as mantras,
and the rank-routing bow will act as the ladle.
If, indeed, ye do not give up unto Yudhishthira, that
slayer of foes, his own share in the kingdom asked
back by him, I shall then, by means of my arrows,
send all of you, with cavalry, infantry, and elephants,
into the inauspicious regions of departed spirits.’
Then bidding adieu unto Dhananjaya and Hari of four
arms and bowing unto them both, I have with great
speed come hither to convey those words of grave import
to thee, O thou that art endued with effulgence equal
that of the very gods.’
SECTION LXVII
“Vaisampayana said, ’When Duryodhana,
the son of Dhritarashtra, showed little regard for
the words spoken by Sanjaya, and when the rest remained
silent, the assembled kings rose up and retired.
And after all the kings of the earth had retired,
king Dhritarashtra, who always followed the counsels
of his son from affection, wishing success to the assembled
kings, began to enquire in secret of Sanjaya about
the resolve of his own party, and of the Pandavas
who were hostile to him. And Dhritarashtra said,
’Tell me truly, O son of Gavalgana, in what consists
the strength and weakness of our own host, Minutely
acquainted as thou art with the affairs of the Pandavas,
tell me in what lies their superiority and in what,
their inferiority. Thou are fully conversant with
the strength of both parties, Thou knowest all things,
and art well-versed in all matters of virtue and profit.
Asked by me, O Sanjaya, say which of the parties,
when engaged in battle, will perish?’
“Sanjaya said, ’I will not say anything
to thee in secret, O king, for then thou mayst entertain
ill-feelings towards me. Bring thou hither, O
Ajamida, thy father Vyasa of high vows and thy queen
Gandhari. Conversant with morality, of keen perception,
and capable of arriving at the truth, they will remove
any ill-feelings thou mayst cherish against me.
In their presence, O king, I will tell thee everything
about the intensions of Kesava and Partha.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Thus addressed,
Dhritarashtra caused both Gandhari and Vyasa to be
brought there. And introduced by Vidura they
entered the court without delay. And understanding
the intentions of both Sanjaya and his son, Krishna-Dwaipayana
endued with great wisdom said, ’Say, O Sanjaya,
unto the enquiring Dhritarashtra everything that he
desireth to know. Tell him truly all that thou
knowest about Vasudeva and Arjuna.’”
SECTION LXVIII
Page 273
“Sanjaya said, ’Those adorable bowmen,
Arjuna and Vasudeva, who are perfectly equal unto
each other in respect of their godlike nature, have
taken their births of their own will. O lord,
the discus owned by Vasudeva, of abundant energy,
occupieth a space full five cubits in diameter, is
capable also of being hurled at the foe (in forms large
or small) according to the will of the wielder himself,
and it dependeth on illusion. Always conspicuous
by its effulgence, it is invisible to the Kurus; and
in ascertaining the strength or weakness of the Pandavas,
that discus offers the best ground. Indeed, that
scion of Madhu’s race, endued with great might,
vanquished with an effort and in seeming playfulness
the formidable Naraka and Samvara and Kansa and (Sisupala)
the chief of Chedis. Possessed of divinity and
of soul superior to everything, that most exalted
of male beings can, by his will alone, bring the earth,
firmament, and heaven under his control. Thou
askest me repeatedly, O king, about the Pandavas for
knowing their strength and weakness. Listen now
to all that in brief. If the whole universe be
placed on one scale and Janardana on the other, even
then Janardana will outweigh the entire universe.
Janardana, at his pleasure, can reduce the universe
to ashes, but the entire universe is incapable of
reducing Janardana to ashes. Wherever there is
truthfulness, wherever virtue, wherever modesty, wherever
simplicity, even there is Govinda. And thither
where Krishna is, success must be. That soul
of all creatures, most exalted of male beings, Janardana,
guideth, as if in sport, the entire earth, the firmament,
and the heaven. Making the Pandavas the indirect
means, and beguiling the whole world. Janardana
wisheth to blast thy wicked sons that are all addicted
to sin. Endued with divine attributes, Kesava,
by the power of his soul causeth the wheel of Time,
the wheel of the Universe, and the wheel of the Yuga,
to revolve incessantly. And I tell thee truly
that glorious Being is alone the Lord of Time, of
Death, and of this Universe of mobile and immobile
objects. That great ascetic Hari, though the Lord
of the whole Universe, still betaketh himself to work,
like a humble labourer that tilleth the fields.
Indeed, Kesava beguileth all by the aid of His illusion.
Those men, however, that have attained to Him are not
deceived.’”
SECTION LXIX
“Dhritarashtra said, ’How hast thou, O
Sanjaya, been able to know Madhava as the Supreme
Lord of the universe? And how is it that I am
unable to know Him as such? Tell me this, O Sanjaya.’
“Sanjaya said, ’Listen, O king! Thou
hast no Knowledge, whereas my Knowledge hath suffered
no diminution. He that is without Knowledge and
is shrouded with the darkness of ignorance, knoweth
not Kesava. Aided by my knowledge, O sire, I
know the slayer of Madhu to be the union of the Gross,
the subtle and the Cause; and that He is the Creator
of all, but is Himself increate; and also that, endued
with Divinity, it is He from whom everything springs
and it is He unto whom all things return.’
Page 274
“Dhritarashtra said, ’O son of Gavalgana,
what is the nature of that Faith which thou hast in
Janardana and in consequence of which thou knowest
the slayer of Madhu to be the union of the Gross, the
Subtle, and the Cause?’
“Sanjaya said, ’Blessed be thou, O king,
I have no regard for the illusion (that is identified
with worldly pleasures) and I never practise the useless
virtues (of vows and work without reliance on Him and
purity of Soul). Having obtained purity of Soul
through Faith, I have known Janardana from the scriptures.
“Dhritarashtra said, ’O Duryodhana, seek
thou the protection of Janardana, otherwise called
Hrishikesa. O child, Sanjaya is one of our trustiest
friends. Seek refuge with Kesava.’
“Duryodhana said, ’If the divine son of
Devaki united in friendship with Arjuna, were to slay
all mankind, I cannot, even then, resign myself to
Kesava.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’This evil-minded
son of thine, O Gandhari, is resolved to sink in misery.
Envious, wicked-souled, and vain, he setteth aside
the words of all his superiors.’
“Gandhari said, ’Thou covetous wretch
that disregardest the commands of the aged, abandoning
thy father and myself and giving up prosperity and
life, enhancing the joy of thy foes, and afflicting
me with deep distress, thou wilt, O fool, remember
thy father’s words, when struck by Bhimasena,
thou wilt bite the dust.’
“Vyasa said, ’Listen to me, O king!
Thou, O Dhritarashtra, art the beloved of Krishna.
When Sanjaya hath been thy envoy, he will verily lead
thee to thy good. He knoweth Hrishikesa,—that
ancient and exalted One. If thou listenest to
him with attention, he will certainly save thee from
the great danger that hangs upon thee. O son of
Vichitravirya, subject to wrath and joy, men are entangled
in various snares. They that are not contented
with their own possessions, deprived of sense as they
are by avarice and desire, they repeatedly become
subject to Death in consequence of their own acts,
like blind men (falling into pits) when led by the
blind. The path that is trod by the wise is the
only one (that leadeth to Brahma). They that
are superior, keeping that path of view, overcome
death and reach the goal by it.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Tell me, O Sanjaya,
of that path without terrors by which, obtaining Hrishikesa,
salvation may be mine.’
“Sanjaya said, ’A man of uncontrolled
mind can by no means know Janardana whose soul is
under perfect command. The performance of sacrifices
without controlling one’s senses is even no means
to that end. Renunciation of the objects of our
excited senses is due to spiritual light; both spiritual
light and abstention from injury arise doubtless from
true wisdom. Therefore, O king, resolve to subdue
thy senses with all possible vigour; let not thy intellect
deviate from true knowledge; and restrain thy heart
from worldly temptations that surround it. Learned
Brahmanas describe this subjugation of the senses to
be true wisdom; and this wisdom is the path by which
learned men proceed to their goal. O king, Kesava
is not obtainable by men who have not subdued their
senses. He that hath subdued his senses, desireth
spiritual knowledge, awakened by the knowledge of
scriptures and the pleasure of Yaga-absorption.’
Page 275
SECTION LXX
“Dhritarashtra said, ’I request thee,
O Sanjaya, to tell me again of the lotus-eyed Krishna;
for, by being acquainted with the import of his names,
I may, O son, obtain that most exalted of male beings.’
“Sanjaya said, ’The auspicious names (of
Kesava) have been previously heard by me. Of
those I will tell thee as many as I know. Kesava,
however, is immeasurable, being above the power of
speech to describe. He is called Vasudeva in
consequence of his enveloping all creatures with the
screen of illusion, or of his glorious splendour, or
of his being the support and resting-place of the
gods. He is called Vishnu because of his all-pervading
nature. He is called Madava, O Bharata, because
of his practising as a Muni, concentration of mind
on truth and Yoga-absorption. He is called Madhusudana
because of his having slain the Asura Madhu, and also
because of his being the substance of the twenty-four
objects of knowledge. Born of the Sattwata race,
he is called Krishna because he uniteth in himself
what are implied by the two words Krishi which signifieth
‘what existeth’ and na which signifieth
‘eternal peace’. He is called Pundarikaksha
from Pundarika implying his high and eternal abode,
and Aksha implying ‘indestructible’; and
he is called Janardana because he striketh fear into
the hearts of all wicked beings. He is called
Sattwata, because the attribute of Sattwa is never
dissociated from him and also because he is never
dissociated from it; and he is called Vrishabhakshana
from Vrishabha implying the ‘Vedas’ and
ikshana implying ‘eye’, the union of the
two signifying that the Vedas are his eyes, or the
Vedas are the eyes through which he may be seen, That
conqueror of hosts is called Aja, or unborn’,
because he hath not taken his birth from any being
in the ordinary way. That Supreme Soul is called
Damodara because unlike the gods his effulgence is
increate and his own, and also because he hath self-control
and great splendour. He is called Hrishikesa,
from Hrishika meaning ‘eternal happiness’
and Isa meaning ‘the six divine attributes’,
the union signifying one having joy, happiness, and
divinity. He is called Mahavahu, because he upholdeth
the earth and the sky with his two arms. He is
called Adhakshaja, because he never falleth down or
suffereth any deterioration, and is called Narayana
from his being the refuge of all human beings.
He is called Purusottama from Puru implying ‘he
that createth and preserveth’ and so meaning
’he that destroyeth, the union signifying one
that createth, preserveth, and destroyeth the universe’.
He possesseth a knowledge of all things, and, therefore,
is called Sarva, Krishna is always in Truth and Truth
is always in him, and Govinda is Truth’s Truth.
Therefore, he is called Satya. He is called Vishnu
because of his prowess, and Jishnu because of his
success. He is called Ananta from his eternity,
and Govinda from his knowledge of speech of every
kind. He maketh the unreal appear as real and
thereby beguileth all creatures. Possessed of
such attributes, ever devoted to righteousness, and
endued with divinity, the slayer of Madhu, that mighty-armed
one incapable of decay, will come hither for preventing
the slaughter of the Kurus.’”
Page 276
SECTION LXXI
“Dhritarashtra said, ’O Sanjaya, I envy
those gifted with sight, who will behold before them
that Vasudeva whose body endued with great beauty
shineth with effulgence, illuminating the cardinal
and subsidiary points of the compass; who will give
utterance to words that will be listened to with respect
by the Bharatas,—words that are auspicious
to the Srinjayas, acceptable, by those desirous of
prosperity, faultless in every respect, and unacceptable
by those that are doomed to death; who is full of
high resolves, eternal, possessed of unrivalled heroism,
who is the bull of the Yadavas and their leader, and
who is the slayer and awe-inspirer of all foes, and
who is the destroyer of the fame of every enemy?
The assembled Kauravas will behold that high-souled
and adorable One, that slayer of foes, that chief
of the Vrishnis, uttering words full of kindness,
and fascinating all of my party. I put myself
in the hand of that Eternal one, that Rishi endued
with knowledge of Self, that ocean of eloquence, that
Being who is easily attainable by ascetics, that bird
called Arishta furnished with beautiful wings, that
destroyer of creatures, that refuge of the universe;
that one of a thousand heads, that Creator and Destroyer
of all things, that Ancient one, that one without
beginning, middle, or end, that one of infinite achievements,
that cause of the Prime seed, that unborn one, that
Eternity’s self, that highest of the high, that
Creator of the three worlds, that Author of gods,
Asuras, Nagas, and Rakshasas, that foremost of all
learned persons and rulers of men, that younger brother
of Indra.’”
SECTION LXXII
(Bhagwat Yana Parva)
“Janamejaya said, ’When good Sanjaya (leaving
the Pandava camp) went back to the Kurus, what did
my grandsires, the sons of Pandu, then do? O
foremost of Brahmanas, I desire to hear all this.
Tell me this, therefore.’
“Vaisampayana said, ’After Sanjaya had
gone, Yudhishthira the just, addressed Krishna of
the Dasarha race—that chief of all the Sattwatas,
saying, ’O thou that art devoted to friends,
the time hath come for friends to show their friendship.
I do not see any other persons besides thee that can
save us in this season of distress. Relying on
thee, O Madhava, we have fearlessly asked back our
share from Duryodhana who is filled with immeasurable
pride and from his counsellors. O chastiser of
foes, thou protectest the Vrishnis in all their calamities,
do thou now protect the Pandavas also from a great
danger, for they deserve thy protection.’
“Divine Krishna said, ’Here am I O mighty-armed
one. Tell me what thou desirest to say, for I
will, O Bharata, accomplish whatever thou wilt tell
me.’
Page 277
“Yudhishthira said, ’Thou hast heard what
the intention is of Dhritarashtra and his own.
All that Sanjaya, O Krishna, said unto me hath certainly
the assent of Dhritarashtra. Sanjaya is Dhritarashtra’s
soul, and spoke out his mind. An envoy speaketh
according to his instructions, for if he speaketh
otherwise he deserveth to be slain. Without looking
equally on all that are his, moved by avarice and a
sinful heart, Dhritarashtra seeketh to make peace
with us without giving us back our kingdom. Indeed,
at Dhritarashtra’s command we spent twelve years
in the woods and one additional year in concealment,
well-believing, O lord, that Dhritarashtra would abide
firmly by that pledge of ours. That we did not
deviate from our promise is well-known to the Brahmanas
who were with us. The covetous king Dhritarashtra,
is now unwilling to observe Kshatriya virtues.
Owing to affection for his son, he is listening to
the counsels of wicked men. Abiding by counsels
of Suyodhana, the king, O Janardana, actuated by avarice
and seeking his own good, behaveth untruthfully towards
us. What can be more sorrowful, O Janardana, than
this, that I am unable to maintain my mother and my
friends? Having the Kasis, the Panchalas, the
Chedis, and the Matsyas, for my allies and with thee,
O slayer of Madhu, for my protector, I prayed for only
five villages, etc., Avishthala, Vrikasthala,
Makandi, Varanavata, with any other, O Govinda, as
the fifth;—Grant us, we said, five villages
or towns, O sire, where we five may dwell in union,
for we do not desire the destruction of the Bharatas.—The
wicked-minded son of Dhritarashtra, however, regarding
the lordship of the world to be; in him, doth not
agree to even that. What can be more sorrowful
than this? When a man born and brought up in
a respectable family, covereth the possessions of
others, that avarice of his destroyeth his intelligence;
and intelligence being destroyed, shame is lost; and
loss of shame leadeth to diminution of virtue; and
loss of virtue bringeth on loss of prosperity, Destruction
of prosperity, in its turn, ruineth a person, for poverty
is a person’s death. Kinsmen and friends
and Brahmanas shun a poor man as birds avoid, O Krishna,
a tree that beareth neither Rower nor fruits.
Even this, O sire, is death to me that kinsmen shun
me, as if I were a fallen one like the breath of life
quitting ’a dead body. Samvara said that
no condition of life could be more distressful than
that in which one is always racked by the anxiety
caused by the thought—I have no meat for
today, what will become of me tomorrow?—It
is said that wealth is the highest virtue, and everything
depends on wealth. They that have wealth are said
to live, whereas those that are without wealth are
more dead than alive. They that by violence rob
a man of his wealth not only kill the robbed but destroy
also his virtue, profit and pleasure. Some men
when overtaken by poverty choose death; others remove
from cities to hamlets others retire into the wood;
Page 278
while others, again, become religious mendicants to
destroy their lives. Some for the sake of wealth
are driven to madness; others for wealth, live under
Subjection to their foes; while many others, again,
for the sake of wealth, betake themselves to the servitude
of others. A man’s poverty is even more
distressful to him than death, for wealth is the sole
cause or virtue and pleasure. The natural death
of a person is not much regarded, for that is the
eternal path of all creatures. Indeed, none among
created beings can transgress it. O Krishna, a
man who is poor from birth is not so much distressed
as one, who, having once possessed great prosperity
and having been brought up in luxury, is deprived of
that prosperity. Having through his own fault
fallen into distress, such a person blameth the very
gods with Indra and his own self. Indeed, knowledge
of even the entire scriptures faileth to mitigate his
pains. Sometimes he getteth angry with his servants,
and sometimes he cherisheth malice towards even his
well-wishers. Subject to constant anger, he loseth
his very senses, and his senses being clouded, be practiseth
evil deeds. Through sinfulness such a person
contributeth to a fusion of castes. A fusion
of castes leadeth to hell and is the foremost of all
sinful acts. If he is not awakened in time, he
goeth, certainly, O Krishna, to hell., and, indeed,
wisdom is the only thing that can awaken him, for
if he obtaineth back the eye of wisdom, he is saved.
When wisdom is regained, such a man turneth his attention
to scriptures; and attention to scriptures aideth
his virtue. Then shame becometh his best ornament.
He that hath shame hath an aversion against sin, and
his prosperity also increaseth; and he that hath prosperity
truly becometh a man. He that is ever devoted
to virtue, and hath his mind under control, and always
acteth after deliberation, never inclineth towards
unrighteousness and never engageth in any act that
is sinful. He that is without shame and sense
is neither man nor woman. He is incapable of
earning religious merit, and is like a Sudra.
He that hath shame gratifieth the gods, the Pitris,
and even his own self, and by this he obtaineth emancipation,
which indeed, is the highest aim of all righteous
persons.’
’Thou hast, O slayer of Madhu, seen all this
in me with thy own eyes. It is not unknown to
thee, how, deprived of kingdom, we have lived these
years. We cannot lawfully abandon that prosperity
(which had been ours). Our first-efforts will
be such that, O Madhava, both ourselves and the Kauravas,
united in peace, will quietly enjoy our prosperity.
Otherwise, we shall, after slaying the worst of the
Kauravas, regain those provinces, although success
through bloodshed by destruction of even despicable
foes that are related to us so dearly is the worst
of all fierce deeds, O Krishna. We have numerous
kinsmen, and numerous also are the revered seniors
that have taken this or that other side. The
Page 279
slaughter of these would be highly sinful. What
good, therefore, can there be in battle? Alas,
such sinful practices are the duties of the Kshatriya
order! Ourselves have taken our births in that
wretched order! Whether those practices be sinful
or virtuous, any other than the profession of arms
would be censurable for us. A Sudra serveth; a
Vaisya liveth by trade; the Brahmana have choosen
the wooden bowl (for begging), while we are to live
by slaughter! A Kshatriya, slayeth a Kshatriya;
fishes live on fish; a dog preyeth upon a dog!
Behold, O thou of the Dasarha race, how each of these
followeth his peculiar virtue. O Krishna, Kali
is ever present in battle-fields; lives are lost all
around. It is true, force regulated by policy
is invoked; yet success and defeat are independent
of the will of the combatants. The lives also
of creatures are independent of their own wishes,
and neither weal nor woe can be one’s when the
time is not come for it, O best of the Yadu’s
race. Sometimes one man killeth many, sometimes
many and united together kill one. A coward may
slay a hero, and one unknown to fame may stay a hero
of celebrity. Both parties cannot win success,
nor both be defeated. The loss, however, on both
sides may be equal. If one flieth away, loss of
both life and fame is his. Under all circumstances,
however, war is a sin. Who in striking another
is not himself struck? As regard the person,
however, who is struck, victory and defeat, O Hrishikesa,
are the same. It is true that defeat is not much
removed from death, but his loss also, O Krishna,
is not less who winneth victory. He himself may
not be killed, but his adversaries will kill at least
some one that is dear to him, or some others and thus
the man, O sire, deprived of strength and not seeing
before him his sons and brothers, becometh indifferent,
O Krishna, to life itself. Those that are quiet,
modest, virtuous, and compassionate, are generally
slain in battle, while they that are wicked escape.
Even after slaying one’s foes, repentance, O
Janardana, possesseth the heart. He that surviveth
among the foes giveth trouble, for the survivor, collecting
a force, seeketh to destroy the surviving victor.
In hopes of terminating the dispute, one often seeketh
to exterminate the foe. Thus victory createth
animosity, and he that is defeated liveth in sorrow.
He that is peaceful, sleepeth in happiness, giving
up all thoughts of victory and defeat, whereas he
that hath provoked hostility always sleepeth in misery,
with, indeed, an anxious heart, as if sleeping with
a snake in the same room. He that exterminates
seldom winneth fame. On the other hand, such
a person reapeth eternal infamy in the estimation of
all. Hostilities, waged over so long, cease not;
for if there is even one alive in the enemy’s
family, narrators are never wanted to remind him of
the past. Enmity, O Kesava, is never neutralised
by enmity; on the other hand, it is fomented by enmity,
like fire fed by clarified butter. Therefore,
Page 280
there can be no peace without the annihilation of one
party, for flaws may always be detected of which advantage
may be taken by one side or other. They that
are engaged in watching for flaws have this vice.
Confidence in one’s own prowess troubleth the
core of one’s heart like an incurable disease.
Without either renouncing that at once, or death,
there can be no peace. It is true, O slayer of
Madhu, that exterminating the foe by the very roots,
may lead to good result in the shape of great prosperity,
yet such an act is most cruel. The peace that
may be brought about by our renouncing the kingdom
is hardly different from death, which is implied by
the loss of kingdom, in consequence of the design
of the enemy and the utter ruin of ourselves.
We do not wish to give u the kingdom, nor do we wish
to see the extinction of our race. Under these
circumstances, therefore, the peace that is obtained
through eve humiliation is the best. When these
that strive for peace by all means without of course
wishing for war, find conciliation fail, war becomes
in evitable, and then is the time for the display of
prowess. Indeed, when conciliation fails, frightful
results follow. The learned have noticed all
this in a canine contest. First, there comes the
wagging of tails, then the bark, then the bark in
reply, then the circumambulation, then the showing
of teeth, then repeated roars, and then at last the
fight. In such a contest, O Krishna., the dog
that is stronger, vanquishing his antagonist, taketh
the latter’s meat. The same is exactly
the case with men. There is no difference whatever.
They that are powerful should be indifferent to avoid
disputes with the weak who always bow down. The
father, the king, and he that is venerable in year,
always deserve regard. Dhritarashtra, therefore,
O Janardana, is worthy of our respect and worship.
But, O Madhava, Dhritarashtra’s affection for
his son is great. Obedient to his son, he will
reject our submission. What dost thou, O Krishna,
think best at this juncture? How may we, O Madhava,
preserve both our interest and virtue? Whom also,
besides thee, O slayer of Madhu, and foremost of men,
shall we consult in this difficult affair? What
other friend have we, O Krishna, who like thee is
so dear to us, who seeketh our welfare so, who is so
conversant with the course of all actions, and who
is so well-acquainted with truth?’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Thus addressed,
Janardana replied unto Yudhishthira the just, saying,
’I will go to the court of the Kurus for the
sake of both of You. If without sacrificing your
interests I can obtain peace, O king, an act of great
religious merit will be mine, productive of great
fruits. I shall then also save from the meshes
of death the Kurus and the Srinjayas inflamed with
wrath, the Pandavas and the Dhritarashtras, and, in
fact, this entire earth.’
“Yudhishthira said, It is not my wish, O Krishna,
that thou wilt go to the Kurus, for Suyodhana will
never act according to thy words, even if thou advisest
him well. All the Kshatriyas of the world, obedient
to Duryodhana’s command, are assembled there.
I do not like that thou, O Krishna, shouldst proceed
into their midst, If any mischief be done to thee,
O Madhava, Jett alone happiness; nothing, not even
divinity, nor even the sovereignty over all the gods
will delight us.’
Page 281
“The holy one said, ’I know, O monarch,
the sinfulness of Dhritarashtra’s son, but by
going there we will escape the blame of all the kings
of the earth. Like other animals before the lion,
all the kings of the earth united together are not
competent to stand still before me in battle when
I am enraged. If, after all, they do me any injury,
then I will consume all the Kurus. Even this
is my intention. My going thither, O Partha,
will not be fruitless, for if our object be not fulfilled,
we shall at least escape all blame.’
“Yudhishthira said, ’Do, O Krishna, as
it pleaseth thee. Blessed be thou, go then to
the Kurus. I hope to behold thee return successful
and prosperous. Going unto the Kurus, make thou,
O Lord, such a peace that all the sons of Bharata
may live together with cheerful hearts and contentedly.
Thou art our brother and friend, dear to me as much
as to Vibhatsu. Such hath been our intimacy with
thee that we apprehend no neglect of our interest
from thee. Go thou, there for our good. Thou
knowest us, thou knowest our antagonists, thou knowest
what our purposes are, and thou knowest also what
to say. Thou wilt, O Krishna, say unto Suyodhana
such words as are for our benefit. Whether peace
is to be established by (apparent) sin or by any other
means, O Kesava, speak such words as may prove beneficial
to us.’
SECTION LXXIII
“The holy one said, ’I have heard Sanjaya’s
words and now I have heard thine. I know all
about his purposes as also of thyself. Thy heart
inclineth to righteousness, whereas their inclination
is towards enmity. That which is obtained without
war is of great value to thee. A long-life Brahmacharya
is not, O lord of earth, the duty of a Kshatriya.
Indeed, men of all the four orders have said that
a Kshatriya should never subsist on alms; victory
or death in battle, hath been eternally ordained by
the Creator; even that is the duty of a Kshatriya.
Cowardice is not applauded (in a Kshatriya).
Subsistence, O Yudhishthira, is not possible by Cowardice,
O thou of mighty arms. Display thy prowess, and
vanquish, O chastiser of foes, thy enemies. The
covetous son of Dhritarashtra, O chastiser of foes,
living for a long time (with many kings) has by affection
and friendship become very powerful. Therefore,
O king, there is no hope of making his peace with
thee. They regard themselves strong, having Bhishma
and Drona and Kripa and others with them. As long,
O king, as thou, O grinder of foes, wilt behave with
them mildly, they will withhold thy kingdom.
Neither from compassion, nor from mildness, nor from
a sense of righteousness, will the sons of Dhritarashtra,
O chastiser of foes, fulfil thy wishes. This,
O son of Pandu, is another proof that they will not
make peace with thee. Having pained thee so deeply
by making thee put on a Kaupina, they were not stung
with remorse. In the very sight of the Grandsire
(Bhishma) and Drona and the wise Vidura, of many holy
Page 282
Brahmanas, the king, the citizens, and all the chief
Kauravas, the cruel Duryodhana, deceitfully defeating
thee at dice,—thee that are charitable,
gentle, self-restrained, virtuous, and of rigid vows
was not, O king, ashamed of his vile act. Do not,
O monarch, show any compassion for that wretch of
such disposition. They deserve death at the hands
of all, how much more then of thee, O Bharata?
O Bharata, with what improper speeches did Duryodhana
with his brothers, filled with gladness and indulging
in many a boast, afflict thee with thy brothers!
He said, ’The Pandavas now have nothing of their
own in this wide earth. Their very names and
lineage are extinct. In time, which is never-ending,
defeat will be theirs. All their virtues having
merged in me, they will now be reduced to the five
elements.’ While the match at dice was in
progress, the wretched Dussasana of most wicked soul,
seizing that weeping lady by the hair dragged princess
Draupadi, as if she had no protectors, to the assembly
of kings, and in the presence of Bhishma and Drona
and others, repeatedly called her—cow, cow!
Restrained by thee, thy brothers of terrible prowess,
bound also by the bonds of virtue, did nothing to
avenge it; and after thou hadst been exiled to the
woods, Duryodhana having uttered such and other cruel
words, boasted amid his kinsmen. Knowing thee
innocent, they that were assembled sat silent in the
assembly-house, weeping with choked voice. The
assembled kings with the Brahmanas did not applaud
him for this. Indeed, all the courtiers present
there censured him. To a man of noble descent,
O grinder of foes, even censure is death. Death
is even many times better than a life of blame.
Even then, O king, he died when, upon being censured
by all the kings of the earth, he felt no shame!
He whose character is so abominable may easily be
destroyed even like a rootless tree standing erect
on a single weak root. The sinful and evil-minded
Duryodhana deserveth death at the hands of every one,
even like a serpent. Slay him, therefore, O killer
of foes, and hesitate not in the least. It behoveth
thee, O sinless one, and I like it too, that thou
shouldst pay homage unto thy father Dhritarashtra
and also unto Bhishma. Going thither I will remove
the doubts of all men who are still undecided as to
the wickedness of Duryodhana. Thither in the
presence of all kings I will enumerate all those virtues
of thine that are not to be met in all men, as also
all the vices of Duryodhana. And hearing me speak
beneficial words, pregnant with virtue and profit,
the rulers of various realms will regard thee as possessed
of a virtuous soul, and as a speaker of truth, while
at the same time, they will understand how Duryodhana
is actuated by avarice. I will also tell the
vice of Duryodhana, before both the citizens and the
inhabitants of the country, before both the young and
the old, of all the four orders that will be collected
there. And as thou askest for peace no one will
Page 283
charge thee sinful, while all the chiefs of the earth
will censure the Kurus and Dhritarashtra; and when
Duryodhana will be dead in consequence of his being
forsaken by all men, there will be nothing left to
do. Do then what should now be done. Going
unto the Kurus, I shall strive to make peace without
sacrificing thy interests, and marking their inclination
for war and all their proceedings, I will soon come
back, O Bharata, for thy victory. I think war
with the enemy to be certain. All the omens that
are noticeable by me point to that. Birds and
animals set up frightful screeches and howls at the
approach of dusk. The foremost of elephants and
steeds assume horrible shapes; the very fire exhibiteth
diverse kinds of terrible hues! This would never
have been the case but for the fact of the world-destroying
Havoc’s self coming into our midst! Making
ready their weapons, machines, coats of mail, and cars,
elephants, and steeds, let all thy warriors be prepared
for battle, and let them take care of their elephants
and horses and cars. And, O king, collect everything
that thou needest for the impending war. As long
as he liveth, Duryodhana will, by no means, be able
to give back unto thee. O king, that kingdom
of thine which, abounding in prosperity, have before
been taken by him at dice!’”
SECTION LXXIV
“Bhima said, ’Speak thou, O slayer of
Madhu, in such a strain that there may be peace with
the Kurus. Do not threaten them with war.
Resenting everything, his wrath always excited, hostile
to his own good and arrogant, Duryodhana should not
be roughly addressed. Do thou behave towards
him with mildness. Duryodhana is by nature sinful
of heart like that of a robber, intoxicated with the
pride of prosperity, hostile to the Pandavas, without
foresight, cruel in speech, always disposed to censure
others, of wicked prowess, of wrath not easily to be
appeased, not susceptible of being taught, of wicked
soul, deceitful in behaviour, capable of giving up
his very life rather than break or give up his own
opinion. Peace with such a one, O Krishna, is,
I suppose, most difficult. Regardless of the
words of even his well-wishers, destitute of virtue,
loving falsehood, he always acts against the words
of his counsellors and wounds their hearts. Like
a serpent hid within reeds, he naturally commits sinful
acts, depending on his own wicked disposition, and
obedient to the impulse of wrath. What army Duryodhana
hath, what his conduct is, what his nature, what his
might, and what his prowess, are all well-known to
thee. Before this, the Kauravas with their son
passed their days in cheerfulness, and we also with
our friends rejoiced like the younger brother of Indra,
with Indra himself. Alas, by Duryodhana’s
wrath, O slayer of Madhu, the Bharatas will all be
consumed, even like forests by fire at the end of
the dewy seasons, and, O slayer of Madhu, well-known
are those eighteen kings that annihilated their kinsmen,
Page 284
friends, and relatives. Even as, when Dharma became
extinct, Kali was born in the race of Asuras flourishing
with prosperity and blazing with energy, so was born
Udavarta among the Haihayas. Janamejaya among
the Nepas, Vahula among the Talajanghas, proud Vasu
among the Krimis, Ajavindu among the Suviras, Rushardhik
among the Surashtras, Arkaja among the Valihas, Dhautamulaka
among the Chinas, Hayagriva among the Videhas, Varayu
among the Mahaujasas, Vahu among the Sundaras, Pururavas
among the Diptakshas, Sahaja among the Chedis and
Matsyas, Vrishaddhaja among the Praviras, Dharana
among the Chandra-batsyas, Bigahana among the Mukutas
and Sama among the Nandivegas. These vile individuals,
O Krishna, spring up, at the end of each Yuga, in
their respective races, for the destruction of their
kinsmen. So hath Duryodhana, the very embodiment
of sin and the disgrace of his race, been born, at
the end of the Yuga, amongst us the Kurus. Therefore,
O thou of fierce prowess, thou shouldst address him
slowly and mildly, not in bitter but sweet words fraught
with virtue and profit, and discourse fully on the
subject so as to attract his heart. All of us,
O Krishna, would rather in humiliation follow Duryodhana
submissively, but, oh, let not the Bharatas be annihilated.
O Vasudeva, act in such a way that we may rather live
as strangers to the Kurus than incurring the sin of
bringing about the destruction of the whole race should
touch them, O Krishna, let the aged Grandsire and the
other counsellors of the Kurus be asked to bring about
brotherly feelings between brothers and to pacify
the son of Dhritarashtra. Even this is what I
say. King Yudhishthira also approveth of this,
and Arjuna too is averse to war, for there is great
compassion in him.’”
SECTION LXXV
“Vaisampayana said, ’Hearing these words
from Bhima, that were fraught with such mildness and
that were, as unexpected as if the hills had lost
their weight and fire had become cold, Rama’s
younger brother Kesava of Sura’s race and mighty
arms, wielding the bow called Saranga, laughed aloud,
and as if to stimulate Bhima by his words, like the
breeze fanning a fire, addressed him who was then
so overwhelmed by the impulse of kindness, saying,
’At other times, O Bhimasena, thou applaudest
war only, desirous of crushing the wicked sons of
Dhritarashtra that take delight in the destruction
of others. O chastiser of foes, thou dost not
steep but wakest the whole night, sitting up face
downwards. Thou often utterest frightful exclamation
of wrath, indicative of the storm within thy heart.
Inflamed with the fire of thy own fury, thou sighest,
O Bhima with an unquiet heart, like a flame of fire
mixed with smoke. Withdrawing from company thou
liest down breathing hot sighs, like a weak man pressed
down by a heavy load. They, who do not know the
cause regard thee as insane. As an elephant breaking
into fragments uprooted trees lying on the ground
Page 285
grunteth in rage while trampling them under his feet,
so thou also, O Bhima, runnest on, breathing deep
sighs and shaking the earth under the tread.
Here in the region thou takest no delight in company
but passest thy time in privacy. Night or day,
Nothing pleases thee so much as seclusion. Sitting
apart thou sometimes laughest aloud all on a sudden,
and sometimes placing thy head between thy two knees,
thou continuest in that posture for a long time with
closed eyes. At the other times, O Bhima, contracting
thy brows frequently and biting thy lips, thou starest
fiercely before thee. All this is indicative of
wrath. At one time, thou hadst, in the midst
of thy brothers, grasped the mace, uttering this oath,
’As the sun is seen rising in the east displaying
his radiance, and as he truly setteth in the west
journeying around the Meru, so do I swear that I will
certainly slay insolent Duryodhana with this mace
of mine, and this oath of mine will never be untrue.’
How then doth that same heart of thine, O chastiser
of foes, now follow the counsels of peace? Alas,
when fear entereth thy heart, O Bhima, it is certain
that the hearts of all who desire war are upset when
war becometh actually imminent. Asleep or awake,
thou beholdest, O son of Pritha, inauspicious omens.
Perhaps, it is this for which thou desirest peace.
Alas, like a eunuch, thou dost not display any sign
indicative of manliness in thee. Thou art overwhelmed
by panic, and it is for this that thy heart is upset.
The heart trembleth, thy mind is overwhelmed by despair,
thy thighs tremble, and it is for this that thou desirest
peace. The hearts of mortals, O Partha, are surely
as inconstant as the pods of the Salmali seed exposed
to the force of the wind. This frame of thy mind
is as strange as articulate speech in kine. Indeed,
the hearts of thy brothers are about to sink in an
ocean of despair,—like swimmers in the sea
without a raft to rescue them. That thou, O Bhimasena,
shouldst utter words so unexpected of thee is as strange
as the shifting of a hill. Recollecting thy own
deeds and the race also in which thou art born, arise,
O Bharata, yield not, to grief, O hero, and be firm.
Such langour, O repressor of foes, is not worthy of
thee, for a Kshatriya never enjoyeth that which he
doth not acquire through prowess.’”
SECTION LXXVI
“Vaisampayana said, ’Thus addressed by
Vasudeva, the ever-wrathful Bhima, incapable of bearing
insults, was immediately awakened like a steed of
high metal, and replied, without losing a moment, saying,
’O Achyuta, I wish to act in a particular way;
thou, however, takest me in quite a different light.
That I take great delight in war and that my prowess
is incapable of being baffled, must, O Krishna. be
well-known to thee in consequence of our having lived
together for a long time. Or it may be, thou
knowest me not, like one swimming in a lake ignorant
of its depth. It is for this that thou chidest
Page 286
me in such unbecoming words. Who else, O Madhava,
knowing me to be Bhimasena, could address me with such
unbecoming words as thou dost? Therefore, I shall
tell thee, O delighter of the Vrishnis, about my own
prowess and unrivalled might. Although to speak
of one’s own prowess is always an ignoble act,
yet, pierced as I am by thy unfriendly strictures,
I will speak of my own might. Behold, O Krishna,
these—the firmament and the earth—which
are immovable, immense, and infinite, and which are
the refuge of, and in which are born these countless
creatures. If through anger these suddenly collide
like two hills, just I, with my arms, can keep them
asunder with all their mobile and immobile objects.
Behold the joints of these my mace-like arms.
I find not the person who can extricate himself having
once come within their grasp. The Himavat, the
ocean, the mighty wielder of the thunderbolt himself,
viz., the slayer of Vala,—even these
three cannot, with all their power extricate the person
attacked by me. I will easily trample on the
ground under my feet all the Kshatriyas, who will come
to battle against the Pandavas. It is not known
to thee, O Achyuta, with what prowess I vanquished
the kings of the earth and brought them under subjection.
If, indeed, thou really knowest not my prowess which
is like the fierce energy of the midday sun thou wilt
then know it, O Janardana, in the fierce melee of
battle. Thou woundest me with thy cruel words,
paining me with the pain of opening a foetid tumour.
But know me to be mightier than what I have said of
myself of my own accord. On that day, when the
fierce and destructive havoc of battle will begin,
thou will then see me felling elephants and car-warriors
combatants on steeds and those on elephants, and slaying
in rage the foremost of Kshatriya warriors. Thou,
as well as others, wilt see me doing all this and
grinding down the foremost of combatants. The
marrow of my bones hath not yet decayed, nor doth
my heart tremble. If the whole world rusheth
against me in wrath, I do not yet feel the influence
of fear. It is only for the sake of compassion,
O slayer of Madhu, that I am for displaying goodwill
to the foe. I am far quietly bearing all our injuries,
lest the Bharata race be extirpated.’”
SECTION LXXVII
“The holy one said, It was only through affection
that I said all this, desiring to know thy mind, and
not from the desire of reproaching thee, nor from
pride of learning, nor from wrath, nor from desire
of making a speech. I know thy magnanimity of
soul, and also thy strength, and thy deeds. It
is not for that reason that I reproached thee.
O son of Pandu, a thousand times greater will be the
benefit conferred by thee on the Pandava’s cause
than that which thou thinkest thyself to be capable
of conferring on it. Thou, O Bhima, with thy
kinsmen and friends, art exactly that which one should
be that has taken his birth in a family like thine,
Page 287
that is regarded by all the kings of the earth.
The fact, however, is that they can never arrive at
the truth, who under the influence of doubt proceed
to enquire about the consequences hereafter of virtue
and vice, or about the strength and weakness of men.
For it is seen that what is the cause of the success
of a person’s object becometh also the cause
of his ruin. Human acts, therefore, are doubtful
in their consequences. Learned men, capable of
judging of the evils of actions pronounce a particular
course of action as worthy of being followed.
It produces, however, consequences, the very opposite
of what were foreseen, very much like the course of
the wind. Indeed, even those acts of men that
are the results of deliberation and well-directed policy,
and that are consistent with considerations of propriety,
are baffled by the dispensations of Providence.
Then, again, Providential dispensations, such as heat
and cold and rain and hunger and thirst, that are not
the consequences of human acts, may be baffled by
human exertion. Then again, besides those acts
which a person is pre-ordained (as the result of the
act of past lives) to go through, one can always get
rid of all other acts begun at his pleasure, as is
testified by both the Smritis and the Srutis.
Therefore, O son of Pandu, one cannot go on the world
without acting. One should, hence, engage in
work knowing that one’s purpose would be achieved
by a combination of both Destiny and Exertion.
He that engageth in acts under this belief is never
pained by failure, nor delighted by success.
This, O Bhimasena, was the intended import of my speech.
It was not intended by me that victory would be certain
in an encounter with the foe. A person, when
his mind is upset should not lose his cheerfulness
and must yield neither to langour nor depression.
It is for this that I spoke to thee in the way I did.
When the morrow comes, I will go, O Pandava, to Dhritarashtra’s
presence. I will strive to make peace without
sacrificing your interests. If the Kauravas make
peace, then boundless fame will be mine. Your
purposes will be achieved, and they also will reap
great benefit. If, however, the Kauravas, without
listening to my words, resolve to maintain their opinion,
then there will undoubtedly be a formidable war.
In this war burthen resteth on thee, O Bhimasena.
That burthen should also be borne by Arjuna, while
other warriors should all be led by both of you.
In case of war happening, I will certainly be the
driver of Vibhatsu’s car, for that, indeed, is
Dhananjaya’s wish and not that I myself am not
desirous of fighting. It is for this that, hearing
thee utter thy intention, I rekindled that thy energy,
O Vrikodara.’”
SECTION LXXVIII
Page 288
“Arjuna said, ’O Janardana, Yudhishthira
hath already said what should be said. But, O
chastiser of foes, hearing what thou hast said, it
seemeth to me that thou, O lord, does not think peace
to be easily obtainable either in consequence of Dhritarashtra’s
covetousness or from our present weakness. Thou
thinkest also that human prowess alone is fruitless,
and also that without putting forth one’s prowess
one’s purposes cannot be achieved. What
thou hast said may be true, but at the same time it
may not always be true. Nothing, however, should
be regarded as impracticable. It is true, peace
seemeth to thee to be impossible in consequence of
our distressful condition, yet they are still acting
against us without reaping the fruits of their acts.
Peace, therefore, if properly proposed, O lord, may
be concluded. O Krishna, strive thou, therefore,
to bring about peace with the foe. Thou, O hero,
art the foremost of all friends of both the Pandavas
and the Kurus, even as Prajapati is of both the gods
and the Asuras. Accomplish thou, therefore, that
which is for the good of both the Kurus and the Pandavas.
The accomplishment of our good is not, I believe,
difficult for thee. If thou strivest, O Janardana,
such is this act that it will be soon effected.
As soon as thou goest thither, it will be accomplished.
If, O hero, thou purposest to treat the evil-minded
Duryodhana in any other way, that purpose of thine
will be carried out exactly as thou wishest. Whether
it be peace or war with the foe that thou wishest,
any wish, O Krishna, that thon mayest entertain, will
certainly be honoured by us. Doth not the evil-minded
Duryodhana with his sons and kinsmen deserve destruction
when, unable to bear the sight of Yudhishthira’s
prosperity and finding no other faultless expedient,
that wretch, O slayer of Madhu, deprived us of our
kingdom by the sinful expedient of deceitful dice?
What bowman is there, who, born in the Kshatriya order,
and invited to combat, turneth away from the fight
even if he is sure to die? Beholding ourselves
vanquished by sinful means and banished to the woods,
even then, thou of the Vrishni race, I thought that
Suyodhana deserved death at my hands. What thou,
however, O Krishna, wishest to do for thy friends is
scarcely strange, although it seems inexplicable how
the object In view is capable of being effected by
either mildness or its reverse. Or, if thou deemest
their immediate destruction to be preferable, let it
be effected soon without further deliberation.
Surely, thou knowest how Draupadi was insulted in
the midst of the assembly by Duryodhana of sinful soul
and how also we bore it with patience. That Duryodhana,
O Madhava, will behave with justice towards the Pandavas
is what I cannot believe. Wise counsels will
be lost on him like seed sown in a barren soil.
Therefore, do without delay what thou, O thou of Vrishni
race, thinkest to be proper and beneficial for the
Pandavas, or what, indeed, should next be done.’”
Page 289
SECTION LXXIX
“The holy one said, ’It shall be, O thou
of mighty arms, what thou, O Pandavas, sayest, I will
strive to bring about that which would be beneficial
to both the Pandavas and the Kurus. Between the
two kinds of acts, war and peace, the latter, O Vibhatsu,
is perhaps within my power. Behold, the soil
is moistened and divested of weeds by human exertion.
Without rain, however, O son of Kunti, is never yieldeth
crops. Indeed, in the absence of rain some speak
of artificial irrigation, as a means of success due
to human exertion, but even then it may be seen that
the water artificially let in is dried up in consequence
of providential drought. Beholding all this,
the wise men of old have said that human affairs are
set agoing in consequence of the cooperation of both
providential and human expedients. I will do all
that can be done by human exertion at its best.
But I shall, by no means, be able to control what
is providential. The wicked-souled Duryodhana
acteth, defying both virtue and the world. Nor
doth he feel any regret in consequence of his acting
in that way. Moreover, his sinful inclinations
are fed by his counsellors Sakuni and Karna and his
brother Dussasana. Suyodhana will never make
peace by giving up the kingdom, without, O Partha,
undergoing at our hands a wholesale destruction with
his kinsmen. King Yudhishthira the just doth
not wish to give up the kingdom submissively.
The wicked-minded Duryodhana also will not at our
solicitation surrender the kingdom. I, therefore,
think that it is scarcely proper to deliver Yudhishthira’s
message to him. The sinful Duryodhana of Kuru’s
race will not, O Bharata, accomplish the objects spoken
of by Yudhishthira. If he refuses compliance,
he will deserve death at the hands of all. Indeed,
he deserves death at my hands, as also, O Bharata,
of every one since in your childhood he always persecuted
you all, and since that wicked and sinful wretch robbed
you of your kingdom and could not bear the sight of
Yudhishthira’s prosperity. Many a time,
O Partha, he strove to withdraw me from thee, but
I never reckoned those wicked attempts of his.
Thou knowest, O thou of mighty arms, what the cherished
intentions of Duryodhana are, and thou knowest also
that I seek the welfare of king Yudhishthira the just.
Knowing, therefore, Duryodhana’s heart and what
my most cherished wishes are, why then dost thou,
O Arjuna, entertain such apprehensions in respect
of myself like one unacquainted with everything?
That grave act also which was ordained in heaven is
known to thee, How then, O Partha, can peace be concluded
with the foe? What, however, O Pandavas, is capable
of being done by either speech or act, will all be
done by me. Do not, however, O Partha, expect
peace to be possible with the foe. About a year
ago, on the occasion of attacking Virata’s kine,
did not Bhishma, on their way back, solicit Duryodhana
about this very peace so beneficial to all? Believe
me, they have been defeated even then when their defeat
was resolved by thee. Indeed, Suyodhana doth not
consent to part with the smallest portion of the kingdom
for even the shortest period of time. As regards
myself, I am ever obedient to the commands of Yudhishthira,
and, therefore, the sinful acts of that wicked wretch
must have again to be revolved in my mind!’”
Page 290
SECTION LXXX
“Nakula said, ’Much hath been said, O
Madhava, by king Yudhishthira the just who is conversant
with morality and endued with liberality, and thou
hast heard what hath been said by Falguni also.
As regards my own opinion, O hero, thou hast repeatedly
expressed it, Hearing first what the wishes of the
enemy are and disregarding all, do what thou regardest
to be proper for the occasion. O Kesava, diverse
are the conclusions arrived at as regards diverse
matters. Success, however, O chastiser of foes,
is won when a man doth that which ought to be done
in view of the occasion. When a thing is settled
in one way on one occasion, it becometh unsuitable
when the occasion becometh different. Persons,
therefore, in this world, O foremost of men, cannot
stick to the same opinion throughout. While we
were living in the woods, our hearts were inclined
towards a particular course of action. While we
were passing the period of concealment, our wishes
were of one kind, and now, at the present time, O
Krishna, when concealment is no longer necessary, our
wishes have become different. O thou of the Vrishni
race, while we wandered in the woods, attachment for
the kingdom was not so great as now. The period
of our exile having ceased, hearing, O hero, that
we have returned, an army numbering full seven Akshauhinis
hath, through thy grace, O Janardana, been assembled.
Beholding these tigers among men, of inconceivable
might and prowess, standing equipped for battle armed
with weapons, what man is there that will not be struck
with fear? Therefore going into the midst of
the Kurus, speak thou first words fraught with mildness
and then those fraught with threats, so that the wicked
Suyodhana may be agitated with fear. What mortal
man is there, of flesh and blood, who would encounter
in battle Yudhishthira and Bhimasena, the invincible
Vibhatsu and Sahadeva, myself, thyself and Rama, O
Kesava, and Satyaki of mighty energy. Virata
with his sons, Drupada with his allies, and Dhrishtadyumna,
O Madhava, and the ruler of Kasi of great prowess and
Dhrishtaketu the lord of the Chedis? No sooner
wilt thou go there than thou wilt, without doubt,
accomplish, O thou of mighty arms, the desired object
of king Yudhishthira the just. Vidura, and Bhishma
and Drona and Vahlika, these talents, O sinless one,
will understand thee when thou wouldst utter words
of wisdom. They will solicit that ruler of men,
Dhritarashtra and Suyodhana of sinful disposition,
with his counsellors, to act according to the advice.
When thou, O Janardana, art the speaker and Vidura
the listener, what subject is there that cannot be
rendered smooth and plain?’”
SECTION LXXXI
Page 291
“Sahadeva said, ’What hath been said by
the king is, indeed, eternal virtue, but thou, O chastiser
of foes, shouldst act, in such a way that war may
certainly happen. Even if the Kauravas express
their desire for peace with the Pandavas, still, O
thou of Dasarha’s race, provoke thou a war with
them. Having seen, O Krishna, the princess of
Panchala brought in that plight into the midst of
the assembly, how can my wrath be appeased without
the slaughter of Suyodhana. If, O Krishna, Bhima
and Arjuna and king Yudhishthira the just are disposed
to be virtuous, abandoning virtue I desire an encounter
with Duryodhana in battle.’
“Satyaki said, ’The high-souled Sahadeva,
O thou of mighty arms, hath spoken the truth.
The rage I feel towards Duryodhana can be appeased
only by his death. Dost thou not remember the
rage thou too hadst felt upon beholding in the woods
the distressed Pandavas clad in rags and deer-skins?
Therefore, O foremost of men, all the warriors assembled
here unanimously subscribe to what the heroic son
of Madri, fierce in battle, hath said!’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’At these words
of the high-souled Yuyudhana, a leonine roar was set
up by all the warriors assembled there. And all
the heroes, highly applauding those words of Satyaki,
praised him, saying, ‘Excellent! Excellent!’
And anxious to fight, they all began to express their
joy.’”
SECTION LXXXII
“Vaisampayana said, ’Hearing the peaceful
words of the king that were fraught with both virtue
and profit, king Drupada’s daughter Krishna,
of long black tresses, afflicted with great grief,
applauding Sahadeva and that mighty car-warrior Satyaki,
addressed Madhava seated by his side. And beholding
Bhimasena declare for peace, that intelligent lady,
overwhelmed with woe and with eyes bathed in tears,
said, ’O slayer of Madhu, it is known to thee,
O thou of mighty arms, by what deceitful means, O
righteous one, the son of Dhritarashtra with his counsellors
robbed the Pandavas, O Janardana. of their happiness.
Thou knowest also, O thou of Dasarha’s race,
what message was privately delivered to Sanjaya by
the king. Thou hast also heard all that was said
unto Sanjaya. O thou of great effulgence, these
words were even these, ’Let only five villages
be granted to us, viz., Avishthala, and Vrikasthala,
and Makandi, and Varanavata, and for the fifth, any
other,—O thou of mighty arms, O Kesava,
even this was the message that was to have been delivered
to Duryodhana and his counsellors. But, O Krishna,
O thou of Dasarha’s race, hearing those words
of Yudhishthira, endued with modesty and anxious for
peace, Suyodhana hath not acted according to them.
If, O Krishna, Suyodhana desireth to make peace without
surrendering the kingdom, there is no necessity of
going thither for making such a peace. The Pandavas
with the Srinjayas, O thou of mighty arms, are quite
able to withstand the fierce Dhritarashtra host inflamed
Page 292
with rage. When they are no longer amenable to
this arts of conciliation, it is not proper, O slayer
of Madhu, that thou shouldst show them mercy.
Those enemies, O Krishna, with whom peace cannot be
established by either conciliation or presents, should
be treated with severity by one desirous of saving
his life. Therefore, O mighty-armed Achyuta,
heavy should be the punishment that deserves to be
speedily inflicted upon them by thyself aided by the
Pandavas and the Srinjayas. Indeed, even this
would become the son of Pritha, and add to thy glory,
and if accomplished, will, O Krishna, be a source
of great happiness to the whole Kshatriya race.
He that is covetous, whether belonging to the Kshatriya
or any other order, save of course a Brahmana, even
if most sinful, ought surely to be slain by a Kshatriya,
who is true to the duties of his own order. The
exception in the case of a Brahmana, O sire, is due
to a Brahmana’s being the preceptor of all the
other orders, as also the first sharer of everything.
Persons conversant with the scriptures declare, O Janardana,
that sin is incurred in slaying one that deserveth
not to be slain. So there is equal sin in not
slaying one that deserveth to be slain. Act thou,
therefore, O Krishna, in such a way with the forces
of the Pandavas and the Srinjayas, that sin may not
touch thee. From excess of confidence in thee,
O Janardana, I will repeat what hath been said again
and again. Whatever woman, O Kesava, is there
on earth like me? I am the daughter of king Drupada,
risen from the sacrificial alter. I am the sister
of Dhrishtadyumna, thy dear friend, O Krishna.
I have by marriage become a lady of Ajamida’s
race,—the daughter-in-law of the illustrious
Pandu. I am the queen of Pandu’s sons,
who resemble five Indras in splendour. I have,
by these five heroes, five sons that are all mighty
car-warriors, and that are morally bound to thee,
O Krishna, as Abhimanyu himself. Being such,
O Krishna, I was seized by the hair, dragged into the
assembly and insulted in the very sight of the sons
of Pandu and in thy life-time. O Kesava, the
sons of Pandu, the Panchalas, and the Vrishnis being
all alive, exposed to the gaze of the assembly I was
treated as a slave by those sinful wretches.
And when the Pandavas beholding it all sat silent
without giving way to wrath, in my heart I called upon
thee. O Govinda, saying,—Save me,
O save me!—Then the illustrious king Dhritarashtra,
my father-in-law, said unto me, ’Ask thou any
boon, O princess of Panchala. Thou deservest
boons and even honour at my hands.’ Thus
addressed I said, ’Let the Pandavas be free men
with their cars and weapons.’ Upon this
the Pandavas, O Kesava, were freed but only to be
exiled into the woods. O Janardana, thou knowest
all these sorrows of mine. Rescue me, O lotus-eyed
one, with my husbands, kinsmen, and relatives, from
that grief. Morally, O Krishna, I am the daughter-in-law
of both Bhishma and Dhritarashtra. Though such,
I was yet forcibly made a slave. Fie to Partha’s
bowmanship, oh, fie to Bhimasena’s might since
Duryodhana, O Krishna, liveth for even a moment.
If I deserve any favour at thy hands, if thou hast
any compassion for me, let thy wrath, O Krishna, be
directed towards the sons of Dhritarashtra.’
Page 293
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Having said
this, the beautiful Krishna of eyes that were black
in hue and large like lotus leaves, bathed in tears,
and walking like a cow-elephant, approached the lotus-eyed
Krishna, and taking with her left hand her own beautiful
tresses of curly ends, deep-blue in hue and scented
with every perfume, endued with every auspicious mark,
and though gathered into a braid, yet soft and glossy
like a mighty snake, spake these words, ’Lotus-eyed
one that art anxious for peace with the enemy, thou
shouldst, in all thy acts, call to thy mind these
tresses of mine seized by Dussasana’s rude hands!
If Bhima and Arjuna, O Krishna, have become so low
as to long for peace, my aged father then with his
war like sons will avenge for me in battle. My
five sons also that are endued with great energy,
with Abhimanyu, O slayer of Madhu, at their head,
will fight with the Kauravas. What peace can this
heart of mine know unless I behold Dussasana’s
dark arm severed from his trunk and pulverised to
atoms? Thirteen long years have I passed in expectation
of better times, hiding in my heart my wrath like a
smouldering fire. And now pierced by Bhima’s
wordy darts that heart cf mine is about to break,
for the mighty-armed Bhima now casteth his eye on
morality. Uttering these words with voice choked
in tears, the large-eyed Krishna began to weep aloud,
with convulsive sobs, and tears gushed down her cheeks.
And that lady, with hips full and round, began to drench
her close and deep bosom by the tears she shed which
were hot as liquid fire. The mighty-armed Kesava
then spoke, comforting her in these words, ’Soon
wilt thou, O Krishna, behold the ladies of Bharata’s
race weep as thou dost. Even they, O timid one,
will weep like thee, their kinsmen and friends being
slain. They with whom, O lady, thou art angry,
have their kinsmen and warriors already slain.
With Bhima and Arjuna and the twins, at Yudhishthira’s
command, and agreeably to fate, and what hath been
ordained by the Ordainer, I will accomplish all this.
Their hour having arrived, the sons of Dhritarashtra,
if they do not listen to my words, will surely lie
down on the earth turned as morsels of dogs and jackals.
The mountains of Himavat might shift their site, the
Earth herself might spilt into a hundred fragments,
the firmament itself with its myriads of stars might
fall down, still my words can never be futile.
Stop thy tears, I swear to thee, O Krishna, soon wilt
thou see thy husbands, with their enemies slain, and
with prosperity crowning them.’”
SECTION LXXXIII
“Arjuna said, ’Thou art now, O Kesava,
the best friend of all the Kurus. Related with
both the parties, thou art the dear friend of both.
It behoveth thee to bring about peace between the
Pandavas and the sons of Dhritarashtra. Thou,
O Kesava, art competent and, therefore, it behoveth
thee to bring about a reconciliation. O lotus-eyed
one, proceeding hence for peace, O slayer of foes,
say unto our ever-wrathful brother Suyodhana, what,
indeed, should be said, ’If the foolish Duryodhana
doth not accept thy auspicious and beneficial counsels
fraught with virtue and profit, he will surely then
be the victim of his fate.’
Page 294
“The holy one said, ’Yes, I will go to
king Dhritarashtra, desirous of accomplishing what
is consistent with righteousness, what may be beneficial
to us, and what also is for the good of the Kurus.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’The night having
passed away, a bright sun arose in the east.
The hour called Maitra set in, and the rays of the
sun were still mild. The month was (Kaumuda Kartika)
under the constellation Revati. It was the season
of dew, Autumn having departed. The earth was
covered with abundant crops all around. It was
at such a time that Janardana, the foremost of mighty
persons, in enjoyment of excellent health, having
heard the auspicious, sacred-sounding and sweet words
of gratified Brahmanas, like Vasava himself hearing
the adorations of the (celestial) Rishis,—and
having also gone through the customary acts and rites
of the morning, purified himself by a bath, and decked
his person with unguents and ornaments, worshipped
both the Sun and Fire. And having touched the
tail of a bull and reverently bowed to the Brahmanas,
walked round the sacred fire, and cast his eyes on
the (usual) auspicious articles placed in view, Janardana
recollected Yudhishthira’s word and addressed
Sini’s grandson Satyaki, seated near, saying,
’Let my car be made ready and let my conch and
discus along with my mace, and quivers and darts and
all kinds of weapons, offensive and defensive, be placed
on it, for Duryodhana and Karna and Suvala’s
son are all of wicked souls, and foes, however contemptible,
should never be disregarded by even a powerful person.
Understanding the wishes of Kesava, the wielder of
the discus and the mace, his attendants immediately
addressed themselves to yoke his car. And that
car resembled in effulgence the fire that shows itself
at the time of the universal dissolution, and itself
in speed. And it was provided with two wheels
that resembled the sun and the moon in lustre.
And it bore emblazonments of moons, both crescent and
full, and of fishes, animals, and birds and it was
adorned with garlands of diverse flowers and with
pearls and gems of various kinds all around. And
endued with the splendour of the rising sun, it was
large and handsome. And variegated with gems
and gold, it was furnished with an excellent flag-staff
bearing beautiful pennons. And well-supplied with
every necessary article, and incapable of being resisted
by the foe, it was covered with tiger-skins, and capable
of robbing the fame of every foe, it enhanced the
joy of the Yadavas. And they yoked unto it those
excellent steeds named Saivya and Sugriva and Meghapushpa
and Valahaka, after these had been bathed and attired
in beautiful harness. And enhancing the dignity
of Krishna still further, Garuda, the lord of the
feathery creation, came and perched on the flag-staff
of that car producing a terrible rattle. And
Saurin then mounted on that car, high as the summit
of the Meru, and producing a rattle, deep and loud
as the sound of the kettle-drum or the clouds and
Page 295
which resembled the celestial car coursing at the
will of the rider. And taking Satyaki also upon
it, that best of male beings set out, filling the
earth and the welkin with the rattle of his chariot-wheels.
And the sky became cloudless, and auspicious winds
began to blow around, and the atmosphere freed from
the dust became pure. Indeed, as Vasudeva set
out, auspicious animals and birds, whirling by the
right side, began to follow him, and cranes and peacocks
and swans all followed the slayer of Madhu, uttering
cries of good omens. The very fire, fed with
Homa libations in accompaniment with Mantras, freed
from smoke blazed up cheerfully, sending forth its
flames towards the right. And Vasishtha and Vamadeva,
and Bhuridyumna and Gaya, and Kratha and Sukra and
Kusika and Bhrigu, and other Brahmarshis and celestial
Rishis united together, all stood on the right side
of Krishna, that delighter of the Yadavas, that younger
brother of Vasava. And thus worshipped by those
and other illustrious Rishis and holy men, Krishna
set out for the residence of the Kurus. And while
Krishna was proceeding, Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti,
followed him, as also Bhima and Arjuna and those other
Pandavas, viz., the twin sons of Madri. And
the valiant Chekitana and Dhrishtaketu, the ruler
of the Chedis, and Drupada and the king of Kasi and
that mighty car-warrior Sikhandin, and Dhrishtadyumna,
and Virata with his sons, and the princes of Kekaya
also,—all these Kshatriyas followed that
bull of the Kshatriya race to honour him. And
the illustrious king Yudhishthira the just, having
followed Govinda to some distance, addressed him in
these words in the presence of all those kings.
And the son of Kunti embraced that foremost of all
persons, who never, from desire, or anger, or fear,
or purpose of gain committed the least wrong, whose
mind was ever steady, who was a stranger to covetousness,
who was conversant with morality and endued with great
intelligence and wisdom, who knew the hearts of all
creatures and was the lord of all, who was the God
of gods, who was eternal, who was possessed of every
virtue, and who bore the auspicious mark on his breast.
And embracing him the king began to indicate what
he was to do.’
“Yudhishthira said, ’That lady who hath
brought us from our infancy; who is ever engaged in
facts and ascetic penances and propitiatory rites and
ceremonies; who is devoted to the worship of the gods
and guests; who is always engaged in waiting upon
her superiors who is fond of her sons, bearing for
them an affection that knows no bounds; who, O Janardana,
is dearly loved by us; who, O grinder of foes, repeatedly
saved us from the snares of Suyodhana, like a boat
saving a ship-wrecked crew from the frightful terrors
of the sea; and who, O Madhava, however undeserving
of woe herself, hath on our account endured countless
sufferings,—should be asked about her welfare-Salute
and embrace, and, oh, comfort her over and over, overwhelmed
Page 296
with grief as she is on account of her sons by talking
of the Pandavas. Ever since her marriage she hath
been the victim, however undeserving, of sorrow and
griefs due to the conduct of her father-in-law, and
suffering hath been her position. Shall I, O Krishna,
ever see the time when, O chastiser of foes, my afflictions
being over, I shall be able to make my sorrowing mother
happy? On the eve of our exile, from affection
for her children, she ran after us in anguish, crying
bitterly. But leaving her behind, we went into
the woods. Sorrow doth not necessarily kill.
It is possible, therefore, that she is alive, being
hospitably entertained by the Anartas, though afflicted
with sorrow on account of her sons. O glorious
Krishna, salute her for me, the Kuru king Dhritarashtra
also, and all those monarchs who are senior to us in
age, and Bhishma, and Drona, and Kripa, and king Vahlika,
and Drona’s son and Somadatta, and in fact,
every one of the Bharata race, and also Vidura endued
with great wisdom, that counsellor of the Kurus, of
profound intellect and intimate acquaintance with
morality,—should all, O slayer of Madhu,
be embraced by thee!’ Having in the presence
of the kings, said these words unto Kesava, Yudhishthira,
with Krishna’s permission, came back having
at first walked round him. Then Arjuna, proceeding
a few steps, further said unto his friend, that bull
among men, that slayer of hostile heroes, that invincible
warrior of Dasarha’s race, ’It is known
to all the kings, O illustrious Govinda, that at our
consultation it was settled that we should ask back
the kingdom. If without insulting us, if honouring
thee, they honestly give us what we demand, then, O
mighty armed one, they would please me greatly and
would themselves escape a terrible danger. If,
however, Dhritarashtra’s son, who always adopts
improper means, acts otherwise, then I shall surely,
O Janardana, annihilate the Kshatriya race.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’When Arjuna
said these words, Vrikodara was filled with delight.
And that son of Pandu continually quivered with rage;
and while still quivering with rage and the delight
that filled his heart upon hearing Dhananjaya’s
words, he set forth a terrible shout. And hearing
that shout of his, all the bowmen trembled in fear
and steeds and elephants were seen to pass urine and
excreta. And having addressed Kesava then and
informed him of his resolution. Arjuna with Janardana’s
permission, came back, having first embraced him.
And after all the kings had desisted following him,
Janardana set out with a cheerful heart on his car
drawn by Saivya, Sugriva, and others. And those
steeds of Vasudeva, urged by Daruka, coursed onwards,
devouring the sky and drinking the road. And
on his way Kesava of mighty arms met with some Rishis
blazing with Brahmic lustre, standing on both sides
of the road, And soon alighting from his car, Janardana
saluted them reverently. And worshipping them
duly, he enquired of them, saying, ’Is there
Page 297
peace in all the world? Is virtue being duly
practised? And the other three orders obedient
to the Brahmanas? And having duly worshipped them,
the slayer of Madhu again said, ’Where have
ye been crowned with success? Whither would ye
go, and for what object? What also shall I do
for yourselves? What has brought your illustrious
selves down on the earth?’ Thus addressed, Jamadagni’s
son, the friend of Brahma—that lord of both
gods and Asuras,—approached Govinda the
slayer of Madhu, embraced him, and said, ’The
celestial Rishis of pious deeds, and Brahmanas of extensive
acquaintance with the scriptures, and royal sages,
O Dasarha, and venerable ascetic,—these
witnesses, O illustrious one, of the former feats
of gods and Asuras,—are desirous of beholding
all the Kshatriyas of the earth assembled from every
side as also the counsellors sitting in the assembly,
the kings, and thyself the embodiment of truth, O
Janardana. O Kesava, we will go thither for beholding
that grand sight. We are also anxious, O Madhava,
to listen to those words fraught with virtue and profit,
which will be spoken by thee, O chastiser of foes,
unto the Kurus in the presence of all the kings.
Indeed, Bhishma, and Drona, and others, as also the
illustrious Vidura and thyself, O tiger among the
Yadavas,—Ye all will be assembled together
in conclave! We desire, O Madhava, to hear the
excellent, truthful, and beneficial words that thou
wilt utter and they also, O Govinda. Thou art
now informed of our purpose, O thou of mighty arms.
We will meet thee again. Go thither safely, O
hero. We hope to see thee in the midst of the
conclave, seated on an excellent seat mustering all
thy energy and might.’”
SECTION LXXXIV
“Vaisampayana said, ’O smiter of foes,
when Devaki’s son of mighty arms set out (for
Hastinapura), ten mighty car-warriors, capable of slaying
hostile heroes, fully armed, followed in his train.
And a thousand foot-soldiers, and a thousand horsemen,
and attendants by hundreds, also formed his train,
carrying, O king, provisions in abundance.’
“Janamejaya said, ’How did the illustrious
slayer of Madhu, of Dasarha’s race, proceed
on his journey? And what omens were seen when
that hero set out?’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Listen to me
as I narrate all those natural and unnatural omens
that were noticed at the time when the illustrious
Krishna departed (for Hastinapura). Though there
were no clouds in the sky, yet the roll of thunder
accompanied by flashes of lightning was heard.
And fleecy clouds in a clear sky rained incessantly
in the rear! The seven large rivers including
the Sindhu (Indus) though flowing eastwards then flowed
in opposite directions. The very directions seemed
to be reversed and nothing could be distinguished.
Fires blazed up everywhere, O monarch, and the earth
trembled repeatedly. The contents of wells and
water-vessels by hundreds swelled up and ran out.
Page 298
The whole universe was enveloped in darkness.
The atmosphere being filled with dust, neither the
cardinal nor the subsidiary points of the horizon
could, O king, be distinguished. Loud roars were
heard in the sky without any being being visible from
whom these could emanate. This wonderful phenomenon,
O king, was noticed all over the country. A south-westerly
wind, with the harsh rattle of the thunder, uprooting
trees by the thousands, crushed the city of Hastinapura.
In those places, however, O Bharata, through which
he of Vrishni’s race passed, delicious breezes
blew and everything became auspicious. Showers
of lotuses and fragrant flowers fell there. The
very road became delightful, being free from prickly
grass and thorns. At those places where he stayed,
Brahmanas by thousands glorified that giver of wealth
with (laudation) and worshipped him with dishes of
curds, ghee, honey, and presents of wealth. The
very women, coming out on the road, strewed wild flowers
of great fragrance on the person of that illustrious
hero, devoted to the welfare of all creatures.
He then came upon a delightful spot called Salibhavana
which was filled with every kind of crops, a spot
that was delicious and sacred, after having, O bull
of the Bharata race, seen various villages abounding
in bees, and picturesque to the eye, and delightful
to the heart, and after having passed through diverse
cities and kingdoms. Always cheerful and of good
hearts, well-protected by the Bharatas and therefore
free from all anxieties on account of the designs of
invaders, and unacquainted with calamities of any
kind, many of the citizens of Upaplavya, coming out
of their town, stood together on the way, desirous
of beholding Krishna. And beholding that illustrious
one resembling a blazing fire arrived at the spot,
they worshipped him who deserved their worship with
all the honours of a guest arrived in their abode.
When at last that slayer of hostile heroes, Kesava,
came to Vrikasthala, the sun seemed to redden the
sky by his straggling rays of light. Alighting
from his car, he duly went through the usual purificatory
rites, and ordering the steeds to be unharnessed,
he set himself to say his evening prayers. And
Daruka also, setting the steeds free, tended them according
to the rules of equine science, and taking off the
yokes and traces, let them loose. After this
was done, the slayer of Madhu said, ’Here must
we pass the night for the sake of Yudhishthira’s
mission. Ascertaining that to be his intention,
the attendants soon set a temporary abode and prepared
in a trice excellent food and drink. Amongst
the Brahmanas, O king, that resided in the village,
they that were of noble and high descent, modest,
and obedient to the injunctions of the Vedas in their
conduct, approached that illustrious chastiser of
foes, Hrishikesa, and honoured him with their benedictions
and auspicious speeches. And having honoured him
of Dasarha’s race that deserveth honour from
every one, they placed at the disposal of that illustrious
person their houses, abounding in wealth. Saying
unto them—’Enough’—the
illustrious Krishna paid them proper homage, each
according to his rank, and wending with them to their
house, he returned in their company to his own (tent).
And feeding all the Brahmanas with sweet-meats and
himself taking his meals with them, Kesava passed
the night happily there.’”
Page 299
SECTION LXXXV
“Vaisampayana said, ’Meanwhile, understanding
from his spies that the slayer of Madhu had set out,
Dhritarashtra, with his hair standing erect, respectfully
addressing the mighty-armed Bhishma and Dorna and Sanjaya
and the illustrious Vidura, said these words unto Duryodhana
and his counsellors, ’O scion of Kuru’s
race, strange and wonderful is the news that we hear.
Men, women and children, are talking of it. Others
are speaking of it respectfully, and others again
assembled together. Within houses where men congregate
and in open spots, people and discussing it.
All say that Dasarha of great prowess will come hither
for the sake of Pandavas. The slayer of Madhu
is, by all means, deserving of honour and worship
at our hands. He is the Lord of all creatures,
and on him resteth the course of every thing in the
universe. Indeed, intelligence and prowess and
wisdom and energy, all reside in Madhava. Worthy
of honour at the hands of all righteous persons he
is the foremost of all men, and is, indeed, eternal
Virtue. If worshipped he is sure to bestow happiness;
and if not worshipped fie is sure to inflict misery.
If that smiter of foes, Dasarha be gratified with
our offerings, all our wishes may be obtained by us,
through his grace, in the midst of the kings.
O chastiser of foes, make without loss of time every
arrangement for his reception. Let pavilions
be set up on the road, furnished with every object
of enjoyment. O mighty-armed son of Gandhari,
make such arrangements that he may be gratified with
thee. What doth Bhishma think in this matter?’
At this, Bhishma and others, all applauding those
words of king Dhritarashtra, said,—’Excellent.’
King Duryodhana then, understanding their wishes,
ordered delightful sites to be chosen for the erection
of pavilions. Many pavilions were thereupon constructed
abounding with gems of every kind, at proper intervals
and at delightful spots. And the king sent thither
handsome seats endued with excellent qualities, beautiful
girls, and scents and ornaments, and fine robes, and
excellent viands, and drink of diverse qualities,
and fragrant garlands of many kinds. And the
king of the Kurus took especial care to erect, for
the reception of Krishna, a highly beautiful pavilion
at Vrikasthala, full of precious gems. And having
made all these arrangements that were god-like and
much above the capacity of human beings, king Duryodhana
informed Dhritarashtra of the same. Kesava, however,
of Dasarha’s race, arrived at the capital of
the Kurus, without casting a single glance at all those
pavilions and all those gems of diverse kinds.’”
SECTION LXXXVI
Page 300
“Dhritarashtra said, ’O Vidura, Janardana
hath set out from Upaplavya. He is now staying
at Vrikasthala and will come here tomorrow. Janardana
is the leader of the Ahukas, the foremost person amongst
all the members of the Sattwata race, is high-souled,
and endued with great energy and great might.
Indeed, Madhava is the guardian and protector of the
Prosperous kingdom of Vrishnis and is the illustrious
Great-Grandsire of even the three worlds. The
Vrishnis adore the wisdom of the intelligent Krishna,
even as the Adityas, the Vasus, and the Rudras adore
the wisdom of Vrihaspati. O virtuous one, I will
in thy presence, offer worship unto that illustrious
scion of Dasarha’s race. Listen to me about
that worship. I will give him sixteen cars made
of gold, each drawn by four excellent and well-adorned
steeds of uniform colour and of the Vahlika breed.
O Kaurava, I will give him eight elephants with temporal
juice always trickling down and tusks as large as
poles of ploughs, capable of smiting hostile ranks,
and each having eight human attendants. I will
give him a century of handsome maid-servants of the
complexion of gold, all virgins, and man-servants
I will give him as, many. I will give him eighteen
thousand woolen blankets soft to the touch, all presented
to us by the hill-men. I will also give him a
thousand deer-skins brought from China and other things
of the kind that may be worthy of Kesava. I will
also give him this serene gem of the purest rays that
shines day and night, for Kesava alone deserves it.
This car of mine drawn by mules that makes a round
of full fourteen Yojanas a day, I will also give him.
I will place before him every-day-provisions eight
times greater than what is necessary for the animals
and attendants that form his train. Mounted on
their cars, having their person well-adorned, all my
sons and grandsons, save Duryodhana, will go out to
receive him. And thousands of graceful and well-decked
dancing girls will go out on foot to receive the illustrious
Kesava. And the beautiful girls that will go out
of the town for receiving Janardana will go out unveiled.
Let all the citizens with their wives and children
behold the illustrious slayer of Madhu wit h as much
respect and devotion as they show when casting their
eyes on the morning sun. Let the canopy all round,
at my command, be crowded with pendants and banners,
and let the road, by which Kesava will come, be well-watered
and its dusts removed. Let Dussasana’s abode,
which is better than Duryodhana’s, be cleansed
and well-adorned without delay. That mansion
consisting of many beautiful buildings, is pleasant
and delightful, and abounds with the wealth of all
seasons. It is in that abode that all my wealth,
as also Duryodhana’s, are deposited. Let
all that scion of the Vrishni race deserves be given
unto him.’”
SECTION LXXXVII
Page 301
“Vidura said, ’O monarch, O best of men,
thou art respected by three worlds. Thou, O Bharata,
art loved and regarded by every body. Venerable
in year as thou art, what thou wilt say at this age
cap never be against the dictates of the scriptures
or the conclusions of well-directed reason, for thy
mind is ever calm. Thy subjects, O king, are well-assured
that, like characters on stone, light in the sun, and
billows in the ocean, virtue resideth in thee permanently.
O monarch, every one is honoured and made happy in
consequence of thy numerous virtues. Strive,
therefore, with thy friends and kinsmen to retain those
virtues of thine. Oh, adopt sincerity of behaviour.
Do not from folly, cause a wholesale destruction of
thy sons, grandsons, friends, kinsmen, and all that
are dear to thee. It is much, O king, that thou
wishes to give unto Kesava as thy guest. Know,
however, that Kesava deserves all this and much more,
aye, the whole earth itself. I truly swear by
my own soul that thou dost not wish to give all this
unto Krishna either from motives of virtue or for
the object of doing what is agreeable to him.
O giver of great wealth, all this betrays only deception,
falsehood, and insincerity. By the external acts,
O king, I know thy secret purpose. The five Pandavas,
O king, desire only five villages. Thou, however,
dost not wish to give them even that. Thou art,
therefore, unwilling to make peace. Thou seekest
to make the mighty-armed hero of Vrishni’s race
thy own by means of thy wealth; in foot, by this means,
thou seekest to separate Kesava from the Pandavas.
I tell thee, however, that thou art unable, by wealth,
or attention, or worship, to separate Krishna from
Dhananjaya. I know magnanimity of Krishna; I
know firm devotion of Arjuna towards him, I know that
Dhananjaya, who is Kesava’s life, is incapable
of being given up by the latter. Save only a
vessel of water, save only the washing of his feet,
save only the (usual) enquiries after the welfare (of
those he will see), Janardana will not accept any
other hospitality or set his eyes on any other thing.
Offer him, however, O king, that hospitality which
is the most agreeable to that illustrious one deserving
of every respect, for there is no respect that may
not be offered to Janardana. Give unto Kesava,
O king, that object in expectation of which, from
desire of benefiting both parties, he cometh to the
Kurus. Kesava desires peace to be established
between thee and Duryodhana on one side and the Pandavas
on the other. Follow his counsels, O, monarch.
Thou art their father, O king, and the Pandavas are
thy sons. Thou art old, and they are children
to thee in years, behave as father towards them, that
are disposed to pay thee filial regard.”
SECTION LXXXVIII
Page 302
“Duryodhana said, ’All that Vidura hath
said about Krishna, hath indeed, been truly said;
for Janardana is greatly devoted to the Pandavas and
can never be separated from them. All the diverse
kinds of wealth, O foremost of kings, that are proposed
to be bestowed upon Janardana ought never to be bestowed
upon him. Kesava is, of course, not unworthy of
our worship, but both time and place are against it,
for he (Krishna), O king, on receiving our worship,
will very likely think that we are worshipping him
out of fear. This is my certain conviction, O
king, that an intelligent Kshatriya must not do that
which may bring disgrace upon him. It is well-known
to me that the large-eyed Krishna deserveth the most
reverential worship of the three worlds. It is
quite out of place, therefore, O illustrious king,
to give him anything now, for war having been decided
upon, it should never be put off by hospitality.’
“Vaisampayana. continued, ’Hearing these
words of his, the Grandsire of the Kurus spoke these
words unto the royal son of Vichitravirya, ’Worshipped
or not worshipped, Janardana never becometh angry.
None, however, can treat him with disrespect, for
Kesava is not contemptible. Whatever, O mighty
one, he purposeth to do is incapable of being frustrated
by anybody by every means in his power. Do without
hesitation what Krishna of mighty arms sayeth and
bring about peace with the Pandavas through Vasudeva
as the means. Truly Janardana, possessed of virtuous
soul, will say what is consistent with religion and
profit. It behoveth thee, therefore, with all
thy friends, to tell him what only is agreeable to
him.’
“Duryodhana said, ’O Grandsire, I can,
by no means, live by sharing this swelling prosperity
of mine with the Pandavas. Listen, this, indeed,
is a great resolution which I have formed. I
will imprison Janardana who is the refuge of the Pandavas.
He will come here tomorrow morning; and when he is
confined, the Vrishnis and the Pandavas, aye, the whole
earth, will submit to me. What may be the means
for accomplishing it, so that Janardana may not guess
our purpose, and so that no danger also may overtake
us, it behoveth thee to say.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Hearing these
fearful words of his son about imprisoning Krishna,
Dhritarashtra, with all his counsellors, was very
much pained and became deeply afflicted. King
Dhritarashtra then spoke those words unto Duryodhana,
’O ruler of men, never say this again, this
is not immemorial custom. Hrishikesa cometh here
as an ambassador. He is, besides, related to
and is dear to us. He hath done us no wrong; how
then doth he deserves imprisonment?’
“Bhishma said, ’This wicked son of thine,
O Dhritarashtra, hath his hour come. He chooseth
evil, not good, though entreated by his well-’
wishers. Thou also followest in the wake of this
wicked wretch of sinful surroundings, who treadeth
a thorny path setting at naught the words of his well-wisher.
This exceedingly wicked son of thine with all his
counsellors coming in contact with Krishna of unstained
acts, will be destroyed in a moment. I dare not
listen to the words of this sinful and wicked wretch
that hath abandoned all virtue.’
Page 303
’Having said this, that aged chief of the Bharata
race, Bhishma of unbaffled prowess, inflamed with
rage rose and left that place.’”
SECTION LXXXIX
“Vaisampayana said, ’Rising up (from his
bed) at day-dawn, Krishna went through his morning
rites, and taking leave of the Bharatas, set out for
the city (of the Kurus). Ana all the inhabitants
of Vrikasthala, bidding farewell unto that mighty
one of long arms while he was about to depart, all
returned to their homes. And all the Dhartarashtras
except Duryodhana, attired in excellent robes, and
with Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, and others, went out to
meet him. And the citizens by thousands, O king,
on cars of diverse kinds, and many on foot, also came
out, desirous of beholding Hrishikesa. And meeting
on the way Bhishma of spotless deed, and Drona, and
Dhritarashtra’s sons, he entered the city, surrounded
by them all. And in honour of Krishna, the city
was beautifully adorned, and the principal streets
were decorated with diverse jewels and gems. And,
O king, O bull of the Bharata race, on that occasion
no one,—man, woman, or child,—remained
in doors, so eager were the citizens for beholding
Vasudeva. And all the citizens came out and lined
the streets and bent their heads down to the ground
singing eulogies in his honour, O king, when Hrishikesa
entered the city and passed through it. And substantial
mansions, filled with high-born ladies, seemed to be
on the point of falling down on the ground in consequence
of their living weight. And although Vasudeva’s
steeds were endued with great speed, yet they moved
very slowly through that dense mass of human beings.
And that lotus-eyed grinder of foes then entered Dhritarashtra’s
ash-coloured palace which was enriched with numerous
buildings. And having passed through the first
three chambers of the palace, that chastiser of foes,
Kesava, came upon the royal son of Vichitravirya.
And upon that son of Dasarha’s race approaching
his presence, the blind monarch of great fame stood
up along with Drona and Bhishma, Kripa and Somadatta,
and king Vahlika also,—all stood up for
honouring Janardana. And the Vrishni hero, having
approached king Dhritarashtra of great fame, worshipped
him and Bhishma with proper words and without losing
any time. And having offered that worship unto
them according to established usage, Madhava the slayer
of Madhu, greeted the other kings according to their
seniority in years. And Janardana then accosted
the illustrious Drona and his son, and Vahlika, and
Kripa, and Somadatta. And there in that chamber
Jay a spacious seat of beautiful workmanship, made
of gold and set with jewels. And at Dhritarashtra’s
request, Achyuta took that seat; and the priests of
Dhritarashtra duly offered Janardana a cow, honey
and curds and water. And after the rites of hospitality
were over, Govinda remained there for a while, surrounded
by the Kurus, laughing and jesting with them according
Page 304
to their relationship with him. And that illustrious
grinder of foes, honoured and worshipped by Dhritarashtra,
came out with the king’s permission. And
Madhava having duly greeted all the Kurus in their
assembly, then went to the delightful abode of Vidura;
and Vidura, having approached Janardana of Dasarha’s
race thus arrived at his abode, worshipped him with
every auspicious and desirable offering. And
he said, ’What use, O lotus-eyed one, in telling
thee of the joy I feel at this advent of thine, for
thou art the inner Soul of all embodied creatures.’
And after the hospitable reception was over, Vidura,
conversant with all the principles of morality, enquired
of Govinda, the slayer of Madhu, about the welfare
of Pandavas. And that scion of Dasarha’s
race, that chief of the Vrishnis, unto whom the past
and the future were as the present, knowing that Vidura
was loved by the Pandavas and friendly towards them,
and learned, and firm in morality, and honest, and
harbouring no wrath (against the Pandavas), and wise,
began to tell him everything in detail about the doings
of the sons of Pandu.’”
SECTION XC
“Vaisampayana said, ’Janardana, the chastiser
of foes, after his meeting with Vidura, went then
in the afternoon to his paternal aunt, Pritha.
And beholding Krishna whose countenance beamed with
the effulgence of the radiant sun arrived at her abode,
she encircled his neck with her arms and began to
pour forth her lamentations remembering her sons.
And at the sight, after a long time, of Govinda of
Vrishni’s race, the companion of those mighty
children of hers, the tears of Pritha flowed fast.
And after Krishna, that foremost of warriors, had
taken his seat having first received the rites of
hospitality, Pritha, with a woe-begone face and voice
choked with tears addressed him, saying. They,
who, from their earliest years have always waited
with reverence on their superiors; they, who, in friendship
are attached to one another; they, who, deprived deceitfully
of their kingdom had gone to seclusion, however worthy
of living in the midst of friends and attendants,—they,
who have subjugated both wrath and joy, are devoted
to Brahman’s, and truthful in speech,—those
children of mine, who, abandoning kingdom and enjoyments
and leaving my miserable self behind, had gone to the
woods, plucking the very roots of my heart,—those
illustrious sons of Pandu, O Kesava, who have suffered
woe however undeserving of it,—how, alas,
did they live in the deep forest abounding with lions
and tigers and elephants? Deprived in their infancy
of their father, they were all tenderly brought up
by me. How, also, did they live in the mighty
forest, without seeing both their parents? From
their infancy, O Kesava, the Pandavas were aroused
from their beds by the music of conchs and drums and
flutes. That they who while at home, used to
sleep in high palatial chambers on soft blankets and
skins of the Runku deer and were waked up in the morning
Page 305
by the grunt of elephants, the neighing of steeds,
the clatter of car-wheels and the music of conchs
and cymbals in accompaniment with the notes of flutes
and lyres,—who, adored at early dawn with
sacred sounding hymns uttered by Brahmanas, worshipped
those amongst them that deserved such worship with
robes and jewels and ornaments, and who were blessed
with the auspicious benedictions of those illustrious
members of the regenerate order, as a return for the
homage the latter received,—that they,
O Janardana, could sleep in the deep woods resounding
with the shrill and dissonant cries of beasts of prey
can hardly be believed, undeserving as they were of
so much woe. How could they, O slayer of Madhu,
who were roused from their beds by music of cymbals
and drums and conchs and flutes, with the honeyed
strains of songstresses and the eulogies chanted by
bards and professional reciters,—alas, how
could they be waked in the deep woods by the yells
of wild beasts? He that is endued with modesty,
is firm in truth, with senses under control and compassions
for all creatures,—he that hath vanquished
both lust and malice and always treadeth the path
of the righteous, he that ably bore the heavy burthen
borne by Amvarisha and Mandhatri Yayati and Nahusha
and Bharata and Dilip and Sivi the son of Usinara
and other royal sages of old, he that is endued with
an excellent character and disposition, he that is
conversant with virtue, and whose prowess is incapable
of being baffled, he that is fit to become the monarch
of the three worlds in consequence of his possession
of every accomplishment, he that is the foremost of
all the Kurus lawfully and in respect of learning and
disposition, who is handsome and mighty-armed and hath
no enemy,—Oh, how is that Yudhishthira
of virtuous soul, and of complexion like that of pure
gold? He that hath the strength of ten thousand
elephants and the speed of the wind, he that is mighty
and ever wrathful amongst the sons of Pandu, he that
always doth good to his brothers and is, therefore,
dear to them all, he, O slayer of Madhu, that slew
Kichaka with all his relatives, he that is the slayer
of the Krodhavasas, of Hidimva, and of Vaka, he that
in prowess is equal unto Sakra, and in might unto the
Wind-god, he that is terrible, and in wrath is equal
unto Madhava himself, he that is the foremost of all
smiters,—that wrathful son of Pandu and
chastiser of foes, who, restraining his rage, might,
impatience, and controlling his soul, is obedient to
the commands of his elder brother,—speak
to me, O Janardana, tell me how is that smiter of
immeasurable valour, that Bhimasena, who in aspect
also justifies his name—that Vrikodara
possessing arms like maces, that mighty second son
of Pandu? O Krishna, that Arjuna of two arms who
always regardeth himself as superior to his namesake
of old with thousand arms, and who at one stretch
shooteth five hundred arrows, that son of Pandu who
in the use of weapons is equal unto king Kartavirya,
Page 306
in energy unto Aditya, in restraint of senses unto
a great sage, in forgiveness unto the Earth, and in
prowess unto Indra himself,—he, by whose
prowess, O slayer of Madhu, the Kurus amongst all
the kings of the earth have obtained this extensive
empire, blazing with effulgence,—he, whose
strength of arms is always adored by the Pandavas,—that
son of Pandu, who is the foremost of all car-warriors
and whose prowess is incapable of being frustrated,—he,
from an encounter with whom in battle no foe ever escapeth
with life,—he, O Achyuta, who is the conqueror
of all, but who is incapable of being conquered by
any,—he, who is the refuge of the Pandavas
like Vasava of the celestials,—how, O Kesava,
is that Dhananjaya now, that brother and friend of
thine? He that is compassionate to all creatures,
is endued with modesty and acquainted with mighty weapons,
is soft and delicate and virtuous,—he that
is dear to me,—that mighty bowman Sahadeva,
that hero and ornament of assemblies,—he,
O Krishna, who is youthful in years, is devoted to
the service of his brothers, and is conversant with
both virtue and profit, whose brothers, O slayer of
Madhu, always applaud the disposition of that high-souled
and well-behaved son of mine,—tell me,
O thou of the Vrishni race, of that heroic Sahadeva,
that foremost of warriors, that son of Madri, who always
waiteth submissively on his elder brothers and so reverentially
on me. He that is delicate and youthful in years,
he that is brave and handsome in person,—that
son of Pandu who is dear unto his brothers as also
unto all, and who, indeed, is their very life though
walking with a separate body,—he that is
conversant with various modes of warfare,—he
that is endued with great strength and is a mighty
bowman,—tell me, O Krishna, whether that
dear child of mine, Nakula, who was brought up in luxury,
is now well in body and mind? O thou of mighty
arms, shall I ever behold again Nakula of mine, that
mighty car-warrior, that delicate youth brought up
in every luxury and undeserving of woe? Behold,
O hero, I am alive today, even I, who could know peace
by losing sight of Nakula for the short space of time
taken up by a wink of the eye. More than all my
sons, O Janardana, is the daughter of Drupada dear
to me. High-born and possessed of great beauty,
she is endued with every accomplishment. Truthful
in speech, she chose the company of her lords, giving
up that of her sons, Indeed, leaving her dear children
behind, she followeth the sons of Pandu. Waited
upon at one time by a large train of servants, and
adored by her husbands with every object of enjoyment,
the possessor of every auspicious mark and accomplishment,
how, O Achyuta, is that Draupadi now? Having
five heroic husbands who are all smiters of foes and
all mighty bowmen, each equal unto Agni in energy,
alas, woe hath yet been the lot of Drupada’s
daughter. I have not for fourteen long years,
O chastiser of foes, beheld the princess of Panchala,
that daughter-in-law of mine’ who herself hath
Page 307
been a prey to constant anxiety on account of her
children, whom she hath not seen for that period.
When Drupada’s daughter endued with such a disposition,
doth not enjoy uninterrupted happiness, it seemeth,
O Govinda, that the happiness one enjoyeth is never
the fruit of one’s acts. When I remember
the forcible dragging of Draupadi to the assembly,
then neither Vibhatsu nor Yudhishthira, nor Bhima,
nor Nakula, nor Sahadeva, becometh an object of affection
to me. Never before had a heavier grief been
mine than what pierced my heart when that wretch Dussasana,
moved by wrath and covetousness, dragged Draupadi,
then in her flow, and therefore clad in a single raiment,
into the presence of her father-in-law in the assembly
and exposed her to the gaze of all the Kurus.
It is known that amongst those that were present,
king Vahlika, Kripa, Somadatta, were pierced with grief
at this sight, but of all present in that assembly,
it was Vidura whom I worship. Neither by learning,
nor by wealth doth one become worthy of homage.
It is by disposition alone that one becomes respectable,
O Krishna, endued with great intelligence and profound
wisdom, the character of the illustrious Vidura, like
unto an ornament (that he wears) adorns the whole
world.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Filled with
delight at the advent of Govinda, and afflicted with
sorrow (on account of her sons) Pritha gave expression
to all her diverse griefs. And she said, ’Can
gambling and the slaughter of deer, which, O chastiser
of foes, occupied all wicked kings of old, be a pleasant
occupation for the Pandavas? The thought consumeth,
O Kesava, that being dragged into the presence of
all the Kurus in their assembly by Dhritarashtra’s
sons, insults worse than death were heaped on Krishna,
O chastiser of foes, the banishment of my sons from
their capital and their wanderings in the wilderness,—these
and various other griefs, O Janardana, have been mine.
Nothing could be more painful to me or to my sons
themselves, O Madhava, than that they should have had
to pass a period of concealment, shut up in a stranger’s
house. Full fourteen years have passed since
the day when Duryodhana first exited my sons.
If misery is destructive of fruits of sins, and happiness
is dependent on the fruits of religious merit, then
it seems that happiness may still be ours after so
much misery. I never made any distinction between
Dhritarashtra’s sons and mine (so far as maternal
affection is concerned). By that truth, O Krishna,
I shall surely behold thee along with the Pandavas
safely come out of the present strife with their foes
slain, and the kingdom recovered by them. The
Pandavas themselves have observed their vow with such
truthfulness sticking to Dharma that they are incapable
of being defeated by their enemies. In the matter
of my present sorrows, however, I blame neither myself
nor Suyodhana, but my father alone. Like a wealthy
man giving away a sum of money in gift, my father
gave me away to Kuntibhoja. While a child playing
Page 308
with a ball in my hands, thy grandfather, O Kesava,
gave me away to his friend, the illustrious Kuntibhoja.
Abandoned, O chastiser of foes, by my own father,
and my father-in law, and afflicted with insufferable
woes, what use, O Madhava, is there in my being alive?
On the night of Savyasachin’s birth, in the
lying-in-room, an invisible voice told me, ’This
son of thine will conquer the whole world, and his
fame will reach the very heavens. Slaying the
Kurus in a great battle and recovering the kingdom,
thy son Dhanajaya will, with his brothers, perform
three grand sacrifices.’ I do not doubt
the truth of that announcement. I bow unto Dharma
that upholds the creation. If Dharma be not a
myth, then, O Krishna, thou wilt surely achieve all
that the invisible voice said. Neither the loss
of my husband, O Madhava, nor loss of wealth, nor
our hostility with the Kurus ever inflicted such rending
pains on me as that separation from my children.
What peace can my heart know when I do not see before
me that wielder of Gandiva, viz., Dhananjaya,
that foremost of all bearers of arms? I have
not, for fourteen years, O Govinda, seen Yudhishthira,
and Dhananjaya, and Vrikodara. Men perform the
obsequies of those that are missed for a long time,
taking them for dead. Practically, O Janardana,
my children are all dead to me and I am dead to them.
’Say unto the virtuous king Yudhishthira, O
Madhava, that-Thy virtue, O son, is daily decreasing.
Act thou, therefore, in such a way that thy religious
merit may not diminish. Fie to them that live,
O Janardana, by dependence on others. Even death
is better than a livelihood gained by meanness.
Thou must also say unto Dhananjaya and the ever-ready
Vrikodara that—The time for that event
is come in view of which a Kshatriya woman bringeth
forth a son. If you allow the time slip without
your achieving anything, then, though at present ye
are respected by all the world, ye will be only doing
that which would be regarded as contemptible.
And if contempt touches you, I will abandon you for
ever. When the time cometh, even life, which
is so dear, should be laid down, O foremost of men,
thou must also say unto Madri’s sons that are
always devoted to Kshatriya customs.—More
than life itself, strive ye to win objects of enjoyment,
procurable by prowess, since objects won by prowess
alone can please the heart of a person desirous of
living according to Kshatriya customs. Repairing
thither, O mighty-armed one, say unto that foremost
of all bearers of arms, Arjuna the heroic son of Pandu,—Tread
thou the path that may be pointed out to thee by Draupadi.
It is known to thee, O Kesava, that when inflamed
with rage, Bhima and Arjuna, each like unto the universal
Destroyer himself, can slay the very gods. That
was a great insult offered unto them, viz., that
their wife Krishna, having been dragged into the assembly
was addressed in such humiliating terms by Dussasana
and Karna. Duryodhana himself hath insulted Bhima
Page 309
of mighty energy in the very presence of the Kuru
chiefs. I am sure he will reap the fruit of that
behaviour, for Vrikodara, provoked by a foe, knoweth
no peace. Indeed, once provoked, Bhima forgets
it not for a long while, even until that grinder of
foes exterminates the enemy and his allies. The
loss of kingdom did not grieve me; the defeat at dice
did not grieve me. That the illustrious and beautiful
princess of Panchala was dragged into the assembly
while clad in a single raiment and made to hear bitter
words grieved me most. What, O Krishna, could
be a greater grief to me? Alas, ever devoted
to Kshatriya customs and endued with great beauty,
the princess, while ill, underwent that cruel treatment,
and though possessing powerful protectors was then
as helpless as if she had none. O slayer of Madhu,
having thee and that foremost of all mighty persons,
Rama, and that mighty car-warrior Pradyumna for me
and my children’s protectors and having, O foremost
of men, my sons the invincible Bhima and the unretreating
Vijaya both alive, that I had still such grief to
bear is certainly strange!’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Thus addressed
by her, Sauri the friend of Partha, then comforted
his paternal aunt, Pritha, afflicted with grief on
account of her sons. And Vasudeva said, ’What
woman is there, O aunt, in the world who is like thee?
The daughter of king Surasena, thou art, by marriage,
admitted into Ajamida’s race. High-born
and highly married, thou art like a lotus transplanted
from one mighty lake into another. Endued with
every prosperity and great good fortune, thou wert
adored by thy husband. The wife of hero, thou
hast again given birth to heroic sons. Possessed
of every virtue, and endued with great wisdom, it
behoveth thee to bear with patience, both happiness
and misery. Overcoming sleep and langour, and
wrath and joy, and hunger and thirst, and cold and
heat, thy children are always in the enjoyment of that
happiness, which, as heroes, should by theirs.
Endued with great exertion and great might, thy sons,
without affecting the comforts derivable from the
senses such as satisfy only the low and the mean, always
pursue that happiness which as heroes they should.
Nor are they satisfied like little men having mean
desires. They that are wise enjoy or suffer the
same of whatever enjoyable or sufferable, Indeed,
ordinary persons, affecting comforts that satisfy
the low and the mean, desire an equable state of dullness,
without excitement of any kind. They, however,
that are superior, desire either the acutest of human
suffering or the highest of all enjoyments that is
given to man. The wise always delight in extremes.
They find no pleasure betwixt; they regard the extreme
to be happiness, while that which lies between is
regarded by them as misery. The Pandavas with
Krishna saluteth thee through me. Representing
themselves to be well, they have enquired after thy
welfare. Thou wilt soon behold them become the
lords of the whole world, with their foe slain, and
themselves invested with prosperity.’
Page 310
’Thus consoled by Krishna, Kunti, afflicted
with grief on account of her sons, but soon dispelling
the darkness caused by her temporary loss of understanding,
replied unto Janardana, saying, ’Whatever, O
mighty-armed one, thou, O slayer of Madhu, regardest
as proper to be done, let that be done without sacrificing
righteousness, O chastiser of foes, and without the
least guile. I know, O Krishna, what the power
of thy truth and of thy lineage is. I know also
what judgment and what prowess thou bringest to bear
upon the accomplishment of whatever concerns thy friends.
In our race, thou art Virtue’s self, thou art
Truth, and thou art the embodiment of ascetic austerities.
Thou art the great Brahma, and everything rests on
thee. What, therefore, thou hast said must be
true.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Bidding her
farewell and respectfully walking round her, the mighty-armed
Govinda then departed for Duryodhana’s mansion.’”
SECTION XCI
“Vaisampayana said, ’With Pritha’s
leave and having walked round her, the chastiser of
foes, Govinda, also called Sauri, went to Duryodhana’s
palace that was furnished with great wealth, adorned
with beautiful seats, and was like unto the abode
of Purandara himself. Unobstructed by the orderlies-in-waiting,
that hero of great fame crossed three spacious yards
in succession and then entered that mansion looking
like a mass of clouds, high as the summit of a hill,
and blazing forth in splendour. And he there
beheld Dhritarashtra’s son of mighty arms seated
on his throne in the midst of a thousand kings and
surrounded by all the Kurus. And he also beheld
there Dussasana and Karna and Sakuni, the son of Suvala,
seated on their respective seats by the side of Duryodhana.
And on that scion of Dasarha’s race entering
the court, Dhritarashtra’s son of great fame
rose up from his seat with his counsellors for honouring
the slayer of Madhu. And Kesava then greeted
Dhritarashtra’s sons and all his counsellors
as also all the kings that were present there, according
to their respective ages. And Achyuta of Vrishni’s
race then took his seat on a beautiful seat made of
gold and overlaid with carpet embroidered with gold.
And the Kuru king then offered unto Janardana a cow,
and honey and curds and water, and placed at his service
palaces and mansions and the whole kingdom. And
then the Kauravas, with all the kings there present,
worshipped Govinda on his seat and resembling the sun
himself in splendour. The worship being over,
king Duryodhana invited him of Vrishni’s race—that
foremost of victors—to eat at his house,
Kesava, however did not accept the invitation.
The Kuru king Duryodhana seated in the midst of the
Kurus, in a gentle voice but with deception lurking
behind his words, eyeing Karna, and addressing Kesava,
then said, ’Why, O Janardana, dost thou not
accept the diverse kinds of viands and drinks, robes
and beds that have all been prepared and kept ready
for thee? Thou hast granted aid to both sides;
thou art engaged in the good of both parties.
Thou art again the foremost of Dhritarashtra’s
relations and much loved by him. Thou, O Govinda,
also knowest fully, and all things in details, both
religion and profit. I, therefore, desire to hear,
O bearer of the discus and the mace, what the true
reason is of this thy refusal.’
Page 311
“Vaisampayana continued, ’The high-souled
Govinda, of eyes like lotus leaves, then raising his
mighty (right) arm, and in a voice deep as that of
the clouds, replied unto the king in excellent words
fraught with reasons,—words that were clear,
distinct, correctly pronounced, and without a single
letter dropped, saying, ’Envoys, O king, eat
and accept worship only after the success of their
missions. Therefore, O Bharata, after my mission
becomes successful, thou mayest entertain me and my
attendants.’ Thus answered, Dhritarashtra’s
son again said unto Janardana, It behoveth thee not,
O Kesava, to behave towards us in this way, Whether
thou becomest successful, or unsuccessful, we are
endeavouring to please thee, O slayer of Madhu, because
of thy relationship with us. It seems, however,
that all our efforts. O thou of Dasarha’s
race, are fruitless. Nor do we see the reason,
O slayer of Madhu, in consequence of which, O foremost
of men, thou acceptest not the worship offered by
us from love and friendship. With thee, O Govinda,
we have no hostility, no war. Therefore, on reflection,
it will seem to thee that words such as these scarcely
become thee.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Thus addressed
by the king, Janardana of Dasarha’s race, casting
his eyes on Dhritarashtra’s son and ah his counsellors,
replied, saying, ’Not from desire, nor from wrath,
nor from malice, nor for gain, nor for the sake of
argument, nor from temptation, would I abandon virtue.
One taketh another’s food when one is in distress.
At present, however, O king, thou hast not inspired
love in me by any act of thine, nor have I myself
been plunged into distress. Without any reason,
O king, thou hatest, from the moment of their birth,
thy dear and gentle brothers,—the Pandavas—endued
with every virtue. This unreasonable hatred of
thine for the sons of Pritha ill becometh thee.
The sons of Pandu are all devoted to virtue. Who,
indeed, can do them the least injury? He that
hateth them, hateth me; he that loveth them, loveth
me. Know that the virtuous Pandavas and my own
self have but a common soul. He, who, following
the impulses of lust and wrath, and from darkness
of soul, hateth and seeketh to injure one that is possessed
of every good quality, is regarded as the vilest of
men. That wrathful wretch of every good quality,
is regarded as the vilest of men. That wrathful
wretch of uncontrolled soul, who, from ignorance and
avarice hateth his kinsmen endued with every auspicious
quality, can never enjoy his prosperity long.
He, on the other hand, who, by good offices, winneth
over persons endued with good qualities, even if he
beareth aversion of them within his heart, enjoyeth
prosperity and fame for ever and ever. Defiled
by wickedness, all this food, therefore, deserveth
not to be eaten by me. The food supplied by Vidura
alone, should, I think, be eaten by me.’
Page 312
’Having said this unto Duryodhana who was ever
incapable of bearing anything against his own wishes,
Kesava of mighty arms then came out of that blazing
palace of Dhritarashtra’s son. And the high-souled
Vasudeva of mighty arms, coming out of that mansion,
directed his steps towards the abode of the illustrious
Vidura. And while that mighty-armed one staying
within Vidura’s abode, thither came unto him
Drona, and Kripa, and Bhishma, and Vahlika, and many
of the Kauravas. And the Kauravas that came there
addressed Madhava, the heroic slayer of Madhu, saying,
’O thou of Vrishni’s race, we place at
thy disposal our houses with all the wealth within
them.’
’The slayer of Madhu, of mighty energy, answered
them saying, ’Ye may go away. I am much
honoured by these your offers.’ And after
all the Kurus had gone away, Vidura, with great care
entertained that unvanquished hero of Dasarha’s
race with every object of desire. And Kunti then
placed before the illustrious Kesava clean and savoury
food in abundance. Therewith the slayer of Madhu
first gratified the Brahmanas. Indeed, from that
food he first gave a portion, along with much wealth,
unto a number of Brahmanas conversant with the Vedas,
and then with his attendants, like Vasava in the midst
of the Marutas, he dined on what remained of the clean
and savoury food supplied by Vidura.’”
SECTION XCII
“Vaisampayana said, ’After Kesava had
dined and been refreshed, Vidura said unto him during
the night, ’O Kesava, this advent of thine hath
not been a well judged one, for, O Janardana, Dhritarashtra’s
son transgresseth the rules of both profit and religion,
is wicked and wrathful, insulteth others, though himself
desirous of honours, and disobeyeth the commands of
the aged. He is, O Madhava, a transgressor of
the scriptures, ignorant, and of wicked soul, already
overtaken by fate, untractable, and disposed to do
evil to those that seek his good. His soul is
possessed by desire and lust. He foolishly regardeth
himself as very wise. He is the enemy of all
his true friends. Ever-suspicious, without any
control over his soul, and ungrateful, he hath abandoned
all virtue and is in love with sin. He is foolish,
with understanding uncultivated, a slave of his senses,
ever obedient to the impulses of lust and avarice,
and irresolute in every act that should be done.
He is endued with these and many other vices.
Although thou wilt point out to him what is for his
good, he will yet disregard it all, moved by pride
and anger. He hath great faith in Bhishma, and
Drona, and Kripa, and Karna, and Drona’s son,
and Jayadratha, and, therefore, he never setteth his
heart on peace, O Janardana. Dhritarashtra’s
sons, with Karna, firmly believe that the Pandavas
are incapable of even looking at Bhishma, Drona, and
other heroes, not to speak of fighting against them.
The foolish Duryodhana of limited sight, having assembled
Page 313
a huge army regardeth, O slayer of Madhu, that his
purposes are already achieved. The foolish son
of Dhritarashtra hath arrived at the conclusion that
Karna, single-handed, is competent to vanquish his
foes. He will, therefore, never make peace.
Thou, O Kesava, desirest to establish peace and brotherly
feelings between the two parties. But know that
all the sons of Dhritarashtra have come to the conclusion
that they would not give unto the Pandavas what, indeed,
the latter have a right to. With those that are
so resolved thy words will certainly prove vain.
Where, O slayer of Madhu, words, good or bad, are
of the same effect, no wise man would spend his breath
for nothing, like a singer before the deaf. As
a Brahmana before a conclave of Chandalas, thy words,
O Madhava, would command no respect among those ignorant
and wicked wretches that have no reverence for all
that deserveth reverence. Foolish, as long as
he hath strength, he will never obey thy counsels.
Whatever words thou mayest speak to him will be perfectly
futile. It doth not seem proper to me, O Krishna,
that thou shouldst go into the midst of these wicked-minded
wretches seated together. It doth not seem proper
to me, O Krishna, that going thither thou shouldst
utter words against those wicked-souled, foolish,
unrighteous wights, strong in number. In consequence
of their having never worshipped the aged, in consequence
of their having been blinded by prosperity and pride,
and owing to the pride of youth and wrath, they will
never accept the good advice thou mayest place before
them. He hath mustered a strong force, O Madhava,
and he hath his suspicions of thyself. He will,
therefore, never obey any counsel that thou mayest
offer. The sons of Dhritarashtra, O Janardana,
are inspired with the firm belief that at present
Indra himself, at the head of all the celestials,
is incapable of defeating them in battle. Efficacious
as thy words always are, they will prove to be of
no efficacy with persons impressed with such a conviction
and who always follow the impulses of lust and wrath.
Staying in the midst of his ranks of elephants and
his army consisting of cars and heroic infantry, the
foolish and wicked Duryodhana, with all fears dispelled,
regardeth the whole earth to have already been subjugated
by him. Indeed, Dhritarashtra’s son coveteth
extensive empire on the earth without any rivals.
Peace, therefore, with him is unattainable. That
which he hath in his possession he regardeth as unalterably
his. Alas, the destruction on the earth seems
to be at hand for the sake of Duryodhana, for, impelled
by fate, the kings of the earth, with all the Kshatriya
warriors, have assembled together, desirous of battling
with the Pandavas? All those kings, O Krishna,
are in enmity with thee and have all been deprived
of their possessions before this by thee. Through
fear of thee those heroic monarchs have joined together
with Karna and made an alliance with Dhritarashtra’s
sons. Reckless of their very lives, all those
Page 314
warriors have united with Duryodhana and are filled
with delight at the prospect of fighting the Pandavas.
O hero of Dasarha’s race, it doth not commend
itself to me that thou shouldst enter into their midst.
How, O grinder of foes, wilt thou repair into the midst
of those numerous enemies of thine, of wicked souls,
and seated together? O thou of mighty arms, thou
art, indeed, incapable of being vanquished by the
very gods, and I know, O slayer of foes, thy manliness
and intelligence. O Madhava, the love I bear
to thee is equal to that I bear to the sons of Pandu.
I say, therefore, these words to thee from my affection,
regard, and friendship for thee. What need is
there in expressing to thee the delight that has been
mine at sight of thy persons, for, thou, O thou of
eyes like lotus, art the inner Soul of all embodied
creatures.’”
SECTION XCIII
“The holy one said, ’That, indeed, which
should be said by a person of great wisdom: that,
indeed, which should be said by one possessed of great
foresight; that indeed, which should be said by one
like thee to a friend like me; that indeed, which
is deserving of thee, being consistent with virtue
and profit, and truth; that, O Vidura, hath been said
by thee, father and mother-like, unto me. That
which thou hast told me is certainly true, worthy
of approbation and consistent with reason. Listen,
however, with attention, O Vidura, to the reason of
my coming. Well knowing the wickedness of Dhritarashtra’s
son and the hostility of the Kshatriyas that have
sided with him. I have still, O Vidura, come to
the Kurus. Great will be the merit earned by
him who will liberate from the meshes of death the
whole earth, with her elephants, cars and steeds,
overwhelmed with a dreadful calamity. If a man
striving to the best of his abilities to perform a
virtuous act meets with failure, I have not the least
doubt that the merit of that act becomes his, notwithstanding
such failure. This also is known to those that
are conversant with religion and scripture, that if
a person having intended mentally to commit a sinful
act does not actually commit it, the demerit of that
act can never be his. I will sincerely endeavour,
O Vidura, to bring about peace between the Kurus and
the Srinjayas who are about to be slaughtered in battle.
That terrible calamity (which hangs over them all)
hath its origin in the conduct of the Kurus, for it
is directly due to the action of Duryodhana and Karna,
the other Kshatriyas only following the lead of these
two. The learned regard him to be a wretch who
doth not by his solicitation seek to save a friend
who is about to sink in calamity. Striving to
the best of his might, even to the extent of seizing
him by the hair, one should seek to dissuade a friend
from an improper act. In that case, he that acteth
so, instead of incurring blame, reapeth praise.
It behoveth Dhritarashtra’s son, therefore, O
Vidura, with his counsellors, to accept my good and
Page 315
beneficial counsels that are consistent with virtue
and profit and competent to dispel the present calamity.
I will, therefore, sincerely endeavour to bring about
the good of Dhritarashtra’s sons and of the
Pandavas, as also of all the Kshatriyas on the face
of the earth. If while endeavouring to bring about
the good (of my friends), Duryodhana judgeth me wrongly,
I shall have the satisfaction of my own conscience,
and a true friend is one who assumeth the functions
of an intercessor when dissensions break out between
kinsmen. In order, again, that unrighteous, foolish,
and inimical persons may not afterwards say that though
competent, still Krishna did not make any attempt
to restrain the angry Kurus and the Pandavas from
slaughtering one another I have come here. Indeed,
it is to serve both parties that I have come hither.
Having striven to bring about peace, I will escape
the censure of all the kings. If after listening
to my auspicious words, fraught with virtue and profit,
the foolish Duryodhana accept them not, he will only
invite his fate. If without sacrificing the interests
of the Pandavas I can bring about peace among the Kurus,
my conduct will be regarded as highly meritorious,
O high-souled one, and the Kauravas themselves will
be liberated from the meshes of death. If the
sons of Dhritarashtra reflect coolly on the words I
shall utter—words fraught with wisdom,
consistent with righteousness, and possessed of grave
import,—then that peace which is my object
will be brought about and the Kauravas will also worship
me (as the agent thereof). If, on the other hand,
they seek to injure me, I tell thee that all the kings
of the earth; united together, are no match for me,
like a herd of deer incapable of standing before an
enraged lion.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Having said
these words, that bull of the Vrishni race and delighter
of Yadavas, then laid himself down on his soft bed
for sleep.’”
SECTION XCIV
“Vaisampayana said, ’In such conversation
between those two distinguished persons, both of whom
were endued with great intelligence, that night, lit
with bright stars, passed away. Indeed, the night
passed away against the wishes of the illustrious
Vidura, who had been listening to the varied conversation
of Krishna fraught with virtue, profit, and desire,
and made up of delightful words and syllables of agreeable
import; and also those of Krishna himself, of ’immeasurable
prowess, listening to discourses equal in style and
character. Then, at early dawn a band of choristers
and bards gifted with melodious voices, awoke Kesava
with sweet sounds of conchs and cymbals. And
rising from bed, Janardana of Dasarha’s race,
that bull amongst all the Sattwatas, went through all
the customary acts of the morning. And having
cleansed himself by a bath, recited the sacred Mantras
and poured libations of clarified butter on the sacrificial
fire. Madhava decked his person and began to worship
Page 316
the rising sun. And while the unvanquished Krishna
of Dasarha’s race was still engaged in his morning
devotions, Duryodhana and Suvala’s son Sakuni
came to him and said, ’Dhritarashtra is seated
in his court, with all the Kurus headed by Bhishma
and with all the kings of the earth. They are
all soliciting thy presence, O Govinda, like the celestials
in heaven desiring the presence of Sakra himself,—thus
addressed, Govinda greeted them both with sweet and
courteous enquiries. And when the sun had risen
a little higher, Janardana, that chastiser of foes,
summoning a number of Brahmanas, made them presents
of gold and robes and kine and steeds.
And after he had thus given away much wealth and taken
his seat, his driver (Daruka) came and saluted that
unvanquished hero of Dasarha’s race. And
Daruka soon returned with his master’s large
and blazing car furnished with rows of tinkling bells
and harnessed with excellent steeds. And understanding
that his handsome car adorned with every ornament
and producing a rattle, deep as the rumbling of the
mighty masses of clouds, was ready, the high-souled
Janardana, that delighter of all the Yadavas, walking
round the sacred fire and a band of Brahmanas, and
putting on the gem known by the name of Kaustubha,
and blazing with beauty, surrounded by the Kurus,
and well-protected by the Vrishnis, mounted on it.
And Vidura, conversant with all the precepts of religion,
followed on his own car that scion of Dasarha’s
race, that foremost of all living creatures, that
first of all persons gifted with intelligence.
And Duryodhana and Suvala’s son Sakuni also,
on one car followed Krishna, that chastiser of foes.
And Satyaki and Kritavarman and the other mighty car-warriors
of the Vrishni race, all rode behind Krishna on cars
and steeds and elephants. And, O king, the handsome
cars of those heroes, adorned with gold and drawn
by excellent steeds and each producing a loud rattle,
as they moved forward, shone brilliantly. And
Kesava, endued with great intelligence, and beaming
with beauty, soon came upon a broad street that had
previously been swept and watered, and that was fit
to be used by the highest of kings. And when
that scion of Dasarha’s race set out, cymbals
began to play, and conchs began to be blown, and other
instruments also to pour forth their music. And
great number of youthful heroes, foremost in the world
for heroism, and possessed of lion-like prowess, proceeded,
surrounding Sauri’s car. And many thousands
of soldiers, attired in a variegated dresses, bearing
swords and lances and axes, marched in advance of
Kesava. And there were full five hundred elephants,
and cars by thousands, that followed that unvanquished
hero of Dasarha’s race while he proceeded.
And, O chastiser of foes, all the citizens of the
capital, of all ages and both sexes, desirous of beholding
Janardana came out into the streets. And the terraces
and balconies of the houses were so thronged by ladies
that the houses were on the point of falling down
Page 317
with the weight. And worshipped by the Kurus,
and listening to various sweet speeches, and returning
the greetings of all as each deserved, Kesava went
along the street, casting his eyes on all. And
at last, when Kesava reached the Kuru court, his attendants
loudly blew their conchs and trumpets and filled the
welkin with that blare. And, thereupon, that
whole assembly of kings, of immeasurable prowess,
trembled with delight at the expectation of soon setting
their eyes on Krishna. And hearing the rattle
of his car, that rumbled like the deep roll of rain-charged
clouds, the monarchs understood Krishna to be near,
and the hair of their bodies stood erect with delight.
And having reached the gate of the court, Sauri, that
bull among the Satwatas, alighting from his car, that
resembled the summit of Kailasa, entered the court
which looked like a mass of newly-risen clouds, and
blazed forth with beauty, and resembled the very abode
of the great Indra. And that illustrious hero
entered the court, arm-in-arm with Vidura and Satyaki
on either side, and overshadowing with his own the
splendour of all the Kurus, like the sun overshadowing
the radiance of lesser lights in the firmament.
And before Vasudeva sat Karna and Duryodhana, while
behind him were seated the Vrishnis with Kritavarman.
And Bhishma and Drona, and others with Dhritarashtra
were on the point of rising up from their seats for
honouring Janardana. Indeed, as soon as he, of
Dasarha’s race, came, the illustrious blind monarch,
Drona and Bhishma, all rose up from their seats.
And when that mighty ruler of men, king Dhritarashtra,
rose up from his seat, those kings by thousands around
him all rose up also. And at Dhritarashtra’s
command, a seat beautiful all over, and adorned with
gold, had been kept there for Krishna, And after taking
his seat, Madhava smilingly greeted the king, and
Bhishma, and Drona, and all other rulers, each according
to his age. And all the kings of the earth, and
all the Kurus also, beholding Kesava arrived in that
assembly, worshipped him duly. And as that chastiser
of foes, that vanquisher of hostile cities, that hero
of Dasarha’s race, was seated there, he beheld
the Rishis whom he had seen while proceeding to Hastinapur,
staying in the firmament. And beholding those
Rishis with Narada at their head, he of Dasarha’s
race, slowly addressed Bhishma the son of Santanu,
saying, ’O king, the Rishis have come to see
this earthly conclave of ours. Invite them with
offer of seats and abundant courtesy, for if they
are not seated, no one here is capable of taking his
seat. Let proper worship, therefore, be speedily
offered unto these Rishis with souls under proper
control. And beholding the Rishis then at the
gate of the palace, Santanu’s son quickly ordered
the servants to bring seats for them. And soon
enough they brought large and beautiful seats embroidered
with gold and set with gems. And after the Rishis.
O Bharata, had taken their seats and accepted the
Page 318
Arghyas offered to them, Krishna took his seat, so
also all the kings. And Dussasana gave an excellent
seat to Satyaki, while Vivingsati gave another golden
one to Kritavarman. And not far from where Krishna
sat, that illustrious and wrathful pair, Karna and
Duryodhana, sat together on the same seat. And
Sakuni, the king of Gandhara, surrounded by the chiefs
of his country, sat there, O king, with his son beside
him. And the high-souled Vidura sat on a begemmed
seat covered with a white deer-skin that almost touched
Krishna’s seat. And all the kings in the
assembly, although they gazed at Janardana of Dasarha’s
race for a long while, were not, however, gratified
with their gaze, like drinkers of the Amrita, that
are never satiated with quaffing measure after measure.
And Janardana attired in yellow robes having the complexion
of the Atasi flower, sat in the midst of that assembly
like a sapphire mounted on gold. And after Govinda
had taken his seat, a perfect silence ensued, for
none present there spoke a single word.’”
SECTION XCV
“Vaisampayana said, ’And after all the
kings had been seated and perfect silence had ensued,
Krishna possessing fine teeth and having a voice deep
as that of the drum, began to speak. And Madhava
although he addressed Dhritarashtra, spoke in a voice
deep as the roll of clouds in the rainy season, making
the whole assembly hear. And he said, ’In
order that, O Bharata, peace may be established between
the Kurus and the Pandavas without a slaughter of
the heroes, I have come hither. Besides this,
O king, I have no other beneficial words to utter,
O chastiser of foes, everything that should be learnt
in this world is already known to thee. This
thy race, O king, owing to its learning and behaviour,
and owing also to its being adorned with every accomplishment,
is most distinguished among all royal dynasties.
Joy in the happiness of others, grief at sight of
other people’s misery, desire to alleviate distress,
abstention from injury, sincerity, forgiveness, and
truth,—these, O Bharata, prevail amongst
the Kurus. Then thy race, therefore, O king, is
so noble, it would be a pity if anything improper were
done by any one belonging to it, and greater pity
still if it were done by thee. O chief of the
Kurus, thou art the first of those that should restrain
the Kurus if they behave deceitfully towards strangers
or those numbering with themselves. Know, O thou
of Kuru’s race, that those wicked sons of thine,
headed by Duryodhana, abandoning both virtue and profit,
disregarding morality, and deprived of their senses
by avarice, are now acting most unrighteously towards,
O bull of men, their foremost of kinsmen. That
terrible danger (which threatens all) hath its origin
in the conduct of the Kurus. If thou becomest
indifferent to it, it will then produce a universal
slaughter. If, O Bharata, thou art willing, thou
mayest be able to allay that danger even yet, for,
Page 319
O bull of Bharata’s race, peace, I think, is
not difficult of acquisition. The establishment
of peace, O king, depends on thee and myself, O monarch.
Set right thy sons, O thou of Kuru’s race, and
I will set the Pandavas right. Whatever be thy
command, O king, it behoveth thy sons with their followers
to obey it. If again they live in obedience to
thee, that would be the very best they could do.
If thou strivest for peace by restraining thy sons,
it will be to thy profit, O king, as also to the benefit
of the Pandavas. Having reflected carefully,
act thou thyself, O king. Let those sons of Bharata
(the Pandavas), be, O ruler of men, thy allies.
Supported by the Pandavas, O king, seek thou both
religion and profit. By every exertion in thy
power, thou canst not have, O king, such allies as
they who are such. Protected by the illustrious
sons of Pandu, Indra himself at the head of the celestials
will not be able to vanquish thee. How would it
be possible then for mere earthly kings to withstand
thy prowess? If with Bhishma, and Drona, and
Kripa, and Karna, and Vivingsati, and Aswatthaman,
Vikarna, and Somadatta, and Vahlika and the chief of
the Sindhus, and the ruler of the Kalingas, and Sudakshina,
the king of the Kamvojas, there were Yudhishthira,
and Bhimasena and Savyasachin, and the twins, and
if Satyaki of mighty energy, and Yuyutsu, that mighty
car warrior, are stationed, who is there, O bull of
Bharata’s race, of such misdirected intelligence
that would fight these? If, O slayer of foes,
thou hast both the Kurus and the Pandavas at thy back,
the sovereignty of the whole world and invincibility
before all foes will be thine. All the rulers
of the earth, O monarch, that are either equal to thee
or superior, will then seek alliance with thee.
Protected on all sides by sons, grandsons, fathers,
brothers, and friends, thou wilt then be able to live
in exceeding happiness. Keeping these before thee
and treating them with kindness as in days of yore,
thou, O monarch, wilt enjoy the sovereignty of the
whole earth. With these as thy supporters and
with the sons of Pandu also, thou wilt, O Bharata,
be able to conquer all thy foes. Even this is
thy best advantage. If, O chastiser of foes, thou
art united with thy sons and kinsmen and counsellors,
thou wilt’ enjoy sovereignty of the whole earth
won for thee by them. In battle, O great king,
nothing but wholesale destruction is visible.
Indeed, in the destruction of both the parties, what
merit dost thou see? If the Pandavas are slaughtered
in battle, or if thy own mighty sons fall, tell me,
O bull of Bharata’s race, what happiness wilt
thou enjoy? All of them are brave and skilled
in weapons. All of them are desirous of battle,
the Pandavas as also thy sons. Oh, save them
from the terrible danger that threatens them.
After the battle thou wilt not behold all the Kurus
or all the Pandavas, Car-warriors slain by car-warriors,
thou wilt behold the heroes of both parties reduced
in numbers and strength. All the rulers of the
Page 320
earth, O best of kings, have been assembled together.
Inflamed with wrath, they will certainly exterminate
the population of the earth. Save, O king, the
world. Let not the population of the earth be
exterminated. O son of Kuru’s race, if thou
regainest thy natural disposition, the earth may continue
to be peopled as now. Save, O king, these monarchs,
who are all of pure descent, endued with modesty and
liberality and piety, and connected with on another
in bonds of relationship or alliance, from the terrible
danger that threatens them. Abandoning wrath
and enmity, O chastiser of foes, let these kings,
embracing one another in peace, eating and drinking
with one another, dressed in excellent robes and decked
with garlands, and doing courtesies to one another,
return to their respective homes. Let the affection
thou hadst for the Pandavas be revived in thy bosom,
and let it, O bull of Bharata’s race, lead to
the establishment of peace. Deprived of their
father while they were infants, they were brought up
by thee. Cherish them now as becomes thee, O
bull of Bharata’s race, as if they were thy
own sons. It is thy duty to protect them.
And especially it is so when they are distressed.
O bull of Bharata’s race, let not thy virtue
and profit be both lost. Saluting and propitiating
thee, the Pandavas have said unto thee, ’At
thy command we have, with our followers, suffered
great misery. For these twelve years have we lived
in the woods, and for the thirteenth year have we
lived incognito in an uninhabited part of the world.
We broke not our pledge, firmly believing that our
father also would abide by his. That we violated
not our word is well-known to the Brahman as who were
with us. And as we, O bull of the Bharata race,
have abided by our promise, also do thou abide by
thine. Long have we suffered the greatest misery,
but let us now have our share of the kingdom.
Fully conversant as thou art with virtue and profit,
it behoveth thee to rescue us. Knowing that our
obedience is due to thee, we have quietly undergone
much misery. Behave thou then unto us like a father
or brother. A preceptor should behave as a preceptor
towards his disciples, and as disciples we are willing
to behave as such towards thee, our preceptor.
Act thou, therefore, towards us as a preceptor should.
If we go wrong, it is the duty of our father to set
us right. Therefore, set us on the way and tread
thou also the excellent path of righteousness.’
Those sons of thine, O bull of the Bharata race, have
also said unto these kings assembled in the court
these words, ’If the members of an assembly are
conversant with morality, nothing improper should be
permitted by them to happen. Where, in the presence
of the virtuous members of an assembly, righteousness
is sought to be overpowered by unrighteousness, and
truth by the untruth, it is those members themselves
that are vanquished and slain. When righteousness,
pierced by unrighteousness, seeketh the protection
Page 321
of an assembly, if the arrow is not extracted, it is
the members themselves that are pierced by that arrow.
Indeed, in that case, righteousness slayeth the members
of that assembly, like a river eating away the roots
of the trees on its bank.’ Judge now, O
bull of the Bharata race. The Pandavas, with
their eyes turned towards righteousness and reflecting
on everything, are maintaining a calm attitude, and
what they have said is consistent with truth and virtue
and justice. O ruler of men, what canst thou
say unto them, but that thou art willing to give them
back their kingdom? Let these rulers of earth
that are sitting here say (what the answer should
be)! If it appears to thee that what I have said
after reflecting well on virtue to be true, save all
these Kshatriyas, O bull of the Bharata race, from
the meshes of death. Effect peace, O chief of
Bharata’s race, and yield not to anger.
Giving unto the Pandavas their just share of the paternal
kingdom, enjoy thou then, with thy sons, O chastiser
of foes, happiness and luxury, thy wishes being all
crowned with success. Know that Yudhishthira always
treadeth the path that is trod by the righteous.
Thou knowest also, O king, what the behaviour of Yudhishthira
is towards thee and thy sons. Although thou hadst
sought to burn him to death and hadst exiled him from
human habitation, yet he came back and once more repose
confidence in thee. Again, didst thou with thy
sons, banish him to Indraprastha? While there,
he brought all the kings of the earth to subjection
and yet looked up to thy face, O king, without seeking
to disregard thee. Although he behaved in this
way, yet Suvala’s son, desirous of robbing him
of his dominions and wealth and possessions, applied
the very efficacious means of dice. Reduced to
that condition and even beholding Krishna dragged into
the assembly, Yudhishthira of immeasurable soul, did
not yet swerve from the duties of a Kshatriya.
As regards myself, I desire, O Bharata, thy good as
also theirs. For the sake of virtue, of profit,
of happiness, make peace, O king, and do not allow
the Earth’s population to be slaughtered, regarding
evil as good and good as evil. Restrain thy sons,
O monarch, who have from covetousness proceeded too
far. As regards the sons of Pritha, they are
equally ready to wait upon thee in dutiful service
or to fight. That which, O chastiser of foes,
seems to thee to be for thy good, do thou adopt!’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’All the rulers
of earth there present highly applauded these words
of Kesava within their hearts, but none of them ventured
to say anything in the presence of Duryodhana.’
SECTION XCVI
Page 322
“Vaisampayana said, ’Hearing these words
uttered by the high-souled Kesava, all the persons
who sat in that assembly remained silent, their hair
standing on their ends. And all the kings thought
within themselves that there was no man who could
dare reply to that speech. And seeing that all
the kings sat silent, Jamadagni’s son (addressing
Duryodhana) then said these words in that assembly
of Kurus, ’Listen confidingly to my words illustrated
by an example, and seek thy own good if my speech
recommends itself to thee. There was a king of
yore named Dambhodbhava, who was the Head of the earth.
It hath been heard by us that his sovereignty extended
over the whole world. And that mighty car-warrior,
rising every morning after the night had passed away,
called the Brahmanas and the Kshatriyas unto himself
and asked them, saying, ’Be he a Sudra, a Vaisya,
a Kshatriya, or a Brahmana, is there any one who is
superior or even equal to me in battle?’ And
uttering these words that king wandered over the earth,
intoxicated with pride and thinking of nothing else.
And it so happened that certain Brahmanas endued with
high souls, conversant with the Vedas, and fearing
nothing on earth, counselled the monarch, repeatedly
boasting of his prowess, to curb his pride. But
though forbidden by those Brahmanas to boast in that
way, the king continued to ask the Brahmanas as before
the same question day after day. And some high-souled
Brahmanas then, endued with ascetic merit and acquainted
with the proofs furnished by the Vedas, were inflamed
with anger, and addressing that proud and boastful
king intoxicated with prosperity, told him, ’There
are two persons who are foremost of all men and who
are always victorious in battle. Thou, O king,
wilt by no means be equal to them if thou seekest
an encounter with any one of them.’ And
thus addressed by them, the king asked those Brahmanas,
saying, ’Where may those two heroes be found?
In what race are they born? What feats have they
achieved? And who are they? And the Brahmanas
answered him, saying, It had been heard by us that
those two persons are ascetics called Nara and Narayana.
They have both taken their births in the race of man.
Go and fight with them, O king. It is that illustrious
pair, Nara and Narayana, who are now practising the
severest of penances in some hidden region of the
mountains of Gandhamadana.’ Hearing those
words of the Brahmanas, that king speedily mustered
his large army consisting of six kinds of forces,[7]
and unable to bear their reputation, marched to the
spot where those unvanquished ascetics were, and arrived
at the rugged and frightful mountains of Gandhamadana.
He began to search after those Rishis, and at last,
came upon them concealed within the woods. And
beholding those two best of persons emaciated with
hunger and thirst, their veins swollen and visible,
and themselves much afflicted with cold winds, and
the hot rays of the sun, he approached them, and touching
Page 323
their feet, enquired after their welfare. And
the two Rishis received the king hospitably, with
fruits and roots, and a seat and water. And they
then enquired after the king’s business, saying,
‘Let it be done.’ And thus addressed
by them, the king said unto them the same words that
he was in the habit of saying unto all. And he
said, ’The whole earth has been conquered by
the might of my arms. All my foes have been slain.
Desiring a battle with you both I have come to this
mountain. Offer me this hospitality. I have
been cherishing this wish from a long time.’
Thus addressed, Nara and Narayana said, ’O best
of kings, wrath and covetousness have no place in
this retreat. How can a battle, therefore, be
possible here? There are no weapons here, and
nothing of unrighteousness and malice. Seek battle
elsewhere. There are many Kshatriyas on earth.’
“Rama continued, ’Although thus addressed,
the king still pressed them for giving him battle.
The Rishis, however, continually soothed him and overlooked
his importunity. King Dambhodbhava, still desirous
of battle, repeatedly summoned those Rishis to fight.
Nara, then, O Bharata, taking up a handful of grass-blades,
said, ’Desirous of battle as thou art, come,
O Kshatriya, and fight! Take up all thy arms,
and array thy troops. I will curb thy eagerness
for battle hereafter!’ Dambhodbhava then said,
If, O ascetic, thou thinkest this weapon of thine fit
to be used against us, I shall fight with thee though
thou mayest use that weapon, for I have come hither
desirous of fighting.’ Saying this, Dambhodbhava
with all his troops, desirous of slaying that ascetic,
covered all sides with a shower of arrows. That
ascetic, however, by means of those blades of grass,
baffled all those terrible shafts of the king that
were capable of mangling the bodies of hostile warriors.
The invincible Rishi then let off towards the king
his own terrible weapon made of grass-blades and which
was incapable of being counteracted. And highly
wonderful was that which happened, for that ascetic,
incapable of missing his aim, pierced and cut off,
by those grass-blades alone, the eyes and ears and
noses of the hostile warriors, aided also by his power
of illusion. And beholding the entire welkin
whitened by those grass-blades, the king fell at the
feet of the Rishi and said, ’Let me be blessed!
Ever inclined to grant protection unto those that
sought it, Nara then, O king, said unto that monarch,
’Be obedient to the Brahmanas and be virtuous.
Never do so again. O king, O tiger among monarchs,
a conqueror of hostile towns, a Kshatriya mindful
of the duties of his own or, should never, within even
his heart, be as thou art. Filled with pride,
never insult anybody on any occasion, be inferior
or superior to thee. Even such conduct would befit
thee. Acquiring wisdom, abandoning covetousness
and pride, controlling thy soul, restraining thy passions,
practising forgiveness and humility, and becoming
amiable, O king, go, and cherish thy subjects.
Page 324
Without ascertaining the strength and weakness of
men, never insult any one under any circumstances.
Blessed be thou, and with our leave, go hence, and
never again behave in this way. At our command,
enquire thou always of the Brahmanas as to what is
for thy good! The king then, worshipping the
feet of those two illustrious Rishis, returned to his
city, and from that time began to practise righteousness.
Great indeed, was that feat achieved of old by Nara.
Narayana, again, became superior to Nara in consequence
of many more qualities. Therefore, O king, besides
such weapons as Kakudika, Suka, Naka, Akshisantarjana,
Santana, Nartana, Ghora, and Asyamodaka, are placed
on the string of that best of bows called Gandiva,
go thou unto Dhananjaya, laying aside thy pride Struck
with these weapons, men always yield up their lives.
Indeed, these weapons have other means corresponding
with the eight passions, such as lust, wrath, covetousness,
vanity, insolence, pride, malice, and selfishness.
Struck with them, men are confounded, and move about
frantically deprived of their senses. Under their
influence, persons always sleep heavily, cut capers,
vomit, pass urine and excreta, weep, and laugh incessantly.
Indeed, that Arjuna is irresistible in fight, who
hath for his friend Narayana—the Creator
and Lord of all the worlds—fully acquainted
with the course of everything. Who is there in
the three worlds, O Bharata, who would venture to vanquish
that hero—the Ape-bannered Jishnu—who
hath no equal in battle? Countless are the virtues
that reside in Partha. Janardana again, is superior
to him. Thou art thyself well-acquainted with
Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti. They that were
Nara and Narayana in days of yore are now Arjuna and
Kesava. Know then, O great king, who those brave
and foremost of persons are. If thou believest
in this and dost not mistrust me adopt thou a virtuous
resolution and make peace with the sons of Pandu.
If thou regardest this as thy good, viz., that
there should be no disunion in thy family, then make
peace, O foremost of Bharata’s race, and do not
set thy heart upon battle. O thou, that are foremost
of Kuru’s line, the race to which thou belongest
is highly regarded on earth. Let that regard continue
to be paid to it. Blessed be thou, think of what
conduces to thy own welfare.’”
SECTION XCVII
“Vaisampayana said, ’Having listened to
the words of Jamadagnya, the illustrious Rishi Kanwa
also said these words unto Duryodhana in that assembly
of the Kurus.’
“Kanwa said, ’Brahman, the Grandsire of
the universe, is indestructible and eternal.
Those illustrious Rishis, Nara and Narayana, are of
the same character. Of all the sons of Aditi,
Vishnu alone is eternal. He alone is unconquerable
and indestructible, existing for ever, the Lord of
all, and the possessor of divine attributes.
All others, such as the sun and the moon, earth and
Page 325
water, wind, fire and firmament, planets, and stars,
are liable to destruction. All these, when the
end of the universe cometh, take leave of the three
worlds. They are destroyed and created again and
again. Others also, such as men and animals and
birds, and creatures belonging to other orders of
living existence,—indeed, all that move
on this world of men,—are endued with short
lives. And as regards kings, all of them, having
enjoyed great prosperity, reach, at last, the hour
of destruction and are reborn in order to enjoy the
fruits of good and evil deeds. It behoveth thee
then to make peace with Yudhishthira. Let the
Pandavas and the Kauravas both rule this earth.
O Suyodhana, one should not think in this way, viz.,
I am strong!—for O bull among men, it is
seen that there are persons stronger than those generally
regarded strong. O son of Kuru’s race,
physical strength is scarcely regarded as strength
by those that are really strong. As regards the
Pandavas, endued as they all are with prowess equal
to that of the celestials, they are also regarded
as strong. In this connection is cited an old
story, as an example, the story, viz., of Matali
searching for a bridegroom upon whom to bestow his
daughter. The king of the three worlds (Indra)
had a charioteer, named Matali, whom he dearly loved.
Unto him was born a daughter celebrated over the world
for beauty. Endued with the celestial beauty,
that daughter of Matali was known by the name of Gunakesi.
And, indeed, in both loveliness and symmetry of bodily
figure, she far excelled other members of her sex.
Knowing that the time for giving her way had come,
Matali with his wife became very anxious, thinking,
O monarch, of what he was to do next. And he
thought within himself, ’Alas, the birth of
a daughter in the families of those that are well-behaved
and high-born and possess reputation and humility of
character, is always attended with evil results.
Daughters, when born in respectable families, always
endanger the honour of three families, viz., their
maternal and paternal families and the family into
which they are adopted by marriage. Glancing
in my mind’s eye the worlds of gods and men,
I have searched both, but no eligible bridegroom have
I found.’
“Kanwa continued, ’And it so happened
that amongst the gods, the Daityas and Gandharvas,
men and numerous Rishis, none was regarded by Matali
as an eligible husband for his daughter. And
having held a consultation then in the night with
his wife Sudharma, Matali set his heart upon making
a journey to the world of the Nagas. And he thought
within himself, ’Amongst both gods and men I
have not found a husband fit, in respect of beauty,
for my Gunakesi. Surely, one may be found amongst
the Nagas.’ And saying this, he took his
wife’s leave and sniffing the head of his daughter,
Matali entered the nether regions.’”
SECTION XCVIII
Page 326
“Kanwa said, ’When Matali was wending
his way, he saw the great Rishi Narada proceeding
at his pleasure to pay a visit to Varuna (the god of
the waters). And beholding Matali, Narada asked
him, saying, ’Whither dost thou go? Is
it, O charioteer, on any mission of thy own, or is
it at Satakratu’s command, that this journey
of thine is undertaken?’ Thus addressed on the
way by Narada who was proceeding towards his destination,
Matali duly informed Narada, of his mission. And
the Rishi, informed of everything, then said unto
Matali, ’We shall go together. As regards
myself, it is to see the Lord of the waters that I
am proceeding, having left the heavens, searching
the nether regions, I shall tell you everything.
After a good search there, we shall select a bridegroom,
O Matali! And penetrating then into nether regions,
that illustrious couple, Matali and Narada, beheld
that Regent of the world—the Lord of the
waters. And there Narada received worship due
to a celestial Rishi, and Matali received that equal
to what is offered to the great Indra. And both
of them skilful in business, informed Varuna of their
purpose, and obtaining his leave they began to wander
in that region of the Nagas. And Narada who knew
all the residents of the nether regions then began
to describe in detail unto his companion all about
the dwellers of the Naga world.’
“And Narada said, ’Thou hast, O charioteer,
seen Varuna surrounded by his sons and grandsons.
Behold the dominions of the Lord of the waters.
It is delightful all round, and full of riches.
The son, endued with great wisdom, of Varuna, the
Lord of the Ocean, is even much distinguished for
his conduct and disposition and for his holiness.
Possessed of eyes like lotus leaves, this Pushkara
is, indeed, Varuna’s much-loved son, endued
with great beauty and delightful to behold. He
has been chosen by Soma’s daughter as her husband.
That daughter of Soma, equal in beauty unto a second
Sree, is known by the name of Jyotsnakali. Indeed,
it is said, that she had once before chosen the eldest
and foremost of Aditi’s son as her lord.
Behold now, O companion of the Lord of the celestials,
that abode, made entirely of gold, and full of the
wine called Varuni. Indeed, having obtained that
wine, the gods acquired their god-heads. These
blazing weapons also of every kind that thou seest,
belonged, O Matali, to the Daityas who have been deprived
of their sovereignty. These weapons are incapable
of deterioration, and when hurled at the foe always
return into the hand that hurleth them. Obtained
by the gods as the booty of war, they require considerable
mental energy to be used against foes. Here dwelt
in days of yore many tribes of Rakshasas and Daityas,
possessed of many kinds of celestial weapons, but they
were all vanquished by the gods. Behold, there,
in Varuna’s lake is that fire of blazing flames,
and that discus of Vishnu surrounded by the lustrous
splendour of mighty caloric. Behold, there lieth
Page 327
that knotty bow that was created for the destruction
of the world. It is always protected with great
vigilance by the gods, and it is from this bow that
the one wielded by Arjuna hath taken its name.
Endued with the strength of hundred thousand bows,
the power it assumes at the hour of battle is indescribably
great. It punishes all punishable wicked kings
endued with the nature of Rakshasas. This fierce
weapon was first created by Brahman, the utterer of
the Vedas. The great preceptor Sukra hath said
that this weapon is a terrible one in respect of all
kings. Endued with great energy, it is held by
the sons of the Lord of waters. Behold, there
in the umbrella-room is the umbrella of the Lord of
the waters. It droppeth refreshing showers like
the clouds. The water dropped from this umbrella,
though pure as the moon, is yet enveloped by such darkness
that it cannot be seen by anybody. There, in
these regions, O Matali, innumerable are the wonders
to be seen. Your business, however, will suffer
if we spend more time here. We will, therefore,
leave this region soon.’”
SECTION XCIX
“Narada continued, ’Here in the very centre
of the world of the Nagas is situated the city known
by the name of Patalam. Celebrated over all the
universe, it is worshipped by the Daityas and the Danavas.
Creatures inhabiting the earth, if brought hither
by force of the water’s current, shriek loudly,
afflicted with fear. Here the fire known by the
name of the Asura-fire[8] and which is fed by water,
continually blazeth forth. Held fast by the flat
of the celestials, it moveth not, regarding itself
as bound and confined. It was here that’
the gods, having first vanquished and slain their
foes, quaffed the Amrita and deposited the residue.
It is from this place that the waning and waxing of
the moon are seen. It is here that son of Aditi,
the Horse-headed (Vishnu), on the recurrence of every
auspicious occasion, riseth, filling at such times
the universe, otherwise called Suvarna,[9] with the
sound of Vedic hymns and Mantras. And because
all watery forms such as the Moon and others shower
their water on the region, therefore hath this excellent
region been called Patala.[10] It is from here that
the celestial elephant Airavata, for the benefit of
the universe, taketh up cool water in order to impart
it to the clouds, and it is that water which Indra
poureth down as rain. Here dwell diverse kinds
of aquatic animals, of various shapes such as the
Timi and others, which subsist on the rays of the moon.
O charioteer, here are many kinds of creatures that
die during the day, being pierced by the rays of the
sun, but all of whom revive in the night, the reason
being that the moon, rising here every day, laying
those deceased creatures with Amrita by means of rays,
that constitute his arms, resuscitate them by that
touch. Deprived of their prosperity by Vasava,
it is here that many sinful Danavas live confined,
Page 328
defeated by him and afflicted by Time. It was
here that the Lord of creatures—that great
Master of all created things—Mahadeva—had
practised the severest of ascetic austerities for
the benefit of all creatures. Here dwell many
regenerate and great Rishis observant of vows called
‘Go’ and emaciated with the recitation
and study of the Vedas, and who, having suspended the
vital air called Prana, have attained to heaven by
force of their austerities. A man is said to
adopt the vow called Go, when he sleepeth wherever
he listeth, and when he subsisteth on anything that
others place before him, and is clad with robes that
others may supply. Here in the race of the celebrated
elephant Supratika were born those best of elephants
known by the names of Airavata, Vamana, Kumuda and
Anjana, the first being the king of his tribe.
Look, O Matali, if there be any bridegroom here, that
is distinguished by the possession of superior merits,
for then I will go to him for respectfully soliciting
him to accept thy daughter. Behold, here lieth
an egg in these waters, blazing with beauty.
From the commencement of the creation it is here.
It moveth not, nor doth it burst. I have never
heard any body speaking of its birth or nature.
Nobody knoweth who its father or mother is. It
is said, O Matali, that when the end of the world
cometh, mighty fire burst forth from within it, and
spreading consumeth the three worlds with all their
mobile and immobile objects.’ Hearing those
words of Narada, Matali answered him, saying, ’No
one here seems to me to be eligible. Let us go
hence, therefore, without delay!’”
SECTION C
“Narada continued, ’Here is that spacious
and celebrated city of cities, called Hiranyapura,
belonging to the Daityas and Danavas, possessing a
hundred diverse kinds of illusion. Here in these
regions called Patala, it hath been built with great
care by the divine artificer, and planned by the Danava
Maya. Endued with great energy and heroism, many
Danavas, having obtained boons (from Brahman) in days
of old, lived here, exhibiting a thousand different
kinds of illusion. They were incapable of being
vanquished by Sakra or any other celestial, that is,
by either Yama, or Varuna, or the Lord of treasures
(Kuvera). Here dwell, O Matali, those Asuras
called Kalakhanjas who sprang from Vishnu, and those
Rakshasas also called Yatudhanas who sprang from the
feet of Brahman. All of them are endued with
frightful teeth, terrible impetus, the speed and prowess
of the wind, and great energy depending on powers of
illusion. Besides these, another class of Danavas
called Nivatakavachas, who are invincible in battle,
have their abode here. Thou knowest bow Sakra
is unable to vanquish them. Many times, O Matali,
thou, with thy son Gomukha, and the chief of the celestials
and lord of Sachi, along with his son, had to retreat
before them. Behold their homes, O Matali, that
are all made of silver and gold, and well-adorned with
Page 329
decorations done according to the rules of art.
All those mansions are decked with lapis lazuli and
corals, and made effulgent with the lustre of the
Arkasphatika, and the radiance of gem called Vajrasara.
And many of those palatial residences seem, as if,
they have been made of the shine of these gems called
Padmaragas, or of bright marble, or of excellent wood.
And they are also possessed of the radiance of the
sun, or blazing fire. And all the edifices, adorned
with gems and jewels, are very high and stand close
to another. Of spacious proportions and great
architectural beauty, it is impossible to say of what
material these mansions are built or to describe their
style of beauty. Indeed, they are exceedingly
beautiful in consequence of their decorations.
Behold these retreats of the Daityas for recreation
and sport, these beds of theirs for sleep, these costly
utensils of theirs set with precious stones, and these
seats also for their use. Behold these hills
of theirs, looking like clouds, those fountains of
water, these trees also that move of their own will
and that yield all fruits and flowers that one may
ask. See, O Matali, if any bridegroom may be
had here, acceptable to thee. If no one can be
found, we shalt, if thou likest, go hence to some other
part of the world.’ Thus addressed, Matali
answered Narada, saying, ’O celestial Rishi,
it behoveth me not to do anything that may be disagreeable
to dwellers of heaven. The gods and the Danavas,
though brothers, are ever at hostility with each other.
How can I, therefore, make an alliance with those
that are our enemies? Let us repair, therefore,
to some other place. It behoveth me not to search
among the Danavas. As regards thyself, I know
thy heart is ever set on fomenting quarrels.’”
SECTION CI
“Narada said, ’This region belongeth to
the birds, all of whom possess excellent feathers.
They all subsist on snakes. They never feel any
fatigue in putting forth their prowess, or in making
journeys, or in bearing burthens. This race,
O charioteer, hath multiplied from the six sons of
Garuda. They are Sumukha, Sunaman, Sunetra, Suvarchas,
Suanch and that prince of birds called Suvala.
Born of Kasyapa’s line and enhancing the glory
of Vinata’s race, many winged creatures, the
foremost of their species, have by begetting children
founded and increased a thousand dynasties of birds,
all endued with nobility of blood. All these
creatures are endued with great prosperity, have the
auspicious whirl called Sreevatsa, possess great wealth,
and are inspired with great might. By their acts
they may be said to belong to the Kshatriya order,
but they are all without any compassion, subsisting
as they do on snakes. They never attain to spiritual
enlightenment in consequence of their preying on their
kinsmen. I will now enumerate the chiefs by their
names, listen to me, O Matali. This race is much
regarded in consequence of the favour that, is shown
to it by Vishnu. They all worship Vishnu, and
Vishnu is their protector. Vishnu always dwelleth
in their hearts, and Vishnu is their great refuge.
These then are their names—Suvarnachuda,
Nagasin Daruna, Chandatundaka, Anala, Vaisalaksha,
Kundalin, Pankajit, Vajraviskambha, Vainateya, Vamana,
Vatavega, Disachakshu, Nimisha, Animisha, Trirava,
Saptarava, Valmiki, Dipaka, Daityadwipa, Saridwipa,
Page 330
Sarasa, Padmaketana, Sumukha, Chitraketu, Chitravara,
Anagha, Meshahrit, Kumuda, Daksha, Sarpanta, Somabhojana,
Gurubhara, Kapota, Suryanetra, Chirantaka, Vishnudharman,
Kumara, Parivarha, Hari, Suswara, Madhuparka, Hemavarna,
Malaya, Matariswan, Nisakara and Divakara. These
sons of Garuda that I name dwell in only a single
province of this region. I have mentioned those
only that have won distinction by might, fame and
achievements. If thou likest none here, come,
we will go hence, O Matali. I will take thee
to another region where thou mayest find an eligible
husband for thy daughter.’”
SECTION CII
“Narada said, ’The region where we now
are is called Rasatala and is the seventh stratum
below the Earth. Here dwelleth Surabhi, the mother
of all kine, she, who was born of the Amrita.
She always yieldeth milk which is the essence of all
the best things of the earth, and which, excellent
as it is, and of one taste, springeth from the essence
of the six different kinds of tastes (that are talked
of). The faultless Surabhi herself sprang in
days of old from the mouth of the Grandsire, gratified
with drinking the Amrita and vomiting the best things.
A single jet only of her milk, falling on the earth,
created what is known as the sacred and the excellent
“Milky Ocean.” The verge of that ocean
all round is always covered with white foam resembling
a belt of flowers. Those best of ascetics that
are known by the name of the Foam-drinkers dwell around
this ocean, subsisting on that foam only. They
are called Foam-drinkers because they live, O Matali,
on nothing else save that foam. Engaged in the
practice of the severest of austerities, the very gods
are known to fear them. From her are born four
other kine, O Matali, supporting the four quarters
and therefore, are they called the supporters of the
quarters (Dikpali). Born of Surabhi herself, she
who supporteth the eastern quarter is called Surupa.
She, who supporteth the southern quarter is called
Hansika. That illustrious cow, O Matali, of universal
form, who supporteth the western quarter ruled by Varuna
is known by the name of Subhadra. The northern
quarter comprising the region of virtue, and called
after Kuvera the Lord of treasures, is supported by
the cow named Sarva-kamadugha. The gods, uniting
with the Asuras, and making the Mandara mountain their
pole, churned the waters of the ocean and obtained
the wine called Varuni, and (the Goddess of Prosperity
and Grace called) Lakshmi, and Amrita, and that prince
of steeds called Uchchhaisrava, and that best of gems
called Kaustubha. Those waters, O Matali, that
yielded these precious things had all been mixed with
the milk of these tour cows. As regards Surabhi,
the milk she yielded becometh Swaha unto those that
live on Swaha, Swadha unto those that live on Swadha,
and Amrita unto those that live on Amrita. The
couplet that was sung by the dwellers of Rasatala
in day of old, is still heard to be recited in the
world by the persons of learning. That couplet
is this,—Neither in the region of the Nagas,
nor in Swarga, nor in Vimana, nor in Tripishtapa is
residence so happy as in Rasatala!’”
Page 331
SECTION CIII
“Narada said, ’This foremost of cities
that thou beholdest and which resembles the Amaravati
of the chief of the celestials himself, is known by
the name of Bhogavati. It is ruled over by Vasuki,
the king of the Nagas. That Shesha dwelleth here,
who, in consequence of his ascetic austerities of
the foremost order, is able to support this earth with
all her vastness. His body is like that of a
white mountain. He is decked in celestial ornaments.
He hath a thousand heads. His tongues are blazing
like flames of fire, and he is endued with great strength.
There dwell in happiness innumerable Nagas—sons
of Surasa—possessed of diverse forms, and
decked on ornaments of diverse kinds, bearing the signs
of gems, Swastika, circles and drinking vessels.
All of them endued with great strength are by nature
fierce. Some have a thousand heads, some five
hundred, and some three. And some have two heads,
and some five, and some have seven faces. And
all of them are possessed of huge bodies that resemble
the mountains stretching over the earth. Millions
and tens of millions are they, in fact, uncountable,
even as regards those of’ them that belong to
a single race. Listen, however, to me as I name
a few of the more famous ones amongst them. They
are Vasuki, Takshaka, Karkotaka, Dhanjaya, Kaliya,
Nahusha, Aswatara, Vakyakunda, Mani, Apurana, Khaga,
Vamana, Elapatra, Kukura, Kukuna, Aryaka, Nandaka,
Kalasa, Potaka, Kalilasaka, Pinjaraka, Airavata, Sumanmukha,
Dadhimukha, Sankha, Nanda, Upanandaka, Apta, Kotaraka,
Sikhi, Nishthuraka, Tittiri, Hastibhadra, Kumuda,
Maylapindaka, the two Padmas, Pundarika, Pushpa, Mudgaraparnaka,
Karavira, Pitharaka, Samvritta, Vritta, Pindara, Vilwapatra,
Mushikada, Sirishaka, Dilipa, Sankha-sirsha, Jyotishka,
Aparajita, Kauravya, Dhritarashtra, Kuhara, Krisaka,
Virajas, Dharana, Savahu, Mukhara, Jaya, Vidhira,
Andha, Visundi, Virasa, and Sarasa. These and
many others there are amongst the sons of Kasyapa.
See O Matali, if there is anybody here whom thou canst
elect.’
“Kanwa continued, ’Matali, meanwhile,
had been looking attentively at a person that stood
by. And after Narada had ceased speaking, the
celestial charioteer with gratified mind asked the
Rishi, saying, ’Of what race is he the delighter—that
comely youth of great radiance—who standeth
before Aryaka of Kauravya’s line? Who is
his father, and who is his mother? Of what Naga’s
race is he? Indeed, of what line doth he stand
as a high flag-staff? In consequence of his intelligence,
his patience, his beauty, and his youth, my heart,
O celestial Rishi, hath been attracted towards him.
That youth will make the best of husbands for my Gunakesi.’
Page 332
“Kanwa continued, ’Beholding Matali’s
gratification at seeing the Naga called Sumukha, Narada
informed him of the nobility of his parentage and
of his feats. And he said, ’Born in the
race of Airavata this prince of Nagas is named Sumukha.
He is the favourite grandson of Aryaka, and the daughter’s
son of Vamana. The father of this youth was, O
Matali, the Naga called Chikura. Not long before
was he slain by Vinata’s Son.’ Hearing
this Matali became highly pleased, and addressing Narada,
the charioteer said, ’This best of Nagas is,
O sire, very acceptable to me for a son-in-law.
Make an endeavour to secure him, for I am highly pleased
at the thought of bestowing on this Naga, O Muni, my
dear daughter.’”
SECTION CIV
“Narada then said, ’This one is the charioteer
of the name of Matali. He is besides a dear friend
of Sakra. Pure in conduct, he hath an excellent
disposition and possesses numerous virtues. Endued
with strength of mind, he hath great energy and great
might. He is the friend, counsellor, and charioteer
of Sakra. It has been seen in every battle that
small is the difference that exists between him and
Vasava as regards prowess and strength. In all
the battles between the gods and Asuras, it is this
Matali that driveth, by his mind alone, that ever-victorious
and best of cars belonging to Indra, which is drawn
by thousand steeds. Vanquished by his management
of the steeds, the enemies of the gods are subjugated
by Vasava by the use of his hands. Defeated before-hand
by Matali, the Asuras are subsequently slain by Indra.
Matali hath an excellent daughter, who in beauty is
unrivalled in the world. Truthful and possessed
of every accomplishment, she is known by the name of
Gunakesi. He was searching the three worlds for
an eligible bridegroom. O thou that art possessed
of the splendour of a celestial, thy grandson, Sumukha,
hath become acceptable to him as a husband for his
daughter. If O best of serpents, his proposal
be acceptable to thee, quickly make up thy mind, O
Aryaka, to take his daughter in gift for thy grandson.
As Lakshmi in Vishnu’s house, or Swaha in that
of Agni so let the slender-waisted Gunakesi be a wife
in thy race. Let Gunakesi, therefore be accepted
by thee for thy grandson, like Sachi for Vasava who
deserveth her. Although this youth hath lost
his father, yet we choose him for his virtues, and
for the respectability of Airavata and thy own.
Indeed, it is in consequence of Sumukha’s merits,
his disposition, purity, self-restraint and other
qualifications that Matali hath become himself desirous
of giving away his daughter unto him. It behoveth
thee, therefore, to honour Matali.’
Page 333
“Kanwa continued, ’Thus addressed by Narada,
Aryaka beholding his grandson elected as a bridegroom
and remembering the death of his son was filled with
delight and sorrow at the same time. And he then
addressed Narada and said, ’How, O celestial
Rishi, can I desire Gunakesi for a daughter-in-law’!
It cannot be, O great Rishi, that thy words are not
highly honoured by me, for who is there that would
not desire an alliance with the friend of Indra?
I hesitate, however, O great Muni, in consequence
of the instability of the very cause that would not
make that alliance lasting. O thou of great effulgence,
the author of this youth, viz., my son, hath
been devoured by Garuda. We are afflicted with
sorrow on that account. But worse still, O lord,
Vinata’s son, at the time of leaving these regions,
said, ’After a month I will devour this Sumukha
also. Surely, it will happen as he hath said,
for we know with whom we have to deal. At these
words, therefore, of Suparna we have become cheerless!’
“Kanwa continued, ’Matali then said unto
Aryaka, ’I have formed a plan. This thy
grandson is elected by me as my son-in-law. Let
this Naga then, proceeding with me and Narada, come
to the Lord of heaven the chief of the celestials,
O best of Nagas. I shall then endeavour to place
obstacles in the way of Suparna, and as a last resource,
we will ascertain the period of life that hath been
vouchsafed to Sumukha. Blessed be thou, O Naga,
let Sumukha, therefore, come with me to the presence
of the Lord of the celestials.’ Saying this,
they took Sumukha with them, and all the four, endued
with great splendour, coming to heaven beheld Sakra
the chief of the gods seated in all his glory.
And it so happened that the illustrious Vishnu of
four arms was also present there. Narada then
represented the whole story about Matali and his choice.’
“Kanwa continued, ’Hearing all that Narada
said, Vishnu directed Purandara, the Lord of the universe,
saying, ’Let Amrita be given to this youth,
and let him be made immortal like gods themselves.
Let Matali, and Narada, and Sumukha, O Vasava, all
attain their cherished wish through thy grace.’
Purandara, however, reflecting on the prowess of Vinata’s
son, said unto Vishnu, ‘Let Amrita be given unto
him by thee.’ Thus addressed, Vishnu said,
’Thou art the Lord of all mobile and immobile
creatures. Who is there, O lord, that would refuse
a gift that may be made by thee’?’ At
these words Sakra gave unto that Naga length of days.
The slayer of Vala and Vritra did not make him a drinker
of Amrita. Sumukha, having obtained that boon,
became Sumukha[11] (in reality) for his face was suffused
with marks of joy. And having married Matali’s
daughter, he cheerfully returned home. And Narada
and Aryaka also filled with delight at the success
of their object, went away, after having worshipped
the glorious chief of the celestials.’”
SECTION CV
Page 334
“Kanwa said, ’Meanwhile, O Bharata, the
mighty Garuda heard what had happened, viz.,
the bestowal by Sakra of length of days on the Naga
Sumukha. And inflamed with great anger, that ranger
of the firmament, Suparna, smiting the three worlds
by the hurricane caused by the flappings of his wings,
quickly came to Vasava. And Garuda said, ’O
illustrious one, disregarding me why hast thou interfered
with my sustenance. Having granted me a boon
of thy own will, why dost thou now withdraw it?
The Supreme Lord of all creatures hath, from the beginning,
ordained what my food is to be. Why dost thou
then stand in the way of that divine decree?
I had selected this great Naga and had fixed time,
for O god, I had intended to offer the meat of his
body, as sustenance to my numerous progeny. When
he, therefore, hath obtained a boon from thee and
hath become indestructible by me, how can I henceforth
dare kill another of his species? Dost thou sport
thus, O Vasava, as thou listest? I, however,
shall have to die, as also the members of my family’
and the servants whom I have engaged in my house.
That will, I think, gratify thee, O Vasava! Indeed,
O slayer of Vala and Vritra, I deserve all this, nay
more, since being the lord of the three worlds in might.
I yet consented to become the servant of another.
O monarch of the three worlds, Vishnu, however, is
not the only cause of my inferiority, for though,
O Vasava, I am quite thy equal, yet the sovereignty
of the three worlds resteth on thee, O chief of the
celestials. Like thee, I also have a daughter
of Daksha for my mother and Kasyapa for my father.
Like thee, I also can, without any fatigue, bear the
weight of the three worlds. I have strength that
is immeasurable and incapable of being resisted by
any creature. In the war with the Daityas I also
achieved grand feats. Srutasri and Srutasena
and Vivaswat, and Rochanamukha, and Prasrura, and
Kalakaksha amongst the sons of Diti were slain by me.
Perching yet on the flag-staff of thy younger brother’s
car I carefully protect it in battle, and sometimes
also I bear that brother of thine on my back.
It is, perhaps, for this that thou disregardest me.
Who else in the universe is there that is capable
of bearing such heavy burthens? Who is there that
is stronger than myself? Superior though I am,
I yet bear on my back this younger brother of thine
with all his friends. When, however, disregarding
me thou hast interfered with my foods, thou hast, O
Vasava, inflicted disgrace on me, like this younger
brother of thine that had hitherto been disgracing
me by making me bear him on my back. As regards
thyself, O Vishnu, amongst all those endued with prowess
and strength that have been born of Aditi’s
womb, thou art superior in strength. Yet thee
I bear without any fatigue, with only one of my feathers.
Think coolly then, O brother, who amongst us is stronger?’
Page 335
“Kanwa continued, ’Hearing the proud words
of that bird foreshadowing danger the bearer of the
discus, provoking Tarkshya still more, said unto him,
’Though so very weak, why dost thou, O Garuda,
yet regard thyself strong, O oviparous creature, it
ill behoveth thee to vaunt thus in our presence.
The three worlds united together cannot bear the weight
of my body. I myself bear my own weight and thine
also. Come now, bear thou the weight of this
one right arm of mine. If thou canst bear even
this, thy boast would be regarded as reasonable.
Saying this, the holy one placed his arms on Garuda’s
shoulders. Thereupon the latter fell down, afflicted
with its weight, confounded, and deprived of his senses.
And Garuda, felt that the weight of that one arm of
Vishnu was as great as that of the entire Earth with
her mountains. Endued with might infinitely greater,
Vishnu, however, did not afflict him much. Indeed,
Achyuta did not take his life. That ranger of
the sky, afflicted then by that immense weight, gasped
for breath, and began to cast off his feathers.
With every limb weakened, and utterly confounded,
Garuda was almost deprived of his senses. The
winged offspring of Vinata then, thus confounded and
almost deprived of his senses, and rendered utterly
helpless, bowing unto Vishnu with bent bead, feebly
addressed him, saying, ’O illustrious Lord, the
essence of that strength which sustains the universe
dwelleth in this body of thine. What wonder,
therefore, that I should be crushed down to the earth
by a single arm of thine, stretched out at thy pleasure.
It behoveth thee, O divine Lord, to forgive this winged
creature that perches on thy flag-staff—this
fool intoxicated with pride of strength, but now rendered
utterly helpless. Thy great strength, O divine
Lord, was never known to me before. It was for
this that I regarded my own might to be unequalled.’
Thus addressed, the illustrious Vishnu became gratified,
and addressing Garuda with affection, said, ’Let
not thy behaviour be such again.’ And saying
this, Upendra threw Sumukha with the toe of his foot
upon Garuda’s breast. And from that time,
O king, Garuda hath ever lived in friendship with
that snake. It was thus, O king, that mighty and
illustrious Garuda, the son of Vinata, afflicted by
the might of Vishnu, was cured of his pride.’
“Kanwa continued, ’In the same way, O
son of Gandhari, thou livest, O son, as long as thou
approachest not the heroic sons of Pandu in battle.
Who is there whom Bhima, that foremost of smiters,
that mighty son of Vayu and Dhananjaya, the son of
Indra, cannot slay in battle? Vishnu himself,
and Vayu and Dharma, and the Aswins,—these
gods are thy enemies. Let alone an encounter
with them, thou art not competent even to look at
them on the field. Therefore, O prince, do not
set thy heart upon war; let peace be made through
the agency of Vasudeva. It behoveth thee to save
thy race thus. This great ascetic Narada witnessed
with his own eyes the incident (I have related to
thee) which shows the greatness of Vishnu, and know
that this Krishna is that bearer of the discus and
the mace!’
Page 336
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Hearing these
words of the Rishi, Duryodhana contracted his eye-brows
and began to breathe heavily. And casting his
eyes then on Radha’s son, he burst out into a
loud laughter. And setting at naught those words
of the Rishi, that wicked wretch began to slap his
thigh that resembled the trunk of an elephant.
And addressing the Rishi, he said, ’I am, O
great Rishi, precisely what the Creator hath made me.
What is to be, must be. What also hath been ordained
in my case must happen, I cannot act otherwise.
What can these senseless declamations, therefore,
avail?’”
SECTION CVI
“Janamejaya said, ’Interminably wedded
to evil, blinded by avarice, addicted to wicked courses,
resolved upon bringing destruction on his head, inspiring
grief in the hearts of kinsmen, enhancing the woes
of friends, afflicting all his well-wishers, augmenting
the joys of foes, and treading the wrong path, why
did not his friends seek to restrain him, and why
also did not that great friend (of Kuru’s race),
the holy One; with tranquil soul, or the Grandsire
tell him anything from affection?’
“Vaisampayana said, ’Yes, the holy one
did speak. Bhishma also spoke what was beneficial.
And Narada too said much. Listen to all that these
said.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Narada said,
’Persons that listen to the counsels of friends
are rare. Friends again are rare that offer beneficial
counsels, for a friend (in need of counsel) is never
there where a friend (offering counsel) is. O
son of Kuru’s race, I think, the word of friends
ought to be listened to. Obstinacy ought to be
avoided; for it is fraught with great evil. In
this connection is cited an old story regarding Galava’s
having met with disgrace through obstinacy. In
ancient times, in order to test Viswamitra, who was
then engaged in ascetic austerities Dharma personally
came to him, having assumed the form of the Rishi,
Vasishtha. Thus assuming, O Bharata, the form
of the one of the seven Rishis, and feigning himself
hungry and desirous of eating, he came, O king, to
the hermitage of Kausika. Thereupon, Viswamitra
struck with awe, began to cook Charu (which was a preparation
of rice and milk). And in consequence of the care
he took in preparing that excellent food, he could
not properly wait upon his guest. And it was
not till after the guest had dined on the food offered
by the other hermits that Viswamitra succeeded in
approaching him with the Charu he had cooked and which
was still steaming. ’I have already dined;
wait here,’—were the words that the
holy one said. And having said that the holy
one went away. And thereupon, the illustrious
Viswamitra, O king, waited there. And bearing
that food on his head and holding it with his arms,
that ascetic of rigid vow stood in his hermitage, still
as a post, subsisting on air. And as he stood
there, an ascetic of the name of Galava, from motives
Page 337
of respect and reverence and from affection and desire
of doing what was agreeable, began to wait upon him.
And after a hundred years had passed away, Dharma,
again assuming the form of Vasishtha, came to Kausika
from desire of eating. And beholding the great
Rishi Viswamitra, who was endued with high wisdom,
standing there with that food on his head, himself
subsisting all the while on air, Dharma accepted that
food which was still warm and fresh. And having
eaten that food, the god said,—Gratified
am I, O regenerate Rishi. And saying this, he
went away. And at those words of Dharma, Viswamitra
divested of Kshatriyahood because endued with the
status of a Brahmana and was filled with delight[12].
And pleased as he was with the services and devotion
of his discipline, the ascetic Galava, Viswamitra,
addressed him and said, ‘With my leave, O Galava,
go whithersoever thou mayest wish.’ Thus
commanded by his preceptor, Galava, highly pleased,
said in a sweet voice unto Viswamitra of great effulgence,
What final gift shall I make thee in consequence of
thy services as preceptor? O giver of honours,
it is in consequence of the (final) present that a
sacrifice becometh successful. The giver of such
gifts obtains emancipation. Indeed, these gifts
constitute the fruit (that one enjoys in heaven).
They are regarded as peace and tranquillity personified.
What, therefore, shall I procure for my preceptor?
Oh, let that be said. ’The illustrious Viswamitra
knew that he had really been conquered by Galava by
means of the latter’s services, and the Rishi,
therefore, sought to dismiss him by repeatedly saying,
‘Go, Go.’ But thou repeatedly commanded
by Viswamitra to go away, Galava still addressed him
saying, ‘What shall I give?’ And seeing
this obstinacy on the part of ascetic Galava, Viswamitra
felt a slight rise of anger and at last said, ’Give
me eight hundred steeds, every one of which should
be as white as the rays of the moon, and every one
of which should have one ear black. Go now, O
Galava, and tarry not.’”
SECTION CVII
“Narada said, ’Thus addressed by Viswamitra
of great intelligence Galava was filled with such
anxiety that he could not sit or lie down, or take
his food. A prey to anxiety and regret, lamenting
bitterly, and burning with remorse, Galava grew pale,
and was reduced to a skeleton. And smitten with
sorrow, O Suyodhana, he indulged in these lamentations,
’Where shall I find affluent friends? Where
shall I find money? Have I any savings?
Where shall I find eight hundred steeds of lunar whiteness?
What pleasure can I have in eating? What happiness
can be mine in objects of enjoyment? The very
love of life is extinct in me. What need have
I of life? Repairing to the other shore of the
great ocean, or to the furthest verge of the earth,
I will relinquish my life. Of what use can life
be to me? What happiness, without severe exertion,
can be his who is poor, unsuccessful, deprived of
Page 338
all the good things of life, and burthened with debt?
Death is preferable to life as regards him who having
enjoyed the wealth of friends through their friendship
for himself, is unable to return their favour.
The religious acts of that man lose their efficacy
who having promised to do an act fails to perform it
and is thus stained with falsehood. One that
is stained by falsehood cannot have beauty, or children,
or power, or influence. How, therefore, can such
a one attain to a blissful state? What ungrateful
man hath ever earned fame? Where, indeed, is
his place, and where his happiness? An ungrateful
person can never win esteem and affection. Salvation
also can never be his. He that is destitute of
wealth is a wretch that can scarcely be said to live.
Such a wretch cannot support his kinsmen and friends.
Unable to make any return for the benefits he receiveth,
he certainly meeteth with destruction. Even I
am that wretch, ungrateful, destitute of resources,
and stained with falsehood, for having obtained my
objects from my preceptor, I am unable to do his bidding.
Having first endeavoured to the utmost, I will lay
down my life. Before this, I never craved for
any thing from the very gods. The deities regard
me for this in sacrificial place. I will go and
seek the protection of Vishnu, the divine Lord of
the three worlds, of Krishna the great refuge of all
who are blessed with protection. Bowing down
unto him, I desire to see that highest of all ascetics,
the Eternal Krishna from whom flow all those possessions
and enjoyments that are owned by both gods and Asuras.’
And while Galava was thus lamenting, his friend Garuda,
the son of Vinata, appeared in his sight. And
Garuda, from desire of doing him good, cheerfully addressed
him, saying, Thou art a dear friend, of mine.
It is the duty of a friend, when himself in prosperity,
to look to the accomplishment of the wishes of his
friends. The prosperity that I have, O Brahmana,
is constituted by Vasava’s younger brother Vishnu.
Before this, I spoke to him on thy behalf and he hath
been pleased to grant my wishes. Come now, we
will go together. I will bear thee comfortably
to the other shore of the ocean, or to the furthest
extremity of the earth. Come, O Galava, do not
tarry.’”
SECTION CVIII
“Garuda said, ’O Galava, commanded I have
been by God, who is the cause of all knowledge.
I ask thee, towards which quarter shall I first take
thee to see what lie there? The eastern, the southern,
the western, or the northern, towards which, O best
of regenerate persons, shall I go, O Galava?
That quarter towards which Surya the illuminator of
the universe first riseth; where, at eve, the Sadhyas
engage in their ascetic austerities; where that Intelligence,
which pervades the whole universe first springeth;
where the two eyes of Dharma, as well as he himself,
are stationed; where the clarified butter first poured
in sacrifice subsequently flowed all around; that
Page 339
quarter, O best of all regenerate persons, is the
gate of Day and Time. There the daughters of Daksha,
in primeval times, gave birth to their children.
There the sons of Kasyapa first multiplied. That
quarter is the source of all the prosperity of the
gods, for it was there that Sakra was first anointed
as the king of the celestials. It was there,
O regenerate Rishi, that both Indra and the gods underwent
their ascetic penances. It is for this, O Brahmana,
that this quarter is called Purva (the first).
And because in the earliest of times this quarter
was overspread by the Suras, it is for this that it
is called Purva. The gods, desirous of prosperity,
performed all their religious ceremonies here.
It was here that the divine Creator of the universe
first sang the Vedas. It was here that the Gayatri
was first preached by Surya unto the reciters of that
sacred hymn. It was here, O best of Brahmanas,
that the Yajurvedas were delivered by Surya (unto
Yajnavalkya). It was here that the Soma juice,
sanctified by boons, was first drunk in sacrifices
by Suras. It was here that the Homa-fires, (gratified
by mantras), first drank articles of cognate origin.[13]
It was here that Varuna first repaired to the nether
regions, and attained to all his prosperity.
It was here, O bull among the twice-born, that the
birth, growth, and death of the ancient Vasishtha took
place. Here first grew the hundred different
branches of Om![14] It was here that the smoke-eating
Munis are the smoke of sacrificial fires. It was
in that region that myriads of boars and other animals
were killed by Sakra and offered as sacrificial portions
unto the gods. It is here that the thousand-rayed
sun, arising, consumeth, out of ire, all those that
are wicked and ungrateful among men and the Asuras.
This is the gate of the three worlds. This is
the path of heaven and felicity. This quarter
is called Purva (east). We will go hither, if
it pleaseth thee. I shall always do what is agreeable
to him who is my friend. Tell me, O Galava, if
any other quarter pleaseth thee, for we will then go
there. Listen now to what I say of another quarter.’”
SECTION CIX
“Garuda continued, ’In days of yore, Vivaswat,
having performed a sacrifice, gave this quarter away
as a present (Dakshina) unto his preceptor, And it
is for this that this region is known by the name of
Dakshina (south). It is here that the Pitris of
the three worlds have their habitation. And,
O Brahmana, it is said that a class of celestials
subsisting upon smoke alone also live there. Those
celestials also that go by the name of Viswedevas
always dwell in this region along with the Pitris.
Worshipped in sacrifices in all the worlds, they are
equal sharers with the Pitris. This quarter is
called the second door of Yama. It is here that
the periods allotted to men are calculated in Trutis
and Lavas.[15] In this region always dwell the celestial
Page 340
Rishis, the Pitriloka Rishis, and the royal Rishis,
in great happiness. Here are religion and truth.
It is here that the acts (of persons) exhibit their
fruits. This region, O best of the twice-born,
is the goal of the acts of the dead. It is this
region, O best of regenerate persons, whither all
must repair. And as creatures are all overwhelmed
by darkness, they cannot, therefore, come hither in
bliss. Here, O bull among regenerate persons,
are many thousands of Malevolent Rakshasas in order
to be seen by the sinful. Here, O Brahmana, in
the bowers on the breast of Mandara and in the abodes
of regenerate Rishis, the Gandharvas chant psalms,
stealing away both the heart and the intellect.
It was here that Raivata (a Daitya), hearing the Sama
hymns sung in a sweet voice, retired to the woods,
leaving his wife and friends and kingdom. In this
region, O Brahmana, Manu and Yavakrita’s son
together set a limit which Surya can never overstep.
It was here that the illustrious descendant of Pulastya,
Ravana, the king of the Rakshasas, undergoing ascetic
austerities, solicited (the boon of) immortality from
the gods. It was here that (the Asura) Vritra,
in consequence of his wicked conduct, incurred the
enmity of Sakra. It is in this region that lives
of diverse forms all come and are then dissociated
into their five (constituent) elements. It is
in this region, O Galava, that men of wicked deeds
rot (in tortures). It is here that the river
Vaitarani flows, filled with the bodies of persons
condemned to hell. Arrived here, persons attain
to the extremes of happiness and misery. Reaching
this region, the sun droppeth sweet waters and thence
proceeding again to the direction named after (Vasishtha),
once more droppeth dew, It was here that I once obtained
(for food), a prodigious elephant battling with an
enormous tortoise. It was here that the great
sage Chakradhanu took his birth from Surya. That
divine sage afterwards came to be known by the name
of Kapila, and it was by him that the (sixty thousand)
sons of Sagara were afflicted. It was here that
a class of Brahmanas named Sivas, fully mastering
the Vedas, became crowned with (ascetic) success.
Having studied all the Vedas they at last attained
eternal salvation. In this region is the city
called Bhogavati that is ruled by Vasuki, by the Naga
Takshaka and also by Airavata. They that have
to journey hither (after death) encounter here a thick
gloom. And so thick is that gloom that it cannot
be penetrated by either the Sun himself or by Agni.
Worthy of worship as thou art, even thou shalt have
to pass this road. Tell me now if thou wishest
to sojourn towards this direction. Else, I listen
to an account of the western direction.’”
SECTION CX
Page 341
“Garuda said, ’This quarter is the favourite
one of king Varuna, the ruler of the ocean. Indeed,
the lord of the waters had his origin here, and it
is hither that sovereignty lieth. And since it
is here that towards the day’s end (paschat)
the sun dismisseth his rays that this quarter, O best
of the twice-born ones, is called the west (paschima).
For ruling over all aquatic creatures and for the protection
of the water themselves, illustrious and divine Kasyapa
installed Varuna here (as the king of this region).
Quaffing all the six juices of Varuna, the moon, the
dispeller of darkness, becometh young again in the
beginning of the fortnight. It was in the quarter,
O Brahmana, that the Daityas were routed and bound
fast by the wind-god. And afflicted by a mighty
tempest, and breathing hard (as they fled), they at
last laid themselves down in this region to sleep
(the sleep that knows no waking). Hither is that
mountain called Asta which is the cause of the evening
twilight, and which (daily) receiveth the sun lovingly
turning towards it. It is from this quarter that
both Night and Sleep, issuing out at the close of day,
spread themselves, as if, for robbing all living creatures
of half their allotted periods of life. It was
here that Sakra, beholding (his stepmother) the goddess
Diti lying asleep in a state of pregnancy, cut off
the foetus (into forty-nine parts), whence sprang the
(forty-nine) Maruts. It is towards this direction
that the roots of Himavat stretch towards the eternal
Mandara (sunk in the ocean). By journeying for
even a thousand years one cannot attain to the end
of those roots. It is in this region that Surabhi
(the mother of cows), repairing to the shores of the
extensive lake, adorned with golden lotuses, poureth
forth her milk. Here in the midst of the ocean
is seen the headless trunk of the illustrious Swarbhanu
(Rahu) who is always bent upon devouring both sun and
the moon. Here is heard the loud chanting of
the Vedas by Suvarnasiras, who is invincible and of
immeasurable energy, and whose hair is eternally green.
It is in this region that the daughter of Muni Harimedhas
remained transfixed in the welkin in consequence of
Surya’s injunction couched in the words—Stop,
Stop. Here, O Galava, wind, and fire, and earth,
and water, are all free, both day and night, from
their painful sensations. It is from this region
that the sun’s course begins to deviate from
the straight path, and it is in this direction that
all the luminous bodies (the constellations) enter
the solar sphere. And having moved for twenty-eight
nights with the sun, they come out of the sun’s
course to move in accompaniment with the moon.
It is in this region that the rivers which always
feed the ocean have their sources. Here, in the
abode of Varuna, are the waters of the three worlds.
In this region is situate the abode of Anarta, the
prince of snakes. And here is the unrivalled abode
also of Vishnu, who is without beginning and without
end. In this region is also situate the abode
of the great Rishi Kasyapa, the son of Maricha.
The western quarter is thus narrated to thee in course
of telling thee of the different points. Tell
me now, O Galava, towards which side, O best of regenerate
persons, shall we go?’”
Page 342
SECTION CXI
“Garuda said, ’O Brahmanas, since this
quarter saveth from sin, and since one attaineth to
salvation here, it is for this saying (Uttarana) power
that it is called the north (uttara). And, O Galava,
because the abode of all the treasures of the north
stretches in a line towards the east and the west,
therefore is the north sometimes called the central
region (madhyama). And, O bull among the twice-born,
in this region that is superior to all, none can live
that is unamiable, or of unbridled passions, or unrighteous.
Hither, in the asylum, known by the name of Vadari,
eternally dwell Krishna who is Narayana’s self,
and Jishnu that most exalted, of all male beings,
and Brahman (the Creator). Hither, on the breast
of Himavat always dwelleth Maheswara endued with the
effulgence of the fire that blazeth up at the end of
the Yuga. As Purusha, he sporteth here with Prakriti
(the universal mother). Except by Nara and Narayana,
he is incapable of being seen by the diverse classes
of Munis, the gods with Vasava at their head, the Gandharvas,
the Yakshas, and the Siddhas. Though invested
with Maya, him the eternal Vishnu alone, of a thousand
heads and thousand legs, can behold. It was in
this region that Chandramas (the moon) was installed
into the sovereignty of the entire regenerate order.
It was in this region, O thou foremost of all acquainted
with Brahma, that Mahadeva first receiving her on
his head, afterwards let (the sacred stream) Ganga
fall from the heavens to the world of men. It
was here that the Goddess (Uma) underwent her ascetic
austerities from her desire of obtaining Maheswara
(as her Lord). It was in this region that Kama,
the wrath (of Siva), Himavat, and Uma, all together
shone brilliantly. It was here, on the breast
of Kailasa, O Galava, that Kuvera, was installed on
the sovereignty of the Rakshasas, the Yakshas, and
the Gandharvas. It is in this region that (Kuvera’s
gardens called) Chitraratha lie, and it is here that
the asylum of (the Munis called the) Vaikhanasas is
situate. It is here, O bull among the twice-born,
that the celestial stream called Mandakini, and the
mountain Mandara are to be seen. It is here that
the gardens called Saugandhi-kanaka are always guarded
by the Rakshasas. Here are many plains covered
with grassy verdure, as also the plantain forest, and
those celestial trees called the Sautanakas. It
is in this, region, O Galava, that the Siddhas, with
souls ever under control and always sporting at will,
have their fit abodes, abounding with every object
of enjoyment. It is here that the seven Rishis
with Arundhati may be seen. It is here that the
constellation Swati is to be seen, and it is here
that it first rises to the view. It is in this
region that the Grandsire Brahman dwelleth in the
vicinity of Yajna (sacrifice embodied). It is
in this quarter that the sun, the moon, and the other
luminaries are seen to revolve regularly.
Page 343
It is in this region, O foremost of Brahmanas, that
those illustrious and truth-speaking Munis called
by the name of Dharma, guard the source of the Ganges.
The origin and physical features and ascetic penances
of these Munis are not known to all. The thousand
dishes they use for serving the food offered in hospitality
and the edibles also they create at will, are all
a mystery, The man, O Galava, that passeth beyond the
point guarded by these Munis, is certain, O foremost
of Brahmanas, to meet with destruction. None
else, O bull among Brahmanas, save the divine Narayana,
and the eternal Nara called also Jishnu, succeeded
in passing beyond the point so guarded. It is
in this region that the mountains of Kailasa lie,
the abode of Ailavila (Kuvera). It is here that
the ten Apsaras known by the name of Vidyutprabha
had their origin. In covering, O Brahmana, the
three worlds with three steps in the sacrifice of Vali
(the Asura king), Vishnu had covered this whole northern
region; and, accordingly, there is a spot here called
Vishnupada. And it is so called after the footprint
of Vishnu caused on that occasion. Here, in this
quarter, at a place called Usiravija, by the side of
the golden lake, king Marutta performed, O foremost
of Brahmanas, a sacrifice. It is here that the
brilliant and shining gold mines of Himavat exhibit
themselves to the illustrious and regenerate Rishi
Jimuta. And Jimuta gave away the whole of that
wealth to the Brahmanas. And having given it away,
that great Rishi solicited them to call it after his
own name. And hence that wealth is known by the
name of the Jaimuta gold. Here, in this region,
O bull among Bharatas, the regents of the worlds,
O Galava, every morning and evening, proclaim, ‘What
business of what person shall we do?’ It is
for these, O foremost of Brahmanas, and other incidents,
that the northern region is superior to all quarters.
And because this region is superior (uttara) to all,
therefore, it is called the north (uttara). The
four regions have thus, O sire, been, one after another
described to thee in details. Towards which quarter
then dost thou desire to go? I am ready, O foremost
of Brahmanas, to show thee all the quarters of the
earth!’”
SECTION CXII
“Galava said, ’O Garuda, O slayer of foremost
snakes, O thou of beautiful feathers, O son of Vinata,
carry me, O Tarkhya, to the east where the two eyes
of Dharma are first opened. O, take me to the
east which thou hast first described, and whither,
thou hast said, the gods are always present.
Thou hast said that thither both truth and virtue reside.
I desire to meet all the gods. Therefore, O younger
brother of Aruna, take me thither, so that I may behold
the gods.’
Page 344
“Narada continued, ’Thus addressed, the
son of Vinata replied unto that Brahmana saying, ‘Mount
thou on my back.’ And thereupon, the Muni
Galava rode on the back of Garuda. And Galava
said, ’Thy beauty, O devourer of snakes, as
thou proceedest, seemeth to be like that of the sun
himself in the morning, that maker of the day endued
with a thousand rays. And, O ranger of the skies,
thy speed is so great that the very trees, broken by
the storm caused by the flapping of thy wings, seem
to pursue thee in the course. Thou seemest, O
tenant of the welkin, to drag by the storm caused
by the wings, the very Earth with all the waters of
her oceans, and with all her mountains, woods and
forests. Indeed, the tempest caused by the motion
of thy wings seems to continually raise into mid air
the waters of the sea, with all their fishes and snakes
and crocodiles. I see fishes possessed of similar
faces, and Timis and Timingilas and snakes endued
with human faces, all crushed by the tempest raised
by thy wings. My ears are deafened by the roar
of the deep. So stunned am I that I can neither
hear nor see anything. Indeed, I have forgotten
my own purpose. Slacken thy speed, O ranger of
the sky, remembering the risk to a Brahmana’s
life. O sire, neither the sun, nor the cardinal
points, nor the welkin itself, is any longer perceptible
to me. I see only a thick gloom around me.
The body is no longer visible to me. I see only
thy two eyes, O oviparous being, resembling two radiant
gems. I cannot see either thy body or my own.
At every step, I behold sparks of fire emitted from
thy frame. Stop without delay these sparks of
fire and extinguish the dazzling radiance of thy eyes.
O son of Vinata, slacken this exceeding speed of thy
course. O devourer of snakes, I have no business
to go with thee. Desist, O blessed one, I am
unable to bear this speed of thine. I have promised
to give my preceptor eight hundred white steeds of
lunar effulgence, each having one ear black in hue.
I see no way, O oviparous being, of fulfilling my
pledge. There is but one way that I can see, and
that is to lay down my own life. I have no wealth
of my own, nor any wealthy friend, nor can wealth,
however immense, procure the accomplishment of my
object.’
“Narada continued, ’Unto Galava uttering
these and many other words of entreaty and sorrow,
the son of Vinata, without slackening his speed, laughingly
replied, saying, ’Thou hast little wisdom, O
regenerate Rishi, since thou wishest to put an end
to thy own life. Death can never be brought about
by one’s effort. Indeed, Death is God himself.
Why didst thou not, before this, inform me of thy
purpose? There are excellent means by which all
this may be accomplished. Here is this mountain
called Rishabha on the seaside. Resting here
for some time and refreshing ourselves with food,
I will, O Galava, return.’”
SECTION CXIII
Page 345
“Narada said, ’Alighting then on the peak
of the Rishabha, the Brahmana and the Bird beheld
a Brahmana lady of the name of Sandili, engaged there
on ascetic penances. And Galava and Garuda both
saluted her by bending their heads, and worshipped
her. And thereupon, the lady enquired after their
welfare and gave them seats. And having taken
their seats, both of them took the cooked food the
lady offered them, after having first dedicated it
to the gods with Mantras. And having taken that
food, they laid themselves down on the ground and
fell into a profound sleep. And Garuda, from
desire of leaving that place, upon awakening, found
that his wings, had fallen off. Indeed, he had
become like a ball of flesh, with only his head and
legs. And beholding him come to that plight, Galava
sorrowfully enquired, saying, ’What is this condition
that has overtaken thee as the consequence of thy
sojourn here? Alas, how long shall we have to
reside here? Hadst thou harboured any evil and
sinful thought in thy mind? It cannot, I am sure,
be any trivial sin of which thou hast been guilty.’
Thus addressed, Garuda replied unto the Brahmana, saying,
’Indeed, O regenerate one, I entertained the
thought of carrying away this lady crowned with ascetic
success from this spot to where the Creator himself,
the divine Mahadeva, the eternal Vishnu, and both Virtue
and Sacrifice personified, live together, for as I
thought this lady should live there. I shall
now, from desire of doing myself good, prostrate myself
before this holy lady, and pray unto her, saying,—with
a heart full of pity, I had, indeed, entertained such
a thought. Whether I acted rightly or wrongly,
even this was the wish, evidently against thy own,
that was cherished by me from my respect for thee.
It behoveth thee, therefore, to grant me forgiveness,
from the nobility of thy heart.’ That lady
became gratified with that prince of birds and that
bull of Brahmanas. And addressing Garuda, she
said, ’Fear not, O thou of beautiful feathers.
Resume thy wings, and cast off thy fears. I was
contempted by thee, but know that I do not pardon contempt.
That sinful being who entertains contempt for me,
would speedily fall away from all blissful regions.
Without a single inauspicious indication about me,
and perfectly blameless as I am, I have, in consequence
of the purity of my conduct, attained to high ascetic
success. Purity of conduct beareth virtue as
its fruit. Purity of conduct beareth wealth as
its fruit. It is purity of conduct that bringeth
on prosperity. And it is purity of conduct that
driveth away all inauspicious indications. Go
thou, O blessed prince of birds, whithersoever thou
wishest, from this place. Never entertain contempt
for me, and take care that thou dost not contempt
women that may even be truly blamable. Thou shalt
again be, as before, invested with both strength and
energy.’ At these words of that lady Garuda
had his wings again, and they became even stronger
than before. And then with Sandili’s leave,
Page 346
Garuda with Galava on his back took his departure.
But they failed to find the kind of steeds they were
in search of. And it so happened that Viswamitra
met Galava on the way. And thereupon, that foremost
of speakers addressed Galava in the presence of Vinata’s
son and said, ’O regenerate one, the time is
already come when thou shouldst give me the wealth
thou hadst promised me of thy own accord. I do
not know what thou mayst. I have waited so long.
I will wait for some time more. Seek thou the
way by which thou mayst succeed (in the matter of
thy promise).’ Hearing these words, Garuda
addressed cheerless Galava who was overwhelmed with
sorrow, saying, ’What Viswamitra said unto thee
before hath now been repeated in my presence.
Come, therefore, O Galava, best of Brahmanas, we will
deliberate on the matter. Without giving thy
preceptor the whole of the wealth (promised by thee),
thou canst not even sit down.’
SECTION CXIV
“Narada said, ’Garuda then, that foremost
of winged beings, addressed the cheerless Galava and
said, ’Because it is created by Agni, in the
bowels of the earth and augmented by Vayu, and because
also the earth itself is said to be Hiranmaya, therefore,
is wealth called Hiranya. And because wealth
supports the world and sustains life, therefore, is
it called Dhana. It is for serving these ends
that Dhana (wealth) exists from the beginning in the
three worlds. On that Friday, when either of the
two constellations—the Purvabhadra or the
Uttarabhadra—is ascendant, Agni, creating
wealth by a fiat of his will, bestoweth it on mankind
for the increase of Kuvera’s stock. The
wealth that is embowelled in the Earth is guarded
by the deities called the Ajaikapats and the Ahivradnas,
and also by Kuvera. Exceedingly difficult of
attainment, that wealth, therefore, O bull among Brahmanas,
is rarely attained. Without wealth there is no
chance of thy acquisition of the promised steeds.
Beg thou, therefore, of some king born in the race
of some royal sage, who may, without oppressing his
subjects, crown our suit with success. There is
a king born in the lunar race, that is my friend.
We shall go to him, for he, amongst all on Earth,
hath great wealth. That royal sage is known by
the name of Yayati, and he is the son of Nahusha.
His prowess is incapable of being baffled. Solicited
by thee in person, and urged by me, he will give what
we seek, for he hath immense wealth, equal unto what
belongeth to Kuvera, the lord of treasures. Even
thus, by accepting a gift, O learned one, pay off
thy debt to thy preceptor.’ Talking thus,
and thinking upon what was best to be done, Garuda
and Galava together went to king Yayati, who was then
in his capital called Pratisthana. The king received
them hospitably and gave them excellent Arghya and
water to wash their feet. And the king then asked
them the cause of their advent. And thereupon
Garuda answered, saying, ’O son of Nahusha, this
Page 347
ocean of asceticism, called Galava, is my friend.
He had been, O monarch, a disciple of Viswamitra for
many thousand years. This holy Brahmana, when
commanded by Viswamitra to go away whithersoever he
chose, addressed his preceptor at that time, saying,—I
desire to give something as preceptor’s fee.
Knowing this one’s resources to be poor, Viswamitra
did not ask for anything. But when he was repeatedly
addressed by this Brahmana on the subject of the tutorial
fee, the preceptor, under a slight accession of wrath,
said, ’Give me eight hundred white steeds of
good pedigree and of lunar radiance, and each having
one ear black in hue. If, O Galava, thou desirest
to give anything to thy preceptor, let this then be
given!’ It was thus that Viswamitra endued with
wealth of asceticism said unto him in anger.
And this bull among Brahmanas is on that account smarting
with great grief. Unable to fulfil that command
(of his preceptor), he hath now come to take thy shelter.
O tiger among men, accepting this as alms from thee,
and filled once more with cheerfulness, he will, after
paying his preceptor’s debt, devote himself
again to serve ascetic penances. A royal Rishi
as thou art, and, therefore, endued with wealth of
asceticism of thy own, this Brahmana, by giving thee
a portion of his wealth of asceticism, will make thee
richer in wealth of that kind. As many hairs,
O lord of men, as there are on a horse’s body,
so many regions of bliss, O ruler of Earth, are attained
by him that giveth away a horse in gift. This
one is as fit to accept a gift as thou art to make
a gift. Let therefore, thy gift in this instance
be like milk deposited in a conch-shell.’”
SECTION CXV
“Narada said, ’Thus addressed by Suparna
in excellent words fraught with truth, that performer
of thousand sacrifices, that foremost of givers, that
liberal ruler of all the Kasis, the lord Yayati, revolving
those words in his mind and reflecting on them coolly,
and seeing before him his dear friend, Tarkshya, and
that bull among Brahmanas, Galava, and regarding the
alms sought as an indication, highly praiseworthy,
of (Galava’s) ascetic merit, and in view particularly
of the fact that those two came to him having passed
over all the kings of the Solar race, said, ’Blessed
is my life today, and the race also in which I am born,
hath, indeed, been blessed today. This very province
also of mine hath equally been blessed by thee, O
sinless Tarkshya. There is one thing, however,
O friend, that I desire to say unto thee, and that
is, I am not so rich now as thou thinkest, for my
wealth hath suffered a great diminution. I cannot,
however, O ranger of the skies, make thy advent here
a fruitless one. Nor can I venture to frustrate
the hopes entertained by this regenerate Rishi.
I shall, therefore, give him that which will accomplish
his purpose. If one having come for alms, returneth
disappointed, he may consume the (host’s) race.
Page 348
O son of Vinata, it is said that there is no act more
sinful than that of saying, ’I have nothing’—and
thus destroying the hope of one that cometh, saying,
‘Give.’ The disappointed man whose
hopes have been killed and his object not accomplished,
can destroy the sons and grandsons of the person that
faileth to do him good. Therefore, O Galava,
take thou this daughter of mine, this perpetrator of
four families. In beauty, she resembleth a daughter
of the celestials. She is capable of prompting
every virtue. Indeed, owing to her beauty, she
is always solicited (at my hands) by gods and men,
and Asuras. Let alone twice four hundred steeds
each with a black ear, the kings of the earth will
give away their whole kingdoms as her dower. Take
thou, therefore, this daughter of mine, named Madhavi.
My sole desire is that I may have a daughter’s
son by her. Accepting that daughter in gift, Galava
then, with Garuda, went away, saying, ‘We will
again see thee’. And they took that maiden
with them. And Galava’s oviparous friend
addressed him, saying, ’The means have at last
been obtained whereby the steeds may be obtained.’
And saying this, Garuda went away to his own abode,
having obtained Galava’s permission. And
after the prince of birds had gone, Galava, with that
maiden in his company, began to think of going to some
one among the kings who would be able to give (fit)
dower for the maiden. And he first thought of
that best of kings, Haryyaswa of Ikshaku’s race,
who ruled at Ayodhya, was endued with great energy,
possessed of a large army consisting of four kinds
of forces, had a well-filled treasury and abundance
of corn, and who was dearly loved by his subjects,
and who loved the Brahmanas well. Desirous of
offspring, he was living in quiet and peace, and engaged
in excellent austerities. And the Brahmana Galava,
repairing unto Haryyaswa, said, ’This maiden,
O king of kings, will increase the family of her husband
by bringing forth offspring. Accept her from
me, O Haryyaswa, as thy wife, by giving me a dower.
I will tell thee what dower thou shalt have to give.
Hearing it, settle what thou shalt do.’”
SECTION CXVI
“Narada said, ’That best of monarchs,
king Haryyaswa, after reflecting for a long while
and breathing a long and hot sigh about the birth of
a son, at last said, ’Those six limbs[16] that
ought to be high are high in this maiden. Those
seven, again, that ought to be slender are slender
in her. Those three, again, which ought to be
deep are deep in her. And lastly, those five
that ought to be red are red in her. It seems
that she is worth being looked at by even the gods
and the Asuras, and is accomplished in all the arts
and sciences. Possessed of all auspicious signs,
she will certainly bring forth many children.
She is even capable of bringing forth a son who may
become an emperor. Having regard to my wealth,
tell me, O foremost of Brahmanas, what should be her
dower.’ Galava said, ’Give me eight
hundred steeds, born in a good country, of lunar whiteness,
and each with one ear black in hue. This auspicious
and large-eyed maiden will then become the mother
of thy sons, like the fire-stick becoming the genetrix
of fire.’”
Page 349
“Narada continued, ’Hearing these words,
that royal sage, king Haryyaswa, filled with sorrow,
but blinded by lust, addressed Galava, that foremost
of Rishis, saying, ’I have only two hundred steeds
about me of the kind wanted by thee, although of other
kinds all worthy of sacrifice, I have many thousand
moving about (in my dominions), O Galava, I desire
to beget only one son upon this damsel. Kindly
grant this request of mine.’ Hearing these
words of the king, that damsel said unto Galava, ’A
reciter of Brahma granted me a boon that I would after
each delivery, be a maiden again. Give me away,
therefore, to this king, accepting his excellent steeds.
In this way, full eight hundred steeds may be obtained
by thee from four kings in succession, and I also
may have four sons. Collect thou the wealth intended
for thy preceptor, in this way. Even this is
what I think. It depends, however, oil thee, O
Brahmana, as to how thou shouldst act.’
Thus addressed by that maiden, the Muni Galava said
these words unto king Haryyaswa, ’O Haryyaswa,
O best of men, accept this damsel for a fourth part
of the dower that I have settled, and beget only one
son upon her.’ Taking then that maiden and
worshipping Galava, the king in due time and place
had by her a son of the kind wished for. And
the son so born came to be called by the name of Vasumanas.
Richer than all the wealthy kings of the earth, and
resembling one of the Vasus themselves he became a
king and giver of great wealth.
’After some time, intelligent Galava came back
and approaching the delighted Haryyaswa, said unto
him, ’Thou hast, O king obtained a son.
Indeed, this child is like the sun himself in splendour.
The time hath come, O foremost of men, for me to go
to some other king for alms.’ Hearing these
words, Haryyaswa who was even truthful in speech and
steady in acts of manliness, and remembering that
the balance of six hundred steeds could not be made
up by him, gave Madhavi back to Galava. And Madhavi
also, abandoning that blazing, kingly prosperity, and
once more becoming a maiden, followed the footsteps
of Galava. And Galava too, saying, ‘Let
the steeds remain with thee’ then went, accompanied
by the maiden, to king Divodasa.’”
SECTION CXVII
“Narada said, ’Galava then, addressing
Madhavi, said, The ruler of the Kasis is an illustrious
king known by the name of Divodasa. He is the
son of Bhimasena, is endued with great prowess, and
is a mighty sovereign. O blessed maiden, we are
now going to him. Follow me slowly and grieve
not. That ruler of men is virtuous and devoted
to truth and hath his passions under control.’
Page 350
“Narada Continued, ’When the muni came
before that king he was received with due hospitality
by the latter. Galava, then, began to urge the
monarch for begetting a child. Thus addressed,
Divodasa said, ’I heard of all this before.
Thou needest not speak much. O Brahmana.
I may tell thee, O best of Brahmanas, that as soon
as I heard of this matter, my heart was set upon it.
This also is a mark of great honour to me that passing
over all other kings thou hast come to me, Without
doubt, thy object will be gained. In the matter
of the steeds, O Galava, my wealth is like that of
king Haryyaswa. I shall, therefore, beget only
one royal son upon this maiden.’ Hearing
these words, that best of Brahmanas gave that damsel
unto the king, and, the king, thereupon, duly wedded
her. And the royal sage then sported with her,
as Surya with Prabhavati, Agni with Swaha, Vasava
with Sachi, Chandra with Rohini, Yama with Urmila,
Varuna with Gauri, Kuvera with Riddhi, Narayana with
Lakshmi, Sagara with Jahnavi, Rudra with Rudrani,
the Grandsire with Saraswati, Vasishtha’s son
Saktri with Adrisyanti, Vasishtha with Arundhati (called
also Akshamala), Chyavana with Sukanya, Pulastya with
Sandhya, Agastya with the princess of Vidarbha Lopamudra,
Satyavan with Savitri, Bhrigu with Puloma, Kasyapa
with Aditi, Richika’s son Jamadagni with Renuka,
Kusika’s son Viswamitra with Himavati, Vrihaspati
with Tara, Sukra with Sataprava, Bhumipati with Bhumi,
Pururavas with Urvasi, Richika with Satyavati, Manu
with Saraswati, Dushyanta with Sakuntala, the eternal
Dharma with Dhriti, Nala with Damayanti, Narada, with
Satyavati, Jaratkaru with Jaratkaru, Pulastya with
Pratichya, Urnayus with Menaka, Tumvuru with Rambha,
Vasuki with Satasirsha, Dhananjaya with Kamari, Rama
with the princess of Videha Sita, or Janardana with
Rukmini. And unto king Divodasa, that sporting
with and taking delight in her, Madhavi bore a son
named Pratardana. And after she had borne him
a son, the holy Galava came to Divodasa at the appointed
time, and said unto him, ’Let the maiden come
with me, and let the steeds also thou art to give
me remain with thee, for I desire to go elsewhere,
O ruler of Earth, for dower.’ Thus addressed,
the virtuous king Divodasa, who was devoted to truth,
thereupon, gave back the maiden to Galava at the appointed
time.’”
SECTION CXVIII
“Narada said, ’The illustrious Madhavi,
faithful to her promise, abandoning that prosperity
and once more becoming a maiden, followed the footsteps
of the Brahmana Galava. And Galava, whose heart
was set upon the accomplishment of his own business,
reflecting upon what he should do next then went to
the city of the Bhojas for waiting upon king Usinara.
And arrived before that king of unbaffled prowess,
Galava addressed him, saying, ’This maiden will
bear thee two royal sons. And, O king, begetting
upon her two sons equal unto the Sun and the Moon,
thou mayst attain all thy objects both here and hereafter.
Page 351
As her dower, however, O thou that art conversant
with every duty, thou shalt have to give me four hundred
steeds of lunar splendour, each having ear black of
hue. This effort of mine for obtaining the steeds
is only on account of my preceptor, otherwise I myself
have nothing to do with them. If thou art able
to accept (my terms), do as I bid thee without any
hesitation. O royal sage, thou art now childless.
Beget, O king, a couple of children. With offspring
so begot as a raft, save they Pitris and thyself also.
O royal sage, he that hath fruit in the shape of offspring
to enjoy, never falleth from heaven. Nor hath
such a person to go to that frightful hell whither
the childless are doomed to go.’ Hearing
these and other words of Galava, king Usinara. replied
unto him, saying, ’I have heard what thou, O
Galava, hast said. My heart also is inclined to
do thy bidding. The Supreme Ordainer, however,
is all-powerful. I have only two hundred steeds
of the kind indicated by thee, O best of Brahmanas.
Of other kinds, I have many thousands moving about
in my dominions. I will, O Galava, beget only
one son upon her, by treading the path that hath been
told by others such as Haryyaswa and Divodasa.
I will act after their manner in the matter of the
dower. O best of Brahmanas, my wealth exists
for only my subjects residing in the city and the country,
and not for my own comforts and enjoyment. That
king, O virtuous one, who giveth away for his own
pleasure the wealth that belongeth to others, can never
earn virtue or fame. Let this maiden, endued
with the radiance of a celestial girl, be presented
to me. I will accept her for begetting only one
child.’ Hearing these and many other words
that Usinara spoke, that best of Brahmanas, Galava,
then applauded the monarch and gave him the maiden.
And making Usinara accept that damsel, Galava went
into the woods. And like a righteous man enjoying
the prosperity (won by his deeds), Usinara began to
sport with and enjoy that damsel in valleys and dales
of mountains by fountains and falls of rivers, in
mansions, delightful chambers, variegated gardens,
forests and woods, agreeable places, and terraces
of houses. And, in due time, was born unto him
a son of the splendour of the morning sun, who afterwards
became an excellent king, celebrated by the name Sivi.
And after the birth of that son, the Brahmana Galava
came to Usinara, and taking back from him the maiden
went, O king, to see the son of Vinata.’”
SECTION CXIX
“Narada said, ’Seeing Galava, Vinata’s
son smilingly addressed him, saying, ‘By good
luck it is, O Brahmana, that I behold thee successful.’
Galava, however, hearing the words spoken by Garuda
informed him that a fourth part of the task was still
un-finished.’ Garuda then, that foremost
of all speakers, said unto Galava, ’Do not make
any endeavour (to obtain the remaining two hundred),
for it will not succeed. In days of yore, Richika
Page 352
sought at Kanyakuyja Gadhi’s daughter, Satyavati,
for making her his wife.’ Thereupon Gadhi,
O Galava, addressing the Rishi, said, ’O holy
one, let a thousand steeds of lunar brightness, each
with one ear black of hue, be presented to me.’
Thus requested, Richika said, ‘So be it’.
And then wending his way to the great mart of steeds
(Aswatirtha) in Varuna’s abode, the Rishi obtained
what he sought and gave them unto the king. Performing
a sacrifice then of the name of Pundarika, that monarch
gave away those steeds (as Dakshina) unto the Brahmanas.
The three kings to whom thou hadst applied had purchased
those horses from the Brahmanas, each to the number
of two hundred. The remaining four hundred, O
best of Brahmanas, while being transported over the
river, were taken by the Vitasta.[17]Therefore, O Galava,
thou canst never have that which is not to be had.
Do thou then, O virtuous one, present unto Viswamitra
this maiden as an equivalent for two hundred steeds,
along with the six hundred thou hast already obtained.
Thou wilt then, O best of Brahmanas, be freed from
thy grief and crowned with success. Galava then,
saying, ‘So be it,’ and taking with him
both the maiden and the steeds, went with Garuda in
his company unto Viswamitra. And arrived in his
presence, Galava said, ’Here are six hundred
steeds of the kind demanded by thee. And this
maiden is offered as an equivalent for the remaining
two hundred. Let all these be accepted by thee.
Upon this maiden have been begotten three virtuous
sons by three royal sages. Let a fourth, foremost
of all, be begotten upon her by thee. And thus
let the number of steeds, eight hundred, be regarded
by thee as full, and let me also, being freed from
thy debt, go and practise ascetic penances as I list.’
Viswamitra then, beholding Galava in the company of
the bird, and that highly beautiful maiden, said,
’Why, O Galava, didst thou not give me this
maiden before? Four sons then, sanctifiers of
my race, would all have been mine alone. I accept
this maiden of thine for begetting upon her one son.
As regards the steeds, let them graze in my asylum.’
Saying this, Viswamitra of great effulgence began
to pass his time happily with her, And Madhavi bore
him a son of the name of Ashtaka. And as soon
as that son was born, the great Muni Viswamitra addressed
him to both virtue and profit, and gave him those
six hundred steeds. Ashtaka then went to a city,
bright as the city of Soma. And Kusika’s
son Viswamitra also having made over the damsel to
his disciple, himself went into the Woods. And
Galava also, with his friend Suparna, having in this
way succeeded in giving his preceptor the fee he had
demanded, with a cheerful heart addressed that maiden
and said, ’Thou hast borne a son who is exceedingly
charitable, and another who is exceedingly brave, and
a third who is devoted to truth and righteousness,
and yet another who is a performer of great sacrifices.
O beautiful maiden, thou hast, by these sons, saved
not only thy father, but four kings and myself, also.
Go now, O thou of slender waist.’ Saying
this, Galava dismissed Garuda that devourer of snakes,
and returning the maiden unto her father himself went
into the woods.’”
Page 353
SECTION CXX
“Narada said, ’King Yayati then, desirous
again of disposing of his daughter in Swayamvara,
went to a hermitage on the confluence of the Ganga
and the Yamuna, taking Madhavi with him on a chariot,
her person decked with garlands of flowers. And
both Puru and Yadu followed their sister to that sacred
asylum. And in that spot was assembled a vast
concourse of Nagas and Yakshas and human beings, of
Gandharvas and animals and birds, and of dwellers
of mountains and trees and forests, and of many inhabitants
of that particular province. And the woods all
around that asylum were filled with numerous Rishis
resembling Brahman himself. And while the selection
had commenced of husband, that maiden of the fairest
complexion, passing over all the bridegrooms there
assembled, selected the forest as her lord. Descending
from her chariot and saluting all her friends, the
daughter of Yayati went into the forest which is always
sacred, and devoted herself to ascetic austerities.
Reducing her body by means of fasts of various kinds
and religious rites and rigid vows, she adopted the
deer’s mode of life And subsisting upon soft
and green grass-blades, resembling the sprouts of
lapis lazuli and which were both bitter and sweet
to the taste, and drinking the sweet, pure, cool,
crystal, and very superior water of sacred mountain-streams,
and wandering with the deer in forests destitute of
lions and tigers, in deserts free from forest-conflagration,
and in thick woods, that maiden, leading the life
of a wild doe, earned great religious merit by the
practice of Brahmacharya austerities.
’(Meanwhile) king Yayati, following the practice
of kings before him, submitted to the influence of
Time, after having lived for many thousands of years.
The progeny of two of his sons—those foremost
of men—Puru and Yadu, multiplied greatly,
and in consequence thereof, Nahusha’s son won
great respect both in this and the other world.
O monarch, dwelling in heaven, king Yayati, resembling
a great Rishi, became an object of much regard, and
enjoyed the highest fruits of those regions. And
after many thousands of years had passed away in great
happiness, on one occasion while seated among the
illustrious royal sages and great Rishis, king Yayati,
from folly, ignorance, and pride, mentally disregarded
all the gods and Rishis, and all human beings.
Thereat the divine Sakra—the slayer of
Vala—at once read his heart. And those
royal sages also addressed him saying, ‘Fie,
fie.’ And beholding the son of Nahusha,
the questions were asked, ’Who is this person?
What king’s son is he? Why is he in heaven?
By what acts hath he won success? Where did he
earn ascetic merit? For what hath he been known
here? Who knoweth him? The dwellers of heaven,
thus speaking of-that monarch, asked one another these
questions about Yayati, that ruler of men. And
hundreds of heaven’s charioteers, and hundreds
of those that kept heaven’s gates, and of those
what were in charge of heaven’s seats, thus
questioned, all answered, ’We do not know him.’
And the minds of all were temporarily clouded, so that
none recognised the king and thereupon the monarch
was soon divested of his splendour.’”
Page 354
SECTION CXXI
“Narada said, ’Removed from his place
and pushed away from his seat with heart trembling
in fear, and consumed by burning remorse, with his
garlands dimmed in lustre and his knowledge clouded,
shorn of his crown and bracelets, with head swimming
and every limb relaxed divested of ornaments and robes,
incapable of being recognised, sometimes not seeing
the other residents of heaven, filled with despair,
and his understanding a perfect blank, king Yayati
fell headlong towards the earth. And before the
king fell down, he thought within himself, ’What
inauspicious and sinful thought was entertained by
me in consequence of which I am hurled from my place?’
And all the kings there, as also the Siddhas and the
Apsaras, laughed at seeing Yayati losing his hold,
and on the point of falling down. And soon, O
king, at the command of the king of the gods, there
came a person whose business it was to hurl down those
whose merits were exhausted. And coming there,
he said unto Yayati, ’Extremely intoxicated
with pride, there is none whom thou hast not disregarded.
In consequence of this thy pride, heaven is no longer
for thee. Thou deservest not a residence here,
O son of a king. Thou art not recognised here,
go and fall down.’ Even thus the celestial
messenger spoke unto him, Nahusha’s son then
said, repeating the words three times, ’If fall
I must, let me fall amongst the righteous.’
And saying this, that foremost of persons that had
won high regions by their acts, began to think of the
particular region whereon he should fall. Beholding
meanwhile four mighty kings, viz., Pratardana,
Vasumanas, Sivi, the son of Usinara, and Ashtaka,
assembled together in the woods of Naimisha, the king
fell amongst them. And those monarchs were then
engaged in gratifying the lord of the celestials by
performance of the sacrifice known by the name of
Vajapeya. And the smoke arising from their sacrificial
altar reached the very gates of heaven. And the
smoke that rose thus, looked like a river connecting
both the earth and the heaven. And it resembled
the sacred stream Ganga while descending from heaven
to earth. And smelling that smoke and guiding
his course by it, Yayati, the lord of the universe,
descended on the earth. And the king thus fell
amongst those four lions among rulers, who were all
endued with great beauty, who were foremost of all
the performers of sacrifices, who were, indeed, his
own relatives, and who resembled the four regents
of the four quarters, and looked like four mighty
sacrificial fires. And thus, in consequence of
the exhaustion of his merits, the royal sage Yayati
fell amongst them. And beholding him blazing
with beauty, those kings asked him, saying, “Who
art thou? Of what race, country, or city art
thou? Art thou a Yaksha, or a god, a Gandharva,
or a Rakshasa? Thou does not seem to be a human
being. What object hast thou in view?’
Thus questioned, Yayati answered, ’I am the
Page 355
royal sage Yayati. Fallen am I from heaven in
consequence of the expiration of my virtue. Having
desired to fall amongst the righteous, I have fallen
amongst you.’ The kings then said, ’O
foremost of persons, may that wish of thine, be realized.
Accept thou our virtues and the fruits of all our
sacrifices.’ Yayati replied saying, ’I
am not a Brahmana competent to accept a gift.
On the other hand, I am a Kshatriya. Nor is my
heart inclined towards lessening the virtues of others.’
“Narada continued, ’About this time, Madhavi,
in course of her purposeless wanderings, came there.
Beholding her, those monarchs saluted her and said,
’What object hast thou in coming here? What
command of thine shall we obey? Thou deservest
to command us, for all of us are thy sons, O thou
that art endued with wealth of asceticism!’ Hearing
these words of theirs, Madhavi was filled with delight
and approaching then her father, she reverentially
saluted Yayati. And touching the heads of all
her sons, that lady engaged in ascetic austerities
said to her father, ’Being my sons these all
are thy daughter’s sons, O king of kings.
They are not strangers to thee. These will save
thee. The practice is not new, its origin extends
to antiquity. I am thy daughter Madhavi, O king,
living in the woods after the manner of the deer.
I also have earned virtue. Take thou a moiety.
And because, O king, all men have a right to enjoy
a portion of the merits earned by their offspring,
it is for this that they desire to have daughter’s
sons. Even this was the case with thyself, O
king (when thou madest me over to Galava).’
At these words of their mother, those monarchs saluted
her, and bowing down unto also their maternal grandsire,
repeated those very words in a loud, incomparable,
and sweet voice, and making, as it were, the whole
earth resounded therewith, in order to rescue that
maternal grandsire of theirs who had fallen down from
heaven. And at that time Galava also came there,
and addressing Yayati, said, ’Accepting an eighth
part of my ascetic austerities, ascend thou to heaven
again.’”
SECTION CXXII
“Narada said, ’As soon as that bull among
men, king Yayati was recognised by those virtuous
persons, he rose again to heaven, without having had
to touch the surface of the earth. And he regained
his celestial form and had all his anxieties entirely
dispelled. And he rose again, decked with celestial
garlands and robes, adorned with celestial ornaments,
sprinkled with celestial scents, and furnished with
heavenly attributes, and without having been compelled
to touch the earth with his feet. Meanwhile,
Vasumanas who was celebrated in the world for his liberality,
first addressing the king, uttered these words in a
loud voice, ’The merit that I have won on earth
by my unblamable conduct towards men of all orders,
I give unto thee. Be it all thine, O king.
The merit that one winneth by liberality and forgiveness,
Page 356
the merit that is mine in consequence of the sacrifices
I have performed, let all that also be thine.’
After this, Pratardana, that bull among Kshatriyas,
said, ’Ever devoted to virtue as also to war,
the fame that hath here been mine as a Kshatriya,
in consequence of the appellation of hero (by which
I am known),—be that merit thine.
After this, Sivi, the intelligent son of Usinara,
said these sweet words, ’Unto children and women
in jest, danger, or calamity, in distress, or at dice,
I have never spoken a falsehood. By that truth
which I never sacrificed ascend thou to heaven.
I can, O king, give up all objects of desire and enjoyment,
my kingdom, yea, life itself, but truth I cannot give
up. By that truth, ascend thou to heaven; that
truth for which Dharma, that truth for which agni,
that truth for which he of a hundred sacrifices, have
each been gratified with me, by that truth ascend
thou to heaven.’ And lastly, the royal sage
Ashtaka, the offspring of Kusika’s son and Madhavi,
addressing Nahusha’s son Yayati who had performed
many hundreds of sacrifices, said, ’I have,
O lord, performed hundreds of Pundarika, Gosava and
Vajapeya sacrifices. Take thou the merit of these.
Wealth, gems, robes, I have spared nothing for the
performance of sacrifices. By that truth ascend
thou to heaven.’ And that king thereupon
leaving the earth, began to ascend towards heaven,
higher and higher, as those daughter’s sons of
his, one after another, said those words unto him.
And it was thus that those kings by their good acts,
speedily saved Yayati, who had been hurled from heaven.
It was thus that those daughter’s sons born in
four royal lines, those multipliers of their races,
by means of their virtues, sacrifices, and gifts,
caused their wise maternal grandfather to ascend again
to heaven. And those monarchs jointly said, ’Endued
with the attributes of royalty and possessed of every
virtue, we are, O king, thy daughter’s sons!
(By virtue of our good deeds) ascend thou to heaven.’”
SECTION CXXIII
“Narada said, ’Sent back to heaven by
those righteous kings, distinguished by the liberality
of their sacrificial presents, Yayati possessed of
daughter’s sons, dismissed them and reached the
celestial regions. Attaining to the eternal region
obtained through the merit of his daughter’s
sons, and adorned by his own deeds, Yayati, bathed
in shower of fragrant flowers and hugged by perfumed
and delicious breezes, blazed forth with great beauty.
And cheerfully, received back into heaven with sounds
of cymbals, he was entertained with songs and dances
by various tribes of Gandharvas and Asuras. And
diverse celestial and royal Rishis and Charanas began
to pay their adorations to him. And deities worshipped
him with an excellent Arghya and delighted him with
other honours. And after he had thus regained
heaven and tranquillity of heart, and had once more
become freed from anxiety, the Grandsire, gratifying
Page 357
him by his words said, ’Thou hadst earned the
full measure I of virtue by thy earthly deeds, and
this region (that thou hadst won) is eternal, as thy
deeds are in heaven. Thou hadst, however, O royal
sage, destroyed thy acquisition by thy vanity alone,
and thereby covered the hearts of all the denizens
of heaven with darkness in consequence of which none
of them could recognise thee. And since thou
couldst not be recognised, thou wert hurled hence!
Saved once more by the love and affection of thy daughter’s
sons, thou hast once more arrived here, and regained
this unchangeable, eternal, sacred, excellent, stable,
and indestructible region won before by thy own deeds.’
Thus addressed, Yayati said, ’O holy one, I have
a doubt, which, it behoveth thee, to dispel.
O Grandsire of all the worlds, it behoveth me not
to ask any one else. Great was my merit, augmented
by a (virtuous) rule over my subjects for many thousands
of years and won by innumerable sacrifices and gifts.
How could merit (so great) be exhausted so soon in
consequence of which I was hurled hence? Thou
knowest, O holy one, that the regions created for
me were all eternal. Why were all those regions
of mine destroyed, O thou of great effulgence?
The Grandsire answered, saying, ’Thy merit,
augmented by a (virtuous) rule over thy subjects for
many thousands of years and won by innumerable sacrifices
and gifts, was exhausted by only one fault, in consequence
of which thou wert hurled (from this region).
That fault, O king of kings, was thy vanity for which
thou hadst become an object of contempt with all the
residents of heaven. O royal sage, this region
can never be rendered eternal by vanity, or pride
of strength, or malice, or deceitfulness, or deception.
Never disregard those that are inferior, or superior,
or in the middle station. There is not a greater
sinner than he who is consumed by the fire of vanity.
Those men that will converse upon this fall and re-ascension
of thine, will, without doubt, be protected even if
overtaken by calamity.’
“Narada continued, ’O monarch, even such
was the distress into which Yayati fell in consequence
of vanity, and such was the distress into which Galava
fell owing to his obstinacy. They that desire
their own good should listen to friends that wish
them well. Obstinacy should never be entertained,
for obstinacy is always the root of ruin. For
this reason, O son of Gandhari, forsake vanity and
wrath, O hero, make peace with the sons of Pandu.
Avoid anger, O king, that which is given away, that
which is done, the austerities that are practised,
the libations that are poured on fire, nor one of
these is ever destroyed or suffereth any diminution.
None else, again, enjoyeth the fruits of these save
he that is their agent. He that succeedeth in
understanding this truly superior and excellent history,
that is approved by persons of great learning as well
as by those that are freed from anger and lust, and
that is enforced by various references to scriptures
and reason, obtaineth a knowledge of virtue and profit
and desire, and enjoyeth the sovereignty of the whole
world!’”
Page 358
SECTION CXXIV
“Dhritarashtra said, ’O holy one, it is
even so as thou, O Narada, sayest. My wish also
is precisely such, but, O holy one, I have no power
(to carry them out)!’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’The Kuru king,
having said these words unto Narada, then addressed
Krishna and said, ’Thou hast, O Kesava, told
me that which leadeth to heaven, what is beneficial
to the world, consistent with virtue, and fraught
with reason. I am not, however, O sire, independent.
Duryodhana never doth what is agreeable to me.
Do thou, therefore, O mighty-armed Krishna, O best
of persons, strive to persuade that foolish and wicked
son of mine, who disobeyeth my commands. O mighty-armed
one, he never listeneth to the beneficial words, O
Hrishikesa, of Gandhari, or of wise Vidura, or of other
friends headed by Bhishma, all of whom seek his good.
Do thou, therefore, thyself counsel that crooked,
senseless, and wicked-souled prince, of evil disposition
and sinful heart. By doing this, O Janardana,
thou shalt have done that noble act which a friend
should ever do.’ Thus addressed, he of Vrishni’s
race, conversant with the truths of virtue and profit,
approached nearer to the ever-wrathful Duryodhana
and said unto him these sweet words, ’O Duryodhana,
O best of the Kurus, listen to these words of mine,
uttered especially for thy good, as also, O Bharata,
for that of thy followers, Thou art born in a race
that is distinguished for its great wisdom. It
behoveth thee to act righteously as I indicate.
Possessed of learning and endued with excellent behaviour,
thou art adorned with every excellent quality.
They that are born in ignoble families, or are wicked-souled,
cruel, and shameless, they only, O sire, act in the
way that seemeth acceptable to thee. In this
world, the inclinations of those only that are righteous
seem to be consistent with the dictates of virtue and
profit. The inclinations, however, of those that
are unrighteous seem to be perverse. O bull of
Bharata’s race, the disposition that thou art
repeatedly manifesting is of that perverse kind.
Persistence in such behaviour is sinful, frightful,
highly wicked, and capable of leading to death itself.
It is besides, causeless, while, again, thou canst
not, O Bharata, adhere to it long. If by avoiding
this which is productive only of woe, thou wilt achieve
thy own good, if, O chastiser of foes, thou wilt escape
from the sinful and disreputable deeds of thy brothers,
followers, and counsellors, then, O tiger among men,
make peace, O bull among the Bharatas, with the sons
of Pandu who are all endued with great wisdom and
great bravery with great exertion and great learning
an all of whom have their souls under complete control.
Such conduct will be agreeable to and conducive to
the happiness of Dhritarashtra who is endued with
great wisdom, of grandsire (Bhishma), Drona, the high-souled
Kripa, Somadatta, wise Vahlika, Aswatthaman, Vikarna,
Page 359
Sanjaya, Vivingsati, and of many of thy kinsmen, O
chastiser of foes, and many of thy friends also.
The whole world, O sire, will derive benefit from that
peace. Thou art endued with modesty, born in a
noble race, hast learning and kindness of heart.
Be obedient, O sire, to the commands of thy father,
and also of thy mother, O bull of Bharata’s race.
They that are good sons always regard that to be beneficial
which their fathers command. Indeed, when overtaken
by calamity, every one recollects the injunctions
of his father. Peace with the Pandavas, O sire,
recommend itself to thy father. Let it, therefore,
O chief of the Kurus recommend itself to thee also
with thy counsellors. That mortal who having listened
to the counsels of friends doth not act according to
them, is consumed at the end by the consequences of
his disregard, like him who swalloweth the fruit called
Kimpaka. He that from folly doth not accept beneficial
counsels, unnerved by procrastination and unable to
attain his object, is obliged to repent at last.
He, on the other hand, who having listened to beneficial
counsels accepteth them at once, abandoning his opinion,
always winneth happiness in the world. He that
rejects the words of well-meaning friends, regarding
those words as opposed to his interest, but accepts
words that are really so opposed, is soon subjugated
by his foes. Disregarding the opinions of the
righteous he that abideth by the opinions of the wicked,
soon maketh his friends weep for him in consequence
of his being plunged into distress. Forsaking
superior counsellors he that seeketh the advice of
inferior ones, soon falleth into great distress and
succeedeth not in saving himself. That companion
of the sinful, who behaveth falsely and never listeneth
to good friends, who honoureth strangers but hateth
those that are his own, is soon, O Bharata, cast off
by the Earth. O bull of Bharata’s race,
having quarrelled with those (the sons of Pandu),
thou seekest protection from others viz., those
that are sinful, incapable, and foolish. What
other man is there on earth besides thee, who, disregarding
kinsmen, that are all mighty charioteers, and each
of whom resembleth Sakra himself, would seek protection
and aid from strangers? Thou hast persecuted the
sons of Kunti, from their very birth. They have
not been angry with thee, for the sons of Pandu are
indeed virtuous. Although thou hast behaved deceitfully
towards the Pandavas from their very birth, yet, O
mighty-armed one, those distinguished persons have
acted generously towards thee. It behoveth thee,
therefore, O bull of Bharata’s race, to act towards
those principal kinsmen of thine with equal generosity.
Do not yield thyself to the influence of wrath.
O bull of Bharata’s race, the exertions of the
wise are always associated with virtue, profit, and
desire. If, indeed, all these three cannot be
attained, men follow at least virtue and profit.
If, again, these three are pursued separately, it is
Page 360
seen that they that have their hearts under control,
choose virtue; they that are neither good nor bad
but occupy a middle station, choose profit, which is
always the subject of dispute; while they that are
fools choose the gratification of desire. The
fool that from temptation giveth up virtue and pursueth
profit and desire by unrighteous means, is soon destroyed
by his senses. He that speaketh profit and desire,
should yet practise virtue at the outset, for neither
profit nor desire is (really) dissociated from virtue.
O king, it hath been said that virtue alone is the
cause of the three, for he that seeketh the three,
may, by the aid of virtue alone, grow like fire when
brought into contact with a heap of dry grass.
O bull of Bharata’s race, thou seeketh, O sire,
by unrighteous means this extensive empire, flourishing
with prosperity and well-known to all the monarchs
of the earth. O king, he that behaveth falsely
towards those that live and conduct themselves righteously,
certainly cutteth down his own self, like a forest
with an axe. One must not seek to confound his
understanding whose overthrow one doth not like, for,
if one’s understanding is confounded, one can
never devote his attention to what is beneficial.
One that hath his soul under control never, O Bharata,
disregardeth anybody in the three worlds,—no,
not even the commonest creature, far less those bulls
among men, the sons of Pandu. He that surrendereth
himself to the influence of anger loseth his sense
of right and wrong. Rank growth must always be
cut off. Behold, O Bharata, this is the proof.
At present, O sire, union with the sons of Pandu is
better for thee than thy union with the wicked.
If thou makest peace with them, thou mayst obtain
the fruition of all thy wishes. O best of kings,
while enjoying the kingdom that has been founded by
the Pandavas, thou seekest protection from others,
disregarding the Pandavas themselves. Reposing
the cares of thy state on Dussasana, Durvisaha, Karna,
and Suvala’s son, thou desirest the continuance
of thy prosperity, O Bharata. These, however,
are far inferior to the Pandavas in knowledge, in virtue,
in capacity for acquiring wealth, and in prowess.
Indeed, O Bharata, (let alone the four I have mentioned)
all these kings together, with thee at their head,
are incapable of even looking at the face of Bhima,
when angry, on the field of battle. O sire, this
force consisting of all the kings of the earth is,
indeed, at thy elbow. There are also Bhishma,
and Drona, and this Karna, and Kripa, and Bhurisrava,
and Somadatta, and Aswatthaman, and Jayadratha.
All these together are incapable of fighting against
Dhananjaya. Indeed, Arjuna is incapable of being
vanquished in battle even by all the gods, Asuras,
men, and Gandharvas. Do not set thy heart for
battle. Seest thou the man in any of the royal
races of the earth, who having encountered Arjuna
in battle can return home safe and sound? O bull
of Bharata’s race, what advantage is there in
Page 361
a universal slaughter? Show me a single man who
will defeat that Arjuna, by defeating whom alone victory
may be thine? Who will encounter that son of Pandu
in battle, who had vanquished all the celestials with
the Gandharvas, Yakshas and Pannagas at Khandavaprastha?
Then also the marvellous account that is heard of
what happened at Virata’s city, touching that
encounter between one and many, is sufficient proof
of this, Hopest thou to vanquish in battle Arjuna
who when excited with rage is invincible, irresistible,
ever-victorious, and undeteriorating Arjuna, that hero,
who gratified the God of gods, Siva himself in fight?
With myself again as his second when that son of Pritha
will rush to the field of battle against an enemy,
who is there that is competent to challenge him then?
Can Purandara himself do so? He that would vanquish
Arjuna in battle would support the Earth on his arms,
consume in rage the whole population of the Earth,
and hurl the very gods from heaven. Look at thy
sons, thy brothers, kinsmen, and other relatives.
Let not these chiefs of Bharata’s race all perish
on thy account. Let not the race of Kauravas be
exterminated or reduced. O king, let not people
say that thou art the exterminator of thy race and
the destroyer of its achievements. Those mighty
car-warriors, the Pandavas (if peace be made) will
install thee as the Yuvaraja, and thy father Dhritarashtra,
that lord of men, as the sovereign of this extensive
empire. Do not, O sire, disregard the prosperity
that is awaiting thee and is sure to come. Giving
to the sons of Pritha half the kingdom, win thou great
prosperity. Making peace with the Pandavas and
acting according to the counsels of thy friends, and
rejoicing with them, thou art sure to obtain what is
for thy good for ever and ever.’”
SECTION CXXV
“Vaisampayana said, ’Hearing, O bull of
Bharata’s race, these words of Kesava, Bhishma,
the son of Santanu, then said unto vindictive Duryodhana,
Krishna hath spoken to thee, desirous of bringing about
peace between kinsmen. O sire, follow those counsels,
and do not yield to the influence of wrath. If
thou dost not act, O sire, according to the words
of the high-souled Kesava, neither prosperity, nor
happiness nor what is for thy good, wilt thou ever
have. The mighty-armed Kesava, O sire, hath said
unto thee what is consistent with virtue and profit.
Accept thou that object, and do not, O king, exterminate
the population of the earth. This resplendent
prosperity of the Bharatas amongst all the kings of
the earth, thou wilt, during the very life of Dhritarashtra,
destroy through thy wickedness, and thou wilt also,
through this arrogant disposition of thine, deprive
thyself with all thy counsellors, sons, brothers, and
kinsmen, of life, if, O thou foremost of Bharata’s
race, thou transgressest the words of Kesava, thy
father, and of wise Vidura,—words that
are consistent with truth and fraught with benefit
Page 362
to thyself. Be not the exterminator of thy race,
be not a wicked man, let not thy heart be sinful,
do not tread the path of unrighteousness. Do not
sink thy father and mother into an ocean of grief.’
After Bhishma had concluded, Drona also said these
words unto Duryodhana, who, filled with wrath, was
then breathing heavily, ’O sire, the words that
Kesava hath spoken unto thee are fraught with virtue
and profit, Santanu’s son Bhishma also hath
said the same. Accept those words, O monarch.
Both of them are wise, endued with great intelligence,
with souls under control, desirous of doing what is
for thy good, and possessed of great learning.
They have said what is beneficial. Accept their
words, O king, O thou possessed of great wisdom, act
according to what both Krishna and Bhishma have said.
O chastiser of foes, do not, from delusion of understanding,
disregard Madhava. They that are always encouraging
thee, are unable to give thee victory. During
the time of battle they will throw the burthen of
hostility on other’s necks. Do not slaughter
the Earth’s population. Do not slay thy
sons and brothers. Know that host is invincible
in the midst of which are Vasudeva and Arjuna.
If, O Bharata, thou dost not accept the truthful words
of thy friends, Krishna and Bhishma, then, O sire,
thou wilt surely have to repent. Arjuna is even
greater than what Jamadagni’s son hath described
him to be. As regards Krishna, the son of Devaki,
he is incapable of being resisted by even the gods.
O bull of Bharata’s race, what use is there
in telling thee what is really conducive to thy happiness
and good? Everything hath now been said unto thee.
Do what thou wishest. I do not wish to say anything
more unto thee, O foremost of Bharata’s race.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’After Drona
had ceased, Vidura also, otherwise called Kshattri,
casting his eyes on Duryodhana, said unto that vindictive
son of Dhritarashtra, ’O Duryodhana, O bull of
Bharata’s race, I do not grieve for thee.
I grieve, however, for this old couple, viz.,
Gandhari and thy father. Having thee, of wicked
soul for their protector (of whom they will shortly
be deprived), they will have to wander with anybody
to look after them, and deprived also of friends and
counsellors, like a pair of birds shorn of their wings.
Having begotten such a wicked son who is the exterminator
of his race, alas, these two will have to wander over
the earth in sorrow, subsisting on alms.’
After this, king Dhritarashtra, addressing Duryodhana,
seated in the midst of his brothers and surrounded
by all the kings, said, ’Listen, O Duryodhana,
to what the high-souled Sauri hath said. Accept
those words which are eternal, highly beneficial and
conducive to what is for thy highest good. With
the aid of this Krishna of faultless deeds, we amongst
all the kings, are sure to have all our cherished
objects. Firmly united by Kesava, be reconciled,
O sire, with Yudhishthira. Seek thou this great
good of the Bharatas like unto an august ceremony
of propitiation. Through Vasudeva’s agency,
bind thyself closely with the Pandavas. I think,
the time for that is come. Do not let the opportunity
pass away. If, however, thou disregardest Kesava,
who from a desire of achieving what is for good, is
soliciting thee to make peace, then victory will never
be thine.’”
Page 363
SECTION CXXVI
“Vaisampayana said, ’Hearing these words
of Dhritarashtra, both Bhishma and Drona who sympathised
with the old king, again addressed disobedient Duryodhana
and said, ’As yet the two Krishnas are not accoutred
in mail, as yet Gandiva resteth inactive, as yet Dhaumya
doth not consume the enemy’s strength by pouring
libations on the war-fire, as yet that mighty bowman
Yudhishthira, having modesty for his ornament, doth
not cast angry glances on thy troops, so let hostility
cease. As yet that mighty bowman, Bhimasena,
the son of Pritha, is not seen stationed in the midst
of his division, so let hostility cease. As yet
Bhimasena, doth not, mace in band, stalk on the field
of battle, grinding (hostile) divisions, so let peace
be made with the Pandavas. As yet Bhima doth not,
with his hero-slaying mace, make the heads of warriors
fighting from the backs of elephants roll on the field
of battle, like the palmyra-fruits in the season of
their ripening, so let hostility cease. As yet
Nakula, and Sahadeva, Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata’s
race, and Virata, and Sikhandin, and Sisupal’s
son, accoutred in mail and all well-versed in arms,
do not penetrate thy ranks, like huge crocodiles penetrating
the deep, and pour their arrowy showers, so let hostility
cease. As yet fierce-winged shafts do not fall
upon the delicate bodies of the assembled kings, so
let hostility cease. As yet fierce weapons made
of iron and steel, shot unerringly by mighty bowmen
well-skilled in arms, endued with lightness of hand
and capable of hitting howsoever long distance, do
not penetrate the breasts of warriors, smeared with
sandal and other fragrant unguents, and adorned with
golden garlands and gems, so let hostility cease.
Let that elephant among kings, Yudhishthira the Just,
receive thee with an embrace while thou salutest him
bending thy head. O bull of Bharata’s race,
let that king, distinguished for the liberality of
his sacrificial presents, place on thy shoulder that
right arm of his, the palm of which beareth the marks
of the banner and the hook. Let him, with hands
begemmed and red, adorned with fingers, pat thy back
while thou art seated. Let the mighty-armed Vrikodara,
with shoulder broad as those of the sala tree, embrace
thee, O bull of Bharata’s race, and gently converse
with thee for peace. And, O king, saluted with
reverence by those three, viz., Arjuna and the
Twins, smell thou their heads and converse with them
affectionately. And beholding the united with
thy heroic brothers—the sons of Pandu—let
all these monarchs shed tears of joy. Let the
tidings of this cordial union be proclaimed in the
cities of all the kings. Let the Earth be ruled
by thee with feelings of brotherly affection (in thy
bosom), and let thy heart be freed from the fever (of
jealousy and wrath).’”
SECTION CXXVII
Page 364
“Vaisampayana said, ’Hearing in that assembly
of the Kurus these words that were disagreeable to
him, Duryodhana replied unto the mighty-armed Kesava
of great fame, saying. ’It behoveth thee,
O Kesava, to speak after reflecting on all circumstances.
Indeed, uttering such harsh words, thou, without any
reason, findest fault with me alone, addressed regardfully
as thou always art by the sons of Pritha, O slayer
of Madhu. But dost thou censure me, having surveyed
the strength and weakness (of both sides)? Indeed,
thyself and Kshattri, the King, the Preceptor, and
the Grandsire, all reproach me alone and not any other
monarch. I, however, do not find the least fault
in myself. Yet all of you, including the (old)
king himself, hate me. O repressor of foes, I
do not, even after reflection, behold any grave fault
in me, or even O Kesava, any fault however minute.
In the game at dice, O slayer of Madhu, that was joyfully
accepted by them, the Pandavas were vanquished and
their kingdom was won by Sakuni. What blame can
be mine as regards that? On the other hand, O
slayer of Madhu, the wealth that was won from the
Pandavas then, was ordered by me, to be returned unto
them. It cannot, again, O foremost of victors,
be any fault of ours that the invincible Pandavas,
were defeated once again at dice and had to go to
the Woods. Imputing what fault to us, do they
regard us as their enemies? And, O Krishna, though
(really) weak, why do the Pandavas yet so cheerfully
seek a quarrel with us, as if they were strong?
What have we done to them? For what injury (done
to them) do the sons of Pandu, along with the Srinjayas,
seek to slaughter the sons of Dhritarashtra?
We shall not in consequence of any fierce deed, or
(alarming) word (of theirs), bow down to them in fear,
deprived of our senses. We cannot bow down to
Indra himself, let alone the sons of Pandu. I
do not, O Krishna, see the man, observant of Kshatriya
virtues, who can, O slayer of foes, venture to conquer
us in battle. Let alone the Pandavas, O slayer
of Madhu, the very gods are not competent to vanquish
Bhishma, Kripa, Drona and Karna, in battle. If,
O Madhava, we are, in the observance of the practices
of our order, cut off with weapons in battle, when
our end comes, even that will lead us to heaven.
Even this, O Janardana, is our highest duty as Kshatriyas,
viz., that we should lay ourselves down on the
field of battle on a bed of arrows. If, without
bowing to our enemies, ours be the bed of arrows in
battle, that, O Madhava, will never grieve us.
Who is there, born in a noble race and conforming
to Kshatriya practices, that would from fear bow to
an enemy, desirous only of saving his life? Those
Kshatriyas that desire their own good, accept regardfully
this saying of Matanga, viz., that (as regards
a Kshatriya), one should always keep himself erect,
and never bow down, for exertion alone is manliness;
one should rather break at the knots than bend.
A person like me should only bow down to the Brahmanas
Page 365
for the sake of piety, without regarding anybody else.
(As regards persons other than Brahmanas), one should,
as long as one lives, act according to Matanga’s
saying. Even this is the duty of Kshatriyas; even
this is ever my opinion. That share in the kingdom
which was formerly given them by my father shall never
again, O Kesava, be obtainable by them as long as I
live. As long, O Janardana, as king Dhritarashtra
liveth, both ourselves and they, sheathing our weapons,
O Madhava, should live in dependence on him.
Given away formerly from ignorance or fear, when I
was a child and dependent on others, the kingdom,
O Janardana, incapable of being given away again,
shall not, O delighter of Vrishni’s race, be
obtainable by the Pandavas. At present, O Kesava
of mighty arms, as long as I live, even that much
of our land which may be covered by the point of a
sharp needle shall not, O Madhava, be given by us
unto the Pandavas.’”
SECTION CXXVIII
“Vaisampayana said, ’Reflecting (for a
moment), with eyes red in anger, he, of Dasarha’s
race, addressing Duryodhana in that assembly of the
Kurus, then said these words, ’Wishest thou for
a bed of heroes? Verily, thou shalt have it,
with thy consellors. Wait (for a short while),
a great slaughter will ensue. Thou thinkest,
O thou of little understanding, that thou hast committed
no offence against the Pandavas? Let the (assembled)
monarchs judge. Grieved at the prosperity of the
high-souled Pandavas, thou conspirest, O Bharata, with
Suvala’s son about the gambling match.
O sire, how could those virtuous, honest, and superior
kinsmen of thine (otherwise) engage in such a wicked
act with the deceitful Sakuni? O thou that art
endued with great wisdom, gambling robs even the good
of their understanding, and as regards the wicked,
disunion and dire consequence spring from it.
It was thou who hadst devised with thy wicked counsellors,
that terrible source of calamity in the form of the
gambling match, without consulting with persons of
righteous behaviour. Who else is there, capable
of insulting a brother’s wife in the way thou
didst or of dragging her into the assembly and addressing
her in language thou hadst used towards Draupadi?
Of noble parentage, and endued with excellent behaviour,
and dearer to them than their very lives, the queen-consort
of Pandu’s sons was treated even thus by thee.
All the Kauravas know what words were addressed in
their assembly by Dussasana unto those chastisers
of foes,—the sons of Kunti,—when
they were about to set out for the woods. Who
is there capable of behaving so wretchedly towards
his own honest kinsmen, that are ever engaged in the
practice of virtue, that are untainted by avarice,
and that are always correct in their behaviour?
Language such as becomes only those that are heartless
and despicable, was frequently repeated by Karna and
Dussasana and also by thee. Thou hadst taken great
pains to burn to death, at Varanavata, the sons of
Page 366
Pandu with their mother, while they were children,
although that effort of thine was not crowned with
success. After this, the Pandavas with their mother
were obliged to live for a long while, concealed in
the town of Ekachakra in the abode of a Brahmana.
With poison, with snakes and cords, thou hadst, by
every means, sought the destruction of the Pandavas,
although none of thy designs was successful.
With such feelings when thou hadst always acted towards
them so deceitfully, how canst thou say that thou hast
not offended against the high-souled Pandavas?
Thou art not, O sinful man, willing to give them their
paternal share in the kingdom, although they are begging
it of thee. Thou shalt have to give it them, this,
when divested of prosperity, thou shalt be laid low.
Having, like a heartless fellow, done innumerable
wrongs to the Pandavas and behaved so deceitfully
towards them, thou seekest now to appear in a different
garb. Though repeatedly solicited by thy parents,
by Bhishma, Drona, and Vidura, to make peace, thou
dost not yet, O king, make peace. Great is the
advantage in peace, O king, both to thyself and Yudhishthira.
Peace, however, does not recommend itself to thee.
To what else can it be due, but to thy loss of understanding?
Transgressing the words of thy friends, thou canst
never attain to what is for thy benefit. Sinful
and disreputable is that act, which thou, O king,
art about to do.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’While he, of
Dasarha’s race, was saying this, Dussasana addressed
vindictive Duryodhana and said unto him these words
in the midst of the Kurus, If, O king, thou dost not
willingly make peace with the Pandavas, verity the
Kauravas will bind thee (hand and foot) and make over
thee to the son of Kunti. Bhishma, and Drona,
and thy (own) father, O bull amongst men, will make
over us three, viz., Vikartana’s son, thyself,
and myself, to the Pandavas!’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Hearing these
words of his brother, Dhritarashtra’s son, wicked,
shameless, disobedient, disrespectful, and vain Suyodhana,
breathing heavily like a great snake rose up from his
seat in anger, and disregarding Vidura, and Dhritarashtra
and the great king Vahlika, and Kripa, and Somadatta,
and Bhishma, and Drona, and Janardana, in fact, all
of them, went out of the court, And beholding that
bull among men leave the court, his brother and all
his counsellors, and all the kings, followed him.
And seeing Duryodhana rise and leave the court in
anger with his brothers, Santanu’s son, Bhishma
said, ’The enemies of that person, who, abandoning
both virtue and profit, followeth the impulses of
wrath, rejoice on beholding him plunged into distress
at no distant date. This wicked son of Dhritarashtra,
this one unacquainted with the true means (of accomplishing
his objects), this fool that is wrongly vain of his
sovereignty, obeyeth only the dictates of wrath and
avarice. I see also, O Janardana, that the hour
of all those Kshatriyas is arrived, for all those
Page 367
kings, from delusion, have with their counsellors
followed Duryodhana.’ Hearing these words
of Bhishma, the lotus-eyed hero of Dasarha’s
race, possessed of great powers, addressing all those
(that were still there) headed by Bhishma and Drona,
said, ’Even this is great transgression, of
which all the elders of the Kuru race are becoming
guilty, for they do not forcibly seize and bind this
wicked king in the enjoyment of sovereignty. Ye
chastiser of foes, I think the time hath come for
doing this. If this is done, it may still be
productive of good. Listen to me, ye sinless ones.
The words I will speak will soon lead to beneficial
results, if, indeed, ye Bharatas, ye accept what I
say in consequence of its recommending itself to you.
The wicked son, of ill-regulated soul, of the old
Bhoja king, having usurped his father’s sovereignty
during the latter’s life-time, subjected himself
to death. Indeed, Kansa, the son of Ugrasena,
abandoned by his relatives, was slain by me in a great
encounter, from desire of benefiting my kinsmen.
Ourselves with our kinsmen then, having paid due honours
to Ugrasena, the son of Ahuka, installed that extender
of Bhoja’s kingdom on the throne. And all
the Yadavas and Andhakas and the Vrishnis, abandoning
a single person, viz., Kansa for the sake of their
whole race, have prospered and obtained happiness.
O king, when the gods and Asuras were arrayed for
battle and weapons were upraised for striking, the
lord of all creatures, Parameshthin said thus (something
which applies to the case at hand). Indeed, O
Bharata, when the population of the worlds was divided
into two parties and was about to be slaughtered, the
divine and holy Cause of the universe, viz.,
the Creator, said, ’The Asuras and the Daityas
with the Danavas will be vanquished, and the Adityas,
the Vasus, the Rudras and other dwellers of heaven
will be victorious. Indeed, the gods, and Asuras,
and human beings, and Gandharvas, and Snakes, and
Rakshasas, will in rage slaughter one another in this
battle.’ Thinking so, the Lord of all creatures,
Parameshthin, commanded Dharma, saying, ‘Binding
fast, the Daityas and the Danavas, make them over to
Varuna.’ Thus addressed, Dharma, at the
command of Parameshthin, binding the Daityas and the
Danavas, made them over to Varuna. And Varuna,
the Lord of the waters, having bound those Danavas,
with Dharma’s noose, as also with his own, keepeth
them within the depths of the ocean, always guarding
them carefully. Binding in the same way Duryodhana
and Karna and Sakuni, the son of Suvala, and Dussasana,
make them over to the Pandavas. For the sake
of a family, an individual may be sacrificed.
For a village, a family may be sacrificed. For
the sake of a province, a village may be sacrificed.
And lastly, for the sake of one’s self, the whole
earth may be sacrificed. O monarch, binding Duryodhana
fast, make peace with the Pandavas. O bull among
Kshatriyas, let not the whole Kshatriya race be slaughtered
on thy account.’”
Page 368
SECTION CXXIX
“Vaisampayana said, ’Hearing these words
of Krishna, king Dhritarashtra lost no time in addressing
Vidura, who was conversant with all dictates of virtue.
And the king said, ’Go, O child, unto Gandhari,
possessed of great wisdom and foresight and bring
her hither. With her I will solicit this wicked-hearted
(son of mine). If she can pacify this wicked wretch,
of evil heart, we may yet be able to act according
to the words of our friend Krishna. It may be
that speaking words in recommendation of peace, she
may yet succeed in pointing out the right path to this
fool, afflicted by avarice and having wicked allies,
If she can dispel this great and dreadful calamity
(about to be) occasioned by Duryodhana, it will then
conduce to the attainment and preservation of happiness
and peace for ever and ever.’ Hearing these
words of the king, Vidura, at Dhritarashtra’s
command, brought (thither) Gandhari, possessed of great
foresight. And Dhritarashtra then addressed Gandhari
and said, ’Behold, O Gandhari, this thy son
of wicked soul, transgressing all my commands, is
about to sacrifice both sovereignty and life in consequence
of his lust for sovereignty. Of wicked soul and
little understanding, he hath, like one of uncultivated
mind, left the court, with his sinful counsellors,
disregarding his superiors and setting at naught the
words of his well-wishers.’
“Vaisampayana said, ’Hearing these words
of her husband, that princess of great fame, Gandhari,
desirous of what was highly beneficial, said these
words, ’Bring hither, without loss of time, that
kingdom-coveting, sick son of mine. He that is
of uncultivated heart and sacrificeth both virtue
and profit, doth not deserve to govern a kingdom.
For all that, however, Duryodhana, who is destitute
of humility hath, by every means, obtained a kingdom.
Indeed, O Dhritarashtra, thou so fond of thy son, art
very much to be blamed for this, for knowing well
his sinfulness, thou followest yet his counsel.
That son of thine, completely possessed by lust and
wrath is now the slave of delusion, and is, therefore,
incapable, O king, of being now forcibly turned back
by thee. Thou art now reaping the fruit, O Dhritarashtra,
of having made over the kingdom to an ignorant fool
of wicked soul, possessed by avarice and having wicked
counsellors. Why is the king indifferent (today)
to that disunion, which is about to take place between
persons related so closely? Indeed, beholding
thee disunited with those that are thy own, thy enemies
will laugh at thee. Who is there that would use
force for getting over that calamity, O king, which
can be overcome by conciliation and gift?’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Kshattri then,
and at Dhritarashtra’s command, and of his mother’s
also, once more caused vindictive Duryodhana to enter
the court. Expectant of his mother’s words,
the prince re-entered the court, with eyes red as
copper from wrath, and breathing heavily as a snake.
And beholding her son, who was treading in a wrong
path, enter the court, Gandhari rebuked him severely
and said these words for bringing about peace.’
Page 369
“Gandhari said, ’O Duryodhana, attend,
O dear son, to these words of mine that are beneficial
to thee as also to all thy followers,—words
that thou art competent to obey and that will conduce
to thy happiness. O Duryodhana, obey thou the
words of thy well-wishers, those words, viz.,
which that best of the Bharatas—thy father—and
Bhishma, and Drona, and Kripa, and Kshattri, have
spoken. If thou makest peace, thou wouldst by
that render homage to Bhishma, to thy father, to me,
and to all thy well-wishers with Drona at their head.
O thou of great wisdom, nobody, O best of the Bharatas,
succeedeth by his own desire alone in acquiring and
keeping or enjoying a kingdom. One that hath not
his senses under control, cannot enjoy sovereignty
for any length of time. He that hath his soul
under control and is endued with great intelligence,
can rule a kingdom. Lust and wrath wean away
a man from his possessions and enjoyments. Conquering
these foes first, a king bringeth the earth under
his subjection. Sovereignty over men is a great
thing. Those that are of wicked souls may easily
desire to win a kingdom, but they are not competent
to retain a kingdom (when won). He that desireth
to obtain extensive empire must bind his senses to
both profit and virtue, for if the senses are restrained,
intelligence increaseth, like fire that increaseth
when fed with fuel. If not controlled, these can
even slay their possessor, like unbroken and furious
horses, capable of killing an unskilful driver.
One that seeketh to conquer his counsellors without
conquering his own self, and to conquer foes without
conquering his counsellors, is soon vanquished himself
and is ruined. He who conquereth his own self
first, taking it for a foe, will not seek in vain to
conquer his counsellors and enemies afterwards.
Prosperity worshippeth greatly that person who hath
conquered his senses and his counsellors, who inflicteth
punishments on transgressors, who acteth after deliberation,
and who is possessed of wisdom. Lust and wrath
that dwell in the body are deprived of their strength
by wisdom, like a couple of fishes ensnared in a net
with close holes. Those two in consequence of
which the gods shut the gates of heaven against one,
who freed from worldly propensities is desirous of
going thither, are excited by lust and wrath.
That king who knoweth well how to conquer lust and
wrath and avarice and boastfulness and pride, can
own the sovereignty of the whole earth. That king
who is desirous of gaining wealth and virtue and vanquishing
his enemies, should always be engaged in controlling
his passions. Influenced by lust, or from wrath,
he that behaveth deceitfully towards his own kinsmen
or others, can never win many allies. Uniting
thyself with those chastisers of foes—the
heroic sons of Pandu—who are all endued
with great wisdom, thou canst, O son, enjoy the earth
in happiness. What Bhishma, the son of Santanu,
and that mighty car-warrior, Drona, have told thee
Page 370
is, O son, quite true,—Krishna and Dhananjaya
are invincible. Seek thou, therefore, the protection
of this mighty-armed one, this one that is not worried
by exertion, for if Kesava becometh gracious, both
sides will be happy. That min, who is not obedient
to the wishes of wise and learned friends, always
seeking his prosperity, only gladdeneth his enemies.
O son, there is no good in battle, no virtue, no profit.
How can it bring happiness then? Even victory
is not always certain. Do not set thy heart,
therefore, on battle. O thou of great wisdom,
Bhishma and thy father and Vahlika (formerly) gave
unto the Pandavas their share (of the kingdom) from
fear. O chastiser of foes, never think of disunion
with them. Thou beholdest today the fruit of
that (peaceful) cession in the fact of thy sovereignty
over the whole earth, with all its thorns removed by
those heroes. Give, O chastiser of foes, unto
the son of Pandu what is their due. If thou wishest
to enjoy, with the counsellors even half (the empire),
let their share then be given unto them. Half
the earth is sufficient to yield the means of support
unto thee and thy counsellors. By acting according
to the words of thy well-wishers, thou wilt, O Bharata,
win great fame. A quarrel with the sons of Pandu
who are all endued with prosperity, who have their
souls under complete control, who are possessed of
great intelligence and have conquered their passions,
will only divest thee of thy great prosperity.
Dispelling the wrath of all thy well-wishers, rule
thou thy kingdom as becometh thee, giving, O bull
of Bharata’s race, unto the sons of Pandu the
share that belongeth to them. O son, persecution
of the sons of Pandu for full thirteen years hath
been enough. Augmented by lust and wrath, quench
(that fire) now, O thou of great wisdom. Thou
that covetest the wealth of the Pandavas are not a
match for them, nor this Suta’s son, who is exceedingly
wrathful, nor this thy brother Dussasana. Indeed,
when Bhishma and Drona and Kripa and Karna and Bhimasena
and Dhananjaya and Dhrishtadyumna will be enraged,
the population of the earth will be exterminated.
Under the influence of wrath, do not, O son, exterminate
the Kurus. Let not the wide earth be destroyed
for thy sake. Of little understanding as thou
art, thou thinkest that Bhishma, and Drona, and Kripa,
all others will fight (for thee) with all their might.
That will never happen, for as regards these, that
are endued with self-knowledge, their affection towards
the Pandavas and yourselves is equal. If for the
sake of the sustenance they have obtained from the
king (Dhritarashtra), they consent to yield up their
very lives, they will not yet be able to cast angry
glances upon king Yudhishthira. It is never seen
in this world that men acquire wealth by avarice.
Give up thy avarice then, O son, and desist, O bull
of Bharat’s race.’”
SECTION CXXX
Page 371
“Vaisampayana said, ’Disregarding these
words of grave import, spoken by his mother, Duryodhana
went away, in anger, from that place to the presence
of wicked persons. And wending away from the court,
the Kuru prince began to consult with Suvala’s
royal son, Sakuni, most clever in dice. And this
was the resolution which Duryodhana and Karna and Suvala’s
son Sakuni, with Dussasana as their fourth, arrived
at, ’This Janardana, quick in action, seeketh,
with the king Dhritarashtra and Santanu’s son,
to seize us first. We, however, shall forcibly
seize this tiger among men, Hrishikesa, first, like
Indra forcibly seizing Virochana’s son (Vali).
Hearing that this one of Vrishni’s race hath
been seized, the Pandavas will lose their heart and
become incapable of exertion, like snakes whose fangs
have been broken. This mighty-armed one is, indeed,
the refuge and protection of them all. If this
grantor of wishes, this bull of all the Satwatas,
be confined, the Pandavas with the Somakas will become
depressed and incapable of any exertion. Therefore,
disregarding Dhritarashtra’s cries, we will
seize even here this Kesava, who is quick in action,
and then fight with the foe.’ After those
sinful men of wicked souls had come to this sinful
resolution, highly intelligent Satyaki, capable of
reading the heart by signs, soon came to know of it.
And because of that knowledge, he soon issued out
of the court, accompanied by Hridika’s son (Kritavarman).
And Satyaki addressed Kritavarman, saying, ’Array
the troops soon. And accoutred in mail and with
thy troops arrayed for battle, wait thou at the entrance
of the court, till I represent this matter unto Krishna,
unwearied by exertion.’ Saying this, that
hero re-entered the court, like a lion entering a mountain-cave.
And he (first) informed the high-souled Kesava and
then Dhritarashtra, and then Vidura of that conspiracy.
And having informed them of that resolution, he laughingly
said, ’These wicked men intended to commit an
act here, that is disapproved by the good from consideration
of virtue, profit, and desire. They will, however,
never be able to actually achieve it. These fools
of sinful souls assembled together, these wretches
overwhelmed by lust, anger and yielding themselves
up to wrath and covetousness, are about to perpetrate
a highly unbecoming deed. Those wretches of little
understanding and desirous of seizing the lotus-eyed,
are like idiots and children desiring to seize a blazing
fire by means of their garments.’ Hearing
these words of Satyaki, Vidura, endued with great
foresight, said these words unto the mighty-armed Dhritarashtra
in the midst of the Kurus, ’O king, O chastiser
of foes, the hour of all thy sons is come, for they
are endeavouring to perpetrate a highly infamous act,
however incapable they may be of actually accomplishing
it. Alas, united together they desire to vanquish
this younger brother of Vasava, and seize this lotus-eyed
one. Indeed, encountering this tiger among men,
Page 372
this invincible and irresistible one, they will all
perish like insects in a blazing fire. If Janardana
wisheth, he can send all of them, even if they fight
in a body, unto the abode of Yama, like an enraged
lion dispatching a herd of elephants. He will,
however, never do any such sinful and censurable act.
This best of persons, of unfading glory, will never
deviate from virtue.’ After Vidura had said
these words, Kesava, casting his eyes on Dhritarashtra,
said in the midst of those well-meaning persons, who
listen to others’ words, ’O king, if these
(men) desire to chastise me by using violence, permit
them to chastise me. O monarch, as regards my
chastising them, for I dare chastise all of them together
that are so excited with rage, I will not, however,
perpetrate any sinful and censurable act. Coveting
the possessions of the Pandavas, thy sons will lose
their own. If they desire to perpetrate such
a deed, Yudhishthira’s object will then be (easily)
accomplished, for, this very day, O Bharata, seizing
these with all that follow them, I can make them over
to the sons of Pritha. What is there that is difficult
of attainment by me? I will not, however, O Bharata,
commit in thy presence, O great monarch, any such
censurable deed, that can proceed only from wrath
and a sinful understanding. Let it be, O king,
as this Duryodhana desireth. I give permission,
O monarch, to all thy sons to do it.’
“Hearing these words (of Kesava), Dhritarashtra
addressed Vidura saying, ’Quickly bring hither
sinful Duryodhana, who is so covetous of sovereignty,
with his friends, counsellors, brothers, and followers.
I shall see if indeed, making one more effort I can
bring him to the right path.
’Thus addressed by Dhritarashtra, Kshattri once
more caused unwilling Duryodhana to enter the court
with his brothers, and surrounded by the kings (that
followed him). King Dhritarashtra then addressed
Duryodhana, surrounded by Karna and Dussasana and
all those kings, saying, ’O wretch of accumulated
sins, having for thy allies men of despicable acts,
infamous is the deed that thou, uniting with sinful
friends, seekest to do. Of little understanding,
thou, infamy of thy race, one like thee alone can
seek to do an act so infamous and disapproved by the
good, however impossible it may be of being actually
achieved. Uniting with sinful allies, wishest
thou to chastise this invincible and irresistible
one of eyes like lotus-leaves? Like a child wishing
to have the moon, seekest thou, O fool, to do what
cannot be done by the very gods, headed by Vasava
with all their strength? Knowest thou not, that
Kesava is incapable of being withstood in battle by
gods and men and Gandharvas and Asuras and Uragas?
Like the wind which none can seize of being seized
with his hands, like the moon which no hand can reach,
like the Earth which none can support on his head,
Kesava is incapable by force.’
Page 373
“After Dhritarashtra had said these words, Vidura
(casting) his eyes on Duryodhana, addressed that vindictive
son of Dhritarashtra, saying, ’O Duryodhana,
listen now to these words of mine. At the gates
of Saubha, that foremost of monkeys, known by the
name of Dwivida, covered Kesava with a mighty shower
of stones. Desirous of seizing Madhava by putting
forth all his prowess and exertion, he did not yet
succeed in seizing him. Seekest thou to apprehend
that Kesava by force? When Sauri went to Pragjyotisha,
Naraka with all the Danavas succeeded not in seizing
him there. Seekest thou to seize him by force?
Slaying that Naraka in battle, he brought away (from
his city) a thousand damsels and married them all,
according to the ordinance. In the city of Nirmochana,
six thousand mighty Asuras failed to seize him with
their nooses. Seekest thou to seize that Kesava
by force? While only a child, he slew Putana and
two Asuras assuming the shape of birds, and O bull
of Bharata’s race, he held up the mountains
of Govardhana (on his little finger) for protecting
the kine (from a continuous rain). He hath also
slain Aristha, and Dhenuka and Chanura of great strength,
and Aswaraja, and Kansa, the doer of evil. He
hath slain Jarasandha, and Vakra, and Sisupala of mighty
energy, and Vana in battle, and numerous other kings
also have been slain by him. Of immeasurable
might, he vanquished king Varuna and also Pavaka (Agni),
and on the occasion of bringing (down from the celestial
regions) the (heavenly flower called) Parijata, he
defeated the lord of Sachi himself. While floating
on the vast deep, he slew Madhu and Kaitabha, and in
another birth he slew Hayagriva (Horse-necked).
He is the maker of everything but is himself made
by none. He is the Cause of all power. Whatever
Sauri wisheth, he accomplisheth without any effort.
Knowest thou not sinless Govinda, of terrible prowess
and incapable of deterioration? This one, resembling
an angry snake of virulent poison, is the never-ending
source of energy. In seeking to use violence towards
Krishna, endued with mighty arms and unwearied by exertion,
thou wilt, with all thy followers, perish like an
insect failing into fire.’”
SECTION CXXXI
“Vaisampayana said, ’After Vidura had
said this, Kesava, that slayer of hostile divisions,
endued with great energy, addressed Dhritarashtra’s
son, Duryodhana, and said, ’From delusion, O
Suyodhana, thou regardest me to be alone, and it is
for this, O thou of little understanding, that thou
seekest to make me a captive after vanquishing me by
violence. Here, however, are all the Pandavas
and all the Vrishnis and Andhakas. Here are all
the Adityas, the Rudras, and the Vasus, with all the
great Rishis. Saying this Kesava, that slayer
of hostile heroes burst out into a loud laughter.
And as the high-souled Sauri laughed, from his body,
that resembled a blazing fire, issued myriads of gods,
Page 374
each of lightning effulgence, and not bigger than
the thumb. And on his forehead appeared Brahman,
and on his breast Rudra. And on his arms appeared
the regents of the world, and from his mouth issued
Agni, the Adityas, the Sadhyas, the Vasus, the Aswins,
the Marutas, with Indra, and the Viswedevas. And
myriads of Yakshas, and the Gandharvas, and Rakshasas
also, of the same measure and form, issued thence.
And from his two arms issued Sankarshana and Dhananjaya.
And Arjuna stood on his right, bow in hand, and Rama
stood on his left, armed with the plough. And
behind him stood Bhima, and Yudhishthira, and the
two sons of Madri, and before him were all the Andhakas
and the Vrishnis with Pradyumna and other chiefs bearing
mighty weapons upraised. And on his diverse arms
were seen the conch, the discus, the mace, the bow
called Saranga, the plough, the javelin, the Nandaka,
and every other weapon, all shining with effulgence,
and upraised for striking. And from his eyes
and nose and ears and every part of his body, issued
fierce sparks of fire mixed with smoke. And from
the pores of his body issued sparks of fire like unto
the rays of the sun. And beholding that awful
form of the high-souled Kesava, all the kings closed
their eyes with affrighted hearts, except Drona, and
Bhishma, and Vidura, endued with great intelligence,
greatly blessed Sanjaya, and the Rishis, possessed
of wealth of asceticism, for the divine Janardana gave
unto them this divine sight on the occasion. And
beholding in the (Kuru) court that highly wonderful
sight, celestial drums beat (in the sky) and a floral
shower fell (upon him). And the whole Earth trembled
(at the time) and the oceans were agitated. And,
O bull of the Bharata’s race, all the denizens
of the earth were filled with great wonder. Then
that tiger among men, that chastiser of foes, withdrew
that divine and highly wonderful, and extremely varied
and auspicious form. And arm-in-arm with Satyaki
on one side and Hridika’s son (Kritavarman) on
the other, and obtaining permission of the Rishis,
the slayer of Madhu went out. And during the
uproar that then took place, the Rishis, Narada and
others vanquished, for repairing to their respective
places. And this also was another wonderful incident
that happened. And seeing that tiger among men
leave the court, the Kauravas with all the kings followed
him, like the gods following Indra. Sauri, however,
of immeasurable soul, without bestowing a single thought
on those that followed him, issued from the court,
like a blazing fire mixed with smoke. And he beheld
(at the gate his charioteer) Daruka waiting with his
large white car, furnished with rows of tinkling bells,
decked with golden ornaments, and endued with great
speed, the clatter of whose wheels resounded like the
rumbling of the clouds, and which was covered all
over with white tiger-skins, and unto which were harnessed
his steeds Saivya (and others). And there also
appeared, mounted on his car, that favourite hero of
Page 375
Vrishnis, the mighty car-warrior Kritavarman, the
son of Hridika. And that chastiser of foes, Sauri,
who had his car ready, was about to depart, king Dhritarashtra
addressed him once more and said, ’O grinder
of foes, thou hast seen, O Janardana, the power I
wield over my sons! Thou hast, indeed, witnessed
all with thy own eyes. Nothing now is unknown
to thee. Seeing me endeavour to bring about peace
between the Kurus, and the Pandavas, in fact, knowing
the state (in which I am), it behoveth thee not to
entertain any suspicion regarding me. O Kesava,
I have no sinful feelings towards the Pandavas.
Thou knowest what words have been spoken by me to
Suyodhana. The Kauravas and all the kings of the
Earth, also know, O Madhava, that I have made every
endeavour to bring about peace.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’The mighty-armed
Janardana then addressed Dhritarashtra, Drona, grandsire
Bhishma, Kshattri, Vahlika, and Kripa and said, ’Ye
have yourselves witnessed all that hath happened in
the assembly of the Kurus, viz., how wicked Duryodhana,
like an uneducated wretch, left the court from anger,
and how king Dhritarashtra also describeth himself
to be powerless. With the permission of you all,
I shall now go back to Yudhishthira.’ Saluting
them, that bull amongst men, Sauri then mounted his
car and set out. And those heroic bulls amongst
the Bharatas, those mighty bowmen, viz., Bhishma,
Drona, and Kripa, and Kshattri, and Aswatthaman and
Vikarna, and that mighty car-warrior Yuyutsu, all
began to follow him. And Kesava, on his large
white car, furnished with rows of tinkling bells,
proceeded then, in the very sight of the Kurus, to
the abode of his paternal aunt (Kunti).’”
SECTION CXXXII
“Vaisampayana said, ’Entering her abode
and worshipping her feet, Kesava represented to her
briefly all that had transpired in the assembly of
the Kurus. And Vasudeva said, ’Diverse
words, worthy of being accepted and fraught with reasons,
were said both by myself and the Rishis, but Duryodhana
accepted them not. As regards Suyodhana and his
followers, their hour is come. With thy leave
now, I shall speedily repair unto the Pandavas.
What should I say unto the Pandavas as thy instructions
to them? Tell me that, O thou endued with great
wisdom. I desire to hear thy words.’
“Kunti said, ’O Kesava, say unto king
Yudhishthira of virtuous soul these words, ’Thy
virtue, O son, is decreasing greatly. Do not act
vainly. O king, like a reader of the Vedas incapable
of catching their real meaning, and, therefore, truly
unlearned. Thy understanding, affected by only
the words of the Vedas, vieweth virtue alone.
Cast thy eyes on the duties of thy own order, as ordained
by the Self-create. For all ruthless deeds and
for the protection of the people, from his (Brahmana’s)
arms was created the Kshatriya, who is to depend upon
the prowess of his own arms. Listen, an instance
Page 376
is cited in this connection, that hath been heard
by me from the aged. In days of yore, Vaisravana,
having been gratified, made a gift of this Earth to
the royal sage Muchukunda. The latter without
accepting the gift, said, ’I desire to enjoy
that sovereignty which is won by prowess of arms.’
At this, Vaisravana was highly delighted and filled
with wonder. King Muchukunda then, fully observing
the duties of the Kshatriya order ruled this earth,
having conquered it by the prowess of his arms.
Then again, a sixth part of the virtue, practised
by subjects well-protected by the king, is obtained,
’O Bharata, by the king. The virtue again
that the king himself practiseth conferreth godhead
on him, while if he perpetrateth sin, he goeth to
hell. The penal code properly applied by the ruler,
maketh the four orders adhere to their respective
duties, and leadeth to an acquisition (by the ruler
himself) of virtue (profit, and salvation). When
the king properly abideth by the penal code, without
making any portion of it a dead letter, then that
best of periods called the Krita Yuga setteth in.
Let not this doubt be thine, viz., whether the
era is the cause of the king, or the king the cause
of the era, for (know this to be certain that) the
king is the cause of the era. It is the king that
createth the Krita, the Treta, or the Dwapara age.
Indeed, it is the king that is the cause of also the
fourth Yuga (viz., the Kali). That king who causeth
the Krita age to set in, enjoyeth heaven exceedingly.
That king who causeth the Treta age to set in, doth
enjoy heaven but not exceedingly. For thus causing
the Dwapara age to set in, a king enjoyeth heaven according
to his due. The king, however, who causeth the
Kali age to set in, earneth sin exceedingly.
Thereupon, that king of wicked deeds resideth in hell
for countless years. Indeed, the king’s
sins affect the world, and the world’s sins
affect him. Observe thou those kingly duties of
thine that befit thy ancestry. That is not the
conduct of a royal sage in which thou wishest to abide.
Indeed, he that is stained by weakness of heart and
adhereth to compassion, and is unsteady, never obtaineth
the merit born of cherishing his subjects with love.
That understanding according to which thou art now
acting was never wished (to thee) by Pandu, or myself,
or thy grandsire, while we uttered blessings on thee
before; sacrifice, gift, merit, and bravery, subjects
and children, greatness of soul, and might, and energy,
these were always prayed by me for thee. Well-wishing
Brahmanas duly worshipped and gratified the gods and
the Pitris for your long life, wealth, and children,
by adding Swaha and Swadha. The mother and the
father, as also the gods always desire for their children
liberality and gift and study and sacrifice and sway
over subjects. Whether all this be righteous
or unrighteous, you are to practise it, in consequence
of your very birth. (Behold, O Krishna, so far from
doing all this), though born in a high race, they
Page 377
are yet destitute of the very means of support, and
are afflicted with misery. Hungry men, approaching
a brave and bountiful monarch, are gratified, and live
by his side. What virtue can be superior to this?
A virtuous person, upon acquiring a kingdom, should
in this world make all persons his own, attaching some
by gift, some by force, and some by sweet words.
A Brahmana should adopt mendicancy; a Kshatriya should
protect (subjects); a Vaisya should earn wealth; and
a Sudra should serve the other three. Mendicancy,
therefore, is forbidden to thee. Nor is agriculture
suited to thee. Thou art a Kshatriya and therefore,
the protector of all in distress. Thou art to
live by the prowess of thy arms. O thou of mighty
arms, recover thy paternal share of the kingdom which
thou hast lost, by conciliation, or by working disunion
among thy foes, or by gift of money or violence, or
well-directed policy. What can be a matter of
greater grief than that I, deprived of friends, should
live upon food supplied by others, after having brought
thee forth, thou enhancer of the joys of friends?
Fight, according to the practices of kings. Do
not sink thy ancestors (in infamy). With thy
merit worn out, do not, with thy younger brothers,
obtain a sinful end.’”
SECTION CXXXIII
“Kunti said, ’In this connection, O chastiser
of foes, is cited an old story of the conversation
between Vidula and her son. It behoveth thee to
say unto Yudhishthira anything that can be gathered
from this or anything more beneficial than that.
’There was a high-born dame of great foresight,
named Vidula. She was famous, slightly wrathful,
of crooked disposition, and devoted to Kshatriya virtues.
Well-educated, she was known to all the kings of the
earth. Of great learning, she had listened to
the speeches and instructions of diverse mien.
And the princess Vidula, one day, rebuked her own
son, who, after his defeat by the king of the Sindhus,
lay prostrate with heart depressed by despair.
And she said, ’Thou art not my son, O enhancer
of the joys of foes. Begotten thou hast not been
by myself and thy father! Whence hast thou come?
Without wrath as thou art, thou canst not be counted
as a man. Thy features betray thee to be a eunuch.
Sinkest thou in despair as long as thou livest?
If thou art desirous of thy own welfare, bear thou
the burthen (of thy affairs on thy shoulders), Do
not disgrace thy soul. Do not suffer it to be
gratified with a little. Set thy heart on thy
welfare, and be not afraid. Abandon thy fears.
Rise, O coward. Do not lie down thus, after thy
defeat, delighting all thy foes and grieving the friends,
and reft of all sense of honour. Little streams
are filled up with only a quantity of water.
The palms of a mouse are filled with only a small quantity.
A coward is soon gratified, with acquisitions that
are small. Rather perish in plucking the fangs
of a snake than die miserable like a dog. Put
Page 378
forth thy prowess even at the risk of thy life.
Like a hawk that fearlessly rangeth the sky, do thou
also wander fearlessly or put forth thy prowess, or
silently watch thy foes for an opportunity. Why
dost thou lie down like a carcass or like one smitten
by thunder? Rise, O coward, do not slumber after
having been vanquished by the foe. Do not disappear
from the sight of all so miserably. Make thyself
known by thy deeds. Never occupy the intermediate,
the low, or the lowest station. Blaze up (like
a well-fed fire). Like a brand of Tinduka wood,
blaze up even for a moment, but never smoulder from
desire, like a flameless fire of paddy chaff.
It is better to blaze up for a moment than smoke for
ever and ever. Let no son be born in a royal
race, who is either exceedingly fierce or exceedingly
mild. Repairing to the field of battle and achieving
every great feat that is possible for man to achieve,
a brave man is freed from the debt he oweth to the
duties of the Kshatriya order. Such a person
never disgraceth his own self. Whether he gaineth
his object or not, he that is possessed of sense never
indulgeth in grief. On the other hand, such a
person accomplisheth what should be next done, without
caring for even his life. Therefore, O son, display
thy prowess, or obtain that end which is inevitable.
Why, Indeed, dost thou live, disregarding the duties
of thy order? All thy religious rites, O eunuch,
and all thy achievements are gone. The every
root of all thy enjoyments is cut off. What for
then dost thou live? If fall and sink one must,
he should seize the foe by the hips (and thus fall
with the foe). Even if one’s roots are cut
off, he should not yet give way to despair. Horse
of high mettle put forth all their prowess for dragging
or bearing heavy weights. Remembering their behaviour,
muster, all thy strength and sense of honour.
Know also in what thy manliness consists. Exert
thyself in raising that race which hath sunk, in consequence
of thee. He that hath not achieved a great feat
forming the subject of men’s conversation, only
increaseth the number of population. He is neither
man nor woman. He whose fame is not founded in
respect of charity, asceticism, truth, learning and
acquisition of wealth, is only his mother’s
excreta. On the other hand, he that surpasseth
others in learning, asceticism, wealth, prowess, and
deeds, is (truly) a man. It behoveth thee not
to adopt the idle, wretched, infamous, and miserable
profession of mendicancy that is worthy only of a
coward. Friends never derive any happiness on
obtaining that weak person for a friend, at whose
sight foes are delighted, who is despised by men,
who is without seats and robes, who is gratified with
small acquisitions, who is destitute, and who hath
no courage, and is low. Alas, exiled from our
kingdom, driven from home, deprived of all means of
enjoyment and pleasure, and destitute, of resources,
we shall have to perish from want of the very means
of life! Misbehaving in the midst of those that
Page 379
are good, and the destroyer of thy race and family,
by bringing thee forth, O Sanjaya, I have brought
forth Kali himself in the shape of a son. Oh,
let no woman bring forth such a son (as thou) that
art without wrath, without exertion, without energy,
and that art the joy of foes. Do not smoulder.
Blaze thou up, effectively displaying thy prowess.
Slay thy foes. For but a moment, for ever so
small a space of time, blaze thou up on the heads
of thy enemies. He is a man who cherisheth wrath
and forgiveth not. He, on the other hand, who
is forgiving and without wrath, is neither a man nor
woman. Contentment and softness of heart and these
two, viz., want of exertion and fear, are destructive
of prosperity. He that is without exertion never
winneth what is great. Therefore, O son, free
thyself, by thy own exertions, from these faults that
lead to defeat and downfall. Steel thy heart
and seek to recover thy own. A man is called Purusha
because he is competent to trouble his foe (param).
He, therefore, who liveth like a woman is misnamed
Purusha (man). A brave king of mighty strength,
and who moveth like a lion, may go the way of all creatures.
The subjects, however, that reside in his dominions
do not yet become unhappy. That king, who, disregarding
his own happiness and pleasures, seeketh the prosperity
of his kingdom, succeedeth soon in gladdening his
counsellors and friends.’
“Hearing these words, the son said, ’If
thou dost not behold me, of what use would the whole
earth be to thee, of what use thy ornaments, of what
use all the means of pleasure and even life itself?’
The mother said, ’Let those regions be obtained
by our foes which belong to those that are low.
Let those again that are friends go to those regions
which are obtainable by persons whose souls are held
in respect. Do not adopt the course of life that
is followed by those wretched persons, who, destitute
of strength, and without servants and attendants (to
do their bidding) live upon the food supplied by others.
Like the creatures of the earth that depend on the
clouds, or the gods depending on Indra, let the Brahmanas
and thy friends all depend on thee for their sustenance.
His life, O Sanjaya, is not vain on whom all creatures
depend for their sustenance, like birds repairing
to a tree abounding with ripe fruits. The life
of that brave man is, indeed, praiseworthy, through
whose prowess friends derive happiness, like the gods
deriving happiness through the prowess of Sakra.
That man who liveth in greatness depending on the
prowess of his own arms, succeedeth in winning fame
in this world and blessed state in the next!’”
SECTION CXXXIV
Page 380
“Vidula said, ’If, having fallen into
such a plight, thou wishest to give up manliness,
thou shalt then have, in no time, to tread the path
that is trod by those that are low and wretched.
That Kshatriya, who, from desire of life, displayeth
not his energy according to the best of his might and
prowess, is regarded as a thief. Alas, like medicine
to a dying man, these words that are fraught with
grave import, and are proper and reasonable, do not
make any impression on thee! It is true, the king
of the Sindhus hath many followers. They are,
however, all discounted. From weakness, and ignorance
of proper means, they are waiting for the distress
of their master (without being able to effect a deliverance
for themselves by their own exertions). As regards
others (his open enemies), they will come to thee
with their auxiliaries if they behold thee put forth
thy prowess. Uniting with them, seek refuge now
in mountain fastness, waiting for that season when
calamity will overtake the foe, as it must, for he
is not free from disease and death. By name thou
art Sanjaya (the victorious). I do not, however,
behold any such indication in thee. Be true to
thy name. Be my son. Oh, do not make thy
name untrue. Beholding thee while a child, a
Brahmana of great foresight and wisdom, said, ‘This
one falling into great distress will again win greatness.’
Remembering his words, I hope for thy victory.
It is for that, O son, I tell thee so, and shall tell
thee again and again. That man who pursueth the
fruition of his objects according to the ways of policy
and for the success of whose objects other people
strive cordially, is always sure to win success.
Whether what I have is gained or lost, I will not desist,
with such a resolve, O Sanjaya, O learned one, engage
in war, without withdrawing thyself from it.
Samvara hath said, ’There is no more miserable
state than that in which one is anxious for his food
from day to day.’ A state such as his hath
beer said to be more unhappy than the death of one’s
husband and sons. That which hath been called
poverty is only a form of death. As regards myself,
born in a high race, I have been transplanted from
one take into another. Possessed of every auspicious
thing, and worshipped by my husband, my power extended
over all. Staying in the midst of friends, our
friends formerly beheld me decked in costly garlands
and ornaments, with body well-washed, attired in excellent
robes, and myself always cheerful. When thou wilt
behold both me and thy wife weakened (from want of
food), thou wilt then, O Sanjaya, scarcely desire
to live. Of what use will life be to thee when
thou wilt behold all our servants engaged in attending
on us, our preceptors and our ordinary and extraordinary
priests, leaving us from want of sustenance?
If, again, I do not now see in thee those laudable
and famous achievements in which thou wert formerly
engaged, what peace can my heart know? If I have
to say—Nay—to a Brahmana, my
heart will burst, for neither I nor my husband ever
Page 381
said—Nay—to a Brahmana before.
We were the refuge of others, without ourselves having
ever taken refuge with others. Having been such,
if I have to support life by depending on another,
I will surely cast off my life. Be thou our means
of crossing the ocean that is difficult to cross.
In the absence of boats, be thou our boat. Make
for us a place where place there is none. Revive
us that are dead. Thou art competent to encounter
all foes if thou dost not cherish the desire of life.
If, however, thou art for adopting this mode of life
that is fit only for a eunuch, then with troubled soul
and depressed heart it would be better for thee to
sacrifice thy life. A brave man winneth fame
by slaying even a single foe. By slaying Vritra,
Indra became the great Indra and acquired the sovereignty
of all the gods and the cup for drinking Soma, and
the lordship of all the worlds. Proclaiming his
name in battle, challenging his foes accoutred in steel,
and grinding or slaying the foremost warriors of hostile
ranks, when a hero winneth far-extending fame in fair
fight, his enemies then are pained and bow down unto
him. They that are cowards become helpless and
contribute by their own conduct to bestow every object
of desire on those that are skilled and brave and
that fight reckless of their lives. Whether kingdoms
be overtaken by mighty ruin, or whether life itself
be endangered, they that are noble never desist till
they exterminate the foes within their reach.
Sovereignty is either the door of heaven or Amrita.
Regarding it as one of these, and bearing it in mind
that is now shut against thee, fall thou like a burning
brand in the midst of thy foes. O king, slay
thy foes in battle. Observe the duties of thy
order. Let me not behold thee cheerless, O enhancer
of the fears of thy foes. Let me not in dejection
behold thee standing in misery, surrounded by our
sorrowing selves and rejoicing foes. Rejoice,
O son, and make thyself happy in the possession of
wealth in the company of the daughters of the Sauviras
and do not, in weakness of heart, be ruled over by
the daughters of the Saindhavas. If a young man
like thee, who is possessed of beauty of person, learning
and high birth, and world-wide fame, acteth in such
unbecoming a way, like a vicious bull in the matter
of bearing its burthen, then that, I think, would
be equal to death itself. What peace can my heart
know if I behold thee uttering laudatory speeches in
honour of others or walking (submissively) behind
them? Oh, never was one born in this race that
walked behind another. O son, it behoveth thee
not to live as a dependant on another. I know
what the eternal essence of Kshatriya virtues is as
spoken of by the old and the older ones and by those
coming late and later still. Eternal and unswerving,
it hath been ordained by the Creator himself.
He that hath, in this world, been born as a Kshatriya
in any high race and hath acquired a knowledge of the
duties of that order, will never from fear or the sake
Page 382
of sustenance, bow down to any body on earth.
One should stand erect with courage and not bow down,
for exertion is manliness. One should rather break
in the joints than yield in this world here to any
body. A high-souled Kshatriya should always roam
like an infuriated elephant. He should, O Sanjaya,
bow down unto Brahmanas only, for the sake of virtue.
He should rule over all other orders, destroying all
evil-doers. Possessed of allies, or destitute
of them, he should be so as long as he liveth.’”
SECTION CXXXV
“Kunti said, ’Hearing these words of his
mother the son said, O ruthless and wrathful mother,
O thou that thinkest highly of martial heroism, thy
heart is surely made of steel beat into that shape.
Fie on Kshatriya practices, in accordance with which
thou urgest me to battle, as if I were a stranger
to thee, and for the sake of which thou speakest to
me—thy only son—such words as
if thou wert not my mother. If thou beholdest
me not, if thou art dissociated with me—thy
son, of what use then would the whole earth be to
thee, of what use all thy ornaments and all the means
of enjoyment, indeed, of what use would life itself
be to thee?’
“The mother said, ’All the acts of those
that are wise, are (undertaken), O son, for the sake
of virtue and profit. Eyeing these (virtue and
profit) only, I urge thee, O Sanjaya, to battle.
The fit hour hath come for exhibiting thy prowess.
If at such a time thou dost not resort to action,
then disrespected by the people thou wouldst do that
which would be most disagreeable to me. If, O
Sanjaya, thou art about to be stained with infamy
and I do not (from affection) tell thee anything, then
that affection, worthless and unreasonable, would
be like that of the she-ass’s for her young.
Do not tread the path that is disapproved by the wise
and adopted by the fool. Great is the ignorance
here. Innumerable creatures of the world have
taken refuge in it. If thou, however, adoptest
the behaviour of the wise, thou wilt then be dear to
me. Indeed, if thou hast recourse to virtue and
profit, if with God above thou reliest upon human
exertion, if thy conduct becometh like that of the
good, then it is by this and not by any other means
that thou wilt become dear to me. He that taketh
delight in sons and grandsons that are well-instructed
(enjoyeth a delight that is real). He, on the
other hand, that taketh delight in a son who is destitute
of exertion, refractory, and wicked minded, hath not
the very object accomplished for which a son is desired.
Those worst of men that never do what is proper and
always do what is censurable, do not obtain happiness
here or hereafter. A Kshatriya, O Sanjaya, hath
been created for battle and victory. Whether
he winneth or perisheth, he obtaineth the region of
Indra. The happiness that a Kshatriya obtaineth
by reducing his foes to subjection is such that the
like of it doth not exist in heaven in the sacred region
Page 383
of Indra. Burning with wrath, a Kshatriya of
great energy, if vanquished many times, should wait
desiring to vanquish his foes. Without either
casting away his own life or slaying his foes, how
can he obtain peace of mind by any other course?
He that is possessed of wisdom regardeth anything
little as disagreeable. Unto that person to whom
anything little becomes agreeable, that little (ultimately)
becometh a source of pain. The man that hath
not what is desirable soon becometh wretched.
Indeed, he soon feeleth every want and is lost like
the Ganga on entering the ocean.’
“The son said, ’Thou shouldst not, O mother,
give expression to such views before thy son.
Show him kindness now, staying by his side, like a
silent and dumb being.’
“The mother said, ’Great is my gratification
since thou sayest so. I who may be urged (by
thee to what is my duty) am thus urged by thee.
I shall, therefore, urge thee more (for doing what
thou shouldst do). I will, indeed, honour thee
then when I will behold thee, crowned with complete
success after the slaughter of all the Saindhavas.’
“The son said, ’Without wealth, without
allies, how can success and victory be mine?
Conscious of this exceedingly miserable state of mine,
I have myself abstained from desire of kingdom, like
an evil-doer abstaining from desire of heaven.
If, therefore, O thou of mature wisdom, thou seest
any means (by which all this can be effected), speak
fully of it to me as I ask thee, for I shall do all
that thou mayst command me to do.’
“The mother said, ’Do not disgrace thy
soul, O son, by anticipations of failure. Objects
unattained have been attained; while those attained
have been lost. The accomplishment of objects
should never be sought with wrath and folly.
In all acts, O son, the attainment of success is always
uncertain. Knowing that success is uncertain,
people still act, so that they sometimes succeed,
and sometimes do not. They, however, who abstain
from action, never obtain success. In the absence
of exertion, there is but one result, viz., the
absence of success. There are, however, two results
in the case of exertion, viz., the acquisition
of success or its non-acquisition. He, O prince,
who hath settled beforehand that all acts are uncertain
in respect of their results, maketh both success and
prosperity unattainable by himself. This will
be,—with such a belief should one, casting
off all sloth, exert and wake up and address himself
to every act. That wise king, who, O son, engageth
in acts, having performed all auspicious rites and
with the gods and the Brahmanas on his side, soon
winneth success. Like the sun embracing the east,
the goddess of prosperity embraceth him. I see
thou hast shown thyself fit for the various suggestions
and means and encouraging speeches thou hast had from
me. Display (now) thy prowess. It behoveth
thee to win, by every exertion, the object thou hast
in view. Bring together to thy own side those
Page 384
that are angry (with thy foes), those that are covetous,
those that have been weakened (by thy foes), those
that are jealous (of thy foes), those that have been
humiliated (by them), those that always challenge
(them) from excess of pride, and all others of this
class. By this means thou wilt be able to break
the mighty host (of thy enemy) like an impetuous and
fierce-rising tempest scattering the clouds. Give
them (thy would be allies) wealth before it is due,
seek their food, be up and doing, and speak sweetly
unto them all. They will then do the good, and
place thee at their head. When the enemy cometh
to know that his foe hath become reckless of his life,
then is he troubled on the latter’s account,
from a snake living in his chamber? If, knowing
one to be powerful, one’s enemy doth not strive
to subjugate him, he should at least make one friendly
by the application of the arts of conciliation, gift,
and the like. Even that would be tantamount to
subjugation. Obtaining a respite by means of
the art of conciliation, one’s wealth may increase.
And if one’s wealth increaseth, one is worshipped
and sought as a refuge by one’s friends.
If, again, one is deprived of wealth, one is abandoned
by friends and relatives, and more than that mistrusted
and even despised by them. It is perfectly impossible
for him to ever regain his kingdom, who, having united
himself with his foe, liveth confidently.’”
SECTION CXXXVI
“The mother said, ’Into whatever calamity
a king may fail, he should not still betray it.
Beholding the king afflicted with fright, the whole
kingdom, the army, the counsellors, all yield to fear,
and all the subjects become disunited. Some go
and embrace the side of the enemy; others simply abandon
the king; and others again, that had before been humiliated,
strive to strike. They, however, that are intimate
friends wait by his side, and though desiring his
welfare yet from inability to do anything wait helplessly,
like a cow whose calf hath been tethered. As
friends grieve for friends that are plunged into distress,
so those well-wishers also grieve upon beholding their
lord plunged into grief. Even thou hast many
friends whom thou hadst worshipped before. Even
thou hast many friends after thy heart, who feel for
thy kingdom and who desire to take a state of thy
calamities on themselves. Do not frighten those
friends, and do not suffer them to abandon thee on
beholding thee afflicted with fear. Desiring
to test thy might, manliness, and understanding, and
wishing also to encourage thee, I have said all this
for enhancing thy energy. If thou understandest
what I have said, and if all I have said appears proper
and sufficient, then, O Sanjaya, muster thy patience
and gird up thy lions for victory. We have a large
number of treasure-houses unknown to thee. I
alone know of their existence, and no other person.
I will place all these at thy disposal. Thou hast
also, O Sanjaya, more than one friend who sympathise
with thee in thy joys and woes, and who, O hero, never
retreat from the field of battle. O grinder of
foes, allies such as these, always play the part of
faithful counsellors to a person who seeketh his own
welfare and desireth to acquire what is agreeable
to himself.’
Page 385
“Kunti continued, ’Hearing this speech
of his mother fraught with excellent words, and sense,
the despair that had overtaken Sanjaya’s heart
left instantly, although that prince was not gifted
with great intelligence. And the son said, ’When
I have thee that are so observant of my future welfare
for my guide, I shall certainly either rescue my paternal
kingdom that is sunk in water or perish in the attempt.
During thy discourse I was almost a silent listener.
Now and then only I interposed a word. It was,
however, only with the view of drawing thee out, so
that I might hear more on the subject. I have
not been satiated with thy words, like a person not
satiated with drinking amrita. Deriving support
from any allies, behold, I gird up my loins for repressing
my foes and obtaining victory.’
“Kunti continued, ’Pierced by the wordy
arrows of his mother, the son roused himself like
a steed of proud mettle and achieved all that his
mother had pointed out. When a king is afflicted
by foes and overcome with despair, his minister should
make him hear this excellent history that enhanceth
energy and inspireth might. Indeed, this history
is called Jaya and should be listened to by every
one desirous of victory. Indeed, having listened
to it, one may soon subjugate the whole earth and grind
his foes. This history causeth a woman to bring
forth a heroic son, the woman quick with child that
listeneth to it repeatedly, certainly giveth birth
to a hero. The Kshatriya woman that listeneth
to it bringeth forth a brave son of irresistible prowess,
one that is foremost in learning, foremost in ascetic
austerities, foremost in liberality, devoted to asceticism,
blazing forth with Brahmic beauty, enumerable with
the good, radiant with effulgence, endued with great
might, blessed, a mighty car-warrior, possessed of
great intelligence, irresistible (in battle), ever
victorious, invincible, a chastiser of the wicked and
a protector of all practisers of virtue.’”
SECTION CXXXVII
“Kunti said, ’Say unto Arjuna, these words,
when thou wert brought forth in the lying-in room
and when I was sitting in the hermitage surrounded
by ladies, a celestial and delightful voice was heard
in the sky, saying, ’O Kunti, this thy son will
rival the deity of a thousand eyes. This one
will vanquish in battle all the assembled Kurus.
Aided by Bhima, he will conquer the whole Earth and
his fame will touch the very heavens. With Vasudeva
as his ally, he will slay the Kurus in battle and recover
his lost paternal share in the kingdom. Endued
with great prosperity, he will, with his brothers,
perform three great sacrifices.’ O thou
of unfading glory, thou knowest how steady, in truth,
is Vibhatsu, otherwise called Savyasachin, how irresistible
he is. O thou of Dasarha’s race, let it
be as that (celestial) voice said. If, O thou
of Vrishni’s race, there is anything like righteousness,
those words will be true, for then, Krishna, thou
Page 386
wilt thyself accomplish it all. I do not doubt
what that voice said. I bow to righteousness
which is superior to all. It is righteousness
that supports all creatures. Thou shalt say these
words unto Dhananjaya. Unto Vrikodara again,
who is always ready for exertion, thou shalt say these
words, ’The time hath come for that in view of
which Kshatriya lady bringeth forth a son! They
that are foremost among men never become cheerless
when they have hostilities to wage—Thou
knowest what the state of Bhima’s mind is.
That grinder of foes is never pacified until he exterminates
his foes. Thou shalt, O Madhava, next say unto
the auspicious Krishna of great fame, that daughter-in-law
of the high-souled Pandu, who is conversant with the
details of every virtue, these words, ’O thou
that art highly blessed, O thou of noble parentage,
O thou that art endued with great fame, that becoming
behaviour which thou always showest towards my sons
is, indeed, worthy of thee.’ Thou must also
say unto the sons of Madri who are always devoted
to Kshatriya virtues, these words, ’Covet ye
more than life itself, those enjoyments that are acquired
by prowess. Objects won by prowess always please
the heart of a person that liveth according to Kshatriya
practices. Engaged as ye are in acquiring every
kind of virtue, before your eyes the princess of Panchala
was addressed in cruel and abusive epithets. Who
is there that can forgive that insult? The deprivation
of their kingdom grieved me not. Their defeat
at dice grieved me not. But that noble and fair
Draupadi, however, while weeping in the midst of the
assembly, had to hear those cruel and insulting words
is what grieveth me most. Alas, exceedingly beautiful
Krishna, ever devoted to Kshatriya virtues, found no
protector on that occasion, though she was wedded
to such powerful protectors. O thou of mighty
arms, say unto that tiger among men, Arjuna, that foremost
of all wielders of weapons, that he should always tread
in the path that may be pointed out by Draupadi.
Thou knowest it very well, Kesava, that Bhima and
Arjuna,—that pair of fierce and all-destroying
Yamas, are capable of making the very gods go the
way of all creatures. Is not this an insult to
them that (their wife) Krishna was dragged into the
assembly? O Kesava, recall to their remembrance
all those cruel and harsh words that Dussasana said
unto Bhima in the very presence of all the warriors
of Kuru’s race. Enquire (in my name) after
the welfare of the Pandavas with their children and
Krishna. Say unto them, O Janardana, that I am
well. Go thou on thy auspicious way, and protect
my sons!’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Saluting and
walking round her, the mighty-armed Krishna whose
gait resembled the majestic gait of the lion, then
issued out of Pritha’s abode. And he then
dismissed those chiefs among the Kurus with Bhishma
at their head (who had followed him), and taking Karna
upon his chariot, left (the Kuru city), accompanied
by Satyaki. And after he of Dasarha’s race
had departed, the Kurus assembled together and began
to talk of that highly wonderful and marvellous incident
connected with him. And they said, ’Overcome
with ignorance, the whole earth hath been entangled
in the meshes of death!’ And they also said,
‘Through Duryodhana’s folly, all this is
doomed to destruction.’
Page 387
’Having issued out of the (Kuru) city, that
foremost of persons proceeded, deliberating with Karna
for a long time. And that delighter of all the
Yadavas then dismissed Karna and urged his steeds to
greater speed. And driven by Daruka, those swift
coursers endued with the speed of the tempest of the
mind, went on as if drinking the skies. And quickly
traversing a long way like fleet hawks, they reached
Upaplavya very soon, bearing the wielder of Saranga.’”
SECTION CXXXVIII
“Vaisampayana said, ’Hearing the words
of Kunti, the mighty car-warriors, Bhishma and Drona,
then spoke these words unto the disobedient Duryodhana,
’Hast thou, O tiger among men, heard the fierce
words of grave import, excellent and consistent with
virtue, that Kunti had spoken in the presence of Krishna?
Her sons will act according to them, especially as
they are approved by Vasudeva. O Kaurava, they
will not assuredly desist, without their share of
the kingdom (being given to them). Thou hast
inflicted much pain on the sons of Pritha. And
Draupadi also was afflicted by thee in the assembly.
They were, however, bound then by the bounds of truth
and it was for this that, they tolerated that treatment.
Obtaining Arjuna now, who is skilled in every weapon,
and Bhima of firm resolution, and Gandiva and the
couple of (inexhaustible) quivers, and that car (of
Arjuna) and that banner (bearing the device of the
ape), and Nakula and Sahadeva, both endued with great
might and energy, and Vasudeva also, as his allies,
Yudhishthira will not forgive (thee). O mighty-armed
one, thou hast witnessed with thy own eyes how intelligent
Arjuna vanquished us all in battle before, in the city
of Virata. Indeed, after this, that Ape-bannered
(warrior) consumed in battle, taking up his fierce
weapons, those Danavas of terrible deeds called the
Nivatakavachas. On the occasion also of the tale
of cattle, when captured by the Gandharvas, this Karna
and all these thy counsellors and thyself accoutred
in mail and on thy car, were all liberated from the
grasp of the Gandharvas by that Arjuna. That is
a sufficient proof. Therefore, O foremost of
the Bharatas, with all thy brothers make peace with
the sons of Pandu. Save this whole earth from
the Destruction’s jaws. Yudhishthira is
thy elder brother, virtuous in behaviour, affectionate
towards thee, sweet-speeched and learned. Abandoning
thy sinful intentions, unite thyself with that tiger
among men. If Pandu’s son beholdeth thee
divested of thy bow, and without the wrinkles of rage
on thy brow, and cheerful, even that would be for the
good of our race. Approaching with all thy counsellors
embrace him fraternally. O repressor of foes,
salute the king respectfully as before. And let
Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, the elder brother
of Bhima, hold from affection, thy saluting self with
his arms. And let that foremost of smiters, Bhima,
possessed of leonine shoulders and thighs round, and
Page 388
long, and mighty arms, embrace thee. And then
let that son of Kunti, Dhananjaya, called also Partha,
of eyes like lotus-petals, and curly hair and conch-like
neck salute thee respectfully. Then let those
tigers among men, the twin Aswins, unrivalled on earth
for beauty, wait on thee with affection and reverence
as on their preceptor. And let all the kings with
him of Dasarha’s race at their head, shed tears
of joy. Abandoning thy pride, unite thyself with
thy brothers. Rule thou the whole earth, with
thy brothers. Let all the kings joyfully return
to their respective homes, having embraced one another.
There is no need of battle, O king of kings.
Listen to the dissuasions of thy friends. In the
battle that will ensue a great destruction of the
Kshatriyas is certainly indicated. The stars are
all hostile. The animals and birds have all assumed
fearful aspects. Diverse portents, O hero, are
visible, all indicating the slaughters of the Kshatriyas.
All these portents, again, are particularly visible
in our abodes. Blazing meteors are afflicting
thy host. Our animals are all cheerless and seem,
O king, to be crying. Vultures are wheeling around
thy troops. Neither the city nor the palace looks
as before. Jackals, setting forth ominous yells,
are running about the four quarters which are ablaze
with conflagrations. Obey thou the counsels of
thy father and mother as also of ourselves who are
thy well-wishers. War and peace, O thou of mighty
arms, are within thy control. If, O grinder of
foes, thou dost not act according to the words of
thy friends, thou shalt have to repent upon beholding
thy army afflicted with the arrows of Partha.
Hearing in battle the terrible yells uttered by the
mighty Bhima and the twang of Gandiva, thou wilt remember
our these words. Indeed, if what we say appears
unacceptable to thee, then it will be as we say.’”
SECTION CXXXIX
“Vaisampayana said, ’Thus addressed by
them, Duryodhana, contracting the space between his
eye-brows, became cheerless, and with face bent down
began to cast oblique glances. And he said not
a word in reply. Beholding him cheerless, those
bulls among men, Bhishma and Drona, looking at each
other, once more addressed him, and said (these words).’
“Bhishma said, ’What can be a matter of
greater grief to us than that we shall have to light
against that Yudhishthira who is devoted to the service
of his superiors, destitute of envy, conversant with
Brahma, and truthful in speech.’
“Drona said, ’My affection for Dhananjaya
is greater than that which I bear for my son Aswatthaman.
There is greater reverence also and humility (towards
me) in that Ape-bannered hero (than in Aswatthaman).
Alas, in observance of the Kshatriya duties, I shall
have to light even against that Dhananjaya who is
dearer to me than my son. Fie on the Kshatriya
profession. That Vibhatsu who hath no other bowman
in the world as his equal, hath, through my grace,
Page 389
acquired this superiority over all bowmen. He
that hateth his friends, he that is of wicked disposition,
he that denieth Godhead, he that is crooked and deceitful,
never obtaineth the worship of the righteous, like
an ignorant person present at a sacrifice. Though
dissuaded from sin, a sinful man would still wish to
commit sinful acts; while he that is righteous, though
tempted by sin, would not yet abandon righteousness.
Though thou hast conducted thyself with falsehood
and deceit towards them, the Pandavas are still desirous
of doing what is agreeable to thee. As regards
thyself, O thou best of the Bharatas, all thy faults
are calculated to bring about disasters on thee.
Thou hast been addressed by the eldest of the Kurus,
by me, by Vidura, and by Vasudeva. Thou dost
not yet understand what is beneficial for thyself.
I have a large force,—with this conviction
thou desirest to pierce the Pandava host, abounding
with heroes, like the current of the Ganga piercing
the ocean abounding with sharks and alligators and
makaras. Having obtained Yudhishthira’s
prosperity like the cast off robes or garlands of
another, thou regardest it as thy own. If the
son of Pritha and Pandu stayeth even in the woods
with Draupadi, and surrounded by his armed brothers,
who is there, even in the possession of a kingdom,
that is competent to vanquish him? In the presence
of even that Ailavila (Kuvera) under whose command
all the Yakshas live as servants, Yudhishthira the
Just, shone with splendour. Having proceeded to
Kuvera’s abode and having procured wealth therefrom,
the Pandavas are now desirous of attacking thy swelling
kingdom and winning sovereignty for themselves.
(As regards us two), we have made gifts, poured libations
on fire, studied (the scriptures), and gratified the
Brahmanas by presents of wealth. The (allotted)
periods of our life have also run out. Know that
our work has been done. (As regards thyself however),
giving up happiness, kingdom, friends, and wealth,
great will be thy calamity if thou seekest war with
the Pandavas. How canst thou vanquish the son
of Pandu, when Draupadi who is truthful in speech
and devoted to rigid vows and austerities, prayeth
for his success? How wilt thou vanquish that son
of Pandu who hath Janardana. for his counsellor, and
who hath for a brother that Dhananjaya who is the
foremost of wielders of weapons? How wilt thou
vanquish that son of Pandu, of severe austerities,
who hath for his allies so many Brahmanas, endued
with intelligence and mastery over their senses?
In accordance with what a prosperity-wishing friend
should do when he sees his friends sinking in an ocean
of distress, I again tell thee, there is no necessity
for war. Make peace with those heroes for the
sake of prosperity to the Kurus. Do not court
defeat, with thy sons, counsellors, and the army!’”
SECTION CXL
“Dhritarashtra said, ’O Sanjaya, in the
midst of all the princes and the servants, the slayer
of Madhu took Karna upon his car and went out (of
our city). What did that slayer of hostile heroes,
that one of immeasurable soul, say unto Radha’s
son? What conciliatory words did Govinda speak
unto the Suta’s son? Tell me, O Sanjaya,
what those words were, mild or fierce, that Krishna,
possessed of a voice deep as that of newly-risen clouds
during the rainy season said unto Karna?’
Page 390
“Sanjaya said, ’Listen to me, O Bharata,
as I repeat in due order those words, both intimidating
and mild, agreeable and consistent with virtue, true
and beneficial, and pleasing to the heart, which the
slayer of Madhu, of immeasurable soul, said unto Radha’s
son.’
“Vasudeva said, ’O son of Radha, thou
hast worshipped many Brahmanas fully conversant with
the Vedas. With concentrated attention and mind
free from envy thou hast also (on many an occasion)
enquired of them after truth. Thou knowest, therefore,
O Karna, what the eternal saying of the Vedas are.
Thou art also well-versed in all the subtle conclusions
of the scriptures. It is said by those conversant
with the scriptures that the two kinds of sons called
Kanina and Sahoda that are born of a maiden, have
him for their father who weddeth the maid. Thou,
O Karna, hast been born in this way. Thou art,
therefore, morally the son of Pandu. Come, be
a king, according to the injunction of the scriptures.
On the side of thy father, thou hast the sons of Pritha,
on the side of thy mother, thou hast the Vrishnis,
(for thy kinsmen). O bull among men, know that
thou hast these two for thy own. Proceeding this
very day with me hence, O sire, let the Pandavas know
thee as a son of Kunti born before Yudhishthira.
The brothers, the five Pandavas, the son of Draupadi,
and the invincible son of Subhadra, will all embrace
thy feet. All the kings and princes, again, that
have been assembled for the Pandava-cause, and all
the Andhakas and Vrishnis, will also embrace thy feet.
Let queens and princesses bring golden and silver
and earthen jars (full of water) and delicious herbs
and all kinds of seeds and gems, and creepers, for
thy installation. During the sixth period, Draupadi
also will come to thee (as a wife). Let that
best of Brahmanas, Dhaumya, of restrained soul, pour
libations of clarified butter on the (sacred) fire,
and let those Brahmanas regarding all the four Vedas
as authoritative (and who are acting as priests unto
the Pandavas), perform the ceremony of thy installation.
Let the family priest of the Pandavas who is devoted
to Vedic rites, and those bulls among men-those brothers,
the five sons of Pandu,—and the five sons
of Draupadi, and the Panchalas, and the Chedis, and
myself also, install thee as the lord of the whole
earth. Let Dharma’s son Yudhishthira, of
righteous soul and rigid vows, be thy heir presumptive,
ruling the kingdom under thee. Holding the white
chamara in his hand (for fanning thee), let Yudhishthira,
the son of Kunti, ride on the same car behind thee.
After thy installation is over, let that other son
of Kunti, the mighty Bhimasena, hold the white umbrella
over thy head. Indeed, Arjuna then will drive
thy car furnished with a hundred tinkling bells, its
sides covered with tiger-skins, and with white steeds
harnessed to it. Then Nakula and Sahadeva, and
the five sons of Draupadi, and the Panchalas with
that mighty car-warrior Sikhandin, will all proceed
Page 391
behind thee. I myself, with all the Andhakas and
the Vrishnis, will walk behind thee. Indeed,
all the Dasarhas and the Dasarnas, will, O king, be
numbered with thy relatives. Enjoy the sovereignty
of the earth, O thou of mighty arms, with thy brothers
the Pandavas, with yapas and homas and auspicious
rites of diverse kinds performed in thy honour.
Let the Dravidas, with the Kuntalas, the Andhras,
and the Talacharas, and the Shuchupas, and the Venupas,
all walk before thee. Let chanters and panegyrists
praise thee with innumerable laudatory hymns.
Let the Pandavas proclaim,—Victory to Vasusena.
Surrounded by the Pandavas, like the moon by the stars,
rule thou the kingdom, O son of Kunti, and gladden
Kunti herself. Let thy friends rejoice, and thy
enemies grieve. Let there be, this day, a brotherly
union between thee and thy brothers, the sons of Pandu.”
SECTION CXLI
“Karna said, ’Without doubt, O Kesava,
thou hast said these words from thy love, affection,
and friendship for me, as also in consequence of thy
desire of doing me good, O thou of Vrishni’s
race. I know all that thou hast said unto me.
Morally, I am the son of Pandu, as also in consequence
of the injunctions of the scriptures, as thou, O Krishna,
thinkest. My mother, while a maiden, bore me
in her womb, O Janardana, through her connection with
Surya. And at the command of Surya himself, she
abandoned me as soon as I was born. Even thus,
O Krishna, I came into the world. Morally, therefore,
I am the son of Pandu. Kunti, however, abandoned
me without thinking of my welfare. The Suta,
Adhiratha, as soon as he beheld me, took me to his
home, and from her affection for me, Radha’s
breasts were filled with milk that very day, and she,
O Madhava, cleansed my urine and evacuations.
How can one like us, conversant with duties and ever
engaged in listening to scriptures deprive her of her
Pinda? So also Adhiratha of the Suta class regardeth
me as a son, and I too, from affection, always regard
him as (my) father. O Madhava, that Adhiratha,
O Janardana, from paternal affection caused all the
rites of infancy to be performed on my person, according
to the rules prescribed in the scriptures. It
is that Adhiratha, again, who caused the name Vasusena
to be bestowed upon me by the Brahmanas. When
also I attained to youth, I married wives according
to his selections. Through them have been born
my sons and grandsons, O Janardana. My heart
also, O Krishna, and all the bonds of affection and
love, are fixed on them. From joy or fear.
O Govinda. I cannot venture to destroy those
bonds even for the sake of the whole earth or heaps
of gold. In consequence also of my connection
with Duryodhana of Dhritarashtra’s race, I have,
O Krishna, enjoyed sovereignty for thirteen years,
without a thorn on my side. I have performed
many sacrifices, always however in connection with
persons of the Suta tribe. All my family rites
Page 392
and marriage rites have been performed with the Sutas.
Obtaining me, O Krishna, Duryodhana hath, O thou of
Vrishni’s race, made this preparations for an
armed encounter and provoked hostilities with the
sons of Pandu. And it is for this, O Achyuta,
that in the battle (that will ensue), I, O Krishna,
have been chosen as the great antagonist of Arjuna
to advance against him in a single combat. For
the sake of death, or the ties of blood, or fear, or
temptation, I cannot venture, O Janardana, to behave
falsely towards the intelligent son of Dhritarashtra.
If I do not now engage in a single combat with Arjuna,
this will, O Hrishikesa, be inglorious for both myself
and Partha. Without doubt, O slayer of Madhu,
thou hast told me all this for doing me good.
The Pandavas also, obedient as they are to thee, will,
without doubt, do all that thou hast said. Thou
must, however, conceal this our discourse for the
present, O slayer of Madhu. Therein lies our
benefit, I think, O delighter of all the Yadavas.
If king Yudhishthira, of virtuous soul and well-controlled
senses, cometh to know me as the firstborn son of
Kunti, he will never accept the kingdom. If,
again, O slayer of Madhu, this mighty and swelling
empire becometh mine. I shall, O repressor of
foes, certainly make it over to Duryodhana only.
Let Yudhishthira of virtuous soul become king for ever.
He that hath Hrishikesa for his guide, and Dhananjaya
and that mighty car-warrior Bhima for his combatants,
as also Nakula and Sahadeva, and the sons of Draupadi,
is fit, O Madhava, to rule over the whole earth.
Dhrishtadyumna, the prince of the Panchalas, that mighty
car-warrior Satyaki, Uttamaujas, Yudhamanyu, the prince
of Somakas who is devoted to truth, the ruler of the
Chedis, Chekitana, the invincible Sikhandin, the Kekaya
brothers, all of the hue of Indragopaka insects, Bhimasena’s
uncle Kuntibhoja of high soul and possessed of steeds
endued with the colours of the rainbow, the mighty
car-warrior Syenajit, Sanka the son of Virata, and
thyself, O Janardana, like an ocean,—great
is this assemblage, O Krishna, of Kshatriyas (that
hath been made by Yudhishthira). This blazing
kingdom, celebrated among all the kings of the earth,
is already won (by Yudhishthira). O thou of Vrishni’s
race, a great sacrifice of arms is about to be celebrated
by Dhritarashtra’s son. Thou, O Janardana,
wilt be the Upadrashtri of that sacrifice. The
office of Adhyaryu also, O Krishna, in that sacrifice,
will be thine. The ape-bannered Vibhatsu accoutred
in mail will be the Hotri (his bow), Gandiva will be
the sacrificial ladle, and the prowess of the warriors
will be the clarified butter (that is to be consumed).
The weapons called Aindra, Pasupata, Brahma, and Sthunakarna,
applied by Arjuna, will, O Madhava, be the mantras
(of that sacrifice). Resembling his father, or
perhaps, excelling him in prowess, Subhadra’s
son (Abhimanyu) will be the chief Vedic hymn to be
chanted. That destroyer of elephant ranks that
Page 393
utterer of fierce roars in battle, that tiger among
men, the exceedingly mighty Bhima, will be Udgatri
and Prastotri in this sacrifice. King Yudhishthira
of virtuous Soul, ever engaged in Yapa and Homa, will
himself be the Brahma of that sacrifice. The
sounds of conchs, tabors, and drums, and the leonine
roaring rising high in the welkin, will be the calls
upon the invited to eat. The two sons of Madri,
Nakula and Sahadeva, of great fame and prowess, will
be the slayers of the sacrificial animals; rows of
bright cars furnished with standards of variegated
hue, will, O Govinda, be stakes (for tying the animals),
O Janardana, in this sacrifice. Barbed arrows
and Nalikas, and long shafts, and arrows with heads
like calf’s tooth, will play the part of spoons
(wherewith to distribute the Soma juice) while Tomaras
will be the vessels of Soma, and bows will be pavitras.
The swords will be Kapalas, the heads (of slain warriors)
the Purodasas and the blood of warriors the clarified
butter. O Krishna, in this sacrifice. The
lances and bright maces (of the warriors) will be
pokers (for stirring the sacrificial fire) and the
corner stakes (for keeping the fire-wood from falling
down). The disciples of Drona and Kripa, the
son of Saradwat, will be the Sadasyas (assisting priests).
The arrows shot by the wielder of Gandiva and by (other)
mighty car-warriors, and by Drona and Drona’s
son, will play the part of ladles for distributing
the Soma. Satyaki will discharge the duties of
the chief assistant of the Adhyaryu. Of this
sacrifice, Dhritarashtra’s son will be installed
as the performer, while this vast army will be his
wife. O thou of mighty arms, when the nocturnal
rites of sacrifice will begin, the mighty Ghatotkacha
will play the part of the slayer of (devoted) victims.
The mighty Dhrishtadyumna, who sprang into life from
the sacrificial fire, having for its mouth the rites
celebrated with mantras, will, O Krishna, be the Dakshina
of that sacrifice. For those harsh words, O Krishna,
that I said before unto the sons of Pandu for the gratification
of Dhritarashtra’s son,—for that wicked
conduct of mine,—I am consumed with repentance.
When O Krishna, thou wilt behold me slain by Arjuna,
then will the Punachiti of this sacrifice commence.
When the (second) son of Pandu will drink the blood
of the loudly roaring Dussasana, then will the Soma-drinking
of this sacrifice have taken place! When the two
princes of Panchala (Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin)
will overthrow Drona and Bhishma, then, O Janardana,
will this sacrifice be suspended for an interval.
When mighty Bhimasena will slay Duryodhana, then, O
Madhava, will this sacrifice of Dhritarashtra’s
son be concluded. When the wives of Dhritarashtra’s
sons and grandsons assembled together, deprived, O
Kesava, of their husbands and sons and without protectors,
will indulge in lamentations with Gandhari in their
midst, on the field of battle haunted by dogs and
vultures and other carnivorous birds, then, O Janardana,
will the final bath of this sacrifice take place.
Page 394
’I pray to thee, O bull of the Kshatriya race,
let not the Kshatriyas, old in learning and old in
years, perish miserably, O Janardana, for thy sake.
Oh, let this swelling host of Kshatriyas perish by
means of weapons on that most sacred of all spots
in the three worlds, viz. Kurukshetra, O
Kesava. O thou of eyes like lotus-leaves, accomplish
on this spot what thou hast in thy mind, so that,
O thou of Vrishni’s race, the whole Kshatriya
order may attain to heaven. As long, O Janardana,
as the hills and the rivers will last, so long will
the fame of these achievements last. The Brahmanas
will recite this great war of the Bharatas. The
fame, O thou of Vrishni’s race, that they achieve
in battles is the wealth that Kshatriyas own.
O Kesava, bring Kunti’s son (Arjuna) before me
for battle, keeping for ever this our discourse a
secret, O chastiser of foes.’”
SECTION CXLII
“Sanjaya said, ’Hearing these words of
Karna, Kesava, that slayer of hostile heroes, spoke
unto him these words smilingly, ’Do not the means
of winning an empire recommend themselves to thee.
O Karna? Wishest thou not to rule over the whole
earth given by me to thee? The victory of the
Pandavas, therefore, is very certain. There seems
to be no doubt in this. The triumphal banner
of Pandu’s son, with the fierce ape on it, seems
to be already set up. The divine artificer, Bhaumana,
hath applied such celestial illusion (in its construction)
that it standeth high, displayed like Indra’s
banner. Various celestial creatures of terrific
shape, indicating victory, are seen on that standard.
Extending for a yojana upwards and all around, that
beautiful standard of Arjuna, resembling fire in radiance,
is never, O Karna, when set up, obstructed by hills
or trees. When thou wilt behold in battle Arjuna,
on his car drawn by white steeds and driven by Krishna,
applying Aindra, Agneya and Maruta weapons, and when
thou wilt hear the twang of Gandiva piercing the welkin
like the very thunder, then all signs of the Krita,
the Treta, and the Dwapara ages will disappear (but,
instead, Kali embodied will be present). When
thou wilt behold in battle Kunti’s son, invincible
Yudhishthira, devoted to Yapa and Homa and resembling
the very sun in brilliance, protecting his own mighty
army and burning the army of his foes, then all signs
of the Krita, the Treta, and the Dwapara ages will
disappear. When thou wilt behold in battle the
mighty Bhimasena dancing, after having quaffed the
blood of Dussasana, like a fierce elephant with rent
temples after having killed a mighty antagonist, then
all signs of the Krita, the Treta, and the Dwapara
ages will disappear. When thou wilt behold in
battle Arjuna checking Drona and Santanu’s son
and Kripa and king Suyodhana, and Jayadratha of Sindhu’s
race, all rushing fiercely to the encounter, then
all signs of the Krita, the Treta and the Dwapara ages
will disappear. When thou wilt behold in battle
Page 395
the two mighty sons of Madri,—those heroic
car-warriors, capable of breaking into pieces all hostile
cars,—agitating, from the very moment when
weapons will begin to clash, the army of Dhritarashtra’s
sons like a couple of infuriated elephants, then all
signs of the Krita, the Treta and the Dwapara ages
will disappear. Returning hence, O Karna, say
unto Drona and Santanu’s son and Kripa that
the present month is a delightful one, and that food,
drink, and fuel are abundant now. All plants
and herbs are vigorous now, all trees full of fruits,
and flies there are none. The roads are free from
mire, and the waters are of agreeable taste. The
weather is neither very hot nor very cold and is,
therefore, highly pleasant. Seven days after,
will be the day of the new moon. Let the battle
commence then, for that day, it hath been said, is
presided over by Indra. Say also unto all the
kings that have come for battling that I will fully
accomplish the desire cherished by them. Indeed,
all the kings and princes that are obedient to the
orders of Duryodhana, obtaining death by weapons, will
attain to an excellent state.’”
SECTION CXLIII
“Sanjaya said, ’Hearing these beneficial
and auspicious words of Kesava, Karna worshipped Krishna,
the slayer of Madhu, and said these words, ’Knowing
(everything), why dost thou yet, O thou of mighty arms,
seek to beguile me? The destruction of the whole
earth that is at hand for its cause, Sakuni, and myself,
and Dussasana, and king Duryodhana, the son of Dhritarashtra.
Without doubt, O Krishna, a great and fierce battle
is at hand between the Pandavas and the Kurus which
will cover the earth with bloody mire. All the
kings and princes following the lead of Duryodhana,
consumed by the fire of weapons will proceed to the
abode of Yama. Diverse frightful visions are
seen, O slayer of Madhu, and many terrible portents,
and fierce disturbances also. All these omens,
making the hairs (of the spectators) stand on their
ends, indicate, O thou of Vrishni’s race, the
defeat of Dhritarashtra’s son and the victory
of Yudhishthira. That fierce planet of great
effulgence, Sanaischara (Saturn), is afflicting the
constellation called Rohini, in order to afflict greatly
the creatures of the earth. The planet Angaraka
(Mars), wheeling, O slayer of Madhu, towards the constellation
Jeshthya, approacheth towards Anuradhas, indicating
a great slaughter of friends. Without doubt, O
Krishna, a terrible calamity approacheth the Kurus
when specially, O thou of Vrishni’s race, the
planet Mahapat afflicteth the constellation Chitra.
The spot on the lunar disc hath changed its position;
and Rahu also approacheth towards the sun. Meteors
are falling from the sky with loud noise and trembling
motion. The elephants are sending forth frightful
cries, while the steeds, O Madhava, are shedding tears,
without taking any delight in food and drink.
They say, O thou of mighty arms, that on the appearance
Page 396
of these portents, a terrible calamity approacheth,
productive of a great slaughter. O Kesava, amongst
the steeds, elephants and soldiers, in all the divisions
of Duryodhana’s army, it is seen, O slayer of
Madhu, that while small is the food these take, ample
is the excreta they evacuate. The wise have said
that this is an indication of defect. The elephants
and steeds of the Pandavas, O Krishna, all seem to
be cheerful, while all the animals wheel along their
right. This also is an indication of their success.
The same animal, O Kesava, pass by the left side of
Duryodhana’s army, while incorporeal voices
are constantly heard (over their heads). All this
is an indication of defeat. All auspicious birds,
such as peacocks, swans, cranes, Chatakas, Jivajivas,
and large flights of Vakas, follow the Pandavas, while
vultures, Kankas, hawks, Rakshasas, wolves and bees,
in flights and herds, follow the Kauravas. The
drums in the army of Dhritarashtra’s son yield
no sounds, while those of the Pandavas yield sounds
without being struck. The wells in the midst
of Duryodhana’s encampment send forth loud roars
like those of huge bulls. All this is an indication
of defeat. The gods are showering flesh and blood,
O Madhava, on Duryodhana’s soldiers. Vapoury
edifices of great effulgence with high walls, deep
trenches, and handsome porches, are suddenly appearing
in the skies (over the Kuru encampment). A black
circle surrounding the solar disc appears to the view.
Both twilights at sunrise and sunset indicate great
terrors. The jackals yell hideously. All
this is an indication of defeat. Diverse birds,
each having but one wing, one eye, and one leg, utter
terrible cries. All this, O slayer of Madhu,
indicates defeat. Fierce birds with black wings
and red legs hover over the Kuru encampment at nightfall.
All this is an indication of defeat. The soldiers
of Duryodhana betray hatred for Brahmanas first, and
then for their preceptors, and then for all their
affectionate servants. The, eastern horizon of
(Duryodhana’s encampment) appeareth red; the
southern of the hue of weapons; and western, O slayer
of Madhu, of an earthy hue. All the quarters around
Duryodhana’s encampment seem, O Madhava, to be
ablaze. In the appearance of all these portents,
great is the danger that is indicated.
’I have in a vision, O Achyuta, beheld Yudhishthira
ascending with his brothers a palace supported by
a thousand columns. All of them appeared with
white head-gears and in white robes. And all of
them appeared to me to be seated on white seats.
In the midst of the same vision, thou, O Janardana,
wast beheld by me to be employed in enveloping the
blood-dyed earth with weapons. Yudhishthira at
the same time, of immeasurable energy, ascending upon
a heap of bones, was gladly eating buttered payasa
of a golden cup. I further beheld Yudhishthira
to be employed in swallowing the earth handed over
to him by thee. This indicates that he will verily
rule the earth I beheld that tiger among men, Vrikodara,
Page 397
of fierce deeds, standing on the summit, mace in hand,
and as if devouring this earth. This plainly
indicates that he will slay all of us in fierce battle.
It is known to me, O lord of the senses, that victory
is there where righteousness is. I saw also Dhananjaya,
the wielder of Gandiva, seated on the back of a white
elephant, with thee, O lord of the senses, and blazing
forth with great beauty. I have no doubt, O Krishna,
that ye will slay in battle all the kings headed by
Duryodhana. I saw Nakula and Sahadeva and that
mighty car-warrior Satyaki, adorned with white bracelets,
white cuirasses, white garlands, and white robes.
This tiger among men were seated upon excellent vehicles
borne on the shoulders of men. And I saw that
umbrellas were held over the heads of all the three.
Amongst the soldiers of Dhritarashtra’s son,
these three, O Janardana, were beheld by me decked
with white head-gears. Know, O Kesava, that those
three were Aswatthaman, Kripa, and Kritavarman of Satwata’s
race. All other kings, O Madhava, were seen by
me to have blood-red head-ears. I saw also, O
thou of mighty arms, that those mighty car-warriors
Bhishma and Drona, ascending on a vehicle drawn by
camels, and by myself, and Dhritarashtra’s son,
proceeded, O lord, to the quarter, O Janardana, ruled
by Agastya. This indicates that we shall soon
have to proceed to Yama’s abode. I have
no doubt that myself and the other kings, indeed,
the entire assemblage of Kshatriyas shall have to enter
into the Gandiva fire.’
“Krishna said, ’Indeed, the destruction
of the earth is at hand when my words, O Karna, do
not become acceptable to thy heart. O sire, when
the destruction of all creatures approacheth, wrong
assuming the semblance of right leaveth not the heart.’
“Karna said, ’If, O Krishna, we come out
of this great battle that will be so destructive of
heroic Kshatriyas, with life, then, O thou of mighty
arms may we meet here again. Otherwise, O Krishna,
we shall certainly meet in heaven. O sinless
one, it seemeth to me now that there only it is possible
for us to meet.’
“Sanjaya said, ’Having spoken these words,
Karna closely pressed Madhava to his bosom. Dismissed
by Kesava, he then descended from the car. And
riding on his own car decked with gold, Radha’s
son greatly dejected, came back with us!’”
SECTION CXLIV
“Vaisampayana said, ’Upon the failure
of Krishna’s solicitations (for peace), and
after he had started for the Pandavas from the Kurus,
Kshatri approached Pritha and said these words slowly
in grief, ’O mother of living children, thou
knowest that my inclination is always for peace, and
although I cry myself hoarse, yet Suyodhana doth not
accept my words. King Yudhishthira, having the
Chedis, the Panchalas, and the Kekayas, Bhima and
Arjuna, Krishna, Yuyudhana, and the twins for his allies,
stayeth yet at Upaplavya, and from affection for kinsmen,
Page 398
looketh up to righteousness only, like a weak man,
though he is possessed of great strength. King
Dhritarashtra here, though old in years, doth not effect
peace, and intoxicated with pride of children, treadeth
a sinful path. In consequence of the wickedness
of Jayadratha and Karna and Dussasana and Suvala’s
son, intestine dissensions will break out. They
that behave unrighteously towards him that is righteous,
verily that sin of theirs soon produceth its consequences.
Who is there that will not be filled with sorrow at
the sight of the Kurus persecuting righteousness in
this way? When Kesava returneth without being
able to bring about peace, the Pandavas will certainly
address themselves for battle. Thereupon, the
sin of the Kurus will lead to a destruction of heroes.
Reflecting on all this, I do not get sleep by day
or by night.’
“Hearing these words uttered by Vidura, who
always wished her sons the accomplishment of their
objects, Kunti began to sigh heavily, afflicted with
grief, and began to think within herself, ’Fie
to wealth, for the sake of which this great slaughter
of kinsmen is about to take place. Indeed, in
this war, they that are friends will sustain defeat.
What can be a greater grief than this that the Pandavas,
the Chedis, the Panchalas, and the Yadavas, assembled
together, will fight with the Bharatas? Verily,
I behold demerit in war. (On the other hand) if we
do not fight, poverty and humiliation would be ours.
As regards the person that is poor, even death is
beneficial (to him). (On the other band) the extermination
of one’s kinsmen is not victory. As I reflect
on this, my heart swelleth with sorrow. The grandsire
(Bhishma), the son of Santanu, the preceptor (Drona),
who is the foremost of warriors, and Karna, having
embraced Duryodhana’s side, enhance my fears.
The preceptor Drona, it seemeth to me, will never
fight willingly against his pupils. As regards
the Grandsire, why will he not show some affection
for the Pandavas? There is only this sinful Karna
then, of deluded understanding and ever following
the deluded lead of the wicked Duryodhana, that hateth
the Pandavas. Obstinately pursuing that which
injureth the Pandavas, this Karna is, again, very
powerful. It is this which burneth me at present.
Proceeding to gratify him. I will today disclose
the truth and seek to draw his heart towards the Pandavas.
Pleased with me, while I was living in the inner apartments
of the palace of my father, Kuntibhoja, the holy Durvasa
gave me a boon in the form of an invocation consisting
of mantras. Long reflecting with a trembling
heart on the strength or weakness of those mantras
and the power also of the Brahmana’s words, and
in consequence also of my disposition as a woman, and
my nature as a girl of unripe years, deliberating
repeatedly and while guarded by a confidential nurse
and surrounded by my waiting-maids, and thinking also
of how not to incur any reproach, how to maintain the
honour of my father, and how I myself might have an
Page 399
accession of good fortune without being guilty of
any transgression, I, at last, remembered that Brahmana
and bowed to him, and having obtained that mantras
from excess of curiosity and from folly, I summoned,
during my maidenhood, the god Surya. He, therefore,
who was held in my womb during my maidenhood,—why
should he not obey my words that are certainly acceptable
and beneficial to his brothers? And reflecting
in this strain, Kunti formed an excellent resolution.
And having formed that resolution, she went to the
sacred stream called after Bhagiratha. And having
reached the banks of Ganga, Pritha heard the chanting
of the Vedic hymns by her son, endued with great kindness
and firmly devoted to truth. And as Karna stood
with face directed to the east and arms upraised,
then helpless Kunti, for the sake of her interest
stayed behind him, waiting the completion of prayers.
And the lady of Vrishni’s race, that wife of
Kuru’s house, afflicted by the heat of the sun
began to look like a faded garland of lotuses.
And, at last, she stood in the shade afforded by the
upper garments of Karna. And Karna, of regulated
vows, said his prayers until his back became heated
by the rays of the sun. Then turning behind, he
behold Kunti and was filled with surprise. And
saluting him in proper form and with joined palms
that foremost of virtuous persons, endued with great
energy and pride, viz., Vrisha, the son of Vikartana,
bowed to her and said (the following words)."’
SECTION CXLV
“Karna said, ’I am Karna, son of Radha
and Adhiratha. For what, O lady, hast thou come
here? Tell me what I am to do for thee?’
“Kunti said, ’Thou art Kunti’s son,
and not Radha’s. Nor is Adhiratha thy father.
Thou, O Karna, art not born in the Suta order.
Believe what I say. Thou wert brought forth by
me while a maiden. I held thee first in my womb.
O son, thou wert born in the palace of Kuntiraja.
O Karna, that divine Surya who blazeth forth in light
and maketh everything visible, O foremost of all wielders
of weapons, begat thee upon me. O irresistible
one, thou, O son, wert brought forth by me in my father’s
abode, decked with (natural) ear-rings and accoutred
in a (natural) coat of mail, and blazing forth in
beauty. That thou, without knowing thy brothers,
shouldst, therefore, from ignorance, wait upon Dhritarashtra’s
son, is not proper. It is improper in thee especially,
O son. The gratification of one’s father
and one’s mother, who is the sole displayer of
affection (for her child), hath, O son, in the matter
of ascertaining the duties of men, been declared to
be the highest of all duties. Acquired formerly
by Arjuna, the prosperity of Yudhishthira hath, from
avarice, been wrested by wicked persons. Snatching
it back from Dhritarashtra’s sons, do thou enjoy
that prosperity. Let the Kurus behold today the
union of Karna and Arjuna. Beholding thee and
thy brother united together in bonds of brotherly
Page 400
love, let those wicked persons bow down unto ye.
Let Karna and Arjuna be named in the same breath as
Rama and Janardana. If you two are united together,
what cannot be accomplished in the world? O Karna,
surrounded by thy brothers, thou wilt, without doubt,
blaze forth like Brahma Himself, surrounded by the
gods on the platform of a great sacrifice. Endued
with every virtue, thou art the first of all my relations.
Let not the epithet Suta’s son attach to thee.
Thou art a Partha, endued with great energy.’”
SECTION CXLVI
“Vaisampayana said (After Kunti had said this),
Karna heard an affectionate voice issued out of the
solar circle. Coming from a great distance, that
voice was uttered by Surya himself with paternal affection.
(And it said)—The words said by Pritha are
true. O Karna, act according to the words of
thy mother. O tiger among men, great good will
result to thee if thou fully followest those words.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Though, thus
addressed by his mother, and by also his father Surya
himself, Karna’s heart did not yet waver, for
he was firmly devoted to truth. And he said,
’O Kshatriya lady, I cannot admit what thou
hast said, viz., that obedience to thy commands
constituteth (in my case) the highest of my duties.
O mother, I was abandoned by thee as soon as I was
born. This great injury, involving risk to life
itself, that thou didst me, hath been destructive of
my achievements and fame. If, indeed, I am a
Kshatriya, I have, for thee, been deprived of all
the rites of a Kshatriya. What enemy would have
done me a greater injury? Without showing me
mercy, when thou shouldst have shown it, and having
kept me divested of all the rites (that are obligatory
in consequence of the order of my birth), thou wouldst
however, lay thy command on me today! Thou hadst
never before sought my good as a mother should.
Thou addressest me today, however, desiring to do
good to thyself. Who is there that would not be
afraid of Dhananjaya having Krishna with him (for
the driver of his car)? If, therefore, I go today
unto the Parthas, who is there that would not regard
me as doing so from fright? Hitherto, nobody
knew me to be their brother. If, giving out on
the eve of battle that I am their brother, I go to
the Pandavas, what would all the Kshatriyas say?
Furnished with every object of desire, and worshipped
by them with a view to make me happy, how can I render
that friendship of Dhritarashtra’s sons utterly
futile? Having provoked hostilities with others,
they always wait on me respectfully, and always bow
down to me, as the Vasus bow down to Vasava. They
think that aided by my might, they are capable of
encountering the foe. How can I then frustrate
that cherished hope of theirs? With me as their
boat, they desire to cross the impassable ocean of
battle. How can I then abandon them that are
desirous of crossing that ocean which hath no other
Page 401
ferry? This is the time when all those have been
supported by Dhritarashtra’s sons should exert
themselves for their masters. I shall certainly
act for them, reckless of even my life. Those
sinful men of unsteady heart, who, well-fed and well-furnished
(with every necessary) by their masters, undo the
benefit received by them when the time cometh for paying
back, are thieves of their master’s cakes, have
neither this nor the other world for them. I
will not speak deceitfully unto thee. For the
sake of Dhritarashtra’s son, I shall fight against
thy sons to the best of my strength and might.
I must not, however, abandon kindness and the conduct
that becometh the good. Thy words, therefore,
however beneficial cannot be obeyed by me now.
This thy solicitation to me will not yet be fruitless.
Except Arjuna, thy other sons, Yudhishthira, Bhima,
and the twins, though capable of being withstood by
me in tight and capable also of being slain, shall
not yet be slain by me. It is with Arjuna alone,
among all the combatants of Yudhishthira, that I will
fight. Slaying Arjuna in battle, I shall achieve
great merit, or slain by Savyasachin, I shall be covered
with glory. O famous lady, the number of thy sons
will never be less than five. Five it will always
be,—either with me, or with Arjuna, and
myself slain.’
“Hearing these words of Karna, Kunti who was
trembling with grief, embraced her son who was unmoved
in consequence of his fortitude, and said, ’Indeed,
O Karna, even if what thou sayest seemeth to be possible,
the Kauravas will certainly be exterminated. Destiny
is all. Thou hast, however, O grinder of foes,
granted to four of thy brothers the pledge of safety.
Let that pledge be borne in thy remembrance at the
time of shooting of weapons in battle.’
And having told all this, Pritha also addressed Karna,
saying, ‘Blessed be thou, and let health be thine.’
And Karna replied unto her, saying, ‘Be it so!’
And they then left the spot, wending in different
directions.’”
SECTION CXLVII
“Vaisampayana said, ’Coming back to Upaplavya
from Hastinapura, that chastiser of foes, Kesava,
represented unto the Pandavas all that had happened,
and conferring with them for a long space of time,
and holding repeated consultations, Sauri went to
his own quarters for rest. And dismissing all
the kings, with Virata and others at their heads, the
five brothers—the Pandavas—when
the sun had set, said their evening prayers.
And with hearts ever fixed on Krishna they began to
think of him. And, at last, bringing Krishna
of Dasarha’s race into their midst, they began
to deliberate again about what they should do.
And Yudhishthira said, ’O thou of eyes like
lotus-petals, it behoveth thee to tell us all that
thou saidst unto Dhritarashtra’s son in the
assembly (of the Kurus), having gone to Nagapura.’
Vasudeva said, ’Having gone to Nagapura, I addressed
Dhritarashtra’s son in the assembly such words
as were true, reasonable, and beneficial. That
wicked minded fellow did not, however, accept them.’
Page 402
“Yudhishthira said, ’When Duryodhana desired
to tread along the wrong path, what did the aged Kuru
grandsire say, O Hrishikesa, unto that vindictive
prince? What also did the highly-blessed preceptor—the
son of Bharadwaja, say? And what did his parents
Dhritarashtra and Gandhari say? What did our
junior father Kshattri, who is the foremost of all
persons conversant with virtue, and who is always
afflicted with sorrow on account of ourselves whom
he regards as his sons, say unto Dhritarashtra’s
son? What also did all the kings who sat in that
assembly say? O Janardana, say it all unto us,
exactly as it happened. Thou hast already told
us all the disagreeable words that the Kuru chiefs
(Bhishma and Dhritarashtra) and others in that assembly
of the Kurus said unto the wicked Duryodhana who is
overwhelmed with lust and covetousness, and who regardeth
himself wise. Those words, however, O Kesava,
have flitted away from my memory. O Govinda,
I desire to hear, O lord, all those words again.
Act thou in such a way that the opportunity may not
pass away. Thou, O Krishna, art our refuge, thou
art our lord, thou art our guide!’
“Vasudeva said, ’Hear, O king, the words
that were addressed to king Suyodhana in the midst
of the assembly of the Kurus, and, O king of kings,
bear them in thy mind. After my words were ended,
Dhritarashtra’s son laughed aloud. Highly
incensed at this, Bhishma then said, ’Hear, O
Duryodhana, what I say for (the preservation of) our
race, and having heard it, O tiger among kings, do
what is beneficial to thy own house. O sire,
O king, my father Santanu, was widely known in the
world. I was, at first, his only son. A
desire sprung up in his heart as to how he might obtain
a second son, for the wise say that an only son is
no son,—Let not my race be extinct may
my fame be spread. Even this was his desire.
Knowing this to have been his desire, I procured Kali
to become my mother, having myself made a promise
highly difficult to observe, for the sake of my father
as also for the sake of our race. How, in consequence
of that promise I could not be king and have drawn
up my vital seed, are, of course, well-known to thee.
(I do not grieve for that). Observing that vow
of mine, behold, I am living in happiness and joy.
In her, O king, was born my younger brother, that
mighty-armed and handsome supporter of Kuru’s
race, viz., Vichitravirya of virtuous soul.
After my father’s ascension to heaven, I installed
Vichitravirya as a ruler of the kingdom, that was
mine, while I placed myself under him as a servant
of his. O king of kings, I then brought him suitable
wives, having vanquished many assembled monarchs.
Thou hast heard of it often. Sometime after, I
was engaged in a single combat with the (great) Rama.
From fear of Rama, my brother fled, the more so as
his subject deserted him. During this period,
he became very much attached to his wives and accordingly
had an attack of phthisis. Upon his death, there
Page 403
was anarchy in the kingdom and the chief of the gods
poured not a drop of rain (on the realm).’
The subjects then, afflicted by fear of hunger, hastened
to me and said, ’Thy subjects are on the point
of being exterminated. Be thou our king for the
sake of our good. Dispel this drought. Blessed
be thou, O perpetuator of Santanu’s race.
Thy subjects are being greatly afflicted by severe
and frightful maladies. Very few of them are
still alive. It behoveth thee, O son of Ganga,
to save them. Dispel these tortures. O hero,
cherish thy subjects righteously. When thou art
alive, let not the kingdom go to destruction.’
Hearing these words of theirs uttered in a weeping
voice, my heart was undisturbed. Remembering
the behaviour of good, I desired to maintain my vow.
Then, O king, the citizens, my auspicious mother Kali
herself, our servants, the priests and the preceptors
(of our house), and many Brahmanas of great learning,
all afflicted with great woe, solicited me to occupy
the throne.’ And they said, ’When
thou art alive, shall the kingdom, ruled by Pratipa
(of old), go to ruin? O thou of magnanimous heart,
be thou the king for our good.’ Thus addressed
by them, I joined my hands together and, myself filled
with grief and greatly afflicted, I represented to
them the vow I had made from filial respect. I
repeatedly informed them that for the sake of our
race, I had vowed to live with vital seed drawn up
and foreswearing the throne. It was especially
for my mother, again, that I did so. I, therefore,
begged them not to put me to the yoke. I again
joined my hands and conciliated my mother, saying,
’O mother, begot by Santanu and being a member
of Kuru’s race, I cannot falsify my promise.’
I repeatedly told her this. And, O king, I said
further, It is for thee especially, O mother, that
I took this vow; I am verily thy servant and slave,
O mother, thou that art distinguished for parental
affection.’ Having begged my mother and
the people thus, I then solicited the great sage Vyasa
for begetting children upon the wives of my brother.
Indeed, O king, both myself and my mother gratified
that Rishi. At last, O king, the Rishi granted
our prayers in the matter of the children. And
he begot three sons in all, O best of Bharata’s
race. Thy father was born blind, and in consequence
of this congenital defect of a sense, he could not
become king. The high-souled and celebrated Pandu
became king. And when Pandu became king, his sons
must obtain their paternal inheritance. O sire,
do not quarrel, give them half the kingdom. When
I am alive, what other man is competent to reign?
Do not disregard my words. I only wish that there
should be peace amongst you. O sire, O king,
I make no distinction between thee and then (but love
all of you equally). What I have said unto thee
represents also the opinion of thy father, of Gandhari,
and also of Vidura. The words of those that are
old should always be listened to. Do not disregard
these words of mine. Do not destroy all thou
hast and the earth also.’”
Page 404
SECTION CXLVIII
“Vasudeva said, ’After Bhishma had said
these words, Drona, always competent to speak, then
addressed Duryodhana in the midst of the (assembled)
monarchs and said these words that are beneficial to
thee. And he said, ’O sire, as Pratipa’s
son, Santanu, was devoted to the welfare of his race,
and as Devavrata, otherwise called Bhishma was devoted
to the welfare of his race, so was the royal Pandu,
that king of the Kurus, who was firmly devoted to
truth, who had his passions under control, who was
virtuous, of excellent vows, and attentive to all
duties. (Though king by right) that perpetuator of
Kuru’s race yet made over the sovereignty to
his elder brother, Dhritarashtra, endued with great
wisdom, and to his younger brother Kshattri (Vidura).
And placing this Dhritarashtra of unfading glory on
the throne, that royal son of Kuru’s race went
to the woods with his two wives. And that tiger
among men, Vidura, with great humility, placing himself
in subjection to Dhritarashtra, began to wait on him
like a slave, fanning him with the branch of a tender
palm. And all the subjects then, O sire, duly
tendered their submission to king Dhritarashtra just
as they had done to king Pandu himself. And having
made over the kingdom to Dhritarashtra and Vidura,
that conqueror of hostile cities, Pandu, wandered over
the whole earth. Always devoted to truth, Vidura
then took charge of the finances, gifts, superintendence
of the servants (of the state), and the feeding of
all, while that conqueror of hostile cities, Bhishma,
of mighty energy, supervised the making of war and
peace and the necessity of making or withholding gifts
to kings. When king Dhritarashtra of great strength
was on the throne, the high-souled Vidura was near
him. Born in Dhritarashtra’s race how dost
thou venture to bring about a disunion in the family?
Uniting with thy brothers (the Pandavas) enjoy all
objects of enjoyment. O king, I do not say this
to you from cowardice, nor for the sake of wealth.
I am enjoying the wealth that Bhishma gave me, and
not thou, O best of kings. I do not desire, O
king, to have from thee my means of sustenance.
Where Bhishma is, there Drona must be. Do what
Bhishma hath told thee. O grinder of foes, give
unto the sons of Pandu half the kingdom. O sire,
I acted as their preceptor as much as thine.
Indeed, even as Aswatthaman is to me, so is Arjuna
of white steeds. What use is there of much declamation?
Victory is there where righteousness is.’
“Vasudeva continued, ’After Drona, of
immeasurable energy, had said this, the virtuous Vidura
then, O king, who is devoted to truth, said these
words, turning towards his uncle (Bhishma) and looking
at his face. And Vidura said, ’O Devavrata,
attend to the words I speak. This race of Kuru,
when it became extinct, was revived by thee. It
is for this that thou art indifferent to my lamentations
now. In this our race, its stain is this Duryodhana,
Page 405
whose inclinations are followed by thee, although he
is enslaved by avarice, and is wicked and ungrateful
and deprived of his senses by lust. The Kurus
will certainly bear consequence of the acts of that
Duryodhana who transgresseth the command of his father,
observant of virtue and profit. O great king,
act thou so that the Kurus may not perish. Like
a painter producing a picture, it was thou, O king,
who hadst caused me and Dhritarashtra to spring into
life. The Creator, having created creatures,
destroys them again. Do not act like him.
Seeing before thy very eyes this extinction of thy
race, be not indifferent to it. If, however,
thy understanding is gone in consequence of the universal
slaughter that is at hand, go then to the woods, taking
me and Dhritarashtra with thee. Otherwise, binding
this very day wicked Duryodhana that hath deceit for
his wisdom, rule this kingdom with the sons of Pandu
guarding it around. Relent, O tiger among kings.
A great slaughter of the Pandavas, the Kurus, and
of other kings of immeasurable energy is before us.’
’Having said this, Vidura ceased, his heart
overflowing with sorrow. And reflecting on the
matter, he began to draw repeated sighs. Then
the daughter of king Suvala, alarmed at the prospect
of the destruction of a whole race, said, from wrath,
these words fraught with virtue and profit, to cruel
Duryodhana of wicked heart, in the presence of the
assembled monarchs, ’Let all the kings present
in this royal assembly and let the regenerate Rishis
that form the other members of this conclave, listen
(to me) as I proclaim the guilt of thy sinful self
backed by all thy counsellors. The kingdom of
the Kurus is enjoyable in due order of succession.
Even this hath always been the custom of our race.
Of sinful soul and exceedingly wicked in acts, thou
seekest the destruction of the Kuru kingdom by thy
unrighteousness. Wise Dhritarashtra is in possession
of the kingdom, having Vidura of great foresight under
him (as his adviser). Passing over these two,
why, O Duryodhana, dost thou, from delusion, covet
the sovereignty now? Even the high-souled king
and Kshattri, when Bhishma is alive, should both be
subordinate to him. Indeed, this foremost of
men, this offspring of Ganga, the high-souled Bhishma,
in consequence of his righteousness, doth not desire
the sovereignty. It is for this reason that this
invincible kingdom became Pandu’s. His
sons, therefore, are masters today and no other.
The extensive kingdom, then by paternal right, belongeth
to the Pandavas, and their sons and grandsons in due
order. Observing the customs of our race and
the rule with respect to our kingdom, we all fully
accomplish that which this high-souled and wise chief
of the Kurus, Devavrata, firmly adhering to truth,
sayeth, ’Let this king (Dhritarashtra) and Vidura
also, at the command of Bhishma of great vows, proclaim
the same thing. Even that is an act that should
be done by those that are well-wishers (of this race).
Keeping virtue in front, let Yudhishthira, the son
of Dharma, guided by king Dhritarashtra and urged
by Santanu’s son, rule for many long years this
kingdom of the Kurus lawfully obtainable by him.’”
Page 406
SECTION CXLIX
“Vasudeva said, ’After Gandhari had said
this, that ruler of men, Dhritarashtra, then said
these words to Duryodhana in the midst of the (assembled)
monarchs, ’O Duryodhana, listen, O son, to what
I say, and blessed be thou; do that if thou hast any
respect for thy father. The lord of creatures,
Soma, was the original progenitor of the Kuru race.
Sixth in descent from Soma, was Yayati, the son of
Nahusha. Yayati had five best of royal sages
as his sons. Amongst them, lord Yadu of mighty
energy was the eldest-born. Younger to Yadu was
Puru, who, as our progenitor, brought forth by Sarmistha
the daughter of Vrishaparvan. Yadu, O best of
the Bharatas, was born of Devayani and, therefore,
O sire, was the daughter’s son of Sukra, otherwise
called Kavya, of immeasurable energy. Endued
with great strength and prowess, that progenitor of
the Yadavas, filled with pride and possessed of wicked
understanding, humiliated all the Kshatriyas.
Intoxicated with pride of strength, he obeyed not
the injunctions of his father. Invincible in
battle, he insulted his father and brother. On
this earth girt on four sides by the sea, Yadu became
all-powerful, and reducing all to subjection, he established
himself in this city called after the elephant.
His father Yayati, the son of Nahusha, enraged with
him, cursed that son of his, and, O son of Gandhari,
even expelled him from the kingdom. Angry Yayati
also cursed those brothers of Yadu who were obedient
to that eldest brother of theirs, who was so proud
of his strength. And having cursed his these
sons, that best of kings placed on his throne his
youngest son Puru who was docile and obedient to him.
Thus even the eldest son may be passed over and deprived
of the kingdom, and younger sons may, in consequence
of their respectful behaviour to the aged, obtain
the kingdom. So also, conversant with every virtue
there was my father’s grandfather, king Pratipa,
who was celebrated over the three worlds. Unto
that lion among kings, who ruled his kingdom virtuously
were born three sons of great fame and resembling
three gods. Of them, Devapi was the eldest, Vahlika
the next and Santanu of great intelligence, who, O
sire, was my grandfather, was the youngest. Devapi,
endued with great energy, was virtuous, truthful in
speech, and ever engaged in waiting upon his father.
But that best of kings had a skin-disease. Popular
with both the citizens and the subjects of the provinces,
respected by the good, and dearly loved by the young
and the old, Devapi was liberal firmly adhering to
truth, engaged in the good of all creatures, and obedient
to the instructions of his father as also of the Brahmanas.
He was dearly loved by his brother Vahlika as also
the high-souled Santanu. Great, indeed, was the
brotherly love that prevailed between him and his
high-souled brothers. In course of time, the old
and best of kings, Pratipa, caused all preparations
Page 407
to be made according to the scriptures for the installation
of Devapi (on the throne). Indeed, the lord Pratipa
caused every auspicious preparation. The installation
of Devapi, however, was forbidden by the Brahmanas
and all aged persons amongst the citizens and the
inhabitants of the provinces. Hearing that the
installation of his son was forbidden, the voice of
the old king became choked with tears and he began
to grieve for his son. Thus, though Devapi was
liberal, virtuous, devoted to truth, and loved by
the subjects, yet in consequence of his skin-disease,
he was excluded from his inheritance. The gods
do not approve of a king that is defective of a limb.
Thinking of this, those bulls among Brahmanas forbade
king Pratipa to install his eldest son. Devapi
then, who was defective of one limb, beholding the
king (his father) prevented (from installing him on
the throne) and filled with sorrow on his account,
retired into the woods. As regards Vahlika, abandoning
his (paternal) kingdom he dwelt with his maternal uncle.
Abandoning his father and brother, he obtained the
highly wealthy kingdom of his maternal grandfather.
With Vahlika’s permission, O prince, Santanu
of world-wide fame, on the death of his father (Pratipa),
became king and ruled the kingdom. In this way
also, O Bharata, though I am the eldest, yet being
defective of a limb, I was excluded from the kingdom
by intelligent Pandu, no doubt, after much reflection.
And Pandu himself, though younger to me in age, obtained
the kingdom and became king. At his death, O
chastiser of foes, that kingdom must pass to his sons.
When I could not obtain the kingdom, how canst thou
covet it? Thou art not the son of a king, and,
therefore, hast no right to this kingdom. Thou,
however, desirest to appropriate the property of others.
High-souled Yudhishthira is the son of a king.
This kingdom is lawfully his. Of magnanimous
soul, even he is the ruler and lord of this race of
Kuru. He is devoted to truth, of clear perception,
obedient to the counsels of friends, honest, loved
by the subjects, kind to all well-wishers, master
of his passions, and the chastiser of all that are
not good. Forgiveness, renunciation, self-control,
knowledge of the scriptures, mercy to all creatures,
competence to rule according to the dictates of virtue,
of all these attributes of royalty exist in Yudhishthira.
Thou art not the son of a king, and art always sinfully
inclined towards thy relatives. O wretch, how
canst thou succeed in appropriating this kingdom that
lawfully belongeth to others? Dispelling this
delusion, give half the kingdom with (a share of the)
animals and other possessions. Then, O king,
mayest thou hope to live for some time with thy younger
brothers.’”
SECTION CXLX
Page 408
“Vasudeva said, ’Though thus addressed
by Bhishma, and Drona, and Vidura, and Gandhari, and
Dhritarashtra, that wicked wight could not yet be
brought to his senses. On the other hand, the
wicked Duryodhana, disregarding them all, rose (and
left the assembly) with eyes red in anger. And
all the kings (invited by him), prepared to lay down
their lives, followed him behind. King Duryodhana
then repeatedly ordered those wicked-hearted rulers,
saying, ’Today constellation Pushya is ascendant—march
ye (this very day) to Kurukshetra. Impelled by
Fate, those monarchs then, with their soldiers, gladly
set out, making Bhishma their generalissimo.
Eleven Akshauhinis of troops have been, O King, assembled
for the Kauravas. At the head of that host, shineth
Bhishma, with the device of the palmyra on the banner
of his car. In view, therefore, of What hath
happened, do now, O monarch, that which seemeth to
be proper. I have told thee, O king, everything
that, O Bharata, that was said by Bhishma, Drona,
Vidura, Gandhari and Dhritarashtra, in my presence.
The arts beginning with conciliation were all, O king,
employed by me from desire of establishing brotherly
feelings (between yourselves and your cousins), for
the preservation of this race, and for the growth
and prosperity of the (earth’s) population.
When conciliation failed, I employed the art of (producing)
dissensions and mentioned, ye Pandavas, all your ordinary
and extraordinary feats. Indeed, when Suyodhana
showed no respect for the conciliatory words, (I spoke),
I caused all the kings to be assembled together and
endeavoured to produce dissension (amongst them).
Extraordinary and awful and terrible and superhuman
indications, O, Bharata, were then manifested by me.
O lord, rebuking all the kings, making a straw of
Suyodhana, terrifying Radha’s son and repeatedly
censuring Suvala’s son for the gambling match
of Dhritarashtra’s sons, and once again endeavouring
to disunite all the kings by means of both words and
intrigues, I again had recourse to conciliation.
For the unity of Kuru’s race and in view of
the special requirements of the business (at hand),
I spoke also of gift. Indeed, I said, ’Those
heroes, the sons of Pandu, sacrificing their pride,
will live in dependence on Dhritarashtra, Bhishma
and Vidura. Let the kingdom be given to thee.
Let them have no power. Let: it all be as
the king (Dhritarashtra), as Ganga’s son (Bhishma)
and as Vidura say for thy good. Let the kingdom
be thine. Relinquish but five villages (to the
Pandavas). O best of kings, without doubt they
deserve to be supported by thy father. Though
addressed thus, that wicked soul do not still give
you your share. I, therefore, see that chastisement,
and nothing else, is now the means that should be
employed against those sinful persons. Indeed,
all those kings have already marched to, Kurukshetra.
I have now told thee everything that had happened
in the assembly of the Kurus. They will not, O
son of Pandu, give thee thy kingdom without battle.
With death waiting before them, they have all become
the cause of a universal destruction.’”
Page 409
SECTION CLI
“Vaisampayana said, ’Hearing these words
of Janardana, king Yudhishthira the Just, of virtuous
soul, addressed his brothers in the presence of Kesava
and said, ’Ye have heard all that had happened
in the court of the assembled Kurus. Ye have
also understood the words uttered by Kesava. Ye,
best of men, draw up, therefore, my troops now in battle-array
in which they are to fight. Here are seven Akshauhinis
of troops assembled for our victory. Hear the
names of those seven celebrated warriors that would
lead those seven Akshauhinis. They are Drupada,
and Virata, and Dhristadyumna, and Sikhandin, and
Satyaki, Chekitana, and Bhimasena of great energy.
Those heroes will be the leaders of my troops.
All of them are conversant with the Vedas. Endued
with great bravery, all of them have practised excellent
vows. Possessed of modesty, all of them are conversant
with policy, and accomplished in war. Well-skilled
in arrows and weapons, all of them are competent in
the use of every kind of weapon. Tell us now,
O Sahadeva, O son of Kuru’s race, who that warrior,
is conversant with all kinds of battle-array, that
may become the leader of these seven and may also
withstand in battle Bhishma who is like unto a fire
having arrows for its flames. Give us thy own
opinion, O tiger among men, as who is fit to be our
generalissimo.’
“Sahadeva said, ’Closely related to us,
sympathising with us in our distress, endued with
great might, conversant with every virtue, skilled
in weapons, and irresistible in battle, the mighty
king of the Matsyas, Virata, relying upon whom we
hope to recover our share of the kingdom, will be
able to bear in battle both Bhishma and all those mighty
car-warriors.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’After Sahadeva
had said this, eloquent Nakula then said these words,
’He that in years, in knowledge of scriptures,
in perseverance, in family and birth, is respectable;
he that is endued with modesty, strength, and prosperity;
he that is well-versed in all branches of learning;
he that studied the science of weapons (with the sage
Bharadwaja); he, who is irresistible and firmly devoted
to truth; he that always challenges Drona and mighty
Bhishma; he that belongs to one of the foremost of
royal houses; he that is a famous leader of hosts;
he that resembles a tree of hundred branches in consequence
of sons and grandsons that surround him; that king,
who, with his wife, performed, moved by wrath, the
austerest of penances for the destruction of Drona;
that hero, who is an ornament of assemblies; that
bull among monarchs who always cherishes us like a
father; that father-in-law of ours, Drupada, should
be our generalissimo. It is my opinion that he
will be able to withstand both Drona and Bhishma rushing
to battle, for that king is the friend of Angira’s
descendant Drona and is conversant with celestial weapons.’
Page 410
’After the two sons of Madri had thus expressed
their individual opinions, Vasava’s son, Savyasachin,
who was equal to Vasava himself, said these words,
’This celestial person of the hue of fire and
endued with mighty arms, who sprang into life through
the power of ascetic penances and the gratification
of sages; who issued from the sacrificial fire-hole
armed with bow and sword, accoutred in armour of steel,
mounted on a car unto which were yoked excellent steeds
of the best breed, and the clatter of whose car-wheels
was as deep as the roar of mighty masses of clouds;
this hero endued with that energy and strength and
resembling the very lion in his frame of body and
prowess, and possessed of leonine shoulders, arms,
chest, and voice like the lion’s roar; this hero
of great effulgence; this warrior of handsome brows,
fine teeth, round cheeks, long arms, of stout make,
excellent thighs, large expansive eyes, excellent
legs, and strong frame; this prince who is incapable
of being penetrated by weapons of any kind, and who
looks like an elephant with rent temples; this Dhrishtadyumna,
truthful in speech, and with passions under control,
was born for the destruction of Drona. It is this
Dhrishtadyumna, I think, that will be able to bear
Bhishma’s arrows which strike with the vehemence
of the thunderbolt and look like snakes with blazing
mouths, which resemble the messengers of Yama in speed,
and fall like flames of fire (consuming everything
they touch), and which were borne before by Rama alone
in battle. I do not, O king, see the man except
Dhrishtadyumna, who is able to withstand Bhishma of
great vows. This is just what I think. Endued
with great lightness of hand and conversant with all
the modes of warfare, accoutred in coat of mail that
is incapable of being penetrated by weapons, this handsome
hero, resembling the leader of a herd of elephants,
is according to my opinion, fit to be our generalissimo.’
“Bhima then said, ’That son of Drupada,
Sikhandin, who is born for the destruction of Bhishma,
as is said, ’O king, by the sages and Siddhas
assembled together, whose form on the field of battle,
while displaying celestial weapons, will be seen by
men to resemble that of the illustrious Rama himself,
I see not, O king, the person who is able to pierce
with weapons that Sikhandin, when he is stationed for
battle on his car, accoutred in mail. Except
the heroic Sikhandin, there is no other warrior who
is able to slay Bhishma in single combat. It is
for this, O king, that I think Sikhandin is fit to
be our generalissimo.’
“Yudhishthira said, ’O sire, the strength
and weakness, might and feebleness, of everything
in the universe, and the intentions of every person
here, are well-known to virtuous Kesava. Skilled
or unskilled in weapons, old or young, let him be
the leader of my forces, who may be indicated by Krishna
of Dasarha’s race. Even he is the root of
our success or defeat. In him are our lives,
our kingdom, our prosperity and adversity, our happiness
and misery. Even he is the Ordainer and Creator.
In him is established the fruition of our desires.
Let him, therefore, be the leader of our host, who
may be named by Krishna. Let that foremost of
speakers say, for the night approacheth. Having
selected our leader, worshipped our weapons with offerings
of flowers and perfumes, we will, at day-break, under
Krishna’s orders march to the field of battle!’
Page 411
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Hearing these
words of the intelligent king, Yudhishthira the Just,
the lotus-eyed Krishna said, eyeing Dhananjaya, the
white, O king, I fully approve of all those powerful
warriors whom ye have named for becoming the leaders
of thy troops. All of them are competent to withstand
thy foes. Indeed, they can frighten Indra himself
in great battle, let alone the covetous and wicked-minded
sons of Dhritarashtra. O thou of mighty arms,
for thy good I made great efforts to prevent the battle
by bringing about peace. By that we have been
freed from the debt we owed to virtue. Fault-finding
persons will not be able to reproach us for anything.
Foolish Duryodhana, destitute of understanding, regardeth
himself as skilled in weapons, and though really weak
thinketh himself to be possessed of strength.
Array thy troops soon, for slaughter is the only means
by which they can be made to yield to our demands.
Indeed, the sons of Dhritarashtra will never be able
to keep their ground when they will behold Dhananjaya
with Yuyudhana as his second, and Abhimanyu, and the
five sons of Draupadi, and Virata, and Drupada, and
the other kings of fierce prowess,—all lords
of Akshauhinis. Our army is possessed of great
strength, and is invincible and incapable of being
withstood. Without doubt, it will slay the Dhartarashtra
host. As regards our leader, I would name that
chastiser of foes, Dhrishtadyumna.’”
SECTION CLII
“Vaisampayana said, ’When Krishna had
said this, all the monarchs there were filled with
joy. And the shout sent forth by those delighted
kings was tremendous. And the troops began to
move about with great speed, saying, ‘Draw up,
Draw up.’ And the neighing of steeds and
roars of elephants and the clatter of car-wheels and
the blare of conchs and the sound of drums, heard
everywhere, produced a tremendous din. And teeming
with cars and foot-soldiers and steeds and elephants,
that invincible host of the marching Pandavas moving
hither and thither, donning their coats of mail, and
uttering their war-cries, looked like the impetuous
current of the Ganga when at its full, agitated with
fierce eddies and waves. And in the van of that
host marched Bhimasena, and the two sons of Madri
encased in their coats of mail, and Subhadra’s
son and the five sons of Draupadi and Dhrishtadyumna
of Prishata’s race. And the Prabhadrakas
and the Panchalas marched behind Bhimasena. And
the din made by the marching hosts, filled with joy,
was like unto the roars of the deep when the tide
is highest on the day of the new moon. Indeed,
the tumult was such that it seemed to reach the very
heavens. And capable of breaking hostile ranks,
those warriors cased in armour marched thus, filled
with joy. And Kunti’s son, king Yudhishthira,
amongst them marched, taking with him the cars and
other vehicles for transport, the food-stores and
fodder, the tents, carriages, and draught-cattle, the
Page 412
cash-chests, the machines and weapons, the surgeons
and physicians, the invalids, and all the emaciated
and weak soldiers, and all the attendants and camp-followers.
And truthful Draupadi, the princess of Panchala, accompanied
by the ladies of the household, and surrounded by servants
and maids, remained at Upaplavya. And causing
their treasure and ladies to be guarded by bodies
of soldiers, some of whom were placed as permanent
lines of circumvallation and some ordered to move about
at a distance from this line, the Pandavas set out
with their mighty host. And having made presents
of kine and gold to the Brahmanas, who walked around
them and uttered blessings, the sons of Pandu commenced
the march on their cars decked with jewels. And
the princes of Kekaya, and Dhrishtaketu, and the son
of the king of the Kasis, and Srenimat, and Vasudana,
and the invincible Sikhandin, all hale and hearty,
cased in armour and armed with weapons and decked
with ornaments, marched behind Yudhishthira, keeping
him in their centre. And in the rear, were Virata,
Yajnasena’s son of the Somaka race (Dhrishtadyumna),
Susarman, Kuntibhoja, Dhrishtadyumna’s sons,
forty thousand cars, five times as much cavalry, infantry
ten times more numerous (than the last), and sixty
thousand elephants. And Anadhrishti, and Chekitana
and Dhrishtaketu and Satyaki all marched, surrounding
Vasudeva and Dhananjaya. And reaching the field
of Kurukshetra with their forces in battle-array, those
smiters, the sons of Pandu, looked like roaring bulls.
And entering the field, those chastisers of foes blew
their conchs. And Vasudeva and Dhananjaya also
blew their conchs. And hearing the blare of the
conch called Panchajanya, which resembled the roll
of the thunder, all the warriors (of the Pandava army)
were filled with joy. And the leonine roars of
those warriors, endued with lightness of hand and speed
of motion, mingling with the blare of conchs and beat
of Drums, made the whole earth, the welkin, and the
oceans resound therewith.’”
SECTION CLIII
“Vaisampayana said, ’King Yudhishthira
then caused his troops to encamp on a part of the
field that was level, cool, and abounding with grass
and fuel. Avoiding cemeteries, temples and compounds
consecrated to the deities, asylums of sages, shrines,
and other sacred plots. Kunti’s high-souled
son, Yudhishthira, pitched his camp on a delightful,
fertile, open and sacred part of the plain. And
rising up, again, after his animals had been given
sufficient rest, the king set out joyously surrounded
by hundreds and thousands of monarchs. And Kesava
accompanied by Partha began to move about, scattering
numerous soldiers of Dhritarashtra (kept as outposts).
And Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata’s race and that
mighty car-warrior of great energy, viz., Yuyudhana,
otherwise called Satyaki, measured the ground for
the encampment. And arrived, O Bharata, at the
holy Hiranwati which flows through Kurukshetra, which
Page 413
was filled with sacred water, and whose bed was divested
of pointed pebbles and mire, and which was regarded
as an excellent tirtha, Kesava caused a moat to be
excavated there, and for its protection stationed a
sufficient number of troops with proper instructions.
And the rules that were observed in respect of the
tents of the high-souled Pandavas, were followed by
Kesava in the matter of the tents he caused to be set
up for the kings (that came as their allies).
And, O monarch, costly tents, incapable of being attacked,
apart from one another, were, by hundreds and thousands,
set up for those kings on the surface of the earth,
that looked like palatial residences and abounded
with fuels and edibles and drinks. And there
were assembled hundreds upon hundreds of skilled mechanics,
in receipt of regular wages and surgeons and physicians,
well-versed in their own science, and furnished with
every ingredient they might need. And king Yudhishthira
caused to be placed in every pavilion large quantities,
high as hills, of bow-strings and bows and coats of
mail and weapons, honey and clarified butter, pounded
lac, water, fodder of cattle, chaff and coals, heavy
machines, long shafts, lances, battleaxes, bow-staffs,
breast-plates, scimitars and quivers. And innumerable
elephants cased in plates of steel with prickles thereon,
huge as hills, and capable of fighting with hundreds
and thousands, were seen there. And learning
that the Pandavas had encamped on that field, their
allies, O Bharata, with their forces and animals, began
to march thither. And many kings who had practised
Brahmacharya vows, drunk (consecrated) Soma and had
made large presents to Brahmanas at sacrifices, came
there for the success of the sons of Pandu.’”
SECTION CLIV
“Janamejaya said, ’Hearing that Yudhishthira
had, with his troops marched from the desire of battle
and encamped on Kurukshetra, protected by Vasudeva,
and aided by Virata and Drupada with their sons, and
surrounded by the Kekayas, the Vrishnis, and other
kings by hundreds, and watched over by numerous mighty
car-warriors, like the great Indra himself by the
Adityas, what measures were concerted by king Duryodhana?
O high-souled one, I desire to hear in detail all
that happened in Kurujangala on that frightful occasion.
The son of Pandu, with Vasudeva and Virata and Drupada
and Dhrishtadyumna, the Panchala prince and that mighty
car-warrior Sikhandin and powerful Yudhamanyu, incapable
of being resisted by the very gods, might trouble
the deities themselves in battle with Indra at their
head. I, therefore, desire to hear in detail,
O thou that art possessed of wealth of asceticism,
all the acts of the Kurus and the Pandavas as they
had happened.’
Page 414
“Vaisampayana said, ’When he of Dasarha’s
race had departed (from the Kuru court), king Duryodhana,
addressing Karna and Dussasana and Sakuni, said these
words, ’Kesava hath gone to the sons of Pritha,
without having been able to achieve his object.
Filled with wrath as he is, he will surely stimulate
the Pandavas. A battle between myself and Pandavas
is much desired by Vasudeva. Bhimasena and Arjuna
are ever of the same mind with him. Yudhishthira,
again, is very much under the influence of Bhimasena.
Before this, Yudhishthira with all his brothers was
persecuted by me. Virata and Drupada whom I had
waged hostilities with, obedient to Vasudeva, both
of them have become the leaders of Yudhishthira’s
host. The battle, therefore, that will take place,
will be a fierce and terrific one. Casting off
all sloth, cause every preparation to be made for
the encounter. Let the kings (my allies) pitch
their tents by hundreds and thousands on Kurukshetra,
all of which must be spacious, incapable of being
approached by enemies, near enough to places abounding
with water and fuel, in such positions that the communications
thereto for sending supplies may not be stopped at
any time by the foe,—full of weapons of
diverse kinds, and decked with streamers and flags.
Let the road from our city to the camp be made level
for their march. Let it be proclaimed this very
day, without loss of time, that our march will commence
tomorrow.’ (Hearing these words of the king),
they said, ’So be it,’—and
when the morrow came, those high-souled persons did
everything they had been commanded to do for the accommodation
of the monarchs. And all those monarchs (meanwhile),
hearing the king’s command, rose up from their
costly seats, with wrath having the foe for its objects.
And they began to slowly rub their mace-like arms,
blazing with bracelets of gold, and decked with the
paste of sandal and other fragrant substances.
And they also commenced, with those lotus-like hands
of theirs, to wear their head-gears and lower and
upper garments and diverse kinds of ornaments.
And many foremost of car-warriors began to superintend
the furnishing of their cars, and persons conversant
with horse-lore began to harness their steeds, while
those versed in matters relating to elephants began
to equip those huge animals. And all those warriors
began to wear diverse kinds of beautiful armour made
of gold, and arm themselves with diverse weapons.
And the foot-soldiers began to take up various kinds
of arms and case their bodies in various kinds of
armour decorated with gold. And, O Bharata. the
city of Duryodhana then, filled as it was with rejoicing
millions, wore the bright aspect of a festive occasion.
And, O king, the Kuru capital at the prospect of battle
looked like the ocean on the appearance of the moon,
with the vast crowds of humanity representing its
waters with their eddies; the cars, elephants, and
horses representing its fishes; the tumult of conchs
and drums, its roar; the treasure-chests, its jewels
and gems; the diverse kinds of ornaments and armour
its waves; the bright weapons its white foam; the rows
of houses the mountains on its beach; and the roads
and shops, like lakes!’”
Page 415
SECTION CLV
“Vaisampayana said, ’Recollecting the
words spoken by Vasudeva, Yudhishthira once more addressed
that scion of Vrishni’s race, saying, ’How,
O Kesava, could wicked Duryodhana say it? O thou
of unfading glory, what should we do in view of the
occasion that hath come? By acting in what way
may we keep on the track of our duty? Thou, O
Vasudeva, art acquainted with the views of Duryodhana,
Karna, and Sakuni, the son of Suvala. Thou knowest
also what views are entertained by myself and my brothers.
Thou hast heard the words uttered by both Vidura and
Bhishma. O thou of great wisdom, thou hast also
heard in their entirety the words of wisdom spoken
by Kunti. Overlooking all these, tell us, O thou
of mighty arms, after reflection, and without hesitation,
what is for our good.’
“Hearing these words of king Yudhishthira the
Just, that were fraught with virtue and profit.
Krishna replied, in a voice deep as that of the clouds
or cymbals, saying, ’Responding to his advantage
and consistent with both virtue and profit, those
words that were uttered by me in the Kuru court found
no response in the Kuru prince Duryodhana with whom
deceit supplieth the place of wisdom. That wretch
of wicked understanding listeneth not in the least
to the counsels of Bhishma or Vidura or mine.
He transgresseth everybody. He wisheth not to
earn virtue, nor doth he wish for fame. That
wicked-souled wight, relying upon Karna, regardeth
everything as already won. Indeed, Suyodhana of
wicked heart and sinful in his resolves, even ordered
my incarceration but he did not, however, obtain the
fruition of that wish. Neither Bhishma nor Drona
said anything on that subject. Indeed, all of
them follow Duryodhana, except Vidura, O thou of unfading
glory, Sakuni, the son of Suvala, and Karna, and Dussasana,
all equally foolish, gave foolish and vindictive Duryodhana
much improper advice regarding thee. Indeed, what
use is there in my repeating to thee all that the
Kuru prince hath said? In brief, that wicked-souled
wight beareth no good will towards thee. Not even
in all these kings together, that form thy army, is
that measure of sinfulness and wickedness which resideth
in Duryodhana alone. As regards ourselves, we
do not desire to make peace with the Kauravas by abandoning
our property. War, therefore, is that which should
now take place.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Hearing these
words uttered by Vasudeva, all the kings (there present),
O Bharata, without saying anything, looked at Yudhishthira’s
face. And Yudhishthira, understanding the intention
of those monarchs, said, with Bhima and Arjuna and
the twins, ’Draw up the troops in battle array.’
And the word of command having been passed, a great
uproar rose amongst the Pandava army and all the soldiers
were filled with joy. King Yudhishthira the Just,
however, beholding the (impending) slaughter of those
that deserved not to be slain, began to sigh deeply,
Page 416
and addressing Bhimasena and Vijaya, said, ’That
for the sake of which I accepted an exile into the
woods and for which I suffered so much misery, that
great calamity overtaketh us of a set purpose.
That for which we strove so much leaveth us as if
on account of our very striving. On the other
hand, a great distress overtaketh us, although we
did nothing to invite it. How shall we fight with
those reverend superiors (of ours) whom we on no account
can slay? What kind of victory shall we achieve
by slaying our preceptors of venerable age?’
“Hearing these words of king Yudhishthira the
Just, Savyasachin repeated to his elder brother all
those words that Vasudeva had said. And addressing
Yudhishthira, Arjuna continued, ’Thou hast, O
king, certainly understood all the words spoken by
Kunti and Vidura, that were repeated to thee by Devaki’s
son. I know it for certain that neither Vidura
nor Kunti would say anything that is sinful.
Besides this, O son of Kunti, we cannot withdraw without
engaging in battle.’
“Hearing this speech of Savyasachin, Vasudeva
also said unto Partha, ’It is even so (as thou
hast said). The sons of Pandu then, O great king,
made up their minds for war, and passed that night
with their soldiers in great happiness.’”
SECTION CLVI
“Vaisampayana said, ’After that night
had passed away, king Duryodhana, O Bharata, distributed
(in proper order) his eleven Akshauhinis of troops.
And arranging his men, elephants, cars, and steeds,
into three classes, viz., superior, middling,
and inferior, the king distributed them amongst his
divisions (by placing them in the van, centre, and
rear of the ranks). And furnished with timber
and planks for repairing the damages their cars might
sustain in the press of battle, with large quivers
borne on cars, with tiger-skins and other stiff leather
for enveloping the sides of cars, with barbed javelins
to be hurled by the hand, with quivers borne on the
backs of steeds and elephants, with long-handled spears
of iron and missiles, with quivers borne on the backs
of foot-soldiers with heavy clubs of woods, with flagstaffs
and banners, with long heavy shafts shot from bows,
with diverse kinds of nooses and lassoes, with armour
of various kinds, with short-pointed clubs of wood,
with oil, treacle, and sand, with earthen pots filled
with poisonous snakes, with pulverised lac and other
inflammable matter, with short spears furnished with
tinkling bells, with diverse weapons of iron, and
machines, for hurling hot treacle, water, and stones,
with whistling clubs of hard wood, with wax and heavy
mallets, with clubs of wood having iron spikes, with
plough-poles and poisoned darts, with long syringes
for pouring warm treacle and planks of cane, with
battle-axes and forked lances with spiked gauntlets,
with axes and pointed iron-spikes, with cars having
their sides covered with skins of tigers, and leopards,
Page 417
with sharp-edged circular planks of wood, with horns,
with javelins and various other weapons of attack,
with axes of the kuthara species, and spades, with
cloths steeped in oil, and with clarified butter, the
divisions of Duryodhana, glittering with robes embroidered
with gold and decked with various kinds of jewels
and gems and consisting of warriors endued with handsome
persons, blazed forth like fire. And cased in
coats of mail and well-skilled in weapons, accomplished
in horse-lore, brave persons of good birth were employed
as car-drivers. And all the cars were furnished
with various drugs, and with horses having rows of
bells and pearls on their heads, and with banners
and flagstaffs, and with ornaments gracing their steeples
and turrets and with shields, swords, and lances,
and javelins and spiked maces. And unto each of
those cars were yoked four steeds of the best breed.
And upon each of them were kept a hundred bows.
And each car had one driver in charge of the couple
of steeds in front, and two drivers in charge of the
couple of steeds attached to the wheels on the two
sides. And both of the last-mentioned drivers
were skilled car-warriors, while the car-warrior himself
was also skilled in driving steeds. And thousands
of cars thus furnished and decked with gold, and protected
like fortified town and incapable of being conquered
by foes, were stationed on all sides. And the
elephants also were furnished with rows of bells and
pearls and decked with diverse ornaments. And
on the back of each of those animals, mounted seven
warriors. And in consequence of such accoutrements
those animals looked like hills graced with jewels.
And amongst the seven, two were armed with hooks,
two were excellent bowmen, two were first-rate swords-men,
and one, O king, was armed with a lance and trident.
And, O king, the army of the illustrious Kuru king,
teemed with innumerable infuriate elephants, bearing
on their backs loads of weapons and quivers filled
with arrows. And there were also thousands of
steeds ridden by brave soldiers accoutred in mail,
decked in ornaments, and furnished with flags.
And numbering in hundreds and thousands, all those
steeds were free from the habit of scratching the
ground with their forehoofs. And they were all
well-trained, and decked with ornaments of gold, and
exceedingly obedient to their riders. And of
foot-soldiers, there were hundreds of thousands of
diverse mien, accoutred in armours of diverse kinds
and armed also with weapons of diverse species, and
decked with golden ornaments. And unto each car,
were assigned ten elephants, and unto each elephant
ten horses, and unto each horse ten foot-soldiers,
as protectors. Again, a large body of troops
was kept as a reserve for rallying the ranks that
would be broken. And this reserve consisted of
cars, unto each of which were attached fifty elephants;
and unto each elephant were attached a hundred horses;
and unto each horse were attached seven foot-soldiers.
Five hundred cars, as many elephants (fifteen hundred
horses, and two thousand five hundred foot-soldiers)
constitute a Sena. Ten Senas constitute a Pritana;
and ten Pritanas, a Vahini. In common parlance,
however, the words Sena, Vahini, Pritana, Dhwajini,
Chamu, Akshauhini, and Varuthini are used in the same
sense.
Page 418
’It was thus that the intelligent Kaurava arrayed
his force. Between the two sides, the total number
was eighteen Akshauhinis. Of this, the Pandava
force consisted of seven Akshauhinis, while the Kaurava
force consisted of ten Akshauhinis and one more.
Five times fifty men constitute a Patti. Three
Pattis make a Senamukha or Gulma. Three Gulmas
make a Gana. In Duryodhana’s army, there
were thousands and hundred of such Ganas consisting
of warriors capable of smiting (the foe) and longing
for battle. And the mighty-armed king Duryodhana,
selecting from among them brave and intelligent warriors,
made them the leaders of his troops. And placing
an Akshauhini of troops under each of those best of
men, viz., Kripa, Drona, Salya, Jayadratha, the
king of the Sindhus, Sudakshina the ruler of the Kamvojas,
Kritavarman, Drona’s son (Aswatthaman), Karna,
Bhurisravas, Sakuni, the son of Suvala, and the mighty
Vahlika, the king used to bring them daily before him
and at all hours, and speak to them. And he repeatedly
offered them worship before his very eyes. And
thus appointed, all warriors, with all their followers,
became desirous of doing what was most agreeable to
the king.’”
SECTION CLVII
“Vaisampayana said, Dhritarashtra’s son,
accompanied by all the kings, then addressed Bhishma,
son of Santanu, and with joined hands said these words,
’Without a commander, even a mighty army is routed
in battle like a swarm of ants. The intelligence
of two persons can never agree. Different commanders,
again, are jealous of one another as regards their
prowess. O thou of great wisdom, it is heard (by
us) that (once on a time) the Brahmanas, raising a
standard of Kusa grass, encountered in battle the
Kshatriyas of the Haihaya clan endued with immeasurable
energy. O grandsire, the Vaisyas and the Sudras
followed the Brahmanas, so that all the three orders
were on one side, while those bulls among the Kshatriyas
were alone on the other. In the battles, however,
that ensued, the three orders repeatedly broke, while
the Kshatriyas, though alone, vanquished large army
that was opposed to them. Then those best of
Brahmanas enquired of the Kshatriyas themselves (as
to the cause of this). O grandsire, those that
were virtuous among the Kshatriyas returned the true
answer to the enquirers, saying, ’In battle we
obey the orders of one person endued with great intelligence,
while ye are disunited from one another and act according
to your individual understanding.’ The
Brahmanas then appointed one amongst themselves as
their commander, who was brave and conversant with
the ways of policy. And they then succeeded in
vanquishing the Kshatriyas. Thus people always
conquer their foes in battle who appoint a skilled,
brave, and sinless commander, observing the good of
the forces under him. As regards thee, thou art
equal to Usanas himself, and always seekest my good.
Incapable of being slain, thou art, again devoted
Page 419
to virtue. Be thou, therefore, our commander.
Like the sun among all luminaries, like the moon unto
all delicious herbs, like Kuvera among the Yakshas,
like Vasava among the gods, like Meru among mountains,
Suparna among the birds, Kumara among the gods, Havyavaha
among Vasus, thou art amongst ourselves. Like
the gods protected by Sakra, ourselves, protected
by thee, will assuredly become invincible by the very
gods. Like Agni’s son (Kumara) at the head
of the gods, march thou at our head, and let us follow
thee like calves following the lead of a mighty bull.’
“Bhishma said, ’O mighty-armed one, it
is even so, ’O Bharata, as thou sayest.
But the Pandavas are as dear to me as ye yourselves.
Therefore, O king, I should certainly seek their good
as well, although I shall certainly fight for thee,
having given thee a pledge (before) to that effect.
I do not see the warrior on earth that is equal to
me, except that tiger among men, Dhananjaya, the son
of Kunti. Endued with great intelligence, he
is conversant with innumerable celestial weapons.
That son of Pandu, however, will never fight with
me openly. With the power of my weapons, I can,
in a trice, destroy this universe consisting of gods,
Asuras, Rakshasas, and human beings. The sons
of Pandu, however, O king, are incapable of being
exterminated by me. I shall, therefore, slay every
day ten thousand warriors. If, indeed, they do
not slay me in battle first, I will continue to slaughter
their forces thus. There is another understanding
on which I may willingly become the commander of thy
forces. It behoveth thee to listen to that.
O lord of earth, either Karna should fight first,
or I will fight first. The Suta’s son always
boasts of his prowess in battle, comparing it with
mine.’
“Karna said, ’As long as Ganga’s
son liveth, O king, I shall never fight. After
Bhishma is slain, I shall fight with the wielder of
Gandiva.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’After this,
Dhritarashtra’s son duly made Bhishma the commander
of his force, distributing large presents. And
after, his installation in the command, he blazed forth
with beauty. And at the king’s behest,
musicians cheerfully played upon drums and blew conchs
by hundreds and thousands. And numerous leonine
roars were sent forth and all the animals in the camp
uttered their cries together. And although the
sky was cloudless, a bloody shower fell and made the
ground miry. And fierce whirl-winds, and earthquakes,
and roars of elephants, occurring, depressed the hearts
of all the warriors. Incorporeal voices and flashes
of meteoric falls were heard and seen in the welkin.
And jackals, howling fiercely, foreboded great calamity.
And, O monarch, these and a hundred other kinds of
fierce portents made their appearance when the king
installed Ganga’s son in the command of his troops.
And after making Bhishma—that grinder of
hostile hosts—his general, and having also
caused by abundant gifts of kine and gold to the Brahmanas
Page 420
to pronounce benedictions on him, and glorified by
those benedictions, and surrounded by his troops,
and with Ganga’s son in the van, and accompanied
by his brothers, Duryodhana marched to Kurukshetra
with his large host. And the Kuru king, going
over the plain with Karna in his company, caused his
camp to be measured out on a level part, O monarch,
of that plain. And the camp, pitched on a delightful
and fertile spot abounding with grass and fuel, shone
like Hastinapura itself.’”
SECTION CLVIII
“Janamejaya said, ’When Yudhishthira heard
that Bhishma, the high-souled son of Ganga, the foremost
of all wielders of weapons, the grandsire of the Bharatas,
the head of all the kings, the rival of Vrihaspati
in intellect, resembling the ocean in gravity, the
mountains of Himavat in calmness, the Creator himself
in nobleness, and the sun in energy, and capable of
slaying hostile hosts like great Indra himself by showering
his arrows, was installed, till his removal by death,
in the command of the Kuru army on the eve of the
great sacrifice of battle, terrific in its mien and
capable of making one’s hairs stand on their
ends, what did that mighty-armed son of Pandu, that
foremost of wielders of weapons, say? What also
did Bhima and Arjuna say? And what too did Krishna
say?’
“Vaisampayana said, ’When news was received
of this, Yudhishthira endued with great intelligence
and well-acquainted with what should be done in view
of dangers and calamities summoned all his brothers
and also the eternal Vasudeva (to his presence).
And that foremost of speakers then said in a mild
voice, ’Make your rounds among the soldiers,
and remain carefully, casing yourselves in mail.
Our first encounter will be with our grandsire.
Look ye for (seven) leaders for the seven Akshauhinis
of my troops.’
“Krishna said, ’Those words of grave import,
which, O bull of the Bharata race, it behoveth thee
to utter on an occasion like this, have, indeed, been
uttered by thee. Even this, O mighty armed one,
is what I also like. Let therefore, that be done
which should be done next. Let, indeed, seven
leaders be selected for thy army.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Summoning then
those warriors eager for battle, viz., Drupada
and Virata, and that bull of Sini’s race, and
Dhrishtadyumna the prince of Panchala, and king Dhrishtaketu,
and prince Shikhandi of Panchala, and Sahadeva, the
ruler of the Magadhas, Yudhishthira duly appointed
them in the command of his seven divisions. And
above them all was placed in command of all the troops
that Dhrishtadyumna who had sprung from the blazing
(sacrificial) fire for the destruction of Drona.
And Dhananjaya, of curly hair, was made the leader
of all those high-souled leaders. And handsome
Janardana endued with great intelligence, he who was
the younger brother of Sankarshana, was chosen as
the guide of Arjuna and the driver of his steeds.’
Page 421
“And beholding that a very destructive battle
was about to take place, there came, O king, into
the Pandava encampment, Halayudha, accompanied by
Akrura, and Gada and Samva, and Uddhava, and Rukmini’s
son (Pradyumna), and Ahuka’s sons, and Charudeshna,
and others. And surrounded and guarded by those
foremost warriors of the Vrishni race, resembling
a herd of mighty tigers, like Vasava in the midst of
the Maruts, the mighty-armed and handsome Rama, attired
in garments of blue silk and resembling the peak of
the Kailasa mountain, and endued with the sportive
gait of the lion and possessed of eyes having their
ends reddened with drink, came there (at such a time).
And beholding him, king Yudhishthira the Just, and
Kesava of great effulgence, and Pritha’s son
Vrikodara of terrible deeds, and (Arjuna) the wielder
of Gandiva, and all the other kings that were, rose
from their seats. And they all offered worship
unto Halayudha as he came to that place. And the
Pandava king touched Rama’s hands with his own.
And that chastiser of foes, Halayudha, in return,
accosting them all with Vasudeva at their head, and
saluting (respectfully) both Virata and Drupada who
were senior in years, sat down on the same seat with
Yudhishthira. And after all the kings had taken
their seats, Rohini’s son, casting his eyes on
Vasudeva, began to speak. And he said, ’This
fierce and terrible slaughter is inevitable. It
is, without doubt, a decree of fate, and I think that
it cannot be averted. Let me hope, however, to
behold all of you, with your friends, come safely
out of this strife, with sound bodies and perfectly
hale. Without doubt, all the Kshatriyas of the
world that are assembled together have their hour
come. A fierce melee covering with a mire of flesh
and blood is sure to take place. I said unto
Vasudeva repeatedly in private, ’O slayer of
Madhu, unto those that bear equal relationship to us,
observe thou an equal behaviour. As are the Pandavas
to us, even so is king Duryodhana. Therefore,
give him also the same aid. Indeed, he repeatedly
soliciteth it. For thy sake, however, the slayer
of Madhu regarded not my words. Looking at Dhananjaya,
he hath with his whole heart, been devoted to your
cause. Even this is what I certainly think, viz.,
that the victory of the Pandavas is sure, for Vasudeva’s
wish, O Bharata, is even so. As regards myself,
I dare not cast my eyes on the world without Krishna
(on my side). It is for this that I follow whatever
Krishna seeketh to achieve. Both of these heroes,
well-skilled in encounter with the mace, are my disciples.
My affection, therefore, for Bhima is equal to that
for king Duryodhana. For these reasons, I shall
now repair to the tirtha of the Saraswati for ablutions,
for I shall not be able to behold with indifference
the destruction of the Kauravas.
“Having said this, the mighty-armed Rama, obtaining
the leave of the Pandavas, and making the slayer of
Madhu desist (from following him farther), set out
on his journey for the sacred waters.’”
Page 422
SECTION CLIX
“Vaisampayana said, ’About this time,
there came into the Pandava camp Bhishmaka’s
son, foremost among all persons of truthful resolution,
and known widely by the name of Rukmi. The high-souled
Bhishmaka, who was otherwise called king Hiranyaroman,
was the friend of Indra. And he was most illustrious
among the descendants of Bhoja and was the ruler of
the whole southern country. And Rukmi was a disciple
of that lion among the Kimpurushas who was known by
the name of Drona, having his abode on the mountains
of Gandhamadana. And he had learnt from his preceptor
the whole science of weapons with its four divisions.
And that mighty-armed warrior had obtained also the
bow named Vijaya of celestial workmanship, belonging
to the great Indra, and which was equal to Gandiva
in energy and to also Sarnga (held by Krishna).
There were three celestial bows owned by the denizens
of heaven, viz., Gandiva owned by Varuna, the
bow called Vijaya owned by Indra, and that other celestial
bow of great energy said to have been owned by Vishnu.
This last (Sarnga), capable of striking fear into
the hearts of hostile warriors, was held by Krishna.
The bow called Gandiva was obtained by Indra’s
son (Arjuna) from Agni on the occasion of the burning
of Khandava, while the bow called Vijaya was obtained
from Drona by Rukmi of great energy. Baffling
the nooses of Mura and slaying by his might that Asura,
and vanquishing Naraka, the son of the Earth, Hrishikesa,
while recovering the begemmed ear-rings (of Aditi),
with sixteen thousand girls and various kinds of jewels
and gems, obtained that excellent bow called Sarnga.
And Rukmi having obtained the bow called Vijaya whose
twang resembled the roar of the clouds came to the
Pandavas, as if inspiring the whole universe with dread.
Formerly, proud of the might of his own arms, the
heroic Rukmi could not tolerate the ravishment of
his sister Rukmini by wise Vasudeva. He had set
out in pursuit, having sworn that he would not return
without having slain Janardana. And accompanied
by a large army consisting of four kinds of forces
that occupied (as it marched) a very large portion
of the earth, accoutred in handsome coats of mail
and armed with diverse weapons and resembling the
swollen current of the Ganga, that foremost of all
wielders of weapons set out in pursuit of Vasudeva
of Vrishni’s race. And having come up to
him of Vrishni’s race who was lord and master
of everything obtainable by ascetic austerities, Rukmi,
O king, was vanquished and covered with shame.
And for this he returned not to (his city) Kundina.
And on the spot where that slayer of hostile heroes
was vanquished by Krishna, he built an excellent city
named Bhojakata. And, O king, that city filled
with large forces and teeming with elephants, steeds.,
is widely known on the earth by that name. Endued
with great energy, that hero, cased in mail and armed
with bows, fences, swords and quivers, quickly entered
Page 423
the Pandava camp, surrounded by an Akshauhini of troops.
And Rukmi entered that vast army, under a standard
effulgent as the sun, and made himself known to the
Pandavas, from desire of doing what was agreeable
to Vasudeva. King Yudhishthira, advancing a few
steps, offered him worship. And duly worshipped
and eulogised by the Pandavas, Rukmi saluted them
in return and rested for a while with his troops.
And addressing Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti in the
midst of the heroes there assembled, he said, ’If,
O son of Pandu, thou art afraid, I am here to render
thee assistance in the battle. The assistance
I will give thee will be unbearable by thy foes.
There is no man in this world who is equal to me in
prowess. I will slay those foes of thine whom
thou, O son of Pandu, wilt assign to me. I will
slay one of those heroes, viz., Drona and Kripa,
and Bhishma, and Karna. Or, let all these kings
of the earth stand aside. Slaying in battle thy
foes myself, I will give thee Earth.’ And
he said this in the presence of king Yudhishthira the
Just and of Kesava and in the hearing of the (assembled)
monarchs and all others (in the camp). Then casting
his eyes on Vasudeva and Pandu’s son king Yudhishthira
the Just, Dhananjaya the intelligent son of Kunti smilingly
but in a friendly voice said these words, ’Born
in the race of Kuru, being especially the son of Pandu,
naming Drona as my preceptor, having Vasudeva for
my ally, and bearing, besides the bow called Gandiva,
how can I say that I am afraid? O hero, when
on the occasion of the tale ’of cattle, I fought
with the mighty Gandharvas, who was there to assist
me? In that terrific encounter also with the
Gods and Danavas banded together in great numbers
at Khandava, who was my ally when I fought? When,
again, I fought with the Nivatakavachas and with those
other Danavas called Kalakeyas, who was my ally?
When, again, at Virata’s city I fought with
the numberless Kurus, who was my ally in that battle?
Having paid my respects, for battle’s sake,
to Rudra, Sakra, Vaisravana, Yama, Varuna, Pavaka,
Kripa, Drona, and Madhava, and wielding that tough
celestial bow of great energy called Gandiva, and
accoutred with inexhaustible arrows and armed with
celestial weapons, how can a person like me, O tiger
among men, say, even unto Indra armed with the thunderbolt,
such words as I am afraid!—words that rob
one of all his fame? O thou of mighty arms, I
am not afraid, nor have I any need of thy assistance.
Go therefore, or stay, as it pleaseth or suiteth thee.’
Hearing these words of Arjuna, Rukmi taking away with
him his army vast as the sea, repaired then, O bull
of Bharata’s race, to Duryodhana. And king
Rukmi, repairing thither, said the same words unto
Duryodhana. But that king proud of his bravery,
rejected him in the same way.
’Thus, O king, two persons withdrew from the
battle, viz., Rohini’s son (Rama) of Vrishni’s
race and king Rukmi. And after Rama had set out
on his pilgrimage to the tirthas, and Bhishmaka’s
son Rukmi had departed thus, the sons of Pandu once
more sat down for consulting with one another.
And that conclave presided over by king Yudhishthira
the Just, abounding with numerous monarchs, blazed
forth like the firmament bespangled with lesser luminaries
with the moon in their midst.’”
Page 424
SECTION CLX
“Janamejaya said, ’After the soldiers
had been arrayed thus in order of battle (on the field
of Kurukshetra), what, O bull among Brahmanas, did
the Kauravas then do, urged as they were by destiny
itself?’
“Vaisampayana said, ’After the soldiers,
O bull of the Bharata race, had been arrayed thus
in order of battle, Dhritarashtra, O, king, said these
words to Sanjaya.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Come, O Sanjaya,
tell me with the fullest details all that hath happened
in the encampment of the Kuru and the Pandava troops.
I regard destiny to be superior, and exertion useless,
for although I understand the evil consequences of
war that will lead only to ruin, still I am unable
to restrain my son who rejoices in gambling and considers
deceit to be wisdom. Understanding everything,
I am not yet able to secure my own welfare. O
Suta, my understanding is capable of seeing the defects
(of measures), but when I approach Duryodhana, that
understanding of mine turneth away (from that right
path). When such is the case, O Sanjaya, that
will be which must be. Indeed, the sacrifice of
one’s corporeal body in battle is the laudable
duty of every Kshatriya.’
“Sanjaya said, ’This question, O great
king, that thou hast put, is indeed, worthy of thee.
It behoveth thee not, however, to impute entire fault
to Duryodhana only. Listen to me, O king, as I
speak of this exhaustively. That man who cometh
by evil in consequence of his own misconduct, should
never impute the fault to either time or the gods.
O great king, he amongst men who perpetrateth every
wicked act, deserveth to be slain in consequence of
his perpetrating those acts. Afflicted with injuries
in consequence of the match at dice, the sons of Pandu,
however, with all their counsellors quietly bore all
those injuries, looking up, O best of men, to thy
face alone. Hear from me fully, O king, of the
slaughter that is about to take place in battle, of
steeds and elephants and kings endued with immeasurable
energy. Hearing patiently, O thou that art endued
with great wisdom, of the destruction of the world
in the fierce battle that has been brought about,
come to this conclusion and no other, viz., that
man is never the agent of his acts right or wrong.
Indeed, like a wooden machine, man is not an agent
(in all he does). In this respect, three opinions
are entertained; some say that everything is ordained
by God; some say that our acts are the result of free-will;
and others say that our acts are the result of those
of our past lives. Listen then, therefore, with
patience, to the evil that hath come upon us.’”
SECTION CLXI
(Uluka Dutagamana Parva)
Page 425
“Sanjaya said, ’After the high-souled
Pandavas, O king, had encamped by the side of the
Hiranwati, the Kauravas also fixed their camps.
And king Duryodhana having strongly posted his troops
and paid homage to all the kings (on his side) and
planted outposts and bodies of soldiers for the protection
of warriors, summoned those rulers of men, viz.,
Karna and Dussasana and Sakuni, the son of Suvala,
and began O Bharata, to consult with them. And
king Duryodhana, O Bharata, having (first) consulted
with Karna, and (next), O monarch, with Karna and
his (own) brother Dussasana, and Suvala’s son
all together, then summoned, O bull among men, Uluka
and bringing him into his presence in private, told
him, O king, these words, ’O Uluka, O son of
an adept at dice, repair thou unto the Pandavas and
the Somakas. And repairing thither, repeat these
my words (unto Yudhishthira) in the hearing of Vasudeva.
That terrible battle between the Kurus and the Pandavas
which had been expected from a long time back has,
at last come. Those boastful words which Sanjaya
brought to me, in the midst of the Kurus and which
thou hadst, with Vasudeva and thy younger brothers,
uttered in deep roar,—the time, O son of
Kunti, hath at last come for making them good.
Do ye achieve, therefore, all which ye have pledged
yourselves to achieve. Unto the eldest son of
Kunti thou must say, as my words, the following, ’Virtuous
as thou art, how canst then, with all thy brothers,
with the Somakas, and the Kekayas, set thy heart upon
unrighteousness? How canst thou wish the destruction
of the universe, when, as I think thou shouldst be
the dispeller of the fears of all creatures.
O bull of Bharata’s race, this sloka sung of
old by Prahlada when his kingdom had been wrested
from him by the gods, hath been heard by us,—Ye
gods, that person whose standard of righteousness
is always up, but whose sins are always concealed is
said to adopt the behaviour of the cat (in the story).’
I will here repeat to thee, O king, this excellent
story recited by Narada to my father. A wicked
cat, O king, once on a time took up his abode on the
banks of the Ganges, abandoning all work and with
his hands upraised (after the manner of a devotee).
Pretending to have purified his heart, he said unto
all creatures these words, for inspiring confidence
in them, viz.,—I am now practising
virtue. After a long time, all oviparous creatures
reposed trust in him, and coming unto him all together,
O monarch, they all applauded that cat. And worshipped
by all feathery creatures, that devourer of feathery
creatures, regarded his purpose already accomplished,
as also the purpose of his austerities. And after
some more time, the mice went to that place.
And these also all beheld him to be a virtuous person
engaged in the observance of vows, and proudly exerting
himself in a grand act. And having arrived at
that settled conviction, they entertained the following
wish, O king,—’Many foes we have.
Page 426
Let this one, therefore, become our maternal uncle,
and let him always protect all the old and young ones
of our race. And going at last to the cat, all
of them said, ’Through thy grace we desire to
roam in happiness. Thou art our gracious shelter,
thou art our great friend. For this, all of us
place ourselves under thy protection. Thou art
always devoted to virtue, thou art always engaged
in the acquisition of virtue. O thou of great
wisdom, protect us, therefore, like the wielder of
the thunderbolt protecting the celestials.’
Thus addressed, O king, by all the mice, the cat answered
them, saying, ’I do not see the consistency of
these two, viz., my ascetic pursuits and this
protection (that I am called upon to grant).
I cannot avoid, however, doing good to you agreeably
to your request. You all, at the same time, should
always obey my words. Staying as I am in the
observance of a severe vow, I am weakened by my ascetic
practices. I do not, therefore, see the means
of my moving from place to place. Ye all should,
therefore, bear me hence every day to the river-side.’
Saying, ‘So be it,’ the mice then, O bull
of Bharata’s race, made over all their old and
young ones to that cat. Then that sinful creature
of wicked soul, feeding on mice, gradually became fat
and of good complexion and strong in his limbs.
And thus while the mice began to be reduced in number,
the cat began to grow in vigour and strength.
Then all the mice, coming together, said unto one
another, ’Our uncle is daily growing stout,
while we are being daily reduced (in number)!’
Then a certain mouse endued with wisdom, named Dindika,
said, O king these words unto the large swarm of mice
gathered there, ’Go all of ye to the river-side
together. I will follow ye, accompanying our uncle.’
‘Excellent, Excellent,’ they said, and
applauded that one of their number. And they
all did just as those words of grave import spoken
by Dindika seemed to indicate. The cat, however,
not knowing all this, ate up Dindika that day.
All the mice then, without losing much time, began
to take counsel of one another. Then a very old
mouse, named Kilika, said these just words, O king,
in the presence of all his kinsfolk, ’Our uncle
is not really desirous of earning virtue. He hath,
like a hypocrite, become our friend when in reality
he is our enemy. Indeed, the excreta of a creature
that liveth only upon fruits and roots never containeth
hair of fur. Then again, while his limbs are
growing, our number is decaying. Besides, Dindika
cannot be seen for these eight days.’ Hearing
these words, the mice ran away in all directions.
And that cat also of wicked soul returned to whence
he came. O thou of wicked soul, thou too art a
practiser of such feline behaviour. Thou behavest
towards thy kinsmen after the manner of the cat (in
the story) towards the mice. Thy speech is of
one kind, and thy conduct is of another. Thy (devotion
to) scripture and thy peacefulness of behaviour are
Page 427
only for display before men. Giving up this hypocrisy,
O king, adopt the practices of a Kshatriya and do
all that one should do as such. Art thou not virtuous,
O bull among men? Acquiring the earth by means
of the prowess of thy arms, make gifts, O best of
the Bharatas, unto the Brahmanas and to the means of
thy deceased ancestors as one should. Seeking
the good of that mother of thine who hath been afflicted
with distress for a series of years, dry up her tears,
and confer honours on her by vanquishing (thy foes)
in battle. Thou hadst with great abjectness,
solicited only five villages. Even that was rejected
by us, for how could we bring about a battle, how could
we succeed in angering the Pandavas, was all that
we sought. Remembering that it was for thee that
the wicked Vidura was driven (by us) and that we had
tried to burn you all in the house of lac, be a man
now; at the time of Krishna’s setting out (from
Upaplavya) for the Kuru court, thou hadst through
him communicated this message (to us), viz.,—Hear,
O king, I am prepared for either war or peace!
Know, O monarch, that the hour hath come for battle.
O Yudhishthira, I have made all these preparations
in view of that. What doth a Kshatriya regard
as a more estimable accession (of good fortune) than
battle? Born thou hast beer in the Kshatriya
order. Known also thou art in the world.
Having obtained weapons again from Drona and Kripa,
why, O bull of the Bharata race, dost thou rely on
Vasudeva who belongeth to the same order of life as
thyself and who is, not superior to thee in might.’
’Thou must also say unto Vasudeva in the presence
of the Pandavas these words,—For thy own
sake, as also for the sake of the Pandavas, withstand
me in battle to the best of thy power! Assuming
once more that form which thou hadst assumed before
in the Kuru court, rush thou with Arjuna against me
(on the field)! A conjuror’s tricks or illusions
may (sometimes) inspire fright. But as regards
the person that stands armed for fight, such deceptions
(instead of inspiring fight) only provoke anger!
We also are competent, by our powers of illusion, to
ascend to heaven or the firmament, or penetrate into
the nether region, or the city of Indra! We also
can display various forms in our own body! The
great Ordainer bringeth all creatures to subjection
by a flat of His will (and never by such conjuror’s
tricks)! Thou always sayest, O thou of Vrishni’s
race, these words, viz.,—Causing the
sons of Dhritarashtra to be slain in battle, I will
confer undisputed sovereignty on the sons of Pritha!—These
words of thine were brought to me by Sanjaya.
Thou hadst also said, ’Know, ye Kauravas that
it is with Arjuna, having me for his second, ye have
provoked hostilities!’ Truthfully adhering to
that pledge, put forth thy energy for the Pandavas
and fight now in battle to the best of thy power!
Show us that thou canst be a man! He is said to
be truly alive, who, having ascertained (the wight
of his) foes inspireth grief in them by resorting
to true manliness! Without any reason, O Krishna,
great hath been thy fame spread in the world!
It will, however, presently be known that there are
many persons, in the world that are really eunuchs
though possessed of the signs of manhood. A slave
of Kansa, especially as thou art, a monarch like me
should not cover himself in mail against thee!
Page 428
’Say (next) repeatedly, from me, O Uluka, unto
that stupid, ignorant, gluttonous Bhimasena, who is
even like a bull though divested of horns, these words,
viz.,—O son of Pritha, a cook thou
hadst become, known by the name of Vallabha, in the
city of Virata! All this is evidence of thy manliness!
Let not the vow thou hadst made before in the midst
of the Kuru court be falsified! Let Dussasana’s
blood be drunk if thou art able! O son of Kunti,
thou often sayest,—Speedily shall I slay
Dhritarashtra’s sons in battle!—The
time for accomplishing it hath now come! O Bharata,
thou deservest to be rewarded in cookery! The
difference, however, is very great between dressing
food and fighting! Fight now, be a man!
Indeed, thou shalt have to lie down, deprived of life,
on the earth, embracing thy mace, O Bharata!
The boast in which thou hadst indulged in the midst
of thy assembly is all vain, O Vrikodara!
’Say, O Uluka, unto Nakula, from me, these words,
viz.,—Fight now, O Bharata, patiently!
We desire, O Bharata, to behold thy manliness, thy
reverence for Yudhishthira, and thy hatred of myself!
Recall to mind the sufferings in their entirety that
Krishna had suffered!
’Next, thou must say these words of mine unto
Sahadeva in the presence of the (assembled) monarchs,—Fight
in battle now, to the best of thy power! Remember
all your woes!
’Say next, from me, unto both Virata and Drupada,
these words, viz.,—Since the beginning
of the creation, slaves, endued even with great accomplishments,
have never been able to fully understand their masters.
Nor have affluent kings been always able to understand
their slaves! This king deserveth no praise,—possibly,
under such a belief, ye have come against me!
United together, fight ye, therefore, against me for
achieving my death, and accomplish the objects ye have
in view, as also those that the Pandavas have!
Say also, from me, unto Dhrishtadyumna, the prince
of Panchalas, these words, viz.,—The
hour hath now come for thee, and thou also hast come
for thy hour! Approaching Drona in battle thou
wilt know what is best for thee! Achieve thou
the business of thy friend! Accomplish that feat
which is difficult of accomplishment!
’Tell, next, repeatedly from me, O Uluka, unto
Sikhandin, these words, viz.,—The
mighty-armed Kaurava, foremost of all bowmen, Ganga’s
son (Bhishma), will not slay thee, knowing thee to
be only a female! Fight now without any fear!
Achieve in battle what canst to the best of thy power!
We desire to behold thy prowess!’
Page 429
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Having said
this, king Duryodhana laughed aloud. And addressing
Uluka again, he said, ’Say once more unto Dhananjaya
in the bearing of Vasudeva these words, viz.,—O
hero, either vanquishing us rule thou this world,
or vanquished by us lie thou down on the field (deprived
of life)! Recalling to thy mind the sufferings
occasioned by your banishment from the kingdom, the
woes of your sojourn in the woods, and ’he affliction
of Krishna, be a man, O son of Pandu! That for
which a Kshatriya lady bringeth forth a son is now
arrived! Displaying, therefore, in battle, thy
might, energy, courage, manliness, and great dexterity
and speed in the use of weapons, appease thy wrath!
Afflicted with woe, and dispirited and exiled (from
home) for a long time, and driven from his kingdom,
who is there whose heart would not break? Who
is there, well-born, and brave, and uncovetous of other’s
wealth, that would not have his wrath excited when
his kingdom descending from generation to generation
is attacked? Realise in deeds those high words
that thou hadst said! One that only boasts without
being able to do anything is regarded as a worthless
man by those that are good. Recover thy kingdom
and those possessions that are now owned by thy foes!
Even these two are the purposes which a person desirous
of war hath in view. Exert, therefore, thy manliness!
Thou wert won (as a slave) at dice! Krishna was
caused by us to be brought into the assembly!
One that regardeth himself a man should certainly
display his wrath at this! For twelve long years
hadst thou been exiled from home into the woods, and
one whole year hadst thou passed in Virata’s
service! Remembering the pangs of banishment
from the kingdom and of thy sojourn in the woods, as
also those which Krishna had suffered, be thou a man!
Display thy wrath towards those that repeatedly utter
harsh words at thee and thy brothers! indeed, wrath
(such as that) would consist in manliness! Let
thy anger, thy might and prowess, and knowledge, and
thy lightness of hand in the use of weapons, be exhibited?
Fight, O son of Pritha, and prove to be a man!
The incantations in respect of all thy weapons have
been performed. The field of Kurukshetra is free
from mire. Thy steeds are hale and strong.
Thy soldiers have received their pay. With Kesava,
therefore, as (thy) second, fight (with us)!
Without encountering Bhishma as yet, why dost thou
indulge in such boasts? Like a fool, who, without
having ascended the Gandhamadana mountains, boasts
(of his would-be feat), thou, O son of Kunti, art
indulging in a similar bragging, be a man! Without
having vanquished in battle the invincible Karna of
the Suta race, or Salya, that foremost of persons,
or Drona, the first of all mighty warriors and equal
unto the lord of Sachi in battle, how canst thou, O
Partha, covet for thy kingdom? He that is a preceptor
of both Vedic lore and bowmanship, he that hath crossed
both those branches of learning, he that is foremost
Page 430
in battle and imperturbable (as a tower), he whose
might knoweth no diminution, that commander of armies,
Drona of great effulgence,—him, O Partha,
thou wishest in vain to conquer! It is never
heard that the Sumeru peak hath been crushed by the
wind. Yet even the wind will bear away Sumeru,
heaven itself will fall down on the earth, the very
Yugas will be altered in respect of their course, if
what thou hast said unto me becometh true! What
man is there, desirous of life, be it Partha or any
body else, who having approached that grinder of foes,
would be able to return home with sound body?
What person is there, treading upon the earth with
his feet, who, encountered by Drona and Bhishma and
struck with their arrows, would escape from the battle
with life? Like a frog having its abode in a
well, why art thou not able to realise the might of
this vast army of the assembled monarchs, invincible,
looking like the very celestial host, and protected
by these lords of men, as the heavenly host by the
gods themselves,—protected that is, by
the kings of the East, the West, the South and the
North, by the Kamvojas, the Sakas, the Khasas, the
Salwas, the Matsyas, the Kurus of the middle country,
the Mlechchhas, the Pulindas, the Dravidas, the Andhras,
and the Kanchis,—this host of many nations,
ready for battle, and resembling the uncrossable current
of the Ganga. O thou of little understanding,
how canst thou, O fool, venture to fight with me when
stationed in the midst of my elephant-host? Thy
inexhaustible quivers, thy car given thee by Agni,
and thy celestial banner, O Partha, will all, O Bharata,
be tested by us in battle! Fight, O Arjuna, without
bragging! Why dost thou indulge in too much boast!
Success in battle resulteth from the method in which
it is fought. A battle is never gained by bragging.
If, O Dhananjaya, acts in this world succeeded in consequence
of vauntings, all persons would then have succeeded
in their objects, for who is there that is not competent
to brag? I know that thou hast Vasudeva for thy
ally. I know that thy Gandiva is full six cubits
long. I know that there is no warrior equal to
thee. Knowing all this, I retain thy kingdom
yet! A man never winneth success in consequence
of the attributes of lineage. It is the Supreme
Ordainer alone who by his fiat of will maketh things
(hostile) friendly subservient. For these thirteen
years, I have enjoyed sovereignty while ye were weeping.
I shall continue to rule in the same way, slaying
thee with thy kinsmen. Where was thy Gandiva
then, when thou wert made slave won at stake?
Where, O Falguni, was Bhima’s might then?
Your deliverance then came neither from Bhimasena,
armed with mace, nor from you armed with Gandiva, but
from the faultless Krishna. It was she, the daughter
to Prishata’s house, that delivered you all,
sunk in slavery, engaged in occupations worthy only
of the low, and working as servitors. I characterised
you all as sesame seeds without kernel. That
Page 431
is true. For, did not Partha (some time after)
bear a braid when living in Virata’s city?
In the cooking apartments of Virata, Bhimasena was
fatigued with doing the work of a cook. Even this,
O son of Pritha, is (evidence of) my manliness!
Flying from an encounter with hips and braids and
waist-bands, thyself binding thy hair, wert engaged
in teaching the girls to dance? It is thus that
Kshatriyas always inflict punishment on Kshatriyas!
From fear of Vasudeva, or from fear of thyself, O
Falguni, I will not give up the kingdom! Fight
with Kesava as thy ally! Neither deception, nor
conjuror’s tricks, nor jugglery, can terrify
the armed man addressed for fight. On the other
hand, these provoke only his wrath. A thousand
Vasudevas, a hundred Falgunis, approaching me whose
arms and weapons never go for nothing, will surely
fly away in all directions. Encounter Bhishma
in combat, or strike the hill with thy head, or cross
with the aid of thy two arms alone the vast and deep
main! As regards my army, it is a veritable main
with Saradwat’s son as its large fish, Vivingsati
as its huge snake, Bhishma as its current of immeasurable
might, Drona as its unconquerable alligator, Karna
and Salwa and Salya its fishes and whirlpools, the
ruler of the Kamvojas its equine head emitting fire,
Vrihadvala its fierce waves, Somadatta’s son
its whale, Yuyutsu and Durmarshana its waters, Bhagadatta
its gale, Srutayus and Hridika’s son its gulfs
and bays, Dussasana its current, Sushena and Chitrayuda
its water-elephants (hippopotamus) and crocodile,
Jayadratha its (submarine) rock, Purumitra its depth,
and Sakuni its shores! When having plunged into
this surging ocean with its inexhaustible waves of
weapons, thou wilt, from fatigue, be deprived of senses
and have all thy relatives and friends slain, then
will repentance possess thy heart! Then also
will thy heart turn away from the thought of ruling
the earth, like the heart of a person of impure deeds
turning away from (hope of) heaven. Indeed, for
thee to win a kingdom to rule is as impossible as
for one not possessed of ascetic merit to obtain heaven!’”
SECTION CLXII
“Sanjaya said, ’Having reached the Pandava
camp, the gambler’s son (Uluka) presented himself
before the Pandavas, and addressing Yudhishthira said,
’Thou art fully conversant with what envoys say!
It behoveth thee not, therefore, to be angry with
me if I repeat those words only which Duryodhana hath
instructed me to tell!’
“Hearing this, Yudhishthira said, ’Thou
hast no fear., O Uluka! Tell us, without any
anxiety what are the views of the covetous Duryodhana
of limited sight!’ Then in the midst and presence
of the illustrious and high-souled Pandavas, of the
Srinjayas, and Krishna possessed of great fame, of
Drupada with his sons, of Virata, and of all monarchs,
Uluka said these words.’
Page 432
“Uluka said, ’Even this is what the high-souled
king Duryodhana hath in the presence of all the Kuru
heroes, said unto thee! Listen to those words,
O Yudhishthira! Thou wert defeated at dice, and
Krishna was brought into the assembly! At this,
a person who regardeth himself a man would be justified
in giving way to wrath! For twelve years wert
thou banished from home into the woods! For one
whole year didst thou live in Virata’s service.
Remembering the reason there is for wrath, thy exile,
and the persecution of Krishna, be a man, O son of
Pandu! Though weak, Bhima yet, O Pandava, made
a vow! Let him, if able, drink the blood of Dussasana!
Thy weapons have been properly worshipped and their
presiding deities have been invoked! The field
of Kurukshetra also is without mire. The roads
are even. Thy steeds are well-fed. Engage
in battle, therefore, on the morrow, with Kesava as
thy ally! Without having yet approached Bhishma
in battle, why dost thou indulge in boasts? Like
a fool that boasteth of his intention to ascend the
mountains of Gandhamadana, thou, O son of Kunti, art
indulging in a vain boast. Without having vanquished
in battle the Suta’s son (Karna) who is invincible,
and Salya, that foremost of mighty persons, and that
first of all warriors and equal unto Sachi’s
lord himself in combat, why, O son of Pritha, dost
thou wish for sovereignty? A preceptor in both
the Vedas and the bow, he hath reached the end of
both these branches of learning. Thou desirest
in vain, O son of Pritha, to vanquish that leader
of troops, the illustrious Drona, who fightest in
the van, is incapable of being agitated, and whose
strength knows no diminution. Never have we heard
that the mountains of Sumeru have been crushed by
the wind! But the wind will bear away Sumeru,
heaven itself will fall down on the earth, the very
Yugas will be reversed if what thou hast said unto
me really taketh place! Who is there fond of
life, fighting from the back of an elephant or of a
horse or from a car, that would return home (safe
and sound), after having encountered that grinder
of foes? What creature treading the earth with
his feet, would escape with life from battle, having
been attacked by Drona and Bhishma, or pierced with
their terrible shafts? Like a frog within a well,
why dost thou not realise the strength of this assembled
host of monarchs, which resembleth the very celestial
host, and which is protected by these kings like the
gods protecting theirs in heaven, and which, swarming
with the kings of the East, West, South, and North,
with Kamvojas, Sakas, Khasas, Salwas, Matsyas, Kurus
of the middle country, Mlechchhas, Pulindas, Dravidas,
Andhras, and Kanchis, indeed, with many nations, all
addressed for battle, is uncrossable like the swollen
tide of Ganga? O fool of little understanding,
how wilt thou fight with me while I am stationed in
the midst of my elephant force?’
Page 433
’Having said these words unto king Yudhishthira,
the son of Dharma, Uluka, turning his face then towards
Jishnu, said unto him these words, ’Fight without
bragging, O Arjuna! Why dost thou brag so much?
Success resulteth from the application of method.
A battle is never won by bragging. If acts in
this world, O Dhananjaya, succeeded in consequence
only of boasts, then all men would have succeeded in
their objects, for who is there that is not competent
to brag? I know that thou hast Vasudeva for thy
ally. I know that thy Gandiva is full six cubits
long. I know that there is no warrior equal to
thee. Knowing all this, I retain thy kingdom
yet! A man never winneth success in consequence
of the attribute of lineage. It is the Supreme
Ordainer alone who by his fiat maketh (things hostile)
friendly and subservient. For these thirteen
years have I enjoyed sovereignty, while ye were weeping!
I shall continue to rule in the same way, slaying
thee with thy kinsmen! Where was thy Gandiva
then when thou wert made a slave won at dice?
Where, O Falguni, was Bhimasena’s might then?
Your deliverance then came neither from Bhimasena
armed with mace, nor from you armed with Gandiva, but
from faultless Krishna. It was she, the daughter
of Prishata’s house, that delivered you all,
sunk in slavery, engaged in occupations worthy only
of the low, and working as servitors! I characterised
ye as sesame seeds without kernel. That is very
true, for, did not Partha bear a braid while living
in Virata’s city? In the cooking apartments
of Virata, Bhimasena was fatigued with doing the work
of a cook. Even this, O son of Kunti, is (evidence
of) thy manliness! Flying from an encounter with
braids and waist-bands thyself binding thy hair into
a braid, thou wert employed in teaching the girls
to dance! It is thus that Kshatriyas always inflict
punishment on a Kshatriya! From fear of Vasudeva,
or from fear of thyself, O Falguni, I will not give
up the kingdom. Fight, with Kesava as thy ally!
Neither deception, nor conjuror’s tricks, nor
jugglery can terrify an armed man ready for fight.
On the other hand, all this provokes only his wrath!
A thousand Vasudevas, a hundred Falgunis, approaching
me whose aim and weapons never go for nothing, will
fly away in all directions, Encounter Bhishma in combat,
or pierce the hills with thy head, or cross with the
aid of thy two arms the vast and deep main! As
regards my army, it is a veritable ocean with Saradwat’s
son as its large fish; Vivingsati, its smaller fish;
Vrihadvala its waves; Somadatta’s son its whale;
Bhishma its mighty force; Drona its unconquerable
alligator; Karna and Salya, its fishes and whirlpools;
Kamvoja its equine head vomiting fire, Jayadratha its
(submarine) rock, Purumitra its depth, Durmarshana
its waters, and Sakuni its shores! When having
plunged into this swelling ocean with its inexhaustible
waves of weapons thou wilt from fatigue be deprived
of thy senses, and have all thy relatives and friends
slain, then will repentance possess thy heart!
Then will thy heart turn away, O Partha, from the thought
of ruling the earth like the heart of a person of
impure deeds turning away from (hope of) heaven.
Indeed, for thee to win a kingdom to rule is as impossible
as for one not possessed of ascetic merit to obtain
heaven!’”
Page 434
SECTION CLXIII
“Sanjaya said, ’O monarch, provoking Arjuna
still further who was like a snake of virulent poison,
by means of those wordy strokes of his Uluka once
more repeated the words he had once spoken. The
Pandavas had before such repetition, been sufficiently
provoked, but hearing these words (a second time)
and receiving those censures through the gambler’s
son, they were provoked beyond endurance. They
all stood up, and began to stretch their arms.
And looking like enraged snakes of virulent poison,
they began to cast their eyes on one another.
And Bhimasena, with face downwards, and breathing
heavily like a snake, began to glance obliquely at
Kesava, directing the blood-red corners of his eyes
towards him. And beholding the Wind-god’s
son to be greatly afflicted and extremely provoked
with rage, he of Dasarha’s race smilingly addressed
the gambler’s son and said, ’Depart hence
without a moment’s delay. O gambler’s
son, and say unto Suyodhana these words, viz.,—Thy
words have been heard and sense understood. Let
that take place which thou desirest.’
Having said this, O best of monarchs, the mighty-armed
Kesava looked once more at Yudhishthira endued with
great wisdom. Then in the midst and presence
of all the Srinjayas, of Krishna possessed of great
fame, of Drupada with his sons, of Virata, and all
the kings (there assembled), Uluka once more repeated
unto Arjuna the words he had said, provoking him still
further thereby, like one annoying wrathful snake of
virulent poison by means of a stake. And he also
said unto all of them, viz.,—Krishna
and others, those words that Duryodhana had instructed
him to say. And hearing those harsh and highly
disagreeable words uttered by Uluka, Partha was greatly
excited and wiped the sweat off his forehead.
And beholding Partha, O king, in that condition, that
assembly of monarchs could not bear it at all.
And at that insult to Krishna and the high-souled
Partha, the car-warriors of the Pandavas were greatly
agitated. Though endued with great steadiness
of mind, those tigers among men began to burn with
anger. And Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin and that
mighty car-warrior, Satyaki, and the five Kekaya brothers,
and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha, the sons of Draupadi,
and Abhimanyu, and king Dhrishtaketu, and Bhimasena,
endued with great prowess, and those mighty car-warriors—the
twins,—jumped up from their seats, their
eyes red with anger, tossing their handsome arms decked
with red sandal-paste and ornaments of gold.
Then Vrikodara, the son of Kunti, understanding their
gestures and hearts, sprang up from his seat.
And gnashing his teeth, and licking with his tongue
the corners of his mouth, and burning with rage, and
squeezing his hands and turning his eyes fiercely,
said these words unto Uluka, Ignorant fool, thy words
have now been heard which Duryodhana said unto thee
for the object of provoking us as if we were a set
Page 435
of imbeciles! Hear now the words which I say
and which thou art to repeat unto the inaccessible
Suyodhana in the midst of all the Kshatriyas and in
the hearing of the Suta’s son and the wicked-hearted
Sakuni. We always seek to gratify our elder brother!
It was for this, O thou of wicked behaviour, that
we tolerated thy acts. Dost thou not regard this
as highly fortunate for thee? It was for only
the good of our race that king Yudhishthira the Just,
endued with great intelligence, sent Hrishikesa to
the Kurus for bringing about a peace! Impelled
by Fate, without doubt, thou art desirous of repairing
unto Yama’s abode! Come, fight with us.
That, however, is certainly to take place tomorrow!
I have, indeed, vowed to slay thee with thy brothers!
O sinful fool, do not entertain the slightest doubt,
for it will be as I have vowed! The very ocean,
the abode of Varuna-may all on a sudden transgress
its continents. The very mountains may split,
yet my words can never be false! If Yama himself,
or Kuvera, or Rudra, assisteth thee, the Pandavas
will still accomplish what they have vowed! I
shall certainly drink Dussasana’s blood according
to my pleasure! And I also vow that Kshatriya
whatsoever may then angrily approach me, even if he
cometh with Bhishma himself at the van, I will send
him to Yama’s abode! That which I have said
in the midst of a Kshatriya assembly will certainly
be true. I swear this by my soul!
’Hearing these words of Bhimasena, the wrathful
Sahadeva also, with eyes red in anger, said these
words in the presence of the (assembled) troops,—words
that become that proud hero. And he said, ’Listen,
O sinful one, to the words I utter and which must
be repeated to thy father! A difference would
never have arisen between us and the Kurus, if Dhritarashtra
had no relationship with thee! Of sinful acts
and the exterminator of thy own race, thou hast been
born as an embodiment of quarrel for the destruction
of the whole world as also for the destruction of
Dhritarashtra’s race! From our very birth,
O Uluka, that sinful father of thine hath always sought
to do us injury and evil. I desire to attain
the opposite shore of that hostile relation. Slaying
thee first before the very eyes of Sakuni, I shall
then slay Sakuni himself in the sight of all bowmen!’
’Hearing these words of both Bhima and Sahadeva,
Falguni smilingly addressed Bhima, saying, ’O
Bhimasena, they that have provoked hostilities with
thee, cannot live! Though they may dwell happily
in their homes, those fools become yet entangled in
the meshes of death! O best of men, Uluka doth
not deserve to be addressed harshly by thee! What
fault do envoys commit, repeating as they only do what
they are instructed (to say)?’ And having thus
addressed Bhima of terrible prowess that mighty-armed
hero then addressed his heroic allies and well-wishers
headed by Dhrishtadyumna, saying, ’Ye have heard
the words of the sinful son of Dhritarashtra in dispraise
Page 436
of Vasudeva and especially of myself! And hearing
them ye have been filled with anger because ye wish
us well! But through Vasudeva’s might and
your endeavours, I do not reckon even all the Kshatriyas
of the earth assembled together! With your permission
I will now communicate to Uluka what the reply to those
words is, what, indeed, he should say unto Duryodhana!—When
the morrow cometh, stationed at the head of my division,
the answer to these words shall I give through Gandiva!
For they that are eunuchs, answer in words!’
’Hearing this, all those best of kings applauded
Dhananjaya, wondering at the ingenuity of that reply.
King Yudhishthira the Just, then, having spoken mildly
unto all the kings each according to his age and as
each deserved said, at last, unto Uluka these words
so that he might carry them to Duryodhana. And
Yudhishthira said, ’No good king should patiently
bear an insult. Having so long heard what thou
hadst to say, I shall now tell thee what my reply
is!’
’Having heard then, O best of Bharata’s
race, those words of Duryodhana, Yudhishthira, that
bull of the Bharata race, with eyes exceedingly red
in anger and himself sighing like a snake of virulent
poison, licking the corners of his mouth with his
tongue, as if swelling with wrath, and casting his
eyes on Janardana and his own brothers, said unto Uluka
these words that were fraught with both mildness and
vigour. And tossing his massive arms he said
unto the gambler’s son, ’Go, O Uluka, and
say unto Duryodhana, that ungrateful, wicked-minded
embodiment of hostilities, that infamous wretch of
his race, these words, viz.,—O sinful
wretch, thou always behavest with crookedness towards
the Pandavas! O sinful fool, he that displayeth
his prowess relying on his own might and summoneth
his foes (to battle) and fulfilleth his own words,
even he is a man of the Kshatriya order! Be thou
a Kshatriya, O sinful wretch, and summon us to battle!
O infamous one of thy race, do not come to battle,
placing at thy head others for whom we profess respect!
O Kaurava, relying on thy own might and on that of
thy servants, summon the sons of Pritha to battle!
Be Kshatriya in every way! He, who summoneth his
foes, relying on the might of others, and incapable
of receiving them himself is, indeed, a eunuch!
Thou, however, thinkest highly of thyself, relying
on the might of others! Being weak and unable
thyself, why then dost thou roar so (in words) at
us?’
“Krishna said, ’My words also, O gambler’s
son, should be communicated unto Suyodhana. Let
that morrow come to thee on which the battle is to
take place. O thou of wicked soul, be a man!
O fool, thou thinkest Janardana will not fight, since
he hath been chosen by the Pandavas to act only as
a charioteer, so thou art not alarmed. That, however,
will not be, even for a moment. If my wrath is
excited, I may then consume all the kings (assembled
by thee) like a fire consuming a heap of straw.
Page 437
At Yudhishthira’s command, however, I shall
only discharge the functions of charioteer to the
high-souled Falguni, of senses under complete control
and who alone, (amongst us two) will fight! If
thou fliest beyond the limits of the three worlds,
if thou sinkest into the depths of the earth, thou
shalt, even at these places, behold Arjuna’s
car tomorrow morning. Thou thinkest that Bhima’s
words have been spoken in vain! But know that
Dussasana’s blood hath already been quaffed.
Know this also that although thou hast uttered such
cross and perverse words, yet neither Partha, nor
king Yudhishthira, nor Bhimasena, nor any of the twins,
regardeth thee as straw!’”
SECTION CLXIV
“Sanjaya said, ’Having heard those words
of Duryodhana, Gudakesha of great fame looked at the
gambler’s son with eyes exceedingly red.
And eyeing Kesava also and tossing his massive arms,
he addressed the gambler’s son, saying, ’He,
who, relying on his own strength, summoneth his foes
and fighteth with them fearlessly, is spoken of as
a man. He, however, who, relying on the strength
of others, summoneth his foes, is an infamous Kshatriya.
In consequence of his incapacity, such a one is regarded
as the lowest of men. Relying on the strength
of others, thou (O Duryodhana), being a coward thyself,
desirest yet, O fool, to rebuke thy foes. Having
installed (Bhishma) the oldest of all the Kshatriyas,
whose heart is ever bent in doing what is good, who
hath all his passions under control, and who is endued
with great wisdom, in the command of thy troops and
made him liable to certain death, thou indulgest in
brag! O thou of wicked understanding, thy object
(in doing this) is fully known to us, O wretch of
thy race! Thou hast done it, believing that sons
of Pandu will not, from kindness, slay the son of
Ganga. Know, however, O Dhritarashtra’s
son, that I will slay that Bhishma first in the sight
of all the bowmen, relying upon whose strength thou
indulgest in such boasts! O gambler’s son,
repairing (hence) unto the Bharatas and approaching
Duryodhana the son of Dhritarashtra, say unto him that
Arjuna hath said,—So be it! After
this night will have passed away, the fierce encounter
of arms will take place. Indeed, Bhishma of unfailing
might and firmly adhering to truth, hath told thee
in the midst of the Kurus these words, viz.,—I
will slay the army of the Srinjayas and the Salweyas.
Let that be my task. Excepting Drona I can slay
the whole world. Thou needest not, therefore,
entertain any fear oil the Pandavas! At this,
thou, O Duryodhana, regardest the kingdom as thy own
and thinkest that the Pandavas have sunk into distress.
Thou hast been filled with pride at this. Thou
seest not, however, danger that is in thy own self.
I shall, therefore, in battle, first slay before thy
very eyes, Bhishma the eldest of the Kurus! At
sunrise (tomorrow) at the head of the troops, with
standards and cars protect ye that leader of thy forces
Page 438
firm in his promises. I shall, with my arrows,
throw him down who is your refuge from his car before
the eyes of you all! When the morrow cometh, Suyodhana
will know what it is to indulge in brag, beholding
the grandsire covered with my arrows! Thou shalt,
O Suyodhana, very soon see the fulfilment of that
which Bhimasena in anger had said, in the midst of
the assembly, unto thy brother, that man of limited
sight, viz., Dussasana, wedded to unrighteousness,
always quarrelsome, of wicked understanding, and cruel
in behaviour. Thou shalt soon see the terrible
effects of vanity and pride, of wrath and arrogance,
of bragging and heartlessness, cutting words and acts,
of aversion from righteousness, and sinfulness and
speaking ill of others, of transgressing the counsels
of the aged, of oblique sight, and of all kinds of
vices! O scum of humanity, how canst thou, O
fool, hope for either life or kingdom, if I, having
Vasudeva for my second, give way to anger? After
Bhishma and Drona will have been quieted and after
the Suta’s son will have been overthrown, thou
shalt be hopeless of life, kingdom and sons!
Hearing of the slaughter of thy brothers and sons,
and struck mortally by Bhimasena, thou wilt, O Suyodhana,
recollect all thy misdeeds!—Tell him, O
gambler’s son, that I do not vow a second time.
I tell thee truly that all this will be true!—Departing
hence, O Uluka, say, O sire, these words of mine, unto
Suyodhana! It behoveth thee not to apprehend my
behaviour by the light of thy own! Know the difference
there is between thy conduct and mine, which is even
the difference between truth and falsehood! I
do not wish harm to even insects and ants. What
shall I say, therefore, of my ever wishing harm to
my kinsmen? O sire, it was for this that five
villages only were solicited by me! Why, O thou
of wicked understanding, dost thou not see the dire
calamity that threatens thee? Thy soul overwhelmed
with lust, thou indulgest in vauntings from defectiveness
of understanding. It is for this also thou acceptest
not the beneficial words of Vasudeva. What need
now of much talk? Fight (against us) with all
thy friends! Say, O gambler’s son, unto
the Kuru prince who always doth what is injurious to
me (these words also, viz.,)—Thy words
have been heard; their sense also hath been understood.
Let it be as thou wishest!’
’O son of king, Bhimasena then once more said
these words, ’O Uluka, say those words of mine
unto the wicked-minded, deceitful, and unrighteous
Suyodhana, who is an embodiment of sin, who is wedded
to guile, and whose behaviour is exceedingly wicked.
Thou shalt have to dwell in the stomach of a vulture
or in Hastinapura. O scum of human kind, I shall
assuredly fulfil the vow I have made in the midst
of the assembly. I swear in the name of Truth,
slaying Dussasana in battle, I shall quaff his life-blood!
Slaying also thy (other) brothers, I shall smash thy
own thighs. Without doubt, O Suyodhana, I am
the destroyer of all the sons of Dhritarashtra, as
Abhimanyu is of all the (younger) princes! I shall
by my deeds, gratify you all! Hearken once more
to me. O Suyodhana, slaying thee, with all thy
uterine brothers, I shall strike the crown of thy head
with my foot in the sight of the king Yudhishthira
the Just!’
Page 439
’Nakula, then, O king, said these words, ’O
Uluka, say unto Dhritarashtra’s son, Suyodhana,
of Kuru’s race that all the words uttered by
him have now been heard and their sense understood.
I shall, O Kauravya, do all that thou hast commended
me to do.’
’And Sahadeva also, O monarch, said these words
of grave import, ’O Suyodhana, it will all be
as thou wishest! Thou shalt have to repent, O
great king, along with thy children, kinsmen, and counsellors,
even as thou art now bragging joyously in view of
our sufferings.’
’Then Virata and Drupada, both venerable in
years, said these words unto Uluka, It is even our
wish that we become slaves of a virtuous person!
Whether, however, we are slaves or masters, will be
known tomorrow, as also who owns what manliness!’
’After them, Sikhandin said these words unto
Uluka, ’Thou must say unto king Duryodhana who
is always addicted to sinfulness, these words, viz.,—See,
O king, what fierce deed is perpetrated by me in battle!
I shall slay grandsire of thine from his car, relying
upon whose prowess thou art certain of success in
battle! Without doubt, I have been created by
the high-souled Creator for the destruction of Bhishma.
I shall assuredly slay Bhishma in the sight of all
bowmen.’
’After this, Dhrishtadyumna also said unto Uluka,
the gambler’s son, these words, ’Say unto
prince Suyodhana these my words, viz., I shall
slay Drona with all his followers and friends.
And I shall do a deed which none else will ever do.’
’King Yudhishthira once more said these high
words fraught with clemency, viz.,—O
monarch, I never desire the slaughter of my kinsmen.
O thou of wicked understanding, it is from thy fault
that all this will assuredly take place. I shall,
of course, have to sanction the fulfilment of their
great feats by all these (around me). Go hence,
O Uluka, without delay or stay here, O sire, for,
blessed be thou, we too are thy kinsmen.’
’Uluka, then, O king, thinking permission of
Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, went thither where
king Suyodhana was. Thus addressed, the gambler’s
son carefully bearing in mind all he had heard, returned
to the place from which he had come. And arriving
there, he fully represented unto the vindictive Duryodhana
all that Arjuna had charged him with. And he
also faithfully communicated unto Dhritarashtra’s
son the words of Vasudeva, of Bhima, of king Yudhishthira
the Just, of Nakula and Virata and Drupada, O Bharata
and the words of Sahadeva and Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin,
and the words also that were spoken (subsequently)
by Kesava and Arjuna. And having listened to
the words of the gambler’s son, Duryodhana,
that bull of Bharata’s race, ordered Dussasana
and Karna and Sakuni, O Bharata, and their own troops
and the troops of the allies, and all the (assembled)
kings, to be arrayed in divisions and be ready for
battle before sunrise (next morrow). Messengers
then, instructed by Karna and hastily mounting on
cars and camels and mares and good steeds endued with
great fleetness, quickly rode through the encampment.
And at Karna’s command they promulgated the
order—Array (yourselves) before sunrise
tomorrow!’”
Page 440
SECTION CLXV
’Sanjaya said, ’Having listened to Uluka’s
words, Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, moved his army
headed by Dhrishtadyumna and others. And that
vast army commanded by Dhrishtadyumna, consisting of
four kinds of forces, viz., foot-soldiers and
elephants and cars and cavalry, terrible, and immovable
like the earth herself, and guarded by mighty car-warriors
led by Bhimasena and Arjuna, could be compared to the
vast ocean lying in stillness. And at the head
of that vast force was that mighty bowman, the prince
of Panchalas, invincible in battle, viz., Dhrishtadyumna,
desirous of obtaining Drona for his antagonist.
And Dhrishtadyumna began to select combatants (from
his own army) for pitting them against particular
warriors of the hostile force. And he gave orders
unto his car-warriors, suited to their strength and
courage. And he pitted Arjuna against the Suta’s
son (Karna), Bhima against Duryodhana, Dhrishtaketu
against Salya, Uttamaujas against Gautama’s
son (Kripa), Nakula against Kritavarman, Yuyudhana
against the ruler of the Sindhus (Jayadratha).
And he placed Sikhandin in the van, pitting him against
Bhishma. And he urged Sahadeva against Sakuni,
and Chekitana against Sala, and the five sons of Draupadi
against the Trigartas. And he urged Subhadra’s
son (Abhimanyu) against Vrishasena (the son of Karna),
and also against all the rest of the kings, for he
regarded Abhimanyu as superior to Arjuna himself in
battle. And distributing his warriors thus, individually
and collectively, that mighty bowman, of the hue of
blazing fire, kept Drona for his own share. And
that leader of leaders of troops, the mighty and intelligent
bowman Dhrishtadyumna, having arrayed his troops duly,
waited for battle with a firm heart. And having
arrayed the combatants, as indicated above, of the
Pandavas, he waited, with collected mind, on the field
for securing victory to the sons of Pandu.’”
SECTION CLXVI
“Dhritarashtra said, After Falguni had vowed
the slaughter of Bhishma in battle, what did my wicked
sons headed by Duryodhana do? Alas, I already
behold my father, Ganga’s son, slain in battle,
by that bowman of firm grasp, viz., Partha, having
Vasudeva for his ally! And what also did that
mighty bowman, that foremost of smiters, Bhishma, endued
with immeasurable wisdom, say on hearing the words
of Partha. Having accepted also the command of
the Kauravas, what did that foremost of warriors,
Ganga’s son, of exceeding intelligence and prowess,
do?’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Thus questioned,
Sanjaya told him everything about what that eldest
one of the Kurus, Bhishma of immeasurable energy,
had said.’
Page 441
“Sanjaya said, ’O monarch, obtaining the
command, Bhishma, the son of Santanu said these words
unto Duryodhana, gladdening him greatly, ’Worshipping
the leader of celestial forces, viz., Kumara,
armed with the lance, I shall, without doubt, be the
commander of thy army today! I am well-versed
in all mighty affairs, as also in various kinds of
array. I know also how to make regular soldiers
and volunteers act their parts. In the matter
of marching the troops and arraying them, in encounters
and withdrawing, I am as well-versed, O great king,
as Vrihaspati (the preceptor of the celestials), is!
I am acquainted with all the methods of military array
prevalent amongst the celestials, Gandharvas, and human
beings. With these I will confound the Pandavas.
Let thy (heart’s) fever be dispelled. I
will fight (the foe), duly protecting thy army and
according to the rules of (military) science!
O king, let thy heart’s fever be dispelled!’
Hearing these words, Duryodhana said, ’O Ganga’s
son of mighty arms, I tell thee truly, I have no fear
from even all the gods and Asuras united together!
How much less, therefore, is my fear when thy invincible
self hath become the leader of my forces and when
that tiger among men, Drona, also waiteth willingly
for battle! When you two foremost of men, are
addressed for battle on my side, victory, nay, the
sovereignty of even the celestial cannot assuredly
be unattainable by me! I desire, however, O Kaurava,
to know who amongst all the warriors of the foe and
my own are to be counted as Rathas and who Atirathas.
Thou, O grandsire, art well-acquainted with the (prowess
of the) combatants of the foe, also of ourselves!
I desire to hear this, with all these lords of earth!’
“Bhishma said, ’Listen, O son of Gandhari,
O king of kings, to the tale of Rathas in thy own
army! Hear, O king, as to who are Rathas and who
Atirathas! They are in thy army, many thousands,
many millions, and many hundreds of millions of Rathas.
Listen, however, to me as I name only the principal
ones. Firstly, with thy country of brothers including
Dussasana and others, thou art of the foremost of
Rathas! All of you are skilled in striking, and
proficient in cutting chariots and piercing. All
of you are accomplished drivers of chariots while
seated in the driver’s box, and accomplished
managers of elephants while seated on the necks of
those animals. All of you are clever smiters
with maces and bearded darts and swords and bucklers.
You are accomplished in weapons and competent in bearing
burthens of responsibility. Ye all are disciples
of Drona and of Kripa, the son of Saradwat, in arrows
and other arms. Wronged by the sons of Pandu,
these Dhartarashtras, endued with energy, will assuredly
slay in the encounter the Panchalas irresistible in
combat. Then, O foremost of the Bharatas, come
I, the leader of all thy troops, who will exterminate
thy foes, vanquishing the Pandavas! It behoveth
me not to speak of my own merits. I am known
Page 442
to thee. The foremost of all wielders of weapons,
Bhoja (chief) Kritavarman is Atiratha. Without
doubt, he will accomplish thy purpose in battle.
Incapable of being humiliated by persons accomplished
in arms, shooting or hurling his weapons to a great
distance, and a severe smiter, he will destroy the
ranks of the foe, as the great Indra destroying the
Danavas. The ruler of the Madras, the mighty
bowman Salya, is, as I think, an Atiratha. That
warrior boasteth himself as Vasudeva’s equal,
in every battle (that he fighteth). Having abandoned
his own sister’s sons, that best of kings, Salya,
hath become thine. He will encounter in battle
the Maharathas of the Pandava party, flooding the
enemy with his arrows resembling the very surges of
the sea. The mighty bowman Bhurisravas, the son
of Somadatta, who is accomplished in arms and is one
of thy well-meaning friends, is a leader of leaders
of car-divisions. He will, certainly, make a
great havoc among the combatants of thy enemies.
The king of the Sindhus, O monarch, is in my judgment,
equal to two Rathas. That best of car-warriors
will fight in battle, displaying great prowess.
Humiliated, O king, by the Pandavas on the occasion
of his, abducting Draupadi, and bearing that humiliation
in mind, that slayer of hostile heroes will fight
(for thee). Having practised after that, O king,
the severest austerities, he obtained a boon, highly
difficult of acquisition, for encountering the Pandavas
in battle. That tiger among car-warriors, therefore,
remembering his old hostility, will, O sire, fight
with the Pandavas in battle, reckless of his very
life which is so difficult to lay down.’”
SECTION CLXVII
“Bhishma said, ’Sudhakshina, the ruler
of the Kamvojas, is in my judgment, equal to a single
Ratha. Desiring the success of thy object, he
will certainly fight with the enemy in battle.
O best of kings, the Kauravas will behold the prowess
of this lion among car-warriors exerted for thee,
to be equal to that of Indra himself in battle.
As regards the car-army of this king, O monarch, those
smiters of fierce impetus, the Kamvojas, will cover
a large area like a flight of locusts! Coming
from (the province of) Mahishmati, Nila, accoutred
in blue mail, is one of thy Rathas. With his
car-army he will cause a great havoc among thy foes,
O child, he had hostilities with Sahadeva. O
king, he will continually fight for thee, O thou of
Kuru’s race. Accomplished in battle, and
of fierce energy and prowess, (the princes) Vinda
and Anuvinda of Avanti are both regarded as excellent
Rathas. These two heroes among men will consume
the troops of thy foes, with maces and bearded darts,
and swords and long shafts, and javelins hurled from
their hands. Like a couple of (elephant) leaders
sporting in the midst of their herds, these two princes,
O monarch, longing for battle, will range the field,
each like Yama himself. The five (royal) brothers
Page 443
of Trigarta are, in my judgment, all foremost of Rathas.
The sons of Pritha provoked hostilities with them
at Virata’s city on that (well-known) occasion.
Like huge Makaras, O king, agitating the stream of
the Ganges crested with high waves, they will agitate
the ranks of the Parthas in battle. All the five,
O king, are Rathas, having Satyaratha (amongst them)
as their first. Remembering the wrongs inflicted
on them of old by that son of Pandu who is Bhima’s
younger brother, when the latter, O Bharata, on his
car drawn by white steeds, was engaged, O monarch,
in subjugating all the kings of the earth, they will
certainly exert themselves bravely in battle.
Encountering many Maharathas—chief of bowmen—leaders
of Kshatriyas—on the side of the Parthas,
they will certainly slay them. Thy son Lakshmana
and the son also of Dussasana—those tigers
among men are both unretreating in battle. In
prime of youth, of delicate limbs, endued with great
activity, those two princes, well-versed with battles
and capable of leading all, those tigers among Kurus,
those car-warriors, are, I think, two of our best
Rathas. Devoted to the duties of the Kshatriya
order, those two heroes will achieve great feats.
Dandadhara, O monarch, is, O bull among men, equal
to a single Ratha. Guarded by his own soldiers,
he will fight in battle for thee. Endued with
great impetus and prowess, king Vrihadvala, the ruler
of the Kosalas, is, in my judgment, O sire, equal
to one Ratha. Fierce in arms, this mighty bowman,
devoted to the good of the Dhartarashtras, will exert
himself powerfully in battle, gladdening his own friends.
Kripa, the son of Saradwat is, O king, a leader of
leaders of car-ranks. Reckless even of life which
is so dear, he will consume thy foes. Born among
a clump of heath as the son of that great sage, viz.,
the preceptor Gautama, otherwise called Saradwat, he
is invincible like Kartikeya himself. Consuming
untold warriors armed with various weapons and bows,
he will, O sire, roam forth on the field of battle
like a blazing fire.’”
SECTION CLXVIII
“Bhishma said, ’This thy maternal uncle
Sakuni is, O king, equal to a single Ratha. Having
caused the (present) hostilities (to break out) with
the sons of Pandu, he will fight. There is no
doubt in this. His troops are irresistible when
rushing to battle. Armed with various kinds of
weapons in abundance, in speed, they are equal to the
very wind. The mighty bowman (Aswatthaman) who
is Drona’s son surpasseth all bowmen. Acquainted
with all modes of warfare, and of unbaffled weapons,
he is a Maharatha. Like the wielder of Gandiva,
the shafts of this warrior, shot from his bow, proceed
in a continuous line, touching one another. If
he wishes it, this Maharatha is capable of consuming
the three worlds. Engaged in austerities in his
hermitage, he hath, by these, increased both his fury
and energy. Possessed of great intelligence, he
Page 444
hath been favoured by Drona with (the gift of all)
celestial weapons. There is, however, O bull
of Bharata’s race, one great defect in him, in
consequence of which, O best of kings, I do not regard
him either as a Ratha or a Maharatha. This regenerate
man is exceedingly fond of living, life being very
dear to him. Amongst the warriors of both armies
there is no one who can be regarded as his peer.
On even a single car he can annihilate the very army
of the celestials. Possessed of a strong frame,
he can split the very mountains by the flaps of his
bow-string, striking against the leathern fence on
his left arm. Endued with innumerable qualities,
this smiter of fierce effulgence will wander (over
the field of battle), incapable of being withstood
like Yama himself, mace in hand. Resembling the
fire at the end of the Yuga as regards his fury, possessed
of leonine neck, and endued with great lustre, Aswatthaman
will extinguish the embers of this battle between
the Bharata’s. His father (Drona) is endued
with great energy, and though aged, is still superior
to many young men. He will achieve great feats
in battle. I have no doubt of this. Staying
immovably (on the field), he will consume Yudhishthira’s
troops. The Pandava army will play the part of
the dry grass and fuel in which that fire will originate,
while the impetus of his own weapons will be the wind
for fanning it into a (mighty) flame. This bull
among men, is a leader of bands of car-warriors.
The son of Bharadwaja will achieve fierce feats for
thy good! The preceptor of all Kshatriyas of royal
lineage, the venerable preceptor, will exterminate
the Srinjayas. Dhananjaya, however, is dear to
him. This mighty bowman, therefore, remembering
his own celebrated and highly meritorious services
as preceptor, will never be able to slay Partha who
is capable of achieving great feats without any trouble.
O hero, Drona always boasteth of the numerous accomplishments
of Partha. Indeed, Bharadwaja looketh on him
with greater affection than on his own son. Endued
with great prowess, he can, on a single car, beat
in battle, by means of his celestial weapons, all
the gods, Gandharvas, and human beings united together.
That tiger among kings, is, O monarch, one of thy
Maharathas. Capable of breaking the car-ranks
of hostile heroes, he, in my judgment, is one of thy
foremost of car-warriors. Afflicting the ranks
of the enemy at the head of his own large force, he
will consume the Panchalas like fire consuming a heap
of dry grass. Possessed of true fame, prince Vrihadvala
is equal to single Ratha. He, O monarch, will
roam amid thy enemy’s troops like Death himself.
His troops, O king of kings, accoutred in various kinds
of mail and armed with diverse kinds of weapons, will
wander on the field, slaying all the warriors opposed
to them. Vrishasena, the son of Karna, is one
of thy foremost of car-warriors and is a Maharatha.
That foremost of mighty men will consume the troops
of thy enemy. Endued with great energy, Jalasandha,
Page 445
O king, is one of thy foremost of Rathas. Born
in Madhu’s race, that slayer of hostile heroes,
is prepared to cast away his very life in battle.
Skilled in battle, that mighty-armed warrior, scattering
the enemy’s ranks before him, will fight in battle
mounted on car or from the elephant’s back.
That best of kings, O monarch, is in my judgment,
a Ratha. He will, in fierce battle, cast away
for thy sake his very life with all, his troops possessed
of great prowess and acquainted with all the modes
of warfare, he will, O king, fight fearlessly with
thy foes in battle. Never retreating from battle,
brave, and resembling Yama himself, Vahlika, O king,
is in my judgment, an Atiratha. Rushing to the
encounter he never cometh back. Indeed, he will
slay hostile warriors in battle like the Wind-god
himself. That router of hostile car-ranks, that
car-warrior of wonderful feats in battle, commander
of thy forces, Satyavan is, O king, a Maharatha.
He never cherisheth grief at the prospect of battle.
Confounding those warriors that stand in the way of
his car, he falleth upon them. Always displaying
his prowess against the enemy, that best of men will,
for thy sake, in fierce press of battle, achieve all
that a good Kshatriya should. Thai chief of Rakshasas,
Alambhusha, of cruel deeds, is a Maharatha. Remembering
his old hostilities (with the Pandavas), he will commit
great execution among the foe. He is the best
of Rathas amongst all the Rakshasa-warriors.
Possessing powers of illusion, and firm in enmity,
he will wander fiercely on the field. The ruler
of Pragjyotisha, the brave Bhagadatta of exceeding
prowess, is the foremost of those holding the elephant
hook, and is skilled also in fighting from a car.
An encounter took place between him and the wielder
of Gandiva for days together, O king, each desirous
of victory over the other. Then Bhagadatta, O
son of Gandhari, who regarded Indra as his friend,
made friendship with (Indra’s son) the high-souled
Pandava. Skilled in fight from the elephant’s
neck, this king will fight in battle, like Vasava
among the celestials, fighting from his Airavata.’”
SECTION CLXIX
“Bhishma said, ’Both the brothers Achala
and Vrisha are Rathas. Invincible (in battle)
they will slay thy foes. Endued with great strength,
those tigers among men, those foremost of Gandharvas,
are firm in wrath. Young and handsome, they are
possessed of great strength. As regards this
thy ever dear friend, this one who is always boastful
of his skill in battle, this one who always urgeth
thee, O king, to fight with the Pandavas, this vile
braggart, Karna, the son of Surya, this one who is
thy counsellor, guide, and friend, this vain wight
who is destitute of sense, this Karna, is neither
a Ratha nor an Atiratha. Without sense, this
one hath been deprived of his natural coat of mail.
Always kind, he hath also been deprived of his celestial
ear-rings. In consequence of the curse of Rama
Page 446
(his preceptor in arms) as also of the words of a Brahmana
(who cursed him on another occasion), owing also to
his deprivation of the accoutrements of battle, he,
in my judgment, is only half a Ratha. Having
approached Falguni (in battle), he will not certainly
escape with life!’ Hearing this, Drona, that
foremost of all wielders of weapons, said, ’It
is even so as thou hast said. That is not untrue!
He boasteth on the eve of every battle, but yet he
is seen to retreat from every engagement. Kind
(out of season) and blundering, it is for this that
Karna, in my judgment, is only half a Ratha!’
“Hearing these words, Radha’s son, expanding
his eyes in rage, and afflicting Bhishma with words
like sharp hooks, said unto Ganga’s son these
words, ’O grandsire, though I am innocent yet
from thy aversion to me, thou manglest me thus, according
to thy pleasure, with thy wordy arrows at every step.
I tolerate, however, all this for the sake of Duryodhana.
Indicating me as only half a Ratha, thou regardest
me worthless, as if, indeed, I were a coward!
What doubt is there in this? I do not speak an
untruth when I say that thou, O Ganga’s son,
art an enemy of the whole universe, and especially
of all the Kurus! The king, however, doth not
know this! Who else is there that would thus seek
to disunite and abate the energy of these kings that
are all equal and that are all equally brave, as thou,
from thy hatred of merit, seekest to do? O Kaurava,
neither years, nor wrinkles, nor wealth, nor possession
of friends, would entitle a Kshatriya to be regarded
as a Maharatha! It hath been said that a Kshatriya
acquireth eminence only through might, as Brahmanas
acquire eminence through superiority in mantras, as
Vaisyas through wealth, and Sudras through age.
Influenced, however, by lust and envy, and acting
from ignorance, thou hast indicated Rathas and Atirathas
according only to thy own caprice! Blessed be
thou, O mighty-armed Duryodhana, judge properly!
Let this wicked Bhishma, who only wrongeth thee, be
abandoned by thee! Thy warriors, once disunited,
can with difficulty be united again. O tiger
among men, thy main army, under such circumstances,
can with difficulty be united; far greater will the
difficulty be in uniting an army gathered from various
provinces! Behold, O Bharata, doubt (of success)
hath already arisen in the hearts of thy warriors!
This Bhishma weakeneth our energy in our very presence!
Where is the task of ascertaining the merits of Rathas,
and where is Bhishma of little understanding?
I alone will withstand the army of Pandavas. Coming
in contact with me, whose arrows never go for nothing,
the Pandavas and the Panchalas will fly away in all
directions like oxen when they come in contact with
a tiger! Where, Oh, are battle, the press of armed
encounter, good counsels and well-expressed words,
and where is Bhishma, who is superannuated and of
wicked soul, and who is impelled by the very fates
to become their victim? Alone he challengeth the
Page 447
whole universe! Of false vision he regardeth
none else as a man. It is true the scriptures
teach that the words of the old should be listened
to. That, however, doth not refer to those that
are very old, for these, in my judgment, become children
again. Alone I will exterminate the army of the
Pandavas! The fame, however, of such a feat will
attach to Bhishma, O tiger among kings, for this Bhishma,
O monarch, hath been made by thee the commander of
thy forces, and the renown always attacheth to the
leader and not to those that fight under him.
I will not, therefore, O king, fight as long as Ganga’s
son liveth! After Bhishma, however, hath been
laid low, I will fight with all the Maharathas of
the enemy united together!’
“Bhishma said, ’This burden, vast as the
ocean, in the matter of Duryodhana’s battle
(with the Pandavas), is about to be taken up by me.
I have thought of it for many years. Now that
the hour is come for that terrible encounter, dissensions
amongst ourselves should not be created by me.
It is for this, Suta’s son, that thou livest!
Else, superannuated though I am and young in years
thou art, I would quell thy desire for battle and
crush thy hope of life! (Thy preceptor) Rama, the son
of Jamadagni, shooting his great weapons, could not
cause me the slightest pain. What canst thou,
therefore, do to me? They that are good, do not
approve self-praise. Infamous wretch of thy race,
know that I indulge in little boast because I am enraged.
Vanquishing on a single car all the assembled Kshatriyas
of the world at the Swayamvara of the daughters of
the ruler of Kasi, I abducted those maidens. Alone,
I stopped on the field of battle the rush of countless
kings with their soldiers! Obtaining thee as
embodiment of strife, a great calamity is ready to
overtake the Kurus! Strive then for slaying our
antagonists. Be a man, fight with that Partha,
whom thou so often challengest. O thou of wicked
understanding, I desire to see thee come out of that
encounter with thy life!’
“King Duryodhana then said unto Bhishma, of
great prowess, ’Cast thy eyes on me, O Ganga’s
son! Great is the business that is at hand!
Think earnestly as how I may be most benefited!
Both of you will render me great services! I
desire now to bear of the best car-warriors among the
enemy, that is, of those that are Atirathas among them
and of those that are leaders of car-division.
O Kaurava, I desire to hear of the strength and weakness
of my foes, since when this night will dawn, our great
battle will take place.’”
SECTION CLXX
Page 448
“Bhishma said, ’I have now, O king, indicated
who thy Rathas are and who thy Atirathas and half
Rathas. Listen now to the tale of Rathas and
Atirathas among the Pandavas. If thou feelest
any curiosity, listen then, O king, with these monarchs,
to the tale of Rathas in the army of the Pandavas.
The king himself, son of Pandu and Kunti, is a mighty
Ratha. Without doubt, O sire, be will glide along
the field of battle like a blazing fire; Bhimasena,
O king, is regarded equal to eight Rathas. In
an encounter with the mace or even with arrows, there
is none equal to him. Endued with the strength
of ten thousand elephants, and filled with pride,
in energy he is superhuman. Those two bulls among
men, the sons of Madri, are both Rathas. In beauty,
they are equal to the twin Aswinis, and they are endued
with great energy. Stationed at the head of their
divisions, all of them, remembering their great sufferings,
without doubt, wander along the field like so many
Indras! All of them are endued with high souls,
and are tall in stature like the trunks of Sala trees.
Taller than other men by half-a-cubit in stature, all
the sons of Pandu are brave as lions and endued with
great strength. All of them, O sire, have practised
Brahmacharya vows and other ascetic austerities.
Endued with modesty, those tigers among men are possessed
of fierce strength like the veritable tigers.
In speed, in smiting, and in crushing (foes), all
of them are more than human. All of them, on the
occasion of the campaign of universal conquest, vanquished
great kings, O bull of Bharata’s race!
No other men can wield their weapons, maces, and shafts.
Indeed, O Kaurava, there are no men that can even string
their bows, or uplift their maces, or shoot their
arrows in battle. In speed, in hitting the aim,
in eating, and in sports on the dust, they used to
beat all of you even when they were children.
Possessed of fierce might they will, when they encounter
this force, exterminate it in battle. A collision,
therefore, with them is not desirable. Each of
them can alone slay all the kings of the earth!
That which happened, O great king, on the occasion
of the Rajasuya sacrifice, had occurred before thy
very eyes! Remembering the sufferings of Draupadi
and the harsh speeches uttered after their defeat
at dice, they will wander in battle like so many Rudras.
As regards Gudakesha, of reddish eyes, having Narayana
for his ally, there is not among both the armies any
brave car-warrior that can be regarded as his equal.
Let men alone, it hath not been heard by us that even
among gods, Asuras, Uragas, Rakshasas and Yakshas,
there ever was born before, or there ever will be
born hereafter, any car-warrior like unto him!
O great king, intelligent Partha owneth that car which
is furnished with the banner bearing the device of
the ape; the driver of that car is Vasudeva!
Dhananjaya himself is the warrior who fighteth from
it; his, again, is that celestial bow called Gandiva;
Page 449
he owneth again those steeds fleet as the wind; his
coat of mail is impenetrable and of celestial make;
his two large quivers are inexhaustible; his arms have
been obtained from the great Indra, Rudra, Kuvera,
Yama and Varuna; and upon his car, again, are those
maces of frightful mien, and diverse other great weapons
having the thunderbolt amongst them! What car-warrior
can be regarded as his equal, who, stationed on a
single car’ slew in battle a thousand Danavas,
having their abode in Hiranyapura? Inflamed with
wrath, possessed of great might and prowess, incapable
of being baffled, that mighty-armed warrior, while
protecting his own army, will certainly exterminate
thy troops! Myself and preceptor (Drona) among
the two armies, and no third car-warrior, O great
king, can advance against Dhananjaya, that scatterer
of arrowy showers! Pouring his shafts, like the
very clouds during the rainy season when propelled
by mighty winds, that son of Kunti when Vasudeva as
his second, steppeth for battle! He is skilful
and young, while both of us are old and worn out!’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Hearing these
words of Bhishma, and recollecting with trembling
heart, the well-known valour of the sons of Pandu
and thinking of it, as if it were present before their
eyes, the massive arms of kings, decked with bracelets
and smeared with sandal-paste, seemed to hang down
divested of might.’”
SECTION CLXXI
“Bhishma said, ’All the five sons of Draupadi,
O monarch, are Maharathas. Virata’s son
Uttara is, in my judgment, one of the foremost of Rathas.
The mighty-armed Abhimanyu is a leader of leaders of
car-divisions. Indeed, that slayer of foes is
equal in battle to Partha himself or Vasudeva.
Endued with great lightness of hand in shooting weapons,
and acquainted with all the modes of warfare, he is
possessed of great energy and is steady in the observance
of vows. Remembering the sufferings of his own
father, he will put forth his prowess. The brave
Satyaki of Madhu’s race is a leader of leaders
of car-divisions. Foremost among the heroes of
the Vrishni race, he is endued with great wrath, and
is perfectly dauntless. Uttamaujas also, O king,
is an excellent car-warrior in my judgment. And
Yudhamanyu, too, of great prowess, is, in my judgment,
an excellent car-warrior. All those chiefs own
many thousands of cars and elephants and horses, and
they will fight, reckless of their very lives, from
desire of doing what is agreeable to Kunti’s
sons. Uniting with the Pandavas, they will, O
great king, sweep through thy ranks like fire or the
wind, challenging thy warriors. Invincible in
battle, those bulls among men, old Virata and old Drupada,
both endued with great prowess, are, in my judgment,
both Maharathas. Though old in years yet both
of them are devoted to the observance of Kshatriya
virtues. Treading along the path that is trod
by heroes, both of them will exert to the best of
Page 450
their might. In consequence of their relationship
(to the Pandavas) and owing also, O king, to their
being endued with strength and prowess, those great
bowmen devoted to pure vows, have both derived additional
strength from the strength of their affection.
According as the cause is, all strong-armed men become,
O bull of Kuru’s race, heroes or cowards.
Actuated by a singleness of purpose, both these kings,
who are powerful bowmen, will lay down their very lives
in causing a great massacre of thy troops to the best
of their might, O slayer of foes! Fierce in battle,
these distinguished heroes, these mighty bowmen, regardless,
O Bharata, of their lives, will, at the head of their
respective Akshauhinis, achieve great feats, justifying
their relationship and the confidence that is reposed
on them (by the Pandavas).’”
SECTION CLXXII
“Bhishma said, ’That subjugator of hostile
cities, Sikhandin, the son of the king of the Panchalas,
is, O king, in my judgment, one of the foremost of
Yudhishthira’s Rathas. Having divested himself
on his former sex, he will fight in battle and earn
great fame, O Bharata, among thy troops! He hath
a large number of troops,—Panchalas and
Prabhadrakas,—to support him. With
those hosts of cars he will achieve great feats.
Dhrishtadyumna also, O Bharata, the leader of all
Yudhishthira’s army, that mighty car-warrior
who is also a disciple of Drona, is, O king, in my
judgment, an Atiratha. Afflicting all foes in
battle, he will singly sweep the field, like Pinaka,—bearing
God himself in rage on the occasion of the universal
dissolution. Even great warriors will speak of
his car-divisions, so multitudinous are they, as resembling
the very ocean or that of the gods, in battle!
Kshattradharman, the son of Dhrishtadyumna, owing
to his immature years, as also in consequence of his
want of exercise in arms, is, in my judgment, O king,
only half a Ratha. That relative of the Pandavas,
the mighty bowman Dhrishtaketu, the heroic son of
Sisupala, the king of the Chedis, is a Maharatha.
That brave ruler of the Chedis will, O king, with
his son, achieve feats such as are difficult for even
a Maharatha. Kshattradeva, that subjugator of
hostile cities, who is devoted to Kshatriya virtues,
is, O great king, in my judgment, one of the best
Rathas among the Pandavas. Those brave warriors
among the Panchalas, viz., Jayanta and Amitaujas
and the great car-warrior Satyajit are all, O king,
high-souled Maharathas. They will all, O sire,
fight in battle like furious elephants. Aja and
Bhoja, both endued with great prowess, are both Maharathas.
Possessed of great might, those two heroes will fight
for the Pandavas. Both of them are endued with
great lightness of hand in the use of weapons.
Both of them are conversant with all the modes of
warfare, both are well-skilled and possessed of firm
prowess. The five Kshatriya brothers, O king,
who are difficult of being vanquished, and all of
Page 451
whom have blood red banners, are foremost of the Rathas.
Kasika, and Sukumara, and Nila, and that other one,
viz., Suryadatta, and Sankha, otherwise called
Madiraswa, are all in my judgment, the foremost of
Rathas. Possessed of every qualification that
renders them fit for battle, they are acquainted with
all weapons, and all of them are endued with high souls.
Vardhakshemi, O king, is in my judgment, a Maharatha.
King Chitrayudha is, in my judgment, one of the best
of Rathas. He is, besides, an asset in battle
and devotedly attached to the diadem-decked (Arjuna).
Those mighty car-warriors, those tigers among men,
Chekitana, and Satyadhriti, are two of the best Rathas
of the Pandavas in my judgment. Vyaghradatta,
O monarch, and Chandrasena also, O Bharata, are without
doubt two of the best Rathas, as I think, of the Pandavas.
Senavindu, O king, otherwise called Krodhahantri by
name, who, O lord, is regarded as equal of Vasudeva
and of Bhimasena, will contend with great prowess in
battle against your warriors. Indeed, that best
of kings, ever boasting of his feats in battle, should
be regarded by thee, precisely as myself, Drona and
Kripa are regarded by thee! That best of men,
worthy of praise, viz., Kasya, is endued with
great lightness of hand in the use of weapons.
Indeed, that subjugator of hostile cities is known
to me as equal to one Ratha. Drupada’s
son, Satyajit, young in years and displaying great
prowess in battle, should be regarded as equal to eight
Rathas. Indeed being Dhrishtadyumna’s equal,
he is an Atiratha. Desirous of spreading the
fame of the Pandavas, he will achieve great feats.
Devoted to the Pandavas and endued with great bravery,
there is another great Ratha of the Pandavas, viz.,
king Pandya, that bowman of mighty energy. The
mighty bowman Dhridadhanwan is another Maharatha of
the Pandavas. O subjugator of hostile cities,
that foremost of Kurus, viz., Srenimat and king
Vasudeva are both, in my judgment, Atirathas.’”
SECTION CLXXIII
“Bhishma said, ’O great king, Rochamana
is another Maharatha of the Pandavas. He will,
O Bharata, contend in battle against hostile warriors,
like a second god. That subjugator of foes, the
mighty bowman Kuntibhoja of great strength, the maternal
uncle of Bhimasena, is, in my judgment, an Atiratha.
This mighty and heroic bowman is well-versed and highly
skilled in fight. Acquainted with all modes of
warfare, this bull among car-warriors is regarded
by me as exceedingly competent. Displaying his
prowess he will fight, like a second Indra against
the Danavas. Those celebrated soldiers that he
owns are all accomplished in fight. Stationed
on the side of the Pandavas and devoted to what is
agreeable and beneficial to them, that hero will,
for the sake of his sister’s sons achieve extra-ordinary
feats. That prince of Rakshasas (Ghatotkacha),
O king, born of Bhima and Hidimva, and endued with
ample powers of illusion, is, in my judgment, a leader
of the leaders of car-divisions. Fond of battle,
and endued with powers of illusion, he will, O sire,
fight earnestly in battle. Those heroic Rakshasas
who are his counsellors or dependents will also fight
under him.
Page 452
’These and many other rulers of provinces, headed
by Vasudeva, have assembled for the sake of Pandu’s
son. These, O king, are principally the Rathas,
Atirathas, and half Rathas of the high-souled Pandava,
and these, O king, will lead in battle the terrible
army of Yudhishthira which is protected, again, by
that hero, the diadem-decked (Arjuna), who is even
like the great Indra himself. It is with them
(thus) endued with powers of illusion and fired by
the desire of success that I shall contend in battle,
expectant of victory or death. I shall advance
against these two foremost of car-warriors, Vasudeva
and Arjuna, bearing (respectively) Gandiva and the
discus, and resembling the sun and the moon as seen
together in the evening. I shall, on the field
of battle, encounter also those other car-warriors
of Yudhishthira (whom I have, mentioned) at the head
of their respective troops.
’The Rathas and Atirathas, according to their
precedence, have now been declared by me to thee,
and they also that are half Rathas, belonging to thee
or them, O chief of the Kauravas! Arjuna and Vasudeva
and other lords of earth that may be there, all of
them, upon whom my eyes may fall, I will withstand,
O Bharata! But, thou of mighty arms, I will not
strike or slay Sikhandin the prince of Panchalas, even
if I behold him rushing against me in battle with
weapons upraised. The world knows how from a
desire of doing what was agreeable to my father, that
I gave up the kingdom that had become mine and lived
in the observance of the Brahmacharya vow. I
then installed Chitrangada in the sovereignty of the
Kauravas, making at the same time the child Vichitravirya
the Yuvaraja. Having notified my god-like vow
among all the kings of the earth, I shall never slay
a woman or one that was formerly a woman. It may
be known to you, O king, that Sikhandin was formerly
a woman. Having been born as a daughter, she
afterwards became metamorphosed into the male sex.
I shall not, O Bharata, fight against him. I
shall certainly smite all other kings, O bull of Bharata’s
race, whom I may encounter in battle. I will
not, however, O king, be able to slay the sons of Kunti!’”
SECTION CLXXIV
“Duryodhana said, ’For what reason, O
chief of the Bharatas, wilt thou not slay Sikhandin
even if thou beholdest him approach thee as a foe with
arms upraised? Thou hadst, O mighty-armed one,
formerly told me,—I will slay the Panchalas
with the Somakas’—O son of Ganga,
tell me, O grandsire (the reason of the present reservation),’
“Bhishma said, ’Listen, O Duryodhana,
to this history, with all these lords of earth, as
to why I will not slay Sikhandin even if I behold him
in battle! My father, Santanu, O king, was celebrated
over all the world. O bull of the Bharata race,
that king of virtuous soul paid his debt to nature
in time, Observing my pledge, O chief of the Bharatas,
I then installed my brother, Chitrangada, on the throne
Page 453
of the extensive kingdom of the Kurus. After
Chitrangada’s demise, obedient to the counsels
of Satyavati, I installed, according to the ordinance,
Vichitravirya as king. Although young in age,
yet being installed duly by me, O monarch, the virtuous
Vichitravirya looked up to me in everything. Desirous
of marrying him, I set my heart upon procuring daughters
from a suitable family. (At that time) I heard, O
thou of mighty arms, that three maidens, all unrivalled
for beauty, daughters of the ruler of Kasi, by name
Amva, Amvika, and Amvalika would select husbands for
themselves, and that all the kings of the earth, O
bull of the Bharata’s race, had been invited.
Amongst those maidens Amva was the eldest, Amvika the
second, while the princess Amvalika, O monarch, was
the youngest. Myself repairing on a single car
to the city of the ruler of Kasi, I beheld, O thou
of mighty arms, the three maidens adorned with ornaments
and also all the kings of the earth invited thither
on the occasion. Then, O bull of Bharata’s
race, challenging to battle all those kings who were
ready for the encounter, I took up those maidens on
my car and repeatedly said unto all the kings assembled
there these words—Bhishma, the son of Santanu,
is carrying away by force these maidens. Ye kings,
strive ye all to the best of your power for rescuing
them! By force do I take them away, ye bulls
among men, making you spectators of my act!—At
these words of mine those rulers of the earth sprang
up with weapons unsheathed. And they angrily
urged the drivers of their cars, saying, ‘Make
ready the cars,—Make ready the cars.’
And those monarchs sprang up to the rescue, with weapons
unsheathed; car-warriors on their cars resembling
masses of clouds, those fighting from elephants, on
their elephants, and others on their stout and plump
steeds. Then all those kings, O monarch, surrounded
me on all sides with a multitudinous number of cars.
With a shower of arrows, I stopped their onrush on
all sides and vanquished them like the chief of celestials
vanquishing hordes of Danavas. Laughingly, with
easiness I cut down the variegated standards, decked
with gold, of the advancing kings, with blazing shafts,
O bull of Bharata’s race! In that combat
I overthrew their steeds and elephants and car-drivers,
each with a single arrow. Beholding that lightness
(of hand) of mine, they desisted (from the fight)
and broke. And having vanquished all those rulers
of the earth, I came back to Hastinapura, I then, O
thou of mighty arms, made over those maidens, intending
them for my brothers to Satyavati and represented
unto her everything I had done.’”
SECTION CLXXV
Page 454
“Bhishma said, ’Then, O chief of the Bharatas,
approaching my mother, that daughter of the Dasa clan,
and saluting that parent of heroes, I said these words,—Having
vanquished all the kings, these daughters of the ruler
of Kasi, having beauty alone for their dowry, have
been abducted by me for the sake of Vichitravirya!—Then,
O king, Satyavati with eyes bathed in tears, smelt
my head, and joyously said, ’By good luck it
is, O child, that thou hast triumphed!’ When
next, with Satyavati’s acquiescence, the nuptials
approached, the eldest daughter of the ruler of Kasi
said these words in great bashfulness,—O
Bhishma, thou art conversant with morality, and art
well-versed in all our scriptures! Hearing my
words, it behoveth thee to do towards me that which
is consistent with morality. The ruler of the
Salwas was before this mentally chosen by me as my
lord. By him also, without my father’s
knowledge, I was privately solicited. How wouldst
thou, O Bhishma, born especially as thou art in Kuru’s
race, transgress the laws of morality and cause one
that longeth for another to live in thy abode?
Knowing this, O bull of Bharata’s race, and
deliberating in thy mind, it behoveth thee, O mighty-armed
one, to accomplish what is proper. O monarch,
it is clear that the ruler of the Salwas waiteth (for
me). It behoveth thee, therefore, O best of the
Kurus’ to permit me to depart. O mighty-armed
one, be merciful to me, O foremost of righteous persons!
Thou, O hero, art devoted to truth, it is well-known
all over the earth!’”
SECTION CLXXVI
“Bhishma said, ’I then placed the matter
before (my mother) Kali, otherwise called Gandhavati,
as also all our counsellors, and also before our special
and ordinary priests and then permitted, O king, the
eldest of those maidens, Amva, to depart. Permitted
by me, that maiden then went to the city of the ruler
of the Salwas. And she had for her escort a number
of old Brahmanas and was also accompanied by her own
nurse. And having travelled the whole distance
(between Hastinapura and Salwa’s city), she
approached king Salwa and said these words, ’I
come, O thou of mighty arms, expectant of thee, O
high-souled one! Unto her, however, O king, the
lord of the Salwas said with a laughter, ’O thou
of the fairest complexion, I no longer desire to make
a wife of thee who wast to be wedded to another.
Therefore, O blessed one, go back thither unto Bhishma’s
presence. I no longer desire thee that was forcibly
ravished by Bhishma. Indeed, when Bhishma, having
vanquished the kings, took thee away, thou didst go
with him cheerfully. When having humiliated and
vanquished all the kings of the earth, Bhishma took
thee away, I no longer desire thee, O thou of the
fairest complexion, for a wife,—thee that
was to have been wedded to another! How can a
king like myself, who is acquainted with all branches
of knowledge and who lays down laws for the guidance
Page 455
of others, admit (into his abode) a woman who was to
have been wedded to another? O blessed lady,
go whithersoever thou wishest, without spending thy
time in vain!’ Hearing these words of his, Amva
then, O king, afflicted with the arrows of the god
of love, addressed Salwa, saying, ’Say not so,
O lord of the earth, for it is not so! O grinder
of foes, cheerful I was not when taken away by Bhishma!
He took me away by force, having routed all the kings,
and I was weeping all the while. An innocent
girl that I am and attached to thee, accept me, O lord
of the Salwas! The abandonment (by one) of those
that are attached (to him) is never applauded in the
scriptures. Having solicited Ganga’s son
who never retreats from battle, and having at last
obtained his permission, I come to thee! Indeed,
the mighty-armed Bhishma, O king, desireth me not!
It hath been heard by me that his action (in this
matter) hath been for the sake of his brother.
My two sisters Amvika and Amvalika, who were abducted
with me at the same time, have, O king, been bestowed
by Ganga’s son on his younger brother Vichitravirya!
O lord of the Salwas, I swear, O tiger among men,
by touching my own head that I have never thought
of any other husband than thee! I do not, O great
king, come to thee as one who was to have been wedded
to another! I tell thee the truth, O Salwa, truly
swearing by my soul! Take me, O thou of large
eyes, me—a maiden come to thee of her own
accord—one unbetrothed to another, one
desirous of thy grace!’ Although she spoke in
this strain, Salwa, however, O chief of the Bharatas,
rejected that daughter of the ruler of Kasi, like
a snake casting off his slough. Indeed, although
that king was earnestly solicited with diverse expressions
such as these, the lord of the Salwas still did not,
O bull of the Bharata race, manifest any inclination
for accepting the girl. Then the eldest daughter
of the ruler of Kasi, filled with anger, and her eyes
bathed in tears, said these words with a voice choked
with tears and grief, ’Cast off, O king, by
thee, whithersoever I may go, the righteous will be
my protectors, for truth is indestructible!’
“It thus, O thou of Kuru’s race, that
the lord of the Salwas rejected that maiden who addressed
him in language such as this and who was sobbing in
grief so tenderly. Go, go,—were the
words that Salwa said unto her repeatedly. I
am in terror of Bhishma, O thou of fair hips, thou
art Bhishma’s capture! Thus addressed by
Salwa destitute of foresight, that maiden issued out
of his city sorrowfully and wailing like a she-osprey.’”
SECTION CLXXVII
Page 456
“Bhishma said, ’Issuing out of the city,
Amva reflected sorrowfully in this strain. ’There
is not in the whole world a young woman in such a
miserable plight as I! Alas, destitute of friends,
I am rejected by Salwa also! I cannot go back
to the city named after an elephant, for I was permitted
by Bhishma to leave that city, expectant of Salwa!
Whom then shall I blame? Myself? Or, the
invincible Bhishma? Or, that foolish father of
mine who made arrangements for my self-choice?
Perhaps, it is my own fault! Why did I not leap
down before from Bhishma’s car, when that fierce
battle took place, for coming to Salwa? That I
am so afflicted now, as if deprived of my senses,
is the fruit of that omission of mine! Cursed
be Bhishma! Cursed be my own wretched father of
foolish understanding, who had arranged prowess to
be my dower, sending me out as if I were a woman (disposed)
for a consideration! Cursed be myself! Cursed
be king Salwa himself and cursed be my creator too!
Cursed be they through whose fault such great misery
hath been mine! Human beings always suffer what
is destined for them. The cause, however, of my
present affliction is Bhishma, the son of Santanu;
I, therefore, see that at present my vengeance should
fall upon him, either through ascetic austerities
or by battle, for he is the cause of my woe! But
what king is there that would venture to vanquish
Bhishma in battle? Having settled this, she issued
out of the city for repairing to an asylum of the
high-souled ascetics of virtuous deeds. The night
she stayed there, surrounded by those ascetics.
And that lady of sweet smiles told those ascetics,
O Bharata, all that had happened to herself with the
minutest details, O mighty-armed one, about her abduction,
and her rejection by Salwa.’
“There lived in that asylum an eminent Brahmana
of rigid vows, and his name was Saikhavatya.
Endued with ascetic merit of a high order, he was a
preceptor of the scriptures and the Aranyakas.
And the sage Saikhavatya, of great ascetic merit,
addressed that afflicted maiden, that chaste girl
sighing heavily in grief, and said, ’If it hath
been so, O blessed lady, what can high-souled ascetics
residing in their (woody) retreats and engaged in
penances do?’ That maiden, however, O king, answered
him, saying, ’Let mercy be shown to me; I desire
a life in the woods, having renounced the world.
I will practise the severest of ascetic austerities.
All that I now suffer is certainly the fruit of those
sins that I had committed from ignorance in my former
life. I do not venture to go back to my relatives,
ye ascetics, rejected and cheerless that I am knowing
that I have been humiliated by Salwa! Ye that
have washed away your sins, godlike as ye are, I desire
that ye should instruct me in ascetic penance!
Oh, let mercy be shown to me!’ Thus addressed,
that sage then comforted the maiden by examples and
reasons borrowed from the scriptures. And having
consoled her thus, he promised, with the other Brahmanas,
to do what she desired.’”
Page 457
SECTION CLXXVIII
“Bhishma said, ’Those virtuous ascetics
then set themselves about their usual avocations,
thinking all the while as to what they should do for
that maiden. And some amongst them said, ’Let
her be taken to her father’s abode.’
And some amongst them set their hearts upon reproaching
ourselves. And some thought that repairing to
the ruler of the Salwas, he should be solicited to
accept the maiden. And some said, ’No, that
should not be done, for she hath been rejected by
him.’ And after some time had passed thus,
those ascetics of rigid vows once more said unto her,
’What, O blessed lady, can ascetics with senses
under control do? Do not devote thyself to a
life in the woods, renouncing the world! O blessed
lady, listen to these words that are beneficial to
thee! Depart hence, blessed be thou, to thy father’s
mansion! The king, thy father, will do what should
next be done. O auspicious one, surrounded by
every comfort, thou mayest live there in happiness.
Thou art a woman! At present, therefore, O blessed
one, thou hast no other protector save thy father.
O thou of the fairest complexion, as regards a woman,
she hath her father for her protector or her husband.
Her husband is her protector when she is in comfortable
circumstances, but when plunged in misery, she hath
her father for her protector. A life in the woods
is exceedingly painful, especially to one that is
delicate. Thou art a princess by birth; over
this, thou art, again, very delicate, O beautiful dame!
O blessed lady, there are numerous discomforts and
difficulties attaching to a life in a (woody) retreat,
none of which, O thou of the fairest complexion, shalt
thou have to bear in thy father’s abode!’
Other ascetics, beholding that helpless girl said
to her, ’Seeing thee alone in deep and solitary
woods, kings may court thee! Therefore, set not
thy heart upon such a course!’
“Hearing these words, Amva said, ’I am
incapable of going back to my father’s abode
in the city of Kasi, for without doubt I shalt then
be disregarded by all my relatives. Ye ascetics,
I lived there, in my father’s abode, during
my childhood. I cannot, however, now go to thither
where my father is. Protected by the ascetics,
I desire to practise ascetic austerities, so that
in even future life of mine such sore afflictions
may not be mine! Ye best of ascetics, I desire,
therefore, to practise ascetic austerities!’
“Bhishma continued, ’When those Brahmanas
were thinking thus about her, there came into that
forest that best of ascetics, the royal sage Hotravahana.
Then those ascetics reverenced the king with worship,
enquiries of welcome and courtesy, a seat, and water.
And after he was seated and had rested for a while,
those denizens of the forest once more began to address
that maiden in the hearing of that royal sage.
Hearing the story of Amva and the king of Kasi, that
royal sage of great energy became very anxious at
Page 458
heart. Hearing her speak in that strain, and
beholding her (distressed), that royal sage of rigid
austerities, viz., the high-souled Hotravahana,
was filled with pity. Then, O lord, that maternal
grandsire of her rose up with trembling frame and causing
that maiden to sit on his lap, began to comfort her.
He then acquired of her in details about that distress
of hers from its beginning. And she, thereupon,
represented to him minutely all that had happened.
Hearing all she said, the royal sage was filled with
pity and grief. And that great sage settled in
mind what she would do. Trembling from agitation
he addressed the afflicted maiden sunk in woe, saying,
’Do not go back to thy father’s abode,
O blessed lady! I am the father of thy mother.
I will dispel thy grief. Rely on me, O daughter!
Great, indeed, must thy affliction he when thou art
so emaciated! At my advice, go unto the ascetic
Rama, the son of Jamadagni. Rama will dispel this
great affliction and grief of thine. He will
slay Bhishma in battle if the latter obeyeth not his
behest. Go, therefore, unto that foremost one
of Bhrigu’s race who resembleth the Yuga-fire
itself in energy! That great ascetic will place
thee once more on the right track!’ Hearing this,
that maiden, shedding tears all the while, saluted
her maternal grandsire, Hotravahana, with a bend of
her head and addressed him, saying, ’Go I will
at thy command! But shall I succeed in obtaining
a sight of that reverend sire celebrated over the
world? How will he dispel this poignant grief
of mine? And how shall I go to that descendant
of Bhrigu? I desire to know all this.’
“Hotravahana said, ’O blessed maiden,
thou wilt behold Jamadagni’s son, Rama, who
is devoted to truth and endued with great might and
engaged in austere penances in the great forest.
Rama always dwelleth in that foremost of the mountains
called Mahendra. Many Rishis, learned in the
Vedas, and many Gandharvas and Apsaras also dwell there.
Go, blessed be thou, and tell him these words of mine,
having saluted with thy bent head that sage of rigid
vows and great ascetic merit. Tell him also, O
blessed girl, all that thou seekest. If thou
namest me, Rama will do everything for thee, for Rama,
the heroic son of Jamadagni, that foremost of all
bearers of arms, is a friend of mine highly pleased
with me, and always wisheth me well!’ And while
king Hotravahana, was saying all this unto that maiden,
thither appeared Akritavrana, a dear companion of Rama.
And on his advent those Munis by hundreds, and the
Srinjaya king Hotravahana, old in years, all stood
up. And those denizens of the forest, uniting
with one another, did him all the rites of hospitality.
And they all took their seats surrounding him.
And filled, O monarch, with gratification and joy,
they then started various delightful, laudable, and
charming subjects of discourse. And after their
discourse was over, that royal sage, the high-souled
Hotravahana enquired of Akritavrana about Rama that
Page 459
foremost of great sages, saying, ’O thou of mighty
arms, where, O Akritavrana, may that foremost of persons
acquainted with the Vedas, viz., Jamadagni’s
son of great prowess be seen?’ Akritavrana answered
him saying, ’O lord, Rama always speaketh of
thee, O king, saying,—That royal sage of
the Srinjayas is my dear friend,—I believe,
Rama will be here tomorrow morning. Thou wilt
see him even here when he cometh to behold thee.
As regards this maiden, for what, O royal sage, hath
she come to the wood? Whose is she, and what
is she to thee? I desire to know all this.’
Hotravahana. said, ’The favourite daughter of
the ruler of Kasi, she is, O lord, my daughter’s
child! The eldest daughter of the king of Kasi,
she is known by the name of Amva. Along with her
two younger sisters, O sinless one, she was in the
midst of her Swayamvara ceremonies. The names
of her two younger sisters are Amvika and Amvalika,
O thou endued with wealth of asceticism! All the
Kshatriya kings of the earth were assembled together
at the city of Kasi. And, O regenerate Rishi,
great festivities were going on there on account of
(the self-choice of) these maidens. In the midst
of these, Santanu’s son, Bhishma, of mighty
valour, disregarding all the kings, abducted the girls.
Vanquishing all the monarchs, the pure-souled prince
Bhishma of Bharata’s race then reached Hastinapura,
and representing everything unto Satyavati, ordered
his brother Vichitravirya’s marriage to take
place with the girls he had brought. Beholding
the arrangements for those nuptials complete, this
maiden, O bull among Brahmanas, then addressed Ganga’s
son in the presence of his ministers and said,—I
have, O hero, within my heart chosen the lord of the
Salwas to be my husband. Conversant as thou art
with morality, it behoveth thee not to bestow me on
thy brother, whose heart is given away to another!—Hearing
these words of hers, Bhishma took counsel with his
ministers. Deliberating on the matter, he, at
last, with Satyavati’s consent, dismissed this
maiden, Permitted thus by Bhishma, this girl gladly
repaired to Salwa, the lord of Saubha, and approaching
him said,—Dismissed I have been by Bhishma.
See that I do not fall off from righteousness!
In my heart, I have chosen thee for my lord, O bull
among kings. Salwa, however, rejected her, suspecting
the purity of her conduct. Even she hath come
to these woods, sacred for asceticism, being ardently
inclined to devote herself to ascetic penances!
She was recognised by me from the account that she
gave of her parentage. As regards her sorrow,
Bhishma is considered by her to be its root!’
After Hotravahana had ceased, Amva herself said, ’O
holy one, it is even so as this lord of earth, this
author of my mother’s body, Hotravahana of the
Srinjaya race hath said. I cannot venture to go
back to my own city, O thou that art endued with wealth
of asceticism, for shame and fear of disgrace, O great
Muni! At present, O holy one, even this is what
hath been my determination, viz., that that would
be my highest duty which the holy Rama, O best of
Brahmanas, might point out to me!’”
Page 460
SECTION CLXXIX
“Akritavrana said, ’Of these two afflictions
of thine, for which, O blessed lady, dost thou seek
a remedy? Tell me this. Is it thy wish that
the lord of Saubha should be urged to wed thee, the
high-souled Rama will certainly urge him from desire
of doing thee good? Or, if thou wishest to behold
Ganga’s son, Bhishma, defeated in battle by intelligent
Rama Bhargava will gratify even that wish of thine.
Hearing what Srinjaya has to say, and what thou also,
O thou of sweet smiles, may have to say, let that
be settled this very day what should be done for thee.’
Hearing these words, Amva said, ’O holy one,
abducted I was by Bhishma acting from ignorance, for,
O regenerate one, Bhishma knew not that my heart had
been given away to Salwa. Thinking of this in
thy mind, let that be resolved upon by thee which
is consistent with justice, and let steps be taken
for accomplishing that resolution. Do that, O
Brahmana, which is proper to be done towards either
that tiger among the Kurus, viz., Bhishma, singly,
or towards the ruler of the Salwas, or towards both
of them! I have told thee truly about the root
of my grief. It behoveth thee, O holy one, to
do that which is consistent with reason.’
“Akritavrana said, ’This, O blessed lady,
O thou of the fairest complexion, that thou sayest
with eyes fixed upon virtue, is, indeed, worthy of
thee. Listen, however, to what I say! If
Ganga’s son had never taken thee to the city
called after the elephant, then, O timid girl, Salwa
would have, at Rama’s behest, taken thee on his
head! It is because Bhishma bore thee away by
force that king Salwa’s suspicions have been
awakened in respect of thee, O thou of slender-waist!
Bhishma is proud of his manliness and is crowned with
success. Therefore, thou shouldst cause thy vengeance
to fall upon Bhishma (and no other)!’ Hearing
these words of the sage, Amva said, ’O regenerate
one, this desire hath been cherished by me also in
my heart, viz., that, if possible. Bhishma
should be caused by me to be slain in battle!
O thou of mighty arms, be it Bhishma or be it king
Salwa, punish that man whom thou thinkest to be guilty
and through whose act I have been so miserable!’
“Bhishma continued, ’In conversation such
as this, that day passed and the night also, O best
of Bharata’s race, with its delicious breeze
which was neither cold nor hot. Then Rama appeared
there, beaming with energy. And that sage wearing
matted-locks on his bead and attired in deer-skins
was surrounded by his disciples. And endued with
magnanimous soul, he had his bow in hand. And
bearing also a sword and a battle-axe, that sinless
one, O tiger among kings, approached the Srinjaya king
(Hotravahana) in that forest. And the ascetics
dwelling there and that king also who was endued with
great ascetic merit, beholding him, all stood up and
waited, O king, with joined hands. And that helpless
Page 461
maiden too did the same. And they all cheerfully
worshipped Bhargava with the offer of honey and curds.
Being worshipped duly by them, Rama sat with them seated
round him. Then, O Bharata, Jamadagni’s
son and Hotravahana, seated thus together, began to
discourse. And after their discourse was over,
the sage Hotravahana opportunately said in a sweet
voice these words of grave import unto that foremost
one of Bhrigu’s race, viz., Rama of mighty
strength, ’O Rama, this is my daughter’s
daughter, O lord, being the daughter of the king of
Kasi.
She hath something to be done for her! Oh, listen
to it duly, O thou that art skilled in all tasks!’
Hearing these words of his friend, Rama addressed
that maiden saying. ‘Tell me what thou hast
to say.’ At these words, Amva approached
Rama who resembled a blazing fire, and worshipping
both his feet with her bent head, touched them with
her two hands that resembled, in radiance, a couple
of lotuses and stood silently before him. And
filled with grief, she wept aloud, her eyes bathed
in tears. And she then sought the protection
of that descendant of Bhrigu, who was the refuge of
all distressed persons. And Rama said, ’Tell
me what grief is in thy heart. I will act according
to thy words!’ Thus encouraged, Amva said, ’O
thou of great vows, O holy one, today I seek thy protection!
O lord, raise me from this unfathomable ocean of sorrow.’
“Bhishma continued, ’Beholding her beauty
and her youthful body and its great delicacy, Rama
began to think,—What will she say?
And that perpetuator of Bhrigu’s line, thinking
inwardly of this, sat long in silence, filled with
pity. He then addressed that maiden of sweet smiles
again, saying, ‘Tell us what thou hast to say!’
Thus encouraged, she represented everything truly
unto Bhargava. And Jamadagni’s son, hearing
these words of the princess, and having first settled
what he should do, addressed that damsel of the fairest
complexion, saying, ’O beautiful lady, I will
send word unto Bhishma, that foremost one of Kuru’s
race. Having beard what my behest is, that king
will certainly obey it. If, however, the son
of Jahnavi do not act according to my words, I will
then consume him in battle, O blessed girl, with all
his counsellors! Or, O princess, if thou desirest
it, I may even address the heroic ruler of the Salwas
to the matter in hand.’ Hearing these words
of Rama, Amva said, ’Dismissed I was by Bhishma,
O son of Bhrigu’s race, as soon as he heard
that my heart had previously been freely given away
to the ruler of the Salwas. Approaching then
the lord of Saubha, I addressed him in language that
was unbecoming. Doubtful of the purity of my conduct,
he refused to accept me. Reflecting on all this,
with the aid of thy own understanding, it behoveth
thee, O son of Bhrigu’s race, to do that which
should be done in view of these circumstances.
Bhishma, however, of great vows is the root of my
calamity, for he brought me under his power taking
Page 462
me up (on his car) by violence! Slay that Bhishma,
O thou of mighty arms, for whose sake, O tiger of
Bhrigu’s race, overwhelmed with such distress,
I suffer such poignant misery! Bhishma, O thou
of Bhrigu’s race, is covetous, and mean, and
proud of his victory. Therefore, O sinless one,
thou shouldst give him his deserts. While, of
lord, I was being abducted by him, even this was the
desire that I cherished in my heart, viz., that
I should cause that hero of great vows to be slain.
Therefore, O sinless Rama, gratify this desire of
mine! O thou of mighty arms, slay Bhishma, even
as Purandara slew Vritra.’”
SECTION CLXXX
“Bhishma said, ’O lord, repeatedly urged
by that maiden to slay Bhishma, Rama replied unto
that weeping girl, saying, ’O daughter of Kasi,
O thou of the fairest complexion, I do not, on any
account, take up arms now except for the sake of those
that are conversant with the Vedas. Tell me,
therefore, what else I can do for thee? Both Bhishma
and Salwa are, O princess, exceedingly obedient to
me. Do not grieve, I will accomplish thy object.
I will not, however, O beautiful lady, take up arms,
except at the command of Brahmanas. This hath
been my rule of conduct.’
“Amva said, ’My misery, O holy one, should
by any means be dispelled by thee. That misery
of mine hath been caused by Bhishma. Slay him,
therefore, O lord, without much delay.’
“Rama said, ’O daughter of Kasi, say but
the word and Bhishma, however, deserving of reverence
from thee, will, at my word, take up thy feet on his
head!’
“Amva said, ’O Rama, slay in battle that
Bhishma who roareth like an Asura. Indeed, summoned
to the encounter (by him), slay him, O Rama, if thou
wishest (to do) what is agreeable to me. It behoveth
thee, besides, to make thy promise true.’
“Bhishma continued, ’While, O king, Rama
and Amva were talking thus with each other, the Rishi
(Akritavrana) of highly virtuous soul said these words,
’It behoveth thee not, O mighty-armed one, to
desert this girl that seeketh thy protection!
If summoned to battle, Bhishma cometh to the encounter
and sayeth—I am vanquished, or, if he obeyeth
thy words, then that which this maiden seeketh will
be accomplished, O son of Bhrigu’s race, and
the words spoken by thee, O hero, will also, O lord,
be true! This also was, O great Muni, the vow
then made by thee, O Rama,—the vow made
by thee before Brahmanas after thou hadst conquered
all the Kshatriyas, viz., that thou wouldst slay
in battle the person, be he a Brahmana, a Kshatriya,
a Vaisya, or a Sudra, who would be a foe to the Brahmanas.
Thou hadst further promised that as long as thou wouldst
live thou wouldst not abandon those that would come
to thee in fright and seek thy protection, and that
thou wouldst, O Bhargava, slay that proud warrior
who would vanquish in battle all the assembled Kshatriyas
of the earth! O Ram, even Bhishma, that perpetuator
of Kuru’s race, hath achieved such success (over
all the Kshatriyas)! Approaching him, O son of
Bhrigu’s race, encounter him now in battle!’
Page 463
“Rama said, ’O best of Rishis, I recollect
that vow of mine made before. I will, however
(in the present instance) do that which conciliation
may point out. That task which the daughter of
Kasi hath in her mind is a grave one, O Brahmana!
Taking this maiden with me, I will repair myself to
the place where Bhishma is. If Bhishma, proud
of his achievements in battle, do not obey my behest,
I will then slay that arrogant wight. Even this
is my fixed resolve. The arrows shot by me do
not stick to the bodies of embodied creatures (but
pass them through). This is known to you from
what you saw in my encounters with the Kshatriyas!’
Having said this, Rama then, along with all those
seekers of Brahma, resolved to depart from that asylum!
and the great ascetic then rose from his seat.
Then all those ascetics passing that night there, performed
(on the next morning) their homa-rites and recited
their prayers. And then they all set out, desirous
of taking my life. And Rama, accompanied by all
those devotees of Brahma, then came to Kurukshetra,
O monarch, with that maiden, O Bharata, in their company.
And those high-souled ascetics, with that foremost
one of Bhrigu’s race at head, having arrived
on the banks of the stream of Saraswati, quartered
themselves there.’”
SECTION CLXXXI
“Bhishma said, ’After he had quartered
there, on third day, O king, Jamadagni’s son
of high vows, sent a message to me, saying, ’I
have come here, do what is agreeable to me.’
Hearing that Rama, of great might, had come to the
confines of our kingdom, I speedily went with a joyous
heart to that master who was an ocean of energy.
And I went to him, O king, with a cow placed in the
van of my train, and accompanied by many Brahmanas,
and (ordinary) priests (of our family), and by others,
resembling the very gods in splendour, employed by
us on special occasions. And beholding me arrived
at his presence, Jamadagni’s son, of great prowess,
accepted the worship I offered unto him and said these
words unto me.’
“Rama said, ’Thyself, divested of desire,
with what mood of mind, O ’Bhishma, didst thou
abduct, on the occasion of her self-choice, his daughter
of the king of Kasi and again dismiss her subsequently?
By thee hath this famous lady been dissociated from
virtue! Contaminated by the touch of thy hands
before, who can marry her now? Rejected she hath
been by Salwa, because thou, O Bharata, hadst abducted
her. Take her therefore, to thyself, O Bharata,
at my command. Let this daughter of a king, O
tiger among men, be charged with the duties of her
sex! O king, O sinless one, it is not proper
that this humiliation should be hers!
Page 464
’Seeing him plunged into sorrow (on account
of the maiden) I said unto him,—O Brahmana,
I cannot, by any means, bestow this girl on my brother.
O thou of Bhrigu’s race, it was to myself that
she said, I am Salwa’s! And it was by me
that she was permitted to go to Salwa’s city.
As regards myself, even this is my firm vow that I
cannot abandon Kshatriya practices from fear or pity,
or avarice of wealth, or lust!—Hearing
these words of mine, Rama addressed me, with eyes rolling
in anger, saying, ’If, O bull among, men, thou
dost not act according to my words, I will slay thee
this very day along with all thy counsellors!’
Indeed, with eyes rolling in anger, Rama in great
wrath told me these words repeatedly. I, however,
O chastiser of foes, then beseeched him in sweet words.
But though beseeched by me, he did not cool down.
Bowing down with my head unto that best of Brahmanas
I then enquired of him the reason for which he sought
battle with me. I also said,—O thou
of mighty arms, while I was a child it was thou who
instructed me in the four kinds of arms.[18] I am,
therefore, O thou of Bhrigu’s race, thy disciple!
Then Rama answered me with eyes red in anger, ’Thou
knowest me, O Bhishma, to be thy preceptor, and yet,
O Kauravya, thou acceptest not, for pleasing me, this
daughter of the ruler of Kasi! O delighter of
the Kurus, I cannot be gratified unless thou actest
in this way! O mighty-armed one, take this maiden
and preserve thy race! Having been abducted by
thee, she obtaineth not a husband. Unto Rama
that subjugator of hostile cities, I replied, saying.—This
cannot be, O regenerate Rishi! All thy labour
is vain, O son of Jamadagni, remembering thy old preceptorship,
I am striving, O holy one, to gratify thee! As
regards this maiden, she hath been refused by me before
knowing what the faults, productive of great evils,
of the female sex are, who is there that would admit
into his abode a woman whose heart is another’s
and who (on that account) is even like a snake of
virulent poison? O thou of high vows, I would
not, even from fear of Vasava, forsake duty!
Be gracious unto me, or do me without delay that which
thou hast thought proper. This sloka also, O thou
of pure soul, is heard in the Puranas, O lord, sung
by the high-souled Marutta, O thou of great intelligence!
The renunciation is sanctioned by the ordinance of
a preceptor who is filled with vanity, who is destitute
of the knowledge of right and wrong, and who is treading
in a devious path.—Thou art my preceptor
and it is for this that I have from love reverenced
thee greatly. Thou, however, knowest not the duty
of a preceptor, and it is for this that I will fight
with thee. I would not slay any preceptor in
battle, especially again a Brahmana, and more specially
one endued with ascetic merit. It was for this
that I forgive thee. It is well-known truth,
gatherable from the scriptures, that he is not guilty
of slaying a Brahmana who killeth in battle a person
of that order that taketh up weapons like Kshatriya
Page 465
and fighteth wrathfully without seeking to fly.
I am a Kshatriya stationed in the practice of Kshatriya
duties. One doth not incur sin, nor doth one incur
any harm by behaving towards a person exactly as that
person deserveth. When a person acquainted with
the proprieties of time and place and well-versed in
matters affecting both profit and virtue, feels doubtful,
as regards anything, he should without scruples of
any kind, devote himself to the acquisition of virtue
which would confer the highest benefit on him.
And since thou, O Rama, in a matter connected with
profit of doubtful propriety, actest unrighteously,
I would certainly fight with thee in a great battle.
Behold the strength of my arms and my prowess that
is superhuman! In view of such circumstances,
I shall certainly do, O son of Bhrigu, what I can.
I shall fight with thee, O regenerate one, on the
field of Kurukshetra! O Rama of great effulgence,
equip thyself as thou listest for single combat!
Come and station thyself on the field of Kurukshetra
where, afflicted with my shafts in great battle, and
sanctified by my weapons, thou mayest obtain those
regions that have been won by thee (thought for thy
austerities). O thou of mighty arms and wealth
of asceticism, there I will approach thee for battle,—thee
that art so fond of battle! There, O Rama, where
in days of yore thou hadst propitiated thy (deceased)
fathers (with oblations of Kshatriya blood), slaying
thee there, O son of Bhrigu, I will propitiate the
Kshatriya slain by thee! Come there, O Rama,
without delay! There, O thou that art difficult
of being vanquished, I will curb thy old pride about
which the Brahmanas speak! For many long years,
O Rama, thou hast boasted, saying,—I have,
single-handed, vanquished all the Kshatriyas of the
Earth!—Listen now to what enabled thee to
indulge in that boast! In those days no Bhishma
was born, or no Kshatriyas like unto Bhishma!
Kshatriyas really endued with valour have taken their
births later on! As regards thyself, thou hast
consumed only heaps of straw! The person that
would easily quell thy pride of battle hath since been
born! He, O mighty-armed one, is no other than
myself, even Bhishma, that subjugator of hostile cities!
Without doubt, O Rama, I shall just quell thy pride
of battle!’
“Bhishma continued, ’Hearing these words
of mine. Rama addressed me, laughingly saying,
’By good luck it is, O Bhishma, that thou desirest
to fight with me in battle! O thou of Kuru’s
race, even now I go with thee to Kurukshetra!
I will do what thou hast said! Come thither, O
chastiser of foes! Let thy mother, Jahnavi, O
Bhishma, behold thee dead on that plain, pierced with
my shafts, and become the food of vultures, crows,
and other carnivorous birds! Let that goddess
worshipped by Siddhas and Charanas, that blessed daughter
of Bhagiratha, in the form of a river, who begat thy
wicked self, weep today, O king, beholding thee slain
by me and lying miserable on that plain, however undeserving
Page 466
she may be of seeing such a sight! Come, O Bhishma,
and follow me, O proud wight, always longing for battle!
O thou of Kuru’s race, take with thee, O bull
of Bharatas’ line, thy cars and all other equipments
of battle!’ Hearing these words of Rama that
subjugator of hostile towns, I worshipped him with
a bend of my head and answered him, saying,—So
be it! Having said all this, Rama then went to
Kurukshetra from desire of combat, and I also, entering
our city, represented everything unto Satyavati.
Then causing propitiatory ceremonies to be performed
(for my victory), and being blessed also by my mother,
and making the Brahmanas utter benedictions on me,
I mounted on a handsome car made of silver and unto
which, O thou of great glory, were yoked steeds white
in hue. And every part of that car was well-built,
and it was exceedingly commodious and covered on all
sides with tiger-skin. And it was equipped with
many great weapons and furnished with all necessaries.
And it was ridden by charioteer who was well-born
and brave, who was versed in horse-lore, careful in
battle, and well-trained in his art, and who had seen
many encounters. And I was accoutred in a coat
of mail, white in hue, and had my bow in hand.
And the bow I took was also white in hue. And
thus equipped, I set out, O best of Bharata’s
race! And an umbrella, white in hue, was held
over my head. And, O king, I was fanned with fans
that also were white in colour. And clad in white,
with also a white head-gear, all my adornments were
white. And eulogised (with laudatory hymns) by
Brahmanas wishing me victory. I issued out of
the city named after the elephant, and proceeded to
Kurukshetra, which, O bull of Bharata’s race,
was to be the field of battle! And those steeds,
fleet as the mind or the wind, urged by my charioteer,
soon bore me, O king, to that great encounter.
And arrived in the field of Kurukshetra, both myself
and Rama, eager for battle, became desirous of showing
each other our prowess. And arrived within view
of the great ascetic Rama, I took up my excellent
conch and blew a loud blast. And many Brahmanas,
O king, and many ascetics having their abodes in the
forest, as also the gods with Indra at their head,
were stationed there for beholding the great encounter.
And many celestial garlands and diverse kinds of celestial
music and many cloudy canopies could be noticed there.
And all those ascetics who had come with Rama, desiring
to become spectators of the fight, stood all around
the field. Just at this juncture, O king, my divine
mother devoted to the good of all creatures, appeared
before me in her own form and said, ’What is
this that thou seekest to do? Repairing to Jamadagni’s
son, O son of Kuru’s race, I will repeatedly
solicit him saying,—Do not fight Bhishma
who is thy disciple!—O son, being a Kshatriya
do not obstinately set thy heart on an encounter in
battle with Jamadagni’s son who is a Brahmana!’
Indeed, it was thus that she reproved me. And
Page 467
she also said, ’O son, Rama, equal in prowess
unto Mahadeva himself, is the exterminator of the
Kshatriya order! It is not known to thee, that
thou desirest an encounter with him.’ Thus
addressed by her, I saluted the goddess reverentially
and replied unto her with joined hands, giving her,
O chief of the Bharatas, an account of all that had
transpired in that self-choice (of the daughter of
Kasi). I also told her every thing, O king of
kings, about how I had urged Rama (to desist from the
combat). I also gave her a history of all the
past acts of the (eldest) daughter of Kasi. My
mother then, the great River, wending to Rama, began,
for my sake, to beseech the Rishi of Bhrigu’s
race. And she said unto him these words, viz.,—Do
not fight Bhishma who is thy disciple!—Rama,
however, said unto her while she was beseeching him
thus, ’Go and make Bhishma desist! He doth
not execute out my wish! It is for this that I
have challenged him!’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Thus addressed
by Rama, Ganga, from affection for her son, came back
to Bhishma. But Bhishma, with eyes rolling in
anger, refused to do her bidding. Just at this
time, the mighty ascetic Rama, that foremost one of
Bhrigu’s race, appeared in Bhishma’s sight.
An then that best of the twice-born ones challenged
him to the encounter.’”
SECTION CLXXXII
“Bhishma said, ’I then smilingly addressed
Rama stationed for battle, saying,—Myself
on my car, I do not wish to fight with thee that art
on the earth! Mount on a car, O hero, and case
thy body in mail, O mighty-armed one, if indeed, O
Rama, thou wishest to fight me in battle!—Then
Rama smilingly replied unto me on that field of battle,
saying, ’The Earth, O Bhishma, is my car, and
Vedas, like good steeds, are the animals that carry
me! The wind is my car-driver, and my coat of
mail is constituted by those mothers in the Vedas (viz.,
Gayatri, Savitri and Saraswati). Well-covered
by these in battle, O son of Kuru’s race, I
will fight!’ Having said this, O Gandhari’s
son. Rama of prowess incapable of being baffled,
covered me on all sides with a thick shower of arrows.
I then beheld Jamadagni’s son stationed on a
car equipped with every kind of excellent weapons!
And the car he rode was exceedingly handsome and was
of wonderful appearance. And it had been created
by a fiat of his will, and it was beautiful like a
town. And celestial steeds were yoked unto it,
and it was well-protected by the necessary defences.
And it was decked all over with ornaments of gold.
And it was well-covered with tough skins all around,
and bore the device of the sun and the moon.
Rama was armed with bow and equipped with a quiver,
and with fingers cased in leathern fences! Akritavrana,
the dear friend of Bhargava, well-versed in the Vedas,
did the duties of a car-driver for that warrior.
And he, of Bhrigu’s race, repeatedly summoning
me to battle, saying,—Come, come,—gladden
Page 468
my heart. And I then, myself, singly obtained
for my adversary that invincible and mighty exterminator
of the Kshatriya race, viz., Rama risen like the
sun himself in splendour, desirous (on his part) of
fighting singly! And after he had poured three
showers of arrows on me curbing my steeds, I came down
from my car and placing my bow aside I proceeded on
foot to that best of Rishis. And arriving before
him, I worshipped the best of Brahmanas with reverence.
And having saluted him duly, I told him these excellent
words,—O Rama, whether thou art equal or
superior to me, I will fight with thee, my virtuous
preceptor, in battle! O lord, bless me, wishing
me victory!’
“Rama, thus addressed, said, ’O foremost
one of Kuru’s race, he that desires prosperity
should act even thus! O thou of mighty arms, they
that fight with warriors more eminent than themselves,
have this duty to perform. O king, I would have
cursed thee if thou hadst not approached me thus!
Go, fight carefully and summoning all thy patience,
O thou of Kuru’s race! I cannot, however,
wish thee victory, for I myself stand here to vanquish
thee! Go, fight fairly! I am pleased with
thy behaviour!—Bowing unto him, I then
speedily came back, and mounting on my car, I once
more blew my conch decked with gold, And then, O Bharata,
the combat commenced between him and me. And it
lasted for many days. each of us, O king, having been
desirous of vanquishing the other. And in that
battle, it was Rama who struck me first with nine hundred
and sixty straight arrows furnished with vulturine
wings. And with that arrowy shower, O king, my
four steeds and charioteer were completely covered!
Notwithstanding all this, however, I remained quiet
in that encounter, accoutred in my coat of mail!
Bowing unto the gods, and especially unto the Brahmanas,
I then smilingly addressed Rama stationed for battle,
saying,—Although thou hast shown little
regard for me, yet I have fully honoured thy preceptorship!
Listen again, O Brahmana, to some other auspicious
duty that should be discharged if virtue is to be earned!
The Vedas that are in thy body, and the high status
of Brahmana that is also in thee, and the ascetic
merit thou hast earned by the severest of austerities,
I do not strike at these! I strike, however, at
that Kshatriyahood which thou, O Rama, hast adopted!
When a Brahmana taketh up weapons, he becometh a Kshatriya.
Behold now the power of my bow and the energy of my
arms! Speedily shall I cut off that bow of thine
with a sharp shaft!—Saying this I shot
at him, O bull of Bharata’s race, a sharp broad-headed
arrow, And cutting off one of the horns of his bow
with it. I caused it to drop on the ground.
I then shot at Jamadagni’s car a hundred straight
arrows winged with vulturine feathers. Piercing
through Rama’s body and borne along by the wind,
those arrows coursing through space seemed to vomit
blood (from their mouths) and resembled veritable
snakes. Covered all over with blood and with blood
Page 469
issuing out of his body. Rama, O king, shone
in battle, like the Sumeru mountain with streams of
liquid metal rolling down its breast, or like the Asoka
tree at the advent of spring, when covered with red
bunches of flowers, or, O king, like the Kinsuka tree
when clad in its flowery attire! Taking up then
another bow, Rama, filled with wrath, showered upon
me numerous arrows of excessive sharpness, furnished
with golden wings. And those fierce arrows of
tremendous impetus, resembling snakes, or fire, or
poison, coming at me from all sides, pierced my very
vitals and caused me to tremble. Summoning all
my coolness then addressed myself for the encounter,
and filled with rage I pierced Rama with a hundred
arrows. And afflicted with those hundred blazing
shafts resembling either fire, or the sun or looking
like snakes of virulent poison, Rama seemed to lose
his senses! Filled, O Bharata, with pity (at the
sight), I stopped of my own accord and said,—Oh,
fie on battle! Fie on Kshatriya practices!
And overwhelmed, O king, with grief, I repeatedly
said,—Alas, great is the sin committed
by me through observance of Kshatriya practices, since
I have afflicted with arrows my preceptor who is a
Brahmana endued with a virtuous soul!—After
that, O Bharata, I ceased striking Jamadagni’s
son any more. At this time, the thousand-rayed
luminary, having heated the earth with his rays, proceeded
at the close of day to his chambers in the west and
the battle also between us ceased.’”
SECTION CLXXXIII
“Bhishma said, ’After the battle had ceased,
my charioteer, well-skilled in such operations, drew
out from his own body, from the bodies of my steeds,
and from my body as well, the arrows that struck there.
Next morning, when the sun rose, the battle commenced
again, my horses having (a little while before) been
bathed and allowed to roll on the ground and having
had their thirst slaked and thereby re-invigorated.
And beholding me coming quickly to the encounter attired
in a coat of mail and stationed on my car, the mighty
Rama equipped his car with great care. And I
myself also, beholding Rama coming towards me from
desire of battle, placed aside my bow and quickly
descended from my car. Saluting Rama I re-ascended
it, O Bharata, and desirous of giving battle, stood
fearlessly before that son of Jamadagni. I then
overwhelmed him with a thick shower of arrows, and
he too covered me with an arrowy shower in return.
And filled with wrath. Jamadagni’s son once
more shot at me a number of fierce shafts of great
force and blazing mouths looking like veritable snakes!
And I too, O king, shooting sharp shafts by hundreds
and thousands, repeatedly cut: off Rama’s
arrows in mid-air before they could come at me.
Then the mighty son of Jamadagni began to hurl celestial
weapons at me, all of which I repelled, desirous of
achieving mightier feats, O thou of strong arms, with-my
weapons. And loud was the din that then arose
Page 470
in the welkin all around. At that time, I hurled
at Rama the weapon named Vayavya which Rama neutralised,
O Bharata, by the weapon called Guhyaka. Then
I applied, with proper mantras, the weapon called
Agneya but the lord Rama neutralised that weapon of
mine by one (of his) called Varuna. And it was
in this way that I neutralised the celestial weapons
of Rama, and that chastiser of foes, Rama also, endued
with great energy and acquainted with celestial weapons,
neutralised the weapons shot by me. Then, O monarch,
that best of Brahmanas, the mighty son of Jamadagni,
filled with wrath, suddenly wheeling to my right,
pierced me in the breast. At this, O best of the
Bharatas, I swooned on my best of cars. And beholding
me, reft of consciousness, my charioteer quickly bore
me away from the field. And seeing me afflicted
and pierced with Rama’s weapons and borne away
drooping and in a swoon, all the followers of Rama,
including Akritavrana and others and the princess of
Kasi, filled with joy, O Bharata, began to shout aloud!
Regaining consciousness then, I addressed my charioteer,
saying,—Go where Rama stayeth! My
pains have left me, and I am ready for battle!—Thus
instructed, my charioteer soon took me where Rama was,
with the aid of those exceedingly handsome steeds
of mine that seemed to dance as they coursed (through
the plain) and that were endued with the speed of the
wind. And approaching Rama then, O thou of Kuru’s
race, and filled with wrath, from desire of vanquishing
his angry self, I overwhelmed him with an arrowy shower!
But Rama, shooting three for every single of mine,
cut into fragments every one of my straight-going
arrows in mid air before any of them could reach him!
And beholding those well-furnished arrows of mine
by hundreds and thousands, each cut off in twain by
Rama’s arrows, all the followers of Rama were
filled with joy. Impelled then by the desire
of slaying him, I shot at Rama, the son of Jamadagni,
a good-looking arrow of blazing effulgence with Death’s
self sitting at its head. Struck very forcibly
therewith and succumbing to its impetus, Rama fell
into a swoon and dropped down on the ground. And
when Rama thus dropped on the ground, exclamations
of Oh and Alas arose on all sides, and the whole universe,
O Bharata, was filled with confusion and alarm, such
as may be witnessed if the sun himself were ever to
fall down from the firmament! Then all those
ascetics together with the princess of Kasi, quietly
proceeded, O son of Kuru’s race, with great anxiety
towards Rama. And embracing him, O Kaurava, they
began to comfort him softly with the touch of their
hands, rendered cold by contact with water, and with
assurances of victory. Thus comforted, Rama rose
up and fixing an arrow to his bow he addressed me
in an agitated voice, saying, ’Stay, O Bhishma!
Thou art already slain! And let off by him, that
arrow quickly pierced my left side in that fierce
encounter. And struck therewith, I began to tremble
like a tree shaken by the tempest. Slaying my
Page 471
horses then in terrific combat, Rama, fighting with
great coolness, covered me with swarms of winged arrows,
shot with remarkable lightness of hand. At this,
O mighty-armed one, I also began to shoot arrows with
great lightness of hand for obstructing Rama’s
arrowy shower. Then those arrows shot by myself
and Rama covering the welkin all around, stayed even
there (without failing down). And, thereupon,
enveloped by clouds of arrows the very sun could not
shed its rays through them. And the very wind,
obstructed by those clouds, seemed to be unable to
pass through them. Then, in consequence of the
obstructed motion of the wind, the rays of the sun,
and the clash of the arrows against one another, a
conflagration was caused in the welkin. And then
those arrows blazed forth in consequence of the fire
generated by themselves, and fell on the earth, consumed
into ashes! Then Rama, O Kaurava, filled with
rage, covered me with hundreds and thousands and hundreds
of thousands and hundreds of millions arrows!
And I also, O king, with my arrows resembling snakes
of virulent poison, cut into fragments all those arrows
of Rama and caused them to fall down on the earth
like snakes cut into pieces. And it was thus,
O best of the Bharatas, that combat took place.
When, however, the shades of evening approached, my
preceptor withdrew from the fight.’”
SECTION CLXXXIV
“Bhishma said, ’The next day, O bull of
Bharata’s race, frightful again was the combat
that wok place between me and Rama when I encountered
him once more. That hero of virtuous soul, conversant
with celestial weapons,—the lord Rama,
from day to day, began to use diverse kinds of celestial
weapons. Regardless of life itself, which is so
difficult of being sacrificed, in that fierce combat,
O Bharata, I baffled all those weapons with such of
mine as are capable of baffling them. And, O
Bharata, when diverse weapons were in this way neutralised
and baffled by means of counter-weapons, Rama, of
mighty energy began to contend against me in that
battle, reckless of his own life. Seeing all his
weapons baffled, the high-souled son of Jamadagni
then hurled at me a fierce lance, blazing like a meteor,
with flaming mouth, filling the whole world, as it
were, with its effulgence, and resembling the dart
hurled by Death himself! I, however, with my
arrows cut into three fragments that blazing dart
rushing against me, and resembling in effulgence the
sun that rises at end of the Yuga! At this, breezes
charged with fragrant odours began to blow (around
me). Beholding that dart of his cut off, Rama,
burning with anger, hurled a dozen other fierce darts.
Their forms, O Bharata, I am incapable of describing
in consequence of their great effulgence and speed.
How, indeed, shall I describe their forms? Beholding
those diverse-looking darts approach me from all sides,
like long tongues of fire and blazing forth with fierce
energy like the dozen suns that arise at the time
Page 472
of the destruction of the universe, I was filled with
fear. Seeing an arrowy net advancing against me,
I baffled it with an arrowy downpour of mine, and
then sent a dozen shafts by which I consumed those
fierce-looking dozen darts of Rama. Then, O king,
the high-souled son of Jamadagni showered on me numerous
fierce-looking darts, furnished with variegated handles
decked with gold, possessed of golden wings, and resembling
flaming meteors! Baffling those fierce darts
by means of my shield and sword, and causing them in
that combat to fall down on the ground, I then, with
clouds of excellent arrows, covered Rama’s excellent
steeds and his charioteer. Then that high-souled
smiter of the lord of the Haihayas,[19] beholding
those darts of mine equipped with gold-decked handles
and resembling snakes emerged out of their holes,
and filled with wrath at the sight, had recourse once
more to celestial weapons! Then swarms of fierce
arrows, looking like flights of locusts fell upon
me and overwhelmed me, my steeds, my charioteer, and
my car! Indeed, O king, my car, horses, and charioteer,
were covered all over with those arrows! And
the yoke, shaft, wheels, and the wheel-spokes of my
car, overwhelmed with that arrowy shower, at once broke.
After that arrowy shower, however, was over, I also
covered my preceptor with a thick shower of arrows.
Thereupon, that mass of Brahmic merit, mangled with
that arrowy downpour, began to bleed copiously, and
continuously. Indeed, like Rama afflicted with
my clouds of arrows, I too was densely pierced with
his arrows. When at last in the evening, the sun
set behind the western hills, our combat came to an
end.’”
SECTION CLXXXV
“Bhishma said, ’Next morning, O king,
when the sun rose brightly, the combat between myself
and him of Bhrigu’s race, again, commenced.
Then Rama, that foremost of smiters, stationed on
his quickly-moving car, rained on me a thick downpour
of arrows like the clouds on the mountain-breast.
My beloved charioteer then, afflicted by that arrowy
shower, swerved from his place in the car, filling
me with grief on his account. A total unconsciousness
then came over him. And thus wounded by that
arrowy downpour he fell down upon the earth in a swoon.
And afflicted as he had been by Rama’s shafts,
he soon gave up his life. Then, O great king,
fear entered my heart. And when, on the death
of my charioteer, I was still lamenting for him with
heart unhinged by sorrow, Rama began to shoot at me
many death-dealing shafts. Indeed, even when
endangered at the death of my charioteer I was lamenting
for him, he of Bhrigu’s race, drawing the bow
with strength, pierced me deep with an arrow!
O king, that blood-drinking shaft, falling upon my
breast, pierced me through and fell simultaneously
with my person upon the earth! Then, O bull of
Bharata’s race, thinking I was dead, Rama repeatedly
roared aloud like the clouds and rejoiced exceedingly!
Page 473
indeed, O king, when thus I fell down on the earth,
Rama, filled with joy, sent forth loud shouts along
with his followers, while all the Kauravas who stood
beside me and all those who came there to witness
the combat were afflicted with great woe on seeing
me fall. While lying prostrate, O lion among kings,
I beheld eight Brahmanas endued with the effulgence
of the sun or the fire. They stood surrounding
me on that field of battle and supporting me on their
arms. Indeed, borne up by those Brahmanas I had
not to touch the ground. Like friends they supported
me in mid-air while I was breathing heavily.
And they were sprinkling me with drops of water.
And bearing me up as they stood, they then, O king,
repeatedly said unto me, ’Do not fear!
Let prosperity be thine!’ Comforted then by those
words of theirs, I quickly rose up. I then beheld
my mother Ganga—that foremost of the rivers,
stationed on my car. Indeed, O king of the Kurus,
it was that great river-goddess who had controlled
my steeds in the combat (after my charioteer’s
fall)! Worshipping then the feet of my mother
and of the spirits of my ancestors, I ascended my
car. My mother then protected my car, steeds,
and all the implements of battle. With joined
bands I entreated her to go away. Having dismissed
her, I myself restrained those steeds endued with
the speed of the wind, and fought with Jamadagni’s
son, O Bharata, till the close of the day! Then,
O chief of the Bharatas, in course of that combat,
I shot at Rama a powerful and heart-piercing arrow
endued with great speed. Afflicted with that shaft,
Rama then, his bow loosened from his grasp, fell down
upon the earth on his knees, reft of consciousness!
And when Rama, that giver of many thousands (of golden
coins) fell, masses of clouds covered the firmament,
pouring a copious shower of blood! And meteors
by hundreds fell, and thunder-rolls were heard, causing
everything to tremble! And suddenly Rahu enveloped
the blazing sun, and rough winds began to blow!
And the earth itself began to tremble. And vultures
and crows and cranes began to alight in joy! And
the points of the horizon seemed to be ablaze and jackals
began repeatedly to yell fiercely! And drums,
unstruck (by human hands), began to produce harsh
sound! Indeed, when the high-souled Rama embraced
the earth, reft of consciousness, all these frightful
and alarming omens of evil were seen! Then all
on a sudden rising up, Rama approached me once more,
O Kaurava, for battle, forgetting everything and deprived
of his senses by anger. And that mighty-armed
one took up his bow endued with great strength and
also a deadly arrow. I, however, resisted him
successfully. The great Rishis then (that stood
there) were filled with pity at the sight, while he,
however, of Bhrigu’s race, was filled with great
wrath. I then took up a shaft, resembling the
blazing fire that appears at the end of the Yuga,
but Rama of immeasurable soul baffled that weapon
of mine. Then covered by clouds of dust, the splendour
of the solar disc was dimmed, and the sun went to
the western mount. And night came with its delicious
and cool breezes, and then both of us desisted from
the fight. In this way, O king, when evening came
the fierce battle ceased, and (next day) with the
re-appearance of the sun it commenced again.
And it lasted for three and twenty days together.’”
Page 474
SECTION CLXXXVI
“Bhishma said, ’Then, O great king, during
the night, having bowed unto the Brahmanas, the Rishis,
the gods, and all those creatures that wander during
the dark, and also all the kings of the earth, I laid
myself down on my bed, and in the solitude of my room,
I began to reflect in the following way.—For
many days hath this fierce combat of terrible consequence
lasted between myself and Jamadagni. I am unable,
however, to vanquish on the field of battle that Rama
of mighty energy. If indeed, I am competent to
vanquish in battle that Brahmana of mighty strength,
viz., Jamadagni’s son of great prowess,
then let the gods kindly show themselves to me this
night!—Mangled with arrows as I lay asleep,
O great king, that night on my right side, towards
the morning, those foremost of Brahmanas who had raised
me when I had fallen down from my car and held me
up and said unto me—Do not fear—and
who had comforted me, showed themselves to me, O king,
in a dream! And they stood surrounding me and
said these words. Listen to them as I repeat them
to thee, O perpetuator of Kuru’s race!
Rise, O Ganga’s son, thou needst have no fear!
We will protect thee, for thou art our own body!
Rama, the son of Jamadagni, will never be able to
vanquish thee in battle! Thou, O bull of Bharata’s
race, wilt be the conqueror of Rama in combat!
This beloved weapon, O Bharata, called Praswapa, appertaining
to the lord of all creatures, and forged by the divine
artificer, will come to thy knowledge, for it was
known to thee in thy former life! Neither Rama,
nor any person on earth is acquainted with it.
Recollect it, therefore, O thou of mighty arms, and
apply it with strength! O king of kings, O sinless
one, it will come to thee of itself! With it,
O Kaurava, thou wilt be able to check all persons
endued with mighty energy! O king, Rama will
not be slain outright by it, thou shalt not, therefore,
O giver of honours, incur any sin by using it!
Afflicted by the force of this thy weapon, the son
of Jamadagni, will fall asleep! Vanquishing him
thus, thou wilt again awaken him in battle, O Bhishma,
with that dear weapon called Samvodhana! Do what
we have told thee, O Kauravya, in the morning, stationed
on thy car. Asleep or dead we reckon it as the
same, O king, Rama will not surely die! Apply,
therefore, this Praswapa weapon so happily thought
of!—Having said this, O king, those foremost
of Brahmanas, eight in number and resembling one another
in form, and possessed of effulgent bodies, all vanished
from my sight!’”
SECTION CLXXXVII
Page 475
“Bhishma said, ’After the night had passed
away, I awoke, O Bharata, and thinking of my dream
I was filled with great joy. Then, O Bharata,
the combat began between him and me—a combat
that was fierce and unrivalled and that made the hairs
of all creatures stand on their ends. And Bhargava
poured on me an arrowy shower which I baffled with
an arrowy shower of mine. Then filled with wrath
at what he had seen the day before and what he saw
that day, Rama hurled at me a dart, hard as Indra’s
thunderbolt and possessed of effulgence, resembling
the Yama’s mace! It came towards me like
a blazing flame of fire and drinking up, as it were,
all the quarters of that field of battle! Then,
O tiger among the Kurus, it fell, O perpetuator of
Kuru’s line, upon my shoulder, like the lightning’s
flame that ranges the sky. Wounded thus by Rama,
O thou of red eyes, my blood, O mighty-armed one,
began to flow copiously like streams of red earth
from a mountain (after a shower)! Filled with
great wrath, I then shot at Jamadagni’s son
a deadly shaft, fatal as the poison of a snake.
That heroic and best of Brahmanas, struck therewith
at the forehead, O monarch, then appeared as beautiful
as a crested hill! Extremely angry, that hero
then, changing his position and drawing the bow-string
with great strength, aimed at me a terrible shaft resembling
all-destructive Death himself, and capable of grinding
all foes! That fierce arrow fell upon my breast,
hissing (through the air) like a snake. Covered
with blood, I fell down on the earth, O king, thus
struck. Regaining consciousness, I hurled at
Jamadagni’s son a frightful dart, effulgent
as the thunderbolt. That dart fell upon the bosom
of that foremost of Brahmanas. Deprived of his
senses at this, Rama began to tremble all over.
That great ascetic then, viz., his friend, the
regenerate Akritavrana, embraced him and with diverse
words of comfort soothed him. Reassured thus,
Rama of high vows was then filled with wrath and vindictiveness.
He invoked the great Brahma weapon. For baffling
it I also used the same excellent weapon. Clashing
against each other, the two weapons began to blaze
forth brightly, showing what happens at the end of
the Yuga! Without being able to reach either myself
or Rama, those two weapons, O best of the Bharatas,
met each other in the mid-air. Then the whole
welkin seemed to be ablaze, and all creatures, O monarch,
became highly distressed. Afflicted by the energy
of those weapons, the Rishis, the Gandharvas, and
the gods were all greatly pained. Then earth,
with her mountains and seas and trees began to tremble,
and all creatures, heated with the energy of the weapons,
were greatly afflicted. The firmament, O king,
became ablaze and the ten points of the horizon became
filled with smoke. Creatures, therefore, that
range the welkin were unable to stay in their element.
When, at all this, the whole world with the gods,
the Asuras and the Rakshasas began to utter exclamations
of woe.—This is the time—thought
I and became desirous, O Bharata, of speedily shooting
the Praswapa weapon at the command of those utterers
of Brahma (that had appeared to me in my dream)!
The Mantras also for invoking excellent weapon suddenly
came to my mind!’”
Page 476
SECTION CLXXXVIII
“Bhishma said, ’When I had formed this
resolution, O king, a din of tumultuous voices arose
in the sky. And it said,—O son of Kuru’s
race, do not let off the Praswapa weapon!—Notwithstanding
this, I still aimed that weapon at Bhrigu’s
descendant. When I had aimed it, Narada addressed
me, saying, ’Yonder, O Kauravya, stay the gods
in the sky! Even they are forbidding thee today!
Do not aim the Praswapa weapon! Rama is an ascetic
possessed of Brahma merit, and he is, again, thy preceptor!
Never, Kauravya, humiliate him.’ While
Narada was telling me this, I beheld those eight utterers
of Brahma stationed in the sky. Smilingly, O king,
they said unto me slowly,—O chief of the
Bharatas, do even what Narada sayeth. Even that,
O best of Bharata’s race, is highly beneficial
to the world!’ I then withdrew that great weapon
called Praswapa and invoked according to the ordinance
the weapon called Brahma in the combat. Beholding
the Praswapa weapon withdrawn, O lion among kings,
Rama was in great huff, and suddenly exclaimed, ’Wretch
that I am, I am vanquished, O Bhishma!’ Then
Jamadagni’s son behold before him his venerable
father and his father’s fathers. They stood
surrounding him there, and addressed him in these
words of consolation, ’O sire, never display
such ’rashness again, the rashness, viz.,
of engaging in battle with Bhishma, or especially
with any Kshatriya, O descendant of Bhrigu’s
race, to fight is the duty of a Kshatriya! Study
(of the Vedas) and practice of vows are the highest
wealth of Brahmanas! For some reason, before ’this,
thou hadst been ordered by us to take up weapons.
Thou hadst then perpetrated that terrible and unbecoming
feat. Let this battle with Bhishma be thy very
last, for enough of it thou hadst already. O thou
of mighty arms, leave the combat. Blessed be
thou, let this be the very last instance of thy taking
up the bow! O invincible one, throw thy bow aside,
and practice ascetic austerities, O thou of Bhrigu’s
race! Behold, Bhishma, the son of Santanu, is
forbidden by all the gods! They are endeavouring
to pacify him, repeatedly saying,—Desist
from this battle! Do not light with Rama who
is thy preceptor. It is not proper for thee, O
perpetuator of Kuru’s race, to vanquish Rama
in battle! O son of Ganga, show this Brahmana
every honour on the field of battle! As regards
thee, we are thy superiors and therefore forbid thee!
Bhishma is one of the foremost of Vasus! O son,
it is fortunate, that thou art still alive! Santanu’s
son by Ganga—a celebrated Vasu as he is,—how
can he be defeated by thee? Desist, therefore,
O Bhargava! That foremost of the Pandavas, Arjuna,
the mighty son of Indra, hath been ordained by the
Self-create to be the slayer of Bhishma!’
Page 477
“Bhishma continued, ’Thus addressed by
his own ancestors, Rama answered them, saying, ’I
cannot give up the combat. Even this is the solemn
vow I have made. Before this, I never left the
field, giving up battle! Ye grandsires, if you
please, cause Ganga’s son to desist from the
fight! As regards myself, I can, by no means,
desist from the combat!’ Hearing these words
of his, O king, those ascetics with Richika at their
head, coming to me with Narada in their company, told
me, ’O sire, desist from battle! Honour
that foremost of Brahmanas!’ For the sake of
Kshatriya morality, I replied unto them, saying.
Even this is the vow I have taken in this world, viz.,
that I would never desist from battle turning my back,
or suffer my back to be wounded with arrows! I
cannot, from temptation or distress, or fear, or for
the sake of wealth, abandon my eternal duty!
Even this is my fixed resolution! Then all those
ascetics with Narada at their head, O king, and my
mother Bhagirathi, occupied the field of battle (before
me). I, however, stayed quietly with arrows and
bow as before, resolved to fight. They then once
more turned towards Rama and addressed him, saying.
’The hearts of Brahmanas are made of butter.
Be pacified, therefore, O son of Bhrigu’s race!
O Rama, O Rama, desist from this battle, O best of
Brahmanas! Bhishma is incapable of being slain
by thee, as indeed, thou, O Bhargava, art incapable
of being slain by him!’ Saying these words while
they stood obstructing the field, the Pitris caused
that descendant of Bhrigu’s race to place aside
his weapons. Just at this time I once more beheld
those eight utterers of Brahma, blazing with effulgence
and resembling bright stars risen on the firmament.
Stationed for battle as I was, they said these words
unto me with great affection, ’O thou of mighty
arms, go unto Rama who is thy preceptor! Do what
is beneficial to all the worlds. Beholding then
that Rama had desisted owing to the words of his well-wishers,
I also, for the good of the worlds, accepted the words
of my well-wishers. Though mangled exceedingly,
I still approached Rama and worshipped him. The
great ascetic Rama then, smilingly, and with great
affection, said unto me, ’There is no Kshatriya
equal to thee on the earth! Go now, O Bhishma,
for in this combat thou hast pleased me highly’!
Summoning then in my presence that maiden (the daughter
of Kasi), Bhargava sorrowfully said unto her these
words in the midst of all those high-souled persons.’”
SECTION CLXXXIX
“Rama said, ’O damsel, in the very sight
of all these persons, I have fought according to the
best of my power and displayed my prowess! By
using even the very best of weapons I have not been
able to obtain any advantage over Bhishma, that foremost
of all wielders of weapons! I have exerted now
to the best of my power and might. O beautiful
lady, go withersoever thou wishest! What other
Page 478
business of thine can I accomplish? Seek the
protection of Bhishma himself! Thou hast no other
refuge now! Shooting mighty weapons Bhishma hath
vanquished me!’ Having said this, the high-souled
Rama sighed and remained silent. That maiden then
addressed him, saying, ’O holy one, it is even
so as thy holy self hath said! This Bhishma of
great intelligence is incapable of being vanquished
in battle by even the gods! Thou hast done my
business to the best of thy exertion and power.
Thou hast displayed in this battle energy incapable
of being baffled and weapons also of diverse kinds.
Thou hast yet been unable to obtain any advantage
over Bhishma in combat. As regards myself, I
will not go a second time to Bhishma. I will,
however, O perpetuator of Bhrigu’s race, go
thither, O thou endued with wealth of asceticism, where
I may (obtain the means to) myself slay Bhishma in
battle!’ Having said the words, that maiden
went away, with eyes agitated with wrath, and thinking
to compass my death, she firmly resolved to devote
herself to asceticism. Then that foremost one
of Bhrigu’s race, accompanied by those ascetics,
bidding me farewell, departed, O Bharata, for the mountains
whence he had come. I also, ascending my car,
and praised by the Brahmanas, entered our city and
represented, everything unto my mother Satyavati,
everything that had transpired, and she, O great king,
uttered benedictions on me. I then appointed
persons endued with intelligence to ascertain the
doings of that maiden. Devoted to the good of
myself—their well-wisher, those spies of
mine, with great application brought to me accounts
of her course of action, her words and actions, from
day to day. When that maiden went to the woods,
resolved on ascetic austerities, even then I became
melancholy, and afflicted with pain, I lost my heart’s
tenor. Except one acquainted with Brahma and observant
of vows, that are praiseworthy owing to the austerities
they involve, no Kshatriya hath ever by his prowess,
vanquished me in battle! I then, O king, humbly
represented to Narada as also to Vyasa all that the
maiden did. They both told me, ’O Bhishma,
do not give way to sorrow on account of the daughter
of Kasi. Who is there that would venture to baffle
destiny by individual exertion?’ Meanwhile,
O great king, that maiden, entering a cluster of retreats
practised austerities, that were beyond human powers
(of endurance). Without food, emaciated, dry,
with matted-locks and begrimed with filth, for six
months she lived on air only, and stood unmoved like
a street-post. And that lady, possessed of wealth
of asceticism, foregoing all food in consequence of
the fast she kept, passed a whole year after this,
standing in the waters of the Yamuna. Endued with
great wrath, she passed the next whole year standing
on her front toes and having eaten only one fallen
leaf (of a tree). And thus for twelve years,
she made the heavens hot by her austerities. And
though dissuaded by her relatives, she could not by
Page 479
any means be weaned off (from that course of action).
She then went unto Vatsabhumi resorted to by the Siddhas
and Charanas, and which was the retreat of high-souled
ascetics of pious deeds. Bathing frequently in
the sacred waters of that retreat, the princess of
Kasi roamed about according to her will. Proceeding
next (one after another) to the asylum, O king, of
Narada, and to the auspicious asylum of Uluka and
to that of Chyavana, and to the spot sacred to Brahmana,
and to Prayaga the sacrificial platform of the gods,
and to that forest sacred to the gods, and to Bhogawati,
and, O monarch, to the asylum of Kusika’s son
(Viswamitra), and to the asylum of Mandavya, and also
to the asylum of Dwilipa, and to Ramhrada, and, O Kaurava,
to the asylum of Garga, the princess of Kasi, O king,
performed ablutions in the sacred waters of all these,
observing all the while the most difficult of vows.
One day, my mother from the waters asked her, O Kauravya,
saying, ’O blessed lady, for what dost thou
afflict thyself so? Tell me the truth!’
Thus asked, O monarch, that faultless damsel answered
her with joined hands, saying, ’O thou of handsome
eyes, Rama hath been vanquished in battle by Bhishma.
What other (Kshatriya) king then would venture to
defeat the latter when ready with his weapons?
As regards myself, I am practising the severest penances
for the destruction of Bhishma. I wander over
the earth, O goddess, so that I may slay that king!
In every thing I do, O goddess, even this is the great
end of my vows!’ Hearing these words of hers,
the Ocean-going (river Ganga) replied unto her, saying,
’O lady, thou art acting crookedly! O weak
girl, this wish of thine thou shalt not be able to
achieve, O faultless one? if, O princess of Kasi,
thou observest these vows for destruction of Bhishma,
and if thou takest leave of thy body while observing
them, thou shalt (in thy next birth) become a river,
crooked in her course and of water only during the
rains! All the bathing places along thy course
will be difficult of approach, and filled only during
the rains, thou shalt be dry for eight months (during
the year)! Full of terrible alligators, and creatures
of frightful mien thou shalt inspire fear in all creatures!
Addressing her thus, O king, my mother, that highly-blessed
lady, in seeming smiles, dismissed the princess of
Kasi. That highly fair damsel then once more
began to practise vows, foregoing all food, aye, even
water, sometimes for eight months and sometimes for
ten months! And the daughter of the king of Kasi,
wandering hither and thither for her passionate desire
of tirthas, once more came back, O Kauravya, to Vatsabhumi.
And it is there, O Bharata, that she is known to have
become a river, filled only during the rainy seasons,
abounding with crocodiles, crooked in her course, and
destitute of easy access to her water. And, O
king, in consequence of her ascetic merit only half
her body became such a river in Vatsabhumi, while
with the other half, she remained a maiden as before!’
Page 480
SECTION CXC
“Bhishma said, ’Then all those ascetics
(that dwell in Vatsabhumi), beholding the princess
of Kasi firmly resolved on ascetic austerities, dissuaded
her and enquired of her, saying, ‘What is thy
business?’ Thus addressed, the maiden answered
those ascetics, old in ascetic penances, saying, ’Expelled
I have been by Bhishma, prevented by him from the
virtue that would have been mine by living with a husband!
My observance of this vow is for his destruction and
not for the sake of regions of bliss, ye that are
endued with wealth of asceticism! Having compassed
the death of Bhishma, peace will be mine. Even
this is my resolve. He for whom mine hath been
this state of continuous grief, he for whom I have
been deprived of the region that would have been mine
if I could obtain a husband, he for whom I have become
neither woman nor man, without slaying in battle that
son of Ganga I will not desist, ye that are endued
with wealth of asceticism. Even this that I have
said is the purpose that is in my heart. As a
woman, I have no longer any desire. I am, however,
resolved to obtain manhood, for I will be revenged
upon Bhishma. I should not, therefore, be dissuaded
by you.’ Unto them she said these words
repeatedly. Soon, the divine lord of Uma, bearing
the trident, showed himself in his own form unto that
female ascetic in the midst of those great Rishis.
Being asked to solicit the boon she wished, she begged
of the deity my defeat. Thou shalt slay him,—were
the words the god said unto that lady of great force
of mind. Thus assured, the maiden, however, once
more said unto Rudra, ’How can it happen, O god,
that being a woman I shall yet be able to achieve
victory in battle. O lord of Uma, as a woman,
my heart is quite stilled. Thou hast, however,
promised me, O lord of creatures, the defeat of Bhishma.
O lord, having the bull for thy mount, act in such
a way that promise of thine may become true, that
encountering Bhishma, the son of Santanu, in battle
I may be able to slay him.’ The god of
gods, having the bull for his symbol, then said unto
that maiden, ’The words I have uttered cannot
be false. O blessed lady, true they will be.
Thou shalt slay Bhishma, and even obtain manhood.
Thou shalt also remember all the incidents (of this
life) even when thou shalt obtain a new body.
Born in the race of Drupada, thou shalt become a Maharatha.
Quick in the use of weapons and a fierce warrior, thou
shalt be well-skilled in battle. O blessed lady,
all that I have said will be true. Thou shalt
become a man at the expiration of sometime (from thy
birth)!’ Having said so, the god of gods, called
also Kapardin, having the bull for his symbol, disappeared
then and there, in the very sight of those Brahmanas.
Upon this, that faultless maiden of the fairest complexion,
the eldest daughter of the king of Kasi, procuring
wood from that forest in the very sight of those great
Rishis, made a large funeral pyre on the banks of
the Yamuna, and having set fire to it herself, entered
that blazing fire, O great king, with a heart burning
with wrath, and uttering, O king, the words,—(I
do so) for Bhishma’s destruction!’”
Page 481
SECTION CXCI
“Duryodhana said, ’Tell me, O grandsire,
how Sikhandin, O Ganga’s son, having before
been born a daughter, afterwards became a man, O foremost
of warriors.’
“Bhishma said, ’O great king, the eldest
and beloved queen of king Drupada was, O monarch,
childless (at first). During those years, king
Drupada, O monarch, paid his adoration to the god Sankara
for the sake of offspring, resolving in his mind to
compass my destruction and practising the austerest
of penances. And he begged Mahadeva, saying, ’Let
a son, and not a daughter, be born unto me. I
desire, O god, a son for revenging myself upon Bhishma.’
Thereupon, that god of gods said unto him, ’Thou
shalt have a child who will be a female and male.
Desist, O king, it will not be otherwise.’
Returning then to his capital, he addressed his wife,
saying, ’O great goddess, great hath been the
exertion made by me. Undergoing ascetic austerities,
I paid my adorations to Siva, and I was told by Sambhu
that my child becoming a daughter (first) would subsequently
become a male person. And though I solicited him
repeatedly, yet Siva said,—This is Destiny’s
decree. It will not be otherwise. That which
is destined must take place!’ Then that lady
of great energy, the queen of king Drupada, when her
season came, observing all the regulations (about
purity), approached Drupada. And in due time the
wife of Prishata conceived, agreeably to Destiny’s
decree, as I was informed, O king, by Narada.
And that lady, of eyes like lotus-petals, continued
to hold the embryo in her womb. And, O son of
Kuru’s race, the mighty-armed king Drupada,
from paternal affection, attended to every comfort
of that dear wife of his. And, O Kaurava, the
wife of that lord of earth, the royal Drupada, who
was childless, had all her wishes gratified. And
in due time, O monarch, that goddess, the queen of
Drupada, gave birth to a daughter of great beauty.
Thereupon, the strong-minded wife of that king, the
childless Drupada, gave out, O monarch, that the child
she had brought forth was a son. And then king
Drupada, O ruler of men, caused all the rites prescribed
for a male child to be performed in respect of that
misrepresented daughter, as if she were really a son.
And saying that the child was a son, Drupada’s
queen kept her counsels very carefully. And no
other man in the city, save Prishata, knew the sex
of that child. Believing these words of that
deity of unfading energy, he too concealed the real
sex of his child, saying,—She is a son.
And, O king, Drupada caused all the rites of infancy,
prescribed for a son, to be performed in respect of
that child, and he bestowed the name of Sikhandin
on her. I alone, through my spies and from Narada’s
words, knew the truth, informed as I previously was
of the words of the god and of the ascetic austerities
of Amva!’”
SECTION CXCII
Page 482
“Bhishma said, ’Drupada, O chastiser of
foes, bestowed great attention on everything in connection
with that daughter of his, teaching her writing and
painting and all the arts. And in arrows and weapons
that child became a disciple of Drona. And the
child’s mother, of superior complexion, then
urged the king (her husband) to find, O monarch, a
wife for her, as if she were a son. Then Prishata,
beholding that daughter of his to have attained the
full development of youth and assured of her sex began
to consult with his queen. And Drupada said, ’This
daughter of mine that so enhanceth my woe, hath attained
her youth. Concealed, however, she hath hitherto
been by me at the words of the trident-bearing deity!’
The queen replied, ’That, O great king, can never
be untrue! Why, indeed, would the Lord of the
three worlds say that would not occur? If it
pleases thee, O king, I will speak, and listen to my
words, and, O son of Prishata’s race, having
listened to me, follow thy own inclination! Let
the wedding of this child with a wife be caused to
be performed carefully. The words of that god
will be true. This is my certain belief!’
Then that royal couple, having settled their resolution
of that affair, chose the daughter of the king of
the Dasarnakas as their son’s wife. After
this, the royal Drupada, that lion among kings, having
enquired about the purity of descent, of all the rulers
of the earth, selected the daughter of the king of
Dasarnakas for wife to Sikhandin. He, who was
called the king of the Dasarnakas was named Hiranyavarman;
and he gave away his daughter to Sikhandin. And
Hiranyavarman, the king of the Dasarnakas, was a powerful
monarch, incapable of being easily vanquished.
Incapable of being resisted, that high-souled monarch
possessed a large army. And sometimes after the
wedding, the daughter of Hiranyavarman, O best of
monarchs, attained her youth while the daughter of
Drupada also had attained hers. And Sikhandin,
after marriage, came back to Kampilya. And the
former soon came to know that the latter was a woman
like herself. And the daughter of Hiranyavarman,
having ascertained that Sikhandin was really a woman,
bashfully represented unto her nurses and companions
everything about the so-called son of the king of the
Panchalas. Then, O tiger among kings, those nurses
of the Dasarnakas country were filled with great grief
and sent emissaries unto their king. And those
emissaries represented unto the king of the Dasarnakas
everything about the imposture that had taken place.
And, thereupon, the king of the Dasarnakas was filled
with wrath. Indeed, O bull of the Bharata race,
Hiranyavarman, hearing the news after the expiry of
a few days was much afflicted with wrath. The
ruler of the Dasarnakas then, filled with fierce wrath,
sent a messenger to Drupada’s abode. And
the messenger of king Hiranyavarman, having alone
approached Drupada, took him aside and said unto him
in private, ’The king of the Dasarnakas, O monarch,
deceived by thee and enraged, O sinless one, at the
insult thou hast offered him, hath said these words
unto thee,—Thou hast humiliated me!
Without doubt it was not wisely done by thee!
Thou hadst, from folly, solicited my daughter for
thy daughter! O wicked one, reap now the consequence
of that act of deception’ I will now slay thee
with all thy relatives and advisers! Wait a little!’”
Page 483
SECTION CXCIII
“Bhishma said, ’Thus addressed, O king,
by that messenger, king Drupada, like a thief caught
(in the act), could not speak. He exerted himself
greatly, by sending sweet-speeched emissaries with
his own instruction to them, saying,—This
is not so,—in order to pacify his brother.
King Hiranyavarman, however, ascertaining once again,
that the child of the king of the Panchalas was really
a daughter, issued out of his city without losing
any time. He then sent messages unto all his powerful
friends about that deception practised on his daughter,
of which he had heard from her nurses. Then,
that best of kings, having mustered a large army,
resolved, O Bharata, to march against Drupada.
Then, O monarch, king Hiranyavarman held a consultation
with his ministers about the ruler of the Panchalas.
And it was settled among those high-souled kings that
if, O monarch, Sikhandin was really a daughter, they
should bind the ruler of the Panchalas and drag him
from his city, and installing another king over the
Panchalas they should slay Drupada with Sikhandin.
Taking that to be the fixed resolution (of all whom
he had summoned) king Hiranyavarman once more sent
an envoy to the descendant of Prishata, saying ‘I
will slay thee, be calm.’
“Bhishma continued, ’King Drupada was
not naturally courageous. In consequence, again,
of that offence of his, he became filled with fear.
Sending his envoys again to the ruler of the Dasarnakas,
king Drupada, afflicted with grief, approached his
wife and took counsel with her. And possessed
with great fright and with heart afflicted with grief,
the king of the Panchalas said unto his favourite
wife, the mother of Sikhandin, these words, ’My
powerful brother, king Hiranyavarman, having mustered
a large force, is coming towards me in anger.
Fools that we both are, what are we now to do in respect
of this our daughter? Thy son, Sikhandin, hath
been suspected to be a daughter. Under this suspicion,
Hiranyavarman with his allies and followed by his
army wisheth to slay me thinking that he hath been
received by me! O thou of beautiful hips, tell
us now what is true or false in this, O beautiful
lady! O blessed lady, hearing from thee first,
I will settle how to act. I am very much endangered
and this child, Sikhandin, also is equally so.
Indeed, O queen, O lady of the fairest complexion,
thou too art threatened with danger! For the relief
of all, tell me who asketh thee what the truth is!
O thou of beautiful hips and sweet smiles, hearing
what thou hast to say I shall act suitably. Although
I have been deceived by thee as to the duties I owe
towards a son, yet, O beautiful lady, from kindness
I will act towards you both in a suitable manner.
Therefore, do not fear, nor let this daughter of thine
fear anything. Indeed, I have deceived the king
of the Dasarnakas. Tell me, O highly blessed
lady, how may I act towards him so that all may yet
turn up well!’ Indeed, although the king knew
everything, yet he addressed his wife in the presence
of others in this way, to proclaim his own innocence
before others. His queen then answered him in
the following words.’”
Page 484
SECTION CXCIV
“Bhishma said. ’Then, O mighty-armed
king, Sikhandin’s mother represented unto her
lord the truth about her daughter, Sikhandin.
And she said, ’Childless, O great king, as I
was, from fear of my co-wives, when Sikhandini, my
daughter, was born, I represented unto you that it
was a son! For thy love of me, thou also hadst
corroborated it, and, O bull among kings, thou hadst
performed all the rites prescribed for a son in respect
of this daughter of mine! Thou then didst marry
her, O king, to the daughter of the king of the Dasarnakas.
I also approved of this act, remembering the words
of the (great) god! Indeed, I did not prevent
it, remembering the words of Siva,—Born
a daughter, she will become a son!’ Hearing
all this, Drupada, otherwise called Yajnasena, informed
all his counsellors of these facts. And, O monarch,
the king then took counsel with ministers for the
proper protection of his subjects (from the would-be
invader). Although he had himself deceived the
king of the Dasarnakas, yet giving it out that the
alliance he had made was proper, he began to settle
his plans with undivided attention. King Drupada’s
city was, O Bharata, naturally well-protected.
Yet at the advent of danger, O monarch, they began
to protect it all the more carefully and fortify it
(with defensive works). The king, however, with
his queen, was greatly afflicted, thinking of how
a war might not take place with his brother.
Reflecting on this, he began to pay his adorations
to the gods. His respected wife, beholding him
relying on the god and paying his adorations to them,
than addressed him, O king, and said, ’Homage
to the gods is productive of benefits! It is,
therefore, approved by the righteous. What shall
I say, again, of those that are sunk in an ocean of
distress? Therefore, pay homage to those that
are thy superiors and let all the gods also be worshipped,
making large presents the while (unto the Brahmanas)!
Let oblations be poured on the fire for pacifying the
ruler of the Dasarnakas. O lord, think of the
means by which, without a war, thou mayst be able
to pacify thy brother! Through the grace of the
gods all this will happen. For the preservation
of this city, O thou of large eyes, thou hast taken
counsel with thy ministers. Do all, O king, that
those counsels seem to indicate, for reliance on the
gods, when supported by human exertion, always, O
king, leadeth to success, If these two do not go hand-in-hand,
success becometh unattainable. Therefore, with
all thy advisers, make such arrangements in thy city
as are proper, and pay homage, O monarch, as thou
pleasest, to the gods.’ While husband and
wife were conversing with each other thus, both filled
with grief, their helpless daughter, Sikhandini, was
filled with shame. She then reflected, saying,
‘It is for me that these two are plunged into
grief!’ Thinking so, she resolved upon putting
an end to her own life. Having formed this determination,
Page 485
she left home, filled with heavy sorrow, and went
into a dense and solitary forest that was the haunt,
O king, of a very formidable Yaksha called Sthunakarna.
From fear of that Yaksha men never went into that
forest. And within it stood a mansion with high
walls and a gateway, plastered over with powdered earth,
and rich with smoke bearing the fragrance of fried
paddy. Entering that mansion, Sikhandini, the
daughter of Drupada, O king, began to reduce herself
by foregoing all food for many days. Thereupon,
the Yaksha named Sthuna, who was endued with kindness,
showed himself unto her. And he enquired of her,
saying, ’For what object is this endeavour of
thine? I will accomplish it, tell me without
delay!’ Thus asked, the maiden answered him,
repeatedly saying, ‘Thou art unable to accomplish
it!’ The Guhyaka, however, rejoined, without
a moment’s delay, saying, ’Accomplish it
I will! I am a follower of the Lord of treasures,
I can, O princess, grant boons! I will grant
thee even that which cannot be given! Tell me
what thou hast to say!’ Thus assured, Sikhandini
represented in detail everything that had happened,
unto that chief of Yakshas called Sthunakarna.
And she said, ’My father, O Yaksha, will soon
meet with destruction. The ruler of the Dasarnakas
marcheth against him in rage. That king eased
in golden mail is endued with great might and great
courage. Therefore, O Yaksha, save me, my mother,
and my father! Indeed, thou hast already pledged
thyself to relieve my distress! Through thy grace,
O Yaksha, I would become a perfect man! As long
as that king may not depart from my city, so long,
O great Yaksha, show me grace, O Guhyaka!’”
SECTION CXCV
“Bhishma said, ’Hearing, O bull of Bharata’s
race, those words of Sikhandini, afflicted by destiny,
that Yaksha, said after reflecting in his mind, these
words, ’Indeed, it was ordained to be so, and,
O Kaurava, it was ordained for my grief!’ The
Yaksha said, ’O Blessed lady, I will certainly
do what thou wishest! Listen, however, to the
condition I make. For a certain period I will
give thee my manhood. Thou must, however, come
back to me in due time. Pledge thyself to do so!
Possessed of immense power, I am a ranger of the skies,
wandering at my pleasure, and capable of accomplishing
whatever I intend. Through my grace, save the
city and thy kinsmen wholly! I will bear thy womanhood,
O princess! Pledge thy truth to me, I will do
what is agreeable to thee!’ Thus addressed,
Sikhandini said unto him, ’O holy one of excellent
vows, I will give thee back thy manhood! O wanderer
of the night, bear thou my womanhood for a short time!
After the ruler of the Dasarnakas who is cased in
a golden mail will have departed (from my city) I will
once more become a maiden and thou wilt become a man!’
Page 486
“Bhishma continued, ’Having said this
(unto each other), they both. O king, made a
covenant, and imparted unto each other’s body
their sexes. And the Yaksha Sthuna, O Bharata,
became a female, while Sikhandini obtained the blazing
form of the Yaksha. Then, O king, Sikhandini of
Panchala’s race, having obtained manhood, entered
his city in great joy and approached his father.
And he represented unto Drupada everything that had
happened. And Drupada, bearing it all became highly
glad. And along with his wife the king recollected
the words of Maheswara. And he forthwith sent,
O king, messenger unto the ruler of the Dasarnakas,
saying, ‘This my child is a male. Let it
be believed by thee!’ The king of the Dasarnakas
meanwhile, filled with sorrow and grief, suddenly
approached Drupada, the ruler of the Panchalas.
And arrived at Kampilya, the Dasarnaka king despatched,
after paying him proper honours, an envoy who was
one of the foremost of those conversant with the Vedas.
And he addressed the envoy, saying, ’Instructed
by me, O messenger, say unto that worst of kings the
ruler of the Panchalas, these words,—viz.,
O thou of wicked understanding, having selected my
daughter as a wife for one who is thy daughter, thou
shalt today, without doubt, behold the fruit of that
act of deception.’ Thus addressed and despatched
by him, O best of kings, the Brahmana set out for
Drupada’s city as Dasarnaka’s envoy.
And having arrived at the city, the priest went unto
Drupada’s presence. The king of the Panchalas
then, with Sikhandin, offered the envoy, O king, a
cow and honey. The Brahmana, however, without
accepting that worship, said unto him these words
that had been communicated through him by the brave
ruler of the Dasarnakas who was cased in a golden
mail. And he said, ’O thou of vile behaviours,
I have been deceived by thee through thy daughter
(as the means)! I will exterminate thee with
thy counsellors and sons and kinsmen!’ Having,
in the midst of his counsellors, been made by that
priest to hear those words fraught with censure and
uttered by the ruler of the Dasarnakas, king Drupada
then, O chief of Bharata’s race, assuming a mild
behaviour from motives of friendship, ’said,
The reply to these words of my brother that thou hast
said unto me, O Brahmana, will be carried to that monarch
by my envoy!’ And king Drupada then, sent unto
the high-souled Hiranyavarman a Brahmana learned in
the Vedas as his envoy. And that envoy, going
unto king Hiranyavarman, the ruler of the Dasarnakas,
said unto him, ’O monarch, the word that Drupada
had entrusted him with.’ And he said, ’This
my child is really a male. Let it be made clear
by means of witness! Somebody has spoken falsely
to thee. That should not be believed!’
Then the king of the Dasarnakas, having heard the words
of Drupada, was filled with sorrow and despatched
a number of young ladies of great beauty for ascertaining
whether Sikhandin was a male or female. Despatched
by him, those ladies, having ascertained (the truth)
Page 487
joyfully told the king of the Dasarnakas everything,
viz., that Sikhandin, O chief of the Kurus, was
a powerful person of the masculine sex. Hearing
that testimony, the ruler of the Dasarnakas was filled
with great joy, and wending then unto his brother
Drupada, passed a few days with him in joy. And
the king, rejoiced as he was, gave unto Sikhandin much
wealth, many elephants and steeds and kine. And
worshipped by Drupada (as long as he stayed), the
Dasarnaka king then departed, having rebuked his daughter.
And after king Hiranyavarman, the ruler of the Dasarnakas
had departed in joy and with his anger quelled, Sikhandin
began to rejoice exceedingly. Meanwhile, sometime
after (the exchange of sexes had taken place) Kuvera,
who was always borne on the shoulders of human beings,
in course of a journey (through the earth), came to
the abode of Sthuna. Staying (in the welkin)
above that mansion, the protector of all the treasures
saw that the excellent abode of the Yaksha Sthuna
was well-adorned with beautiful garland of flowers,
and perfumed with fragrant roots of grass and many
sweet scents. And it was decked with canopies,
and scented incense. And it was also beautiful
with standards and banners. And it was filled
with edibles and drink of every kind. And beholding
that beautiful abode of the Yaksha decked all over,
and filled also with garlands of jewels and gems and
perfumed with the fragrance of diverse kinds of flowers,
and well-watered, and well-swept, the lord of the
Yakshas addressed the Yakshas that followed him, saying,
’Ye that are endued with immeasurable prowess,
this mansion of Sthuna is well-adorned! Why, however,
doth not that wight of wicked understanding come to
me? And since that wicked-souled one, knowing
I am here, approacheth me not, therefore, some severe
punishment should be inflicted on him! Even this
is my intention!’ Hearing these words of his,
the Yakshas said, ’O king, the royal Drupada
had a daughter born unto him, of the name of Sikhandini!
Unto her, for some reason, Sthuna had given his own
manhood, and having taken her womanhood upon him,
he stayeth within his abode having become a woman!
Bearing as he doth a feminine form, he doth not, therefore,
approach thee in shame! It is for this reason,
O king, that Sthuna cometh not to thee! Hearing
all this, do what may be proper!’ Let the car
be stopped here! Let Sthuna be brought to me,—were
the words that the lord of the Yakshas uttered, and
repeatedly said,—I will punish him!—Summoned
then by the Lord of Yakshas, Sthuna bearing a feminine
form came thither, O king, and stood before him in
shame. Then, O thou of Kuru’s race, the
giver of wealth cursed him in anger, saying, ’Ye
Guhyakas, let the femininity of the wretch remain
as it is!’ And the high-souled lord of the Yakshas
also said, ’Since humiliating all the Yakshas,
thou hast, O thou of sinful deeds, given away thy
own sex to Sikhandini and taken from her, O thou of
wicked understanding, her femininity,—since,
Page 488
O wicked wretch, thou hast done what hath never been
done by anybody,—therefore from this day,
thou shalt remain a woman and she shall remain a man!’
At these words of his, all the Yakshas began to soften
Vaisravana for the sake of Sthunakarna repeatedly
saying, ‘Set a limit to thy curse!’ The
high-souled lord of the Yakshas then said unto all
these Yakshas that followed him, from desire of setting
a limit to his curse, these words, viz.,—After
Sikhandin’s death, ye Yakshas, this one will
regain his own form! Therefore, let this high-souled
Yaksha Sthuna be freed from his anxiety! Having
said this, the illustrious and divine king of the Yakshas,
receiving due worship, departed with all his followers
who were capable of traversing a great distance within
the shortest space of time. And Sthuna, with
that curse pronounced on him, continued to live there.
And when the time came, Sikhandin without losing a
moment came unto that wanderer of the night.
And approaching his presence he said, It have come
to thee, O holy one!’ Sthuna then repeatedly
said unto him, ’I am pleased with thee!’
Indeed, beholding that prince return to him without
guile, Sthuna told Sikhandin everything that had happened.
Indeed, the Yaksha said, ’O son of a king, for
thee I have been cursed by Vaisravana. Go now,
and live happily amongst men as thou choosest.
Thy coming here and the arrival of Pulastya’s
son were, I think, both ordained from beforehand.
All this was incapable of being prevented!’
“Bhishma continued, ’Thus addressed by
the Kaksha, Sthuna, Sikhandin, O Bharata, came to
his city, filled with great joy. And he worshipped
with diverse scents and garlands of flower and costly
presents persons of the regenerate class, deities,
big trees and crossways. And Drupada, the ruler
of the Panchalas, along with his son Sikhandin whose
wishes had been crowned with success, and with also
his kinsmen, became exceedingly glad. And the
king then, O bull of Kuru’s race, gave his son,
Sikhandin, who had been a woman, as a pupil, O monarch,
to Drona. An prince Sikhandin obtained, along
with yourselves, the whole science of arms with its
four divisions. And (his brother) Dhrishtadyumna
of Prishata’s race also obtained the same.
Indeed, all this way represented unto me, O sire,
by the spies, disguised as idiots and as persons without
the senses of vision, and hearing whom I had set upon
Drupada. It is thus, O king, that that best of
Rathas. Sikhandin, the son of Drupada, having
first been born a female, subsequently became a person
of the other sex. And it was the eldest daughter
of the ruler of Kasi, celebrated by the name of Amva,
who was, O bull of Bharata’s race, born in Drupada’s
line as Sikhandin. If he approacheth me bow in
hand and desirous of fight, I will not look at him
even for a moment nor smite him, O thou of unfading
glory! Even—this is my vow, known
over all the world, viz., that I will not, O
son of Kuru’s race, shoot weapons upon a woman,
Page 489
or one that was a woman before or one bearing a feminine
name, or one whose form resembleth a woman’s.
I will not, for this reason, slay Sikhandin. Even
this, O sire, is the story that I have ascertained
of Sikhandin’s birth. I will not, therefore,
slay him in battle even if he approacheth me weapon
in hand. If Bhishma slayeth a woman the righteous
will all speak ill of him. I will not, therefore,
slay him even if I behold him waiting for battle!’
“Sanjaya continued, ’Hearing these words
of Bhishma, king Duryodhana of Kuru’s race,
reflecting for a moment, thought even that behaviour
was proper for Bhishma.’”
SECTION CXCVI
“Sanjaya said, ’When the night passed
away and morning came, thy sons once more, in the
midst of all the troops, asked their grandsire, saying,
’O son of Ganga, this army that is ready for
fight, of Pandu’s son, that abounds with men,
elephants, and steeds, that is crowded with Maharathas,
that is protected by these mighty bowmen endued with
great strength, viz., Bhima and Arjuna and others
headed by Dhrishtadyumna and all resembling the very
regents of the world, that is invincible and incapable
of being withstood, that resembles the unbounded sea,—this
sea of warriors incapable of being agitated by the
very gods in battle, in how many days, O son of Ganga,
O thou of great effulgence, canst thou annihilate
it, and in what time can that mighty bowman, our preceptor
(Drona), in what time also the mighty Kripa, in what
time Karna who taketh a pleasure in battle, and in
what time that best of Brahmanas, viz., the son
of Drona, can each annihilate it? Ye that are
in my army are all acquainted with celestial weapons!
I desire to know this, for the curiosity I feel in
my heart is great! O thou of mighty arms, it behoveth
thee to say this to me!’
“Bhishma said, ’O foremost one of the
Kurus, O lord of the earth, thou enquirest about the
strength and weakness of the foe. This, indeed,
is worthy of thee. Listen, O king, as I tell
thee the utmost limit of my power in battle, or of
the energy of my weapons, or of the might of my arms,
O thou of mighty arms! As regards ordinary combatants,
one should fight with them artlessly. As regards
those that are possessed of powers of deception, one
should fight with them aided by the ways of deception.
Even this is what hath been laid down in respect of
the duties of warriors. I can annihilate the
Pandava army, O blessed monarch, taking every morning
ten thousand (ordinary) warriors and one thousand
car-warriors as my share from day to day. Cased
in mail and always exerting myself actively, I can,
O Bharata, annihilate this large force, according
to this arrangement as regards both number and time.
If, however, stationed in battle, I shoot my great
weapons that slay hundreds and thousands at a time,
then I can, O Bharata, finish the slaughter in a month.’
Page 490
“Sanjaya continued, ’Hearing these words
of Bhishma, king Duryodhana then asked Drona, O monarch,
that foremost one of Angira’s race, saying, ’O
preceptor, in what time canst thou annihilate the troops
of Pandu’s son?’ Thus addressed by him,
Drona said smilingly, ’I am old, O mighty-armed
one! My energy and activity have both become weak.
With the fire of my weapons I can consume the army
of the Pandavas, like Santanu’s son Bhishma,
I think, in a month’s time.’ Even
this is the limit of my power, even this is the limit
of my strength.’ Then Saradwat’s son
Kripa said that he could annihilate the foe in two
month’s time. Dron’s son (Aswatthaman)
pledged himself to annihilate the Pandava army in ten
nights, Karna, however, acquainted as he was with weapons
of high efficacy, pledged himself to achieve that
feat in five days. Hearing the words of the Suta’s
son the son of the ocean-going (Ganga) laughed aloud
and said, ’As long, O son of Radha, as thou encounterest
not in battle Partha with his arrows, conch, and bows
and rushing to the combat on his car with Vasudeva
in his company, so long mayest thou think so!
Why, thou art capable of saying anything, even what
thou pleasest!’”
SECTION CXCVII
“Vaisampayana said, ’Hearing these words
(of the leaders of the Kuru army), Kunti’s son
Yudhishthira, summoning all his brothers, said unto
them these words in private.’
“Yudhishthira said, ’The spies I had placed
in the army of Dhritarashtra’s son, brought
me this news in the morning. Duryodhana. asked
Ganga’s son of great vows, saying, ’O lord,
in what time cant thou annihilate the troops of Pandu’s
sons?’ Indeed, the wicked Duryodhana was answered
by him in these words, viz.,—In a month!
Drona also declared that he could do the same feat
in about the same time. Gautama (Kripa) indicated
twice that period, as hath been heard by us. Drona’s
son acquainted with weapons of high efficacy declared
the period (in his case) to be ten nights. Karna
also, acquainted with weapons of high efficacy, asked
in the midst of the Kurus, declared that the could
complete the slaughter in five days. Therefore,
I also, O Arjuna, am desirous of hearing thy words,
’In what time canst thou, O Falguni, exterminate
the foe?’ Thus addressed by the king, Dhananjaya
of curly hair, casting a look upon Vasudeva, said
these words, ’All these (Bhishma and others)
are high-souled (warriors), accomplished in arms and
acquainted with all modes of warfare. Without
doubt, O king, they can exterminate (our forces) even
thus! Let thy heart’s anguish, however,
be dispelled. I tell thee truly that with Vasudeva
as my ally, I can, on a single car, exterminate the
three worlds with even the immortals, indeed, all
mobile creatures that were, are, will be, in the twinkling
of the eye. This is what I think. That terrible
and mighty weapon which the Lord of all creatures
(Mahadeva) gave me on the occasion of my hand-to-hand
Page 491
encounter with him (in the guise of) a hunter, still
existeth with me. Indeed, O tiger among men,
that weapon which the Lord of all creatures useth
at the end of Yuga for destroying created things, existeth
with me. Ganga’s son knoweth not that weapon;
nor Drona nor Gautama (Kripa); nor Drona’s son,
O king! How, therefore, can the Suta’s son
know it. It is not, however, proper to slay ordinary
men in battle by means of celestial weapons.
We shall (on the other band) vanquish our foes in a
fair fight. Then, these tigers among men, O king,
are thy allies! All of them are well-versed in
celestial weapons, and all of them are eager for battle.
All of them after their initiation in the Vedas, have
undergone the final bath in sacrifices. All of
them are unvanquished. They are competent, O
son of Pandu, to slay in battle the army of even the
celestials. Thou hast for thy allies Sikhandin,
and Yuyudhana and Dhristadyumna of Prishata’s
race; and Bhimasena, and these twins, and Yudhamanyu,
and Uttamaujas, and Virata and Drupada who are equal
in battle unto Bhishma and Drona; and the mighty-armed
Sankha, and Hidimva’s son of great might; and
this latter’s son Anjanparvan endued with great
strength and prowess; and Sini’s descendant
of mighty arms and well-versed in battle, and the
mighty Abhimanyu and the five sons of Draupadi!
Thou art thyself, again, competent to exterminate
the three worlds! O thou that art endued with
effulgence equal unto that of Sakra himself, I know
it, O Kaurava, for it is manifest, that that man upon
whom thou mayest cast thy eyes in anger is sure to
be annihilated!’”
SECTION CXCVIII
“Vaisampayana said, ’Next morning, under
a cloudless sky, all the kings, urged by Dhritarashtra’s
son, Duryodhana,—set out against the Pandavas.
And all of them had purified themselves by baths, were
decked in garlands, and attired in white robes.
And having poured libations on fire, caused Brahmanas
to utter benedictions on them, they took up their
weapons and raised their (respective) standards.
And all of them were conversant with the Vedas, and
endued with great bravery, and had practised excellent
vows. And all of them were grantors of (other
people’s) wishes, and all were skilled in battle.
Endued with great strength, they set out, reposing
confidence on one another, and with singleness of
purpose desiring to win in battle the highest regions.
And first Vinda and Anuvinda, both of Avanti, and
Kekayas, and the Vahlikas, all set out with Bharadwaja’s
son at their head. Then came Aswatthaman, and
Santanu’s son (Bhishma), and Jayadratha of the
country of the Sindhu, and the kings of the southern
and the western countries and of the hilly regions,
and Sakuni, the ruler of the Gandharas, and all the
chiefs of the eastern and the northern regions, and
the Sakas, the Kiratas, and Yavanas, the Sivis and
the Vasatis with their Maharathas at the heads of
their respective divisions. All these great car-warriors
Page 492
marched in the second division. Then came Kritavarman
at the head of his troops, and that mighty car-warrior,
viz., the ruler of the Trigartas, and the king
Duryodhana surrounded by his brothers, and Sala, and
Bhurisravas, and Salya, and Vrihadratha, the ruler
of the Kosalas. These all marched in the rear,
with Dhritarashtra’s sons at their head.
And all these Dhartarashtras endued with great might,
uniting together in proper order, and all clad in
mail, took up their position at the other end of Kurukshetra,
and, O Bharata, Duryodhana caused his encampment to
be so adorned as to make it look like a second Hastinapura.
Indeed, O king, even those that were clever among
the citizens of Hastinapura could not distinguish
their city from the encampment. And the Kuru king
caused inaccessible pavilions, similar to his own,
to be erected by hundreds and thousands for the (other)
kings (in his army). And those tents, O king,
for the accommodation of the troops were well-planted
on an area measuring full five yojanas of that field
of battle. And into those tents by thousands
that were full of provisions, the rulers of the earth
entered, each according to his courage according to
the strength he possessed. And king Duryodhana
ordered excellent provisions to be supplied for all
those high-souled kings with their troops consisting
of infantry, elephants, and horses, and with all their
followers. And as regards all those that subsisted
upon mechanical arts and all the bards, singers, and
panegyrists devoted to his cause, and vendors and traders,
and prostitutes, and spies, and persons who had come
to witness the battle, the Kuru king made due provision
for all of them.’”
SECTION CXCIX
“Vaisampayana said, ’Like Duryodhana,
king Yudhishthira also, the son of Kunti and Dharma,
ordered out, O Bharata, his heroic warriors headed
by Dhrishtadyumna. Indeed, he ordered that slayer
of foes and commander of force, that leader, steady
in prowess, of the Chedis, the Kasis, and the Karushas,
viz., Dhrishtaketu, as also Virata, and Drupada,
and Yuyudhana, and Sikhandin, and those two mighty
bowmen, those two princes of Panchala, viz.,
Yudhamanyu and Uttamaujas, to set out. Those brave
warriors, cased in handsome coats of mail and decked
with golden ear-rings, blazed forth like fires on
the sacrificial altar when fed with clarified butter.
Indeed, those mighty bowmen looked resplendent like
the planets in the firmament. Then that bull
among men king Yudhishthira, having duly honoured
all his combatants, ordered them to march. And
king Yudhishthira ordered excellent provisions of
food for those high-souled kings with their troops
consisting of infantry, and elephants and horses,
and with all their followers, as also for all those
that subsisted on mechanical arts. And the son
of Pandu first ordered Abhimanyu, and Vrihanta, and
the five sons of Draupadi, to march with Dhrishtadyumna
Page 493
at their head. And he then despatched Bhima,
and Dhananjaya the son of Pandu, in the second division
of his forces. And the din made by the men moving
and running about for harnessing their steeds and elephants
and loading the cars with implements of battle, and
the shouts of the cheerful combatants, seemed to touch
the very heavens. And last of all, the king marched
himself, accompanied by Virata and Drupada and the
other monarchs (on his side). And that army of
fierce bowmen commanded by Dhrishtadyumna, hitherto
stationed in one place, but now extended into columns
for marching, looked like the (impetuous) current of
Ganga. The then intelligent Yudhishthira depending
on his wisdom, disposed his divisions in a different
order, confounding the sons of Dhritarashtra.
And the son of Pandu ordered that those mighty bowmen,
the (five) sons of Draupadi and Abhimanyu, and Nakula,
and Sahadeva, and all the Prabhadrakas, and ten thousand
horses, and two thousand elephants, and ten thousand
foot-soldiers, and five hundred cars, constituting
the first irresistible division of his army, should
be placed under the command of Bhimasena. And
he placed in the middle division of his army Virata
and Jayatsena, and those two mighty car-warriors,
viz., Yudhamanyu and Uttamauja, the two high-souled
princes of Panchala, both endued with great prowess
and both armed with mace and bow. And in this
middle division marched Vasudeva and Dhananjaya.
There were (placed) combatants highly accomplished
in arms and burning with anger. Amongst them were
steeds ridden by brave warriors, and five thousand
elephants, and crowds of cars all around. And
foot-soldiers in thousands, that were all brave and
armed with bows, swords, and maces, marched behind
them, as thousand marched before them. And in
that part of that sea of troops, where Yudhishthira
himself was, there were stationed numerous lords of
earth. And there also were thousands of elephants,
and steeds by ten thousands, and cars and foot-soldiers
also by thousands. And there also marched, O
bull among kings, Chekitana with his own large force,
and king Dhrishtaketu, the leader of the Chedis.
And there also was that mighty bowman, Satyaki, the
foremost car-warrior of the Vrishnis, that mighty
combatant, surrounded by hundreds and thousands of
cars and leading (them to battle)! And those
bulls among men, Kshatrahan and Kshatradeva, mounted
on their cars, marched behind, protecting the rear.
And there (in the rear) were the waggons, stalls,
uniforms, vehicles and draft animals. There also
were thousands of elephants and horses by tens of thousands.
And taking all the invalids and women, and all that
were emaciated and weak, and all the animals carrying
his treasures, and all his granaries, with the aid
of his elephant-divisions, Yudhishthira marched slowly.
And he was followed by Sauchitti, who steadily adhered
to truth and was invincible in battle, and Srenimat,
and Vasudeva and Vibhu, the son of the ruler of Kasi,
Page 494
with twenty thousand cars, and hundred million steeds
of high mettle, each bearing scores of bells on its
limbs, and twenty thousand smiting elephants with
tusks as long as plough-shares, all of good breed
and divided temples and all resembling moving masses
of clouds. Indeed, these usually walked behind
those monarchs. Besides these, O Bharata, the
elephants that Yudhishthira had in his seven Akshauhinis,
numbering seventy thousand with humour trickling down
their trunks and from their mouths, and resembling
(on that account) showering clouds, also followed
the king, like moving hills.
’Thus was arrayed that terrible force of the
intelligent son of Kunti. And relying upon that
force he battled with Suyodhana, the son of Dhritarashtra.
Besides those already named, other men by hundreds
and thousands and tens of thousands, in divisions
numbering by thousands, followed (the Pandava army),
roaring loudly. And the warriors by thousands
and ten thousands, filled with joy, beat their drums
by thousands and blew conchs by tens of thousands!’”
The End of Udyoga Parva
FOOTNOTES
1. i.e., passage of the sun from the winter to
the summer solstice.
2. Divination was practised by reference to the
stars in the night.
3. The question that Dhritarashtra asks is easy
enough. The Rishi having applauded knowledge
and its efficacy in procuring emancipation, the king
asks, if knowledge is of such efficacy, what then is
the value of Karma or acts, i.e. prayers and
sacrifices as ordained in the Vedas? Ijyaya is
the instrumental form of Ijya, meaning sacrifices,
religious rites, and ceremonies. Parartham is
explained by Nilakantha to mean Mokshaprapakatwam,
i.e., capacity to lead to emancipation. It
should be noted here that the Hindu idea of emancipation
is not bliss enjoyed by a conscious Self, but freedom
from the obligation of re-birth and Karma. Mere
Karma, as such, implies pain and misery and the Supreme
Soul (Para-Brahman) is without action and attributes.
Although other kinds of salvation are spoken of in
other systems of philosophy, the emancipation that
forms the subject of these queries and answers, is
freedom from this Karma.
4. The Rishi answers,—Yes, Karma or
action does, indeed, lead to the emancipate state.
In the regions, of which thou speakest, there are both
bliss and emancipation (Arthajata) is explained by
Nilakantha to mean Bhoja-mokshakhya-prayojana samanyam.
The second line is elliptical, the construction being
Paratma aniha (san) param ayati; (anyatha-tu) margena
margan nihatya param (prayati). Paratma is explained
by Nilakantha, to mean one who regards the material
body to be Self. In the succeeding Slokas the
Rishi uses the word dehin which, in this connection,
is the same as dehabhimanin. The Rishi’s
answer is,—The materialist, by renouncing
desire, attaineth to the state of the Supreme Soul,
Page 495
i.e., emancipation. The sense seems to be
that by renouncing desire, both actions and attributes
are lost. The state, therefore, of such a soul
is one of inaction, or perfect quietude and the absence
of attributes, which is exactly the nature of the
Supreme Soul. If, again, emancipation be sought
without extinguishing desire, i.e., by the aid
of work (prayers and sacrifices), it is to be attained
“by extinguishing path by a path,” i.e.,
the seeker is to proceed along a definite or prescribed
or ordained route, taking care that the portions of
the route he once passes over may not have to be re-trodden
by him. Action, as explained in a subsequent
Sloka, leadeth, it is true to regions of bliss and
emancipation, but that state is transitory, for when
the merit is extinguished, the state that was attained
in consequence of it, is extinguished, and the person
falling off, has to recommence action. If, therefore,
permanent emancipation is to be attained, the obligation
of re-commencing action must be got rid of, i.e.,
care must be taken that the portions of the route
once passed over may not have to be re-trodden.
5. Apparently this question of Dhritarashtra
is not connected with what precedes. The connection
however, is intimate, and the question follows as
a corollary from the Rishi’s last answer.
The Rishi having said that the ordinary soul, by a
certain process (i.e., renunciation of desire) attains
to the state of the Supreme Soul, Dhritarashtra infers
that vice versa, it is the Supreme Soul that becomes
the ordinary soul, for (as Nilakantha puts it in the
phraseology of the Nyaya school) things different
cannot become what they are not and unless things are
similar, they cannot become of the same nature.
Applying this maxim of the Nyaya it is seen that when
the ordinary soul becomes the Supreme Soul, these
are not different, and, therefore, it is the Supreme
Soul that becomes the ordinary soul. Under this
impression Dhritarashtra asks,—Well, if
it is the Supreme Soul that becomes the ordinary soul,
who is it that urgeth the Supreme Soul to become so?
And if all this (universe) be indeed, that Soul, in
consequence of the latter pervading and entering into
everything, then divested of desire as the Supreme
Soul is, where is the possibility of its action (action
or work being the direct consequence of desire)?
If it is answered that the universe is the Deity’s
lila (mere sport, as some schools of philosophy assert),
then, as every sport is ascribable to some motive
of happiness, what can be the happiness of the Deity,
who, as presupposed, is without desire?
Page 496
6. The Rishi answers—There is a great
objection in admitting the complete or essential identity
of things different, i.e., the ordinary soul
and Supreme Soul being different, their identity cannot
be admitted. As regards creatures, they flow
continually from Anadi-yoga, i.e., the union
of the Supreme Soul (which in itself is Unconditioned)
with the conditions of space, time etc.; i.e.,
there is this much of identity, therefore between
the ordinary and the Supreme Soul, but not a complete
or essential identity. It is also in consequence
of this that the superiority of the Supreme Soul is
not lost (the opposite theory would be destructive
of that superiority). The favourite analogy of
the thinkers of this school for explaining the connection
of the Supreme Soul with the universe is derived from
the connection of Akasa with Ghatakasa, i.e.,
space absolute and unconditioned and space as confined
by the limits of a vessel. The latter has a name,
is moved when the vessel is moved, and is limited
in space; while space itself, of which the vessel’s
space forms a part, is absolute and unconditioned,
immovable, and unlimited.
7. Cars, elephants, horses, infantry, vehicles
other than cars, and warriors fighting from the backs
of camels.
8. Called also the Badava fire.
9. The allusion is to the incarnation of Vishnu
as the Horse-necked, Nilakantha explains suvarnakhyam
Jagat to be Veda prancha i.e., the whole Vedas
with all their contents, According to him, the sense
of the passage is that Vishnu in that form swells
with his own voice the Vedic notes chanted by the
Brahmanas.
10. Patauti Jalam sravantiti patalam. Thus
Nilakantha.
11. Literally, one that hath a beautiful or excellent
face.
12. The story of Viswamitra’s promotion
to the status of a Brahmana is highly characteristic.
Engaged in a dispute with the Brahmana Rishi Vasishtha,
Viswamitra who was a Kshatriya king (the son of Kusika)
found, by bitter experience, that Kshatriya energy
and might backed by the whole science of arms, availed
nothing against a Brahmana’s might, for Vasishtha
by his ascetic powers created myriads and myriads of
fierce troops who inflicted a signal defeat on the
great Kshatriya king. Baffled thus, Viswamitra
retired to the breast of Himavat and paid court to
Siva. The great God appeared and Viswamitra begged
him for the mastery of the whole science of weapons.
The god granted his prayer. Viswamitra then came
back and sought an encounter with Vasishtha, but the
latter by the aid only of his Brahmanical (bamboo)
stick baffled the fiercest weapons of Viswamitra,
of even celestial efficacy. Humiliated and disgraced,
Viswamitra set his heart on becoming a Brahmana.
He gave up his kingdom and retiring into the woods
with his queen began to practise to severest austerities.
After the expiration of ten thousand years, the Creator
Brahma appeared before him and addressed him as a royal
Rishi. Dispirited at this, he devoted himself
to still severer austerities. At last, at Dharma’s
command (as here referred to) the great Kshatriya king
became a Brahmana. This, in the Hindu scriptures,
is the sole instance of a person belonging to a lower
order becoming a Brahmana by ascetic austerities.
Page 497
13. These articles of cognate origin are clarified
butter, milk, and other things used as libations in
sacrifices.
14. i.e., the subdivisions of the Pranava, the
mysterious Mantra, which is the beginning of everything,
were first promulgated here. Nilakantha supposes
this to refer to the origin of the Vedas, the Upanishads,
and the various branches of the Srutis and the Smritis.
15. Small divisions of time.
16. The limbs that should be ‘prominent’
or ‘elevated’ in order to constitute an
indication of beauty or auspiciousness are variously
mentioned. The general opinion seems to be that
these six only, viz., the back of each palm,
the two dorsa, and the two bosoms should be elevated.
Another opinion would seem to indicate that the two
bosoms, the two hips, and the two eyes should be so.
The seven that should be delicate or slender are unanimously
mentioned as the skin, the hair, the teeth, the fingers
of the hands, the fingers of the feet, the waist, and
the neck. The three that should be deep are the
navel, the voice, and the understanding. The
five that should be red are the two palms, the two
outer corners of the eyes, the tongue, the nether and
the upper-lips, and the palate. These five also,
are variously given.
17. The latter half of this Sloka is variously
read. The correct reading, I apprehend, is Niyamanani
Santare Hritanyasan Vitastaya, i.e., ’while
transported across, were taken (down) by the (river)
Vitasta’—the latter being one of
the five rivers of the Punjab.
18. The science of arms (Dhanurved) classes arms
under four heads, viz., Mukta, Amukta, Muktamukta,
and Yantramukta. A Mukta weapon is one that is
hurled from the hand, as a discus. An Amukta is
not hurled from the hand, as a sword. A Muktamukta
is one that is sometimes hurled and sometimes not,
as a mace. A Yantramukta is one shot from a machine,
as an arrow or a ball. All Mukta weapons are
Astras, while all Amukta ones are called sastras.
19. The thousand-handed Arjuna, called also Kartaviryarjuna,
the vanquisher of Ravana, the chief of Haihaya clan
of Kshatriyas having his capital at Mahishmati on
the banks of the Narmada (Nerbuda), was slain by Rama
The Mahabharata
of
Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa
BOOK 6
BHISHMA PARVA
Translated into English Prose from the Original Sanskrit
Text
by
Kisari Mohan Ganguli
[1883-1896]
Scanned at sacred-texts.com, January, 2004. Proofed
by John Bruno Hare.
THE MAHABHARATA
BHISHMA PARVA
SECTION I
(Jamvu-khanda Nirmana Parva)
Om! Having bowed down to Narayana,
and Nara, the most exalted of male beings, and also
to the goddess Saraswati, must the word ‘Jaya’
be uttered.
Page 498
Janamejaya said,—“How did those heroes,
the Kurus, the Pandavas, and the Somakas, and the
high-souled kings assembled together from various
countries, fight?”
Vaisampayana said,—“Listen thou,
O lord of the earth, how those heroes,—the
Kurus, the Pandavas, and the Somakas,—fought
on the sacred plain of the Kurukshetra.[1] Entering
Kurukshetra, the Pandavas endued with great might,
along with the Somakas, advanced, desirous of victory,
against the Kauravas. Accomplished in the study
of the Vedas, all (of them) took great delight in
battle. Expectant of success in battle, with
their troops (they) faced the fight. Approaching
the army of Dhritarashtra’s son, those (warriors)
invincible in battle[2] stationed themselves with
their troops on the western part (of the plain), their
faces turned towards the east. Yudhishthira, the
son of Kunti, caused tents by thousands to be set
up according to rule, beyond the region called Samantapanchaka.
The whole earth seemed then to be empty, divested
of horses and men, destitute of cars and elephants,
and with only the children and the old left (at home).
From the whole area of Jamvudwipa over which the sun
sheds his rays,[3] was collected that force, O best
of kings. Men of all races,[4] assembled together,
occupied an area extending for many Yojanas over districts,
rivers, hills, and woods. That bull among men,
king Yudhishthira, ordered excellent food and other
articles of enjoyment for all of them along with their
animals. And Yudhishthira fixed diverse watch-words
for them; so that one saying this should be known
as belonging to the Pandavas. And that descendant
of Kuru’s race also settled names and badges
for all of them for recognition during time of battle.
“Beholding the standard-top of Pritha’s
son, the high-souled son of Dhritarashtra, with a
white umbrella held over his head, in the midst of
a thousand elephants, and surrounded by his century
of brothers, began with all the kings (on his side)
to array his troops against the son of Pandu.
Seeing Duryodhana, the Panchalas who took delight in
battle, were filled with joy and blew their loud-sounding
conches and cymbals of sweet sounds. Beholding
those troops so delighted, Pandu’s son and Vasudeva
of great energy had their hearts filled with joy.
And those tigers among men, Vasudeva and Dhananjaya,
seated on one car, having felt great joy, both blew
their celestial conches. And hearing the blare
of Gigantea and the loud blast of Theodotes belonging
unto the two, the combatants ejected urine and excreta.
As other animals are filled with fear on hearing the
voice of the roaring lion, even so became that force
upon hearing those blasts. A frightful dust arose
and nothing could be seen, for the sun himself, suddenly
enveloped by it, seemed to have set.[5] A black cloud
poured a shower of flesh and blood over the troops
all around. All this seemed extraordinary.
A wind rose there, bearing along the earth myriads
Page 499
of stony nodules, and afflicting therewith the combatants
by hundreds and thousands. (For all that), O monarch,
both armies, filled with joy, stood addrest for battle,
on Kurukshetra like two agitated oceans. Indeed,
that encounter of the two armies was highly wonderful,
like that of two oceans when the end of the Yuga is
arrived. The whole earth was empty, having only
the children and the old left (at home), in consequence
of that large army mustered by the Kauravas.[6] Then
the Kurus, the Pandavas, and the Somakas made certain
covenants, and settled the rules, O bull of Bharata’s
race, regarding the different kinds of combat.
Persons equally circumstanced must encounter each other,
fighting fairly. And if having fought fairly the
combatants withdraw (without fear of molestation),
even that would be gratifying to us. Those who
engaged in contests of words should be fought against
with words. Those that left the ranks should
never be slain.[7] A car-warrior should have a car-warrior
for his antagonist; he on the neck of an elephant
should have a similar combatant for his foe; a horse
should be met by a horse, and a foot-soldier, O Bharata;
should be met by a foot-soldier. Guided by considerations
of fitness, willingness, daring and might, one should
strike another, giving notice. No one should strike
another that is unprepared[8] or panic-struck.
One engaged with another, one seeking quarter, one
retreating, one whose weapon is rendered unfit, uncased
in mail, should never be struck. Car-drivers,
animals (yoked to cars or carrying weapons) men engaged
in the transport of weapons,[9] players on drums and
blowers of conches should never be struck. Having
made these covenants, the Kurus, and the Pandavas,
and the Somakas wondered much, gazing at each other.
And having stationed (their forces thus), those bulls
among men, those high-souled ones, with their troops,
became glad at heart, their joy being reflected on
their countenances.”
SECTION II
Vaisampayana said,—“Seeing then the
two armies (standing) on the east and the west for
the fierce battle that was impending, the holy Rishi
Vyasa, the son of Satyavati, that foremost of all persons
acquainted with the Vedas, that grandsire of the Bharatas,
conversant with the past, the present, and the future,
and beholding everything as if it were present before
his eyes, said these words in private unto the royal
son of Vichitravirya who was then distressed and giving
way to sorrow, reflecting on the evil policy of his
sons.
“Vyasa said,—’O king, thy sons
and the other monarchs have their hour arrived.[10]
Mustered in battle they will kill one another.
O Bharata, their hour having come, they will all perish.
Bearing in mind the changes brought on by time, do
not yield thy heart to grief. O king, if thou
wish to see them (fighting) in battle, I will, O son,
grant thee vision. Behold the battle.”
“Dhritarashtra said,—’O best
of regenerate Rishi, I like not to behold the slaughter
of kinsmen. I shall, however, through thy potency
hear of this battle minutely.”
Page 500
Vaisampayana continued.—“Upon his
not wishing to see the battle but wishing to hear
of it, Vyasa, that lord of boons, gave a boon to Sanjaya.
(And addressing Dhritarashtra he said),—’This
Sanjaya, O king, will describe the battle to thee.
Nothing in the whole battle will be beyond this one’s
eyes.’ Endued, O king with celestial vision,
Sanjaya will narrate the battle to thee. He will
have knowledge of everything. Manifest or concealed,
(happening) by day or by night, even that which is
thought of in the mind, Sanjaya shall know everything.
Weapons will not cut him and exertion will not fatigue
him. This son of Gavalgani will come out of the
battle with life. As regards myself, O bull of
Bharata’s race, the fame of these Kurus, as
also of all the Pandavas, I will spread. Do not
grieve. This is destiny, O tiger among men.
It behoveth thee not to give way to grief. It
is not capable of being prevented. As regards
victory, it is there where righteousness is.’”
Vaisampayana continued,—“That highly-blessed
and holy grandsire of the Kurus, having said so, once
more addressed Dhritarashtra and said,—’Great
will the slaughter be, O monarch, in this battle.
I see here also (numerous) omens indicative of terror.
Hawks and vultures, and crows and herons, together
with cranes, are alighting on the tops of trees and
gathering in flocks. These birds, delighted at
the prospect of battle, are looking down (on the field)
before them. Carnivorous beasts will feed on
the flesh of elephants and steeds. Fierce herons,
foreboding terror, and uttering merciless cries, are
wheeling across the centre towards the southern region.
In both the twilights, prior and posterior, I daily
behold, O Bharata, the sun during his rising and setting
to be covered by headless trunks. Tri-coloured
clouds with their extremities white and red and necks
black, charged with lightning, and resembling maces
(in figure) envelope the sun in both twilights.
I have seen the sun, the moon, and the stars to be
all blazing. No difference in their aspect is
to be noted in the evening. I have seen this all
day and all night. All this forbodes fear.
On even the fifteenth night of the lighted-fortnight
in (the month of) Kartika, the moon, divested of splendour,
became invisible, or of the hue of fire, the firmament
being of the hue of the lotus. Many heroic lords
of earth, kings and princes, endued with great bravery
and possessed of arms resembling maces, will be slain
and sleep lying down on the earth. Daily I notice
in the sky during night time the fierce cries of battling
boars and cats.[11] The images of gods and goddesses
sometimes laugh, sometimes tremble, and sometimes
again these vomit blood through their mouths and sometimes
they sweat and sometimes fall down. O monarch!
drums, without being beaten, give sounds, and the
great cars of Kshatriyas move without (being drawn
by) animals yoked to them. Kokilas, wood-peckers,
jaws, water-cocks, parrots, crows, and peacocks, utter
Page 501
terrible cries. Here and there, cavalry soldiers,
cased in mail, armed with weapons, send forth fierce
shouts. At sun-rise flights of insects, by hundreds
are seen. In both twilights, the cardinal quarters
seem to be ablaze, and the clouds, O Bharata, shower
dust and flesh. She, O king, who is celebrated
over the three worlds and is applauded by the righteous,
even that (constellation) Arundhati keepeth (her lord)
Vasistha on her back. The planet Sani also, O
king, appeareth afflicting (the constellation) Rohini.
The sign of the deer in the Moon hath deviated from
its usual position. A great terror is indicated.
Even though the sky is cloudless, a terrible roar
is heard there. The animals are all weeping and
their tears are falling fast.’”
SECTION III
“Vyasa said,—’Asses are taking
births in kine. Some are having sexual pleasure
with mothers. The trees in the forests are exhibiting
unseasonable flowers and fruits. Women quick with
child, and even those that are not so, are giving
birth to monsters. Carnivorous beasts, mingling
with (carnivorous) birds, are feeding together.
Ill-omened beasts, some having three horns, some with
four eyes, some with five legs, some with two sexual
organs, some with two heads, some with two tails,
some having fierce teeth, are being born, and with
mouths wide open are uttering unholy cries. Horses
with three legs, furnished with crests, having four
teeth, and endued with horns, are also being born.
O king! in thy city is also seen that the wives of
many utterers of Brahma are bringing forth Garudas
and peacocks. The mare is bringing forth the
cow-calf and the bitch is bringing forth, O king, jackals
and cocks, and antelopes and parrots are all uttering
inauspicious cries.[12] Certain women are bringing
forth four or five daughters (at a time), and these
as soon as they are born, dance and sing and laugh.
The members of the lowest orders are laughing and
dancing and singing, and thus indicating direful consequences.
Infants, as if urged by death, are drawing armed images,
and are running against one another, armed with clubs,
and desirous of battle are also breaking down the
towns (they erect in sport). Lotuses of different
kinds and lilies are growing on trees. Strong
winds are blowing fiercely and the dust ceaseth not.
The earth is frequently trembling, and Rahu approacheth
towards the sun. The white planet (Ketu) stayeth,
having passed beyond the constellation Chitra.
All this particularly bodeth the destruction of the
Kurus. A fierce comet riseth, afflicting the
constellation Pusya. This great planet will cause
frightful mischief to both the armies. Mars wheeleth
towards Magha and Vrihaspati (Jupiter) towards Sravana.
The Sun’s offspring (Sani) approaching towards
the constellation Bhaga, afflicteth it. The planet
Sukra, ascending towards Purva Bhadra, shineth brilliantly,
and wheeling towards the Uttara Bhadra, looketh towards
Page 502
it, having effected a junction (with a smaller planet).
The white planet (Ketu), blazing up like fire mixed
with smoke, stayeth, having attacked the bright constellation
Jeshtha that is sacred to Indra. The constellation
Dhruva, blazing fiercely, wheeleth towards the right.
Both the Moon and the Sun are afflicting Rohini.
The fierce planet (Rahu) hath taken up its position
between the constellations Chitra and Swati.[13] The
red-bodied (Mars) possessed of the effulgence of fire,
wheeling circuitously, stayeth in a line with the
constellation Sravana over-ridden by Vrihaspati.
The earth that produceth particular crops at particular
seasons is now covered with the crops of every season.[14]
Every barley-stalk is graced with five ears, and every
paddy-stalk with a hundred. They that are the
best of creatures in the worlds and upon whom depends
the universe, viz., kine, when milked after the
calves have their suck, yield only blood. Radiant
rays of light emanate from bows, and swords blaze forth
brilliantly. It is evident that the weapons behold
(before them) the battle, as if it were already arrived.
The hue of weapons and the water, as also of coats
of mail and standards, is like that of fire. A
great slaughter will take place. In this battle,[15]
O Bharata, of the Kurus with the Pandavas, the earth,
O monarch, will be a river of blood with the standards
(of warriors) as its rafts. Animals and birds
on all sides, with mouths blazing like fire, uttering
fierce cries, and displaying these evil omens, are
foreboding terrible consequences. A (fierce) bird
with but one wing, one eye, and one leg, hovering
over the sky in the night, screameth frightfully in
wrath, as if for making the hearers vomit blood?
It seemeth, O great king, that all weapons are now
blazing with radiance. The effulgence of the
constellation known by the name of the seven high-souled
Rishis, hath been dimmed. Those two blazing planets,
viz., Vrihaspati and Sani, having approached
the constellation called Visakha, have become stationary
there for a whole year. Three lunations twice
meeting together in course of the same lunar fortnight,
the duration of the latter is shortened by two days.[16]
On the thirteenth day therefore, from the first lunation,
according as it is the day of the full moon or the
new moon, the moon and the sun are afflicted by Rahu.
Such strange eclipses, both lunar and solar, forebode
a great slaughter.[17] All the quarters of the earth,
being overwhelmed by showers of dust, look inauspicious.
Fierce clouds, portentous of danger, drop bloody showers
during the night. Rahu of fierce deeds is also,
O monarch, afflicting the constellation Kirtika.
Rough winds, portending fierce danger, are constantly
blowing. All these beget a war characterised by
many sad incidents.[18] The constellations are divided
into three classes. Upon one or another of each
class, a planet of evil omen has shed its influence,
foreboding terrible dangers.[19] A lunar fortnight
Page 503
had hitherto consisted of fourteen days, or fifteen
days (as usual), or sixteen days. This, however,
I never knew that the day of new-moon would be on
the thirteenth day from the first lunation, or the
day of full-moon on the thirteenth day from the same.
And yet in course of the same month both the Moon
and the Sun have undergone eclipses on the thirteenth
days from the day of the first lunation.[20] The Sun
and the Moon therefore, by undergoing eclipses on
unusual days,[21] will cause a great slaughter of
the creatures of the earth. Indeed, Rakshasas,
though drinking blood by mouthful, will yet not be
satiated. The great rivers are flowing in opposite
directions. The waters of rivers have become bloody.
The wells, foaming up, are bellowing like bulls.[22]
Meteors, effulgent like Indra’s thunder-bolt,
fall with loud hisses.[23] When this night passeth
away, evil consequences will overtake you. People,
for meeting together, coming out of their houses with
lighted brands, have still to encounter a thick gloom
all round.[24] Great Rishis have said that in view
of such circumstances the earth drinks the blood of
thousands of kings. From the mountains of Kailasa
and Mandara and Himavat thousands of explosions are
heard and thousands of summits are tumbling down.
In consequence of the Earth’s trembling, each
of the four oceans having swelled greatly, seems ready
to transgress its continents for afflicting the Earth.[25]
Fierce winds charged with pointed pebbles are blowing,
crushing mighty trees. In villages and towns
trees, ordinary and sacred, are falling down, crushed
by mighty winds and struck by lightning. The (sacrificial)
fire, when Brahmanas pour libations on it, becomes
blue, or red, or yellow. Its flames bend towards
the left, yielding a bad scent, accompanied by loud
reports. Touch, smell, and taste have, O monarch,
become what they were not. The standards (of
warriors), repeatedly trembling are emitting smoke.
Drums and cymbals are throwing off showers of coal-dust.
And from the tops of tall trees all around, crows,
wheeling in circles from the left, are uttering fierce
cries. All of them again are uttering frightful
cries of pakka, pakka and are perching upon the tops
of standards for the destruction of the kings.
Vicious elephants, trembling all over, are running
hither and thither, urinating and ejecting excreta.
The horses are all melancholy, while the elephants
are resorting to the water. Hearing all this,
let that be done which is suitable, so that, O Bharata,
the world may not be depopulated.’”
Vaisampayana continued,—“Hearing
these words of his father, Dhritarashtra said,—’I
think all this hath been ordained of old. A great
slaughter of human beings will take place. If
the kings die in battle observing the duties of the
Kshatriya order, they will then, attaining to the
regions reserved for heroes, obtain only happiness.
These tigers among men, casting away their lives in
great battle, will win fame in this and great bliss
for ever in the next world.’
Page 504
Vaisampayana continued,—“O best of
kings, thus addressed by his son Dhritarashtra, that
prince of poets, the Muni (Vyasa) concentrated his
mind in supreme Yoga. Having contemplated for
only a short space of time, Vyasa once more said,—’Without
doubt, O king of kings, it is Time that destroyeth
the universe. It is Time also that createth the
worlds. There is nothing here that is eternal.
Show the path of righteousness to the Kurus, to thy
kinsmen, relatives, and friends. Thou art competent
to restrain them. The slaughter of kinsmen hath
been said to be sinful. Do not do that which
is disagreeable to me. O king, Death himself hath
been born in the shape of thy son. Slaughter
is never applauded in the Vedas. It can never
be beneficial. The usages of one’s race
are as one’s own body. Those usages slay
him that destroyeth them. For the destruction
of this race and of those kings of the earth it is
Time that maketh thee deviate into the wrong path
like one in distress, although thou art competent
(to walk along the path of righteousness). O king,
in the shape of thy kingdom hath calamity come to
thee. Thy virtue is sustaining a very great diminution.[26]
Show what righteousness is unto thy sons. O thou
that art invincible, of what value is that kingdom
to thee which bringeth sin to thee? Take care
of thy good name, thy virtue, and thy fame. Thou
wilt then win heaven. Let the Pandavas have their
kingdom, and let the Kauravas have peace.”
“While that best of Brahmanas was saying these
words in a sorrowful tone, Dhritarashtra, the son
of Ambika, accomplished in speech, once more addressed
him, saying.—–’My knowledge
of life and death is similar to thine. The truth
is known to me as regards these. Man, however,
in what concerns his own interests, is deprived of
judgment. O sire, know me to be one who is an
ordinary person. Of immeasurable power thou art.
I pray thee to extend thine towards us. Of soul
under complete control, thou art our refuge and instructor.
My sons are not obedient to me, O great Rishi.
My understanding too is not inclined to commit sin.[27]
Thou art the cause of the fame, the achievements,
and the inclination for virtue, of the Bharatas.
Thou art the reverend grandsire of both the Kurus and
the Pandavas.’
“Vyasa said,—’O royal son of
Vichitravirya, tell me freely what is in thy mind.
I will remove thy doubts.”
“Dhritarashtra said,—’O holy
one, I desire to hear from thee of all those indications
that happen unto those that become victorious in battle.”
“Vyasa said,—’The (sacred)
fire assumes a cheerful radiance. Its light ascends
upwards. Its flame bends towards the right.
It blazes up without being smoky. The libations
poured on it yield a fragrant scent. It is said
that these are the indications of future success.
The conches and cymbals yield sounds that are deep
and loud. The Sun as well as the Moon gives pure
rays. It is said that these are the indications
Page 505
of future success. Crows, whether stationary
or on their wings, utter cries that are agreeable.
They again that are behind, urge the warriors to advance;
while they that are ahead, forbid all advance.[28]
Where vultures, swans, parrots, cranes, and wood-peckers
utter delightful cries, and wheel towards the right,
the Brahmanas say that their victory in battle is
certain. They whose divisions, in consequence
of ornaments, coats of mail, and standards, or the
melodious neigh of their steeds, become resplendent
and incapable of being gazed at, always conquer their
foes. They who utter cheerful shouts, those warriors,
O Bharata, whose energies are not damped and whose
garlands do not fade, always cross the ocean of battle.
They who utter cheerful shouts having penetrated into
the divisions of the foe, who utter even kind words,[29]
to the enemy, and who, before striking, forewarn the
foe, win victory. The objects of hearing, vision,
taste, touch, and smell, without undergoing any change
for the worse, become auspicious. This also is
another indication of a victorious army, viz.,
there is joy among the combatants at all time.
This also is another indication of success, viz.
the winds that blow, the clouds, and the birds, all
become favourable; while the clouds (so favourable)
and the rain-bows drop beneficial showers. These,
O king, are the indications of armies to be crowned
with victory, while O monarch, all these become otherwise
in the case of those that are about to be destroyed.
Whether the army be small or large, cheerfulness, as
an attribute of the combatants, is said to be a certain
indication of victory. One soldier, struck with
panic, can cause even a large army to take fright
and fly. And when an army, struck with panic,
takes to flight, it causes even heroic warriors to
take fright. If a large army is once broken and
put to rout, it cannot like a herd of deer disordered
in fright or a mighty current of water be easily checked.
If a large army is once routed, it is incapable of
being rallied; on the other hand, beholding it broken,
even those well-skilled in battle, O Bharata, become
heartless. Beholding soldiers struck with fear
and flying, the panic spreads in other directions,
and soon, O king, the whole army is broken and flies
in all directions. And when an army is routed,
even brave leaders, O king, at the head of large divisions
consisting of the four kinds of forces, are incapable
of rallying them. An intelligent man, always
exerting himself with activity, should strive (to win
success) by the aid of means. It is said that
that success which is won by negotiation and other
means is the very best. That which is achieved
by producing disunion (among the foe) is indifferent.
While that success, O king, which is won by battle,
is the worst. In battle are many evils, the initial
one, as it is said, being slaughter. Even fifty
brave men who know one another, who are underpressed,
who are free from family ties, and who are firmly
Page 506
resolved, can crush a large army. Even five, six,
seven men, who are unretreating, win victory.
Vinata’s son Garuda, O Bharata, beholding even
a large concourse of birds, asketh not the aid of
many followers (to vanquish them). The strength
in number, therefore of an army is not always the
cause of victory. Victory is uncertain. It
depends on chance. Even they that become victorious
have to sustain loss.’”
SECTION IV
Vaisampayana said,—“Having said these
words unto Dhritarashtra, Vyasa took his departure.
And Dhritarashtra also, having heard those words,
began to reflect in silence. And having reflected
for only a short space of time, he began to sigh repeatedly.
And, soon, O bull of Bharata’s race, the king
asked Sanjaya of soul worthy of praise,—saying,—’O
Sanjaya, these kings, these lords of earth, so brave
and taking delight in battle, are for smiting one
another with weapons of diverse kinds, being prepared
to lay down their very lives for the sake of earth.
Incapable of being restrained, they are, indeed, smiting
one another for increasing the population of Yama’s
domain. Desirous of prosperity connected with
the possession of earth they are incapable of bearing
one another. I, therefore, think that earth must
be possessed of many attributes. Tell me all
these, O Sanjaya, Many thousands, many millions, many
tens of millions, many hundreds of millions, heroic
men have come together at Kurujangala. I desire
to hear, O Sanjaya, with accurate details, about the
situation and dimensions of those countries and cities
from which they have come. Through the potency
of that regenerate Rishi Vyasa of immeasurable energy,
thou art endued with the lamp of celestial perception
and the eye of knowledge.
“Sanjaya said,—’O thou of great
wisdom, I will recount to thee the merits of earth
according to my knowledge. Behold them with thy
eye of wisdom. I bow to thee, O bull of Bharata’s
race. Creatures in this world are of two kinds,
mobile and immobile. Mobile creatures are of three
kinds according to their birth, viz., oviparous,
viviparous, and those engendered by heat and damp.
Of mobile creatures, O king, the foremost are certainly
those called viviparous. Of viviparous creatures
the foremost are men and animals. Animals, O
king, of diverse forms, are of fourteen species.
Seven have their abodes in the woods, and seven of
these are domestic. Lions, tigers, boars, buffaloes,
and elephants as also bears and apes, are, O king,
regarded as wild. Kine, goats, sheep, men, horses,
mules, and asses,—these seven amongst animals
are reckoned as domestic by the learned. These
fourteen, O king, complete the tale of domestic and
wild animals, mentioned, O lord of earth, in the Vedas,
and on which the sacrifices rest. Of creatures
that are domestic, men are foremost, while lions are
the foremost of those that have their abode in the
woods. All creatures support their life by living
Page 507
upon one another. Vegetables are said to be immobile,
and they are of four species viz., trees, shrubs,
creepers, creeping plants existing for only a year,
and all stemless plants of the grass species.[30]
Of mobile and immobile creatures, there are thus one
less twenty; and as regards their universal constituents,
there are five. Twenty-four in all, these are
described as Gayatri (Brahma) as is well-known to
all.[31] He who knows these truly to be the sacred
Gayatri possessed of every virtue, is not liable, O
best of the Bharatas, to destruction in this world.
Everything springeth from the earth and everything,
when destroyed, mergeth into the Earth. The Earth
is the stay and refuge of all creatures, and the Earth
is eternal. He that hath the Earth, hath the
entire universe with its mobile and immobile population.
It is for this that longing for (the possession of
the) Earth, kings slay one another.’”
SECTION V
“Dhritarashtra said,—’The names
of rivers and mountains, O Sanjaya, as also of provinces,
and all other things resting on the earth, and their
dimensions, O thou that are acquainted with the measures
of things of the earth in its entirety and the forests,
O Sanjaya, recount to me in detail.’
“Sanjaya said,—’O great king,
all things in the universe, in consequence of the
presence (in them) of the five elements, have been
said to be equal by the wise. These elements,
are space, air, fire, water, and earth. Their
(respective) attributes are sound, touch, vision, taste,
and scent. Every one of these elements possesses
(in addition to what is especially its own) the attribute
or attributes of that or those coming before it.
The earth, therefore, is the foremost of them all,
possessing as it does the attributes of all the other
four, besides what is specially its own, as said by
Rishis acquainted with truth.[32] There are four attributes,
O king, in water. Scent does not exist in it.
Fire has three attributes viz., sound, touch,
and vision. Sound and touch belong to air, while
space has sound alone. These five attributes,
O king, exist (in this way) in the five principal
elements depending on which all creatures in the universe
exist. They exist separately and independently
when there is homogeneity in the universe.[33] When,
however, these do not exist in their natural state
but with one another, then creatures spring into life,
furnished with bodies. This is never otherwise.
The elements are destroyed, in the order of the one
succeeding, merging into the one that proceeds; and
they spring also into existence, one arising from
the one before it.[34] All of these are immeasurable,
their forms being Brahma itself. In the universe
are seen creatures consisting of the five elements.
Men endeavour to ascertain their proportions by exercising
their reason. Those matters, however, that are
inconceivable, should never be sought to be solved
by reason. That which is above (human) nature
is an indication of the inconceivable.
Page 508
“’O son of Kuru’s race, I will,
however, describe to thee the island called Sudarsana.
This island, O king, is circular and of the form of
a wheel. It is covered with rivers and other
pieces of water and with mountains looking like masses
of clouds, and with cities and many delightful provinces.
It is also full of trees furnished with flowers and
fruits, and with crops of diverse kinds and other wealth.
And it is surrounded on all sides with the salt ocean.
As a person can see his own face in a mirror, even
so is the island called Sudarsana seen in the lunar
disc. Two of its parts seem to be a peepul tree,
while two others look like a large hare. It is
surrounded on all sides with an assemblage of every
kind of deciduous plants. Besides these portions,
the rest is all water. What remains I will describe
to thee shortly. The rest I will speak of afterwards.
Listen now to this that I describe in brief.[35]”
SECTION VI
“Dhritarashtra said.—–“Thou
art intelligent, O Sanjaya, and acquainted with the
truth (about everything). Thou hast duly given
a description of the island in brief. Tell us
now of the island in detail. Tell us now of the
dimension of the expanse of land that lies in the portion
looking like a hare. Thou mayst then speak of
the portion resembling peepul tree.”
Vaisampayana said,—“Thus addressed
by the king, Sanjaya began to say.
“Sanjaya said,—’Stretching
from east to west, are these six mountains that are
equal[36] and that extend from the eastern to the western
ocean. They are Himavat, Hemakuta, that best
of mountains called Nishadha, Nila abounding with
stones of lapis lazuli, Sweta white as the moon, and
the mountains called Sringavat composed of all kinds
of metals.[37] These are the six mountains, O king,
which are always the resorts of Siddhas and Charanas.
The space lying between each of these measures a thousand
Yojanas, and thereon are many delightful kingdoms.
And these divisions are called Varshas, O Bharata.
In all those kingdoms reside creatures of diverse
species. This (the land where we are) is in the
Varsha that is called after Bharata. Next to
it (northwards) is the Varsha called after Himavat.
The land that is beyond Hemakuta is called Harivarsha,
South of the Nila range and on the north of the Nishadha
is a mountain, O king, called Malyavat that stretches
from east to west. Beyond Malyavat northwards
is the mountain called Gandhamadana.[38] Between these
two (viz., Malyavat and Gandhamadana) is a globular
mountain called Meru made of gold. Effulgent
as the morning sun, it is like fire without smoke.[39]
It is eighty-four thousand Yojanas high, and, O king,
its depth also is eighty-four Yojanas. It standeth
bearing the worlds above, below and transversely.
Besides Meru are situated, O lord, these four islands,
viz., Bhadraswa, and Ketumala, and Jamvudwipa
otherwise called Bharata, and Uttar-Kuru which is
Page 509
the abode of persons who have achieved the merit of
righteousness. The bird Sumukha, the son of Suparna,
beholding that all the birds on Meru were of golden
plumage, reflected that he should leave that mountain
inasmuch as there was no difference between the good,
middling, and bad birds. The foremost of luminaries,
the sun, always circumambulates Meru, as also the
moon with (his) attendant constellation, and the Wind-god
too. The mountain, O king, is endued with celestial
fruits and flowers, and it is covered all over with
mansions made of furnished gold. There, on that
mountain, O king, the celestials, the Gandharvas,
the Asuras, and the Rakshasas, accompanied by the tribes
of Apsaras, always sport. There Brahman, and Rudra,
and also Sakra the chief of the celestials, assembled
together, performed diverse kinds of sacrifices with
plentiful gifts. Tumvuru, and Narada and Viswavasu,
and the Hahas and the Huhus, repairing thither, adored
the foremost of the celestials with diverse hymns.
The high-souled seven Rishis, and Kasyapa the lord
of creatures, repair thither, blessed be thou, on every
parva day.[40] Upon the summit of that mountain, Usanas,
otherwise called the Poet, sporteth with the Daityas
(his disciples).[41] The jewels and gems (that we
see) and all the mountains abounding in precious stones
are of Meru. Therefrom a fourth part is enjoyed
by the holy Kuvera. Only a sixteenth part of
that wealth he giveth unto men. On the northern
side of Meru is a delightful and excellent forest
of Karnikaras, covered with the flowers of every season,[42]
and occupying a range of hills. There the illustrious
Pasupati himself, the creator of all things, surrounded
by his celestial attendants and accompanied by Uma,
sporteth bearing a chain of Karnikara flowers (on
his neck) reaching down to his feet, and blazing with
radiance with his three eyes resembling three risen
suns. Him Siddhas truthful in speech, of excellent
vows and austere ascetic penances, can behold.
Indeed, Maheswara is incapable of being seen by persons
of wicked conduct. From the summit of that mountain,
like a stream of milk, O ruler of men, the sacred
and auspicious Ganga, otherwise called Bhagirathi,
adored by the most righteous, of universal form and
immeasurable and issuing out with terrific noise, falleth
with impetuous force on the delightful lake of Chandramas.[43]
Indeed that sacred lake, like an ocean, hath been
formed by Ganga herself. (While leaping from the mountains),
Ganga, incapable of being supported by even the mountains,
was held for a hundred thousand years by the bearer
of Pinaka on his head.[44] On the western side of
Meru, O king, is Ketumala.[45] And there also is Jamvukhanda.
Both are great seats of humanity, O king.[46] There,
O Bharata, the measure of human life is ten thousand
years. The men are all of a golden complexion,
and the women are like Apsaras. And all the residents
are without sickness, without sorrow, and always cheerful.
The men born there are of the effulgence of melted
Page 510
gold. On the summits of Gandhamadana, Kuvera the
lord of the Guhyakas, with many Rakshasas and accompanied
by tribes of Apsaras, passeth his time in joy.
Besides Gandhamadana there are many smaller mountains
and hills. The measure of human life there is
eleven thousand years. There, O king, the men
are cheerful, and endued with great energy and great
strength and the women are all of the complexion of
the lotus and highly beautiful. Beyond Nila is
(the Varsha called) Sweta, beyond Sweta is (the Varsha
called) Hiranyaka. Beyond Hiranyaka is (the Varsha
called) Airavata covered with provinces. The
last Varsha in the (extreme) north and Bharata’s
Varsha in the (extreme) south are both, O king, of
the form of a bow. These five Varshas (viz.,
Sweta, Hiranyaka, Elavrita, Harivarsha, and Haimavat-varsha)
are in the middle, of which Elavrita exists in the
very middle of all. Amongst these seven Varshas
(the five already mentioned and Airavata and Bharata)
that which is further north excels the one to its
immediate south in respect of these attributes, viz.,
the period of life, stature, health, righteousness,
pleasure, and profit. In these Varshas, O Bharata,
creatures (though of diverse species) yet, live together.
Thus, O king, is Earth covered with mountains.
The huge mountains of Hemakuta are otherwise called
Kailasa. There, O king, Vaisravana passeth his
time in joy with his Guhyakas. Immediately to
the north of Kailasa and near the mountains of Mainaka
there is a huge and beautiful mountain called Manimaya
endued with golden summits. Beside this mountain
is a large, beautiful, crystal and delightful lake
called Vindusaras with golden sands (on its beach).
There king Bhagiratha, beholding Ganga (since) called
after his own name, resided for many years. There
may be seen innumerable sacrificial stakes made of
gems, and Chaitya tree made of gold. It was there
that he of a thousand eyes and great fame won (ascetic)
success by performing sacrifices. There the Lord
of all creatures, the eternal Creator of all the worlds,
endued with supreme energy surrounded by his ghostly
attendants, is adored. There Nara and Narayana,
Brahman, and Manu, and Sthanu as the fifth, are (ever
present). And there the celestial stream Ganga
having three currents,[47] issuing out of the region
of Brahman, first showed herself, and then dividing
herself into seven streams, became Vaswokasara, Nalini,
the sin-cleansing Saraswati, Jamvunadi, Sita, Ganga
and Sindhu as the seventh. The Supreme Lord hath
(himself) made the arrangement with reference to that
inconceivable and celestial stream. It is there
that[48] sacrifices have been performed (by gods and
Rishis) on a thousand occasions after the end of the
Yuga (when creation begins). As regards the Saraswati,
in some parts (of her course) she becometh visible
and in some parts not so. This celestial sevenfold
Ganga is widely known over the three worlds.
Rakshasas reside on Himavat, Guhyakas on Hemakuta,
and serpents and Nagas on Nishadha, and ascetics on
Gokarna. The Sweta mountains are said to be the
abode of the celestial and the Asuras. The Gandharvas
always reside on Nishadhas, and the regenerate Rishis
on Nila. The mountains of Sringavat also are
regarded as the resort of the celestials.
Page 511
“’These then, O great king, are the seven
Varshas of the world as they are divided. Diverse
creatures, mobile[49] and immobile, are placed in
them all. Diverse kinds of prosperity, both providential
and human, are noticeable in them. They are incapable
of being counted. Those desirous, however, of
their own good believe (all this), I have now told
thee of that delightful region (of land) of the form
of a hare about which thou hadst asked me. At
the extremities of that region are the two Varshas,
viz., one on the north and the other on the south.
Those two also have now been told to thee. Then
again the two islands Naga-dwipa and Kasyapa-dwipa
are the two ears of this region of the form of a hare.
The beautiful mountains of Maleya, O king, having
rocks like plates of copper, form another (prominent)
part of Jamvudwipa that having its shape resembling
a hare.’”
SECTION VII
“Dhritarashtra said,—’Tell
me, O Sanjaya, thou of great intelligence, of the
regions to the north and the east side of Meru, as
also of the mountains of Malyavat, in detail.[50]
“Sanjaya said,—’On the south
of the Nila mountain and the northern side of Meru
are the sacred Northern Kurus, O king, which are the
residence of the Siddhas. The trees there bear
sweet fruits, and are always covered with fruits and
flowers. All the flowers (there) are fragrant,
and the fruits of excellent taste. Some of the
trees, again, O king, yield fruits according to (the)
will (of the plucker). There are again some other
trees, O king, that are called milk-yielding.
These always yield milk and the six different kinds
of food of the taste of Amrita itself. Those
trees also yield cloths and in their fruits are ornaments
(for the use of man). The entire land abounds
with fine golden sands. A portion of the region
there, extremely delightful, is seen to be possessed
of the radiance of the ruby or diamond, or of the
lapis lazuli or other jewels and gems.[51] All the
seasons there are agreeable and nowhere does the land
become miry, O king. The tanks are charming, delicious,
and full of crystal water. The men born there
have dropped from the world of the celestials.[52]
All are of pure birth and all are extremely handsome
in appearance. There twins (of opposite sexes)
are born and the women resemble Apsaras in beauty.
They drink the milk, sweet as Amrita, of those milk-yielding
trees (already mentioned). And the twins born
there (of opposite sexes) grow up equally. Both
possessed of equal beauty, both endued with similar
virtues, and both equally dressed, both grow up in
love, O monarch, like a couple of chakrabakas.
The people of that country are free from illness and
are always cheerful. Ten thousand and ten hundred
years they live, O king, and never abandon one another.
A class of birds called Bharunda, furnished with sharp
beaks and possessed of great strength, take them up
when dead and throw them into mountain caves.
I have now described to thee, O king, the Northern
Kurus briefly.
Page 512
“I will now describe to thee the eastern side
of Meru duly. Of all the regions there, the foremost,
O king, is called Bhadraswa, where there is a large
forest of Bhadra-salas, as also a huge tree called
Kalamra. This Kalamra, O king, is always graced
with fruits and flowers. That tree again is a
Yojana in height and is adored by Siddhas[53] and the
Charanas. The men there are all of a white complexion,
endued with great energy, and possessed of great strength.
The women are of the complexion of lilies, very beautiful,
and agreeable to sight. Possessed of radiance
of the moon,[54] and white as the moon, their faces
are as the full-moon. Their bodies again are
as cool as the rays of the moon and they are all accomplished
in singing and dancing. The period of human life
there, O bull of the Bharata’s race, is ten
thousand years. Drinking the juice of the Kalamra
they continue youthful for ever. On the south
of Nila and the north of Nishadha, there is a huge
Jamvu tree that is eternal. Adored by the Siddhas
and Charanas, that sacred tree granteth every wish.
After the name of that tree this division hath ever
been called Jamvudwipa. O bull of Bharata race,
a thousand and a hundred Yojanas is the height of that
prince of trees, which touches the very heavens, O
king of men. Two thousand and five hundred cubits
measure the circumference of a fruit of that tree
which bursts when ripe. In falling upon the earth
these fruits make a loud noise, and then pour out,
O king, a silvery juice on the ground. That juice
of the Jamvu, becoming, O king, a river, and passing
circuitously round Meru, cometh to the (region of the)
Northern Kurus. If the juice of that fruit is
quaffed, it conduces to peace of mind. No thirst
is felt ever after, O king. Decrepitude never
weakens them. And there a species of gold called
Jamvunada and used for celestial ornaments, very brilliant
and like the complexion of Indragopoka insects, is
produced. The men born there are of the complexion
of the morning sun.
“’On the summit of Malyavat is always
seen, O bull of Bharata’s race, the fire called
Samvataka which blazeth forth at the end of the Yuga
for the destruction of the universe. On Malyavat’s
summit towards the east are many small mountains and
Malyavat, O king, measures eleven thousand[55] Yojanas.
The men born there are of the complexion of gold.
And they are all fallen from the region of Brahman
and are utterers of Brahma. They undergo the
severest of ascetic austerities, and their vital seed
is drawn up. For the protection of creatures
they all enter the sun. Numbering sixty-six thousand,
they proceed in advance of Aruna, surrounding the
sun. Heated with the sun’s rays for sixty-six
thousand years, they then enter the lunar disc.’”
SECTION VIII
“Dhritarashtra said,—’Tell
me truly, O Sanjaya, the names of all the Varshas,
and of all the mountains, and also of all those that
dwell on those mountains.
Page 513
“Sanjaya said,—’On the south
of Sweta and the north of Nishadha, is the Varsha,
called Romanaka. The men that are born there are
all of white complexion, of good parentage, and handsome
features. And the men born there are also all
without enemies. And they live, O king, for eleven
thousand and five hundred years, being ever of cheerful
hearts. On the south of Nishadha is the Varsha
called Hiranmaya where is the river called Hiranwati.
There, O king, liveth that foremost of birds named
Garuda. And the people there, O monarch, are all
followers of the Yakshas, wealthy, and of handsome
features. And, O king, the men there are endued
with great strength and have: cheerful hearts.
And they live for twelve thousand and five hundred
years., O king, which is the measure of their lives.
The mountains of Sringavat,[56] O ruler of men, have
three beautiful summits. One of these is made
of jewels and gems, another is very wonderful, being
made of all kinds of gems and adorned with palatial
mansions. There the self-luminous lady named Sandili
always liveth. On the north of Sringavat and
up to the margin of the sea, O king, the Varsha called
Airavat. And because this jewelled mountain is
there, therefore is this Varsha superior to all.
The sun giveth no heat there and men are not subject
to decay. And the moon there, with the stars,
becoming the only source of light, covereth (the firmament).
Possessing the radiance and complexion of the lotus,
and endued with eyes that resemble lotus-petals, the
men born there have the fragrance of the lotus.
With winkless eyes, and agreeable scent (emanating
from their bodies), they go without food and have
their senses under control. They are all fallen
from the region of the celestials, and are all, O king,
without sin of any kind. And they live, O monarch,
for thirteen thousand years, that being. O best
of the Bharatas, the measure of their lives.
And so on the north of the milky ocean, the Lord Hari
of unlimited puissance dwelleth on his car made of
gold. That vehicle is endued with eight wheels,
with numerous supernatural creatures stationed on it,
and having the speed of the mind. And its complexion
is that of fire, and it is endued with mighty energy
and adorned with Jamvunada gold. He is the Lord
of all creatures, and is possessed, O bull of Bharata’s
race, of every kind of prosperity. In him the
universe merges (when dissolution comes), and from
him it again emanates (when the creative desire seizes
him). He is the actor, and it is He that makes
all others act. He, O monarch, is earth, water,
space, air, and fire. He is Sacrifice’s
self unto all creatures, and fire is His mouth.”
Vaisampayana continued,—“The high-souled
king Dhritarashtra, thus addressed by Sanjaya, became,
O monarch, absorbed in meditation about his sons.
Endued with great energy, he then, having reflected,
said these words: ’Without doubt, O Suta’s
son, it is Time that destroyeth the universe.
And it is Time that again createth everything.
Nothing here is eternal. It is Nara and Narayana,
endued with omniscience, that destroyeth all creatures.[57]
The gods speak of him as Vaikuntha (of immeasurable
puissance), while men call him Vishnu (one that pervadeth
the Universe)!’”
Page 514
SECTION IX
“Dhritarashtra said,—’Tell
me truly (O Sanjaya) of this Varsha that is called
after Bharata, where this senseless force hath been
collected, in respect of which this my son Duryodhana
hath been so very covetous, which the sons of Pandu
also are desirous of obtaining, and in which my mind
too sinketh. O, tell me this, for thou art, in
my judgment endued with intelligence.
“Sanjaya said,—’Listen to me,
O king The sons of Pandu are not covetous about this
country. On the other hand, it is Duryodhana that
is covetous, and Sakuni the son of Suvala, as also
many other Kshatriyas who are rulers of the provinces,
who being covetous of this country are not able to
bear one another. I will now will thee, O thou
of Bharata’s race, of the tract of land known
by Bharata’s name. This land is the beloved
one of Indra, and, O thou of Bharata’s race,
this land, O monarch, that is called after Bharata,
is also the beloved land of Manu, the son of Vivaswat,
of Prithu, of Vainya, of the high-souled Ikshwaku,
of Yayati, of Amvarisha, of Mandhatri, of Nahusha,
of Muchukunda, of Sivi the son of Usinara, of Rishava,
of Ila, of king Nriga, of Kusika, O invincible one,
of the high-souled Gadhi, of Somaka, O irrepressible
one, and of Dilipa, and also, O monarch, of many other
mighty Kshatriyas. I will now, O chastiser of
foes, describe to thee that country as I have heard
of it. Listen to me, O king, as I speak of what
thou hast asked me. Mahendra, Malaya, Sahya,
Suktimat, Rakshavat, Vindhya, and Paripatra,—these
seven are the Kala-mountains[58] (of Bharatvarsha).
Besides these, O king, there are thousands of mountains
that are unknown, of hard make, huge, and having excellent
valleys. Besides these there are many other smaller
mountains inhabited by barbarous tribes. Aryans
and Mlecchas, O Kauravya, and many races, O lord,
mixed of the two elements, drink the waters of the
following rivers, viz., magnificent Ganga, Sindhu,
and Saraswati; of Godavari, and Narmada, and the large
river called Yamuna; of Dhrishadwati, and Vipapa,
and Vipasa and Sthulavaluka; of the river Vetravati,
and that other one called Krishna-vena; of Iravati,
and Vitasta, and Payosyini, and Devika; of Vedasmrita
and Vedavati, and Tridiva, and Ikshumalavi;[59] of
Karishini, and Chitravaha, and the river called Chitrasena;
of Gomati, and Dhutapada and the large river called
Gandaki[60], of Kausiki, and Nischitra, and Kirtya,
and Nichita, and Lohatarini;[61] of Rashasi and Satakumbha,
and also Sarayu; of Charmanwati, and Vetravati,[62]
and Hastisoma, and Disa; of the river called Saravati,
and Venna, and Bhimarathi; of Kaveri, and Chuluka,
and Vina, and Satavala; of Nivara, and Mahila, and
Suprayoga, O king; of Pavitra, and Kundala, and Rajani,
and Puramalini; of Purvabhirama, and Vira, and Bhima,
and Oghavati; of Palasini, and Papahara, and Mahendra,
and Patalavati, of Karishini, and Asikni, and the large
Page 515
river Kusachira: of Makari, and Pravara, and
Mena, and Hema, and Dhritavati; of Puravati, and Anushna,
and Saivya, and Kapi, O Bharata; of Sadanira, and Adhrishya,
and the mighty stream Kusadhara; of Sadakanta, and
Siva, and Viravati; of Vatsu, and Suvastu, and Kampana
with Hiranwati; of Vara, and the mighty river Panchami,
of Rathachitra, and Jyotiratha, and Viswamitra, and
Kapinjala; of Upendra, and Vahula, and Kuchira, and
Madhuvahini: of Vinadi, and Pinjala, and Vena,
and the great river Pungavena; of Vidisa and Krishna-vena,
and Tamra, and Kapila, of Salu, and Suvama, the Vedaswa,
and the mighty river Harisrava; of Sighra, and Pischala,
and the river Bharadwaji, of the river Kausiki, and
Sona, and Chandrama; of Durgamantrasila, and Brahma-vodhya,
and Vrihadvati; of Yaksha, and Rohi, and Yamvunadi;
of Sunasa and Tamasa, and Dasi, and Vasa, and Varuna,
and Asi; of Nila, and Dhrimati, and the mighty river
Parnasa; of Pomasi, and Vrishabha, and Brahma-meddhya,
and Vrihaddhani. These and many other large rivers,
O king, such as Sadonirmaya and Krishna, and Mandaga,
and Mandavahini; and Mahagouri, and Durga, O Bharata;
and Chitropala. Chitraratha, and Manjula, and
Vahini; and Mandakini, and Vaitarani, and Kosa, and
Mahanadi; and Suktimati, and Ananga, and Pushpaveni,
and Utpalavati; and Lohitya, Karatoya, and Vrishasabhya;
and Kumari, and Rishikullya and Marisha, and Saraswati;
and Mandakini, and Supunya, Sarvasanga, O Bharata,
are all mothers of the universe and productive of
great merit. Besides these, there are rivers,
by hundreds and thousands, that are not known (by
names), I have now recounted to thee, O king, all
the rivers as far as I remember.
“After this, listen to the names of the provinces
as I mention them. They are the Kuru-Panchalas,
the Salwas, the Madreyas, the Jangalas, the Surasena,
the Kalingas, the Vodhas, the Malas, the Matsyas, the
Sauvalyas, the Kuntalas, the Kasi-kosalas, the Chedis,
the Karushas, the Bhojas, the Sindhus, the Pulindakas,
the Uttamas, the Dasarnas, the Mekalas, the Utkalas;
the Panchalas, the Kausijas, the Nikarprishthas, Dhurandharas;
the Sodhas, the Madrabhujingas, the Kasis, and the
further-Kasis; the Jatharas, the Kukuras, O Bharata;
the Kuntis, the Avantis, and the further-Kuntis; the
Gomantas, the Mandakas, the Shandas, the Vidarbhas,
the Rupavahikas; the Aswakas, the Pansurashtras, the
Goparashtras, and the Karityas; the Adhirjayas, the
Kuladyas, the Mallarashtras, the Keralas, the Varatrasyas,
the Apavahas, the Chakras, the Vakratapas, the Sakas;
the Videhas, the Magadhas, the Swakshas, the Malayas,
the Vijayas, the Angas, the Vangas, the Kalingas, the
Yakrillomans; the Mallas, the Suddellas, the Pranradas,
the Mahikas, the Sasikas; the Valhikas, the Vatadhanas,
the Abhiras, the Kalajoshakas; the Aparantas, the
Parantas, the Pahnabhas, the Charmamandalas; the Atavisikharas,
the Mahabhutas, O sire; the Upavrittas, the Anupavrittas,
the Surashatras, Kekayas; the Kutas, the Maheyas, the
Page 516
Kakshas, the Samudranishkutas; the Andhras, and, O
king, many hilly tribes, and many tribes residing
on lands laying at the foot of the hills, and the
Angamalajas, and the Manavanjakas; the Pravisheyas,
and the Bhargavas, O king; the Pundras, the Bhargas,
the Kiratas, the Sudeshnas, and the Yamunas, the Sakas,
the Nishadhas, the Anartas, the Nairitas, the Durgalas,
the Pratimasyas, the Kuntalas, and the Kusalas; the
Tiragrahas, the Ijakas, the Kanyakagunas, the Tilabharas,
the Samiras, the Madhumattas, the Sukandakas; the
Kasmiras, the Sindhusauviras, the Gandharvas, and
the Darsakas; the Abhisaras, the Utulas, the Saivalas,
and the Valhikas; the Darvis, the Vanavadarvas, the
Vatagas, the Amarathas, and the Uragas; the Vahuvadhas,
the Kauravyas, the Sudamanas, the Sumalikas; the Vadhras,
the Karishakas, the Kalindas, and the Upatyakas; the
Vatayanas, the Romanas, and the Kusavindas; the Kacchas,
the Gopalkacchas, the Kuruvarnakas; the Kiratas, the
Varvasas, the Siddhas, the Vaidehas, and the Tamraliptas;
the Aundras, the Paundras, the Saisikatas, and the
Parvatiyas, O sire.
“’There are other kingdoms, O bull of
Bharata’s race, in the south. They are
the Dravidas, the Keralas, the Prachyas, the Mushikas,
and the Vanavashikas; the Karanatakas, the Mahishakas,
the Vikalpas, and also the Mushakas; the Jhillikas,
the Kuntalas, the Saunridas, and the Nalakananas;
the Kankutakas, the Cholas, and the Malavayakas; the
Samangas, the Kanakas, the Kukkuras, and the Angara-marishas;
the Samangas, the Karakas, the Kukuras, the Angaras,
the Marishas: the Dhwajinis, the Utsavas, the
Sanketas, the Trigartas, and the Salwasena; the Vakas,
the Kokarakas, the Pashtris, and the Lamavegavasas;
the Vindhyachulakas, the Pulindas, and the Valkalas;
the Malavas, the Vallavas, the further-Vallavas, the
Kulindas, the Kalavas, the Kuntaukas, and the Karatas;
the Mrishakas, the Tanavalas, the Saniyas; the Alidas,
the Pasivatas, the Tanayas, and the Sulanyas; the Rishikas,
the Vidarbhas, the Kakas, the Tanganas, and the further-Tanganas.
Among the tribes of the north are the Mlecchas, and
the Kruras, O best of the Bharatas; the Yavanas, the
Chinas, the Kamvojas, the Darunas, and many Mleccha
tribes; the Sukritvahas, the Kulatthas, the Hunas,
and the Parasikas; the Ramanas, and the Dasamalikas.
These countries are, besides, the abodes of many Kshatriya,
Vaisya, and Sudra tribes. Then again there are
the Sudra-abhiras, the Dardas, the Kasmiras, and the
Pattis; the Khasiras; the Atreyas, the Bharadwajas,
the Stanaposhikas, the Poshakas, the Kalingas, and
diverse tribes of Kiratas; the Tomaras, the Hansamargas,
and the Karamanjakas. These and other kingdoms
are on the east and on the north. O lord, alluding
to them briefly I have told thee all. Earth,
if its resources are properly developed according to
its qualities and prowess, is like an ever-yielding[63]
cow, from which the three-fold fruits of virtue, profit
and pleasure, may be milked. Brave kings conversant
Page 517
with virtue and profit have become covetous of Earth.
Endued with activity, they would even cast away their
lives in battle, from hunger of wealth. Earth
is certainly the refuge of creatures endued with celestial
bodies as also of creatures endued with human bodies.[64]
Desirous of enjoying Earth, the kings, O chief of the
Bharatas, have become like dogs that snatch meat from
one another. Their ambition is unbounded, knowing
no gratification.[65] It is for this that the Kurus
and the Pandavas are striving for possession of Earth,
by negotiation, disunion, gift, and battle, O Bharata.
If Earth be well looked after, it becometh the father,
mother, children, firmament and heaven, of all creatures,
O bull among men.’”
SECTION X
“Dhritarashtra said,—’Tell
me, O Sanjaya, of the period of life, the strength,
the good and bad things, the future, past and present,
of the residents, O Suta, of this Varsha of Bharata,
and of the Himavat-varsha, as also of Hari-varsha,
in detail.”
“Sanjaya said,—’O bull of Bharata’s
race, four Yugas set in Bharata’s Varsha, viz.,
Krita, Treta, Dwapara, and Kali. The Yuga that
sets in first is Krita. O Lord; after the expiry
of Krita comes Treta; after expiry of Treta comes
Dwapara; and after that last of all, sets in Kali.
Four thousand years, O best of the Kurus, are reckoned
as the measure of life, O best of kings, in the Krita
epoch. Three thousand years is the period in
Treta, O ruler of men. At present in Dwapara,
persons live on Earth for two thousand years.
In Kali, however, O bull of Bharata’s race,
there is no fixed limit of life’s measure, in
so much that men die while in the womb, as also soon
after birth. In the Krita age, O king, men are
born and beget children, by hundreds and thousands,
that are of great strength and great power, endued
with the attribute of great wisdom, and possessed
of wealth and handsome features. In that age are
born and begotten Munis endued with wealth of asceticism,
capable of great exertion, possessed of high souls,
and virtuous, and truthful in speech. The Kshatriyas
also, born in that age are of agreeable features,
able-bodied, possessed of great energy, accomplished
in the use of the bow, highly skilled in battle and
exceedingly brave. In the Treta age, O king,
all the Kshatriya kings were emperors ruling from sea
to sea. In Treta are begotten brave Kshatriyas
not subject to any one, endued with long lives, possessed
of heroism, and wielding the bow in battle with great
skill. When Dwapara sets in, O king, all the (four)
orders born become capable of great exertion, endued
with great energy, and desirous of conquering one
another. The men born in Kali, O king, are endued
with little energy, highly wrathful, covetous, and
untruthful. Jealousy, pride, anger, deception,
malice and covetousness, O Bharata, are the attributes
of creatures in the Kali age. The portion that
remains, O king, of this the Dwapara age, is small,
O ruler of men. The Varsha known as Haimavat
is superior to Bharatavarsha, while Harivarsha is superior
to Hainavatvarsha, in respect of all qualities.’
Page 518
SECTION XI
(Bhumi Parva)
“Dhritarashtra said,—’Thou
hast, O Sanjaya, duly described Jamvukhanda to me.
Tell me now its dimensions and extent truly. Tell
me also, O Sanjaya, of the extent of the ocean of
Sakadwipa, and Kusadwipa, of Salmalidwipa and Kraunchadwipa,
truly and without leaving anything and tell me also,
O son of Gavalgani, of Rahu and Soma and Surya.’
“Sanjaya said,—’There are,
O king, many islands, over which the Earth extended.
I will describe to thee, however, only seven islands,
and the moon, and the sun, and the planet (Rahu),
also. The Jamvu mountain, O king, extends over
full eighteen thousand and six hundred Yojanas.
The extent of the salt ocean is said to be twice this.
That ocean is covered with many kingdoms, and is adorned
with gems and corals. It is, besides, decked
with many mountains that are variegated with metals
of diverse kinds. Thickly peopled by Siddhas
and Charanas, the ocean is circular in form.
“I will now tell thee truly of Sakadwipa, O
Bharata. Listen to me, O son of Kuru’s
race, as I describe it to thee duly. That island,
O ruler of men, is of twice the extent of Jamvudwipa.
And the ocean also, O great king, is of twice the
extent of that island. Indeed, O best of the
Bharatas, Sakadwipa is surrounded on all sides by the
ocean. The kingdoms there are full of righteousness,
and the men there never die. How can famine take
place there? The people are all endued with forgiveness
and great energy. I have now, O bull of Bharata’s
race, given thee duly a brief description of Sakadwipa.
What else, O king, dost thou wish to hear?’"[66]
“Dhritarashtra said,—’Thou
hast given me, O Sanjaya, a description of Sakadwipa
in brief. O thou that art possessed of great wisdom,
tell me now everything in detail truly.’
“Sanjaya said,—’In that island,
O king, there are seven mountains that are decked
with jewels and that are mines of gems, precious stones.
There are many rivers also in that island. Listen
to me as I recount their names. Everything there,
O king, is excellent and delightful, The first of
these mountains is called Meru. It is the abode
of the gods, Rishis, and Gandharvas. The next
mountain, O king, is called Malaya stretching towards
the east. It is there that the clouds are generated
and it is thence that they disperse on all sides.
The next, O thou of Kuru’s race, is the large
mountain called Jaladhara.[67] Thence Indra daily taketh
water of the best quality. It is from that water
that we get showers in the season of rains, O ruler
of men. Next cometh the high mountain called
Raivataka, over which, in the firmament, hath been
permanently placed the constellation called Revati.
This arrangement hath been made by the Grandsire himself.
On the north of this, O great king, is the large mountain
called Syama. It hath the splendour of newly-risen
clouds, is very high, beautiful and of bright body.
And since the hue of those mountains is dark, the
people residing there are all dark in complexion,
O king.’
Page 519
“Dhritarashtra said,—’A great
doubt ariseth in my mind, O Sanjaya, from what thou
hast said. Why, O Suta’s son, would the
people there be of dark complexion?’
“Sanjaya said,—’O great king,
in all islands, O son of Kuru’s race, men may
be found that are fair, and those that are dark, and
those also that are produced by a union of the fair
and the dark races. But because the people there
are all dark, therefore is that mountain called the
Dark Mountain. After this, O chief of the Kurus,
is the large mountain called Durgasaila. And
then cometh the mountain called Kesari. The breezes
that blow from that mountain are all charged with
(odoriferous) effluvia. The measure of each of
these mountains is double that of the one mentioned
immediately before. O thou of Kuru’s race,
it hath been said by the wise that there are seven
Varshas in that island. The Varsha of Meru is
called Mahakasa; that of the water-giving (Malaya)
is called Kumudottara. The Varsha of Jaladhara
is called Sukumara: while that of Raivatak is
called Kaumara; and of Syama, Manikanchana. The
Varsha of Kesara is called Mandaki, and that called
after the next mountain is called Mahapuman. In
the midst of that island is a large tree called Saka.
In height and breadth the measure of that tree is
equal to that of the Jamvu tree in Jamvudwipa.
And the people there always adore that tree. There
in that island are, many delightful provinces where
Siva is worshipped, and thither repair the Siddhas,
the Charanas, and the celestials. The people
there, O king, are virtuous, and all the four orders,
O Bharata, are devoted to their respective occupation.
No instance of theft can be seen there. Freed
from decrepitude and death and gifted with long life,
the people there, O king, grow like rivers during
the season of rains. The rivers there are full
of sacred water, and Ganga herself, distributed as
she hath been into various currents, is there, Sukumari,
and Kumari, and Seta, and Keveraka, and Mahanadi,
O Kauravya, and the river Manijala, and Chakshus,
and the river Vardhanika, O thou best of the Bharatas,—these
and many other rivers by thousands and hundreds, all
full of sacred water, are there, O perpetuator of
Kuru’s race, from which Vasava draweth water
for showering it as rain. It is impossible to
recount the names and lengths of rivers. All
of them are foremost of rivers and sin-cleansing.
As heard by all men there, in that island of Saka,
are four sacred provinces. They are the Mrigas,
the Masakas, the Manasas, and the Mandagas. The
Mrigas for the most part are Brahmanas devoted to the
occupations of their order. Amongst the Masakas
are virtuous Kshatriyas granting (unto Brahmanas)
every wish (entertained by them). The Manasas,
O king, live by following the duties of the Vaisya
order. Having every wish of theirs gratified,
they are also brave and firmly devoted to virtue and
profit. The Mandagas are all brave Sudras of virtuous
behaviour. In these provinces, O monarch, there
is no king, no punishment, no person that deserves
to be punished. Conversant with the dictates
of duty they are all engaged in the practice of their
respective duties and protect one another. This
much is capable of being said of the island called
Saka. This much also should be listened to about
that island endued with great energy."[68]
Page 520
SECTION XII
“Sanjaya said, ’O Kauravya, that which
is heard about the islands in the north, I will recount
to thee, O Great king. Listen to me now. (Thither
in the north) is the ocean whose waters are clarified
butter. Then is the ocean whose waters are curds.
Next cometh the ocean whose waters are wine, and then
is another ocean of water. The islands, O king,
are double in area of one another as they proceed
further and further towards the north. And they
are surrounded, O king, by these oceans.[69] In the
island that is in the middle, there is a large mountain
called Goura made of red arsenic; on the western island,
O king, is the mountain Krishna that is the favourite
(abode) of Narayana. There Kesava guardeth celestial
gems (in profusion), and thence, inclined to grace,
he bestoweth happiness on creatures. Along with
the kingdoms there, O king, the (celestial) clump
of Kusa grass in Kusadwipa, and the Salmali tree in
the island of Salmalika, are adored. In the Krauncha
island also, the mountain called Maha-krauncha that
is a mine of all kinds of gems is, O king, always
adored by all the four orders of men. (There), O monarch,
is the mountain called Gomanta that is huge and consists
of all kinds of metals, and whereon always resideth,
mingling with those that have been emancipated, the
puissant Narayana, otherwise called Hari, graced with
prosperity and possessed of eyes like lotus leaves.
In Kusadwipa, O king of kings, there is another mountain
variegated with corals and called after the name of
that island itself. This mountain is inaccessible
and made of gold. Possessed of great splendour,
O Kauravya, there is a third mountain there that is
called Sumida. The sixth is called Harigiri.
These are the six principal mountains. The intervening
spaces between one another of these six mountains
increaseth in the ratio of one to two as they proceed
further and further towards the north. The first
Varsha is called Audhido; the second is Venumandala;
the third is called Suratha; the fourth is known by
the name of Kamvala; the fifth Varsha is called Dhritimat;
and the sixth is named Prabhakara; the seventh Varsha
is called Kapila. These are the seven successive
Varshas. In these, gods and Gandharvas, and other
creatures of the universe, sport and take delight.
In these Varshas the inhabitants never die. There,
O king, are no robbers, nor any tribes of Mlecchas.
All the residents are almost white in complexion,
and very delicate, O king.
“’As regards the rest of the islands,
O ruler of men, I will recount all that hath been
heard by me. Listen, O monarch, with an attentive
mind. In the Krauncha island, O great king, there
is a large mountain called Krauncha. Next to
Krauncha is Vamanaka; and next to Vamanaka is Andhakara.
And next to Andhakara,[70] O king, is that excellent
of mountains called Mainaka. After Mainaka, O
monarch, is that best of mountains called Govinda;
Page 521
and after Govinda, O king, is the mountain called
Nivida. O multiplier of thy race, the intervening
spaces between one another of these mountains increaseth
in the ratio of one to two. I will now tell thee
the countries that lie there. Listen to me as
I speak of them. The region near Krauncha is
called Kusala; that near Vamanaka is Manonuga.
The region next to Manonuga, O perpetuator of Kuru’s
race, is called Ushna. After Ushna is Pravaraka;
and after Pravaraka is Andhakaraka. The country
after Andhakaraka is named Munidesa. After Munidesa
the region is called Dundubhiswana teeming with Siddhas
and Charanas. The people are almost white in
complexion, O king. All these countries, O monarch,
are the habitations of gods and Gandharvas. In
(the island of) Pushkara is a mountain called Pushkara
that abounds with jewels and gems. There always
dwelleth the divine Prajapati himself. Him all
the gods and great Rishis always adore with gratifying
words and worship reverently, O king. Diverse
gems from Jamvudwipa are used there. In all these
islands, O king, Brahmacharyya, truth, and self-control
of the dwellers, as also their health and periods
of life, are in the ratio of one to two as the islands
are more and more remote (northwards). O king,
the land in those islands, O Bharata, comprises but
one country, for that is said to be one country in
which one religion is met with. The Supreme Prajapati
himself, upraising the rod of chastisement, always
dwelleth there, protecting those islands. He,
O monarch, is the king. He is their source of
bliss. He is the father, and he is the grand-father.
He it is, O best of men, that protecteth all creatures
there, mobile or immobile. Cooked food, O Kauravya,
cometh there of itself and the creatures eat it daily.
O mighty-armed one. After these regions is seen
a habitation of the name of Sama. It is of a
starry-shape having four corners, and it hath, O king,
thirty-three mandalas. There dwell, O Kauravya,
four princely elephants adored by all.[71] They are,
O best of the Bharatas, Vamana, and Airavata, and
another, and also Supratika.[72] O king, with rent
cheeks and mouth, I do not venture to calculate the
proportions of these four elephants.[73] Their length,
breadth and thickness have for ever remained unascertained.
There in those regions, O king, winds blow irregularly
from all directions.[74] These are seized by those
elephants with the tips of their trunks which are of
the complexion of the lotus and endued with great
splendour and capable of drawing up everything in
their way. And soon enough after seizing them
they then always let them out. The winds, O king,
thus let out by those respiring elephants, come over
the Earth and in consequence thereof creatures draw
breath and live.’
“Dhritarashtra said,—’Thou
hast, O Sanjaya, told me everything about the first
subject very elaborately. Thou hast also indicated
the positions of the islands. ‘Tell now,
O Sanjaya, about what remains.’
Page 522
“Sanjaya said,—’Indeed, O great
king, the islands have all been described to thee.
Listen now to what I truly say about the heavenly
bodies and about Swarbhanu, O chief of the Kauravas,
as regards its dimensions. It is heard, O king,
that the planet Swarbhanu is globular. Its diameter
is twelve thousand Yojanas, and its circumference,
because it is very large, is forty-two thousand Yojanas,
O sinless one,[75] as said by the learned of olden
times. The diameter of the moon, O king, is stated
to be eleven thousand Yojanas. Its circumference,
O chief of the Kurus, is stated to be thirty-eight
thousand nine hundred Yojanas of the illustrious planet
of cool rays. It hath been heard that the diameter
of the beneficent, fast going and light-giving Sun,
O thou of Kuru’s race, is ten thousand Yojanas,
and his circumference, O king, is thirty-five thousand
eight hundred miles, in consequence of his largeness,
O sinless one. These are the dimensions reckoned
here, O Bharata, of Arka. The planet Rahu, in
consequence of his greater bulk, envelops both the
Sun and the Moon in due times. I tell thee this
in brief. With the eye of science, O great king,
I have now told thee all that thou hadst asked.
Let peace be thine. I have now told thee about
the construction of the universe as indicated in the
Shastras. Therefore, O Kauravya, pacify thy son
Duryodhana.[76]’
“Having listened to this charming Bhumi Parva,
O chief of the Bharatas, a Kshatriya becometh endued
with prosperity, obtaineth fruition of all his desires,
and winneth the approbation of the righteous.[77] The
king who listeneth to this on days of the full-moon
or the new-moon, carefully observing vows all the
while, hath the period of his life, his fame and energy,
all enhanced. His (deceased) sires and grandsires
become gratified. Thou hast now heard of all
the merits that flow from this Varsha of Bharata where
we now are!’”
SECTION XIII
(Bhagavat-Gita Parva)
Vaisampayana said,—“Possessing a
knowledge of the past, the present and the future,
and seeing all things as if present before his eyes,
the learned son of Gavalgana, O Bharata, coming quickly
from the field of battle, and rushing with grief (into
the court) represented unto Dhritarashtra who was
plunged in thought that Bhishma the grandsire of the
Bharatas had been slain.”
“Sanjaya said,—’I am Sanjaya,
O great king. I bow to thee, O bull of Bharata’s
race. Bhishma, the son of Santanu and the grandsire
of the Bharatas, hath been slain. That foremost
of all warriors, that grandsire of the Bharatas, hath
been slain. That foremost of all warriors, that
embodied energy of all bowmen, that grandsire of the
Kurus lieth to-day on a bed of arrows. That Bhishma.
O king, relying on whose energy thy son had been engaged
in that match at dice, now lieth on the field of battle
slain by Sikhandin. That mighty car-warrior who
on a single car had vanquished in terrific combat
Page 523
at the city of Kasi all the kings of the Earth mustered
together, he who had fearlessly fought in battle with
Rama, the son of Jamadagni, he whom Jamadagni’s
son could not slay, oh, even hath he been to-day slain
by Sikhandin. Resembling the great Indra himself
in bravery, and Himavat in firmness, like unto the
ocean itself in gravity, and the Earth herself in
patience, that invincible warrior having arrows for
his teeth, that bow for his mouth, and the sword for
his tongue, that lion among men, hath to-day been slain
by the prince of Panchala. That slayer of heroes,
beholding whom when addrest for battle the mighty
army of the Pandavas, unmanned by fear, used to tremble
like a herd of kine when beholding a lion, alas, having
protected that army (of thine) for ten nights and
having achieved feats exceedingly difficult of accomplishment,
hath set like the Sun.[78] He who like Sakra himself,
scattering arrows in thousands with the utmost composure,
daily slew ten thousand warriors for ten days, even
he slain (by the enemy), lieth, though he deserveth
it not, on the bare ground like a (mighty) tree broken
by the wind, in consequence, O king, of thy evil counsels,
O Bharata.’”
SECTION XIV
“Dhritarashtra said,—’How hath
Bhishma, that bull among the Kurus, been slain by
Sikhandin? How did my father, who resembled Vasava
himself, fall down from his car? What became
of my sons, O Sanjaya, when they were deprived of
the mighty Bhishma who was like unto a celestial, and
who led life of Brahmacharyya for the sake of his
father?[79] Upon the fall of that tiger among men
who was endued with great wisdom, great capacity for
exertion, great might and great energy, how did our
warriors feel? Hearing that bull amongst the
Kurus, that foremost of men, that unwavering hero
is slain, great is the grief that pierceth my heart.
While advancing (against the foe), who followed him
and who proceeded ahead? Who stayed by his side?
Who proceeded with him? What brave combatants
followed behind (protecting his rear) that tiger among
car-warriors, that wonderful archer, that bull among
Kshatriyas, while he penetrated into the divisions
of the foe?[80] While seizing the hostile ranks, what
warriors opposed that slayer of foes resembling the
luminary of thousand rays, who spreading terror among
the foe destroyed their ranks like the Sun destroying
darkness, and who achieved in battle amongst the ranks
of Pandu’s sons feats exceedingly difficult of
accomplishment? How, indeed, O Sanjaya, did the
Pandavas oppose in battle the son of Santanu, that
accomplished and invincible warrior when he approached
them smiting? Slaughtering the (hostile) ranks,
having arrows for his teeth, and full of energy, with
the bow for his wide-open mouth, and with the terrible
sword for his tongue, and invincible, a very tiger
among men, endued with modesty, and never before vanquished,
alas, how did Kunti’s son overthrow in battle
Page 524
that unconquered one, undeserving as he was of such
a fate,[81]—that fierce bowman shooting
fierce shafts, stationed on his excellent car, and
plucking off the heads of foes (from their bodies)—that
warrior, irresistible as the Yuga-fire, beholding
whom addrest for battle the great army of the Pandavas
always used to waver? Mangling the hostile troops
for ten nights, alas, that slayer of ranks hath set
like the Sun, having achieved feats difficult of achievement.
He who, scattering like Sakra himself and inexhaustible
shower of arrows, slew in battle a hundred millions
of warriors in ten days, that scion of Bharata’s
race, now lieth, although he deserveth it not, on
the bare ground, in the field of battle, deprived of
life, a mighty tree uprooted by the winds, as a result
of my evil counsels! Beholding Santanu’s
son Bhishma of terrible prowess, how indeed, could
the army of the Pandavas[82] succeed in smiting him
there? How did the sons of Pandu battle with
Bhishma? How is it, O Sanjaya, that Bhishma could
not conquer when Drona liveth? When Kripa, again,
was near him, and Drona’s son (Aswatthaman)
also, how could Bhishma, that foremost of smiters
be slain? How could Bhishma who was reckoned as
an Atiratha and who could not be resisted by the very
gods, be slain in battle by Sikhandin, the prince
of Panchala? He, who always regarded himself as
the equal of the mighty son of Jamadagni in battle,
he whom Jamadagni’s son himself could not vanquish,
he who resembled Indra himself in prowess,—alas,
O Sanjaya, tell me how that hero, Bhishma, born in
the race of Maharathas, was slain in battle, for without
knowing all the particulars I cannot regain my equanimity.
What great bowmen of my army, O Sanjaya, did not desert
that hero of unfading glory? What heroic warriors,
again, at Duryodhana’s command, stood around
that hero (for protecting him)? When all the
Pandavas placing Sikhandin in their van advanced against
Bhishma, did not all the Kurus,[83] O Sanjaya, stay
by the side of that hero of unfading prowess?
Hard as my heart is, surely it must be made of adamant,
for it breaketh not on hearing the death of that tiger
among men, viz., Bhishma! In that irresistible
bull of Bharata’s race, were truth, and intelligence,
and policy, to an immeasurable extent. Alas,
how was he slain in battle? Like unto a mighty
cloud of high altitude, having the twang of his bowstring
for its roar, his arrows for its rain-drops, and the
sound of his bow for its thunder, that hero showering
his shafts on Kunti’s sons with the Panchalas
and the Srinjayas on their side, smote hostile car-warriors
like the slayer of Vala smiting the Danavas.
Who were the heroes that resisted, like the bank resisting
the surging sea, that chastiser of foes, who was a
terrible ocean of arrows and weapons, an ocean in
which shafts were the irresistible crocodiles and
bows were the waves, an ocean that was inexhaustible,
without an island, agitated and without a raft to cross
Page 525
it, in which maces and swords were like sharks and
steeds and elephants like eddies, and foot-soldiers
like fishes in abundance, and the sound of conches
and drums like its roar, and ocean that swallowed
horses and elephants and foot-soldiers quickly, an
ocean that devoured hostile heroes and that seethed
with wrath and energy which constituted its Yadava-fire?[84]
When for Duryodhana’s good, that slayer of foes,
Bhishma, achieved (terrible) feats in battle, who
were then in his van? Who were they that protected
the right wheel of that warrior of immeasurable energy?
Who were they that, mustering patience and energy,
resisted hostile heroes from his rear? Who stationed
themselves in his near front for protecting him?
Who were those heroes that protected the fore-wheel
of that brave warrior while he battled (with the foe)?
Who were they that stationing themselves by his left
wheel smote the Srinjayas? Who were they that
protected the irresistible advance ranks of his van?
Who protected the wings of that warrior who hath made
the last painful journey? And who, O Sanjaya,
fought with hostile heroes in the general engagement?
If he was protected by (our) heroes, and if they were
protected by. him, why could he not then speedily
vanquish in battle the army of the Pandavas, invincible
though it be? Indeed, O Sanjaya, how could the
Pandavas succeed even in striking Bhishma who was
like Parameshti himself, that Lord and creator of
all creatures?[85] Thou tellest me, O Sanjaya, if the
disappearance of that Bhishma, that tiger among men,
who was our refuge and relying upon whom the Kurus
were fighting with their foes, that warrior of mighty
strength relying on whose energy my son had never reckoned
the Pandavas, alas, how hath he been slain by the
enemy?[86] In days of yore, all the gods while engaged
in slaying the Danavas, sought the aid of that invincible
warrior, viz., my father of high vows. That
foremost of sons endued with great energy, on whose
birth the world-renowned Santanu abandoned all grief,
melancholy, and sorrows, how canst thou tell me, O
Sanjaya, that that celebrated hero, that great refuge
of all, that wise and holy personage who was devoted
to the duties of his order and conversant with the
truths of the Vedas and their branches, hath been
slain? Accomplished in every weapon and endued
with humility, gentle and with passions under full
control, and possessed of great energy as he was,
alas, hearing that son of Santanu slain I regard the
rest of my army as already slain. In my judgment,
unrighteousness hath now become stronger than righteousness,
for the sons of Pandu desire sovereignty even by killing
their venerable superior! In days of yore, Jamadagni’s
son Rama, who was acquainted with every weapon and
whom none excelled, when addrest for battle on behalf
of Amvya, was vanquished by Bhishma in combat.
Thou tellest me that that Bhishma, who was the foremost
of all warriors and who resembled Indra himself in
the feats he achieved, hath been slain. What
Page 526
can be a greater grief to me than this? Endued
with great intelligence, he that was not slain even
by that slayer of hostile heroes, that Rama, the son
of Jamadagni, who defeated in battle crowds of Kshatriyas
repeatedly, he hath now been slain by Sikhandin.
Without doubt, Drupada’s son Sikhandin, therefore
who hath slain in battle that bull of Bharata’s
race, that hero acquainted with the highest weapons,
that brave and accomplished warrior conversant with
every weapon, is superior in energy, prowess, and
might to the invincible Vargava endued with the highest
energy. In that encounter of arms who were the
heroes that followed that slayer of foes? Tell
me how the battle was fought between Bhishma and the
Pandavas. The army of my son, O Sanjaya, reft
of its hero, is like an unprotected woman. Indeed,
that army of mine is like a panic-struck herd of kine
reft of its herdsman. He in whom resided prowess
superior to that of every one, when he was laid low
on the field of battle, what was the state of mind
of my army? What power is there, O Sanjaya, in
our life, when we have caused our father of mighty
energy, that foremost of righteous men in the world,
to be slain? Like a person desirous of crossing
the sea when he beholds the boat sunk in fathomless
waters, alas, my sons, I ween, are bitterly weeping
from grief on Bhishma’s death. My heart,
O Sanjaya, is surely made of adamant, for it rendeth
not even after hearing the death of Bhishma, that tiger
among men. That bull among men in whom were weapons,
intelligence, and policy, to an immeasurable extent,
how, alas, hath that invincible warrior been slain
in battle? Neither in consequence of weapons nor
of courage, nor of ascetic merit, nor of intelligence,
nor of firmness, nor of gift, can a man free himself
from death. Indeed, time, endued with great energy,
is incapable of being transgressed by anything in
the world, when thou tellest me, O Sanjaya, that Santanu’s
son Bhishma is dead. Burning with grief on account
of my sons, in fact, overwhelmed with great sorrow,
I had hoped for relief from Bhishma, the son of Santanu.
When he beheld Santanu’s son, O Sanjaya, lying
on earth like the Sun (dropped from the firmament),
what else was made by Duryodhana as his refuge?
O Sanjaya, reflecting with the aid of my understanding,
I do not see what the end will be of the kings belonging
to my side and that of the enemy and now mustered
in the opposing ranks of battle. Alas, cruel are
the duties of the Kshatriya order as laid down by
the Rishis, since the Pandavas are desirous of sovereignty
by even compassing the death of Santanu’s son,
and we also are desirous of sovereignty by offering
up that hero of high vows as a sacrifice.[87] The
sons of Pritha, as also my sons, are all in the observance
of Kshatriya duties. They, therefore, incur no
sin (by doing) this. Even a righteous person
should do this, O Sanjaya, when direful calamities
come. The display of prowess and the exhibition
of the utmost might have been laid down among the
duties of the Kshatriyas.
Page 527
“’How, indeed, did the sons of Pandu oppose
my father Bhishma, the son of Santanu, that unvanquished
hero endued with modesty, while he was engaged in
destroying the hostile ranks? How were the troops
arrayed, and how did he battle with high-souled foes?
How, O Sanjaya, was my father Bhishma slain by the
enemy? Duryodhana and Karna and the deceitful
Sakuni, the son of Suvala, and Dussasana also,—what
did they say when Bhishma was slain? Thither
where the dice-board is constituted by the bodies of
men, elephants, and steeds, and, where arrows and
javelins and large swords and bearded darts from the
dice, entering that frightful mansion of destructive
battle’s play, who were those wretched gamblers,—those
bulls among men,—that gambled, making their
very lives the frightful stakes? Who won, who
were vanquished, who cast the dice successfully, and
who have been slain, besides Bhishma, the son of Santanu?
Tell me all, O Sanjaya, for peace cannot be mine,
hearing that Devavrata hath been slain,—that
father of mine, of terrible deeds, that ornament of
battle, viz., Bhishma! Keen anguish had
penetrated my heart, born of the thought that all
my children would die. Thou makest that grief
of mine blaze forth, O Sanjaya, like fire by pouring
clarified butter on it. My sons,
I ween, are even now grieving, beholding Bhishma slain,—Bhishma
celebrated in all worlds and who had taken upon himself
a heavy burden. I will listen to all those sorrows
arising from Duryodhana’s act. Therefore,
tell me, O Sanjaya, everything that happened there,—everything
that happened in the battle, born of the folly of my
wicked son. Ill-ordered or well-ordered, tell
me everything, O Sanjaya. Whatever was achieved
with the aid of energy in the battle by Bhishma desirous
of victory,—by that warrior accomplished
in arms,—tell me all fully and in detail.
How, in fact, the battle took place between the armies
of the Kurus and the manner in which each happened.’”
SECTION XV
Sanjaya said,—“Deserving as thou
art, this question is, indeed, worthy of thee, O great
king. It behoveth thee not, however, to impute
this fault to Duryodhana. The man who incurreth
evil as the consequence of his own misconduct, should
not attribute that misconduct to others. O great
king, the man that doth every kind of injury to other
men, deserveth to be slain by all men in consequence
of those censurable deeds of his. The Pandavas
unacquainted with the ways of wickedness had, for a
long time, with their friends and counsellors, looking
up to thy face, borne the injuries (done to them)
and forgiven them, dwelling in the woods.
Page 528
“Of steeds and elephants and kings of immeasurable
energy that which hath been seen by the aid of Yoga-power,
hear, O lord of earth, and do not set thy heart on
sorrow. All this was pre-destined, O king.
Having bowed down to thy father, that (wise and high-souled[88])
son of Parasara, through whose grace, (through whose
boon bestowed on me,) I have obtained excellent and
celestial apprehension, sight beyond the range of the
visual sense, and hearing, O king, from great distance,
knowledge of other people’s hearts and also
of the past and the future, a knowledge also of the
origin of all persons transgressing the ordinances,[89]
the delightful power of coursing through the skies,
and untouchableness by weapons in battles, listen
to me in detail as I recite the romantic and highly
wonderful battle that happened between the Bharatas,
a battle that makes one’s hair stand on end.
“When the combatants were arrayed according
to rule and when they were addrest for battle.
Duryodhana, O king, said these words to Dussasana,—O
Dussasana, let cars be speedily directed for the protection
of Bhishma, and do thou speedily urge all our divisions
(to advance). That hath now come to me of which
I had been thinking for a series of years, viz.,
the meeting of the Pandavas and the Kurus at the head
of their respective troops. I do not think that
there is any act more important (for us) in this battle
than the protecting of Bhishma. If protected he
will slay the Pandavas, the Somakas, and the Srinjayas.
That warrior of pure soul said,—’I
will not slay Sikhandin. It is heard that he was
a female before. For this reason he should be
renounced by me in battle. For this, Bhishma
should be particularly protected. Let all my warriors
take up their positions, resolved to slay Sikhandin.
Let also all the troops from the east, the west, the
south, and the north, accomplished in every kind of
weapon, protect the grandsire. Even the lion of
mighty strength, if left unprotected may be slain
by the wolf. Let us not, therefore, cause Bhishma
to be slain by Sikhandin like the lion slain by the
jackal. Yudhamanyu protects the left wheel, and
Uttamauja protects the right wheel of Phalguni.
Protected by those two, Phalguni himself protects
Sikhandin. O Dussasana, act in such a way that
Sikhandin who is protected by Phalguni and whom Bhishma
will renounce, may not slay Ganga’s son.”
SECTION XVI
Sanjaya said,—“When the night had
passed away, loud became the noise made by the kings,
all exclaiming, Array! Array! ’With
the blare of conches and the sound of drums that resembled
leonine roars, O Bharata, with the neigh of steeds,
and the clatter of car-wheels, with the noise of obstreperous
elephants and the shouts, clapping of arm-pits, and
cries of roaring combatants, the din caused everywhere
was very great. The large armies of the Kurus
and the Pandavas, O king, rising at sunrise, completed
Page 529
all their arrangements. Then when the Sun rose,
the fierce weapons of attack and defence and the coats
of mail of both thy sons and the Pandavas, and the
large and splendid armies of both sides, became fully
visible. There elephants and cars, adorned with
gold, looked resplendent like clouds mingled with
lightning. The ranks of cars, standing in profusion,
looked like cities. And thy father, stationed
there, shone brilliantly, like the full moon.
And the warriors armed with bows and swords and scimitars
and maces, javelins and lances and bright weapons
of diverse kinds, took up their positions in their
(respective) ranks. And resplendent standards
were seen, set up by thousands, of diverse forms,
belonging to both ourselves and the foe. And made
of gold and decked with gems and blazing like fire,
those banners in thousands endued with great effulgence,
looked beautiful like heroic combatants cased in mail
gazed at those standards, longing for battle.[90] And
many foremost of men, with eyes large as those of
bulls endued with quivers, and with hands cased in
leathern fences, stood at the heads of their divisions,
with their bright weapons upraised. And Suvala’s
son Sakuni, and Salya, Jayadratha and the two princes
of Avanti named Vinda and Anuvinda, and the Kekaya
brothers, and Sudakshina the ruler of the Kamvojas
and Srutayudha the ruler of the Kalingas, and king
Jayatsena, and Vrihadvala the ruler of the Kosalas,
and Kritavarman of Satwata’s race,—these
ten tigers among men, endued with great bravery and
possessing arms that looked like maces,—these
performers of sacrifices with plentiful gifts (to
Brahmanas), stood each at the head of an Akshauhini
of troops. These and many other kings and princes,
mighty car-warriors conversant with policy, obedient
to the commands of Duryodhana, all cased in mail,
were seen stationed in their respective divisions.
All of them, cased in black deer-skins, endued with
great strength, accomplished in battle, and cheerfully
prepared, for Duryodhana’s sake, to ascend to
the region of Brahma,[91] stood there commanding ten
efficient Akshauhinis. The eleventh great division
of the Kauravas, consisting of the Dhartarashtra troops,
stood in advance of the whole army. There in
the van of that division was Santanu’s son.
With his white head-gear, white umbrella, and white
mail, O monarch, we beheld Bhishma of unfailing prowess
look like the risen moon. His standard bearing
the device of a palmyra of gold himself stationed on
a car made of silver, both the Kurus and the Pandavas
beheld that hero looking like the moon encircled by
white clouds. The great bowmen amongst the Srinjayas
headed by Dhrishtadyumna, (beholding Bhishma) looked
like little animals when they would behold a mighty
yawning lion. Indeed, all the combatants headed
by Dhrishtadyumna repeatedly trembled in fear.
These, O king, were the eleven splendid divisions of
thy army. So also the seven divisions belonging
to the Pandavas were protected by foremost of men.
Indeed, the two armies facing each other looked like
two oceans at the end of the Yuga agitated by fierce
Makaras, and abounding with huge crocodiles.
Never before, O king, did we see or hear of two such
armies encountering each other like these of the Kauravas.’
Page 530
SECTION XVII
Sanjaya said,—“Just as the holy Krishna-Dwaipayana
Vyasa had said, in that very manner the kings of the
Earth, mustered together, came to the encounter.
On that day on which the battle commenced Soma approached
the region of Pitris.[92] The seven large planets,
as they appeared in the firmament, all looked blazing
like fire.[93] The Sun, when he rose, seemed to be
divided in twain. Besides, that luminary, as it
appeared in the firmament, seemed to blaze forth in
flames.[94] Carnivorous jackals and crows, expecting
dead bodies to feast upon, began to utter fierce cries
from all directions that seemed to be ablaze.
Every day the old grandsire of the Kurus, and the
son of Bharadwaja, rising from bed in the morning,
with concentrated mind, said,—’Victory
to the sons of Pandu’—while those
chastisers of foes used (at the same time) yet to
fight for thy sake according to the pledge they had
given. Thy father Devavrata, fully conversant
with every duty, summoning all the kings, said these
words (unto them). ’Ye Kshatriyas, this
broad door is open to you for entering heaven.
Go ye through it to the region of Sakra and Brahman.
The Rishis of olden times have showed you this eternal
path.[95] Honour ye yourselves by engaging in battle
with attentive minds. Nabhaga, and Yayati, and
Mandhatri, and Nahusa, and Nriga, were crowned with
success and obtained the highest region of bliss by
feats like these. To die of disease at home is
sin for a Kshatriya. The death he meets with in
battle is his eternal duty.’—Thus
addressed, O bull of Bharata’s race, by Bhishma,
the kings, looking beautiful in their excellent cars,
proceeded to the heads of their respective divisions.
Only Vikartana’s son Karna, with his friends
and relatives, O bull of Bharata’s race, laid
aside his weapons in battle for the sake of Bhishma.
Without Karna then, thy sons and all the kings on
thy side proceeded, making the ten points of the horizon
resound with their leonine roars. And their divisions
shone brightly, O king, with white umbrellas, banners,
standards, elephants, steeds, cars, and foot-soldiers.
And the Earth was agitated with the sounds of drums
and tabors and cymbals, and the clatter of car-wheels.
And the mighty car-warriors, decked with their bracelets
and armlets of gold and with their bows (variegated
with gold), looked resplendent like hills of fire.
And with his large palmyra-standard decked with five
stars, Bhishma, the generalissimo of the Kuru army,[96]
looked like the resplendent Sun himself. Those
mighty bowmen of royal birth, O bull of Bharata’s
race, that were on thy side, all took up their positions,
O king, as Santanu’s son ordered. (King) Saivya
of the country of the Govasanas, accompanied by all
the monarchs, went out on a princely elephant worthy
of royal use and graced with a banner on its back.
And Aswatthaman, of the complexion of the lotus, went
out ready for every emergency, stationing himself
Page 531
at the very head of all the divisions, with his standard
bearing the device of the lion’s tail. And
Srutayudha and Chitrasena and Purumitra and Vivinsati,
and Salya and Bhurisravas, and that mighty car-warrior
Vikarna,—these seven mighty bowmen on their
carts and cased in excellent mail, followed Drona’s
son behind but in advance of Bhishma. The tall
standards of these warriors, made of gold, beautifully
set up for adorning their excellent cars, looked highly
resplendent. The standard of Drona, the foremost
of preceptors, bore the device of a golden altar decked
with a water-pot and the figure of a bow. The
standard of Duryodhana guiding many hundreds and thousands
of divisions bore the device of an elephant worked
in gems. Paurava and the ruler of the Kalingas,
and Salya, these Rathas took up their position in
Duryodhana’s van. On a costly car with his
standard bearing the device of a bull, and guiding
the very van (of his division), the ruler of the Magadhas
marched against the foe.[97] That large force of the
Easterners looking like the fleecy clouds of autumn[98]
was (besides) protected by the chief of the Angas
(Karna’s son Vrishaketu) and Kripa endued with
great energy. Stationing himself in the van of
his division with his beautiful standard of silver
bearing the device of the boar, the famous Jayadratha
looked highly resplendent. A hundred thousand
cars, eight thousand elephants, and sixty thousand
cavalry were under his command.[99] Commanded by the
royal chief of the Sindhus, that large division occupying
the very van (of the army) and abounding with untold
cars, elephants, and steeds, looked magnificent.
With sixty thousand cars and ten thousand elephants,
the ruler of the Kalingas, accompanied by Ketumat,
went out. His huge elephants, looking like hills,
and adorned with Yantras,[100] lances, quivers and
standards, looked exceedingly beautiful. And
the ruler of the Kalingas, with his tall standard
effulgent as fire, with his white umbrella, and golden
curass, and Chamaras (wherewith he was fanned), shone
brilliantly. And Ketumat also, riding on an elephant
with a highly excellent and beautiful hook, was stationed
in battle, O King, like the Sun in the midst of (black)
clouds. And king Bhagadatta, blazing with energy
and riding on that elephant of his, went out like
the wielder of the thunder. And the two princes
of Avanti named Vinda and Anuvinda, who were regarded
as equal to Bhagadatta, followed Ketumat, riding on
the necks of their elephants. And, O king, arrayed
by Drona and the royal son of Santanu, and Drona’s
son, and Valhika, and Kripa, the (Kaurava) Vyuha[101]
consisting of many divisions of cars was such that
the elephants formed its body; the kings, its head;
and the steeds, its wings. With face towards all
sides, that fierce Vyuha seemed to smile and ready
to spring (upon the foe).”
SECTION XVIII
Page 532
Sanjaya said,—“Soon after, O king,
a loud uproar, causing the heart to tremble was heard,
made by the combatants ready for the fight. Indeed,
with the sounds of conches and drums, the grunts of
elephants, and the clatter of car-wheels, the Earth
seemed to rend in twain. And soon the welkin
and the whole Earth was filled with the neigh of chargers
and the shouts of combatants. O irresistible
one, the troops of thy sons and of the Pandavas both
trembled when they encountered each other. There
(on the field of battle) elephants and cars, decked
in gold, looked beautiful like clouds decked with
lightning. And standards of diverse forms, O
king, belonging to the combatants on thy side, and
adorned with golden rings, looked resplendent like
fire. And those standards of thy side and theirs,
resembled, O Bharata, the banners of Indra in his celestial
mansions. And the heroic warriors all accoutred
and cased in golden coats of mail endued with the
effulgence of the blazing Sun, themselves looked like
blazing fire or the Sun. All the foremost warriors
amongst the Kurus, O king, with excellent bows, and
weapons upraised (for striking), with leathern fences
on their hands, and with standards,—those
mighty bowmen, of eyes large as those of bulls, all
placed themselves at the heads of their (respective)
divisions. And these amongst thy sons, O king,
protected Bhishma from behind, viz.. Dussasana,
and Durvishaha, and Durmukha, and Dussaha and Vivinsati,
and Chitrasena, and that mighty car-warrior Vikarna.
And amongst them were Satyavrata, and Purumitra, and
Jaya, and Bhurisravas, and Sala. And twenty thousand
car-warriors followed them. The Abhishahas, the
Surasenas, the Sivis, and the Vasatis, the Swalyas,
the Matsyas, the Amvashtas, the Trigartas, and the
Kekayas, the Sauviras, the Kitavas, and the dwellers
of the Eastern, Western, and the Northern countries,—these
twelve brave races were resolved to fight reckless
of the lives. And these protected the grandsire
with a multitudinous array of cars. And with
a division that consisted of ten thousand active elephants,
the king of Magadha followed that large car division.
They that protected the wheels of the cars and they
that protected the elephants, numbered full six millions.
And the foot-soldiers that marched in advance (of
the army), armed with bows, swords, and shields, numbered
many hundreds of thousands. And they fought also
using their nails and bearded darts. And the ten
and one Akshauhinis of thy son, O Bharata, looked,
O mighty king, like Ganga separated from Yamuna.[102]”
SECTION XIX
Dhritarashtra said,—“Beholding our
ten and one Akshauhinis arrayed in order of battle,
how did Yudhishthira, the son of Pandu, make his counter-array
with his forces smaller in number? How did Kunti’s
son, O Sanjaya, form his counter-array against that
Bhishma who was acquainted with all kinds of arrays,
viz., human, celestial, Gandharva, and Asura?”
Page 533
Sanjaya said,—“Seeing the Dhritarashtra
divisions arrayed in order of battle, Pandu’s
son of virtuous soul, king Yudhishthira the just,
addressed Dhananjaya, saying,—’Men
are informed from the words of that great Rishi Vrihaspati
that the few must be made to fight by condensing them,
while the many may be extended according to pleasure.
In encounters of the few with the many, the array
to be formed should be the needle-mouthed one.
Our troops compared with the enemy’s are few.
Keeping in view this precept of the great Rishi, array
our troops, O son of Pandu.’ Hearing this,
that son of Pandu answered king Yudhishthira the just,
saying,—That immovable array known by the
name of Vajra, which was designed by the wielder of
the thunder-bolt,—that invincible array
is the one that I will make for thee, O best of kings.
He who is like the bursting tempest, he who is incapable
of being borne in battle by the foe, that Bhima the
foremost of smiters, will fight at our head. That
foremost of men, conversant with all the appliances
of battle, becoming our leader, will fight in the
van, crushing the energy of the foe. That foremost
of smiters, viz., Bhima, beholding whom all the
hostile warriors headed by Duryodhana will retreat
in panic like smaller animals beholding the lion,
all of us, our fears dispelled, will seek his shelter
as if he were a wall, like the celestial seeking the
shelter of Indra. The man breathes not in the
world who would bear to cast his eyes upon that bull
among men, Vrikodara of fierce deeds, when he is angry.’—Having
said this, Dhananjaya of mighty arms did as he said.
And Phalguni, quickly disposing his troops in battle-array,
proceeded (against the foe). And the mighty army
of the Pandavas beholding the Kuru army move, looked
like the full, immovable, and quickly rolling[103]
current of Ganga. And Bhimasena, and Dhrishtadyumna
endued with great energy, and Nakula, and Sahadeva,
and king Dhrishtaketu, became the leaders of that force.
And king Virata, surrounded by an Akshawhini of troops
and accompanied by his brothers and sons, marched
in their rear, protecting them from behind. The
two sons of Madri, both endued with great effulgence,
became the protectors of Bhima’s wheels; while
the (five) sons of Draupadi and the son of Subhadra
all endued with great activity, protected (Bhima) from
behind. And that mighty car-warrior, Dhrishtadyumna,
the prince of Panchala, with those bravest of combatants
and the foremost of car-warriors, viz., the Prabhadrakas,
protected those princes from behind. And behind
him was Sikhandin who (in his turn) was protected by
Arjuna, and who, O bull of Bharata’s race, advanced
with concentrated attention for the destruction of
Bhishma. Behind Arjuna was Yuyudhana of mighty
strength; and the two princes of Panchala, viz.,
Yudhamanyu and Uttamaujas, became protectors of Arjuna’s
wheels, along with the Kekaya brothers, and Dhrishtaketu,
and Chekitana of great valour—This Bhimasena,
Page 534
wielding his mace made of the hardest metal, and moving
(on the field of battle) with fierce speed, can dry
up the very ocean. And there also stay, with
their counsellors looking on him. O king, the
children[104] of Dhritarashtra.—Even this,
O monarch, was what Vibhatsu said, pointing out the
mighty Bhimasena (to Yudhishthira).[105] And while
Partha was saying so, all the troops, O Bharata, worshipped
him on the field of battle with gratulatory words.
King Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, took up his position
in the centre of his army, surrounded by huge and
furious elephants resembling moving hills. The
high-souled Yajnasena, the king of the Panchalas,
endued with great prowess, stationed himself behind
Virata with an Akshauhini of troops for the sake of
the Pandavas. And on the cars of those kings,
O monarch, were tall standards bearing diverse devices,
decked with excellent ornaments of gold, and endued
with the effulgence of the Sun and the Moon.
Causing those kings to move and make space for him,
that mighty car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna, accompanied
by his brothers and sons protected Yudhishthira from
behind. Transcending the huge standards on all
the cars on thy side and that of the enemy, was the
one gigantic ape on Arjuna’s car. Foot-soldiers,
by many hundreds of thousands, and armed with swords,
spears, and scimitars, proceeded ahead for protecting
Bhimasena. And ten thousand elephants with (temporal)
juice trickling down their cheek and mouth, and resembling
(on that account) showering clouds,[106] endued with
great courage, blazing with golden armour, huge hills,
costly, and emitting the fragrance of lotuses, followed
the king behind like moving mountains.[107] And the
high-souled and invincible Bhimasena, whirling his
fierce mace that resembled a parigha[108] seemed to
crush the large army (of thy son). Incapable of
being looked at like the Sun himself, and scorching
as it were, the hostile army (like fire), none of
the combatants could bear to even look at him from
any neat point. And this array, fearless and having
its face turned towards all sides called Vajra, having
bows for its lightning sign,[109] and extremely fierce,
was protected by the wielder of Gandiva. Disposing
their troops in this counter-array against thy army,
the Pandavas waited for battle. And protected
by the Pandavas, that array became invincible in the
world of men.
“’And as (both) the armies stood at dawn
of day waiting for sunrise, a wind began to blow with
drops of water (falling), and although there were
no clouds, the roll of thunder was heard. And
dry winds began to blow all around, bearing a shower
of pointed pebbles along the ground. And as thick
dust arose, covering the world with darkness.
And large meteors began to fall east-wards, O bull
of Bharata’s race, and striking against the
rising Sun, broke in fragments with loud noise.
When the troops stood arrayed, O bull of Bharata’s
race, the Sun rose divested of splendour, and the
Page 535
Earth trembled with a loud sound, and cracked in many
places, O chief of the Bharatas, with loud noise.
And the roll of thunder, O king, was heard frequently
on all sides. So thick was the dust that arose
that nothing could be seen. And the tall standards
(of the combatants), furnished with strings of bells,
decked with golden ornaments, garlands of flowers,
and rich drapery, graced with banners and resembling
the Sun in splendour, being suddenly shaken by the
wind, gave a loud jingling noise like that of a forest
of palmyra trees (when moved by the wind). It
was thus that those tigers among men, the sons of Pandu,
ever taking delight in battle, stood having disposed
their troops in counter-array against the army of
thy son, and sucking as it were, the marrow, O bull
of Bharata’s race, of our warriors, and casting
their eyes on Bhimasena stationed at their head, mace
in hand.”
SECTION XX
Dhritarashtra said,—“When the Sun
rose, O Sanjaya, of my army led by Bhishma and the
Pandava army led by Bhima, which first cheerfully
approached the other, desirous of fight? To which
side were the Sun, the Moon and the wind hostile,
and against whom did the beasts of prey utter inauspicious
sounds? Who were those young men, the complexions
of whose faces were cheerful? Tell me all these
truly and duly.”
Sanjaya said,—“Both armies, when
arrayed, were equally joyful, O king. Both armies
looked equally beautiful, assuming the aspect of blossoming
woods, and both armies were full of elephants, cars
and horses. Both armies were vast and terrible
in aspect; and so also, O Bharata, none of them could
bear the other. Both of them were arrayed for
conquering the very heavens, and both of them consisted
of excellent persons. The Kauravas belonging
to the Dhritarashtra party stood facing the west,
while the Parthas stood facing the east, addrest for
fight. The troops of the Kauravas looked like
the army of the chief of the Danavas, while that of
the Pandavas looked like the army of the celestials.
The wind began to blow from behind the Pandavas (against
the face of the Dhartarashtras), and the beasts of
prey began to yell against the Dhartarashtras.
The elephants belonging to thy sons could not bear
the strong odour of the temporal juice emitted by
the huge elephants (of the Pandavas). And Duryodhana
rode on an elephant of the complexion of the lotus,
with rent temples, graced with a golden Kaksha (on
its back), and cased in an armour of steel net-work.
And he was in the very centre of the Kurus and was
adored by eulogists and bards. And a white umbrella
of lunar effulgence was held over his head graced
with a golden chain. Him Sakuni, the ruler of
the Gandharas, followed with mountaineers of Gandhara
placed all around. And the venerable Bhishma
was at the head of all the troops, with a white umbrella
held over his head, armed with bow and sword, with
a white headgear, with a white banner (on his car),
Page 536
and with white steeds (yoked thereto), and altogether
looking like a white mountain. In Bhishma’s
division were all the sons of Dhritarashtra, and also
Sala who was a countryman of the Valhikas, and also
all those Kshatriyas called Amvastas, and those called
Sindhus, and those also that are called Sauviras,
and the heroic dwellers of the country of the five
rivers. And on a golden car unto which were yoked
red steeds, the high-souled Drona, bow in hand and
with never-failing heart, the preceptor of almost all
the kings, remained behind all the troops, protecting
them like Indra. And Saradwat’s son, that
fighter in the van,[110] that high-souled and mighty
bowman, called also Gautama, conversant with all modes
of warfare, accompanied by the Sakas, the Kiratas,
the Yavanas, and the Pahlavas, took up his position
at the northern point of the army. That large
force which was well protected by mighty car-warriors
of the Vrishni and the Bhoja races, as also by the
warriors of Surashtra well-armed and well-acquainted
with the uses of weapons, and which was led by Kritavarman,
proceeded towards the south of the army. Ten thousand
cars of the Samasaptakas who were created for either
the death or the fame of Arjuna, and who, accomplished
in arms, intended to follow Arjuna at his heels[111]
all went out as also the brave Trigartas. In thy
army, O Bharata, were a thousand elephants of the
foremost fighting powers. Unto each elephant
was assigned a century of cars; unto each car, a hundred
horsemen; unto each horseman, ten bowmen; and unto
each bowman ten combatants armed with sword and shield.
Thus, O Bharata, were thy divisions arrayed by Bhishma.
Thy generalissimo Bhishma, the son of Santanu, as
each day dawned, sometimes disposed thy troops in the
human army, sometimes in the celestial, sometimes
in the Gandharva, and sometimes in the Asura.
Thronged with a large number of Maharathas, and roaring
like the very ocean, the Dhartarashtra army, arrayed
by Bhishma, stood facing the west for battle.
Illimitable as thy army was, O ruler of men, it looked
terrible; but the army of the Pandavas, although it
was not such (in number), yet seemed to me to be very
large and invincible since Kesava and Arjuna were
its leader.”
SECTION XXI
Sanjaya said,—“Beholding the vast
Dhartarashtra army ready for battle, king Yudhisthira,
the son of Kunti, gave way to grief. Seeing that
impenetrable array formed by Bhishma and regarding
it as really impenetrable, the king became pale and
addressed Arjuna, saying,—O, mighty-armed
Dhananjaya, how shall we be able to fight in battle
with the Dhartarashtras who have the Grandsire for
their (chief) combatant? Immovable and impenetrable
is this array that hath been designed, according to
the rules laid down in the scriptures, by that grinder
of foes, Bhishma, of transcendent glory. With
our troops we have become doubtful (of success), O
grinder of foes. How, indeed, will victory be
Page 537
ours in the face of this mighty array?’—Thus
addressed, that slayer of foes Arjuna answered Yudhisthira,
the son of Pritha, who had been plunged into grief
at sight, O king, of thy army, in these words,—Hear,
O king, how soldiers that are few in number may vanquish
the many that are possessed of every quality.
Thou art without malice; I shall, therefore, tell
thee means, O king. The Rishi Narada knows it,
as also both Bhishma and Drona. Referring to
this means, the Grandsire himself in days of old on
the occasion of the battle between the Gods and the
Asuras said unto Indra and the other celestials.—They
that are desirous of victory do not conquer by might
and energy so much as by truth, compassion, righteousness
and energy.[112] Discriminating then between righteousness,
and unrighteousness, and understanding what is meant
by covetousness and having recourse to exertion fight
without arrogance, for victory is there where righteousness
is.—For this know, O king, that to us victory
is certain in (this) battle. Indeed, as Narada
said,—There is victory where Krishna is.—Victory
is inherent to Krishna. Indeed, it followeth
Madhava. And as victory is one of its attributes,
so humility is his another attribute. Govinda
is possessed of energy that is infinite. Even
in the midst of immeasurable foes he is without pain.
He is the most eternal of male beings. And there
victory is where Krishna is. Even he, indestructible
and of weapons incapable of being baffled, appearing
as Hari in olden days, said in a loud voice unto the
Gods and the Asuras,—Who amongst you would
be victorious?—Even the conquered who said.—With
Krishna in the front we will conquer.[113]—And
it was through Hari’s grace that the three worlds
were obtained by the gods headed by Sakra. I
do not, therefore, behold the slightest cause of sorrow
in thee, thee that hast the Sovereign of the Universe
and the Lord himself of the celestials for wishing
victory to thyself.”
SECTION XXII
Sanjaya said,—“Then, O bull of Bharata’s
race, king Yudhishthira, disposing his own troops
in counter array against the divisions of Bhishma,
urged them on, saying,—’The Pandavas
have now disposed their forces in counter array agreeably
to what is laid down (in the scriptures). Ye
sinless ones, fight fairly, desirous of (entering)
the highest heaven’.—In the centre
(of the Pandava army) was Sikhandin and his troops,
protected by Arjuna. And Dhristadyumna moved in
the van, protected by Bhima. The southern division
(of the Pandava army) was protected. O king,
by that mighty bowman, the handsome Yuyudhana, that
foremost combatant of the Satwata race, resembling
Indra himself. Yudhisthira was stationed on a
car that was worthy of bearing Mahendra himself, adorned
with an excellent standard, variegated with gold and
gems, and furnished with golden traces (for the steeds),
in the midst of his elephant divisions.[114] His pure
Page 538
white umbrella with ivory handle, raised over his
head, looked exceedingly beautiful; and many great
Rishis walked around the king[115] uttering words
in his praise. And many priests, and regenerate
Rishis and Siddhas, uttering hymns in his praise[116]
wished him, as they walked around, the destructions
of his enemies, by the aid of Japas, and Mantras,
efficacious drugs, and diverse propitiatory ceremonies.
That high-souled chief of the Kurus, then giving away
unto the Brahmanas kine and fruits and flowers and
golden coins along with cloths[117] proceeded like
Sakra, the chief of the celestials. The car of
Arjuna, furnished with a hundred bells, decked with
Jamvunada gold of the best kind, endued with excellent
wheels, possessed of the effulgence of fire, and unto
which were yoked white steeds, looked exceedingly
brilliant like a thousand suns.[118] And on that ape-bannered
car the reins of which were held by Kesava, stood Arjuna
with Gandiva and arrows in hand—a bowman
whose peer exists not on earth, nor ever will.[119]
For crushing thy sons’ troops he who assumeth
the most awful form,—who, divested of weapons,
with only his bare hands, poundeth to dust men, horses,
and elephants,—that strong-armed Bhimasena,
otherwise called Vrikodara, accompanied by the twins,
became the protector of the heroic car-warriors (of
the Pandava) army. Like unto a furious prince
of lions of sportive gait, or like the great Indra
himself with (earthly) body on the Earth, beholding
that invincible Vrikodara, like unto a proud leader
of an elephantine herd, stationed in the van (of the
army), the warriors on thy side, their strength weakened
by fear, began to tremble like elephants sunk in mire.
“Unto that invincible prince Gudakesa staying
in the midst of his troops, Janardana, O chief of
Bharata’s race, said—He, who scorching
us with his wrath, stayeth in the midst of his forces,
he, who will attack our troops like a lion, he, who
performed three hundred horse-sacrifices,—that
banner of Kuru’s race, that Bhishma,—stayeth
yonder! Yon ranks around him on all sides great
warriors like the clouds shrouding the bright luminary.
O foremost of men, slaying yon troops, seek battle
with yonder bull of Bharata’s race.”
SECTION XXIII
Sanjaya said,—“Beholding the Dhartarashtra
army approach for fight, Krishna said these words
for Arjuna’s benefit.”
“The holy one said,—’Cleansing
thyself, O mighty-armed one, utter on the eve of the
battle thy hymn to Durga for (compassing) the defeat
of the foe.”
Sanjaya continued.—Thus addressed on the
eve of battle by Vasudeva endued with great intelligence,
Pritha’s son Arjuna, alighting from his car,
said the following hymn with joined hands.
Page 539
“Arjuna said,—’I bow to thee,
O leader of Yogins, O thou that art identical with
Brahman, O thou that dwellest in the forest of Mandara,
O thou that art freed from decrepitude and decay,
O Kali, O wife of Kapala, O thou that art of a black
and tawny hue, I bow to thee. O bringer of benefits
to thy devotees, I bow to thee, O Mahakali, O wife
of the universal destroyer, I bow to thee. O
proud one, O thou that rescuest from dangers, O thou
that art endued with every auspicious attribute.
O thou that art sprung from the Kata race, O thou
that deservest the most regardful worship, O fierce
one, O giver of victory, O victory’s self, O
thou that bearest a banner of peacock plumes, O thou
that art decked with every ornament, O thou that bearest
an awful spear, O thou that holdest a sword and shield,
O thou that art the younger sister of the chief of
cow-herds, O eldest one, O thou that wert born in the
race of the cowherd Nanda! O thou that art always
fond of buffalo’s blood, O thou that wert born
in the race of Kusika, O thou that art dressed in yellow
robes, O thou that hadst devoured Asuras assuming
the face of a wolf[120], I bow to thee that art fond
of battle! O Uma,[121] Sakambhari, O thou that
art white in hue, O thou that art black in hue, O
thou that hast slain the Asura Kaitabha, O thou that
art yellow-eyed, O thou that art diverse-eyed, O thou
of eyes that have the colour of smoke, I bow to thee.
O thou that art the Vedas, the Srutis, and the highest
virtue, O thou that art propitious to Brahmanas engaged
in sacrifice, O thou that hast a knowledge of the
past, thou that art ever present in the sacred abodes
erected to thee in cities of Jamvudwipa, I bow to thee.
Thou art the science of Brahma among sciences, and
thou that art that sleep of creatures from which there
is no waking. O mother of Skanda, O thou that
possessest the six (highest) attributes, O Durga, O
thou that dwellest in accessible regions, thou art
described as Swaha, and Swadha,[122] as Kala, as Kashta,
and as Saraswati, as Savitra the mother of the Vedas,
and as the science of Vedanta. With inner soul
cleansed, I praise thee. O great goddess, let
victory always attend me through thy grace on the
field of battle. In inaccessible regions, where
there is fear, in places of difficulty, in the abodes
of thy worshippers and in the nether regions (Patala),
thou always dwellest. Thou always defeatest the
Danavas. Thou art the unconsciousness, the sleep,
the illusion, the modesty, the beauty of (all creatures).
Thou art the twilight, thou art the day, thou art
Savitri, and thou art the mother. Thou art contentment,
thou art growth, thou art light. It is thou that
supportest the Sun and the Moon and that makes them
shine. Thou art the prosperity of those that are
prosperous. The Siddhas and the Charanas behold
thee in contemplation.[123]’”
Sanjaya continued,—Understanding (the measure
of) Partha’s devotion, Durga who is always graciously
inclined towards mankind, appeared in the firmament
and in the presence of Govinda, said these words.
Page 540
’"The goddess said,—’Within
a short time thou shalt conquer thy foes, O Pandava.
O invincible one, thou hast Narayana (again) for aiding
thee. Thou art incapable of being defeated by
foes, even by the wielder of the thunderbolt himself.’
’"Having said this, the boon-giving goddess
disappeared soon. The son of Kunti, however,
obtaining that boon, regarded himself as successful,
and the son of Pritha then mounted his own excellent
car. And then Krishna and Arjuna, seated on the
same car, blew their celestial conches. The man
that recites this hymn rising at dawn, hath no fear
any time from Yakshas, Rakshasas, and Pisachas.
He can have no enemies; he hath no fear, from snakes
and all animals that have fangs and teeth, as also
from kings. He is sure to be victorious in all
disputes, and if bound, he is freed from his bonds.
He is sure to get over all difficulties, is freed
from thieves, is ever victorious in battle and winneth
the goddess of prosperity for ever. With health
and strength, he liveth for a hundred years.
“I have known all this through the grace of
Vyasa endued with great wisdom. Thy wicked sons,
however, all entangled in the meshes of death, do
not, from ignorance, know them to be Nara and Narayana.
Nor do they, entangled in the meshes of death, know
that the hour of this kingdom hath arrived. Dwaipayana
and Narada, and Kanwa, and the sinless Rama, had all
prevented thy son. But he did not accept their
words. There where righteousness is, there are
glory and beauty. There where modesty is, there
are prosperity and intelligence. There where righteousness
is, there is Krishna; and there where Krishna is,
there is victory.”
SECTION XXIV
Dhritarashtra said,—“There (on the
field of battle) O Sanjaya, the warriors of which
side first advanced to battle cheerfully? Whose
hearts were filled with confidence, and who were spiritless
from melancholy? In that battle which maketh
the hearts of men tremble with fear, who were they
that struck the first blow, mine or they belonging
to the Pandavas? Tell me all this, O Sanjaya.
Among whose troops did the flowery garlands and unguents
emit fragrant odours? And whose troops, roaring
fiercely, uttered merciful words?”
Sanjaya said,—“The combatants of
both armies were cheerful then and the flowery garlands
and perfumes of both troops emitted equal fragrance.
And, O bull of Bharata’s race, fierce was the
collision that took place when the serried ranks arrayed
for battle encountered each other. And the sound
of musical instruments, mingled with the blare of conches
and the noise of drums, and the shouts of brave warriors
roaring fiercely at one another, became very loud.
O bull of Bharata’s race, dreadful was the collision
caused by the encounter of the combatants of both armies,
filled with joy and staring at one another, and the
elephants uttering obstreperous grunts.”
Page 541
Section XXV [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter I)]
([This where is the Bhagavad Gita proper starts.
I have added the chapter headings to aid in comparison
with other translations, they are not part of the
original Ganguli text.—John Bruno Hare])
Dhritarashtra said,—“Assembled together
on the sacred plain of Kurukshetra from desire of
fighting what did my sons and the Pandavas do.
O Sanjaya.”
“Sanjaya said,—“Beholding the
army of the Pandavas arrayed, king Duryodhana, approaching
the preceptor (Drona) said these words: Behold,
O preceptor, this vast army of the son of Pandu, arrayed
by Drupada’s son (Dhrishtadyumna), thy intelligent
disciple. There (in that army) are many brave
and mighty bowmen, who in battle are equal to Bhima
and Arjuna. (They are) Yuyudhana, and Virata,
and that mighty car-warrior Drupada, and Dhrishtaketu,
and Chekitana, and the ruler of Kasi endued with great
energy; and Purujit, and Kuntibhoja, and Saivya that
bull among men; and Yudhamanyu of great prowess, and
Uttamaujas of great energy; and Subhadra’s son,
and the sons of Draupadi, all of whom are mighty car-warriors.
Hear, however, O best of regenerate ones, who are the
distinguished ones among us, the leader of army.
I will name them to thee for (thy) information. (They
are) thyself, and Bhishma, and Karna, and Kripa who
is ever victorious; and Aswatthaman and Vikarna, and
Saumadatta, and Jayadratha.[124] Besides these, are
many heroic warriors, prepared to lay down their lives
for my sake, armed with diverse kinds of weapons,
and all accomplished in battle. Our army, therefore,
protected by Bhishma, is insufficient. This force,
however, of these (the Pandavas), protected by Bhima,
is sufficient.[125] Stationing yourselves then in
the entrances of the divisions that have been assigned
to you, all of you protect Bhishma alone.—(Just
at this time) the valiant and venerable grandsire
of the Kurus, affording great joy to him (Duryodhana)
by loudly uttering a leonine roar, blew (his) conch.
Then conches and drums and cymbals and horns were
sounded at once and the noise (made) became a loud
uproar. Then Madhava and Pandu’s son (Arjuna),
both stationed on a great car unto which were yoked
white steeds, blew their celestial conches. And
Hrishikesha blew (the conch called) Panchajanya and
Dhananjaya (that called) Devadatta; and Vrikodara of
terrible deeds blew the huge conch (called) Paundra.
And Kunti’s son king Yudhishthira blew (the
conch called) Anantavijaya; while Nakula and Sahadeva,
(those conches called respectively) Sughosa and Manipushpaka.[126]
And that splendid bowman, the ruler of Kasi and that
mighty car-warrior, Sikhandin, Dhrishtadyumna, Virata,
and that unvanquished Satyaki, and Drupada, and the
sons of Draupadi, and the mighty-armed son of Subhadra—all
these, O lord of earth, severally blew their conches.
And that blare, loudly reverberating through the welkin,
and the earth, rent the hearts of the Dhartarashtras.
Then beholding the Dhartarashtra troops drawn up,
the ape-bannered son of Pandu, rising his bow, when,
the throwing of missiles had just commenced, said
these words, O lord of earth, to Hrishikesha.[127]
Page 542
“Arjuna said,—’O thou that
knoweth no deterioration, place my car (once) between
the two armies, so that I may observe these that stand
here desirous of battle, and with whom I shall have
to contend in the labours of this struggle.[128] I
will observe those who are assembled here and who
are prepared to fight for doing what is agreeable in
battle to the evil-minded son of Dhritarashtra.’”
Sanjaya continued,—–’Thus addressed
by Gudakesa, O Bharata, Hrishikesa, placing that excellent
car between the two armies, in view of Bhishma and
Drona and all the kings of the earth, said,—’Behold,
O Partha these assembled Kurus,—And there
the son of Pritha beheld, standing (his) sires and
grandsons, and friends, and father-in-law and well-wishers,
in both the armies. Beholding all those kinsmen
standing (there), the son of Kunti, possessed by excessive
pity, despondingly said (these words).
“Arjuna said,—’Beholding these
kinsmen, O Krishna, assembled together and eager for
the fight, my limbs, become languid, and my mouth becomes
dry. My body trembles, and my hair stands on end.
Gandiva slips from my hand, and my skin burns.
I am unable to stand (any longer); my mind seems to
wander. I behold adverse omens, too, O Kesava.
I do not desire victory, O Krishna, not sovereignty,
nor pleasures. Of what use would sovereignty
be to us, O Govinda, or enjoyments, or even life, since
they, for whose sake sovereignty, enjoyments, and
pleasures are desired by us, are here arrayed for
battle ready to give up life and wealth, viz.,
preceptors, sires, sons and grandsires, maternal uncles,
father-in-laws, grandsons, brother-in-laws, and kinsmen.
I wish not to slay these though they slay me, O slayer
of Madhu, even for the sake of the sovereignty of
the three worlds, what then for the sake of (this)
earth?[129] What gratification can be ours, O Janardana,
by slaying the Dhartarashtras? Even if they be
regarded as foes,[130] sin will overtake us if we slay
them. Therefore, it behoveth us not to slay the
sons of Dhritarashtra who are our own kinsmen.[131]
How, O Madhava can we be happy by killing our own
kinsmen? Even if these, with judgments perverted
by avarice, do not see the evil that ariseth from
the extermination of a race, and the sin of internecine
quarrels, why should not we, O Janarddana, who see
the evils of the extermination of a race, learn to
abstain from that sin? A race being destroyed,
the eternal customs of that race are lost; and upon
those customs being lost, sin overpowers the whole
race. From the predominance of sin, O Krishna,
the women of that race become corrupt. And the
women becoming corrupt, an intermingling of castes
happeneth, O descendant of Vrishni. This intermingling
of castes leadeth to hell both the destroyer of the
race and the race itself. The ancestors of those
fall (from heaven), their rites of pinda and water
ceasing. By these sins of destroyers of races,
causing intermixture of castes, the rules of caste
and the eternal rites of families become extinct.
We have heard, O Janarddana, that men whose family
rites become extinct, ever dwell in hell. Alas,
we have resolved to perpetrate a great sin, for we
are ready to slay our own kinsmen from lust of the
sweets of sovereignty. Better would it be for
me if the sons of Dhritarashtra, weapon in hand, should
in battle slay me (myself) unavenging unarmed.—’”
Page 543
Sanjaya continued,—“Having spoken
thus on the field of battle, Arjuna, his mind troubled
with grief, casting aside his bow and arrows, sat down
on his car.”
[Here ends the first lesson entitled “Survey
of Forces"[132] in the dialogue between Krishna and
Arjuna of the Bhagavadgita, the essence of religion,
the knowledge of Brahma, and the system of Yoga, comprised
within the Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata of Vyasa
containing one hundred thousand verses.]
Section XXVI [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter II)]
Sanjaya said,—“Unto him thus possessed
with pity, his eyes filled and oppressed with tears,
and desponding, the slayer of Madhu said these words.”
The Holy One said,—“Whence, O Arjuna,
hath come upon thee, at such a crisis, this despondency
that is unbecoming a person of noble birth, that shuts
one out from heaven, and that is productive of infamy?
Let no effeminacy be thine, O son of Kunti. This
suits thee not. Shaking off this vile weakness
of hearts, arise, O chastiser of foes.—”
Arjuna said,—“How, O slayer of Madhu,
can I with arrows contend in battle against Bhishma
and Drona, deserving as they are. O slayer of
foes, of worship?[133] Without slaying (one’s)
preceptors of great glory, it is well (for one), to
live on even alms in this world. By slaying preceptors,
even if they are avaricious of wealth, I should only
enjoy pleasures that are bloodstained![134] We know
not which of the two is of greater moment to us, viz.,
whether we should conquer them or they should conquer
us. By slaying whom we would not like to live,—even
they, the sons of Dhritarashtra, stand before (us).
My nature affected by the taint of compassion, my
mind unsettled about (my) duty, I ask thee. Tell
me what is assuredly good (for me). I am thy
disciple. O, instruct me, I seek thy aid.[135]
I do not see (that) which would dispel that grief of
mine blasting my very senses, even if I obtain a prosperous
kingdom on earth without a foe or the very sovereignty
of the gods.[136]’”
Sanjaya said,—Having said this unto Hrishikesa,
that chastiser of foes-Gudakesa—(once more)
addressed Govinda, saying,—’I will
not fight,’—and then remained silent.[137]
Unto him overcome by despondency, Hrishikesa, in the
midst of the two armies, said.
“The Holy One said,—’Thou mournest
those that deserve not to be mourned. Thou speakest
also the words of the (so-called) wise. Those,
however, that are (really) wise, grieve neither for
the dead nor for the living. It is not that,
I or you or those rulers of men never were, or that
all of us shall not hereafter be. Of an Embodied
being, as childhood, youth, and, decrepitude are in
this body, so (also) is the acquisition of another
body. The man, who is wise, is never deluded in
this.[138] The contacts of the senses with their (respective)
objects producing (sensations of) heat and cold, pleasure
and pain, are not permanent, having (as they do) a
Page 544
beginning and an end. Do thou. O Bharata,
endure them. For the man whom these afflict not,
O bull among men, who is the same in pain and pleasure
and who is firm in mind, is fit for emancipation.[139]
There is no (objective) existence of anything that
is distinct from the soul; nor non-existence of anything
possessing the virtues of the soul. This conclusion
in respect of both these hath been arrived at by those
that know the truths (of things).[140] Know that [the
soul] to be immortal by which all this [universe] is
pervaded. No one can compass the destruction
of that which is imperishable. It hath been said
that those bodies of the Embodied (soul) which is eternal,
indestructible and infinite, have an end. Do
thou, therefore, fight, O Bharata. He who thinks
it (the soul) to be the slayer and he who thinks it
to be the slain, both of them know nothing; for it
neither slays nor is slain. It is never born,
nor doth it ever die; nor, having existed, will it
exist no more. Unborn, unchangeable, eternal,
and ancient, it is not slain upon the body being perished.
That man who knoweth it to be indestructible, unchangeable,
without decay, how and whom can he slay or cause to
be slain? As a man, casting off robes that are
worn out, putteth on others that are new, so the Embodied
(soul), casting off bodies that are worn out, entereth
other bodies that are new. Weapons cleave it not,
fire consumeth it not; the waters do not drench it,
nor doth the wind waste it. It is incapable of
being cut, burnt, drenched, or dried up. It is
unchangeable, all-pervading, stable, firm, and eternal.
It is said to be imperceivable, inconceivable and
unchangeable. Therefore, knowing it to be such,
it behoveth thee not to mourn (for it). Then again
even if thou regardest it as constantly born and constantly
dead, it behoveth thee not yet, O mighty-armed one,
to mourn (for it) thus. For, of one that is born,
death is certain; and of one that is dead, birth is
certain. Therefore. it behoveth thee not to mourn
in a matter that is unavoidable. All beings (before
birth) were unmanifest. Only during an interval
(between birth and death), O Bharata, are they manifest;
and then again, when death comes, they become (once
more) unmanifest. What grief then is there in
this? One looks upon it as a marvel; another speaks
of it as a marvel. Yet even after having heard
of it, no one apprehends it truly. The Embodied
(soul), O Bharata, is ever indestructible in everyone’s
body. Therefore, it behoveth thee not to grieve
for all (those) creatures. Casting thy eyes on
the (prescribed) duties of thy order, it behoveth
thee not to waver, for there is nothing else that is
better for a Kshatriya than a battle fought fairly.
Arrived of itself and (like unto) an open gate of
heaven, happy are those Kshatriyas, O Partha, that
obtain such a fight. But if thou dost not fight
such a just battle, thou shalt then incur sin by abandoning
the duties of thy order and thy fame. People
Page 545
will then proclaim thy eternal infamy, and to one that
is held in respect, infamy is greater (as an evil)
than death itself. All great car-warriors will
regard thee as abstaining from battle from fear, and
thou wilt be thought lightly by those that had (hitherto)
esteemed thee highly. Thy enemies, decrying thy
prowess, will say many words which should not be said.
What can be more painful than that? Slain, thou
wilt attain to heaven; or victorious, thou wilt enjoy
the Earth. Therefore, arise, O son of Kunti,
resolved for battle. Regarding pleasure and pain,
gain and loss, victory and defeat, as equal, do battle
for battle’s sake and sin will not be thine.[141]
This knowledge, that hath been communicated to thee
is (taught) in the Sankhya (system). Listen now
to that (inculcated) in Yoga (system). Possessed
of that knowledge, thou, O Partha, wilt cast off the
bonds of action. In this (the Yoga system) there
is no waste of even the first attempt. There are
no impediments. Even a little of this (form of)
piety delivers from great fear.[142] Here in this
path, O son of Kuru, there is only one state of mind,
consisting in firm devotion (to one object, viz.,
securing emancipation). The minds of those, however,
that are not firmly devoted (to this), are many-branched
(un-settled) and attached to endless pursuits.
That flowery talk which, they that are ignorant, they
that delight in the words of the Vedas, they, O Partha,
that say that there is nothing else, they whose minds
are attached to worldly pleasures, they that regard
(a) heaven (of pleasures and enjoyments) as the highest
object of acquisition,—utter and promises
birth as the fruit of action and concerns itself with
multifarious rites of specific characters for the attainment
of pleasures and power,—delude their hearts
and the minds of these men who are attached to pleasures
and power cannot be directed to contemplation (of
the divine being) regarding it as the sole means of
emancipation.[143] The Vedas are concerned with three
qualities, (viz., religion, profit, and pleasure).
Be thou, O Arjuna, free from them, unaffected by pairs
of contraries (such as pleasure and pain, heat and
cold, etc.), ever adhering to patience without
anxiety for new acquisitions or protection of those
already acquired, and self-possessed, whatever objects
are served by a tank or well, may all be served by
a vast sheet of water extending all around; so whatever
objects may be served by all the Vedas, may all be
had by a Brahmana having knowledge (of self or Brahma).[144]
Thy concern is with work only, but not with the fruit
(of work). Let not the fruit be thy motive for
work; nor let thy inclination be for inaction.
Staying in devotion, apply thyself to work, casting
off attachment (to it), O Dhananjaya, and being the
same in success or unsuccess. This equanimity
is called Yoga (devotion). Work (with desire
of fruit) is far inferior to devotion, O Dhananjaya.
Seek thou the protection of devotion. They that
Page 546
work for the sake of fruit are miserable. He
also that hath devotion throws off, even in this world,
both good actions and bad actions. Therefore,
apply thyself to devotion. Devotion is only cleverness
in action. The wise, possessed of devotion, cast
off the fruit born of action, and freed from the obligation
of (repeated) birth, attain to that region where there
is no unhappiness. When thy mind shall have crossed
the maze of delusion, then shalt thou attain to an
indifference as regards the hearable and the heard.[145]
When thy mind, distracted (now) by what thou hast heard
(about the means of acquiring the diverse objects
of life), will be firmly and immovably fixed on contemplation,
then wilt thou attain to devotion.’
“Arjuna said,—What, O Kesava, are
the indications of one whose mind is fixed on contemplation?
How should one of steady mind speak, how sit, how
move?”
“The Holy One said,—’When one
casts off all the desires of his heart and is pleased
within (his) self with self, then is one said to be
of steady mind. He whose mind is not agitated
amid calamities, whose craving for pleasure is gone,
who is freed from attachment (to worldly objects),
fear and wrath, is said to be a Muni of steady mind.
His is steadiness of mind who is without affection
everywhere, and who feeleth no exultation and no aversion
on obtaining diverse objects that are agreeable and
disagreeable. When one withdraws his senses from
the objects of (those) senses as the tortoise its
limbs from all sides, even his is steadiness of mind.
Objects of senses fall back from an abstinent person,
but not so the passion (for those objects). Even
the passion recedes from one who has beheld the Supreme
(being).[146] The agitating senses, O son of Kunti,
forcibly draw away the mind of even a wise man striving
hard to keep himself aloof from them. Restraining
them all, one should stay in contemplation, making
me his sole refuge. For his is steadiness of mind
whose senses are under control. Thinking of the
objects of sense, a person’s attachment is begotten
towards them. From attachment springeth wrath;
from wrath ariseth want of discrimination; from want
of discrimination, loss of memory; from loss of memory,
loss of understanding; and from loss of understanding
(he) is utterly ruined. But the self-restrained
man, enjoying objects (of sense) with senses freed
from attachment and aversion under his own control,
attaineth to peace (of mind). On peace (of mind)
being attained, the annihilation of all his miseries
taketh place, since the mind of him whose heart is
peaceful soon becometh steady.[147] He who is not
self-restrained hath no contemplation (of self).
He who hath no contemplation hath no peace (of mind).[148]
Whence can there be happiness for him who hath no peace
(of mind)? For the heart that follows in the
wake of the sense moving (among their objects) destroys
his understanding like the wind destroying a boat in
the waters.[149] Therefore, O thou of mighty arms,
Page 547
his is steadiness of mind whose senses are restrained
on all sides from the objects of sense. The restrained
man is awake when it is night for all creatures; and
when other creatures are awake that is night to a
discerning Muni.[150] He into whom all objects of
desire enter, even as the waters enter the ocean which
(though) constantly replenished still maintains its
water-mark unchanged—(he) obtains peace
(of mind) and not one that longeth for objects of
desire. That man who moveth about, giving up all
objects of desire, who is free from craving (for enjoyments)
and who hath no affection and no pride, attaineth
to peace (of mind). This, O Partha, is the divine
state. Attaining to it, one is never deluded.
Abiding in it one obtains, on death, absorption into
the Supreme Self.’
Section XXVII [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter III)]
“Arjuna said,—’If devotion,
O Janardana, is regarded by thee as superior to work,
why then, O Kesava, dost thou engage me in such dreadful
work? By equivocal words thou seemest to confound
my understanding. Therefore, tell (me) one thing
definitely by which I may attain to what is good.’
“The Holy One said,—’It hath
already been said by me, O sinless one, that here
are, in this world, two kinds of devotion; that of
the Sankhyas through knowledge and that of the yogins
through work. A man doth not acquire freedom
from work from (only) the non-performance of work.
Nor doth he acquire final emancipation from only renunciation
(of work). No one can abide even for a moment
without doing work.[151] That man of deluded soul
who, curbing the organs of sense, liveth mentally cherishing
the objects of sense, is said to be a dissembler.
He however, O Arjuna, who restraining (his) senses
by his mind, engageth in devotion (in the form) of
work with the organs of work, and is free from attachment,
is distinguished (above all). (Therefore), do thou
always apply yourself to work, for action is better
than inaction. Even the support of thy body cannot
be accomplished without work.[152] This world is fettered
by all work other than that which is (performed) for
Sacrifice. (Therefore), O son of Kunti, perform work
for the sake of that, freed from attachment.[153]
In olden times, the Lord of Creation, creating men
and sacrifice together, said,—flourish
by means of this (Sacrifice). Let this (Sacrifice)
be to you (all) the dispenser of all objects cherished
by you. Rear the gods with this, and let the gods
(in return) rear you. Thus fulfilling the mutual
interest you will obtain that which is beneficial
(to you).[154] Propitiated with sacrifices the gods
will bestow on you the pleasures you desire.
He who enjoyeth (himself) without giving them what
they have given, is assuredly a thief. The good
who eat the remnant of sacrifices are freed from all
sins. Those unrighteous ones incur sin who dress
food for their own sake.—From food are all
creatures; and sacrifice is the outcome of work.[155]
Page 548
Know that work proceeds from the Vedas; Vedas have
proceeded from Him who hath no decay. Therefore,
the all-pervading Supreme Being is installed in sacrifice.[156]
He who conformeth not to this wheel that is thus revolving,
that man of sinful life delighting (the indulgence
of) his senses, liveth in vain, O Partha.[157] The
man, however, that is attached to self only, that
is contented with self, and that is pleased in his
self,—hath no work (to do). He hath
no concern whatever with action nor with any omission
here. Nor, amongst all creatures, is there any
upon whom his interest dependeth.[158] Therefore,
always do work that should be done, without attachment.
The man who performeth work without attachment, attaineth
to the Supreme. By work alone, Janaka and others,
attained the accomplishment of their objects.
Having regard also to the observance by men of their
duties, it behoveth thee to work. Whatever a
great man doth, is also done by vulgar people.
Ordinary men follow the ideal set by them (the great).[159]
There is nothing whatever for me, O Partha, to do
in the three worlds, (since I have) nothing for me
which hath not been acquired; still I engage in action.[160]
Because if at any time I do not, without sloth, engage
in action, men would follow my path, O Partha, on
all sides. The worlds would perish if I did not
perform work, and I should cause intermixture of castes
and ruin these people. As the ignorant work,
O Bharata, having attachment to the performer, so
should a wise man work without being attached, desiring
to make men observant of their duties. A wise
man should not cause confusion of understanding amongst
ignorant persons, who have attachment to work itself;
(on the other hand) he should (himself) acting with
devotion engage them to all (kinds of) work.
All works are, in every way, done by the qualities
of nature. He, whose mind is deluded by egoism,
however, regards himself as the actor.[161] But he,
O mighty-armed one, who knoweth the distinction (of
self) from qualities and work, is not attached to
work, considering that it is his senses alone (and
not his self) that engage in their objects.[162] Those
who are deluded by the qualities of nature, become
attached to the works done by the qualities.
A person of perfect knowledge should not bewilder those
men of imperfect knowledge.[163] Devoting all work
to me, with (thy) mind directed to self, engage in
battle, without desire, without affection and with
thy (heart’s) weakness dispelled.[164] Those
men who always follow this opinion of mine with faith
and without cavil attain to final emancipation even
by work. But they who cavil at and do not follow
this opinion of mine, know, that, bereft of all knowledge
and without discrimination, they are ruined.
Even a wise man acts according to his own nature.
All living beings follow (their own) nature.
What then would restraint avail? The senses have,
as regards the objects of the senses, either affection
or aversion fixed. One should not submit to these,
for they are obstacles in one’s way.[165] One’s
own duty, even if imperfectly performed, is better
than being done by other even if well performed.
Death in (performance of) one’s own duty is
preferable. (The adoption of) the duty of another
carries fear (with it).
Page 549
“Arjuna said, ’Impelled by whom, O son
of the Vrishni race, doth a man commit sin, even though
unwilling and as if constrained by force’?
“The Holy One said,—’It is
desire, it is wrath, born of the attribute of passion;
it is all devouring, it is very sinful. Know this
to be the foe in this world.[166] As fire is enveloped
by smoke, a mirror by dust, the foetus by the womb,
so is this enveloped by desire. Knowledge, O son
of Kunti, is enveloped by this constant foe of the
wise in the form of desire which is insatiable and
like a fire. The senses, the mind and the understanding
are said to be its abode. With these it deludeth
the embodied self, enveloping (his) knowledge.
Therefore, restraining (thy) senses first, O bull
of Bharata’s race, cast off this wicked thing,
for it destroyeth knowledge derived from instruction
and meditation.[167] It hath been said that the senses
are superior (to the body which is inert). Superior
to the senses is the mind. Superior to the mind
is the knowledge. But which is superior to knowledge
is He.[168] Thus knowing that which is superior to
knowledge and restraining (thy) self by self, slay,
O mighty-armed one, the enemy in the shape of desire
which is difficult to conquer.’”
Section XXVIII [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter IV)]
“The Holy One said,—’This imperishable
(system of) devotion I declared to Vivaswat:
Vivaswat declared it to Manu; and Manu communicated
it to Ikshaku. Descending thus from generation,
the Royal sages came to know it. But, O chastiser
of foes, by (lapse of a) long time that devotion became
lost to the world. Even the same (system of) devotion
hath today been declared by me to thee, for thou art
my devotee and friend, (and) this is a great mystery.’
“Arjuna said,—’Thy birth is
posterior; Vivaswat’s birth is prior. How
shall I understand then that thou hadst first declared
(it)?’
“The Holy One said,—’Many births
of mine have passed away, O Arjuna, as also of thine.
These all I know, but thou dost not, O chastiser of
foes. Though (I am) unborn and of essence that
knoweth no deterioration, though (I am) the lord of
all creatures, still, relying on my own (material)
nature I take birth by my own (powers) of illusion.
Whenever, O Bharata, loss of piety and the rise of
impiety occurreth, on those occasions do I create
myself. For the protection of the righteous and
for the destruction of the evil doers, for the sake
of establishing Piety, I am born age after age.
He who truly knoweth my divine birth and work to be
such, casting off (his body) is not born again; (on
the other hand) he cometh to me, O Arjuna. Many
who have been freed from attachment, fear, wrath,
who were full of me, and who relied on me, have, cleansed
by knowledge and asceticism, attained to my essence.
In whatsoever manner men come to me, in the selfsame
manner do I accept them. It is my way, O Partha,
that men follow on all sides.[169] Those in this world
Page 550
who are desirous of the success of action worship
the gods, for in this world of men success resulting
from action is soon attained. The quadruple division
of castes was created by me according to the distinction
of qualities and duties. Though I am the author
thereof, (yet) know me to be not their author and
undecaying.[170] Actions do not touch me. I have
no longing for the fruits of actions. He that
knoweth me thus is not impeded by actions. Knowing
this, even men of old who were desirous of emancipation
performed work. Therefore, do thou also perform
work as was done by ancients of the remote past.
What is action and what is inaction,—even
the learned are perplexed at this. Therefore,
I will tell thee about action (so that) knowing it
thou mayst be freed from evil. One should have
knowledge of action, and one should have knowledge
of forbidden actions: one should also know of
inaction. The course of action is incomprehensible.
He, who sees inaction in action and action in inaction,
is wise among men; he is possessed of devotion; and
he is a doer of all actions. The learned call
him wise whose efforts are all free from desire (of
fruit) and (consequent) will, and whose actions have
all been consumed by the fire of knowledge.[171] Whoever,
resigning all attachment to the fruit of action, is
ever contented and is dependent on none, doth nought,
indeed, although engaged in action. He who, without
desire, with mind and the senses under control, and
casting off all concerns, performeth action only for
the preservation of the body, incurreth no sin.[172]
He who is contented with what is earned without exertion,
who hath risen superior to the pairs of opposites,
who is without jealousy, who is equable in success
and failure, is not fettered (by action) even though
he works. All his actions perish who acts for
the sake of sacrifice,[173] who is without affections,
who is free (from attachments), and whose mind is
fixed upon knowledge. Brahma is the vessel (with
which the libation is poured); Brahma is the libation
(that is offered); Brahma is the fire on which by
Brahma is poured (the libation); Brahma is the goal
to which he proceedeth by fixing his mind on Brahma
itself which is the action.[174] Some devotees perform
sacrifice to the gods. Others, by means of sacrifice,
offer up sacrifices to the fire of Brahma.[175] Others
offer up (as sacrificial libation) the senses of which
hearing is the first to the fire of restraint.
Others (again) offer up (as libations) the objects
of sense of which sound is the first to the fire of
the senses.[176] Others (again) offer up all the functions
of the senses and the functions of the vital winds
to the fire of devotion by self-restraint kindled
by knowledge.[177] Others again perform the sacrifice
of wealth, the sacrifice of ascetic austerities, the
sacrifice of meditation, the sacrifice of (Vedic) study,
the sacrifice of knowledge, and others are ascetics
of rigid vows.[178] Some offer up the upward vital
Page 551
wind (Prana) to the downward vital wind (apana); and
others, the downward vital wind to the upward vital
wind; some, arresting the course of (both) the upward
and the downward vital winds, are devoted to the restraint
of the vital winds. Others of restricted rations,
offer the vital winds to the vital winds.[179] Even
all these who are conversant with sacrifice, whose
sins have been consumed by sacrifice, and who eat
the remnants of sacrifice which are amrita, attain
to the eternal Brahma. (Even) this world is not for
him who doth not perform sacrifice. Whence then
the other, O best of Kuru’s race? Thus
diverse are the sacrifices occurring in the Vedas.
Know that all of them result from action, and knowing
this thou wilt be emancipated. The sacrifice
of knowledge, O chastiser of foes, is superior to
every sacrifice involving (the attainment of) fruits
of action, for all action, O Partha, is wholly comprehended
in knowledge.[180] Learn that (Knowledge) by prostration,
enquiry, and service. They who are possessed
of knowledge and can see the truth, will teach thee
that knowledge, knowing which, O son of Pandu, thou
wilt not again come by such delusion, and by which
thou wilt see the endless creatures (of the universe)
in thyself (first) and then in me. Even if thou
be the greatest sinner among all that are sinful,
thou shalt yet cross over all transgressions by the
raft of knowledge. As a blazing fire, O Arjuna,
reduceth fuel to ashes, so doth the fire of knowledge
reduce all actions to ashes. For there is nothing
here that is so cleansing as knowledge. One who
hath attained to success by devotion finds it without
effort within his own self in time. He obtaineth
knowledge, who hath faith and is intent on it and
who hath his senses under control; obtaining knowledge
one findeth the highest tranquillity in no length of
time. One who hath no knowledge and no faith,
and whose minds is full of doubt, is lost. Neither
this world, nor the next, nor happiness, is for him
whose mind is full of doubt. Actions do not fetter
him, O Dhananjaya, who hath cast off action by devotion,
whose doubts have been dispelled by knowledge, and
who is self-restrained. Therefore, destroying,
by the sword of knowledge, this doubt of thine that
is born of ignorance and that dwelleth in thy mind,
betake to devotion, (and) arise, O son of Bharata.’
Section XXIX [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter V)]
“Arjuna said,—’Thou applaudest,
O Krishna, the abandonment of actions, and again the
application (to them). Tell me definitely which
one of these two is superior.
“The Holy One said—’Both abandonment
of actions and application to actions lead to emancipation.
But of these, application to action is superior to
abandonment. He should always be known to be an
ascetic who hath no aversion nor desire. For,
being free from pairs of opposites, O thou of mighty
arms, he is easily released from the bonds (of action).
Fools say, but not those that are wise, that Sankhya
Page 552
and Yoga are distinct. One who stayeth in even
one (of the two) reapeth the fruit of both[181].
Whatever seat is attained by those who profess the
Sankhya system, that too is reached by those who profess
the Yoga. He seeth truly who seeth Sankhya and
Yoga as one.[182] But renunciation, O mighty-armed
one, without devotion (to action), is difficult to
attain. The ascetic who is engaged in devotion
(by action) reacheth the Supreme Being without delay.
He who is engaged in devotion (by action) and is of
pure soul, who hath conquered his body and subdued
his senses, and who indentifieth himself with all
creatures, is not fettered though performing (action).[183]
The man of devotion, who knoweth truth, thinking—I
am doing nothing—When seeing, hearing,
touching, smelling, eating, moving, sleeping, breathing,
talking, excreting, taking, opening the eyelids or
closing them; he regardeth that it is the senses that
are engaged in the objects of senses.[184] He who
renouncing attachment engageth in actions, resigning
them to Brahma, is not touched by sin as the lotus-leaf
(is not touched) by water.[185] Those who are devotees,
casting off attachment, perform actions (attaining)
purity of self, with the body, the mind, the understanding,
and even the senses (free from desire). He who
is possessed of devotion, renouncing the fruit of
action, attaineth to the highest tranquillity.
He, who is not possessed of devotion and is attached
to the fruit of action, is fettered by action performed
from desire. The self-restrained embodied (self),
renouncing all actions by the mind, remains at ease
within the house of nine gates, neither acting himself
nor causing (anything) to act.[186] The Lord is not
the cause of the capacity for action, or of the actions
of men, or of the connection of actions and (their)
fruit. It is nature that engages (in action).
The Lord receiveth no one’s sin, nor also merit.
By ignorance, knowledge is shrouded. It is for
this that creatures are deluded. But of whomsoever
that ignorance hath been destroyed by knowledge of
self, that knowledge (which is) like the Sun discloseth
the Supreme Being. Those whose mind is on Him,
whose very soul is He, who abide in Him, and who have
Him for their goal, depart never more to return, their
sins being all destroyed by knowledge.[187] Those,
who are wise cast an equal eye on a Brahmana endued
with learning and modesty, on a cow, an elephant, a
dog, and a chandala.[188] Even here has birth been
conquered by them whose minds rest on equality; and
since Brahma is faultless and equable, therefore,
they (are said to) abide in Brahma.[189] He whose mind
is steady, who is not deluded, who knows Brahma, and
who rests in Brahma, doth not exult on obtaining anything
that is agreeable, nor doth he grieve on obtaining
that is disagreeable. He whose mind is not attached
to external objects of sense, obtaineth that happiness
which is in self; and by concentrating his mind on
the contemplation of Brahma, he enjoyeth a happiness
Page 553
that is imperishable. The enjoyments born of
the contact (of the senses with their objects) are
productive of sorrow. He who is wise, O son of
Kunti, never taketh pleasure in these that have a
beginning and an end. That man whoever here,
before the dissolution of the body, is able to endure
the agitations resulting from desire and wrath, is
fixed on contemplation, and is happy. He who
findeth happiness within himself, (and) who sporteth
within himself, he whose light (of knowledge) is deprived
from within himself, is a devotee, and becoming one
with Brahma attaineth to absorption into Brahma.
Those saintly personages whose sins have been destroyed,
whose doubts have been dispelled, who are self-restrained,
and who are engaged in the good of all creatures,
obtain absorption into Brahma. For these devotees
who are freed from desire and wrath, whose minds are
under control, and who have knowledge of self, absorption
into Brahma exists both here and thereafter.[190]
Excluding (from his mind) all external objects of
sense, directing the visual glance between the brows,
mingling (into one) the upward and the downward life-breaths
and making them pass through the nostrils, the devotee,
who has restrained the senses, the mind, and the understanding,
being intent on emancipation, and who is freed from
desire, fear, and wrath, is emancipated, indeed.
Knowing me to be enjoyer of all sacrifices and ascetic
austerities, the great Lord of all the worlds, and
friend of all creatures, such a one obtaineth tranquillity.’
Section XXX [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter VI)]
“The Holy One said,—’Regardless
of fruit of action, he that performs the actions which
should be performed, is a renouncer and devotee, and
not one who discards the (sacrificial) fire, nor one
that abstains from action.[191] That which has been
called renunciation, know that, O son of Pandu, to
be devotion, since nobody can be a devotee who has
not renounced (all) resolves.[192] To the sage desirous
of rising to devotion, action is said to be the means;
and when he has risen to devotion, cessation of action
is said to be the means. When one is no longer
attached to the objects of the senses, nor to actions,
and when one renounces all resolves, then is.
One said to have risen to devotion. One should
raise (his ) self by self; one should not degrade (his)
self; for one’s own self is one’s friend,
and one’s own self is one’s enemy.[193]
To him (only) who has subjugated his self by his self
is self a friend. But to him who has not subjugated
his self, his self behaves inimically like an enemy.
The soul of one who has subjugated his self and who
is in the enjoyment of tranquillity, is steadily fixed
(on itself) amid cold and heat, pleasure and pain,
and also honour and dishonour. That ascetic is
said to be devoted whose mind is satisfied with knowledge
and experience, who hath no affection, who hath subjugated
his senses, and to whom a sod, a stone and gold are
alike. He, who views equally well-wishers, friends,
Page 554
foes, strangers that are indifferent to him, those
who take part with both sides, those who are objects
of aversion, those who are related (to him), those
who are good, and those who are wicked, is distinguished
(above all others). A devotee should always fix
his mind on contemplation, remaining in a secluded
place alone, restraining both mind and body, without
expectations (of any kind), and without concern (with
anything).[194] Erecting his seat immovably on a clean
spot, not too high nor too low, and spreading over
it a piece of cloth, a deer-skin, or blades of Kusa
grass, and there seated on that seat, with mind fixed
on one object, and restraining the functions of the
heart and the senses, one should practise contemplation
for the purification of self. Holding body, head,
and neck even, unmoved and steady, and casting his
glance on the tip of his nose, and without looking
about in any of the different directions, with mind
in tranquillity, freed from fear, observant of the
practices of Brahmacharins, restraining the mind, with
heart fixed on me, the devotee should sit down, regarding
me as the object of his attainment. Thus applying
his soul constantly, the devotee whose heart is restrained,
attains to that tranquillity which culminates in final
absorption and assimilation with me. Devotion
is not one’s, O Arjuna, who eateth much, nor
one’s who doth not eat at all; nor one’s
who is addicted to too much sleep, nor one’s
who is always awake, devotion that is destructive
of misery is his who is temperate in food and amusements,
who duly exerts himself temperately in all his works,
and who is temperate in sleep and vigils. When
one’s heart, properly restrained, is fixed on
one’s own self, then, indifferent to all objects
of desire, he is one called a devotee.[195] As a lamp
in a windless spot doth not flicker, even that is
the resemblance declared of a devotee whose heart
hath been restrained and who applieth his self to abstraction.
That (condition) in which the mind, restrained by
practice of abstraction, taketh rest, in which beholding
self by self, one is gratified within self; in which
one experienceth that highest felicity which is beyond
the (sphere of the) senses and which the understanding
(only) can grasp, and fixed on which one never swerveth
from the truth; acquiring which one regards no other
acquisition greater than it, and abiding in which one
is never moved by even the heaviest sorrow; that (Condition)
should be known to be what is called devotion in which
there is a severance of connection with pain.
That devotion should be practised with perseverance
and with an undesponding heart.[196] Renouncing all
desires without exception that are born of resolves,
restraining the group of the senses on all sides by
mind alone, one should, by slow degrees, become quiescent
(aided) by (his) understanding controlled by patience,
and then directing his mind to self should think of
nothing.[197] Wheresoever the mind, which is (by nature)
Page 555
restless and unsteady, may run, restraining it from
those, one should direct it to self alone. Indeed,
unto such a devotee whose mind is in tranquillity,
whose passions have been suppressed, who hath become
one with Brahma and who is free from sin, the highest
felicity cometh (of his own accord). Thus applying
his soul constantly (to abstraction), the devotee,
freed from sin, easily obtaineth that highest happiness,
viz., with Brahma. He who hath devoted his
self to abstraction casting an equal eye everywhere,
beholdeth his self in all creatures and all creatures
in his self. Unto him who beholdeth me in everything
and beholdeth everything in me. I am never lost
and he also is never lost to me.[198] He who worshippeth
me as abiding in all creatures, holding yet that all
is one, is a devotee, and whatever mode of life he
may lead, he liveth in me. That devotee, O Arjuna,
who casteth an equal eye everywhere, regarding all
things as his own self and the happiness and misery
of others as his own, is deemed to be the best.’
“Arjuna said, ’This devotion by means
of equanimity which thou hast declared, O slayer of
Madhu,—on account of restlessness of the
mind I do not see its stable presence.[199] O Krishna,
the mind is restless, boisterous, perverse, and obstinate.
Its restraint I regard to be as difficult of accomplishment
as the restraint of the wind.’
“The Holy One said, ’Without doubt, O
thou of mighty arms the mind is difficult of subjugation
and is restless. With practice, however, O son
of Kunti, and with the abandonment of desire, it can
be controlled. It is my belief that by him whose
mind is not restrained, devotion is difficult of acquisition.
But by one whose mind is restrained and who is assiduous,
it is capable of acquisition with the aid of means.’
“Arjuna said, ’Without assiduity, though
endued with faith, and with mind shaken off from devotion,
what is the end of him, O Krishna, who hath not earned
success in devotion? Fallen off from both,[200]
is he lost like a separated cloud or not, being as
he is without refuge, O thou of mighty arms, and deluded
on the path leading to Brahma? This my doubt,
O Krishna, it behoveth thee to remove without leaving
anything. Besides thee, no dispeller of this
doubt is to be had.[201]
“The Holy One said, ’O son of Pritha,
neither here, nor hereafter, doth ruin exist for him,
since none, O sire, who performs good (acts) comes
by an evil end. Attaining to the regions reserved
for those that perform meritorious acts and living
there for many many years, he that hath fallen off
from devotion taketh birth in the abode of those that
art pious and endued with prosperity, or, he is born
even in the family of devotees endued with intelligence.
Indeed, a birth such as this is more difficult of
acquisition in this world. There in those births
he obtaineth contact with that Brahmic knowledge which
was his in his former life; and from that point he
Page 556
striveth again, O descendant of Kuru, towards perfection.
And although unwilling, he still worketh on in consequence
of that same former practice of his. Even one
that enquireth of devotion riseth above (the fruits
of) the Divine Word.-[202] Striving with great efforts,
the devotee, cleaned of all his sins, attaineth to
perfection after many births, and then reacheth the
supreme goal. The devotee is superior to ascetics
engaged in austerities; he is esteemed to be superior
to even the man of knowledge. The devotee is superior
to those that are engaged in action. Therefore,
become a devotee, O Arjuna. Even amongst all
the devotees, he who, full of faith and with inner
self resting on me, worshippeth me, is regarded by
me to be the most devout.”
Section XXXI [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter VII)]
“The Holy One said, ’Listen, O son of
Pritha, how, without doubt, thou mayst know me fully,
fixing thy mind on me, practising devotion, and taking
refuge in me. I will now, without leaving anything
speak to thee about knowledge and experience, knowing
which there would be left nothing in this world (for
thee) to know. One among thousands of men striveth
for perfection. Of those even that are assiduous
and have attained to perfection, only some one knoweth
me truly.[203] Earth, water, fire, air, space, mind,
also understanding, and consciousness,—thus
hath my nature been divided eight-fold. This
is a lower (form of my) nature. Different from
this, know there is a higher (form of my) nature which
is animate, O thou of mighty arms, and by which this
universe is held.[204] Know that all creatures have
these for their source. I am the source of evolution
and also of the dissolution of the entire universe.
There is nothing else, O Dhananjaya, that is higher
than myself. Upon me is all this like a row of
pearls on a string. Taste I am in the waters,
O soil of Kunti, (and) I am the splendour of both
the moon and the sun, I am the Om in all the Vedas,
the sound in space, and the manliness in men.
I am the fragrant odour in earth, the splendour in
fire, the life in all (living) creatures, and penance
in ascetics. Know me, O son of Pritha, to be the
eternal seed of all beings. I am the intelligence
of all creatures endued with intelligence, the glory
of all glorious objects. I am also the strength
of all that are endued with strength, (myself) freed
from desire and thirst, and, O bull of Bharata’s
race, am the desire, consistent with duty, in all
creatures.[205] And all existences which are of the
quality of goodness, and which are of the quality
of passion and quality of darkness, know that they
are, indeed, from me. I am, however, not in them,
but they are in me. This entire universe, deluded
by these three entities consisting of (these) three
qualities knoweth not me that am beyond them and undecaying;
since this illusion of mine, depending on the (three)
qualities, is exceedingly marvellous and highly difficult
of being transcended. They that resort to me
Page 557
alone cross this illusion.[206] Doers of evil, ignorant
men, the worst of their species, robbed of their knowledge
by (my) illusion and wedded to the state of demons,
do not resort to me. Four classes of doers of
good deeds worship me, O Arjuna, viz., he that
is distressed, that is possessed of knowledge, being
always devoted and having his faith in only One, is
superior to the rest, for unto the man of knowledge
I am dear above everything, and he also is dear to
me. All these are noble. But the man of knowledge
is regarded (by me) to be my very self, since he,
with soul fixed on abstraction, taketh refuge in me
as the highest goal. At the end of many births,
the man possessed of knowledge attaineth to me, (thinking)
that Vasudeva is all this. Such a high-souled
person, however, is exceedingly rare. They who
have been robbed of knowledge by desire, resort to
their godheads, observant of diverse regulations and
controlled by their own nature.[207] Whatever form,
(of godhead or myself) any worshipper desireth to worship
with faith, that faith of his unto that (form) I render
steady. Endued with that faith, he payeth his
adorations to that (form), and obtaineth from that
all his desire, since all those are ordained by me.[208]
The fruits, however, of those persons endued with
little intelligence are perishable. They that
worship the divinities, go to the divinities, (while)
they that worship me come even to me.[209] They that
have no discernment, regard me who am (really) unmanifest
to have become manifest, because they do not know
the transcendent and undecaying state of mine than
which there is nothing higher.[210] Shrouded by the
illusion of my inconceivable power, I am not manifest
to all. This deluded world knoweth not me that
I am unborn and undecaying. I know, O Arjuna,
all things that have been past, and all things that
are present, and all things that are to be. But
there is nobody that knoweth me. All creatures,
O chastiser of foes, are deluded at the time of their
birth by the delusion, O Bharata, of pairs of opposites
arising from desire and aversion. But those persons
of meritorious deeds whose sins have attained their
end, being freed from the delusion of pairs of opposites,
worship me, firm in their vow (of that worship).
Those who, taking refuge in me, strive for release
from decay and death, know Brahman, the entire Adhyatma,
and action.[211] And they who know me with the Adhibhuta,
the Adhidaiva, and the Adhiyajna, having minds fixed
on abstraction, know me at the time of their departure
(from this world).[212]
Section XXXII [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter VIII)]
“Arjuna said, ’What is that Brahman, what
is Adhyatma, what is action, O best of male beings?
What also has been said to be Adhibhuta, and what is
called Adhidaiva? Who is here Adhiyajna, and how,
in this body, O slayer of Madhu? And how at the
time of departure art thou to be known by those that
have restrained their self’?—
Page 558
“The Holy One said, ’Brahman is the Supreme
and indestructible. Adhyatma is said to be its
own manifestation. The offering (to any godhead
in a sacrifice) which causeth the production and development
of all—this is called action.[213] Remembering
me alone in (his) last moments, he that, casting off
his body, departeth (hence), cometh into my essence.
There is no doubt in this. Whichever form (of
godhead) one remembereth when one casteth off, at
the end, (his) body, unto that one he goeth, O son
of Kunti, having habitually meditated on it always.
Therefore, think of me at all times, and engage in
battle. Fixing thy mind and understanding on
me, thou wilt, without doubt, come even to me.
Thinking (of the Supreme) with a mind not running
to other objects and endued with abstraction in the
form of uninterrupted application, one goeth, O son
of Pritha, unto the Divine and Supreme male Being.
He who at the time of his departure, with a steady
mind, endued with reverence, with power of abstraction,
and directing the life-breath called Prana between
the eye-brows, thinketh of that ancient seer, who
is the ruler (of all), who is minuter than the minutest
atom, who is the ordainer of all, who is inconceivable
in form, and who is beyond all darkness, cometh unto
that Divine and Supreme Male Being, I will tell thee
in brief about that seat which persons conversant
with the Vedas declare to be indestructible, which
is entered by ascetics freed from all longings, and
in expectation of which (people) practise the vows
of Brahmacharins. Casting off (this) body, he
who departeth, stopping up all the doors, confining
the mind within the heart, placing his own life-breath
called Prana between the eye-brows, resting on continued
meditation, uttering this one syllable Om which is
Brahman, and thinking of me, attaineth to the highest
goal.[214] He who always thinketh of me with mind
ever withdrawn from all other objects, unto that devotee
always engaged on meditation, I am, O Partha, easy
of access. High-souled persons who have achieved
the highest perfection, attaining to me, do not incur
re-birth which is the abode of sorrow and which is
transient, All the worlds, O Arjuna, from the abode
of Brahman downwards have to go through a round of
births, on attaining to me, however, O son of Kunti,
there is no re-birth.[215] They who know a day of Brahman
to end after a thousand Yugas, and a night (of his)
to terminate after a thousand Yugas are persons that
know day and night.[216] On the advent of (Brahman’s)
day everything that is manifest springeth from the
unmanifest; and when (his) night cometh, into that
same which is called unmanifest all things disappear.
That same assemblage of creatures, springing forth
again and again, dissolveth on the advent of night,
and springeth forth (again), O son of Pritha, when
day cometh, constrained (by the force of action, etc.)[217].
There is, however, another entity, unmanifest and
eternal, which is beyond that unmanifest, and which
Page 559
is not destroyed when all the entities are destroyed.
It is said to be unmanifest and indestructible.
They call it the highest goal, attaining which no
one hath to come back. That is my Supreme seat.
That Supreme Being, O son of Pritha, He within whom
are all entities, and by whom all this is permeated,
is to be attained by reverence undirected to any other
object. I will tell thee the times, O bull of
Bharata’s race, in which devotees departing
(from this life) go, never to return, or to return.
The fire, the Light, the day, the lighted fortnight,
the six months of the northern solstice, departing
from here, the persons knowing Brahma go through this
path to Brahma.[218] Smoke, night, also the dark-fortnight
(and) the six months of the southern solstice, (departing)
through this path, devotee, attaining to the lunar
light, returneth. The bright and the dark, these
two paths, are regarded to be the eternal (two paths)
of the universe. By the one, (one) goeth never
to return; by the other, one (going) cometh back.
Knowing these two paths, O son of Pritha, no devotee
is deluded. Therefore, at all times, be endued
with devotion, O Arjuna. The meritorious fruit
that is prescribed for the (study of the) Vedas, for
sacrifices, for ascetic austerities and for gifts,
a devotee knowing all this (that hath been said here),
attaineth to it all, and (also) attaineth the Supreme
and Primeval seat.’
Section XXXIII [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter IX)]
“The Holy One said, ’Now I will tell thee
that art without envy that most mysterious knowledge
along with experience, knowing which thou wilt be
freed from evil. This is royal science, a royal
mystery, highly cleansing, directly apprehensible,
consistent with the sacred laws, easy to practise,
(and) imperishable. Those persons, O chastiser
of foes, who have no faith in this sacred doctrine,
not attaining to me, return to the path of this world
that is subject to destruction. This entire universe
is pervaded by me in my unmanifest form. All entities
are in me, but I do not reside in them. Nor yet
are all entities in me. Behold my divine power.
Supporting all entities and producing all entities,
myself doth not (yet) reside in (those) entities.
As the great and obiquitious atmosphere always occupieth
space, understand that all entities reside in me in
the same way.[219] All entities, O son of Kunti, attain
to my nature at the close of a Kalpa. I create
them again at the beginning of a Kalpa.[220] Regulating
my own (independent) nature I create again and in
this whole assemblage of entities which is plastic
in consequence of its subjection to nature.[221] Those
acts, however, O Dhananjaya, do not fetter me who
sitteth as one unconcerned, being unattached to those
acts (of creation). Through me, the overlooker,
primal nature produceth the (universe of) mobiles
and immobiles. For the reason, O son of Kunti,
the universe passeth through its rounds (of birth
and destruction).[222] Not knowing my supreme nature
Page 560
of the great lord of all entities, ignorant people
of vain hopes, vain acts, vain knowledge, confounded
minds, wedded to the delusive nature of Asuras and
Rakshasas, disregard me (as one) that hath assumed
a human body. But high-souled ones, O son of Pritha,
possessed of divine nature, and with minds directed
to nothing else, worship me, knowing (me) to be the
origin of all entities and undestructible. Always
glorifying me, (or) striving with firm vows, (or)
bowing down to me, with reverence and ever devoted,
(they) worship me.[223] Others again, performing the
sacrifice of knowledge, worship me, (some) as one,
(some) as distinct, (some) as pervading the universe,
in many forms.[224] I am the Vedic sacrifice, I am
the sacrifice enjoined in the Smritis, I am Swadha,
I am the medicament produced from herbs; I am the
mantra, I am the sacrificial libation, I am the fire,
and I am the (sacrificial) offering.[225] I am the
father of this universe, the mother, the creator,
grandsire; (I am) the thing to be known, the means
by which everything is cleaned, the syllable Om, the
Rik, the Saman and the Yajus, (I am) the goal, the
supporter, the lord, the on-looker, the abode, the
refuge, the friend, the source, the destruction, the
support, the receptacle; and the undestructible seed.
I give heat, I produce and suspend rain; I am immortality,
and also death; and I am the existent and the non-existent,
O Arjuna. They who know the three branches of
knowledge, also drink the Soma juice, and whose sins
have been cleansed worshipping me by sacrifices, seek
admission into heaven; and these attaining to the
sacred region of the chief of the gods, enjoy in heaven
the celestial pleasure of the gods. Having enjoyed
that celestial world of vast extent, upon exhaustion
of their merit they re-enter the mortal world.
It is thus that they who accept the doctrines of the
three Vedas and wish for objects of desires, obtain
going and coming. Those persons who, thinking
(of me) without directing their minds to anything else,
worship me, of those who are (thus) always devoted
(to me)—I make them gifts and preserve
what they have. Even those devotees who, endued
with faith worship other godheads even they, O son
of Kunti, worship me alone, (though) irregularly.[226]
I am the enjoyer, as also the lord, of all sacrifices.
They, however, do not know me truly; hence they fall
off (from heaven). They whose vows are directed
to the Pitris attain to the Pitris; who direct (their)
worship to the inferior spirits called Bhutas attain
to Bhutas; they who worship me, attain even to myself.
They who offer me with reverence, leaf, flower, fruit,
water—that offered with reverence, I accept
from him whose self is pure.[227] Whatever thou dost,
whatever eatest, whatever drinkest, whatever givest,
whatever austerities thou performest, manage it in
such a way, O son of Kunti, that it may be an offering
to me. Thus mayst thou be freed from the fetters
of action having good and evil fruits. With self
Page 561
endued with renunciation and devotion, thou wilt be
released and will come to me. I am alike to all
creatures; there is none hateful to me, none dear.
They, however, who worship me with reverence are in
me and I also am in them. If even a person of
exceedingly wicked conduct worshippeth me, without
worshipping any one else, he should certainly be regard
as good, for his efforts are well-directed. (Such
a person) soon becometh of virtuous soul, and attaineth
to eternal tranquillity. Know, O son of Kunti,
that none devoted to me is ever lost. For, O
son of Pritha, even they who may be of sinful birth,
women, Vaisyas, and also Sudras, even they, resorting
to me, attain to the supreme goal. What then
(shall I say) of holy Brahmanas and saints who are
my devotees? Having come to this transient and
miserable world, be engaged in my worship.[228] Fix
thy mind on me; be my devotee, my worshipper; bow
to me; and thus making me thy refuge and applying
thy self to abstraction, thou wilt certainly come to
me.’
Section XXXIV [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter X)]
“The Holy One said, ’Once more still,
O mighty-armed one, listen to my supernal words which,
from desire of (thy) good, I say unto thee that wouldst
be pleased (therewith).[229] The hosts of gods know
not my origin, nor the great Rishis, since I am, in
every way, the source of the gods and the great Rishis.[230]
He that knoweth me as the Supreme Lord of the worlds,
without birth and beginning, (he), undeluded among
mortals, is free from all sins. Intelligence,
knowledge, the absence of delusion, forgiveness, truth,
self-restraint, and tranquillity, pleasure, pain,
birth, death, fear, and also security, abstention from
harm, evenness of mind, contentment, ascetic austerities,
gift, fame, infamy, these several attributes of creatures
arise from me. The Seven great Rishis, the four
Maharishis before (them), and the Manus, partaking
of my nature, were born from my mind, of whom in this
world are these offsprings.[231] He that knoweth truly
this pre-eminence and mystic power of mine, becometh
possessed of unswerving devotion. Of this (there
is) no doubt. I am the origin of all things,
from me all things proceed. Thinking thus, the
wise, endued with my nature, worship me.[232] Their
hearts on me, their lives devoted to me, instructing
one another, and gloryfying me they are ever contented
and happy.[233] Unto them always devoted, and worshipping
(me) with love, I give that devotion in the form of
knowledge by which they come to me.[234] Of them,
for compassion’s sake. I destroy the darkness
born of ignorance, by the brilliant lamp of knowledge,
(myself) dwelling in their souls.’
Page 562
“Arjuna said, ’Thou art the Supreme Brahma,
the Supreme Abode, the Holiest of the Holy, the eternal
Male Being Divine, the First of gods Unborn, the Lord.
All the Rishis proclaim thee thus, and also the celestial
Rishi Narada; and Asita, Devala, (and) Vyasa; thyself
also tellest me (so). All this that thou tellest
me, O Kesava, I regard as true since, O Holy One,
neither the gods nor the Danavas understand thy manifestation.
Thou only knowest thyself by thyself. O Best of
Male Beings. O Creator of all things; O Lord
of all things, O God of gods, O Lord of the Universe,
it behoveth thee to declare without any reservation,
those divine perfections of thine by which perfections
pervading these worlds thou abidest. How shall
I, ever meditating, know thee, O thou of mystic powers,
in what particular states mayst thou, O Holy One,
be meditated upon by me?[235] Do thou again, O Janardana,
copiously declare thy mystic powers and (thy) perfections,
for I am never satiated with hearing thy nectar-like
words.”
“The Holy One said,—’Well,
unto thee I will declare my divine perfections, by
means of the principal ones (among them), O chief of
the Kurus, for there is no end to the extent of my
(perfections).[236] I am the soul, O thou of curly
hair, seated in the heart of every being, I am the
beginning, and the middle, and the end also of all
beings. I am Vishnu among the Adityas, the resplendent
Sun among all luminous bodies; I am Marichi among
the Maruts, and the Moon among constellations.[237]
I am the Sama Veda among the Vedas; I am Vasava among
the gods; I am the mind among the senses; I am the
intellect in (living) beings. I am Sankara among
the Rudras, the Lord of treasures among the Yakshas
and the Rakshasas; I am Pavaka among the Vasus, and
Meru among the peaked (mountains). [238] Know me,
O son of Pritha, to be Vrihaspati, the chief of household
priests. I am Skanda among commanders of forces.
I am Ocean among receptacles of water. I am Bhrigu
among the great Rishis, I am the One, undestructible
(syllable Om) among words. Of sacrifices I am
the Japa-sacrifice.[239] Of immobiles I am the Himavat.
I am the figtree among all trees, I am Narada among
the celestial Rishis. I am Chitraratha among
the Gandharvas and the ascetic Kapila among ascetics
crowned with Yoga success. Know me to be Uchchaisravas
among horses, brought forth by (the churning for)
nectar, Airavata among princely elephants, and the
king among men. Among weapons I am the thunderbolt,
among cows I am (she called) Kamadhuk. I am Kandarpa
the cause of reproduction, I am Vasuki among serpents.[240]
I am Ananta among Nagas, I am Varuna among acquatic
beings, I am Aryaman among the Pitris, and Yama among
those that judge and punish.[241] I am Prahlada among
the Daityas, and Time among things that count.
I am the lion among the beasts, and Vinata’s
son among winged creatures. Of purifiers I am
the wind. I am Rama among wielders of weapons.
I am the Makara among fishes, and I am Jahnavi (Ganga)
Page 563
among streams.[242] Of created things I am the beginning
and the end and also the middle, O Arjuna. I
am the knowledge of Supreme Spirit among all kinds
of knowledge, and the disputation among disputants.[243]
Among all letters I am the letter A, and (the compound
called) Dwanda among all compounds. I am also
Time Eternal, and I am the Ordainer with face turned
on every side.[244] I am Death that seizeth all, and
the source of all, that is to be. Among females,
I am Fame, Fortune, Speech, Memory, Intelligence,
Constancy, Forgiveness. Of the Sama hymns, I am
the Vrihat-sama and Gayatri among metres. Of
the months, I am Margasirsha, of the seasons (I am)
that which is productive of flowers.[245] I am the
game of dice of them that cheat, and the splendour
of those that are splendid. I am Victory, I am
Exertion, I am the goodness of the good. I am
Vasudeva among the Vrishnis, I am Dhananjaya among
the sons of Pandu. I am even Vyasa among the
ascetics, and Usanas among seers. I am the Rod
of those that chastise, I am the Policy of those that
seek victory. I am silence among those that are
secret. I am the Knowledge of those that are
possessed of Knowledge. That which is the Seed
of all things, I am that, O Arjuna. There is
nothing mobile or immobile, which can exist without
me. There is no end, O chastiser of foes, of my
divine perfections. This recital of the extent
of (those) perfections hath been uttered by me by
way (only) of instancing them. Whatever of exalted
things (there is) or glorious, or strong, understand
thou that everything is born of a portion of my energy.
Or rather, what hast thou to do, by knowing all this
in detail, O Arjuna? Supporting this entire universe
with only a portion (of myself), I stand.[246]”
Section XXXV [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter XI)]
“Arjuna said,—’This discourse
about the supreme mystery, called Adhyatman, which
thou hast uttered for my welfare, hath dispelled my
delusion.[247] For I have heard at large from thee
of the creation and dissolution of beings, O thou
of eyes like lotus petals, and also of thy greatness
that knoweth no deterioration. What thou hast
said about thyself, O great Lord, is even so.
O best of Male Beings, I desire to behold thy sovereign
form. If, O Lord, thou thinkest that I am competent
to behold that (form), then, O Lord of mystic power,
show me thy eternal Self.[248]’
“The Holy One said, ’Behold, O son of
Pritha, my forms by hundreds and thousands, various,
divine, diverse in hue and shape. Behold the Adityas,
the Vasus, the Rudras, the Aswins, and the Maruts.
Behold, O Bharata, innumerable marvels unseen before
(by thee). Behold, O thou of curly hair, the
entire universe of mobiles and immobiles, collected
together in this body of mine, whatever else thou
mayst wish to see.[249] Thou art, however, not competent
to behold me with this eye of thine. I give thee
celestial sight. Behold my sovereign mystic nature.’”
Page 564
Sanjaya continued,—“Having said this,
O monarch, Hari, the mighty Lord of mystic power,
then revealed to the son of Pritha his Supreme sovereign
form, with many mouths and eyes, many wonderous aspects,
many celestial ornaments, many celestial weapons uplifted,
wearing celestial garlands and robes, (and) with unguents
of celestial fragrance, full of every wonder, resplendent,
infinite, with faces turned on all sides.[250] If
the splendour of a thousand suns were to burst forth
at once in the sky, (then) that would be like the
splendour of that Mighty One. The son of Pandu
then beheld there in the body of that God of gods the
entire universe divided and sub-divided into many
parts, all collected together.[251] Then Dhananjaya,
filled with amazement, (and) with hair standing on
end, bowing with (his) head, with joined hands addressed
the God.
“Arjuna said, ’I behold all the gods,
O God, as also all the varied hosts of creatures,
(and) Brahman seated on (his) lotus seat, and all the
Rishis and the celestial snakes. I behold Thee
with innumerable arms, stomachs, mouths, (and) eyes,
on every side, O thou of infinite forms. Neither
end nor middle, nor also beginning of thine do I behold,
O Lord of the universe, O thou of universal form.
Bearing (thy) diadem, mace, and discus, a mass of
energy, glowing on all sides, do I behold thee that
art hard to look at, endued on all sides with the effulgence
of the blazing fire or the Sun, (and) immeasurable.
Thou art indestructible, (and) the Supreme object
of this universe. Thou art without decay, the
guardian of eternal virtue. I regard thee to be
the eternal (male) Being. I behold thee to be
without beginning, mean, end, to be of infinite prowess,
of innumerable arms, having the Sun and the Moon for
thy eyes, the blazing fire for thy mouth, and heating
this universe with energy of thy own. For the
space betwixt heaven and earth is pervaded by Thee
alone, as also all the points of the horizon.
At sight of this marvellous and fierce form of thine,
O Supreme Soul, the triple world trembleth. For
these hosts of gods are entering thee. Some, afraid,
are praying with joined hands. Saying Hail to
Thee—the hosts of great Rishis and Siddhas
praise Thee with copious hymns of praise.[252] The
Rudras, the Adityas, the Vasus, they that (called)
the Siddhas, the Viswas, the Aswins, the Maruts, also
the Ushmapas, the Gandharvas, the Yakshas, the Asuras,
the hosts of Siddhyas, behold Thee and are all amazed.
Beholding Thy mighty form with many mouths and eyes,
O mighty-armed one, with innumerable arms, thighs
and feet, many stomachs, (and) terrible in consequence
of many tusks, all creatures are frightened and I
also. Indeed, touching the very skies, of blazing
radiance, many-hued, mouth wide-open, with eyes that
are blazing and large, beholding thee, O Vishnu, with
(my) inner soul trembling (in fright), I can no longer
command courage and peace of mind. Beholding
thy mouths that are terrible in consequence of (their)
Page 565
tusks, and that are fierce (as the all-destroying fire
at the end of the Yuga), I cannot recognise the points
of the horizon nor can I command peace of mind.
Be gracious, O God of gods, O thou that art the refuge
of the Universe. And all these sons of Dhritarashtra,
together with the hosts of kings, and Bhishma, and
Drona, and also this Suta’s son (Karna), accompanied
by even the principal warriors of our side, are quickly
entering thy terrible mouths rendered fierce by thy
tusks. Some, with their heads crushed, are seen
striking at the interstices of (thy) teeth. As
many currents of water flowing through different channels
roll rapidly towards the ocean, so these heroes of
the world of men enter thy mouths that flame all around.
As moths with increasing speed rush for (their own)
destruction to the blazing fire, so also do (these)
people, with unceasing speed, enter thy mouths for
(their) destruction. Swallowing all these men
from every side, thou lickest them with thy flaming
mouths. Filling the whole universe with (thy)
energy, thy fierce splendours, O Vishnu, are heating
(everything). Tell me who thou art of (such) fierce
form. I bow to thee, O chief of the gods, be gracious
to me. I desire to know thee that art the Primeval
One, I do not understand thy action.’[253]
The Holy One said, “I am Death, the destroyer
of the worlds, fully developed. I am now engaged
in slaying the race of men. Without thee all
these warriors standing in the different divisions
shall cease to be.[254] Wherefore, arise, gain glory,
(and) vanquishing the foe, enjoy (this) swelling kingdom.
By me have all these been already slain. Be only
(my) instrument. O thou that can’st draw
the bow with (even) the left hand. Drona and
Bhishma, and Jayadratha, and Karna, and also other
heroic warriors, (already) slain by me, do thou slay.
Be not dismayed, fight; thou shalt conquer in battle
(thy) foes.”
Sanjaya continued,—“Hearing these
words of Kesava, the diadem-decked (Arjuna), trembling,
(and) with joined-hands, bowed (unto him); and once
more said unto Krishna, with voice choked up and overwhelmed
with fear, and making his salutations (to him).—
Arjuna said, “It is meet, Hrishikesa, that the
universe is delighted and charmed in uttering thy
praise, and the Rakshasas flee in fear in all directions,
and the hosts of the Siddhas bow down (to thee).
And why should they not bow down to thee, O Supreme
Soul, that are greater than even Brahman (himself),
and the primal cause? O thou that art Infinite.
O God of the gods, O thou that art the refuge of the
universe, thou art indestructible, thou art that which
is, and that which is not and that which is beyond
(both). Thou art the First God, the ancient (male)
Being, thou art the Supreme refuge of this universe.
Thou art the Knower, thou art the Object to be known,
thou art the highest abode. By thee is pervaded
this universe, O thou of infinite form.[255] Thou art
Vayu, Yama, Agni, Varuna, Moon, Prajapati, and Grandsire.
Page 566
Obeisance be to thee a thousand times, and again and
yet again obeisance to thee. Obeisance to thee
in front, and also from behind. Let obeisance
be to thee from every side, O thou that art all.
Thou art all, of energy that is infinite, and prowess
that is immeasurable. Thou embracest the All.
Regarding (thee) a friend whatever hath been said
by me carelessly, such as—O Krishna, O
Yadava, O friend,—not knowing this thy greatness
from want of judgement or from love either, whatever
disrespect hath been shown thee for purpose of mirth,
on occasions of play, lying, sitting, (or) at meals,
while alone or in the presence of others, O undeteriorating
one, I beg thy pardon for it, that art immeasurable.
Thou art the father of this universe of mobiles and
immobiles. Thou art the great master deserving
of worship. There is none equal to thee, how
can there be one greater? O thou whose power
is unparalleled in even three worlds?[256] Therefore
bowing (to thee) prostrating (my) body, I ask thy grace,
O Lord, O adorable one. It behoveth thee.
O God, to bear (my faults) as a father (his) son’s,
a friend (his) friend’s, a lover (his) loved
one’s. Beholding (thy) form (unseen) before,
I have been joyful, (yet) my mind hath been troubled,
with fear. Show me that (other ordinary) form,
O God. Be gracious, O Lord of the gods, O thou
that art the refuge of the universe. (Decked) in diadem,
and (armed) with mace, discus in hand, as before,
I desire to behold thee. Be of that same four-armed
form, O thou of a thousand arms, thou of universal
form.”
“The Holy One said, ’Pleased with thee,
O Arjuna, I have, by my (own) mystic power, shown
thee this supreme form, full of glory, Universal,
Infinite, Primeval, which hath been seen before by
none save thee. Except by thee alone, hero of
Kuru’s race, I cannot be seen in this form in
the world of men by any one else, (aided) even by
the study of the Vedas and of sacrifices, by gifts,
by actions, (or) by the severest austerities.[257]
Let no fear be thine, nor perplexity of mind at seeing
this awful form of mine. Freed from fear with
a joyful heart, thou again see Me assuming that other
form.’”
Sanjaya continued,—“Vasudeva, having
said all this to Arjuna, once more showed (him) his
own (ordinary) form, and that High-Souled one, assuming
once more (his) gentle form, comforted him who had
been afflicted.”
“Arjuna said, ’Beholding this gentle human
form of thine, O Janardana, I have now become of right
mind and have come to my normal state.’
“The Holy One said, ’This form of mine
which thou hast seen is difficult of being seen.
Even the gods are always desirous of becoming spectators
of this (my) form. Not by the Vedas, nor by austerities,
nor by gifts, nor by sacrifices, can I be seen in
this form of mine which thou hast seen. By reverence,
however, that is exclusive (in its objects), O Arjuna,
I can in this form be known, seen truly, and attained
to, O chastiser of foes. He who doth everything
for me, who hath me for his supreme object, who is
freed from attachment, who is without enmity towards
all beings, even he, O Arjuna, cometh to me.’
Page 567
Section XXXVI [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter XII)]
“Arjuna said, ’Of those worshippers who,
constantly devoted, adore thee, and those who (meditate)
on thee as the Immutable and Unmanifest, who are best
acquainted with devotion.’
“The Holy One said, ’Fixing (their) mind
on me, they that constantly adore me, being endued
(besides) with the highest faith, are deemed by me
to be the most devoted. They, however, who worship
the Immutable, the Unmanifest, the All-pervading,
the Inconceivable, the Indifferent, the Immutable,
the Eternal, who, restraining the entire group of the
senses, are equal-minded in respect of all around
and are engaged in the good of all creatures, (also)
attain to me. The trouble is the greater for those
whose minds are fixed on the Unmanifest; for the path
to the Unmanifest is hard to find by those that are
embodied. They (again) who, reposing all action
on me (and) regarding me as their highest object (of
attainment), worship me, meditating on me with devotion
undirected to anything else, of them whose minds are
(thus) fixed on me, I, without delay, become the deliverer
from the ocean of (this) mortal world. Fix thy
heart on me alone, place thy understanding on me, Hereafter
then shalt thou dwell in me. (There is) no doubt (in
this).[258] If however, thou art unable to fix thy
heart steadily on me, then, O Dhananjaya, strive to
obtain me by devotion (arising) from continuous application.
If thou beest unequal to even (this) continuous application,
then let actions performed for me be thy highest aim.
Even performing all thy acts for my sake, thou wilt
obtain perfection. If even this thou art unable
to do, then resorting to devotion in me, (and) subduing
thy soul, abandon the fruit of all actions. Knowledge
is superior to application (in devotion); meditation
is better than knowledge; the abandonment of the fruit
of reaction (is better) than meditation, and tranquillity
(results) immediately from abandonment. He who
hath no hatred for any creature, who is friendly and
compassionate also, who is free from egoism, who hath
no vanity, attachment, who is alike in pleasure and
pain, who is forgiving, contented, always devoted,
of subdued, soul, firm of purpose, with heart and
understanding fixed on me, even he is dear to me.
He through whom the world is not troubled, (and) who
is not troubled by the world, who is free from joy,
wrath, fear and anxieties, even he is dear to me.
That devotee of mine who is unconcerned, pure, diligent,
unconnected (with worldly objects), and free from
distress (of mind), and who renounceth every action
(for fruit), even he is dear to me.[259] He who hath
no joy, no aversion, who neither grieveth nor desireth,
who renounceth both good and evil, (and) who is full
of faith in me, even he is dear to me. He who
is alike to friend and foe, as also in honour and dishonour,
who is alike in cold and heat, (and pleasure and pain),
who is free from attachment, to whom censure and praise
are equal, who is taciturn, who is contented with
anything that cometh (to him), who is homeless, of
steady mind and full of faith, even that man is dear
to me. They who resort to this righteousness
(leading to) immortality which hath been (already)
declared,—those devotees full of faith and
regarding me as the highest object (of their acquisition)
are the dearest to me.’
Page 568
Section XXXVII [(Bhagavad Gita, Chapter XIII)]
“The Holy One said, ’This body, O son
of Kunti, is called Kshetra. Him who knoweth
it, the learned call Kshetrajna.[260] Know me, O Bharata,
to be Kshetras. The knowledge of Kshetra and
Kshetrajna I regard to be (true) knowledge. What
that Kshetra (is), and what (it is) like, and what
changes it undergoes, and whence (it comes), what is
he (viz., Kshetrajna), and what his powers are, hear
from me in brief. All this hath in many ways
been sung separately, by Rishis in various verses,
in well-settled texts fraught with reason and giving
indications of Brahman. The great elements, egoism,
intellect, the unmanifest (viz., Prakriti), also the
ten senses, the one (manas), the five objects of sense,
desire, aversion, pleasure, pain, body consciousness,
courage,—all this in brief hath been declared
to be Kshetra in its modified form. Absence of
vanity, absence of ostentation, abstention from injury,
forgiveness, uprightness, devotion to preceptor, purity,
constancy, self-restraint, indifference to objects
of sense, absence of egoism, perception of the misery
and evil of birth, death, decrepitude and disease,[261]
freedom from attachment, absence of sympathy for son,
wife, home, and the rest, and constant equanimity
of heart on attainment of good and evil, unswerving
devotion to me without meditation on anything else,
frequenting of lonely places, distaste for concourse
of men,[262] constancy in the knowledge of the relation
of the individual self to the supreme, perception of
the object of the knowledge of truth,—all
this is called Knowledge; all that which is contrary
to this is Ignorance.[263] That which is the object
of knowledge I will (now) declare (to thee), knowing
which one obtaineth immortality. [It is] the Supreme
Brahma having no beginning, who is said to be neither
existent nor non-existent; whose hands and feet are
on all sides, whose eyes, heads and faces are on all
sides, who dwells pervading everything in the world,
who is possessed of all the qualities of the senses
(though) devoid of the senses, without attachment (yet)
sustaining all things, without attributes (yet) enjoying
(a) all attributes,[264] without and within all creatures,
immobile and mobile, not knowable because of (his)
subtlety, remote yet near, undistributed in all beings,
(yet) remaining as if distributed, who is the sustainer
of (all) beings, the absorber and the creator (of
all); who is the light of all luminous bodies, who
is said to be beyond all darkness; who is knowledge,
the Object of knowledge, the End of knowledge and
seated in the hearts of all. Thus Kshetra, and
Knowledge, and the Object of Knowledge, have been
declared (to thee) in brief. My devotee, knowing
(all) this, becomes one in spirit with me. Know
that Nature and Spirit are both without beginning
(and) know (also) that all modifications and all qualities
spring from Nature.[265] Nature is said to be the
source of the capacity of enjoying pleasures and pains.[266]
Page 569
For Spirit, dwelling in nature enjoyeth the qualities
born of Nature. The cause of its births in good
or evil wombs is (its) connection with the qualities.[267]
The Supreme Purusha in this body is said to be surveyor,
approver, supporter, enjoyer, the mighty lord, and
also the Supreme Soul.[268] He who thus knows Spirit,
and Nature, with the qualities, in whatever state
he may be, is never born again. Some by meditation
behold the self in the self by the self; others by
devotion according to the Sankhya system; and others
(again), by devotion through works. Others yet
not knowing this, worship, hearing of it from others.
Even these, devoted to what is heard, cross over death.[269]
Whatever entity, immobile or mobile, cometh into existence,
know that, O bull of Bharata’s race, to be from
the connection of Kshetra and Kshetrajna (matter and
spirit). He seeth the Supreme Lord dwelling alike
in all beings, the Imperishable in the Perishable.
For seeing the Lord dwelling alike everywhere, one
doth not destroy[270] himself by himself, and then
reacheth the highest goal. He seeth (truly) who
seeth all actions to be wrought by nature alone in
every way and the self likewise to be not the doer.
When one seeth the diversity of entities as existing
in one, and the issue (everything) from that (One),
then is one said to attain to Brahma. This inexhaustible
Supreme Self, O son of Kunti, being without beginning
and without attributes, doth not act, nor is stained
even when stationed in the body. As space, which
is ubiquitous, is never, in consequence of its subtlety
tainted, so the soul, stationed in every body, is
never tainted.[271] As the single Sun lights up the
entire world, so the Spirit, O Bharata, lights up the
entire (sphere of) matters. They that, by the
eye of knowledge, know the distinction between matter
and spirit, and the deliverance from the nature of
all entities, attain to the Supreme.[272]
Section XXXVIII [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter XIV)]
“The Holy One said, ’I will again declare
(to thee) that supernal science of sciences, that
excellent science, knowing which all the munis have
attained to the highest perfection from (the fetters
of) this body.[273] Resorting to this science, and
attaining to my nature, they are not reborn even on
(the occasion of) a (new) creation and are not disturbed
at the universal dissolution. The mighty Brahma
is a womb for me. Therein I place the (living)
germ. Thence, O Bharata, the birth of all beings
taketh place. Whatever (bodily) forms, O son of
Kunti, are born in all wombs, of them Brahma is the
mighty womb, (and) I the seed-imparting Sire.[274]
Goodness, passion, darkness, these qualities, born
of nature, bind down, O thou of mighty arms, the eternal
embodied [soul] in the body.[275] Amongst these, Goodness,
from its unsullied nature, being enlightening and
free from misery, bindeth (the soul), O sinless one,
with the attainment of happiness and of knowledge.
Know that passion, having desire for its essence,
Page 570
is born of thirst and attachment. That, O son
of Kunti, bindeth the embodied (soul) by the attachment
of work. Darkness, however, know, is born of
ignorance, (and) bewilders all embodied [soul].
That bindeth, O Bharata, by error, indolence, and sleep.
Goodness uniteth (the soul) with pleasure; Passion,
O Bharata, uniteth with work; but darkness, veiling
knowledge, uniteth with error. Passion and darkness,
being repressed, Goodness remaineth, O Bharata.
Passion and goodness (being repressed), darkness (remaineth);
(and) darkness and goodness (being repressed), passion
(remaineth). When in this body, in all its gates,
the light of knowledge is produced, then should one
know that goodness hath been developed there.
Avarice, activity, performance of works, want of tranquillity,
desire,—these, O bull of Bharata’s
race, are born when passion is developed. Gloom,
inactivity, error, and delusion also,—these,
O son of Kuru’s race, are born when darkness
is developed. When the holder of a body goeth
to dissolution while goodness is developed, then he
attaineth to the spotless regions of those that know
the Supreme. Going to dissolution when passion
prevails, one is born among those that are attached
to work. Likewise, dissolved during darkness,
one is born in wombs that beget the ignorant.
The fruit of good action is said to be good and untainted.
The fruit, however, of passion, is misery; (and) the
fruit of Darkness is ignorance. From goodness
is produced knowledge; from passion, avarice; (and)
from darkness are error and delusion, and also ignorance.
They that dwell in goodness go on high; they that
are addicted to passion dwell in the middle; (while)
they that are of darkness, being addicted to the lowest
quality, go down. When an observer recognises
none else to be an agent save the qualities, and knows
that which is beyond (the qualities), he attaineth
to my nature. The embodied [soul], by transcending
these three qualities which constitute the source
of all bodies, enjoyeth immortality, being freed from
birth, death, decrepitude, and misery.’[276]
“Arjuna said, ’What are indications, O
Lord, of one who hath transcended these three qualities?
What is his conduct? How also doth one transcend
these three qualities?”
“The Holy One said, ’He who hath no aversion
for light, activity, and even delusion, O son of Pandu,
when they are present, nor desireth them when they
are absent,[277] who, seated as one unconcerned, is
not shaken by those qualities; who sitteth and moveth
not, thinking that it is the qualities (and not he)
that are engaged (in their respective functions);
to whom pain and pleasure are alike, who is self-contained,
and to whom a sod of earth, a stone, and gold are
alike; to whom the agreeable and the disagreeable
are the same; who hath discernment; to whom censure
and praise are the same; to whom honour and dishonour
are the same; who regardeth friend and foe alike;
who hath renounced all exertion—is said
to have transcended the qualities. He also who
worshippeth Me with exclusive devotion, he, transcending
those qualities, becometh fit for admission into the
nature of Brahma. For I am the stay of Brahma,
of immortality, of undestructibility, of eternal piety,
and of unbroken felicity.’[278]
Page 571
Section XXXIX [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter XV)]
“The Holy One said, ’They say that the
Aswattha, having its roots above and branches below,
is eternal, its leaves are the Chhandas. He who
knoweth it, knoweth the Vedas.[279] Downwards and upwards
are stretched its branches which are enlarged by the
qualities; its sprouts are the objects of senses.
Downwards its roots, leading to action, are extended
to this world of men.[280] Its form cannot here (below)
be thus known, nor (its) end, nor (its) beginning,
nor (its) support. Cutting, with the hard weapon
of unconcern, this Aswattha of roots firmly fixed,
then should one seek for that place repairing whither
one returneth not again (thinking)—I will
seek the protection of that Primeval Sire from whom
the ancient course of (worldly) life hath flowed.—Those
that are free from pride and delusion, that have subdued
the evil of attachment, that are steady in the contemplation
of the relation of the Supreme to the individual self,
from whom desire hath departed, freed from the pairs
of opposites known by the names of pleasure and pain
(and the like), repair, undeluded, to that eternal
seat. The sun lighteth not that [seat], nor the
moon, nor fire. Whither going none returneth,
that is my supreme seat. An eternal portion of
Me is that which, becoming an individual soul in the
world of life, draweth to itself the (five) senses
with the mind as the sixth which all depend on nature.
When the sovereign (of this bodily frame) assumeth
or quitteth (a) body, it departeth taking away these,
like the wind (taking away) perfumes from their seats.
Presiding over the ear, the eye, (the organs of) touch,
taste, and smell, and also over the mind, he enjoyeth
all objects of senses. They that are deluded
do not see (him) when quitting or abiding in (the body),
when enjoying or joined to the qualities. They
(however) see that have the eye of knowledge.[281]
Devotees exerting (towards that end) behold him dwelling
in themselves. They (however) that are senseless
and whose minds are not restrained, behold him not,
even while exerting (themselves).[282] That splendour
dwelling in the sun which illumines the vast universe,
that (which is) in the moon, and that (which is) in
the fire, know that splendour to be mine. Entering
into the earth I uphold creatures by my force; and
becoming the juicy moon I nourish all herbs.[283] Myself
becoming the vital heat (Vaiswanara) residing in the
bodies of creatures that breathe, (and) uniting with
the upward and the downward life-breaths, I digest
the four kinds of food.[284] I am seated in the hearts
of all. From Me are memory and knowledge and the
loss of both. I am the objects of knowledge to
be known by (the aid of) all the Vedas. I am
the author of the Vedantas, and I alone am the knower
of the Vedas.[285] There are these two entities in
the world, viz., the mutable and the immutable.
The mutable is all (these) creatures. The unchangeable
one is called the immutable.[286] But there is another,
Page 572
the Supreme Being, called Paramatman, who was the
Eternal Lord, pervading the three worlds, sustaineth
(them) (and) since I transcend the mutable, and am
higher than even the immutable; for this I am celebrated
in the world (among men) and in the Veda as Purushottama
(the Highest Being). He who, without being deluded,
knoweth Me as this Highest Being,—he knowing
all, O Bharata, worshippeth Me in every way.[287]
Thus, O sinless one, hath this knowledge, forming
the greatest of mysteries, been declared by Me (to
thee). Knowing this, O Bharata, one will become
gifted with intelligence, and will have done all he
needs do.’
Section XL [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter XVI)]
“The Holy One said, ’Fearlessness, purity
of heart, perseverance in (the pursuit of) knowledge
and Yoga meditation, gifts, self-restraint, sacrifice,
study of the Vedas, ascetic penances, uprightness,[288]
abstention from injury, truth, freedom from anger,
renunciation, tranquillity, freedom from reporting
other’s faults, compassion for all creatures,
absence of covetousness, gentleness, modesty, absence
of restlessness, vigour, forgiveness, firmness, cleanliness,
absence of quarrelsomeness, freedom from vanity,—these
become his, O Bharata, who is born to godlike possessions.
Hypocrisy, pride, conceit, wrath, rudeness and ignorance,
are, O son of Pritha, his who is born to demoniac
possessions. God-like possessions are deemed to
be for deliverance; the demoniac for bondage.
Grieve not, O son of Pandu, for thou art born to god-like
possessions. (There are) two kinds of created beings
in this world, viz., the god-like and the demoniac.
The god-like have been described at length. Hear
now, from me, O son of Pritha, about the demoniac.
Persons of demoniac nature know not inclination or
disinclination. Neither purity, nor good conduct,
nor truth exist in them.[289] They say that the universe
is void of truth, of guiding principle, (and) of ruler;
produced by the union of one another (male and female)
from lust, and nothing else. Depending on this
view, these men of lost selves, little intelligence,
and fierce deeds, these enemies (of the world), are
born for the destruction of the universe.[290] Cherishing
desires that are insatiable, and endued with hypocrisy,
conceit and folly, they adopt false notions through
delusion and engage in unholy practices. Cherishing
boundless thoughts limited by death (alone), and regarding
the enjoyment of (their ) desires as the highest end,
they are persuaded that that is all. Fettered
by the hundred nooses of hope, addicted to lust and
wrath, they covet to obtain this wealth to-day,—This
I will obtain later,—This wealth I have,—This
(wealth) will be mine in addition,—This
foe hath been slain by me,—I will slay
even others,—I am lord,—I am
the enjoyer,—I am successful, powerful,
happy,—I am rich and of noble birth,—Who
else is there that is like me?—I will sacrifice,—I
will make gifts,—I will be merry,—thus
Page 573
deluded by ignorance,—tossed about by numerous
thoughts, enveloped in the meshes of delusion, attached
to the enjoyment of objects of desire, they sink into
foul hell. Self-conceited, stubborn, filled with
the pride and intoxication of wealth, they perform
sacrifices that are nominally so, with hypocrisy and
against the (prescribed) ordinance. Wedded to
vanity, power, pride, lust and wrath, these revilers
hate Me in their own bodies and those of others.
These haters (of Me), cruel, the vilest among men,
and unholy, I hurl continually down into demoniac wombs.
Coming into demoniac wombs, deluded birth after birth,
they, O son of Kunti, without attaining to Me go down
to the vilest state. Three-fold is the way to
hell, ruinous to the self, viz., lust, wrath,
likewise avarice. Therefore, these three, one
should renounce. Freed from these three gates
of darkness, a man, O son of Kunti, works out his own
welfare, and then repairs to his highest goal.
He who, abandoning the ordinances of the scriptures,
acts only under the impulses of desire, never attains
to perfection, nor happiness, nor the highest goal.
Therefore, the scriptures should be thy authority
in determining what should be done and what should
not be done. It behoveth thee to do work here,
having ascertained what hath been declared by the
ordinances of the scriptures.’”
Section XLI [(Bhagavad Gita, Chapter XVII)]
“Arjuna said, ’What is the state, O Krishna,
of those who abandoning the ordinance of the scriptures,
perform sacrifices endued with faith? It is one
of Goodness, or Passion, or Darkness?’
“The Holy One said, ’The faith of embodied
(creatures) is of three kinds. It is (also) born
of their (individual) natures. It is good, passionate,
and dark. Hear now these. The faith of one,
O Bharata, is conformable to his own nature.
A being here is full of faith; and whatever is one’s
faith, one is even that. They that are of the
quality of goodness worship the gods; they that are
of the quality of passion (worship) the Yakshas and
the Rakshasas; other people that are of the quality
of darkness worship departed spirits and hosts of
Bhutas. Those people who practise severe ascetic
austerities not ordained by the scriptures, are given
up to hypocrisy and pride, and endued with desire
of attachment, and violence,—those persons
possessed of no discernment, torturing the groups
of organs in (their) bodies and Me also seated within
(those) bodies,—should be known to be of
demoniac resolves. Food which is dear to all
is of three kinds. Sacrifice, penance, and gifts
are likewise (of three kinds). Listen to their
distinctions as follows. Those kinds of food
that increase life’s period, energy, strength,
health, well-being, and joy, which are savoury, oleaginous,
nutritive, and agreeable, are liked by God. Those
kinds of food which are bitter, sour, salted, over-hot,
pungent, dry, and burning, and which produce pain,
grief and disease, are desired by the passionate.
Page 574
The food which is cold, without savour, stinking and
corrupt, and which is even refuse, and filthy, is
dear to men of darkness. That sacrifice is good
which, being prescribed by the ordinance, is performed
by persons, without any longing for the fruit (thereof)
and the mind being determined (to it under the belief)
that its performance is a duty. But that which
is performed in expectation of fruit and even for
the sake of ostentation, know that sacrifice, O chief
of the sons of Bharata, to be of the quality of passion.
That sacrifice which is against the ordinance, in which
no food is dealt out, which is devoid of mantras (sacred
verse), in which no fees are paid to the brahmanas
assisting to it, and which is void of faith, is said
to be of the quality of darkness. Reverence to
the gods, regenerate ones, preceptors, and men of
knowledge, purity, uprightness, the practices of a
Brahmacharin, and abstention from injury, are said
to constitute the penance of the body. The speech
which causeth no agitation, which is true, which is
agreeable and beneficial, and the diligent study of
the Vedas, are said to be the penance of speech.
Serenity of the mind, gentleness, taciturnity, self-restraint,
and purity of the disposition,—these are
said to be the penance of the mind. This three-fold
penance performed with perfect faith, by men without
desire of fruit, and with devotion, is said to be
of the quality of goodness. That penance which
is performed for the sake of (gaining) respect, honour,
and reverence, with hypocrisy, (and) which is unstable
and transient is said to be of the quality of passion.
That penance which is performed under a deluded conviction,
with torture of one’s self, and for the destruction
of another, is said to be of the quality of darkness.
That gift which is given because it ought to be given,
to one who cannot return any service for it, in a
proper time, and to a proper person, is said to be
of the quality of goodness. That, however, which
is given reluctantly, for return of services (past
or expected), or even with an eye to fruit,—that
gift is said to be of the quality of passion.
In an unfit place and at an unfit time, the gift that
is made to an unworthy object, without respect, and
with contempt, is said to be of the quality of darkness.
Om, tat, sat, this is said to be the
three-fold designation of Brahma. By that (Brahma),
the Brahmanas and the Vedas, and the Sacrifices, were
ordained of old. Therefore, uttering the syllable
om, the sacrifices, gifts, and penances, prescribed
by the ordinance, of all utterers of Brahma begin.
Uttering tat, the various rites of sacrifice,
penance, and gifts, without expectation of fruit, are
performed by those that are desirous of deliverance.
Sat is employed to denote existence and goodness.
Likewise, O son of Pritha, the word sat is used
in any auspicious act. Constancy in sacrifices,
in penances and in gifts, is also called sat,
and an act, too, for the sake of That is called sat.[291]
Whatever oblation is offered (to the fire), whatever
is given away, whatever penance is performed, whatever
is done, without faith, is, O son of Pritha, said
to be the opposite of sat; and that is nought
both here and hereafter.[292]’
Page 575
Section XLII [(Bhagavad Gita, Chapter XVIII)]
“Arjuna said, ’Of renunciation, O thou
of mighty arms, I desire to know the true nature,
and also of abandonment, O lord of the senses distinctly,
O slayer of Kesi.’[293]
“The Holy One said, ’The rejection of
the works with desire is known by the learned as renunciation.
The abandonment of the fruit of all work, the discerning
call abandonment. Some wise men say that work
(itself) should be abandoned as evil; others (say)
that the works of sacrifice, gifts, and penance, should
not be abandoned. As to that abandonment, listen
to my decision, O best of the sons of Bharata, for
abandonment, O tiger among men, hath been declared
to be of three kinds. The works of sacrifice,
gifts, and penance should not be abandoned. They
should, indeed, be done. Sacrifice, gift, and
penance, are the purifications of the wise. But
even those works should be done, abandoning attachment
and fruit. This, O son of Pritha, is my excellent
and decided opinion. The renunciation of an act
prescribed (in the scriptures) is not proper.
Its abandonment (is) from delusion, (and) is (therefore,)
declared to be of the quality of darkness.[294] (Regarding
it) as (a source of) sorrow, when work is abandoned
from (fear of) bodily pain, one making such an abandonment
which is of the quality of passion never obtaineth
the fruit of abandonment. (Regarding it) as one that
should be done, when[295] work that is prescribed
(in the scriptures) is done, O Arjuna, abandoning
attachment and fruit also, that abandonment is deemed
to be of the quality of goodness. Possessed of
intelligence and with doubts dispelled, an abandoner
that is endowed with the quality of goodness hath no
aversion for an unpleasant action and no attachment
to pleasant (ones).[296] Since actions cannot be absolutely
abandoned by an embodied person, (therefore) he who
abandons the fruit of actions is truly said to be
an abandoner. Evil, good and mixed-action hath
(this) three-fold fruit hereafter for those that do
not abandon. But there is none whatever for the
renouncer.[297] Listen from me, O thou of mighty arms,
to those five causes for the completion of all actions,
declared in the Sankhya treating of the annihilation
of actions.[298] (They are) substratum, agent, the
diverse kinds of organs, the diverse efforts severally,
and with them the deities as the fifth.[299] With
body, speech, or mind, whatever work, just or the
reverse, a man undertakes, these five are its causes.
That being so, he that, owing to an unrefined understanding,
beholdeth his own self as solely the agent, he, dull
in mind, beholdeth not. He that hath no feeling
of egoism, whose mind is not sullied, he, even killing
all these people, killeth not, nor is fettered (by
action).[300]—Knowledge, the object of knowledge,
and the knower, form the three-fold impulse of action.
Instrument, action, and the agent, form the three-fold
complement of action.[301] Knowledge, action, and agent,
Page 576
are declared in the enumeration of qualities to be
three-fold, according to the difference of qualities.
Listen to those also duly.[302] That by which One
Eternal Essence is viewed in all things, undivided
in the divided, know that to be knowledge having the
quality of goodness. That knowledge which discerneth
all things as diverse essences of different kinds
in consequence of their separateness, know that that
knowledge hath the quality of passion. But that
which is attached to (each) single object as if it
were the whole, which is without reason, without truth,
and mean, that knowledge hath been said to be of the
quality of darkness. The action which is prescribed
(by the scriptures), (done) without attachment, performed
without desires and aversion, by one who longeth not
for (its) fruit, is said to be of the quality of goodness.
But that action which is done by one seeking objects
of desire, or by one filled with egoism, and which
is attended with great trouble, is said to be of the
quality of passion. That action which is undertaken
from delusion, without regard to consequences, loss,
injury (to others), and (one’s own) power also,
is said to be of the quality of passion. The agent
who is free from attachment, who never speaketh of
himself, who is endued with constancy and energy,
and is unmoved by success and defeat, is said to be
of the quality of goodness. The agent who is full
of affections, who wisheth for the fruit of actions,
who is covetous, endued with cruelty, and impure,
and who feeleth joy and sorrow, is declared to be of
the quality of passion.[303] The agent who is void
of application, without discernment, obstinate, deceitful,
malicious, slothful, desponding, and procrastinating,
is said to be of the quality of darkness.[304] Hear
now, O Dhananjaya, the three-fold division of intellect
and constancy, according to their qualities, which
I am about to declare exhaustively and distinctly.
The intellect which knoweth action and inaction, what
ought to be done and what ought not to be done, fear
and fearlessness, bondage and deliverance, is, O son
of Pritha, of the quality of goodness. The intellect
by which one imperfectly discerneth right and wrong,
that which ought to be done and that which ought not
to be done, is, O son of Pritha, of the quality of
passion. That intellect which, shrouded by darkness,
regardeth wrong to be right, and all things as reversed,
is, O son of Pritha, of the quality of darkness.
That unswerving constancy by which one controls the
functions of the mind, the life-breaths, and the senses,
through devotion, that constancy, is, O son of Pritha,
of the quality of goodness.[305] But that constancy,
O Arjuna, by which one holds to religion, desire,
and profit, through attachment, desiring fruit, that
constancy, O son of Pritha, is of the quality of passion.
That through which an undiscerning person abandons
not sleep, fear, sorrow, despondency, and folly, that
constancy is deemed to be of the quality of darkness.
Page 577
Hear now from me, O bull of Bharata’s race, of
the three kinds of happiness. That in which one
findeth pleasure from repetition (of enjoyment), which
bringeth an end to pain, which is like poison first
but resembleth nectar in the end, that happiness born
of the serenity produced by a knowledge of self, is
said to be of the quality of goodness.[306] That which
is from the contact of the senses with their objects
which resembleth nectar first but is like poison in
the end, that happiness is held to be of the quality
of passion. That happiness which in the beginning
and its consequences deludeth the soul, and springeth
from sleep, indolence, and stupidity, that is described
to be of the quality of darkness. There is not,
either on earth or heaven among the gods, the entity
that is free from these three qualities born of nature.
The duties of Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, and Vaisyas, and
of Sudras also, O chastiser of foes, are distinguished
by (these three) qualities born of nature. Tranquillity,
self-restraint, ascetic austerities, purity, forgiveness,
rectitude, knowledge, experience, and belief (in an
existence hereafter),—these are the duties
of Brahmanas, born of (their proper) nature.
Bravery, energy, firmness, skill, not flying away from
battle, liberality, the bearing of a ruler,—these
are the duties of Kshatriyas, born of (their proper)
nature. Agriculture, tending of cattle, and trade,
are the natural duties of Vaisyas. Of Sudras also,
the natural duty consists in servitude. Every
man, engaged in his own duties, attains to perfection.
Hear now how one obtains perfection by application
to his duties. Him from whom are the movements
of all beings, Him by whom all this is pervaded, worshipping
him by (the performance of) one’s own duty,
one obtaineth perfection. Better is one’s
own duty though performed faultily than another’s
duty well-performed. Performing the duty prescribed
by (one’s own) nature, one incurreth no sin.
One must not abandon, O son of Kunti, one’s
natural duty though tainted with evil, for all actions
are enveloped by evil like fire by smoke. He whose
mind is unattached everywhere, who hath subdued his
self, and whose desire hath departed, obtaineth, through
renunciation, the supreme perfection of freedom from
work. Learn from me, only in brief, O son of Kunti,
how one, having obtained (this kind of) perfection,
attaineth to Brahma which is the supreme end of knowledge.
Endued with a pure mind, and restraining his self
by constancy, renouncing sound and other objects of
sense, and casting off affection and aversion, he
who resideth in a lonely place, eateth little, and
restraineth speech, body, and mind, who is ever intent
on meditation and abstraction, who hath recourse to
indifference, who, abandoning egoism, violence, pride,
lust, wrath, and (all) surroundings, hath been freed
from selfishness and is tranquil (in mind), becometh
fit for assimilation with Brahma. Becoming one
with Brahma, tranquil in spirit, (such a) one grieveth
Page 578
not, desireth not; alike to all beings, he obtaineth
the highest devotion to Me. By (that) devotion
he truly understandeth Me. What I am, and who
I am; then understanding Me truly, he entereth into
Me forthwith. Even performing all actions at all
times having refuge in Me, he obtaineth, through my
favour, the seat that is eternal and imperishable.
Dedicating in thy heart all actions to Me, being devoted
to Me, resorting to mental abstraction, fix thy thoughts
constantly on Me. Fixing thy thoughts on Me, thou
wilt surmount all difficulties through my grace.
But if from self-conceit thou wilt not listen, thou
wilt (then) utterly perish. If, having recourse
to self-conceit, thou thinkest—I will not
fight,—that resolution of thine would be
vain, (for) Nature will constrain thee. That which,
from delusion, thou dost not wish to do, thou wilt
do involuntarily, bound by thy own duty springing
from (thy own) nature. The Lord, O Arjuna, dwelleth
in the region of the heart of beings, turning all beings
as if mounted on a machine, by his illusive power.
Seek shelter with Him in every way, O Bharata.
Through his grace thou wilt obtain supreme tranquillity,
the eternal seat. Thus hath been declared to thee
by Me the knowledge that is more mysterious than any
(other) matter. Reflecting on it fully, act as
thou likest. Once more, listen to my supernal
words, the most mysterious of all. Exceedingly
dear art thou to Me, therefore, I will declare what
is for thy benefit. Set thy heart on Me, become
My devotee, sacrifice to Me, bow down to Me.
Then shalt thou come to Me. I declare to thee
truly, (for) thou art dear to Me. Forsaking all
(religious) duties, come to Me as thy sole refuge.
I will deliver thee from all sins. Do not grieve.
This is not to be ever declared by thee to one who
practiseth no austerities, to one who is not a devotee,
to one who never waiteth on a preceptor, nor yet to
one who calumniateth Me. He who shall inculcate
this supreme mystery to those that are devoted to Me,
offering Me the highest devotion, will come to Me,
freed from (all his) doubts.[307] Amongst men there
is none who can do Me a dearer service than he, nor
shall any other on earth be dearer to Me than he.
And he who will study this holy converse between us,
by him will have been offered to Me the sacrifice
of knowledge. Such is my opinion. Even the
man who, with faith and without cavil, will hear it
(read), even he freed (from re-birth), will obtain
of the blessed regions of those that perform pious
acts. Hath this, O son of Pritha, been heard by
thee with mind undirected to any other objects?
Hath thy delusion, (caused) by ignorance, been destroyed,
O Dhananjaya?’
“Arjuna said, ’My delusion hath been destroyed,
and the recollection (of what I am) hath been gained
by me, O Undeteriorating one, through thy favour.
I am now firm. My doubts have been dispelled.
I will do thy bidding.’”
Page 579
Sanjaya continued, “Thus I heard this converse
between Vasudeva and the high-souled son of Pritha,
(that is) wonderful and causeth the hair to stand
on end. Through Vyasa’s favour heard I this
supreme mystery, this (doctrine of) Yoga, from Krishna
himself, the Lord of Yoga, who declared it in person.
O King recollecting and (again) recollecting this wonderful
(and) holy converse of Kesava and Arjuna, I rejoice
over and over again. Recollecting again and again
that wonderful form also of Hari, great is my amazement,
O king, and I rejoice ever more. Thither where
Krishna, the Lord of Yoga (is), thither where the
great bowman (Partha) is, thither, in my opinion,
are prosperity, and victory, and greatness, and eternal
justice[308]’”
[End of the Bhagavad Gita]
SECTION XLIII
Sanjaya said,—“Beholding Dhananjaya
then to take up once again (his) arrows and Gandiva,
the mighty car-warriors (of the Pandava party) uttered
a tremendous shout. And those heroes, viz.,
the Pandavas and the Somakas, and those who followed
them, filled with joy, blew their sea-born conches.
And drums, and Pesis, and Karkachas, and cow-horns
were beaten and blown together, and the uproar made
was very loud. And then, O ruler of men, there
came the gods, with Gandharvas and the Pitris, and
the hosts of Siddhas and Charanas, from desire of witnessing
(the sight). And Rishis highly blessed came there
in a body with him (Indra) of a hundred sacrifices
at their head, for beholding that great slaughter.
Then, O king, beholding the two armies, that looked
like two oceans, ready for the encounter and continuously
moving, the heroic king Yudhishthira, the Just, putting
off his coat of mail and casting aside his excellent
weapon and quickly descending from his car, with joined
hands, proceeded on foot, eyeing the grandsire, with
restrained speech, facing the east, towards the direction
where the hostile host was (standing).[309] And seeing
him proceed (thus), Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti,
speedily alighting from his car, followed him, accompanied
by his (other) brothers. And the Lord Vasudeva
also followed him behind. And the principal kings
too (of his army), filled with anxiety, followed in
the same path.
“Arjuna said, ’What is this act of thine,
O king, that abandoning thy brothers, thou proceedest
on foot, face eastwards, to the hostile host?’
“Bhimasena said, ’Where wilt thou go,
O king of kings, having cast off thy coat of mail
and weapons, towards the warriors of the foe cased
in mail, and leaving thy brothers, O ruler of earth?’
“Nakula said, ’Thou art my eldest brother,
O Bharata, (beholding) thee proceeding in this way,
fear troubleth my bosom. Tell (us), whither wilt
thou go?’
“Sahadeva said, ’When these hostile divisions,
terrible and numerous, are here with whom we are to
fight, whither dost thou go, O king, in the direction
of our foes?’
Page 580
Sanjaya continued, “Though thus addressed by
his brothers, O son of Kuru’s race, Yudhishthira
of restrained speech said nothing but continued to
proceed. Unto them (then), the high-souled Vasudeva
of great wisdom smilingly said,—His object
is known to me. Having paid his respects to all
his superiors (such as) Bhishma, Drona, and Kripa,
and Salya also, he will fight the foe. It is
heard in histories of olden times that he who, having
paid his respects according to the ordinance unto his
preceptors, revered in years and his kinsmen, fighteth
with those that are his superiors, is sure to obtain
victory in battle. Even that is my opinion.—When
Krishna was saying this, among the ranks of Dhritarashtra’s
son, a loud uproar of Alas, and Oh arose, but the other
(army) remained perfectly still. Beholding Yudhishthira,
the heroic warriors of Dhritarashtra’s Son conversed
with one another saying,—’This one
is an infamous wretch of his race. It is plain
that this king is coming in terror towards Bhishma’s
side. Yudhishthira, with his brothers, hath become
a seeker after (Bhishma’s) shelter. When
Dhananjaya, however, is (his) protector, and Pandu’s
son Vrikodara, and Nakula, and Sahadeva also, why
doth the (eldest) son of Pandu come (hither) in fear?
Though celebrated in the world, this one, however,
could never have been born in the Kshatriya order,
since he is weak and his bosom is filled with fear
(at the prospect) of battle.’ Then those
warriors all praised the Kauravas. And all of
them, becoming rejoiced, with cheerful hearts waved
their garments. And, O monarch, all the warriors
there (then) censured Yudhishthira with all his brothers
and along with Kesava too. Then the Kaurava army,
having said Fie to Yudhishthira, soon again, O monarch,
became perfectly still,—What will this king
say? What will Bhishma say in reply? What
will Bhima boastful of his powers in battle, (say),
and what Krishna and Arjuna? What, indeed, hath
(Yudhishthira) to say?—Great was the curiosity
then, O king, of both the armies in respect of Yudhishthira.
The king (meanwhile), penetrating the hostile array
bristling with arrows and darts, proceeded quickly
towards Bhishma, surrounded by his brothers.
Seizing his feet with his two hands, the royal son
of Pandu then said unto Santanu’s son Bhishma
who was there ready for battle, (these words).
“Yudhishthira said, ’I salute thee, O
invincible one. With thee we will do battle.
Grant (us) thy permission in that matter. Give
(us) also (thy) blessing.”
“Bhishma said, ’If, O lord of the earth,
thou hadst not, in this battle come to me thus, I
would have, O great king, cursed thee, O Bharata, for
bringing about thy defeat. I am gratified (with
thee), O son. Do battle, and obtain victory,
O son of Pandu, What else may be desired by thee,
obtain thou in battle. Solicit also the boon,
O son of Pritha, which thou desirest to have from
us. If it happens so, O great king, then defeat
will not be thine. A man is the slave of wealth,
but wealth is no one’s slave. This is very
true, O king. I have been bound by the Kauravas
with (their) wealth. It is for this, O son of
Kuru’s race, that like a eunuch I am uttering
these words, viz.,—Bound I am by the
Kauravas with wealth. Battle excepted, what dost
thou desire?[310]’
Page 581
“Yudhishthira said, ’O thou of great wisdom,
do thou, desirous of my welfare, from day to day,
consult my interests. Do battle, however for
the sake of the Kauravas. Even this is always
my prayer (to thee).’
“Bhishma said, ’O king, O son of Kuru’s
race, what aid can I render thee in this? I shall,
of course, fight for (thy) foes. Tell me what
thou hast to say.’
“Yudhishthira said, ’Therefore, O Sire,
I ask thee, I bow to thee, O grandsire, how shall
we, in battle, vanquish thee that art invincible?
Tell me this that is for my benefit, if indeed, thou
seest any good in it.”
“Bhishma said, ’I do not, O son of Kunti,
see the person who, even if he were the chief of the
celestials himself, can defeat me in battle when I
fight.’
“Yudhishthira said, ’My salutations to
thee, O grandsire. Therefore, do I ask thee (this).
Tell us how thy own death may be compassed by foes
in battle.’
“Bhishma said, ’I do not see the person,
O sire, who can vanquish me in battle. The time
also of my death is not yet come to me once again.”
Sanjaya continued,—“Then, O son of
Kuru’s race, Yudhishthira, once more saluting
him, accepted Bhishma’s words with a bend of
his head. And that mighty-armed one then proceeded
towards the car of the preceptor ( Drona) through
the midst of all the soldiers who were eyeing him,
accompanied by his brothers. Then saluting Drona
and walking round him, the king spoke to that invincible
warrior words that were for his own benefit.[311]
“Yudhishthira said, ’I ask thee, O invincible
one, how I may fight without incurring sin, and how,
with thy permission, O regenerate one, I may vanquish
all my foes?[312]
“Drona said, ’If, having resolved to fight,
thou hadst not come to me (thus), I would have cursed
thee. O king, for thy complete overthrow.
I am, however, gratified, O Yudhishthira, and honoured
by thee, O sinless one. I permit thee, fight
and obtain victory. I will also fulfil thy wish.
Say what thou hast to say. Under these circumstances,
battle excepted, what dost thou wish? A man is
the slave of wealth, but wealth is not one’s
slave. This is quite true, O king! Bound
I have been with (their) wealth by the Kauravas!
It is for this that like a eunuch I shall fight for
the sake of the Kauravas. It is for this that
like a eunuch I am uttering these words—Battle
excepted, what dost thou wish? I shall fight
for the sake of the Kauravas, but will pray for thy
victory.’[313]
“Yudhishthira said, ’Pray for my victory,
O regenerate one, and counsel what is for my good.
Fight, however, for the Kauravas. This is the
boon solicited by me.’
“Drona said, ’Victory, O king, is certain
for thee that hast Hari for thy counsellor. I
(also) grant thee that thou wilt vanquish thy foes
in battle. Thither where righteousness is, thither
is Krishna, and thither where Krishna is, thither
is victory. Go, fight, O son of Kunti! Ask
me, what shall I say unto thee?’
Page 582
“Yudhishthira said, ’I ask thee, O foremost
of regenerate ones, listen to what I have to say.
How shall we in battle vanquish thee that art invincible?’
“Drona said, ’As long as I will fight,
so long victory can never be thine. (Therefore) O
king, seek with thy brothers, for my speedy slaughter.’
“Yudhishthira said, ’Alas, for this, O
thou of mighty arms, tell (us) the means of thy death.
O preceptor, prostrating myself I ask thee this. (My)
salutations to thee.”
“Drona said, ’The foe, O sire, I see not
who may slay me while standing in battle I am engaged
in fight, with wrath excited, and scattering (my)
arrowy showers continually. Except when addrest
for death O king, having abandoned my arms and withdrawn
(in Yoga meditation) from surrounding sights, none
will be able to slay me. This that I tell thee
is true. I also tell thee truly that I will cast
off my arms in battle, having heard something very
disagreeable from some one of credible speech.—’”
Sanjaya continued, “Hearing these words, O king,
of the wise son of Bharadwaja, and honouring the preceptor,
(Yudhishthira then) proceeded towards the son of Saradwat.
And saluting Kripa and walking round him, O king,
Yudhishthira, accomplished in speech, said these words
unto that warrior of great valour.
“Yudhishthira said, ’Obtaining thy permission,
O preceptor, I will fight without incurring sin, and
permitted by thee, O sinless one, I will vanquish
all (my) foes.”
“Kripa said, ’If having resolved on fight,
thou hadst not come to me (thus), I would have cursed
thee, O king, for thy complete overthrow. A man
is the slave of wealth, but wealth is no one’s
slave. This is very true, O king, and bound I
have been with wealth by the Kauravas. I must,
O king, fight for their sake. This is my opinion.
I therefore, speak like a eunuch in asking thee,—Battle
excepted, what dost thou desire?’
“Yudhishthira said, ’Alas, I ask thee,
therefore., O preceptor, listen to my words.—Saying
this, the king, greatly agitated and deprived of his
sense, stood silent.”
Sanjaya continued.—“Understanding,
however, what he intended to say, Gautama (Kripa)
replied to him, saying,—I am incapable of
being slain, O king. Fight, and obtain victory.
I am gratified with thy coming. Rising every
day [from bed] I will pray for thy victory, O monarch.
I say this to thee truly.—Hearing, O king,
these words of Gautama, and paying him due honours,
the king proceeded thither where the ruler of the Madra
was. Saluting Salya and walking round him the
king said unto that invincible warrior those words
that were for his own benefit.
’Yudhishthira said,—’Obtaining
thy permission, O invincible one, I will fight without
incurring sin, and permitted by thee, O king, I will
vanquish (my) valourous foes.’[314]—
Page 583
“Salya said, ’If, having resolved on fight,
thou hadst not come to me (thus), I would have, O
king, cursed thee for thy overthrow in battle.
I am gratified (with thee) and honoured (by thee).
Let it be as thou wishest. I grant thee permission,
fight and obtain victory. Speak, O hero, for
what hast thou any need? What shalt I give thee?
Under these circumstances, O king, battle excepted,
what dost thou desire? A man is the slave of
wealth but wealth is no one’s slave. This
is true, O king. Bound I have been with wealth
by the Kauravas, O nephew, it is for this that I am
speaking to thee like a eunuch,—I will accomplish
the desire thou mayst cherish. Battle excepted,
what dost thou wish.’
“Yudhishthira said, ’Think, O king, daily
of what is for my great good. Fight, according
to thy pleasure, for the sake of the foe. This
is the boon that I solicit.’
“Salya said, ’Under these circumstances,
say, O best of kings what aid shall I render thee?
I shall, of course, fight for the sake of (thy) enemy,
for I have been made one of their party by the Kauravas
with their wealth.[315]
“Yudhishthira said, ’Even that is my boon,
O Salya, which was solicited by me during the preparations
(for the fight). The energy of the Suta’s
son (Karna) should be weakened by thee in battle.’
“Salya said, ’This thy wish, O Yudhishthira,
shall be accomplished, O son of Kunti. Go, fight
according to thy pleasure. I shall look after
thy victory.”
’Sanjaya continued, “Having obtained the
permission of his maternal uncle, the ruler of the
Madra, the son of Kunti, surrounded by his brothers,
came out of that vast army. Vasudeva then went
to Radha’s son on the field of battle.
And the elder brother of Gada, for the sake of the
Pandavas, then said to Karna,—It hath been
heard by me, O Karna, that from hatred of Bhishma
thou wilt not fight. Come to our side, O son
of Radha, and (stay with us) as long as Bhishma is
not slain. After Bhishma is slain, O son of Radha,
thou mayst then again engage in battle on Duryodhana’s
side, if thou hast no preference for any of the parties.—’
“Karna said, ’I will not do anything that
is disagreeable to Dhritarashtra’s son, O Kesava.
Devoted to Duryodhana’s good, know that I have
cast off my life (for him).—Hearing these
words (of Karna), Krishna ceased, O Bharata, and reunited
himself with the sons of Pandu headed by Yudhishthira.
Then amid all the warriors the eldest son of Pandu,
loudly exclaimed,—He who will choose us,
him we shall choose for our ally!—Casting
his eyes then upon them, Yuyutsu said these words,
with a cheerful heart, unto Kunti’s son king
Yudhishthira the Just,—I will fight under
thee in battle, for the sake of you all, with the sons
of Dhritarashtra, if, O king, thou wilt accept me,
sinless one.’
“Yudhishthira said, ’Come, come, all of
us will fight with thy foolish brothers. O Yuyutsu,
both Vasudeva and we all say to thee—I accept
thee, O thou of mighty arms, fight for my cause.
On thee rests, it seems, the thread of Dhritarashtra’s
line as also his funeral cake. O prince, O thou
of great splendour, accept us that accept thee.
The wrathful Duryodhana of wicked understanding will
cease to live.’”
Page 584
Sanjaya continued, ’Yuvutsu then, abandoning
the Kurus thy sons, went over to the army of the Pandavas,
with beat of drums and cymbals. Then king Yudhishthira
of mighty arms, filled with joy, again put on his
shining coat of mail of golden effulgence. And
those bulls among men then mounted their respective
cars. And they counter-arrayed their troops in
battle-array as before. And they caused drums
and cymbals in many hundreds to be sounded. And
those bulls among men also set up diverse leonine
roars.[316] And beholding those tigers among men, viz.,
the sons of Pandu, on their cars, the kings (on their
side) with Dhrishtadyumna and others, once more set
up shouts of joy. And beholding the nobility of
the sons of Pandu who had paid due honour to those
that were deserving of honour, all the kings there
present applauded them highly. And the monarchs,
talked with one another about the friendship, the compassion,
and the kindness to kinsmen, displayed at the proper
season by those high-souled personages. Excellent,—Excellent,—were
the delightful words everywhere bruited about, coupled
with eulogistic hymns about those famous men.
And in consequence of this the minds and hearts of
every one there were attracted towards them.
And the Mlechchhas and the Aryas there who witnessed
or heard of that behaviour of the sons of Pandu, all
wept with choked voices. And those warriors then,
endued with great energy, caused large drums and Pushkaras
by hundreds upon hundreds to be sounded and also blew
their conches all white as the milk of cows.’”
SECTION XLIV
Dhritarashtra said, ’When the divisions of both
my side and the foe were thus arrayed, who struck
first, the Kurus or the Pandavas?’
Sanjaya said, “Hearing those words of his (elder)
brother, thy son Dussasana advanced with his troops,
with Bhishma at their head, and the Pandavas also
advanced with cheerful hearts, desiring battle with
Bhishma, having Bhimasena at their head. Then
leonine, shouts, and clamorous uproars and the noise
of Krakachas, the blare of cow-horns, and the sound
of drums and cymbals and tabors, arose in both armies.
And the warriors of the foe rushed against us, and
we also (rushed) against them with loud shouts.
And the uproar (caused by this rush) was deafening.[317]
The vast hosts of the Pandavas and the Dhartarashtras,
in that awfully murderous encounter shook in consequence
of that uproar of conches and cymbals, like forests
shaken by the wind.[318] And the din made by those
hosts teeming with kings, elephants, and steeds, rushing
against one another in that evil hour, was as loud
as that of oceans agitated by the tempest. And
when that din, loud and causing the hair to stand
on end, arose, the mighty-armed Bhimasena began to
roar like a bull. And those roars of Bhimasena
rose above the clamour of conches and drums, the grunts
of elephants, and the leonine shouts of the combatants.
Page 585
Indeed, the shouts of Bhimasena transcended the noise
made by the thousands of chargers neighing in (both)
the armies. And hearing those shouts of Bhimasena
who was roaring like the clouds, shouts that resembled
the report of Sakra’s thunder, thy warriors were
filled with fear. And at those roars of the hero,
the steeds and elephants all ejected urine and excreta
like other animals at the roar of the lion. And
roaring like a deep mass of clouds, and assuming an
awful form, that hero frightened thy sons and fell
upon them.[319] Thereupon the brothers, viz.,
thy sons Duryodhana, and Durmukha and Dussaha, and
that mighty car-warrior Dussasana, and Durmarshana,
O king, and Vivingsati, and Chitrasena, and the great
car-warrior Vikarna and also Purumitra, and Jaya,
and Bhoja, and the valorous son of Somadatta, shaking
their splendid bows like masses of clouds exhibiting
the lightning’s flashes, and taking out (of
their quivers) long arrows resembling snakes that have
just cast off their sloughs, surrounded that mighty
bowman rushing (towards them) covering him with flights
of arrows like the clouds shrouding the sun.
And the (five) sons of Draupadi, and the mighty car-warrior
Saubhadra,[320] and Nakula, and Sahadeva, and Dhrishtadyumna
of Prishata’s race, rushed against (those) Dhartarashtras,
tearing them with whetted shafts like summits of mountains
with the impetuous bolts of heaven. And in that
first encounter characterised by the awful twang of
bow-strings and their flapping against the leathern
fences (of the warriors)[321] no combatant, either
on thy side or that of the foe, turned back.
And, O bull of Bharata’s race, I beheld the lightness
of hand of the disciples of Drona (in particular),
who, shooting innumerable arrows, O king, always succeeded
in hitting the mark.[322] And the twang of sounding
bowstrings ceased not for a moment, and the blazing
arrows shot through (the air) like meteors (falling)
from the firmament. And all the other kings,
O Bharata, stood like (silent) spectators witnessing
that interesting and awful encounter of kinsmen.
And then those mighty car-warriors, with wrath excited
and remembering the injuries sustained at one another’s
hands, strove in battle, O king, challenging one another.
And the two armies of the Kurus and the Pandavas, teeming
with elephants, steeds and cars, looked exceedingly
beautiful on the field of battle like painted figures
on a canvas. And then the (other) kings all took
up their bows. And the Sun himself was shrouded
by the dust raised by the combatants. And they
fell upon one another, at the heads of their (respective)
troops, at the command of thy son. And the loud
uproar made by the elephants and the chargers of those
kings rushing to the combat, mingled with the leonine
shouts of the combatants and the din made by the blare
of conches and the sounds of drums. And the uproar
of that ocean having arrows for its crocodiles, bows
for its snakes, swords for its tortoises, and the
Page 586
forward leaps of the warriors for its tempest, resembled
the din made by the (actual) ocean when agitated.
And kings in thousands, commanded by Yudhishthira,
with their (respective) troops fell upon the ranks
of thy son. And the encounter between the combatants
of the two hosts was fierce in the extreme. And
no difference could be perceived between the combatants
of our side or that of the foe, while battling, or
retreating in broken array or rallying again to the
fight. In that terrific and awful battle, thy
father (Bhishma) shone, transcending that countless
host.
SECTION XLV
Sanjaya said, “On the forenoon of that awful
day, O king, the terrible battle that mangled the
bodies of (so many) kings commenced. And the loud
shouts, resembling leonine roars of the Kurus and the
Srinjayas, both desirous of victory in battle, made
both the welkin and the earth resound therewith.
And a tumultuous uproar was heard mingled with the
flaps of leathern fences and the blare of conches.
And many were the leonine roars that rose there of
men shouting against one another. And, O bull
of Bharata’s race, the sound of bowstrings stretched
by (hands cased in) fences, the heavy tread of infantry,
the furious neigh of chargers, the falling of sticks
and iron hooks (on the beads of elephants), the clash
of weapons, the jingle of bells of elephants rushing
against one another, and the clatter of cars resembling
the roar of clouds, mingled together, produced a loud
uproar making one’s hair stand on end. And
all the Kuru warriors, reckless of their very lives
and with cruel intentions, rushed, with standards
upraised, against the Pandavas. And Santanu’s
son himself, taking up a terrible bow that resembled
the rod of Death, rushed, O king, on the field of
battle, against Dhananjaya. And Arjuna also, endued
with great energy, taking up the bow Gandiva celebrated
overall the world, rushed, on the field of battle,
against Ganga’s son. And both those tigers
among the Kurus became desirous of slaying each other.
The mighty son of Ganga however, piercing in battle
the son of Pritha could not make him waver. And
so, O king, the son of Pandu also could not make Bhishma
waver in battle. And the mighty bowman Satyaki
rushed against Kritavarman. And the battle between
these two was fierce in the extreme and made the hair
(of onlookers) stand on end. And Satyaki afflicted
Kritavarman, and Kritavarman afflicted Satyaki, with
loud shouts and each weakened the other. And
pierced all over with arrows those mighty warriors
shone like two blossoming Kinsukas in spring adorned
with flowers. And the mighty bowman Abhimanyu
battled with Vrihadvala. Soon, however, in that
encounter, O king, the ruler of Kosala cut off the
standard and overthrew the charioteer of Subhadra’s
son. The son of Subhadra then upon the overthrow
of his charioteer, was filled with wrath and pierced
Vrihadvala, O king, with nine shafts, and with a couple
Page 587
of sharp arrows that grinder of foes also cut off
(Vrihadvala’s) standard, and with one (more)
cut off one of the protectors of his car-wheels and
with the other his charioteer.[323] And those chastisers
of foes continued to weaken each other with sharp
arrows. And Bhimasena struggled in battle with
thy son Duryodhana, that mighty car-warrior, proud
and inflated, who had injured (the sons of Pandu).
Both of those foremost (princes) among the Kurus,
are tigers among men and mighty car-warriors.
And they covered each other, on the field of battle,
with their arrowy showers. And beholding those
high-souled and accomplished warriors conversant with
all modes of warfare, all creatures were filled with
amazement of Bharata. And Dussasana, rushing against
that mighty car-warrior Nakula, pierced him with many
sharp arrows capable of penetrating into the very
vitals. The son of Madri, then, laughing the
while, cut off, with sharp arrows (of his), adversary’s
standard and bow, and then he struck him with five
and twenty small-headed arrows. Thy son, however,
then, who can with difficulty be vanquished, slew in
that fierce encounter the steeds of Nakula and cut
off his standard. And Durmukha rushing against
the mighty Sahadeva battling in that terrific encounter,
pierced him with a shower of arrows. The heroic
Sahadeva then, in that fearful battle, overthrew Durmukha’s
charioteer with an arrow of great sharpness.
Both of them, irrepressible in fight, approaching each
other in combat, and each attacking the other and
desirous of warding off the other’s attack,
began to strike terror into each other with terrible
shafts. And king Yudhishthira himself encountered
the ruler of the Madras. The chief of the Madras
then in his very sight cut off in twain Yudhishthira’s
bow. Thereupon the son of Kunti, throwing aside
that broken bow, took up another that was stronger
and capable of imparting a greater velocity.
The king then, with straight arrows, covered the ruler
of the Madras, and in great wrath said, ‘wait,
wait’. And Dhrishtadyumna, O Bharata rushed
against Drona. And Drona, then, in great wrath,
cut off in that encounter the hard bow of the high-souled
prince of Panchala that was capable of always taking
the lives of foes. And at the same time he shot
in that conflict a terrible arrow that was like a second
rod of Death. And the arrow shot penetrated the
body of the prince. Taking up then another bow
and fourteen arrows, the son of Drupada pierced Drona
in that encounter. And enraged with each other,
they battled on fiercely. And the impetuous Sankha
encountered Somadatta’s son who was equally
impetuous in battle and addressed him, O king, saying
‘wait, wait’. And that hero then
pierced his (adversary’s) right arm in that combat.
And thereupon the son of Somadatta struck Sankha on
the shoulders. And the battle that ensued between
those two proud heroes, O king, soon became as terrible
as a combat between the gods and the Danavas.
And that mighty car-warrior Dhrishtaketu of immeasurable
Page 588
soul, with wrath excited, rushed in battle, O king,
against Valhika, the very embodiment of wrath.
Valhika, then, O king, setting up a leonine roar, weakened
the wrathful Dhrishtaketu with innumerable arrows.
The king of the Chedis, however, exceedingly provoked,
quickly pierced Valhika in that encounter with nine
arrows. Like an infuriate elephant against an
infuriate elephant, in that combat they roared against
each other repeatedly, both exceedingly enraged.
And they encountered each other with great wrath and
looked like the planets Angaraka and Sukra.[324] And
Ghatotkacha of cruel deeds encountered the Rakshasa
Alamvusha of cruel deeds like Sakra (encountering)
Vala in battle. And Ghatotkacha, O Bharata, pierced
that infuriate and powerful Rakshasa with ninety keen-edged
shafts. And Alamvusha also in that combat pierced
the mighty son of Bhimasena in many places with straight
arrows (of his). And mangled with arrows they
shone in that encounter like the mighty Sakra and
the powerful Vala in the combat (of old) between the
celestials and the Asuras. The powerful Sikhandin,
O king, rushed against Drona’s son, Aswatthaman,
however deeply piercing the angry Sikhandin stationed
(before him) with a keen-edged shaft, caused him to
tremble, Sikhandin also, O king, smote Drona’s
son with a sharp-whetted shaft of excellent temper.
And they continued in that encounter to strike each
other with various kinds of arrows. And against
the heroic Bhagadatta in battle, Virata, the commander
of a large division, rushed impetuously, O king, and
then commenced (their) combat. Virata, exceedingly
provoked, poured on Bhagadatta an arrowy shower like,
O Bharata, the clouds showering rain on the mountain
breast. But Bhagadatta, that lord of the earth,
speedily enveloped Virata in that encounter (with
arrows) like the clouds enveloping the risen sun.
Kripa, the son of Saradwat, rushed against Vrihadkshatra,
the ruler of the Kaikeyas. And Kripa, O Bharata,
enveloped him with a shower of arrows. Vrihadkshatra
also shrouded the infuriate son of Gautama with an
arrowy downpour. And those warriors, then, having
slain each other’s steeds and cut off each other’s
bows, were both deprived of their cars. And exceedingly
enraged, they then approached each other for fighting
with their swords. And the combat which then took
place between them was terrible in aspect and unparalleled.
That chastiser of foes, king Drupada, then, in great
wrath rushed against Jayadratha, the ruler of the
Sindhus, cheerfully waiting (for battle). The
ruler of the Sindhus pierced Drupada in that combat
with three shafts, and Drupada pierced him in return.
And the battle that took place between them was terrible
and fierce, and productive of satisfaction in the
hearts of all the spectators and resembling a conflict
between the planets Sukra and Angaraka. And Vikarna,
son to thee, with fleet steeds, rushed against the
mighty Sutasoma and the combat between them commenced.
Vikarna, however, although he pierced Sutasoma with
Page 589
many arrows, failed to make him waver. Neither
could Sutasoma make Vikarna waver. And that appeared
wonderful (to all). And against Susarman, that
mighty car-warrior and tiger among men, viz.,
Chekitana of great prowess, rushed in exceeding wrath
for the sake of the Pandavas. And Susarman also,
O great king, in that encounter checked the advance
of that mighty car-warrior Chekitana with plentiful
shower of arrows. And Chekitana also, greatly
provoked, showered on Susarman, in that terrible conflict,
a shower of arrows like a mighty mass of clouds showering
rain on the mountain breast. And Sakuni, endued
with great prowess, rushed, O king, against Prativindhya[325]
of great prowess, like a lion against an infuriate
elephant. Thereupon the son of Yudhishthira, in
exceeding wrath, mangled Suvala’s son in that
combat, with sharp arrows, like Maghavat[326] (mangling)
a Danava. And Sakuni also, in that fierce conflict,
pierced Prativindhya in return and mangled that warrior
of great intelligence with straight arrows. And
Srutakarman rushed in battle, O great king, against
that mighty car-warrior Sudakshina of great prowess,
the ruler of the Kamvojas. Sudakshina, however,
O great king, piercing that mighty car-warrior, viz.,
the son of Sahadeva, failed to make him waver (for
he stood) like the Mainaka mountain (against the assaults
of Indra). Thereupon Srutakarman, exceedingly
provoked, weakened that mighty car-warrior of the
Kamvojas with innumerable arrows and mangled him in
every part of his body. And Iravan, that chastiser
of foes, in great wrath and exerting carefully, rushed
in battle against the wrathful Srutayush. The
powerful son of Arjuna, that mighty car-warrior, then
slaying the steeds of his adversary, set up a loud
roar, and thereupon, O king, all the warriors (who
saw the feat) praised him greatly. And Srutasena
also, exceedingly provoked, slew in that conflict
the steeds of Falguni’s son with a powerful mace,
and the battle between them continued. And Vinda
and Anuvinda, those two princes of Avanti, approached
in battle that mighty car-warrior the heroic Kuntibhoja
at the head of his troops accompanied by his son.
And wonderful was the prowess we beheld of those two
princes on that occasion, for they fought on very
cooly though battling with a large body of troops.
And Anuvinda hurled a mace at Kuntibhoja, but Kuntibhoja
quickly covered him with a shower of arrows.
And the son of Kuntibhoja pierced Vinda with many arrows,
and the latter also pierced him in return. And
the combat (between them) looked very wonderful.
And the Kekaya brothers, O sire, at the head of their
troops, encountered in battle the five Gandhara princes
with their troops. And thy son Viravahu battled
with that best of car-warriors Uttara, the son of
Virata and pierced him with nine arrows. And Uttara
also pierced that hero with sharp-edged arrows.
And the ruler of the Chedis, O king, rushed in battle
against Uluka. And he pierced Uluka with a shower
Page 590
of arrows, and Uluka also pierced him with sharp arrows
furnished with excellent wing. And the combat
that took place between them, O king, was fierce in
the extreme, for unable to vanquish each other, they
mangled each other terribly. And thus in that
general engagement thousands of single combats took
place between men on car, warriors on elephants and
horsemen, and foot-soldiers, of their side and thine.
For a short while only that engagement offered a beautiful
sight. Soon, however, O king, it became furious
and nothing could be discovered. In the battle
(that ensued) elephants rushed against elephants,
car-warriors against car-warriors, steed against steed
and foot-soldier against foot-soldier. The conflict
then became confused and fierce in the extreme, of
heroes rushing against each other in the melee.
And the celestial Rishi, and Siddhas and Charanas,
that were present there, beheld that terrific battle
to resemble the combat of the gods and the Asuras.
And elephants in thousands, and cars also in thousands,
and vast bodies of infantry, O sire, seemed to alter
their character.[327] And, O tiger among men, it was
seen that cars and elephants and steeds and infantry
fought with each other repeatedly on the same places.[328]
SECTION XLVI
Sanjaya said,—“O king, I will now
describe to thee the combats of hundreds and thousands
of foot-soldiers. O Bharata, in utter forgetfulness
of all consideration due to others. There the
son recognised not the sire, the sire (recognised
not) the son of his loins, the brother (recognised
not) the brother, the sister’s son (recognised
not) the maternal uncle. The maternal uncle (recognised
not) the sister’s son, the friend not the friend.
The Pandavas and the Kurus fought as if they were
possessed by demons. Some tigers among men, fell
with cars into pieces. And the shafts of cars
broke clashing against shafts, and the spikes of car-yokes
against spikes of car-yokes. And some (warriors)
united together encountered others that were united
together, all desirous of taking one another’s
life-And some cars, obstructed by cars, were unable
to move. And huge-bodied elephants with rent temples,
falling upon huge elephants, angrily tore one another
in many places with their tusks. Others, O king,
encountering impetuous and huge ones of their species
with arched edifices and standards (on their backs)
and trained to the fight struck with their tusks,
shrieked in great agony.[329] Disciplined by training
and urged on by pikes and hooks, elephants not in
rut rushed straight against those that were in rut.[330]
And some huge elephants, encountering compeers in
rut, ran, uttering cries like those of cranes, in
all directions. And many huge elephants, well-trained,
and with juice trickling down from rent temples and
mouth, mangle with swords, lances, and arrows, and
pierced in their vital parts, shrieked aloud and falling
down expired. And some, uttering frightful cries,
Page 591
ran in all directions. The foot-soldiers that
protected the elephants, endued with broad chests,
and capable of smiting effectually, with wrath excited,
and armed with pikes and bows, and bright battle-axes,
and with maces and clubs, and short arrows, and lances,
and with shafts, and stout bludgeons mounted with
iron spikes and swords, well-grasped of the brightest
polish, ran hither and thither, O king, and seemed
resolved to take one another’s life. And
the sabres of brave combatants rushing against one
another steeped in human blood, seemed to shine brightly.
And the whiz of swords whirled and made to descend
by heroic arms and falling upon the vital parts (of
the bodies) of foes, became very loud. And the
heart-ending wails of combatants in multitudinous hosts,
crushed with maces and clubs, and cut off with well-tempered
swords, and pierced with the tusks of elephants, and
grained by tuskers, calling upon one another, were
heard, O Bharata, to resemble the wails of those that
are doomed to hell. And horsemen, on chargers
of exceeding speed and furnished with outstretched
tails resembling (the Plumes of) swans, rushed against
one another. And hurled by them, long-bearded
darts adorned with pure gold, fleet, and polished,
and sharp-pointed, fell like snakes.[331] And some
heroic horsemen, on coursers of speed, leaping high,
cut off the heads of car-warriors from their cars.[332]
And (here and there) a car-warrior, getting bodies
of cavalry within shooting distance, slew many with
straight shafts furnished with heads. And many
infuriate elephants adorned with trapping of gold,
and looking like newly-risen clouds, throwing down
steed, crushed them with their own legs. And some
elephants struck on their frontal globes and flanks,
and mangled by means of lances, shrieked aloud in
great agony. And many huge elephants, in the
bewildering of the melee, crushing steeds with their
riders, threw them down. And some elephants,
overthrowing with the points of their tusks, steeds
with their riders, wandered, crushing cars with their
standards. And some huge male elephants, from
excess of energy and with the temporal juice gushing
down in large quantities, slew steeds along with their
riders by means of their trunks and legs. Fleet
arrows polished and sharp-pointed and resembling snakes
fell upon the heads, the temples, the flanks, and
the limbs of elephants. And polished javelins
of terrible mien, and looking like large meteoric
flashes, hurled by heroic arms, felt hither and thither,
O king, piercing through the bodies of men and horses,
and cutting through coats of mail. And many taking
out their polished sabres from sheaths made of the
skins of leopards and tigers, slew the combatants
opposed to them in battle. And many warriors,
though themselves attacked and had the flanks of their
bodies cut open, yet angrily fell upon (their foes)
with swords, shields and battle-axes. And some
elephants dragging down and overthrowing cars with
their steeds by means of their trunks, began to wander
Page 592
in all directions, guided by the cries of those behind
them. And hither and thither some pierced by
javelins, and some cut asunder by battle-axes, and
some crushed by elephants and others trod down by
horses, and some cut by car-wheels, and some by axes,
loudly called upon their kinsmen, O king. And
some called upon their sons, and some upon their sires,
and some upon brother and kinsmen. And some called
upon their maternal uncles, and some upon their sister’s
sons. And some called upon others, on the field
of battle. And a very large number of combatants,
O Bharata, lost their weapons, or had their thighs
broken. And other with arms torn off or sides
pierced or cut open, were seen to wail aloud, from
desire of life. And some, endued with little
strength, tortured by thirst, O king, and lying on
the field of battle on the bare ground, asked for
water. And some, weltering in pools of blood
and excessively weakened, O Bharata, greatly censured
themselves and thy sons assembled together for battle.
And there were brave Kshatriyas, who having injured
one another, did not abandon their weapons or set
up any wails, O sire, On the other hand, lying in those
places where they lay, roared with joyful hearts,
and biting from wrath with their teeth their own lips,
looked at one another with faces rendered fierce in
consequence of the contraction of their eyebrows.
And others endued with great strength and tenacity
in great pain, afflicted by arrows and smarting under
their wounds, remained perfectly silent. And
other heroic car-warriors, deprived, in the encounter,
of their own cars and thrown down and wounded by huge
elephants, asked to be taken up on the cars of others.
And many, O king, looked beautiful in their wounds
like blossoming Kinsukas. And in all the divisions
were heard terrific cries, countless in number.
And in that awful combat destructive of heroes, the
sire slew the son, the son slew the sire, the sister’s
son slew the maternal uncle, the maternal uncle slew
the sister’s son, friend slew friend, and relatives
slew kinsmen. Even thus the slaughter took place
in that encounter of the Kurus with the Pandavas.
And in that frightful and terrible battle in which
no consideration was shown (by anybody for anybody),
the divisions of the Pandavas, approaching Bhishma,
began to waver. And, O bull of Bharata’s
race, the mighty-armed Bhishma, O king, with his standard
which was made of silver and graced with the device
of the palmyra with five stars, setting upon his great
car, shone like the lunar orb under the peak of Meru.”
SECTION XLVII
Page 593
Sanjaya said,—“After the great part
of the forenoon of that awful day had worn out, in
that terrific engagement, O king, that was (so) destructive
of foremost of men[333], Durmukha and Kritavarman,
and Kripa, and Salya, and Vivinsati, urged by thy
son, approached Bhishma and began to protect him.
And protected by those five mighty car-warriors.
O bull of Bharata’s race, that great car-warrior
penetrated the Pandava host. And the palmyra
standard of Bhishma was seen to glide continually,
O Bharata, through the Chedis, the Kasis, the Karushas,
and the Panchalas. And that hero, with broad-headed
shafts of great swiftness which were again perfectly
straight, cut off the heads (of foes) and their cars
with yokes and standards. And, O bull of Bharata’s
race, Bhishma seemed to dance on his car as it coursed
along its track. And some elephants, struck (by
him) in their vital parts, shrieked in agony.
Then Abhimanyu in great wrath, stationed on his car
unto which were yoked excellent steeds of a tawny
hue, rushed towards Bhishma’s car. And with
his standard adorned with pure gold and resembling
a Karnikara tree, he approached Bhishma and those
(five) foremost of car-warriors. And striking
with a keen-edged shaft the standard of the palmyra-bannered
(warrior), that hero engaged in battle with Bhishma
and those other car-warriors that protected him.[334]
Piercing Kritavarman with one arrow, and Salya with
five, he weakened his great-grandsire with nine arrows.
And with one arrow well shot from his bow drawn to
its fullest stretch, he cut off (his adversary’s)
standard adorned with pure gold. And with one
broad-headed shaft capable of penetrating every cover,
which was perfectly straight, he cut off from his
body the head of Durmukha’s charioteer.
And with another keen-edged arrow he cut in twain the
gold-decked bow of Kripa. And them also, with
many sharp-pointed shafts, that mighty car-warrior
smote in great wrath, seeming to dance (the while).
And beholding his lightness of hand, the very gods
were gratified. And in consequence of Abhimanyu’s
sureness of aim, all the car-warriors headed by Bhishma
regarded him to be possessed of the capacity of Dhananjaya
himself.[335] And his bow, emitting a twang like that
of Gandiva, while stretched and re-stretched, seemed
to revolve like a circle of fire.[336] Bhishma then,
that slayer of hostile heroes, rushing on him impetuously,
speedily pierced the son of Arjuna in that combat
with nine arrows. And he also, with three broad-headed
shafts, cut off the standard of that warrior of great
energy. Of rigid vows, Bhishma also struck his
(adversary’s) charioteer. And Kritavarman,
and Kripa, and Salya also, O sire, piercing Arjuna’s
son, all failed to make him waver, for he stood firm
like the Mainaka mountain. And the heroic son
of Arjuna, though surrounded by those mighty car-warriors
of the Dhartarashtra army, still showered on those
five car-warriors arrowy downpours. And baffling
their mighty weapons by his arrowy showers, and pouring
Page 594
on Bhishma his shafts, the powerful son of Arjuna set
up loud shout. And struggling in the battle thus
and afflicting Bhishma with (his) arrows, the strength
we saw of his arms then was very great. But though
endued with such prowess Bhishma also shot his arrows
at him. But he cut off in that combat the arrows
shot from Bhishma’s bow. And then that
heroic warrior of arrows that were never lost, cut
off with nine arrows, in that combat, the standard
of Bhishma. And at that feat the people there
set up a loud shout. Decked with jewels and made
of silver, that tall standard bearing the device of
the palmyra, cut off, O Bharata, by the shafts of
Subhadra’s son, fell down on the earth.
And beholding, O bull of Bharata’s race, that
standard failing in consequence of the shafts of Subhadra’s
son, the proud Bhima set up a loud shout for cheering
the son of Subhadra. Then in fierce combat, the
mighty Bhishma caused many celestial weapons of great
efficacy to appear. And the great grandsire of
immeasurable soul then covered Subhadra’s son
with thousands of arrows. And at this, ten great
bowmen and mighty car-warriors of the Pandavas, quickly
rushed on their cars for protecting the son of Subhadra.
And those were Virata with his son, and Dhrishtadyumna
of Prishata’s race, and Bhima, the five Kekaya
brothers, and Satyaki also, O king. And as they
were falling upon him with great impetuosity, Bhishma
the son of Santanu, in that conflict, pierced the prince
of Panchala with three arrows, and Satyaki with ten.
And with one winged arrow, whetted and sharp-edged
as a razor, and shot from his bow drawn to its fullest
stretch, he cut off the standard of Bhimasena.
And, O best of men, the standard of Bhimasena, made
of gold and bearing the device of a lion, cut off
by Bhishma, fell from the car. And Bhima then,
piercing Santanu’s son Bhishma in that combat
with three arrows, pierced Kripa with one, and Kritavarman
with eight. And Uttara also, the son of Virata,
on a tusker with upraised trunk, rushed against the
ruler of the Madras. Salya, however, succeeded
in checking the unparalleled impetuosity of that prince
of elephants rushing quickly towards his car.
That prince of elephants, in great wrath, placing
his leg upon the yoke of (Salya’s) car, killed
his four large steeds of excellent speed. The
ruler of the Madras then, staying on that car whose
steeds had been slain, hurled a dart, all made of
iron, and resembling a snake, for slaying Uttara outright.
The latter’s coat of mail being cut through by
that dart, he became totally deprived of his senses
and fell down from his elephant’s neck, with
the hook and the lance loosened from his grasp.
And Salya then, taking up his sword and jumping down
from his excellent car, and putting forth his prowess,
cut off the large trunk of that prince of elephants.
His coat of mail pierced all over with a shower of
arrows, and his trunk cut off, that elephant uttered
a loud shriek and fell down and expired. Achieving
Page 595
such a feat, O king, the ruler of the Madras speedily
mounted on the splendid car of Kritavarman. And
beholding his brother Uttara slain and seeing Salya
staying with Kritavarman, Virata’s son Sweta
blazed up in wrath, like fire (blazing up) with clarified
butter. And that mighty warrior, stretching his
large bow that resembled the bow of Sakra himself,
rushed with the desire of slaying Salya the ruler of
the Madras. Surrounded on all sides with a mighty
division of cars, he advanced towards Salya’s
car pouring an arrowy shower. And beholding him
rush to the fight with prowess equal to that of an
infuriate elephant, seven car-warriors of thy side
surrounded him on all sides, desirous of protecting
the ruler of Madras who seemed to be already within
the jaws of Death. And those seven warriors were
Vrihadvala the ruler of the Kosalas, and Jayatsena
of Magadha, and Rukmaratha, O king, who was the valourous
son of Salya, and Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, and
Sudakshina the king of the Kamvojas, and Jayadratha,
the ruler of the Sindhus and the kinsman of Vrihadkshatra.
And the stretched bows of those high-souled warriors,
decorated with diverse colours, looked like the lightning’s
flashes in the clouds. And they all poured on
Sweta’s head ceaseless showers of arrows like
the clouds tossed by the wind dropping rain on the
mountain breast on the expiry of summer. That
mighty bowman and commander of the forces, enraged
at this, with seven broad-headed arrows of great impetuosity,
struck their bows, and then continued to grind them.
And those bows we saw were cut off, O Bharata, and
thereupon they all took up, within half the time taken
up in a wink of the eye, other bows. And they
then shot at Sweta seven arrows. And once again
that mighty-armed warrior of immeasurable soul, with
seven fleet shafts, cut off those (other) bows of
these bowmen. Those warriors then, whose large
bows had been cut off, those mighty car-warriors swelling
(with rage), grasping (seven) darts, set up a loud
shout. And, O chief of the Bharatas, they hurled
those seven darts at Sweta’s car. And those
blazing darts which coursed (through the air) like
large meteors, with the sound of thunder, were all
cut off, before they could reach him, that warrior
conversant with mighty weapons, by means of seven
broad-headed arrows. Then taking up an arrow
capable of penetrating into every part of the body,
he shot it, O chief of the Bharatas, at Rukmaratha.
And that mighty arrow, surpassing (the force of) the
thunder-bolt, penetrated into the latter’s body.
Then, O king, forcibly struck by that arrow, Rukmaratha
sat down on the terrace of his car and fell into a
deadly swoon. His charioteer then, without betraying
any fear, bore him away, senseless and in a swoon,
in the very sight of all. Then taking up six
other (arrows) adorned with gold, the mighty-armed
Sweta cut off the standard-tops of his six adversaries.
And that chastiser of foes then, piercing their steeds
and charioteers also, and covering those six warriors
Page 596
themselves with ceaseless shafts, proceeded towards
the car of Salya. And beholding that generalissimo
of the (Pandava) forces proceeding quickly towards
Salya’s car, a loud uproar of oh and alas arose
in thy army, O Bharata. Then thy mighty son,
with Bhishma at the head, and supported by heroic warriors
and many troops, proceeded towards Sweta’s car.[337]
And he (thus) rescued the ruler of the Madras who
had already entered the jaws of Death. And then
commenced a battle, terrific and making the hair stand
on end, between thy troops and those of the enemy,
in which cars and elephants all got mixed up in confusion.
And upon Subhadra’s son and Bhimasena, and that
mighty car-warrior Satyaki, and upon the ruler of the
Kekayas, and Virata, and Dhrishtadyumna of Prishatas’
race, and upon the Chedi troops, the old Kuru grandsire
poured showers of arrows.[338]
SECTION XLVIII
Dhritarashtra said,—“When that great
bowman Sweta proceeded towards Salya’s car,
what did the Kauravas and the Pandavas do, O Sanjaya?
And what also did Bhishma the son of Santanu do?
Tell me who ask thee, all this.”
Sanjaya said,—“O king, hundreds and
thousands of bulls among Kshatriyas, all brave and
mighty car-warriors, placing the generalissimo Sweta
in the van, and displaying their strength. O
Bharata, unto thy royal son and with Sikhandin also
at their head, desired to rescue (Sweta). And
those mighty car-warriors rushed towards Bhishma’s
car decked with gold desirous of slaying that foremost
of warriors. And the battle that ensued then
was terrible. I shall describe to thee that wonderful
and terrific battle as it occurred between thy troops
and those of the enemy. The son of Santanu made
the terraces of many cars empty, (for) that best of
car-warriors showering (his) arrows, cut off many heads.
Endued with energy equal to that of the Sun himself,
he shrouded the very Sun with his arrows. And
he removed his enemies from around him in that combat
like the rising Sun dispelling the darkness around.
And in that battle, O king, arrows were shot by him
in hundreds and thousands that were powerful and possessed
of great impetuosity and that took in that conflict
the lives of numberless Kshatriyas. And in that
combat he felled heads, by hundreds, of heroic warriors,
O king, and elephants cased in thorny mail, like summits
of mountains (felled) by heaven’s bolt.
And cars, O king, were seen to mingle with cars.
A car might be seen upon another car, and a steed
upon another steed. And impetuous chargers, O
king, bore hither and thither heroic riders in the
prime of youth, slain and hanging (from their saddles)
with their bows (still in their grasp).[339] With
swords and quivers attached (to their persons) and
coats of mail loosened (from their bodies), hundreds
of warriors, deprived of life, lay on the ground,
sleeping on beds (worthy) of heroes. Rushing
against one another, falling down and rising up again
Page 597
and rushing again having risen up, the combatants
fought hand to hand. Afflicted by one another,
many rolled on the field of battle. Infuriate
elephants rushed hither and thither, and car-warriors
by hundreds were slain. And car-warriors, along
with their cars, were crushed on all sides. And
some warriors fell upon his car, slain by another
with arrows. And a mighty car-warrior might be
seen to fall down from high, his charioteer (also)
having been slain. A thick dust arose, and thereupon
unto the warrior struggling in battle, the twang of
the (hostile) bow indicated the struggling adversary
before. From the pressure also on their bodies,
combatants guessed their foes. And the warriors,
O king, fought on with arrows, guided by the sound
of bow-strings and (hostile) division. The very
hiss of the arrows shot by the combatants at one another
could not be heard. And so loud was the sound
of drums, that it seemed to pierce the ears.
And in that tumultuous uproar making the hair stand
on end, the name of the combatant uttered in the battle,
while displaying his prowess, could not be heard.
The sire could not recognise the son of his loins.
One of the wheels being broken, or the yoke being torn
off or one of the steeds being slain, the brave car-warrior
was overthrown from his car, along with his charioteer,
by means of straight arrows. And thus many heroic
warriors, deprived of their cars, were seen to fly
away.[340] He who was slain had cut off; he who was
not slain, was struck at the very vitals: but
unstruck there was none, when Bhishma attacked the
foe. And in that terrific battle, Sweta caused
a great slaughter of the Kurus. And he slew many
noble princes by hundreds upon hundreds.[341] And he
cut off, by means of his arrows, the heads of car-warriors
by hundreds upon hundreds, and (their) arms decked
with Angadas, and (their) bows all around. And
car-warriors and car-wheels and others that were on
cars, and the cars themselves, and standards both
small and costly, O king, and large bodies of horses,
and crowds of cars, and crowds of men, O Bharata’s
race, were destroyed by Sweta. Ourselves, from
fear of Sweta, abandoning (Bhishma) that best of car-warriors,
left the battle retreating to the rear and, therefore,
do we (now) behold your lordship. And all the
Kurus, O son of Kuru’s race, beyond the range
of arrows, and abandoning Bhishma the son of Santanu,
in that battle, stood (as spectators though) armed
for the combat. Cheerful in the hour of (universal)
cheerlessness, that tiger among men Bhishma, alone
of our army, in that terrible battle stood immovable
like the mountain Meru. Taking the lives (of
the foe) like the Sun at close of winter, he stood
resplendent with the golden rays (of his car) like
the Sun himself with his rays. And that great
bowman shot clouds of arrows and struck down the Asuras.[342]
And while being slaughtered by Bhishma in that dreadful
combat, those warriors breaking away from their ranks,
they all fled from him, as if from a fire fed by fuel.[343]
Page 598
Encountering the single warrior (Sweta), that slayer
of foes, Bhishma, was the only one (amongst us) who
was cheerful and whole. Devoted to the welfare
of Duryodhana, he began to consume the Pandava (warrior).
Reckless of his very life which is difficult of being
cast off, and abandoning all fear he slaughtered, O
king, the Pandava army in that fierce conflict.[344]
And beholding the generalissimo (Sweta) smiting the
(Dhartarashtra) divisions, thy father Bhishma, called
also Devavrata, impetuously rushed against him.
Thereupon, Sweta covered Bhishma with an extensive
net-work of arrows. And Bhishma also covered
Sweta with a flight of arrows. And roaring like
a couple of bulls, they rushed, like two infuriate
elephants of gigantic size or two raging tigers, against
each other. Baffling each other’s weapons
by means of their weapons, those bulls among men, viz.,
Bhishma and Sweta fought with each other, desirous
of taking each other’s life. In one single
day Bhishma, infuriate with anger, could consume the
Pandava army with his arrows, if Sweta did not protect
it. Beholding the grandsire then turned off by
Sweta, the Pandavas were filled with joy, while thy
son became cheerless. Duryodhana then, with wrath
excited and surrounded by many kings, rushed with
his troops against the Pandava host in battle.
Then Sweta, abandoning the son of Ganga, slaughtered
thy son’s host with great impetuosity like the
wind (uprooting) trees with violence. And the
son of Virata, senseless with wrath, having routed
thy army, advanced (once more), O king, to the place
where Bhishma was stationed. And those two high-souled
and mighty warriors then, both blazing with their
arrows, battled with each other like Vritra and Vasava
(of old), desirous, O king, of slaying each other.
Drawing (his) bow to the fullest stretch, Sweta pierced
Bhishma with seven arrows. The valourous (Bhishma)
then, putting forth his prowess, quickly checked his
foe’s valour, like an infuriate elephant checking
an infuriate compeer. And Sweta then, that delighter
of Kshatriyas struck Bhishma, and Bhishma the son
of Santanu also pierced him in return with ten arrows.
And though pierced by him (thus), that mighty warrior
stood still like a mountain. And Sweta again
pierced Santanu’s son with five and twenty straight
arrows, at which all wondered. Then smiling and
licking with his tongue the corners of his mouth,
Sweta in that combat cut off Bhishma’s bow into
ten fragments with ten arrows. Then aiming a plumed
arrow made wholly of iron, (Sweta) crushed the palmyra
on the top of the standard of the high-souled (Bhishma).
And beholding the standard of Bhishma cut down, thy
sons thought that Bhishma was slain, having succumbed
to Sweta. And the Pandavas also filled with delight,
blew their conches all around. And beholding
the palmyra standard of the high-souled Bhishma laid
low, Duryodhana, from wrath, urged his own army to
the battle. And they all began very carefully
to protect Bhishma who ’was in great distress.
Page 599
Unto them, also unto those that stood (idle) spectators,
the king said,—Either Sweta will die (today),
or Bhishma the son of Santanu. I say this truly.
Hearing the words of the king, the mighty car-warriors
speedily with four kinds of forces, advanced protecting
the son of Ganga. And Valhika and Kritavarman,
and Kripa, and Salya also, O Bharata, and the son
of Jarasandha, and Vikarna, and Chitrasena, and Vivinsati,
with great speed, when speed was so necessary, surrounding
him on all sides, poured on Sweta ceaseless showers
of arrows. That mighty warrior then, of immeasurable
soul, quickly checked those angry warriors by means
of sharp arrows, displaying his own lightness of hand.
And checking them all like a lion and a multitude
of elephants, Sweta then cut off Bhishma’s bow
with thick shower of arrows. Then Bhishma the
son of Santanu, taking up another bow in that battle,
pierced Sweta, O king, with arrows furnished with
feathers of Kanka bird. Then the commander (of
the Pandava army), with wrath excited, pierced Bhishma
in that encounter O king, with a great many shafts
in the very sight of all. Beholding Bhishma, that
foremost of heroes in all the world, checked in battle
by Sweta, the king (Duryodhana) became greatly troubled,
and great also became the distress of thy whole army.
And beholding the heroic Bhishma checked and mangled
by Sweta with his arrows, all thought that Bhishma,
having succumbed to Sweta, was slain by him.
Then thy sire Devavrata, yielding to anger, and beholding
his (own) standard overthrown and the (Dhartarashtra)
army checked, shot a great many arrows, O king, at
Sweta. Sweta, however, that foremost of car-warriors,
baffling all those arrows of Bhishma, once more cut
off, with a broad-headed shaft, thy sire’s bow.
Throwing aside that bow, O king, Ganga’s son,
senseless with anger, taking up another bow larger
and stronger, and aiming seven large broad-headed arrows
whetted on stone, slew with four arrows the four steeds
of the generalissimo Sweta, cut off his standard with
two and with the seventh shaft that warrior of great
prowess, exceedingly provoked, cut off his charioteer’s
head. Thereupon, that mighty car-warrior, jumping
down from his car whose steeds and charioteer had
been slain[345], and yielding to the influence of
wrath, became exceedingly troubled. The grandsire,
beholding Sweta that foremost of car-warriors, deprived
of car, began to smite him on all sides with showers
of arrows. And smitten in that combat with arrows
shot from Bhishma’s bow, Sweta, leaving his
bow on his (abandoned) car took up a dart decked with
gold and taking up that terrible and fierce dart[346]
which resembled the fatal rod of Death and was capable
of slaying Death’s self. Sweta then, in
great wrath, addressed Bhishma the son of Santanu in
that combat, saying,—Wait a little, and
behold me, O best of men,—And having said
this unto Bhishma in battle, that great bowman of exceeding
prowess and immeasurable soul, hurled the dart resembling
Page 600
a snake, displaying his valour for the sake of the
Pandavas and desiring to achieve thy evil. Then
loud cries of oh and alas arose among thy sons, O
king, upon beholding that terrible dart resembling
the rod of Death in splendour. And hurled from
Sweta’s arms, (that dart), resembling a snake
that had just cast off its slough, fell with great
force, O king, like a large meteor from the firmament.
Thy sire Devavrata then, O king, without the slightest
fear, with eight sharp and winged arrows, cut off into
nine fragments, that dart decked with pure gold and
which seemed to be covered with flames of fire, as
it coursed ablaze through the air. All thy troops
then, O bull of Bharata’s race, set up loud shouts
of joy. The son of Virata, however, beholding
his dart cut off into fragments, became senseless
with anger, and like one whose heart was overcome by
(the arrival of) his hour, could not settle what to
do. Deprived of his senses by anger, O king,
the son of Virata, then, smiling, joyfully took up
a mace for Bhishma’s slaughter, with eyes red
in wrath, and resembling a second Yama armed with
mace, he rushed against Bhishma like a swollen torrent
against the rocks. Regarding his impetuosity as
incapable of cheek, Bhishma endued with great prowess
and conversant with the might (of others), suddenly
alighted on the ground for warding off that blow.
Sweta then, O king, whirling in wrath that heavy mace,
hurled it on Bhishma’s car like the god Maheswara.[347]
And in consequence of that mace intended for Bhishma’s
destruction, that car was reduced to ashes, with standard,
and charioteer, and steeds and shaft. Beholding
Bhishma, that foremost of car-warriors, become a combatant
on foot, many car-warriors, viz., Salya and others,
speedily rushed (to his rescue). Mounting then
upon another car, and cheerlessly stretching his bow,
Bhishma slowly advanced towards Sweta, seeing that
foremost of car-warriors. Meanwhile, Bhishma
heard a loud voice uttered in the skies, that was
celestial and fraught with his own good. (And the voice
said).—’O, Bhishma, O thou of mighty
arms, strive without losing a moment. Even this
is the hour fixed by the Creator of the Universe for
success over this one’. Hearing those words
uttered by the celestial messenger, Bhishma, filled
with joy, set his heart upon Sweta’s destruction.
And beholding that foremost of car-warriors, Sweta
become a combatant on foot, many mighty car-warriors
(of the Pandava side) rushed unitedly (to his rescue).
(They were) Satyaki, and Bhimasena, and Dhrishtadyumna
of Prishata’s race; and the (five) Kekaya brothers,
and Dhrishtaketu and Abhimanyu of great energy.
And beholding them rushing (to the rescue), with Drona
and Salya and Kripa that hero of immeasurable soul
(Bhishma) checked them all like the mountain resisting
the force of the wind. And when all the high-souled
warriors of the Pandava side were (thus) held in check,
Sweta, taking up a sword cut off Bhishma’s bow.
Casting aside that bow, the grandsire, quickly made
Page 601
up his mind for Sweta’s destruction, having
heard the words of the celestial messenger. Though
baffled (by Sweta), thy sire Devavrata then that mighty
car-warrior quickly taking up another bow that resembled
the bow of Sakra himself in splendour, stringed it
in a moment. Then thy sire, O chief of the Bharatas,
beholding that mighty car-warrior Sweta, though the
latter was then surrounded by those tigers among men
with Bhimasena at their head,—(thy sire)
the son of Ganga-advanced steadily for the sake of
the generalissimo Sweta alone. Beholding Bhishma
advance, Bhimasena of great prowess pierced him with
sixty shafts. But that mighty car-warrior, thy
sire Devavrata, checking both Bhimasena and Abhimanyu
and other car-warriors with terrible shafts, struck
him with three straight arrows. And the grandsire
of the Bharatas also struck Satyaki, in that combat,
with a hundred arrows, and Dhrishtadyumna with twenty
and the Kekaya brothers with five. And checking
all those great bowmen with terrible arrows, thy sire
Devavrata advanced towards Sweta alone. Then taking
out an arrow resembling Death’s self and capable
of bearing a great strain and incapable of being resisted,
the powerful Bhishma placed it on his bowstring.
And that shaft, furnished with wings and duly endued
with the force of the Brahma weapon, was seen by the
gods and Gandharvas and Pisachas and Uragas, and Rakshasas.
And that shaft, of splendour like that of a blazing
fire, piercing through his coat of mail (passed through
his body and) struck into the earth, with a flash like
that of heaven’s bolt. Like the Sun when
speedily retiring to his western chambers taking along
with him the rays of light, even thus that shaft passed
out of Sweta’s body, bearing away with itself
his life. Thus slain in battle by Bhishma, we
beheld that tiger among men fall down like the loosened
crest of a mountain. And all the mighty car-warriors
of the Kshatriya race belonging to the Pandava side
indulged in lamentations. Thy sons, however,
and all the Kurus, were filled with delight. Then,
O king, beholding Sweta overthrown, Dussasana danced
in joy over the field in accompaniment With the loud
music of conches and drums. And when that great
bowman was slain by Bhishma, that ornament of battle,
the mighty bowmen (of the Pandava side) with Sikhandin
at their head, trembled in fear. Then when their
commander was slain, Dhananjaya, O king, and he of
Vrishni’s race, slowly withdrew the troops (for
their nightly rest). And then, O Bharata, the
withdrawal took place of both theirs and thine, while
thine and theirs were frequently setting up loud roars.
And the mighty car-warriors of the Parthas entered
(their quarters) cheerlessly, thinking, O chastiser
of foes, of that awful slaughter in single combat
(of their commander).”
SECTION XLIX
Page 602
Dhritarashtra said, “When the generalissimo
Sweta, O son, was slain in battle by the enemy, what
did those mighty bowmen, the Panchalas with the Pandavas,
do? Hearing their commander Sweta slain, what
happened between those that strove for his sake and
their foes that retreated before them? O Sanjaya,
hearing of our victory, (thy) words please my heart?
Nor doth my heart feel any shame in remembering our
transgression.[348] The old chief of Kuru’s
race is ever cheerful and devoted (to us). (As regards
Duryodhana), having provoked hostilities with that
intelligent son of his uncle, he sought at one time
the protection of the sons of Pandu in consequence
of his anxiety and fear due to Yudhishthira. At
that time, abandoning everything he lived in misery.
In consequence of the prowess of the sons of Pandu,
and everywhere receiving checks—having placed
himself amid entanglements—from his enemies
Duryodhana had (for some time) recourse to honourable
behaviour. Formerly that wicked-minded king had
placed himself under their protection. Why, therefore,
O Sanjaya, hath Sweta who was devoted to Yudhishthira,
been slain. Indeed, this narrow-minded prince,
with all his prospects, hath been hurled to the nether
regions by a number of wretches. Bhishma liked
not the war, nor even did the preceptor.[349] Nor
Kripa, nor Gandhari liked it. O Sanjaya, nor
do I like it, nor Vasudeva of Vrishni’s race,
nor that just king the son of Pandu; nor Bhima, nor
Arjuna, nor those bulls among men, the twins (liked
it.) Always forbidden by me, by Gandhari, by Vidura,
by Rama the son of Jamadagni, and by the high-souled
Vyasa also, the wicked-minded and sinful Duryodhana,
with Dussasana, O Sanjaya, always following the counsels
of Karna and Suvala’s son, behaved maliciously
towards the Pandavas. I think, O Sanjaya, that
he has fallen into great distress. After the
slaughter of Sweta and the victory of Bhishma what
did Partha, excited with rage, do in battle accompanied
by Krishna? Indeed, it is from Arjuna that my
fears arise, and those fears, O Sanjaya, cannot be
dispelled. He, Dhananjaya. the son of Kunti, is
brave and endued with great activity. I think,
with his arrows he will cut into fragments the bodies
of his enemies. The son of Indra, and in battle
equal unto Upendra the younger brother of Indra, a
warrior whose wrath and purposes are never futile,
alas, beholding him what becomes the state of your
minds? Brave, acquainted with Vedas, resembling
the fire and the Sun in splendour, and possessing
a knowledge of the Aindra weapon, that warrior of
immeasurable soul is ever victorious when he falleth
upon the foe? His weapons always falling upon
the foe with the force of the thunderbolt and his
arms wonderfully quick in drawing the bowstring, the
son of Kunti is a mighty car-warrior. The formidable
son of Drupada also, O Sanjaya, is endued with great
wisdom. What, indeed, did Dhristadyumna do when
Sweta was slain in battle? I think that in consequence
of the wrongs they sustained of old, and of the slaughter
of their commander, the hearts of the high-souled
Pandavas blazed up. Thinking of their wrath I
am never at my ease, by day or by night, on account
of Duryodhana. How did the great battle take
place? Tell me all about it, O Sanjaya.
Page 603
Sanjaya said, “Hear, O king, quietly about thy
transgressions. It behoveth thee not to impute
the fruit to Duryodhana. As is the construction
of an embankment when the waters have disappeared,
so is thy understanding, or, it is like the digging
of a well when house is on fire.[350] When, after
the forenoon had passed away, the commander Sweta
was, O Bharata, slain by Bhishma in that fierce conflict,
Virata’s son Sankha, that grinder of hostile
ranks ever delighting in battle, beholding Salya stationed
with Kritavarman (on his car), suddenly blazed up
with wrath, like fire with clarified butter. That
mighty warrior, stretching his large bow that resembled
the bow of Indra himself, rushed with the desire of
slaying the ruler of the Madras in battle, himself
supported on all sides by a large division of cars.
And Sankha, causing an arrowy downpour rushed towards
the car on which Salya was. And beholding him
advancing like an infuriate elephant, seven mighty
car-warriors of thy side surrounded him—desirous
of rescuing the ruler of the Madras already within
the jaws of death. Then the mighty-armed Bhishma,
roaring like the very clouds, and taking up a bow full
six cubits long, rushed towards Sankha in battle.
And beholding that mighty car-warrior and great bowman
thus rushing, the Pandava host began to tremble like
a boat tossed by a violence of the tempest. Then
Arjuna, quickly advancing, placed himself in front
of Sankha, thinking that Sankha should, then be protected
from Bhishma. And then the combat commenced between
Bhishma and Arjuna. And loud cries of oh and alas
arose among the warriors engaged in battle. And
one force seemed to merge into another force.
And thus all were filled with wonder.[351] Then Salya,
mace in hand, alighting from his large car, slew, O
bull of Bharata’s race, the four steeds of Sankha.
Jumping down from his car thus deprived of steeds,
and taking a sword, Sankha ran towards Vibhatsu’s
car and (mounting on it) was once more at his ease.
And then there fell from Bhishma’s car innumerable
arrows by which were covered the entire welkin and
the earth. And that foremost of smiters, Bhishma,
slaughtered with his arrows the Panchala, the Matsya,
the Kekaya, and the Prabhadraka host. And soon
abandoning in that battle, Pandu’s son (Arjuna)
capable of drawing the bow with even his left hand,
Bhishma rushed towards Drupada, the king of the Panchalas,
surrounded by his host. And he soon covered his
dear relative with innumerable arrows. Like a
forest consumed by fire at the end of winter, the
troops of Drupada were seen to be consumed. And
Bhishma stood in that battle like a blazing fire without
smoke, or like the Sun himself at midday scorching
everything around with his heat. The combatants
of the Pandavas were not able to even look at Bhishma.
And afflicted with fear, the Pandava host cast its
eyes around, and not beholding any protector, looked
like a herd of kine afflicted by cold. Slaughtered
or retreating in despondence being crushed the while,
Page 604
loud cries, O Bharata, of oh and alas arose among
the troops of the Pandavas. Then Bhishma the
son of Santanu, with bow always drawn to a circle,
shot therefrom blazing arrows that resembled virulent
poison. And creating continuous lines of arrows
in all directions, that hero of rigid vows slew Pandava
car-warriors, naming each, O Bharata, beforehand.
And then when the troops of the Pandavas were routed
and crushed all over the field, the sun set and nothing
could be seen. And then beholding Bhishma, O
bull of Bharata’s race, proudly standing in battle,
the Parthas withdrew their forces (for nightly rest).”
SECTION L
Sanjaya said, “When the troops, O bull of Bharata’s
race, were withdrawn on the first day, and when Duryodhana
was filled with delight upon (beholding) Bhishma excited
with wrath in battle, king Yudhisthira the just, speedily
repaired unto Janardana, accompanied by all his brothers
and all the kings (on his side). Filled with great
grief thinking of his defeat, and beholding Bhishma’s
prowess, O king, he addressed that scion of Vrishni’s
race, saying, ’Behold, O Krishna, that mighty
bowman Bhishma of terrible prowess. He consumes
with his arrow my troops like fire (consuming) dry
grass. How shall we even look at that high-souled
(warrior) who is licking up my troops like fire fed
with clarified butter? Beholding; that tiger
among men, that mighty warrior armed with the bow,
my troops fly away, afflicted with arrows. Enraged
Yama himself, or He armed with the thunder, or even
Varuna noose in hand, or Kuvera armed with mace, may
be vanquished in battle but the mighty car-warrior
Bhishma, of great energy is incapable of being vanquished.
Such being the case, I am sinking in the fathomless
ocean represented by Bhishma, without a boat (to rescue
me).[352] In consequence, O Kesava, of the weakness
of my understanding, having obtained Bhishma (for a
foe in battle), I shall, O Govinda, retire into woods.
To live there is preferable to devoting these lords
of earth to Death in the form of Bhishma. Conversant
with mighty weapons, Bhishma, O Krishna, will annihilate
my army. As insects rush into the blazing fire
for their own destruction, the combatants of my army
are even so. In putting forth prowess for the
sake of kingdom, O thou of Vrishni’s race, I
am being led to destruction. My heroic brothers
also are pained and afflicted with arrows for my sake,
having been deprived of both sovereignty and happiness
in consequence of their love for their eldest brother.
We regard life very highly, for, under these circumstances,
life is too precious (to be sacrificed). During
the remainder of my days I will practise the severest
of ascetic austerities. I will not, O Kesava,
cause these friends of mine to be slain.[353] The
mighty Bhishma incessantly stays, with his celestial
weapon, many thousands of my car-warriors who are
foremost of smiters. Tell me, O Madhava, without
Page 605
delay, what should be done that might do me good.
As regards Arjuna, I see that he is an indifferent
spectator in this battle. Endued with great might,
this Bhima alone, remembering Kshatriya duties, fighteth
putting forth the prowess of his arms and to the utmost
of his power. With his hero-slaying mace, this
high-souled (warrior), to the full measure of his powers,
achieveth the most difficult feats upon foot-soldiers
and steeds and cars and elephants. This hero,
however, is incapable, O sire, of destroying in fair
fight the hostile host in even a century. This
thy friend (Arjuna) alone (amongst) is conversant
with (mighty) weapons. He, however, beholding
us consumed by Bhishma and the high-souled Drona, looketh
indifferently on us. The celestial weapons of
Bhishma and the high-souled Drona, incessantly applied,
are consuming all the Kshatriyas. O Krishna,
such is his prowess, that Bhishma, with wrath excited,
aided by the kings (on his side), will, without doubt
annihilate us. O Lord of Yoga, look for that
great bowman, that mighty car-warrior, who will give
Bhishma his quietus like rain-charged clouds quenching
a forest conflagration. (Then) through thy grace,
O Govinda, the son of Pandu, their foes being slain,
will, after recovery of their kingdom, be happy with
their kinsmen.
“Having said this, the high-souled son of Pritha,
with heart afflicted by grief and mind turned within,
remained silent for a long while in a reflected mood.
Beholding the son of Pandu stricken with grief and
deprived of his senses by sorrow, Govinda then gladdening
all the Pandavas said, ’Do not grieve, O chief
of the Bharatas. It behoveth thee not to grieve,
when thy brothers are all heroes and renowned bowmen
in the world. I also am employed in doing thee
good, as also that mighty car-warrior Satyaki and
Virata and Drupada, both reverend in years, and Dhrishtadyumna
of Prishata’s line. And so also, O best
of kings, all these monarchs with their (respective)
troops are expectant of thy favour and devoted to
thee, O king. This mighty car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna
of Prishata’s race placed in command of thy
army is always desirous of thy welfare and engaged
in doing that which is agreeable to thee, as also
this Sikhandin, O thou of mighty arms, who is certainly
the slayer of Bhishma. Hearing these words, the
king (Yudhishthira), said, unto that mighty car-warrior
Dhrishtadyumna, in that very assembly and in the hearing
of Vasudeva, these words, O Dhrishtadyumna, mark these
words that I say unto thee, O thou of Prishata’s
line. The words uttered by me should not be transgressed.
Approved by Vasudeva, thou hast been the commander
of our forces. As Kartikeya, in days of old, was
ever the commander of the celestial host, so also
art thou, O bull among men, the commander of the Pandava
host. Putting forth thy prowess, O tiger among
men, slay the Kauravas. I will follow thee, and
Bhima, and Krishna also, O sire, and the sons of Madri
united together, and the sons of Draupadi accoutred
Page 606
in mail, and all the other foremost of kings, O bull
among men. Then gladdening (the listeners) Dhrishtadyumna
said, ’Ordained of old by Sambhu himself, I
am, O son of Pritha, the slayer of Drona. I shall
now fight in battle against Bhishma, and Drona and
Kripa and Salya and Jayadratha and all the proud monarchs
(on the Kuru side)’. When that foremost
of princes, that slayer of foes, the son of Prishata,
said this defiantly, the Pandava warriors, endued
with great energy and incapable of being defeated
in battle, all set up a loud shout. And then Pritha’s
son Yudhishthira said unto the commander of his army,
the son of Prishata, (these words), ’An array
known by the name of Krauncharuma, that is destructive
of all foes, and that was spoken of by Vrihaspati
unto Indra in days of old when the gods and the Asuras
fought,—that array destructive of hostile
divisions, do thou form. Unseen before, the kings
behold it, along with the Kurus.’ Thus addressed
by that god among men, like Vishnu addressed by the
wielder of the thunderbolt,[354] he (Dhrishtadyumna),
when morning dawned, placed Dhananjaya in the van of
the whole army. And Dhananjaya’s standard,
created at Indra’s command by the celestial
artificer, while moving through the skies, seemed
wonderfully beautiful. Decked with banners bearing
hues resembling those of Indra’s bow,[355] coursing
through the air like a ranger of the skies, and looking
like the fleeting edifice of vapour in the welkin,
it seemed, O sire to glide dancingly along the track
of the car (to which it was attached). And the
bearer of Gandiva with that (standard) graced with
gems, and that standard itself with the bearer of Gandiva,
looked highly adorned, like the Self-create with the
Sun (and the Sun with the Self-create).[356] And king
Drupada, surrounded by a large number of troops, became
the head (of that array). And the two kings Kuntibhoja
and Saivya became its two eyes. And the ruler
of the Dasarnas, and the Prayagas, with the Daserakas,
and the Anupakas, and the Kiratas were placed in its
neck, O bull of Bharata’s race. And Yudhishthira,
O king, with the Patachcharas, the Hunas, the Pauravakas
and the Nishadas, became its two wings, so also the
Pisachas, with the Kundavishas, and the Mandakas,
the Ladakas, the Tanganas, and the Uddras, O Bharata,
and the Saravas, the Tumbhumas, the Vatsas, and the
Nakulas. And Nakula and Sahadeva placed themselves
on the left wing. And on the joints of the wings
were placed ten thousand cars and on the head a hundred
thousand, and on the back a hundred millions and twenty
thousand and on the neck a hundred and seventy thousand.
And on the joints of the wings, the wings and the
extremities of the wings proceeded elephants in large
bodies, looking, O king, like blazing mountains.
And the rear was protected by Virata aided by the
Kekayas, and the ruler of Kasi and the king of the
Chedis, with thirty thousand cars.[357] Forming, O
Bharata, their mighty array thus, the Pandavas, expectant
of sunrise, waited for battle, all cased in armour.
And their white umbrellas, clean and costly, and brilliant
as the sun, shone resplendent on their elephants and
cars."[358]
Page 607
SECTION LI
Sanjaya said, “Beholding the mighty and terrible
array called Krauncha formed by Pandu’s son
of immeasurable energy, thy son, approaching the preceptor,
and Kripa, and Salya, O sire, and Somadatta’s
son, and Vikarna, and Aswatthaman also, and all his
brothers too, headed by Dussasana, O Bharata, and
other immeasurable heroes assembled there for battle,
said these timely words, gladdening them all, ’Armed
with various kinds of weapons, ye all are conversant
with the meaning of the scriptures. Ye mighty
car-warriors, each of you is singly capable of slaying
in battle the sons of Pandu with their troops.
How much more then, when ye are united together.
Our host, therefore, which is protected by Bhishma,
is immeasurable, while that host of theirs, which
is protected by Bhima, is measurable.[359] Let the
Samsthanas, the Surasenas, the Venikas, the Kukkuras,
the Rechakas, the Trigartas, the Madrakas, the Yavanas,
with Satrunjayas, and Dussasana, and that excellent
hero Vikarna, and Nanda and Upanandaka, and Chitrasena,
along with the Manibhadrakas, protect Bhishma with
their (respective) troops,’—Then
Bhishma and Drona and thy sons, O sire, formed a mighty
array for resisting that of the Parthas. And Bhishma,
surrounded by a large body of troops, advanced, leading
a mighty army, like the chief of the celestials himself.
And that mighty bowman, the son of Bharadwaja, endued
with great energy, followed him with the Kuntalas,
the Dasarnas, and the Magadhas, O king, and with the
Vidarbhas, the Melakas, the Karnas, and the Pravaranas
also. And the Gandharas, the Sindhusauviras,
the Sivis and the Vasatis with all their combatants
also, (followed) Bhishma, that ornament of battle,
and Sakuni, with all his troops protected the son
of Bharadwaja. And then king Duryodhana, united
with all his brothers, with the Aswalakas, the Vikarnas,
the Vamanas, the Kosalas, the Daradas, the Vrikas,
as also the Kshudrakas and the Malavas advanced cheerfully
against the Pandava host. And Bhurisravas, and
Sala, and Salya, and Bhagadatta, O sire, and Vinda
and Anuvinda of Avanti, protected the left flank.
And Somadatta, and Susarman, and Sudakshina, the ruler
of the Kamvojas and Satayus, and Srutayus, were on
the right flank. And Aswatthaman, and Kripa,
and Kritavarman of Satwata’s race, with a very
large division of the troops, were, stationed at the
rear of the army. And behind them were the rulers
of many provinces, and Ketumat, and Vasudana, and
the powerful son of the king of Kasi. Then all
the troops on thy side cheerfully waiting for battle,
O Bharata, blew their conches with great pleasure,
and set up leonine roars. And hearing the shouts
of those (combatants) filled with delight the venerable
Kuru grandsire, endued with great prowess, uttering
a leonine roar, blew his conch. Thereupon, conches
and drums and diverse kinds of Pesis and cymbals,
were sounded at once by others, and the noise made
Page 608
became a loud uproar. And Madhava and Arjuna,
both stationed on a great car unto which were yoked
white steeds, blew their excellent conches decked with
gold and jewels. And Hrishikesa blew the conch
called Panchajanya, and Dhananjaya (that called) Devadatta.
And Vrikodara of terrible deeds blew the huge conch
called Paundra. And Kunti’s son king Yudhishthira
blew the conch called Anantavijaya, while Nakula and
Sahadeva (those conches called) Sughosa and Manipushpaka.[360]
And the ruler of Kasi, and Saivya, and Sikhandin the
mighty car-warrior, and Dhrishtadyumna, and Virata,
and the mighty car-warrior Satyaki, and that great
bowman the king of the Panchalas, and the five sons
of Draupadi, all blew their large conches and set
up leonine roars. And that great uproar uttered
there by those heroes, loudly reverberated through
both the earth and the welkin. Thus, O great
king, the Kurus and the Pandavas, both filled with
delight, advanced against each other for battling
again, and scorching each other thus.”
SECTION LII
Dhritarashtra said, “When mine and the hostile
hosts were thus formed into battle array, how did
the foremost of smiters begin to strike?”
Sanjaya said, “When all the divisions were thus
arrayed, the combatants waited, each cased in mail,
and with their beautiful standards all upraised.
And beholding the (Kuru) host that resembled the limitless
ocean, thy son Duryodhana, O king, stationed within
it, said unto all the combatants on thy side, ‘Cased
in mail (as ye are), begin ye the fight’.
The combatants then, entertaining cruel intentions,
and abandoning their very lives, all rushed against
the Pandavas, with standards upraised. The battle
that took place then was fierce and made the hair stand
on end. And the cars and elephants all got mixed
together. And shafts with beautiful feathers,
and endued with great energy and sharp points, shot
by car-warriors fell upon elephants and horses.
And when the battle began in this way, the venerable
Kuru grandsire, the mighty-armed Bhishma of terrible
prowess, cased in mail, taking up his bow, and approaching
them, showered an arrowy downpour on the heroic son
of Subhadra, and the mighty car-warrior Arjuna, and
the ruler of the Kekayas and Virata, and Dhrishtadyumna
of Prishata’s race, as also upon the Chedi and
the Matsya warriors. And that mighty array (of
the Pandavas) wavered at the onset of that hero.
And terrific was the encounter that took place between
all the combatants. And horse-men and car-warriors
and foremost of steeds fell fast. And the car-divisions
of the Pandavas began to fly away. Then that
tiger among men, Arjuna, beholding that mighty car-warrior
Bhishma, angrily said unto him of Vrishni’s
race. ’Proceed to the place where the grandsire
is. O thou of Vrishni’s race, it is evident
that this Bhishma, with wrath excited, will annihilate
for Duryodhana’s benefit my host. And this
Page 609
Drona, and Kripa and Salya and Vikarna, O Janardana,
united with Dhritarashtra’s sons headed by Duryodhana,
and protected by this firm bowman, will slaughter
the Panchalas. Even I, therefore, shall stay
Bhishma for the sake of my troops, O Janardana.’
Unto him Vasudeva then said, ’Be careful, O
Dhananjaya, for I will soon take thee, O hero, towards
the grandsire’s car.’ Having said
this, O king, Saurin took that car, which was celebrated
over the world, before the car of Bhishma. With
numerous banners all waving, with steeds looking handsome
like a flight of (white) cranes, with standard upraised
on which was the ape roaring fiercely, upon his large
car of solar effulgence and whose rattle resembled
roar of the clouds, slaughtering the Kaurava divisions
and the Surasenas also, the son of Pandu, that enhancer
of the joys of friends speedily came to the encounter.
Him (thus) rushing impetuously like an infuriate elephant
and (thus) frightening in a battle brave combatants
and felling them with his shafts, Bhishma the son of
Santanu, protected by the warriors headed by Saindhava
and by the combatants of the East and the Sauviras
and the Kekayas, encountered with great impetuosity.
Who else save the Kuru grandsire and those car-warriors,
viz., Drona and Vikartana’s son (Karna),
are capable of advancing in battle against the bearer
of the bow called Gandiva? Then, O great king,
Bhishma, the grandsire of the Kauravas, struck Arjuna
with seventy-seven arrows and Drona (struck him) with
five and twenty, and Kripa with fifty, and Duryodhana
with four and sixty, and Salya with nine arrows; and
Drona’s son, that tiger among men, with sixty,
and Vikarna with three arrows; and Saindhava with
nine and Sakuni with five. And Artayani O king,
pierced Pandu’s son with three broad-headed
arrows. And (though) pierced on all sides by
them with sharp arrows, that great bowman,[361] that
mighty-armed (warrior), wavered not like mountain that
is pierced (with arrows). Thereupon he, the diadem-decked,
of immeasurable soul, O bull of Bharata’s race,
in return pierced Bhishma with five and twenty, and
Kripa with nine arrows, and Drona with sixty, O tiger
among men, and Vikarna with three arrows; and Artayani
with three arrows, and the king (Duryodhana) also
with five. And then Satyaki, and Virata and Dhrishtadyumna
of Prishata’s race, and the sons of Draupadi,
and Abhimanyu, all surrounded him, (proceeding to
his support). Then the prince of the Panchalas,
supported by the Somakas, advanced towards the great
bowman Drona who was engaged in seeking the welfare
of Ganga’s son. Then Bhishma, that foremost
of car-warriors, speedily pierced the son of Pandu
with eighty sharp arrows, upon which the combatants
on thy side were much gratified. Hearing the
shouts of those lions among car-warriors, Dhananjaya,
endued with great prowess, then cheerfully entered
into the midst of those lions among car-warriors and
sported with his bow, O king, (successively) aiming
Page 610
those mighty car-warriors. Then that ruler of
men, king Duryodhana, said unto Bhishma, beholding
his own troops (thus) afflicted in battle by the son
of Pritha. ’This mighty son of Pandu, O
sire, accompanied by Krishna, felling all our troops,
cutteth down our roots, even though thou, O son of
Ganga, and that foremost of car-warriors, Drona, are
alive. O monarch, it is for thee only that this
Karna, laying aside his weapons, doth not fight with
the sons of Pritha in battle (though) he is ever a
well-wisher of mine, Do, therefore, that, O son of
Ganga by which Phalguni may be slain. ’Thus
addressed, O king, thy sire Devavrata, saying, ‘Fie
to Kshatriya usage’, then proceeded towards
Partha’s car. And all the kings, O monarch,
seeing both those warriors with white steeds yoked
unto their cars stationed (for battle), set up loud
leonine roars, and also blew their conches, O sire.
And Drona’s son and Duryodhana, and thy son
Vikarna, surrounding Bhishma in that combat, stood,
O sire, for battle. And so all the Pandavas,
surrounding Dhananjaya, stood for fierce conflict.
And the battle then commenced. And the son of
Ganga pierced Partha in that combat with nine shafts.
And Arjuna pierced him in return with ten shafts penetrating
into the very vitals. Then, with a thousand arrows,
well shot, Pandu’s son Arjuna, famed for his
skill in battle, shrouded Bhishma on all sides.
That arrowy net, however, of Partha, O king, Bhishma
the son of Santanu baffled with an arrowy net (of
his own). And both well-pleased, and both delighting
in battle, fought with each other without each gaining
any advantage over the other, and each desirous of
counteracting the other’s feats. And the
successive flights of arrows shot from Bhishma’s
bow were seen to be dispersed by the shafts of Arjuna.
And so the flights of arrows shot by Arjuna, cut off
by the arrows of Ganga’s son, all fell down
on the ground. And Arjuna pierced Bhishma with
five and twenty arrows of sharp points. And Bhishma,
too, in that combat, pierced Partha in return with
nine arrows. And those two mighty warriors, those
chastisers of foes, piercing each other’s steeds,
and also the shafts and the wheels of each other’s
cars, began to sport. Then, O king, Bhishma,
that foremost of smiters, struck Vasudeva between his
two breasts with three arrows. And the slayer
of Madhu, struck with those shafts shot from Bhishma’s
bow, shone in that battle, O king, like a flowering
Kinsuka. Then Arjuna, indignant at seeing Madhava,
pierced in that combat the charioteer of Ganga’s
son with three arrows. And both heroes, striving
with each other against each other’s car, succeeded
not in taking aim at each other in the combat.
And in consequence of the ability and dexterity of
the charioteers of both those warriors, both displayed,
O king, beautiful circles and advancings and retreatings
in respect of their moving cars. And, O monarch,
seeing the opportunity to strike, they frequently
changed positions, O king, for obtaining what they
Page 611
sought. And both the heroes blew their conches,
mingling that blare with their leonine roars.
And those mighty car-warriors twang their bows, both
in the same manner. And with the blare of their
conches and the rattle of their car-wheels, the very
Earth was suddenly rent. And it began to tremble
and produce subterranean noises. And nobody, O
bull of Bharata’s race, could detect any latches
in either of them. Both of them was possessed
of great might and great courage in battle, each was
other’s match. And by (the sight of) his
standard alone, the Kauravas could approach him (for
aid). And so the Pandavas approached Pritha’s
son (for aid), guided by his standard only. And
beholding, O king, prowess thus displayed by those
two foremost of men, O Bharata, all creatures (present)
in that battle were filled with wonder. And none,
O Bharata, observed any difference between the two,
just as none finds any transgression in a person observant
of morality. And both of them (at times) became
perfectly invisible in consequence of clouds of arrows.
And soon enough both of them in that battle became
visible. And the gods with Gandharvas and the
Charanas, and the great Rishis beholding their prowess,
said unto one another. These mighty car-warriors
when excited with rage, are incapable of ever being
vanquished in battle by all the worlds with the gods,
the Asuras and the Gandharvas. This highly wonderful
battle would be wonderful in all the worlds. Indeed,
a battle such as this will never take place again.
Bhishma is incapable of being conquered in combat
by Pritha’s son of great intelligence, showering
his arrows in battle, with bow and car and steeds.
So also that great bowman, the son of Pandu, incapable
of being vanquished in battle by the very gods, Bhishma
is not competent to conquer in combat. As long
as the world itself will last, so long will this battle
continue equally. We heard these words, O king,
fraught with the praise of Ganga’s son and Arjuna
in battle bruited about there. And while those
two were engaged in displaying their prowess, other
warriors of thy side and of the Pandavas, O Bharata,
slew one another in battle, with sharp-edged scimitars,
and polished battle-axes, and innumerable arrows,
and diverse kinds of weapons. And the brave combatants
of both armies cut one another down, while that terrible
and murderous conflict lasted. And the encounter
also, O king, that took place between Drona and the
prince of the Panchalas, was awful.”
SECTION LIII
Dhritarashtra said, “Tell me, O Sanjaya, how
that great bowman Drona and the Panchala prince of
Prishata’s race encounter each other in battle,
each striving his best. I regard destiny to be
superior, O Sanjaya, to exertion, when Santanu’s
son Bhishma (even) could not escape Pandu’s son
in battle. Indeed, Bhishma, when enraged in battle
could destroy all mobile and immobile creatures, why,
O Sanjaya, could he not then by his prowess, escape
the son of Pandu in battle?”
Page 612
Sanjaya said, ’Listen, O king, quietly to this
terrific battle. The son of Pandu is incapable
of being vanquished by the very gods with Vasava.
Drona with diverse arrows pierced Dhrishtadyumna and
felled the latter’s charioteer from his niche
in the car.[362] And, O sire, the enraged hero also
afflicted Dhrishtadyumna’s four steeds with four
excellent shafts. And the heroic Dhrishtadyumna
too pierced Drona in the combat with nine sharp arrows
and addressed him, saying, ‘Wait—Wait’.
’Then, again, Bharadwaja’s son of great
prowess and immeasurable soul, covered with his arrows
the wrathful Dhrishtadyumna. And he took up a
dreadful arrow for the destruction of Prishata’s
son whose force resembled that of Sakra’s bolt
and which was like a second rod of death. And
beholding that arrow aimed by Bharadwaja in battle,
loud cries of oh and alas arose, O Bharata, among
all the combatants. And then we beheld the wonderful
prowess of Dhrishtadyumna insomuch that the hero stood
alone, immovable like a mountain. And he cut
off that terrible and blazing arrow coming towards
him like his own Death, and also showered an arrowy
downpour on Bharadwaja’s son. And beholding
that difficult feat achieved by Dhrishtadyumna, the
Panchalas with the Pandavas, filled with delight, set
up loud shouts. And that prince, endued with great
prowess, desirous of slaying Drona hurled at him a
dart of great impetuosity, decked with gold and stones
of lapis lazuli. Thereupon the son of Bharadwaja,
smiling the while, cut off into three fragments that
dart decked with gold that was coming towards him
impetuously. Beholding his dart thus baffled,
Dhrishtadyumna of great prowess rained arrowy downpours
on Drona, O king. Then that mighty car-warrior
Drona, baffling that arrowy shower, cut off when the
opportunity presented, the bow of Drupada’s son.
His bow (thus) cut off in the combat, that mighty
warrior of great fame hurled at Drona a heavy mace
endued with the strength of the mountain. And
hurled from his hands, that mace coursed through the
air for Drona’s destruction. And then we
beheld the wonderful prowess of Bharadwaja’s
son. By (the) lightness (of his car’s motion),
he baffled that mace decked with gold, and having
baffled it, he shot at Prishata’s son many shafts
of sharp edge, well-tempered, furnished with golden
wings, and whetted on stone. And these, penetrating
through Prishata’s coat of mail, drank his blood
in that battle. Then the high-souled Dhrishtadyumna,
taking up another bow, and putting forth his prowess
pierced Drona in that encounter with five shafts.
And then those two bulls among men, both covered with
blood, looked beautiful like two blossoming Kinsukas
in spring variegated with flowers. Then, O king,
excited with wrath and putting forth his prowess at
the head of his division, Drona once more cut off the
bow of Drupada’s son. And then that hero
of immeasurable soul covered that warrior whose bow
was cut off, with innumerable straight arrows like
Page 613
the clouds showering rain on a mountain. And
he also felled his foe’s charioteer from his
niche in the car. And his four steeds, too, with
four sharp arrows, Drona felled in that combat that
set up a leonine roar. And with another shaft
he cut off the leathern fence that cased Dhrishtadyumna’s
hand. His bow cut off, deprived of car, his steeds
slain, and charioteer overthrown, the prince of Panchala
alighted from his car, mace in hand, displaying great
prowess. But before he could come down from his
car, O Bharata, Drona with his shafts cut off that
mace into fragments. This feat seemed wonderful
to us. And then the mighty prince of the Panchalas
of strong arms, taking a large and beautiful shield
decked with a hundred moons, and a large scimitar
of beautiful make, rushed impetuously from desire
of slaying Drona, like a hungry lion in the forest
towards an infuriate elephant. Then wonderful
was the prowess that we behold of Bharadwaja’s
son, and his lightness (of hand) in the use of weapons,
as also the strength of his arms, O Bharata, in as
much as, alone, he checked Prishata’s son with
a shower of arrows. And although possessed of
great might in battle, he was unable to proceed further.
And we behold the mighty car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna
staying where he did and warding off those clouds
of arrows with his shield, using his arms with great
dexterity. Then the mighty-armed Bhima endued
with great strength quickly came there, desirous of
aiding in battle the high-souled son of Prishata.
And he pierced Drona, O king, with seven sharp-pointed
arrows, and speedily caused Prishata’s son to
be taken up on another car. Then king Duryodhana
urged the ruler of the Kalingas supported by a large
division, for the protection of Bharadwaja’s
son. Then that terrible and mighty division of
the Kalingas, O ruler of men, rushed against Bhima
at the command of thy son. And Drona then, that
foremost of car-warriors, abandoning the prince of
Panchala, encountered Virata and Drupada together.
And Dhrishtadyumna also proceeded to support king Yudhishthira
in battle. And then commenced a fierce battle,
making the hair stand on end, between the Kalingas
and the high-souled Bhima, a battle that was destructive
of the universe, terrific, and awful.”
SECTION LIV
Dhritarashtra said, “How did the ruler of the
Kalingas, that commander of a large division, urged
by my son, and supported by his troops, fight in battle
with the mighty Bhimasena of wonderful feats, that
hero wandering over the field of battle with his mace
like Death himself club in hand?”
Page 614
Sanjaya said, “Thus urged by thy son, O great
king, the mighty king of the Kalingas, accompanied
by a large army advanced towards Bhima’s car.
And Bhimasena, then, O Bharata, supported by the Chedis,
rushed towards that large and mighty army of the Kalingas,
abounding with cars, steeds, and elephants, and armed
with mighty weapons, and advancing towards him with
Ketumat, the son of the king of the Nishadas.
And Srutayus also, excited with wrath, accoutred in
mail, followed by his troops in battle-array, and,
accompanied by king Ketumat, came before Bhima in
battle. And the ruler of the Kalingas with many
thousands of cars, and Ketumat with ten thousand elephants
and the Nishadas, surrounded Bhimasena, O king, on
all sides. Then the Chedis, the Matsyas, and
Karushas, with Bhimasena at their head, with many kings
impetuously rushed against the Nishadas. And
then commenced the battle, fierce and terrible, between
the warriors rushing at one another from desire of
slaughter. And terrific was the battle that suddenly
took place between Bhima and his foes, resembling
the battle, O great king, between Indra and the mighty
host of Diti’s sons. And loud became the
uproar, O Bharata, of that mighty army struggling
in battle, that resembled the sound of the roaring
ocean. And the combatants, O king, cutting one
another, made the whole field resemble a crematorium
strewn with flesh and blood. And combatants,
impelled by the desire of slaughter could not distinguish
friend from foe. And those brave warriors, incapable
of being easily defeated in battle, even began to
strike down their own friend. And terrific was
the collision that took place between the few and many,
between the Chedis (on the one side) and the Kalingas
and the Nishadas, O king, (on the other). Displaying
their manliness to the best of their power, the mighty
Chedis, abandoning Bhimasena, turned back, and when
the Chedis ceased to follow him, the son of Pandu,
encountering all the Kalingas, did not turn back,
depending upon the might of his own arms. Indeed,
the mighty Bhimasena moved not, but from the terrace
of his car covered the division of the Kalingas with
showers of sharp arrows. Then that mighty bowman,
the king of the Kalingas, and that car-warrior, his
son known by the name of Sakradeva, both began to strike
the son of Pandu with their shafts. And the mighty-armed
Bhima, shaking his beautiful bow, and depending on
the might of his own arms, fought with Kalinga, and
Sakradeva, shooting in that battle innumerable arrows,
slew Bhimasena’s steeds with them. And
beholding that chastiser of foes Bhimasena deprived
of his car, Sakradeva rushed at him, shooting sharp
arrows. And upon Bhimasena, O great king, the
mighty Sakradeva showered arrowy downpours like the
clouds after summer is gone. But the mighty Bhimasena,
staying on his car whose steeds had been slain, hurled
at Sakradeva a mace made of the hardest iron.
And slain by that mace, O king, the son of the ruler
Page 615
of the Kalingas, from his car, fell down on the ground,
with his standard and charioteer. Then that mighty
car-warrior, the king of the Kalingas beholding his
own son slain, surrounded Bhima on all sides with many
thousands of cars. Then the mighty-armed Bhima
endued with great strength, abandoning mace, took
up a scimitar, desirous of achieving a fierce feat.
And that bull among men also took up, O king, crescents
made of gold. And the ruler of the Kalingas also,
excited with wrath, and rubbing his bowstring, and
taking up a terrible arrow (deadly) as poison of the
snake, shot it at Bhimasena, desirous at that monarch
was of slaying (the Pandava). That sharp arrow,
thus shot and coursing impetuously, Bhimasena, O king,
cut in twain with his huge sword. And filled
with delight he set up a loud shout, terrifying the
troops. And the ruler of the Kalingas, excited
with rage in that combat with Bhimasena, quickly hurled
at him fourteen bearded darts whetted on stone.
The mighty-armed son of Pandu, however, with that best
of scimitars, fearlessly cut into fragments in a trice,
O king, those darts while coursing through the welkin
and before they could reach him. And having in
that battle (thus) cut off those fourteen darts Bhima,
that bull among men, beholding Bhanumat, rushed at
him. Bhanumat then covered Bhima with a shower
of arrows, and set up a loud shout, making the welkin
resound with it. Bhima, however, in that fierce
battle, could not bear that leonine shout. Himself
endued with a loud voice, he also shouted very loudly.
And at these shouts of his, the army of the Kalingas
became filled with fear. In that battle they
no longer regarded Bhima, O bull among men, as a human
being. Then, O great king, having uttered a loud
shout, Bhima, sword in hand impetuously jumping on
(Bhanumat’s) excellent elephant aided by the
latter’s tusks, gained, O sire, the back of that
prince of tuskers, and with his huge sword cut Bhanumat,
dividing him in the middle. That chastiser of
foes, then, having (thus) slain in battle the prince
of the Kalingas, next[363] made his sword which was
capable of bearing a great strain, to descend upon
the neck of that elephant. His head cut off,
that prince of elephants fell down with a loud roar,
like a crested mountain (whose base is) eaten away
by the impetuous (surges of the) sea. And jumping
down, O Bharata, from that failing elephant, the prince
of Bharata’s race, of undepressed soul, stood
on the ground, sword in hand and accoutred in mail
(as before). And felling numerous elephants on
all sides, he wandered (over the field), making many
paths (for himself). And then he seemed to be
like a moving wheel of fire slaughtering whole divisions
of cavalry, of elephants, and cars, and large bodies
of infantry. And that lord among men, the mighty
Bhima, was seen to move over the field with the activity
of the hawk, quickly cutting off in that battle, with
his sharp-edged sword, their bodies and heads, as
also those of the combatants on elephant. And
Page 616
combatant on foot, excited with rage, all alone, and
like Yama at the season of universal dissolution,
he struck terror into his foes and confounded those
brave warriors. Only they that were senseless
rushed with loud shouts at him wandering in that great
battle with impetuosity, sword in hand. And that
grinder of foes, endued with great strength, cutting
off the shafts and yokes of warriors on their cars,
slew those warriors also. And Bhimasena was seen,
O Bharata, to display diverse kinds of motions there.
He wheeled about, and whirled about on high, and, made
side-thrusts, and jumped forward, and ran above, and
leapt high. And, O Bharata, he was also seen
to rush forward and rush upward. And some mangled
by the high-souled son of Pandu by means of his excellent
sword, shrieked aloud, struck at their vitals or fell
down deprived of life. And many elephants, O
Bharata, some with trunks and the extremities of their
tusks cut off, and others having their temporal globes
cut open, deprived of riders, slew their own ranks
and fell down uttering loud cries. And broken
lances, O king, and the head of elephant drivers, and
beautiful housings of elephants, and chords resplendent
with gold, and collars, and darts and mallets and
quivers, diverse kinds of machines, and beautiful
bows, short arrows with polished heads, with hooks
and iron crows for guiding elephants, bells of diverse
shape, and hilts decked with gold, were seen by us
falling down or (already) fallen along with riders
of steeds. And with elephants (lying down) having
the fore parts and hind parts of their bodies and
their trunks cut off, or entirely slain, the field
seemed to be strewn with fallen cliffs. That bull
among men, having thus crushed the huge elephants,
next crushed the steeds also. And, O Bharata,
that hero also felled the foremost of cavalry soldiers.
And the battle, O sire, that took place between him
and them was fierce in the extreme. And hilts
and traces, and saddle girths resplendent with gold,
and covers for the back of steeds, and bearded darts,
and costly swords, and coats of mail, and shields,
and beautiful ornaments, were seen by us strewn over
the ground in that great battle. And he caused
the earth to be strewn over (with blood) as if it
were variegated with lilies. And the mighty son
of Pandu, jumping high and dragging some car-warriors
down with his sword felled them along with (their)
standards. Frequently jumping up or rushing on
all sides, that hero endued with great activity, wandering
along many routes, caused the combatants to be amazed.
And some he slew by his legs, and dragging down others
he pressed them down under the earth. And others
he cut off with his sword, and others he frightened
with his roars. And others he threw down on the
ground by the force of his thighs (as he ran).
And others, beholding him, fled away in terror.
It was thus that that vast force of the Kalingas endued
with great activity, surrounding the terrible Bhimasena
Page 617
in battle, rushed at him. Then, O bull of Bharata’s
race, beholding Srutayush at the head of Kalinga troops,
Bhimasena rushed at him. And seeing him advancing
the ruler of the Kalingas, of immeasurable soul, pierced
Bhimasena between his breasts with nine arrows.
Struck with those shafts shot by the ruler of the
Kalingas, like an elephant pierced with the hook, Bhimasena
blazed up with wrath like fire fed with fuel.
Then Asoka, that best of charioteers, bringing a car
decked with gold, caused Bhima to mount on it.
And thereupon that slayer of foes, the son of Kunti,
speedily mounted on that car. And then he rushed
at the ruler of the Kalingas, saying,—’Wait,
Wait’. And then the mighty Srutayush excited
with wrath, shot at Bhima many sharp arrows, displaying
his lightness of hand, and that mighty warrior, Bhima,
forcibly struck with those nine sharp arrows shot
by Kalinga from his excellent bow, yielded to great
wrath, O king, like a snake struck with a rod.
Then that foremost of mighty men, Bhima, the son of
Pritha, excited with rage and drawing his bow with
great strength, slew the ruler of the Kalingas with
seven shafts made wholly of iron. And with two
shafts he slew the two mighty protectors of the car-wheels
of Kalinga. And he also despatched Satyadeva and
Satya to the abode of Yama. Of immeasurable soul,
Bhima also, with many sharp arrows and long shafts,
caused Ketumat to repair unto Yama’s abode.
Then the Kshatriyas of the Kalinga country, excited
with rage and supported by many thousands of combatants,
encountered the wrathful Bhimasena in battle.
And armed with darts and maces and scimitars and lances
and swords and battle-axes, the Kalingas, O king,
hundreds upon hundreds surrounded Bhimasena.
Baffling that risen shower of arrows, that mighty
warrior then took up his mace and jumped down (from
his car) with great speed.[364] And Bhima then despatched
seven hundred heroes to Yama’s abode. And
that grinder of foes despatched, in addition, two thousand
Kalingas to the region of death. And that feat
seemed highly wonderful. And it was thus that
the heroic Bhima of terrible prowess repeatedly felled
in battle large bands of the Kalingas. And elephants
deprived by Pandu’s son, in that battle, of
their riders, and afflicted with arrows wandered on
the field, treading down their own ranks and uttering
loud roars like masses of clouds driven by the wind.
Then the mighty-armed Bhima, scimitar in hand, and
filled with delight, blew his conch of terrible loudness.
And with that blare he caused the hearts of all the
Kalinga troops to quake with fear. And, O chastiser
of foes, all the Kalingas seemed at the same time
to be deprived of their senses. And all the combatants
and all the animals shook with terror. And in
consequence of Bhimasena wandering in that battle
through many paths or rushing on all sides like a
prince of elephants, or frequently jumping up, a trance
seemed to be engendered there that deprived his foes
of their senses. And the whole (Kalinga) army
Page 618
shook with terror of Bhimasena, like a large lake
agitated by an alligator. And struck with panic
in consequence of Bhima of wonderful achievements,
all the Kalinga combatants fled away in all directions.
When, however, they were rallied again, the commander
of the Pandava army (Dhrishtadyumna), O Bharata, ordered
his own troops, saying,—’Fight’.
Hearing the words of their commander, many leaders
(of the Pandava army) headed by Sikhandin approached
Bhima, supported by many car-divisions accomplished
in smiting. And Pandu’s son, king Yudhishthira
the just, followed all of them with a large elephant
force of the colour of the clouds. And thus urging
all his divisions, the son of Prishata, surrounded
by many excellent warriors, took upon himself the protection
of one of the wings of Bhimasena.[365] There exists
nobody on earth, save Bhima and Satyaki, who to the
prince of the Panchalas is dearer than his very life.
That slayer of hostile heroes, the son of Prishata,
beheld the mighty-armed Bhimasena, that slayer of
foes, wandering among the Kalingas. He set up
many shouts, O king, and was filled with delight, O
chastiser of foes. Indeed, he blew his conch in
battle and uttered a leonine roar. And Bhimasena
also, beholding the red standard of Dhrishtadyumna
on his car decked with gold and unto which were yoked
steeds white as pigeons, became comforted.[366] And
Dhrishtadyumna of immeasurable soul, beholding Bhimasena
encountered by the Kalingas rushed to the battle for
his rescue. And both those heroes. Dhrishtadyumna
and Vrikodara, endued with great energy, beholding
Satyaki at a distance, furiously encountered the Kalingas
in battle. And that bull among men, the grand
son of Sini, that foremost of victorious warriors,
quickly advancing to the spot took up the wing of
both Bhima and Prishata’s son. Bow in hand
creating a great havoc there and making himself fierce
in the extreme, he began to slay the enemy in battle.
And Bhima caused a river to flow there of bloody current,
mingled with the blood and flesh of the warriors born
in Kalinga. And beholding Bhimasena then, the
troops cried aloud, O king, saying. ’This
is Death himself that is fighting in Bhima’s
shape with the Kalingas.’ Then Santanu’s
son Bhishma, hearing those cries in battle, quickly
proceeded towards Bhima, himself surrounded on all
sides with combatants in army. Thereupon, Satyaki
and Bhimasena and Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata’s
race, rushed towards that car of Bhima decked with
gold. And all of them quickly surrounding Ganga’s
son in battle, pierced Bhishma, each with three terrible
shafts, without losing a moment. Thy sire Devavrata,
however, in return pierced each of those mighty bowmen
striving (in battle) with three straight shafts.
And checking those mighty car-warriors, with thousands
of arrows he Slew with his shafts the steeds of Bhima
decked with golden armour. Bhima, however, endued
with great energy, staying on that car whose steeds
had been slain, with great impetuosity hurled a dart
Page 619
at Bhishma’s car. Thy sire Devavrata then,
in that battle, cut off that dart in twain before it
could reach him, and thereupon it fell down on the
earth. Then that bull among men, Bhimasena, taking
up a heavy and mighty mace made of Saikya iron speedily
jumped down from his car. And Dhrishtadyumna quickly
taking up that foremost of car-warriors on his own
car, took away, in the very sight of all the combatants,
that renowned warrior. And Satyaki then from
desire of doing what was agreeable to Bhima, felled
with his shaft the charioteer of the reverend Kuru
grand-sire. Upon his charioteer being slain,
that foremost of car-warriors, Bhishma, was borne away
from the field of battle by his steeds with the speed
of the wind. And when that mighty car-warrior
was (thus) taken away from the field, Bhimasena then,
O monarch, blazed up like a mighty fire while consuming
dry grass. And slaying all the Kalingas, he stayed
in the midst of the troops, and none, O bull of Bharata’s
race, of thy side ventured to withstand him. And
worshipped by the Panchalas and the Matsyas, O bull
of Bharata’s race, he embraced Dhrishtadyumna
and then approached Satyaki. And Satyaki, the
tiger among the Yadus, of prowess incapable of being
baffled, then gladdening Bhimasena, said unto him,
in the presence of Dhrishtadyumna, (these words).
’By good luck the king of the Kalingas, and Ketumat,
the prince of the Kalingas, and Sakradeva also of
that country and all the Kalingas, have been slain
in battle. With the might and prowess of thy
arms, by thee alone, hath been crushed the very large
division of the Kalingas that abounded with elephants
and steeds and cars, and with noble warriors, and
heroic combatants.’ Having said this, the
long-armed grandson of Sini, that chastiser of foes,
quickly getting upon his car, embraced the son of
Pandu. And then that mighty car-warrior, coming
back to his own car, began to slay thy troops excited
with rage and strengthening (the hands of) Bhima.
SECTION LV
Sanjaya said, “When the forenoon of that day
had passed away, O Bharata, and when the destruction
of cars, elephants, steeds, foot-soldiers and horse-soldiers,
proceeded on, the prince of Panchala engaged himself
in battle with these three mighty car-warriors, viz.,
Drona’s son, Salya, and the high-souled Kripa.
And the mighty heir of Panchala’s king with
many sharp shafts, slew the steeds of Drona’s
son that were celebrated over all the world.
Deprived then of his animals, Drona’s son quickly
getting up on Salya’s car, showered his shafts
on the hair of the Panchala king. And beholding
Dhrishtadyumna engaged in battle with Drona’s
son, the son of Subhadra, O Bharata, quickly came up
scattering his sharp arrows. And, O bull of Bharata’s
race, he pierced Salya with five and twenty, and Kripa
with nine arrows, and Aswatthaman with eight.
Drona’s son, however, quickly pierced Arjuna’s
son with many winged arrows, and Salya pierced him
Page 620
with twelve, and Kripa with three sharp arrows.
Thy grandson Lakshmana then, beholding Subhadra’s
son engaged in battle, rushed at him, excited with
rage. And the battle commenced between them.
And the son of Duryodhana, excited with rage, pierced
Subhadra’s son with sharp shafts in that combat.
And that (feat), O king, seemed highly wonderful.
The light-handed Abhimanyu then, O bull of Bharata’s
race, excited with rage, quickly pierced his cousin
with five hundred arrows. Lakshmana also, with
his shafts, then cut off his (cousin’s) bow-staff
at the middle, at which, O monarch, all the people
sent forth a loud shout. Then that slayer of hostile
heroes, the son of Subhadra, leaving aside that broken
bow, took up another that was beautiful and tougher.[367]
And thereupon those two bulls among men, thus engaged
in combat and desirous of counteracting each other’s
feats, pierced each other with sharp shafts.
King Duryodhana then, O monarch, beholding his mighty
son thus afflicted by thy grandson (Abhimanyu), proceeded
to that spot. And when thy son turned (towards
that spot), all the kings surrounded the son of Arjuna
on every side with crowds of cars. Incapable
of being defeated in battle and equal in prowess unto
Krishna himself, that hero, O king, thus surrounded
by those heroes, was not agitated in the least.
Then Dhananjaya, beholding Subhadra’s son engaged
in battle, rushed to that spot, excited with wrath,
desirous of rescuing his own son. Thereupon the
kings (on the Kuru side), headed by Bhishma and Drona
and with cars, elephants and steeds, rushed impetuously
at Savyasachin. Then a thick earthly dust, suddenly
raised by foot-soldiers and steeds and cars and cavalry
troopers, covering the sky appeared on the view.
And those thousands of elephants and hundreds of kings,
when they came within reach of Arjuna’s arrows,
were all unable to make any further advance.
And all creatures there set up loud wails, and the
points of the compass became dark. And then the
transgression of the Kurus assumed a fierce and dreadful
aspect as regards its consequences. Neither the
welkin, nor the cardinal points of the compass nor
the earth, nor the sun, could be distinguished, O
best of men, in consequence of the arrows shot by
Kiritin.[368] And many were the elephants there deprived
of the standards (on their backs), and many car-warriors
also, deprived of their steeds. And some leaders
of car divisions were seen wandering, having abandoned
their cars. And other car-warriors, deprived of
their cars, were seen to wander hither and thither,
weapon in hand and their arms graced with Angadas.
And riders of steeds abandoning their steeds and of
elephants abandoning their elephants from fear of Arjuna,
O king, fled away in all directions. And kings
were seen felled or falling from cars and elephants
and steeds in consequence of Arjuna’s shafts.
And Arjuna, assuming a fierce countenance, cut off
with his terrible shafts, the upraised arms of warriors,
Page 621
mace in grasp, and arms bearing swords, O king, or
darts, or quivers, or shafts, or bows, or hooks, or
standards, all over the field. And spiked maces
broken in fragments, and mallets, O sire, and bearded
darts, and short arrows, and swords also, in that
battle, and sharp-edged battle-axes, and lances, O
Bharata, and shields broken into pieces, and coats
of mail also, O king,[369] and standards, and weapons
of all kinds thrown away and umbrellas furnished with
golden staves, and iron hooks also, O Bharata, and
goads and whips, and traces also, O sire, were seen
strewn over the field of battle in heaps. There
was no man in thy army, O sire, who could advance against
the heroic Arjuna in battle. Whoever, O king,
advanced against Pritha’s son in battle, pierced
by sharp shafts was despatched to the other world.
When all these combatants of thine broke had fled
away, Arjuna and Vasudeva blew their excellent conches.
Thy sire Devavrata then, beholding the (Kuru) host
routed, smilingly addressed the heroic son of Bharadwaja
in the battle and said, “This mighty and heroic
son of Pandu, viz., Dhananjaya, accompanied by
Krishna, is dealing with (our) troops as he alone
is competent to deal with them. He is incapable
of being vanquished in battle today by any means,
judging by his form that we see now so like unto that
of the Destroyer himself at the end of the Yuga.
This vast host again (of ours) is incapable of being
rallied. Behold, looking at one another, our
troops are flying away. Yon Sun, robbing in every
way the vision of the whole world, is about to reach
that best of mountains called Asta.[370] For this,
O bull among men, I think that the hour is come for
the withdrawal (of the army). The warriors, who
have all been tired and struck with panic, will never
fight. Having said this unto Drona that best
of preceptors, Bhishma, that mighty car-warrior, caused
thy army to be withdrawn. And then when the sun
set, the withdrawal of both thy army and theirs took
place, O sire, and twilight set in.”
SECTION LVI
Sanjaya said,—“When the night having
passed away, the dawn came, Santanu’s son Bhishma,
that chastiser of foes, gave the order for the (Kuru)
army to prepare for battle. And the son of Santanu,
the old Kuru grandsire, desirous of victory to thy
sons, formed that mighty array known after the name
of Garuda. And on the beak of that Garuda was
thy sire Devavrata himself. And its two eyes
were Bharadwaja’s son and Kritavarman of Satwata’s
race. And those renowned warriors, Aswatthaman
and Kripa, supported by the Trigartas, the Matsyas,
the Kekayas, and the Vatadhanas, were in its head.
And Bhurisravas and Sala, and Salya and Bhagadatta,
O sire, and the Madrakas, the Sindhu-Souviras, and
they that were called the Pancha-nodas, together with
Jayadratha, were placed on its neck. And on its
back was king Duryodhana with all his followers.
And Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, and the Kamvojas
Page 622
with the Sakas, and the Surasenas, O sire, formed
its tail, O great king. And the Magadhas and
the Kalingas, with all the tribes of the Daserakas,
accoutred in mail, formed the right wing of that array.
And the Karushas, the Vikunjas, the Mundas, and the
Kaundivrishas, with Vrithadvala, were stationed on
the left wing. Then that chastiser of foes, Savyasachin,
beholding the host disposed in battle-array, aided
by Dhrishtadyumna, disposed his troops in counter-array.
And in opposition to that array of thine, the son of
Pandu formed fierce array after the form of the half-moon.
And stationed on the right horn, Bhimasena shone surrounded
by kings of diverse countries abundantly armed with
various weapons. Next to him were those mighty
car-warriors Virata and Drupada; and next to them was
Nila armed with envenomed weapons. And next to
Nila was the mighty car-warrior Dhrishtaketu, surrounded
by the Chedis, the Kasis, the Karushas, and the Pauravas.
And Dhrishtadyumna, and Sikhandin, with the Panchalas
and the Prabhadrakas, and supported by other troops,
were stationed in the middle, O Bharata, for battle.
And thither also was king Yudhishthira the just, surrounded
by his elephant division. And next to him were
Satyaki, O king, and the five sons of Draupadi.
And immediately next to them was Iravan. And
next to him were Bhimasena’s son (Ghatotkacha)
and those mighty car-warriors, the Kekayas. And
next, on the left horn (of that array), was that best
of men, viz., he who had for his protector, Janardana—that
protector of the whole Universe. It was thus that
the Pandavas formed their mighty counter-array for
the destruction of thy sons and of those who had sided
with them. Then commenced the battle between
thy troops and those of the foe striking one another,
and in which cars and elephants mingled in the clash
of combat. Large numbers of elephants and crowds
of cars were seen everywhere, O king, to rush towards
one another for purposes of slaughter. And the
rattle of innumerable cars rushing (to join the fray),
or engaged separately raised a loud uproar, mingling
with the beat of drums. And the shouts of the
heroic combatants belonging to thy army and theirs,
O Bharata, slaying one another in that fierce encounter,
reached the very heavens.”
SECTION LVII
Sanjaya said, “After the ranks of thy army and
theirs had been disposed in battle-array, that mighty
car-warrior, Dhananjaya, felling in that conflict
leaders of car-divisions with his arrows, caused a
great carnage, O Bharata, among the car-ranks.
The Dhartarashtras, (thus) slaughtered in battle by
Pritha’s son, like the Destroyer himself at the
end of the Yuga, still fought perseveringly with the
Pandavas. Desirous. of (winning) blazing glory
and (bent upon) making death (the only ground for)
a cessation of the fight, with minds undirected to
anything else, they broke the Pandava ranks in many
places and were also themselves broken. Then
Page 623
both the Pandava and the Kaurava troops broke, changed
positions, and fled away. Nothing could be distinguished.
An earthly dust arose, shrouding the very sun.
And nobody there could distinguish, either the cardinal
or the subsidiary directions. And everywhere the
battle raged, O king, the combatants being guided
by the indications afforded by colours, by watch-words,
names and tribal distinctions. And the array of
the Kauravas, O king, could not be broken, duly protected
as it was by Bharadwaja’s son, O sire.[371]
And so the formidable array of the Pandava also, protected
by Savyasachin, and well-guarded by Bhima, could not
be broken. And the cars and elephants in close
ranks, O king, of both the armies, and other combatants,
coming out of their respective arrays, engaged in
conflict. And in that fierce battle cavalry soldiers
felled cavalry soldiers, with polished swords of sharp
edges and long lances. And car-warriors, getting
car-warriors (within reach) in that fierce conflict,
felled them with shafts decked with golden wings.
And elephant-riders, of thy side and theirs, felled
large numbers of elephant-riders in close ranks, with
broad-headed shafts and arrows and lances. And
large bodies of infantry, inspired with wrath towards
one another, cheerfully felled combatants of their
own class with short arrows and battle-axes.
And car-warriors, O king, getting elephant-riders
(within reach) in that conflict, felled them along
with their elephants. And elephant-riders similarly
felled car-warriors. And, O bull of Bharata’s
race, the cavalry soldier with his lance felled the
car-warrior in that conflict, and the car-warrior
also felled the cavalry soldier. And both the
armies the foot-soldier, felled the car-warrior in
the combat, and the car-warrior felled the foot-soldiers,
with sharp weapons. And elephant-riders felled
horse-riders, and horse-riders felled warriors on
the backs of elephants. And all this appeared
exceedingly wonderful. And here and there foot-soldiers,
were felled by foremost of elephant-riders, and elephant-riders
were seen to be felled by the former. And bands
of foot-soldiers, by hundreds and thousands, were seen
to be felled by horse-riders and horse-riders by foot-soldiers.
And strewn with broken standards and bows and lances
and housings of elephants, and costly blankets and
bearded darts, and maces, and clubs furnished with
spikes, and Kampanas, and darts, and variegated coats
of mail and Kunapas, and iron hooks, and polished
scimitars, and shafts furnished with golden wings,
the field, O best of Bharata’s race, shone as
if with floral wreaths. And the earth, miry with
flesh and blood, became impassable with the bodies
of men and steeds and elephants slain in that dreadful
battle. And drenched with human blood, the earthy
dust disappeared. And the cardinal points, all
around, became perfectly clear, O Bharata. And
innumerable headless trunks rose up all around indicating,
O Bharata, of the destruction of the world. And
Page 624
in that terrible and awful battle, car-warriors were
seen to run away in all directions. Then Bhishma
and Drona, and Jayadratha, the ruler of the Sindhus
and Purumitra, and Vikarna, and Sakuni the son of
Suvala-these warriors invincible in battle and possessed
of leonine prowess-staying in battle broke the ranks
of the Pandavas. And so Bhimasena and the Rakshasa
Ghatotkacha, and Satyaki, and Chekitana, and the sons
of Draupadi, O Bharata, supported by all the kings
(on their side), began to grind thy troops and thy
sons stationed in battle, like the gods grinding the
Danavas. And those bulls among Kshatriyas, striking
one another in battle, became terrible to behold and
covered with blood shone like Kinsukas. And the
foremost warriors of both armies, vanquishing their
opponents, looked, O king, like the planetary luminaries
in the firmament. Then thy son Duryodhana, supported
by a thousand cars, rushed to battle with the Pandavas
and the Rakshasa. And so all the Pandavas, with
a large body of combatants rushed in battle against
those chastisers of foes, the heroic Bhishma and Drona.
And the diadem-decked (Arjuna) also, excited with
rage rushed against the foremost of kings. And
Arjuna’s son (Abhimanyu), and Satyaki, both advanced
against the forces of Suvala’s son. And
then commenced once more a fearful battle, making
the hair to stand on end, between thine and the enemy’s
troops both desirous of vanquishing each other.”
SECTION LVIII
Sanjaya said, “Then those kings, excited with
rage, beholding Phalguni in battle, surrounded him
on all sides with many thousands of cars. And
having, O Bharata surrounded him with multitudinous
division of cars, they shrouded him from all sides
with many thousands of shafts. And bright lances
of sharp points, and maces, and clubs endued with spikes,
and bearded darts and battle-axes, and mallets and
bludgeons they hurled at Phalguni’s car, excited
with rage. And that shower of weapons approaching
(towards him) like a flight of locusts, Pritha’s
son checked on all sides with his gold-decked arrows.
And beholding there on that occasion the superhuman
lightness of hand that Vibhatsu possessed, the gods,
the Danavas, the Gandharvas, the Pisachas, the Uragas
and the Rakshasas eulogised Phalguni, O king, saying,—’Excellent,
Excellent.’ And the heroic Gandharvas along
with Suvala’s son with a large force surrounded
Satyaki and Abhimanyu. Then the brave warriors
led by Suvala’s son from anger, cut into pieces
the excellent car of the Vrishni hero, with weapons
of diverse kinds. And in course of that fierce
conflict, Satyaki, abandoning that car of his, speedily
mounted on Abhimanyu’s car, O chastiser of foes.
And those two, mounted on the same car, then began
to speedily slaughter the army of Suvala’s son
with straight arrows of sharp points. And Drona
and Bhishma, steadily struggling in battle, began
to slaughter the division of king Yudhishthira the
Page 625
just, with sharp shafts furnished with the feathers
of the Kanka bird. Then the son of Dharma and
two other sons of Pandu by Madri, in the very sight
of the whole army, began to grind the division of
Drona. And the battle that took place there was
fierce and awful, making the hair stand on end, like
the terrible battle that took place between the gods
and the Asuras in days of yore. And Bhimasena
and Ghatotkacha, both achieved mighty feats.
Then Duryodhana, approaching, checked them both.
And the prowess we then beheld of Hidimva’s
son was exceedingly wonderful, insomuch that he fought
in battle, O Bharata, transcending his very father.
And Bhimasena, the son of Pandu, excited with wrath,
pierced the vindictive Duryodhana in the breast, with
an arrow, smiling the while. Then king Duryodhana,
afflicted by the violence of that blow, sat down on
the terrace of his car and swooned away. And
his charioteer then, beholding him senseless, speedily
bore him away, O king, from battle. And then the
troops that supported Duryodhana broke and fled.
And thereupon Bhima, smiting that Kuru army thus flying
away in all directions, with sharp-pointed shafts,
pursued it behind. And Prishata’s son (Dhrishtadyumna),
that foremost of warriors, and Pandu’s son king
Yudhishthira, the just, in the very sight, O Bharata,
of both Drona and Ganga’s son, slew their army
with sharp shafts capable of slaying hostile forces.
That host of thy son, thus flying away in battle,
those mighty car-warriors. Bhishma and Drona were
incapable of checking. For though attempted to
be checked by Bhishma and the high-souled Drona, that
host fled away in the very sight of Drona and Bhishma.
And then when (those) thousand of car-warriors fled
away in all directions, Subhadra’s son and that
bull of Sini’s race, both stationed on the same
car, began, O chastiser of foes, to slaughter the army
of Suvala’s son of battle. And Sini’s
grandson and that bull of Kuru’s race looked
resplendent like the sun and the moon when together
in the firmament after the last lunation of the dark
fortnight has passed away. And then Arjuna also,
O king, excited with rage, showered arrows on thy
army like the clouds pouring rain in torrents.
And the Kaurava army, thus slaughtered in battle with
the shafts of Partha, fled away, trembling in grief
and fear. And beholding the army flying away,
the mighty Bhishma and Drona, excited with rage and
both desirous of Duryodhana’s welfare sought
to cheek it. Then king Duryodhana himself, comforting
the combatants, checked that army, then flying away
in all directions. And thereupon all the mighty
Kshatriya car-warriors stopped, each at the spot where
he saw thy son. And then others among the common
soldiers, beholding them stop, stopped of their own
accord, O king, from shame and desire of displaying
their courage unto one another. And the impetuosity,
O king, of that army thus rallied to the fight resembled
that of the surging sea at the moment of the moon’s
Page 626
rise. And king Duryodhana, beholding that army
of his rallied for the fight, quickly repaired to
Santanu’s son Bhishma and said these words.
’O grandsire, listen to what I say, O Bharata.
When, O son of Kuru, thou art alive, and Drona, that
foremost of persons conversant with weapons, along
with his son and with all our other friends (is alive),
and then that mighty bowman Kripa also is alive, I
do not regard it as at all creditable that my army
should thus fly away. I do not regard the Pandavas
to be, by any means, a match for thee or for Drona,
in battle, or for Drona’s son, or for Kripa.
Without doubt, O grandsire, the sons of Pandu are being
favoured by thee, inasmuch as thou forgivest, O hero,
this slaughter of my army. Thou shouldst have
told me, O king, before this battle took place, that
thou wouldst not fight with the Pandavas. Hearing
such words from thee, as also from the preceptor,
O Bharata, I would then have, with Karna, reflected
upon what course I should pursue. If I do not
deserve to be abandoned by you two in battle, then,
O bulls among men, do ye fight according to the measure
of your prowess. Hearing these words, Bhishma,
laughing repeatedly, and turning up his eyes in wrath,
said to thy son, ’Many a time, O king, have
I said unto thee words worthy of thy acceptance and
fraught with thy good. The Pandavas are incapable
of being vanquished in battle by the very gods with
Vasava amongst them. That, however, which my
aged self is capable of doing, I will do to the extent
of my power, O best of kings, in this battle.
Witness it now with thy kinsmen. Today, in the
very sight of all, alone I shall check the sons of
Pandu at the head of their troops and with all their
kinsfolk.’ Thus addressed by Bhishma, thy
son, O king, filled with delight, caused conches to
be blown and drums to be beaten. And the Pandavas
also, O king, hearing that loud uproar, blew their
conches, and caused their drums and cymbals to be
played upon.”
SECTION LIX
Dhritarashtra said, “After that dreadful vow
had been made in battle by Bhishma enraged by the
words of my son, what, O Sanjaya, did Bhishma do unto
the sons of Pandu or what did the Panchalas do unto
the grandsire? Tell it all unto me, O Sanjaya.”
Sanjaya said, “After the forenoon of that day,
O Bharata, had passed away, and the sun in his westward
course had passed a portion of his path, and after
the high-souled Pandavas had won the victory, thy sire
Devavrata, conversant with the distinction of all codes
of morality, rushed carried by the fleetest steeds,
towards the army of the Pandavas, protected by a large
force and by all thy sons. Then, O Bharata, in
consequence of thy sinful policy, commenced a dreadful
battle, making the hair stand on end, between ourselves
and the Pandavas. And the twang of bows, the
flapping of bowstrings against the leathern fences
(casing the hands of the bowman), mingling together,
Page 627
made a loud uproar resembling that of splitting hills.
Stay—Here I stand,—Know this
one,—Turn back,—Stand,—I
wait for thee—Strike,—these were
the words heard everywhere. And the sound of
falling coats of mail made of gold, of crowns and
diadems, and of standards resembled the sound of falling
stones on a stony ground. And heads, and arms
decked with ornaments, falling by hundreds and thousands
upon the ground moved in convulsions. And some
brave combatants, with heads severed from their trunks,
continued to stand weapons in grasp or armed with drawn
bow. And a dreadful river of blood began to flow
there, of impetuous current, miry with flesh and blood,
and with the bodies of (dead) elephants for its (sub-aqueous)
rocks. Flowing from the bodies of steeds, men,
and elephants, and delightful to vultures and jackals,
it ran towards the ocean represented by the next world.
A battle such as that, O king, which (then) took place
between thy sons, O Bharata, and the Pandavas, was
never seen or heard before. And in consequence
of the bodies of combatants slain in that conflict,
cars could not make their way. And the field
of battle in consequence of the bodies of slain elephants
seemed to be strewn over with blue crests of hills.
And the field of battle, strewn with variegated coats
of mail and turbans, O sire, looked beautiful like
the firmament autumn. And some combatants were
seen who, though severely wounded, yet rushed cheerfully
and proudly upon the foe in battle. And many,
fallen on the field of battle, cried aloud, saying—’O
father, O brother, O friend, O kinsman, O companion,
O maternal uncle, do not abandon me.’—And
others cried aloud, saying,—’Come!
Come thou here! Why art thou frightened?
Where dost thou go? I stand in battle, do not
be afraid.’ And in that combat Bhishma,
the son of Santanu, with bow incessantly drawn to
a circle, shot shafts of blazing points, resembling
snakes of virulent poison. And shooting continuous
line of arrows in all directions, that hero of rigid
vows smote the Pandava car-warriors naming each beforehand,
O Bharata. And displaying his extreme lightness
of hands, and dancing (as it were) along the track
of his car, he seemed, O king, to be present everywhere
like a circle of fire. And in consequence of
the lightness of his movements, the Pandavas in that
battle, along with the Srinjayas, beheld that hero,
though really alone, as multiplied a thousand-fold.
And every one there regarded Bhishma as having multiplied
his self by illusion. Having seen him now on the
east, the next moment they saw him on the west.
And so having seen him on the north, the next moment
they saw him on the south. And the son of Ganga
was thus seen fighting in that battle. And there
was no one amongst the Pandavas capable of even looking
at him. What they all saw were only the innumerable
shafts shot from his bow. And heroic warriors,
beholding him achieve such feats in battle, and (thus)
slaughtering their ranks, uttered many lamentations.
Page 628
And, kings in thousands came in contact with thy sire,
thus coursing over the field in a superhuman way, and
fell upon that fire represented by the enraged Bhishma
like flights of senseless insects (upon a blazing
fire) for their own destruction. Not a single
shaft of that light-handed warrior was futile, falling
upon the bodies of men, elephants, and steeds, in
consequence of the numbers (opposed to him).
With a single straight shaft shot in that battle, he
despatched a single elephant like hill riven by the
thunderbolt. Two or three elephant-riders at
a time, cased in mail and standing together, thy sire
pierced with one shaft of sharp point. Whoever
approached Bhishma, that tiger among men, in battle,
seen for a moment was, next beheld to fall down on
the ground. And that vast host of king Yudhishthira
the just, thus slaughtered by Bhishma of incomparable
prowess, gave way in a thousand directions. And
afflicted with that arrowy shower, the vast army began
to tremble in the very presence of Vasudeva and the
high-souled Partha. And although the heroic leaders
of the Pandava army made great efforts, yet they could
not check the flight of (even) the great car-warriors
of their side afflicted with the shafts of Bhishma.
The prowess, in consequence of which that vast army
was routed, was equal to that of the chief of the
gods himself. And that army was so completely
routed, O great king, that no two persons could be
seen together. And cars and elephants and steeds
were pierced all over, and standards and shafts of
cars were strewn over the field. And the army
of the sons of Pandu uttered cries of oh and alas,
and became deprived of senses. And the sire struck
the son and the son struck the sire; and friend challenged
the dearest of friends to battle as if under the influence
of fate. And others amongst the combatants of
Pandu’s son were seen, O Bharata, to run away,
throwing aside their coats of mail, and with dishevelled
hair. And the army of the sons of Pandu, indulging
in loud wails, including the very leaders of their
best of car-warriors, was seen to be as confounded
as a very herd of kine. The delighter of the Yadavas
then, beholding that army thus routed, said unto Partha,
stopping that best of cars (which he guided), these
words, ’The hour is now come, O Partha, which
was desired by thee. Strike Bhishma, O tiger among
men, else, thou wilt lose the senses. O hero,
formerly, in the conclave of kings, thou hadst said,—’I
will slay all the warriors of Dhritarashtra’s
sons, headed by Bhishma and Drona—all in
fact, who will fight with me in battle’.
O son of Kunti, O chastiser of foes, make those words
of thine true. Behold, O Vibhatsu, this army
of thine is being routed on all sides. Behold,
the kings in Yudhishthira’s host are all flying
away, seeing Bhishma in battle, who looketh like the
Destroyer himself with wide-open mouth. Afflicted
with fear, they are making themselves scarce like
the weaker animals at sight of the lion. Thus
Page 629
addressed, Dhananjaya replied unto Vasudeva, saying,
’Plunging through this sea of the hostile host,
urge on the steeds to where Bhishma is. I will
throw down that invincible warrior, the reverend Kuru
grandsire’. Then Madhava urged those steeds
of silvery hue to where, O king, the car of Bhishma
was, that car which, like the very sun, was incapable
of being gazed at. And beholding the mighty-armed
Partha thus rushing to an encounter with Bhishma,
the mighty army of Yudhisthira rallied for battle.
Then Bhishma, that foremost of warriors amongst the
Kurus, repeatedly roaring like a lion, quickly covered
Dhananjaya’s car with an arrowy shower.
In a moment that car of his, with standard and charioteer,
became invisible, shrouded with that arrowy downpour.
Vasudeva, however, endued with great might fearlessly
and summoning all his patience, began to guide those
steeds mangled by Bhishma’s shafts. Then
Partha, taking up his celestial bow whose twang resembled
the roar of the clouds, caused Bhishma’s bow
to drop down, cutting it off with his keen shafts.
The Kuru warrior, thy sire, seeing his bow cut off,
took up another and stringed it within the twinkling
of the eye. And he stretched that bow whose twang
resembled the roar of the clouds, with his two hands.
But Arjuna, excited with wrath, cut off that bow also
of his. Then the son of Santanu applauded that
lightness of hand (displayed by Arjuna), saying—Excellent,
O Partha, O thou of mighty arms, excellent, O son
of Pandu. O Dhananjaya, such a mighty feat is,
indeed, worthy of thee. I have been pleased with
thee. Fight hard with me, O son. And having
applauded Partha thus, and taking up another large
bow, that hero shot his shafts at Partha’s car.
And Vasudeva then displayed his great skill in the
guiding of chariot, for he baffled those shafts of
his, by guiding the car in quick circles. Then,
O sire, Bhishma with great strength pierced both Vasudeva
and Dhananjaya with keen shafts all over their bodies.
And mangled by those shafts of Bhishma, those two
tigers among men looked like two roaring bulls with
the scratches of horns on their bodies. And once
again, excited with rage, Bhishma covered the two
Krishnas on all sides with shafts in hundreds and
thousands. And with those keen shafts of his,
the enraged Bhishma caused him of Vrishni’s
race to shiver. And laughing loudly he also made
Krishna to wonder. Then the mighty-armed Krishna,
beholding the prowess of Bhishma in battle as also
the mildness with which Arjuna fought, and seeing
that Bhishma was creating incessant showers of arrows
in that conflict and looked like the all-consuming
Sun himself in the midst of the two armies, and marking
besides, that that hero was slaying the foremost of
combatants in Yudhishthira’s host and causing
a havoc in that army as if the hour of dissolution
had come,—the adorable Kesava, that slayer
of hosts, endued with immeasurable soul—unable
to bear what he saw, thought that Yudhishthira’s
Page 630
army could not survive that slaughter.—In
a single day Bhishma can slaughter all the Daityas
and the Danavas. With how much ease then can
he slay in battle the sons of Pandu with all their
troops and followers. The vast army of the illustrious
son of Pandu is again flying away. And the Kauravas
also beholding the Somakas routed, are rushing to
battle cheerfully, gladdening the grandsire.
Accoutred in mail, even I will stay Bhishma to-day
for the sake of the Pandavas. This burthen of
the high-souled Pandavas even I will lighten.
As regards Arjuna, though struck in battle with keen
shafts, he knoweth not what he should do, from respect
for Bhishma,—And while Krishna was reflecting
thus the grandsire, excited with wrath, once again
shot his shafts at Partha’s car. And in
consequence of very great number of those arrows all
the points of the compass became entirely shrouded.
And neither the welkin nor the quarters nor the earth
nor the sun himself of brilliant rays, could be seen.
And the winds that blew seemed to be mixed with smoke,
and all the points of the compass seemed to be agitated.
And Drona, and Vikarna, and Jayadratha, and Bhurisrava,
and Kritavarman, and Kripa, and Srutayush and the ruler
of the Amvashtas and Vinda and Anuvinda, Sudakshina
and the westerners, and the diverse tribes of the
Sauviras, the Vasatis, and the Kshudrakas, and the
Malavas, all these, at the command of the royal son
of Santanu, quickly approached Kiritin for battle.
And the grandson of Sini saw that Kiritin was surrounded
by many hundreds of horse, and infantry, and cars,
and mighty elephants. And beholding both Vasudeva
and Arjuna thus encompassed by infantry and elephants
and horses and cars, on all sides, that foremost of
all bearers of arms, viz., the chief of the Sinis,
quickly proceeded to that spot. And that foremost
of bowmen, the chief of the Sinis, quickly rushing
at those troops, came to Arjuna’s side like Vishnu
coming to the aid of the slayer of Vritra. And
that foremost warrior of Sini’s race cheerfully
said unto Yudhishthira’s host all the combatants
of which had been frightened by Bhishma and whose
elephants, steeds, cars, and numberless standards
had been mangled and broken into pieces, and which
was flying away from the field, these words, ’Ye
Kshatriyas, where do ye go? This is not the duty
of the righteous as hath been declared by the ancients.
Ye foremost of heroes, do not violate your pledges.
Observe your own duties as heroes’. Beholding
that those foremost of kings were flying together
from the field of battle, and marking the mildness
with which Partha fought, and beholding also that
Bhishma was exerting himself very powerfully in battle,
and that the Kurus were rushing from all sides, the
younger brother of Vasava, the high-souled protector
of all the Dasarhas, unable to bear it all, addressed
the renowned grandson of Sini, and applauding him,
said,—’O hero of Sini’s race,
they that are retreating, are, indeed, retreating.
Page 631
They that are yet staying, O thou of the Satwata race,
let them also go away. Behold, I will soon throw
Bhishma down from his car, and Drona also in battle,
with all their followers. There is none in the
Kuru host, O thou of the Satwata race, who is able
to escape my angry self. Therefore, taking up
my fierce discus, I will slay Bhishma of high vows.
And slaying in battle those two foremost of car-warriors,
viz., Bhishma along with his followers and Drona
also, O grandson of Sini, I will gladden Dhananjaya,
and the king, and Bhima, and the twin Aswins.
And slaying all the sons of Dhritarashtra and all
those foremost of kings who have embraced their side,
I will joyfully furnish king Ajatasatru with a kingdom
today.’ Saying this, Vasudeva’s son,
abandoning (the reins of) the steeds, jumped down from
the car, whirling with his (right) arm his discus of
beautiful nave with edge sharp as a razor, effulgent
as the sun and possessed of force equal to that of
a thousand bolts of heaven. And making the earth
tremble under his tread, the high-souled Krishna rushed
impetuously towards Bhishma. And that grinder
of foes, the younger brother of the chief of the gods,
excited with wrath, rushed towards Bhishma staying
in the midst of his troops, like a lion from desire
of slaying upon a prince of elephants blinded with
fury and staying proudly for the attack. And the
end of his yellow garments waving in the air looked
like a cloud charged with lightning in the sky.
And that lotus of a discus called Sudarsana, having
for its stalk the beautiful arm of Saurin, looked as
beautiful as the primeval lotus, bright as the morning
sun, which sprung from the navel of Narayana.
And Krishna’s wrath was the morning sun that
caused that lotus to blow. And the beautiful
leaves of that lotus were as sharp as the edge of
a razor. And Krishna’s body was the beautiful
lake, and his (right) arm the stalk springing therefrom,
upon which that lotus shone. And beholding the
younger brother of Mahendra, excited with wrath and
roaring loudly and armed with that discus, all creatures
set out a loud wail, thinking that the destruction
of the Kurus was at hand. And armed with his
discus Vasudeva looked like the Samvarta fire that
appears at the end of the Yuga for consuming the world.
And the preceptor of the universe blazed up like a
fierce comet risen for consuming all creatures.
And beholding that foremost of bipeds, that divine
personage, advancing armed with the discus, Santanu’s
son stationed on his car, bow and arrow in hand, fearlessly
said, ’Come, Come, O Lord of the gods, O thou
that hast the universe for thy abode. I bow to
thee, O thou that art armed with mace, sword and Saranga.
O lord of the universe, forcibly throw me down from
this excellent car, O thou that art the refuge of all
creatures in this battle. Slain here by thee,
O Krishna, great will be my good fortune both in this
world and the next. Great is the respect thou
payest me, O Lord of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas.
Page 632
My dignity will be celebrated in the three worlds.’
Hearing these words of Santanu’s son, Krishna
rushing impetuously towards him said, ’Thou
art the root of this great slaughter on earth.
Thou wilt behold Duryodhana slain to-day. A wise
minister who treadeth in the path of righteousness
should restrain a king that is addicted to the evil
of gambling. That wretch again of his race who
transgresseth duty should be abandoned as one whose
intelligence hath been misdirected by destiny.—The
royal Bhishma, hearing these words, replied unto the
chief of the Yadus, saying,—Destiny is all
powerful. The Yadus, for their benefit, had abandoned
Kansa. I said this to the king (Dhritarashtra)
but he minded it not. The listener that hath no
benefit to receive becometh, for (his own) misery,
of perverted understanding through (the influence
of destiny).’ Meanwhile, jumping down from
his car, Partha, himself of massive and long arms,
quickly ran on foot after that chief of Yadu’s
race possessed of massive and long arms, and seized
him by his two hands. That first of all gods devoted
in self, Krishna, was excited with rage. And
therefore, though thus seized, Vishnu forcibly dragged
Jishnu after him, like a tempest bearing away a single
tree. The high-souled Partha, however, seizing
them with great force his legs as he was proceeding
at a quick pace towards Bhishma, succeeded, O king,
in stopping him with difficulty at the tenth step.
And when Krishna stopped, decked as he was with a
beautiful garland of gold, cheerfully bowed down to
him and said, ’Quell this wrath of thine.
Thou art the refuge of the Pandavas, O Kesava.
I swear, O Kesava, by my sons and uterine brothers
that I will not withdraw from the acts to which I
have pledged myself. O younger brother of Indra,
at thy command I will certainly annihilate the Kurus.’
Hearing that promise and oath of his, Janardana became
gratified. And ever engaged as he was in doing
what was agreeable to Arjuna—that best
of the Kurus.—he once more, discus on arm,
mounted on his car. And that slayer of foes once
more took up those reins (that he had abandoned),
and taking up his conch called Panchajanya, Saurin
filled all the points of the compass and the welkin
with its blare. And thereupon beholding Krishna
decked with necklace and Angada and ear-rings, with
curved eye-lashes smeared with dust, and with teeth
of perfect whiteness, once more take up his conch the
Kuru heroes uttered a loud cry. And the sound
of cymbals and drums and kettle-drums, and the rattle
of car-wheels and the noise of smaller drums, mingling
with those leonine shouts, set forth from all the ranks
of the Kurus, became a fierce uproar. And the
twang of Partha’s Gandiva, resembling the roll
of the thunder, filled the welkin and all the quarters.
And shot from the bow of Pandu’s son, bright
and blazing shafts proceeded in all directions.
Then the Kuru king, with a large force, and with Bhishma
and Bhurisravas also, arrow in hand, and resembling
Page 633
a comet risen for consuming a constellation, rushed
against him. And Bhurisravas hurled at Arjuna
seven javelins furnished with wings of gold, and Duryodhana
a lance of fierce impetuosity, and Salya a mace, and
Santanu’s son a dart. Thereupon, Arjuna,
baffling with seven shafts the seven javelins, fleet
as arrows, shot by Bhurisravas, cut off with another
keen-edged shaft the lance hurled from Duryodhana’s
arm. And the blazing dart coming towards him—effulgent
as lightning—hurled by Santanu’s son,
and the mace hurled from the arm of the ruler of the
Madras, that hero cut off with two (other) shafts.
Then drawing with his two hands and with great force
his beautiful bow Gandiva of immeasurable energy,
he invoked with proper mantras the highly wonderful
and terrible Mahendra weapon and caused it to appear
in the welkin. And with that mighty weapon producing
profuse showers of arrows endued with the effulgence
of the blazing fire, that high-souled and mighty bowman,
decked with diadem and garland of gold, checked the
entire Kaurava host. And those shafts from Partha’s
bow, cutting off the arms, bows, standard-tops, and
cars, penetrated into the bodies of the kings and
of the huge elephants and steeds of the foe. And
filling the cardinal and the subsidiary directions
with those sharp and terrible shafts of his, Pritha’s
son decked with diadem and garland of gold, agitated
the hearts of his foes by means of the twang of Gandiva.
And in that awful passage at arms, the blare of conches
and beat of drums and the deep rattle of cars were
all silenced by the twang of Gandiva. And ascertaining
that twang to be of Gandiva, king Virata and other
heroes among men, and the brave Drupada, the king of
the Panchalas, all proceeded to that spot with undepressed
hearts. And all thy combatants stood, struck
with fear, each at the spot where he heard that twang
of Gandiva. And none amongst them ventured to
proceed to that place whence that sound was heard.
And in that awful slaughter of kings, heroic combatants
were slain and car-warriors with those that guided
their cars. And elephants with resplendent housings
of gold and gorgeous standards (on their backs), afflicted
with broad-headed shafts failing upon them, suddenly
fell down, deprived of life and their bodies mangled
by Kiritin. And forcibly struck by Partha with
his winged arrows of great impetuosity and broad-headed
shafts of keen-edge and points, the standards of innumerable
kings stationed at the heads of their yantras and Indrajalas
were cut off.[372] And bands of infantry and car-warriors,
in that battle, and steeds and elephants, fell fast
on the field, their limbs paralysed, or themselves
speedily deprived of life, affected by Dhananjaya
with those shafts. And, O king, many were the
warriors who in that terrible conflict had their coats
of mail and bodies cut through by that mighty weapon
called after the name of Indra. And with those
terrible and sharp shafts of his, Kiritin caused an
Page 634
awful river to run on the field of battle, having
for its waters the blood flowing from the mangled
bodies of the combatants and having for its froth their
fat. And its current was broad and ran fiercely.
And the bodies of elephants and steeds despatched
to the other world formed its banks. And its mire
consisted of the entrails, the marrow, and the flesh
of human beings, and prodigious Rakshasas formed the
(tall) trees (standing on its banks). And the
crowns of human heads in profusion, covered with hair,
formed its (floating) mess, and heaps of human bodies,
forming its sandbanks, caused the current to flow
in a thousand directions. And the coats of mail
strewn all over formed its hard pebbles. And its
banks were infested by large number of jackals and
wolves and cranes and vultures and crowds of Rakshasas,
and packs of hyenas. And they that were alive
beheld that terrible river of current consisting of
fat, marrow, and blood, caused by the arrowy showers
of Arjuna—that embodiment of (man’s)
cruelty—to look like the great Vaitarani.[373]
And beholding the foremost warriors of that army of
the Kurus thus slain by Phalguni, the Chedis, the Panchalas,
the Kurushas, the Matsyas, and all the combatants of
the Pandava side, those foremost of men, elated with
victory, together set up a loud shout for frightening
the Kaurava warriors. And they uttered that cry
indicative of victory, beholding the foremost combatants
of the (Kuru) army, the very troops protected by mighty
leaders of divisions, thus slain by Kiritin, that
terror of foes, who frightened them like a lion frightening
herds of smaller animals. And then the bearer
of Gandiva himself, and Janardana both filled with
delight, uttered loud roars. And the Kurus, with
Bhishma, and Drona and Duryodhana and Valhika, exceedingly
mangled by the weapons (of Arjuna), beholding the sun
withdraw his rays, and seeing also that awful and irresistible
weapon called after the name of Indra spread out and
causing (as it were) the end of the Yuga to appear,
withdraw their forces for the nightly rest. And
that foremost of men, Dhananjaya also, having achieved
a great feat and won great renown by crushing his
foes, and beholding the sun assume a red hue and the
evening twilight to set in, and having completed his
work, retired with his uterine brothers to the camp
for nightly rest. Then when darkness was about
to set in, there arose among the Kuru troops a great
and terrible uproar. And all said, ’In today’s
battle Arjuna hath slain ten thousand car-warriors,
and full seven hundred elephants. And all the
westerners, and the diverse tribes of the Sauviras,
and the Kshudrakas and the Malavas, have all been
slain. The feat achieved by Dhananjaya is a mighty
one. None else is competent to achieve it.
Srutayush, the ruler of the Amvashtas, and Durmarshana,
and Chitrasena, and Drona, and Kripa, and the ruler
of the Sindhus, and Valhika, and Bhurisravas, and
Salya, and Sala, O king, and other warriors by hundreds
Page 635
united together, along with Bhishma himself, have on
battle, by the prowess of his own arms, been vanquished
today by the angry son of Pritha, viz., Kiritin,
that one mighty car-warrior in the world.’
Talking thus, O Bharata, all the warriors of thy side
went to their tents from the field of battle.
And all the combatants of the Kuru army frightened
by Kiritin, then entered their tents illumined by thousands
of torches, and beautified by innumerable lamps.
SECTION LX
Sanjaya said,—“When the night passed
away, O Bharata, the high-souled Bhishma, with wrath
engendered, supported by a large force, and stationed
at the head of the Bharata army, proceeded against
the foe. And Drona and Duryodhana and Valhika,
and also Durmarshana and Chitrasena, the mighty Jayadratha,
and other royal warriors, supported by large divisions
accompanied, surrounding him all sides. And surrounded
by those great and mighty car-warriors endued with
great prowess and energy, O king, he shone, O best
of monarchs, in the midst of those foremost of royal
warriors, like the chief of the celestials in the midst
of the gods. And the magnificent standards on
the backs of the elephants stationed in front of those
ranks, of diverse colours, viz., red, yellow,
black and brown, waving in the air, looked exceedingly
beautiful. And that army with the royal son of
Santanu and other mighty car-warriors and with elephants
and steeds, looked resplendent like a mass of clouds
charged with lightning, or like the firmament, in
the season of rains, with gathering clouds.[374] And
then the fierce army of the Kurus, bent on battle
and protected by Santanu’s son, rushed impetuously
towards Arjuna like the fierce current of the ocean-going
Ganga.[375] Pervaded by diverse kinds of forces possessed
of great strength, and having in its wings elephants,
steeds, infantry, and cars in profusion, that array
the high-souled (Arjuna) having the prince of apes
on his banner beheld from a distance to resemble a
mighty mass of clouds.[376] That high-souled hero,
that bull among men, upon his car furnished with tall
standard and unto which were yoked white steeds, at
the head of his (own) division and surrounded by a
mighty force, proceeded against the whole hostile army.
And all the Kauravas with thy sons, beholding that
ape-bannered (warrior) with his excellent standard
and handsome car-shaft wrapped (in costly cover),
accompanied by that bull of Yadu’s race, his
charioteer in battle, were filled with dismay.
And thy army beheld that best of arrays, which was
protected by that mighty car-warrior of the world,
viz., Kiritin, with weapons upraised to have
at each of its corners four thousand elephants.
Like the array which was formed on the day before by
that best of Kurus viz., king Yudhishthira the
just, and like of which had never been seen or heard
before by human beings, was this one of today (that
the Pandavas formed). Then on the field of battle
Page 636
thousand of drums were loudly beaten, and there arose
from all the divisions the loud blare of conches and
the notes of trumpets and many leonine shouts.
Then (innumerable) bows of loud twang, stretched by
heroic warriors with shaft fixed on the bowstrings,
and the blare of conches, silenced that uproar of
drums and cymbals. And the entire welkin filled
with that blare of conches was diffused with an earthly
dust that made it wonderful to behold. And with
that dust the sky looked as if a vast canopy were spread
overhead. And beholding that canopy the brave
warriors all rushed impetuously (to battle).
And car-warriors, struck by car-warriors, were overthrown
with charioteers, steeds, cars, and standards.
And elephants, struck by elephants, fell down, and
foot-soldiers struck by foot-soldiers. And rushing
horsemen, struck down by rushing horsemen with lances
and swords, fell down with frightful countenances.
And all this seemed exceedingly wonderful. And
excellent shields decked with golden stars and possessed
of solar effulgence, broken by (strokes of) battle-axes,
lances and swords dropped on the field.[377] And many
car-warriors mangled and bruised by the tusks and the
strong trunks of elephants, fell down with their charioteers.
And many bulls among car-warriors struck by bulls
among car-warriors with their shafts, fell down on
the ground. And many persons hearing the wails
of horsemen and foot-soldiers struck with the tusks
and other limbs of elephants or crushed by the impetus
of those huge creatures rushing in close ranks, fell
down on the field of battle.[378]
“Then when cavalry and foot-soldiers were falling
fast, and elephants and steeds and cars were flying
away in fear, Bhishma, surrounded by many mighty car-warriors,
obtained sight of him who had the prince of apes on
his standard. And the palmyra-bannered warrior,
viz. the son of Santanu, having five palmyras
on his standard, then rushed against the diadem-decked
(Arjuna) whose car, in consequence of the fleetness
of the excellent steeds attached to it was endued
with wonderful energy and which blazed like the very
lightning in consequence of the energy of his mighty
weapons. And so against that son of Indra who
was like unto Indra himself, rushed many (other) warriors
headed by Drona and Kripa and Salya and Vivinsati
and Duryodhana and also Somadatta’s son, O king.
Then the heroic Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna, conversant
with all weapons and cased in a handsome and golden
coat of mail, rushing out of the ranks, quickly proceeded
against all those warriors. And that son of Krishna
of feats incapable of being borne, baffling the mighty
weapons of all those warriors of great strength, looked
resplendent like the adorable Agni himself, on the
sacrificial altar, of blazing flames, invoked with
high mantras. Then Bhishma of mighty energy,
creating in that battle a very river whose waters
were the blood of foes, and quickly avoiding Subhadra’s
son, encountered that mighty car-warrior, viz.,
Page 637
Partha himself. Then Arjuna decked with diadem
and garlands with his Gandiva of wonderful mien and
twang loud as the roar of the thunder, shooting showers
of arrows, baffled that shower of mighty weapons (shot
by Bhishma). And that high-souled warrior having
the prince of apes on his banner, of feats incapable
of being borne, then poured in return upon Bhishma,
that best of all wielders of bows a shower of sharp-edged
arrows and polished shafts of broad heads. And
so thy troops also beheld that shower of mighty weapons
shot by him who had the prince of apes on his banner,
opposed and dispersed by Bhishma like the maker of
day dispelling (the gloom of night). And the
Kurus and the Srinjayas, and all the people there,
beheld that single combat between those two foremost
of men, viz., Bhishma and Dhananjaya, proceeding
thus steadily and thus distinguished by the terrible
twang of the bows of both.”
SECTION LXI
Sanjaya said, “And Drona’s son, and Bhurisravas,
and Chitrasena, O sire, and the son of Samyamani also,
all fought with Subhadra’s son. And while
fighting alone with five tigers among men, people beheld
him possessed of exceeding energy, like a young lion
fighting with five elephants. And no one among
them equalled Krishna’s son in sureness of aim,
in bravery, in prowess, in lightness of hand or in
knowledge of weapons. And beholding his son,
that chastiser of foes thus struggling and displaying
his prowess in battle, Partha set up a leonine roar.
And seeing thy grandson, O king, thus afflicting thy
host, thy warriors, O monarch, surrounded him on all
sides. Then that smiter of foes, the son of Subhadra,
depending upon his prowess and might, advanced with
undepressed heart against the Dhartarashtra host.
And while battling with the foe in that conflict, his
mighty bow endued with the effulgence of the sun, was
seen by all to be incessantly stretched for striking.
And piercing the son of Drona with one shaft, and
Salya with five, he overthrew the standard of Samyamani’s
son with eight shafts. And with another sharp-edged
arrow he cut off the mighty dart of golden staff,
resembling a snake, that was hurled at him by Somadatta’s
son. And the heir of Arjuna, baffling in the very
sight of Salya, his hundreds of terrible shafts, slew
his four steeds. Thereupon Bhurisravas, and Salya,
and Drona’s son and Samyamani, and Sala struck
with the fear at the strength of arms displayed by
Krishna’s son could not stay before him.
Then, O great king, the Trigartas and the Madras,
with the Kekayas, numbering five and twenty thousand
urged by thy son, all of whom were foremost of men
accomplished in the science of arms and who were incapable
of defeat by foes in battle, surrounded Kiritin with
his son for slaying them both. Then, O king, that
vanquisher of foes, the commander of the Pandava army,
the prince of the Panchalas, beheld the cars of the
father and the son (thus) surrounded (by the foe).
Page 638
Supported by many thousands of elephants and cars,
and by hundred thousands of cavalry and infantry,
and stretching his bow in great wrath he advanced
against that division of the Madras and the Kekayas,
O chastiser of foes, leading his troops with him.
And that division (of the Pandava army), protected
by that renowned and firm bowman, and consisting of
cars, elephants, and cavalry, looked resplendent as
it advanced for the encounter. And while proceeding
towards Arjuna, that perpetuator of Panchala’s
race struck Saradwat’s son on his shoulder-joint
with three arrows. And piercing the Madrakas
then with ten sharp shafts, he speedily slew the protector
of Kritavarman’s rear. And that chastiser
of foes then, with a shaft of broad head, slew Damana,
the heir of the high-souled Paurava. Then the
son of Samyamani pierced the Panchala prince incapable
of defeat in the battle with ten shafts, and his charioteer
also with ten shafts. Then that mighty bowman,
(thus) severely pierced, licked with his tongue the
corners of his mouth, and cut off his enemy’s
bow with a broad-headed shaft of excessive sharpness.
And soon the prince of Panchala afflicted his foe
with five and twenty arrows, and then slew his steeds,
O king, and then both the protectors of his wings.
Then, O bull of Bharata’s race, Samyamani’s
son, standing on that car whose steeds were slain,
looked at the son of the renowned king of the Panchalas.
Then taking up a terrible scimitar of the best kind,
made of steel, Samyamani’s son walking on foot,
approached Drupada’s son staying on his car.
And the Pandavas, soldiers and Dhrishtadyumna also
of Prishata’s race beheld him coming like a
wave and resembling a snake fallen from the skies.
And he whirled his sword and looked like the sun and
advanced with the tread of an infuriate elephant.
The prince of Panchala then, excited with rage, quickly
taking up a mace, smashed the head of Samyamani’s
son thus advancing towards him, sharp-edged scimitar
in grasp and shield in hand, as soon as the latter,
having crossed the shooting distance, was near enough
to his adversary’s car. And then, O king,
while falling down deprived of life, his blazing scimitar
and shield, loosened from his grasp, fell down with
his body on the ground. And the high-souled son
of the Panchala king, of terrible prowess, having
slain his foe with his mace, won great renown.
And when that prince, that mighty car-warrior and
great bowman, was (thus) slain, loud cries of oh and
alas arose among thy troops, O sire. Then Samyamani,
excited with rage upon beholding his own son slain,
impetuously rushed towards the prince of Panchala
who was incapable of defeat in battle. And all
the kings of both the Kuru and the Pandava armies
beheld those two princes and foremost of car-warriors
engaged in battle. Then that slayer of hostile
heroes Samyamani, excited with wrath, struck Prishata’s
son with three shafts like (the conductor of an elephant
striking) a mighty elephant with hooks. And so
Salya also, that ornament of assemblies, excited with
wrath, struck the heroic son of Prishata on his breast.
And then commenced (another) battle (there).”
Page 639
SECTION LXII
Dhritarashtra said,—“I regard destiny
to be superior to exertion, O Sanjaya, inasmuch as
the army of my son is continually slaughtered by the
army of the Pandavas. Thou always speakest, O
suta, of my troops as being slaughtered, and thou
always speakest of the Pandavas as both unslain and
cheerful. Indeed, O Sanjaya, thou speakest of
mine as deprived of manliness, felled and falling,
and slaughtered, although they are battling to the
best of their powers and striving hard for victory.
Thou always speakest to me of the Pandavas as obtaining
victory and mine as becoming weaker and weaker.
O child, I am incessantly hearing of countless cause
of unbearable and poignant grief on account of Duryodhana’s
doing. I do not see, O Sanjaya, the means by which
the Pandavas, may be weakened and sons of mine may
obtain the victory in battle.
Sanjaya said, “This mighty evil hath proceeded
from thee, O king. Listen now with patience to
the great slaughter of men, elephants, steeds and
car-warriors. Dhrishtadyumna, afflicted by Salya
with nine shafts, afflicted in return the ruler of
Madras with many shafts made of steel. And then
we beheld the prowess of Prishata’s son to be
highly wonderful inasmuch as he speedily checked Salya
that ornament of assemblies. The battle between
them lasted for only a short space of time. While
angrily engaged in combat, none beheld even a moment’s
rest taken by any of them. Then, O king, Salya
in that battle cut off Dhrishtadyumna’s bow with
a broad-headed shaft of sharp edge and excellent temper.
And he also covered him, O Bharata, with a shower
of arrows like rain charged clouds pouring their drops
on the mountain breast during the season of rains.
And while Dhrishtadyumna was being thus afflicted,
Abhimanyu, excited with wrath, rushed impetuously
towards the car of the ruler of the Madras. Then
the wrathful son of Krishna, of immeasurable soul,
obtaining the car of the ruler of the Madras (within
shooting distance), pierced Artayani with three sharp
shafts.[379] Then the warriors of thy army, O king,
desirous of opposing the son of Arjuna in battle, speedily
surrounded the car of the ruler of Madras. And
Duryodhana, and Vikarna, and Dussasana, and Vivinsati
and Durmarshana, and Dussala, and Chitrasena, and
Durmukha, and Satyabrata, blessed be thou, and Purumitra,
O Bharata,—these, protecting the car of
the ruler of the Madras, stationed themselves there.
Then Bhimasena, excited with wrath, and Dhrishtadyumna.
of Prishata’s race, and the five sons of Draupadi,
and Abhimanyu, and the twin sons of Madri and Pandu,—these
ten opposed those ten warriors of the Dhritarashtra
army shooting, O king, diverse kinds of weapons.
And they approached and encountered one another in
battle desirous of slaying one another, in consequence,
O king, of thy wicked policy. And when those
ten car-warriors, excited with wrath, engaged with
the ten others in that awful battle, the other car-warriors
Page 640
of both thy army and of the foe all stood as spectators.
And those mighty car-warriors, shooting diverse kinds
of weapons and roaring at one another, smote one another
fiercely. With wrath engendered in their breasts,
desirous of slaying one another, they uttered fierce
shouts, challenging one another. And jealous
of one another, O king, those kinsfolk united together,
encountered one another wrathfully, shooting mighty
weapons. And wonderful to say, Duryodhana, excited
with rage, pierced Dhrishtadyumna in that battle with
four sharp shafts. And Durmarshana pierced him
with twenty, and Chitrasena with five, and Durmukha
with nine, and Dussaha with seven, and Vivinsati with
five, and Dussasana with three shafts. Then,
O great king, that scorcher of foes, viz., Prishata’s
son, pierced each of them in return with five and twenty
shafts, displaying his lightness of hand. And
Abhimanyu, O Bharata, pierced Satyavrata and Purumitra
each with ten shafts. Then the son of Madri,
those delighters of their mother, covered their uncle
with showers of sharp arrows. And all this seemed
wonderful. Then, O monarch, Salya covered his
nephews, those two foremost of car-warriors desirous
of counteracting their uncle’s feats, with arrows,
but the sons of Madri wavered not. Then the mighty
Bhimasena, the son of Pandu, beholding Duryodhana
and desirous of ending the strife, took up his mace.
And beholding the mighty-armed Bhimasena with upraised
mace and looking like the crested Kailasa mount, thy
sons fled away in terror. Duryodhana, however,
excited with wrath, urged the Magadha division consisting
of ten thousand elephants of great activity.
Accompanied by that elephant division and placing
the ruler of Magadha before him, king Duryodhana advanced
towards Bhimasena. Beholding that elephant division
advancing towards him, Vrikodara, mace in hand, jumped
down from his car, uttering a loud roar like that
of a lion. And armed with that mighty mace which
was endued with great weight and strength of adamant,
he rushed towards that elephant division, like the
Destroyer himself with wide open mouth. And the
mighty-armed Bhimasena endued with great strength,
slaying elephants with his mace, wandered over the
field, like the slayer of Vritra among the Danava
host. And with the loud shouts of the roaring
Bhima, shouts that made the mind and the heart to tremble
with fear, the elephants, crouching close, lost all
power of motion. Then the sons of Draupadi, and
that mighty car-warrior, the son of Subhadra, and Nakula
and Sahadeva, and Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata’s
race, protecting Bhima’s rear, rushed behind
him, checking all by scattering their arrowy showers
like the very clouds pouring rain on the mountain breast.
And those Pandava warriors struck off the heads of
their foes battling from the backs of elephants, with
well-tempered and keen-edged shafts of diverse forms.[380]
And the heads (of elephant-riders), and arms decked
with ornaments, and hands with iron-hooks in grasp,
Page 641
falling fast, resembled a stony shower. And the
headless trunk of elephant-riders on the necks of
the beasts they rode, looked like headless trees on
mountain summits. And we beheld mighty elephants
felled and falling, slain by Dhrishtadyumna, the high-souled
son of Prishata. Then the ruler of the Magadhas,
in that battle, urged his elephant resembling Airavata
himself, towards the car of Subhadra’s son.
Beholding that mighty elephant advancing towards him,
that slayer of hostile heroes, the brave son of Subhadra,
slew it with a single shaft. And when the ruler
of the Magadhas was thus deprived of his elephant,
that conqueror of hostile cities viz., the son
of Krishna, then struck off that king’s head
with a broad-headed shaft with silver wings.
And Bhimasena, the son of Pandu, having penetrated
that elephant division, began to wander over the field,
crushing those beasts around him like Indra himself
crushing the mountains. And we beheld elephants
slain in that battle by Bhimasena, each with only one
stroke (of his mace), like hills riven by thunder.
And many elephants, huge as hills, were slain there,
having their tusks broken or temples, or bones, or
backs, or frontal globes. And others, O king,
deprived of life, lay there with foaming mouths.
And many mighty elephants, with frontal globes completely
smashed, vomited large quantities of blood. And
some, from fear, laid themselves down on the ground
like (so many) hillocks. And smeared with the
fat and blood (of elephants) and almost bathed in their
marrow, Bhima wandered over the field like the Destroyer
himself, club in hand. And Vrikodara, whirling
that mace of his which was wet with the blood of elephants,
became terrible and awful to behold, like the wielder
of Pinaka armed with Pinaka.[381] And those huge tuskers,
while (thus) crushed by the angry Bhima, suddenly
fled away, afflicted, crushing thy own ranks.
And these mighty bowmen and car-warriors, headed by
Subhadra’s son (all the while) protected that
battling hero whirling his gory mace[382] wet with
the blood of elephants, like the celestials protecting
the wielder of the thunder-bolt. Of terrible soul,
Bhimasena then looked like the Destroyer. himself.
Indeed, O Bharata, putting forth his strength on all
sides, mace in arms, we beheld Bhimasena then to resemble
Sankara himself dancing (at the end of the Yuga), and
his fierce, heavy, and sounding mace to resemble the
club of Yama and possessed of the sound of Indra’s
bolt. And that gory mace of his, smeared with
marrow and hair, resembled (also) the angry Rudra’s
Pinaka while he is engaged in destroying all creatures.
As a herdsman chastises his herd of cattle with a
goad, so did Bhima smite that elephant division with
that mace of his. And while thus slaughtered
by Bhima with his mace and with shafts (by those that
protected his rear), the elephants ran on all sides,
crushing the cars of thy own army. Then driving
away those elephants from the field like a mighty
wind driving away masses of clouds, Bhima stood there
like wielder of the trident on a crematorium.”
Page 642
SECTION LXIII
Sanjaya said, “When that elephant division was
exterminated, thy son Duryodhana urged his entire
army, commanding the warriors to slay Bhimasena.
Then the entire army at the command of thy son, rushed
towards Bhimasena who was uttering fierce shouts.
That vast and unlimited host difficult of being borne
by the very gods, incapable of being crossed like
the surging sea on the day of full moon or new moon,
abounding with cars, elephants, and steeds, resounding
with the blare of conches and the beat of drums, numbering
untold foot-soldiers and car-warriors, and shrouded
by the dust (raised), that very sea of hostile troops
incapable of being agitated, thus coming towards him,
Bhimasena checked in battle, O king, like the bank
resisting the ocean. That feat, O king, which
we beheld, of Bhimasena the high-souled son of Pandu,
was exceedingly wonderful and superhuman. With
his mace, he fearlessly checked all those kings angrily
rushing towards him, with their steeds and cars, and
elephants. Checking that vast force with mace,
that foremost of mighty men, Bhima, stood in that
fierce melee, immovable as the mountain Meru.
And in that dreadful, fierce, and terrific encounter
his brother and sons and Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata’s
race, and the sons of Draupadi and Abhimanyu, and
the unvanquished Sikhandin—these mighty
warriors,—did not abandon him from fear.
Taking up his massive and weighty mace made of Saika
iron, he rushed towards the warriors of thy army like
the Destroyer himself, armed with his club. And
pressing crowds of cars and crowds of horsemen down
into the earth, Bhima wandered over the field like
the fire at the end of the Yuga. And Pandu’s
son of infinite prowess crushing crowds of cars with
the impetus of his thighs and slaying thy warriors
in battle, wandered like the Destroyer himself at
the end of the Yuga. And he began to grind thy
troops with the greatest ease like an elephant crushing
a forest of reeds. And dragging car-warriors down
from their cars, and warriors fighting from the backs
of heroes, and foot soldiers as they stood on the
ground, in the army of thy son, the mighty-armed Bhimasena
slew them all with his mace like the wind crushing
trees by its force. And that mace of his, slaying
elephants and steeds, became smeared with fat, marrow,
flesh, and blood, and looked exceedingly terrible.
And with the bodies of slain men and cavalry lying
scattered about, the field of battle wore the appearance
of the abode of Yama. And the terrible and slaughtering
mace of Bhimasena, resembling the fierce bludgeon of
Death and endued with the effulgence of Indra’s
bolt, looked like Pinaka of the angry Rudra while
destroying living creatures. Indeed, that mace
of the high-souled son of Kunti, who was slaying all
around, looked fiercely resplendent like the bludgeon
of the Destroyer himself at the time of the universal
dissolution. And beholding him thus routing that
Page 643
large army repeatedly and advancing like Death’s
self, all the warriors became cheerless. Withersoever
the son of Pandu, raising his mace, cast his eyes,
in consequence of his look alone, O Bharata, all the
troops there seemed to melt away. Beholding Vrikodara
of terrible deeds, thus routing the army and unvanquished
by even so large a force and devouring the (hostile)
division like the Destroyer himself with wide-open
mouth, Bhimasena speedily came towards him, on his
car of solar effulgence and rattle loud as that of
the clouds, (shrouding the welkin) with his arrowy
showers like a vapoury canopy charged with rain.
Then the mighty-armed Bhimasena, beholding Bhishma
thus advancing like the Destroyer himself with wide-open
mouth, rushed towards him, excited with wrath.
At that moment, that foremost hero of Sini’s
race viz., Satyaki of sure aim, fell upon the
grandsire, slaying his enemies (along the way) with
his firm bow and causing thy son’s army to tremble.
And all the combatants who belonged to thy army were
then, O Bharata, unable to impede the progress of
that hero thus advancing with his steeds of silvery
hue and scattering his sharp shafts furnished with
handsome wings. At that time the Rakshasa Alamvusha
(only) succeeded in piercing him with ten shafts.
But piercing Alamvusha in return with four shafts,
the grandson of Sini proceeded on his car. Beholding
that hero of Vrishni’s race thus advancing and
rolling (as it were) through the very midst of his
enemies, and checking (as he proceeded) the foremost
of Kuru warriors, and repeatedly uttering loud shouts
in that battle, thy warriors then like masses of clouds
pouring rain in torrents on the mountain breast, showered
their arrowy downpours on him. They were, however,
incapable of impeding the progress of that hero who
looked like the noon-day sun in his glory. And
there was none who was not then cheerless, save Somadatta’s
son, O king, and Bhurisravas, the son of Somadatta,
O Bharata, beholding the car-warriors of his own side
driven away, rushed against Satyaki from desire of
battle, taking up his bow of fierce impetus.”
SECTION LXIV
Sanjaya said, “Then, O king, Bhurisravas, excited
with great wrath, pierced Satyaki with nine arrows
like the conductor of an elephant piercing an elephant
with the iron hook. Satyaki also, of immeasurable
soul, in the very sight of all the troops, pierced
the Kaurava warrior with nine shafts. Then king
Duryodhana, accompanied by his uterine brothers, surrounded
Somadatta’s son thus striving in battle.
Similarly the Pandavas also, of great energy, quickly
surrounding Satyaki in that battle took up their positions
around him. And Bhimasena, excited with wrath,
and with mace upraised, O Bharata, encountered all
thy sons headed by Duryodhana. With many thousands
of cars, and excited with wrath and vindictiveness,
thy son Nandaka pierced Bhimasena of great might with
keen-edged and sharp-pointed shafts whetted on stone
Page 644
and winged with the feathers of the kanka bird.
Then Duryodhana, O king, in that great battle, excited
with wrath, struck Bhimasena in the breast with nine
shafts. Then the mighty-armed Bhima of great strength
mounted on his own excellent car and addressing (his
charioteer) Visoka, said, ’These heroic and
mighty sons of Dhritarashtra, all great car-warriors,
are exceedingly angry with me and desirous of slaying
me in battle. I will slay all these today in
thy sight, without doubt. Therefore, O charioteer,
guide my steed in battle with care.’ Having
said this, O monarch, Pritha’s son pierced thy
son with sharp-pointed arrows decked with gold.
And he pierced Nandaka in return with three arrows
between his two breasts. Then Duryodhana having
pierced the mighty Bhima with six arrows pierced Visoka
in return with three other sharp arrows. And Duryodhana,
O king, as if smiling the while, with three other
sharp arrows cut off at the grasp the resplendent
bow of Bhima in that battle. Bhima then, that
bull among men, beholding his charioteer Visoka afflicted,
in that conflict, with sharp shafts by thy son armed
with the bow, and unable to bear it, drew another
excellent bow, excited with wrath, for the destruction
of thy son, O monarch. And excited with great
wrath, he also took up an arrow with horse-shoe head
and furnished with excellent wings. And with that
(arrow) Bhima cut off the excellent bow of the king.
Then thy son, excited to the highest pitch of fury,
leaving that broken bow aside, speedily took up another
that was tougher. And aiming a terrible shaft
blazing as Death’s rod, the Kuru king, excited
with rage struck Bhimasena between his two breasts.
Deeply pierced therewith, and greatly pained, he sat
down on the terrace of his car. And while seated
on the terrace of his car, he swooned away. Beholding
Bhima thus unmanned, the illustrious and mighty car-warriors
of the Pandava army, headed by Abhimanyu could not
bear it. And those warriors then, with great
steadiness, showered on thy sons’ head a thick
down-pour of fierce shafts. Then the mighty Bhimasena,
regaining consciousness, pierced Duryodhana at first
with those shafts and then with five. And that
mighty bowman the son of Pandu then pierced Salya
with five and twenty shafts furnished with golden wings.
And pierced therewith, Salya was borne away from the
battle. Then thy fourteen sons, viz., Senapati,
Sushena, Jalasandha, Sulochana, Ugra, Bhimaratha,
Bhima, Viravahu, Aolupa, Durmukha, Dushpradarsha, Vivitsu,
Vikata, and Sama, then encountered Bhimasena in battle.
United together they rushed against Bhimasena, and
with eyes red in wrath, showering countless arrows,
they pierced him deeply. Then the heroic and mighty
Bhimasena of strong arms, beholding thy sons, licking
the corners of his mouth like a wolf in the midst
of smaller creatures, fell upon them with the impetuosity
of Garuda. And the son of Pandu then cut off the
head of Senapati with a shaft having a horse-shoe
Page 645
head. And with delighted soul and laughing the
while, that mighty-armed warrior, piercing Jalasandha
with three arrows, despatched him to Yama’s abode.
And next, smiting Sushena, he sent him to the presence
of Death’s self. And with a single broad-headed
shaft he felled on the ground the head, handsome as
the moon, of Ugra, decked with turban and adorned
with ear-rings. And in that battle, Pandu’s
son Bhima, with seventy shafts, despatched Viravahu
to the other world with his steeds and standard and
charioteer. And smiling the while, O king, Bhimasena
quickly despatched both the brothers Bhima and Bhimaratha
also to Yama’s abode. And then in that great
battle in the very sight of all the troops, with an
arrow of horse-shoe head Bhima despatched Sulochana
also to Death’s domain. Then the rest of
thy sons that were there, O king, beholding the prowess
of Bhimasena and while thus being struck by that illustrious
warrior, all fled from battle from fear of Bhima.
Then Santanu’s son, addressing all the mighty
car-warriors (of his army) said, ’That fierce
bowman, Bhima, excited with wrath in battle, is slaying
the mighty sons of Dhritarashtra and other heroic
car-warriors united together, whatever their knowledge
of weapons, and whatever their bravery. Therefore,
seize ye all that son of Pandu’. Thus addressed,
all the troops of the Dhritarashtra army, excited with
rage, rushed towards Bhimasena endued with great might,
And Bhagadatta, O king, on his elephant of rent temples,
suddenly rushed thither where Bhimasena was stationed.
And thither to the combat, he shrouded Bhima with his
shafts whetted on stone so as to make him completely
invisible, like the clouds covering the sun.
Those mighty car-warriors, however, (of the Pandava
army), relying on the prowess of their own arms, could
not bear that shrouding of Bhima (with the arrowy
showers of Bhagadatta). They, therefore, surrounding
Bhagadatta on all sides, poured on him their arrowy
down-pours. And they pierced his elephant also
with showers of shafts. And struck by all those
mighty car-warriors with showers of fierce shafts
of diverse kinds that elephant, O king, of the ruler
of the Pragjyotishas with blood trickling down his
body, became beautiful to behold on the field of battle
like a mass of clouds tinged with the rays of the
sun. And that elephant with temporal juice trickling
down urged by Bhagadatta, like the Destroyer, ran
with double his former speed, shaking the very earth
with his tread. Then all those mighty car-warriors,
beholding that terrible mien of the animal, and regarding
it irresistible, became cheerless. Then king
Bhagadatta, that tiger among men, excited with rage,
struck Bhimasena between his two breasts with a straight
shaft. Deeply pierced by the king with that shaft,
that great bowman and mighty car-warrior, with limbs
deprived of sensation in consequence of a swoon, sat
down on his car, holding his flagstaff. And beholding
those mighty car-warriors terrified and Bhimasena in
Page 646
a swoon, Bhagadatta of great prowess uttered a loud
roar. Then, O king, that terrible Rakshasa Ghatotkacha,
beholding Bhima in that state, became excited with
rage and there and then disappeared from the view.
And creating a terrible illusion enhancing the fears
of the timid, he reappeared in a moment assuming a
fierce form. Himself riding on an Airavata created
by his powers of illusion, the other Dik-elephants,
viz., Anjana, Vamana, and Mahapadma of blazing
glory, followed him. And those three mighty elephants,
ridden by Rakshasas, were of huge form, with juice
profusely trickling down in three lines, and endued
with great speed and prowess. Then Ghatotkacha
urged his own elephant to battle, desirous, O chastiser
of foes, of slaying Bhagadatta with his elephant.
And those other elephants, excited with fury and each
endued with four tusks, urged by Rakshasas of great
strength, fell from all sides upon Bhagadatta’s
elephant and afflicted him with their tusks. And
the elephant of Bhagadatta, thus afflicted by those
elephants, (already) struck with arrows and feeling
great pain, uttered loud cries that resembled the
thunder of Indra. And hearing those terrible and
loud cries of that roaring elephant, Bhishma, addressing
Drona, Suyodhana and all the kings, said, ’The
mighty bowman Bhagadatta is battling with the wicked-souled
son of Hidimva, and hath fallen into great distress.
That Rakshasa is of huge form, and the king also is
very wrathful. Engaged in battle, they would
certainly prove each other’s death. Loud
shouts were also heard of the rejoicing Pandavas,
and the cries of agony of (king Bhagadatta’s)
terrified elephant. Blessed be ye, let us all
go there for rescuing the king, for, if left unprotected,
in battle, he will soon give up his life. Ye
warriors of great energy, do, as I bid, even now.
Ye sinless ones, make no delay. The combat deepens
and becometh fierce, making the hair to stand on end.
That commander of a division is high-born, endued
with great bravery, and devoted to us. Ye warriors
of unfading glory, it is meet that his rescue should
be effected by us.’ Hearing these words
of Bhishma, all the kings (of the Kuru army), headed
by Bharadwaja’s son, desirous of rescuing Bhagadatta,
proceeded with great speed to where the ruler of the
Pragjyotishas was. And beholding the enemy advancing,
the Panchalas with the Pandavas, headed by Yudhishthira,
pursued them behind. Then that prince of Rakshasas,
endued with great prowess, beholding that division
(of the enemy) advance, uttered a fierce roar, deep
as that of thunder. Hearing that roar of his
and beholding those battling elephants, Santanu’s
son Bhishma once again addressed Bharadwaja’s
son and said, ’I do not like to fight (to-day)
with the wicked-souled son of Hidimva. Endued
with great might and energy, he is at present well-supported.
He is incapable of being vanquished now by the wielder
of the thunder-bolt himself. Of sureness of aim,
he is a great smiter. As regards ourselves, our
Page 647
animals are tired (today). We have also been
greatly mangled by Panchalas and the Pandavas.
I do not like fresh encounter with the victorious Pandavas.
Let the withdrawal of our army, therefore, be proclaimed
today. Tomorrow we will fight with the foe.’
Hearing these words of the grandsire, the Kauravas,
afflicted with the fear of Ghatotkacha, and availing
of the advent of night as a pretext, gladly did what
the grandsire said. And after the Kauravas had
withdrawn, the Pandavas, crowned with victory uttered
leonine roars, mingling them with the blare of conches
and the notes of pipes. Thus did the battle take
place that day, O Bharata, between the Kurus and the
Pandavas headed by Ghatotkacha. And the Kauravas
also, vanquished by the Pandavas and overcome with
shame, retired to their own tents when night came.
And those mighty car-warriors, the sons of Pandu,
their bodies mangled with shafts and themselves filled
with (the result of) the battle, proceeded, O king,
towards their encampment, with Bhimasena and Ghatotkacha,
O monarch, at their head. And filled with great
joy, O king, they worshipped those heroes. And
they uttered diverse kinds of shouts which were mingled
with the notes of trumpets. And those high-souled
warriors shouted making the very earth tremble therewith,
and grinding as it were, O sire, the hearts of thy
sons. And it was thus that those chastisers of
foes, when night came, proceeded towards their tents.
And king Duryodhana, cheerless at the death of his
brothers, passed some time in thoughtfulness, overcome
with grief and tears. Then making all the arrangements
for his camp according to the rules (of military science),
he began to pass the hours in meditation, scorched
with grief and afflicted with sorrow on account of
his (slain) brothers.”
SECTION LXV
Dhritarashtra said, ’Hearing of those feats
of the sons of Pandu which are incapable of being
achieved by the gods themselves, my heart, O Sanjaya,
is filled with fear and wonder. Hearing also of
the humiliation of my sons in every way, great hath
been my anxiety as to the consequence that will ensue.
The words uttered by Vidura will, no doubt, consume
my heart. Everything that hath happened seemeth
to be due to Destiny, O Sanjaya. The combatants
of the Pandava army are encountering and smiting those
best of warriors having Bhishma for their head, those
heroes conversant with every weapon. What ascetic
penances have been performed by the high-souled and
mighty sons of Pandu, what boon hath they obtained,
O son, or what science is known to them, in consequence
of which, like the stars in the firmament, they are
undergoing no diminution? I cannot bear it that
my army should be repeatedly slaughtered by the Pandavas.
The divine chastisement, highly severe, both fallen
on me alone. Tell me everything truly, O Sanjaya,
about that for which the sons of Pandu have become
unslayable and mine slayable. I do not see the
Page 648
other shore of this (sea of) distress.[383] I am like
a man desirous of crossing the vastly deep ocean with
my two arms alone. I certainly think that a great
calamity hath overtaken my sons. Without doubt,
Bhima will slay all my sons. I do not see that
hero who is able to protect my sons in battle.
The death of my sons in this battle, O Sanjaya, is
certain. It behoveth thee, therefore, O Suta,
to tell me, who asketh thee, everything about the
true cause of all these. Beholding his own troops
retreating from battle, what did Duryodhana do?
And what old Bhishma and Drona, and Kripa, and Suvala’s
son, and Jayadratha, and that mighty bowman, viz.,
Drona’s son and Vikarna of great strength do?
When also, O thou of great wisdom, my sons turned
back from the fight, what O Sanjaya, became the resolve
of those high-souled warriors?”
Sanjaya said, “Listen, O king, with attention,
and having listened, let it go to thy heart.
Nothing (in this) is the result of incantation, nothing
the result of illusion of any king. Nor have the
sons of Pandu created any new terrors. They are
endued with might; and they are fighting by fair means
in this battle. Desirous of high fame, the sons
of Pritha always do every act, including even the
support of their lives, agreeably to the way of morality.
Endued with every kind of prosperity, and possessed
of great strength, they never desist from battle, keeping
their eyes on righteousness. And victory is there
where righteousness is. It is for this, O king,
that the sons of Pritha are unslayable in battle and
always victorious. Thy sons are of wicked souls
and are addicted to sinfulness. They are cruel
and wedded to mean acts. It is for this that
they are being weakened in battle. Thy sons, O
king, like despicable men, did many cruel and deceitful
acts to the sons of Pandu. Disregarding, however,
all those offences of thy sons, the sons of Pandu always
concealed those acts, O elder brother of Pandu.
Thy sons also, O king, on numerous occasions humiliated
the Pandavas. Let them now reap the terrible
fruit, like poison, of that persistent course of sinfulness.[384]
That fruit should be enjoyed by thee also, O king,
with thy sons and kinsmen, since thou, O king, could
not be awakened even though counselled by thy well-wishers.
Repeatedly forbidden by Vidura, by Bhishma, by the
high-souled Drona, and by myself also thou didst not
understand, rejecting our words intended for thy good
and worthy of thy acceptance, like a sick man rejecting
the medicine prescribed. Accepting the views
of thy sons thou hadst regarded the Pandavas as already
vanquished. Listen again, O king, to what thou
hast asked me, viz., the true cause, O chief
of the Bharatas, of the victory of the Pandavas.
I will tell thee whit I have heard, O chastiser of
foes. Duryodhana had asked the grandsire this
very question. Beholding his brothers, all mighty
car-warriors, vanquished in battle, thy son Duryodhana,
O Kaurava, with heart confounded with grief, repairing
with humility during the night to the grandsire possessed
of great wisdom, asked him this question. Listen
to me, O monarch, about it all.
Page 649
“Duryodhana said, ’Drona and thou, and
Salya, and Kripa, and Drona’s son, and Kritavarman
the son of Hridika, and Sudakshina the ruler of the
Kamvojas, and Bhurisravas, and Vikarna, and Bhagadatta
of exceeding prowess, are all regarded as mighty car-warriors.
All of these, again, are high-born, and prepared to
throw away their lives in battle. It is my opinion
that these are a match for even the three worlds (united
together). Even all the warriors of the Pandava
army (united together) cannot bear your prowess.
A doubt has arisen in my mind. Explain it to me
who enquireth of thee. Who it is, relying on whom
the Pandavas are vanquishing us repeatedly.’
“Bhishma said, ’Listen, O king, to the
words that I will speak unto thee, O thou of Kuru’s
race. Frequently wert thou addressed by me to
the same effect but thou didst not do what I said.
Let peace be made with the Pandavas, O best of the
Bharatas. I regard this to be beneficial both
to the world and thee, O lord. Enjoy this earth,
O king, with thy brothers and be happy, gratifying
all thy well-wishers and delighting thy kinsfolk.
Although I cried myself hoarse before this, thou didst
not yet listen to me, O sire. Thou hadst always
disregarded the sons of Pandu. The effect of
all that hath now overtaken thee. Listen also,
O king, from me as I speak of it, O Lord, to the reason
why the Pandavas, whose achievements tire them not,
are unslayable.[385] There is not, was not, will not
be, the being in all the worlds who would or will be
able to vanquish the sons of Pandu who are all protected
by the wielder of Saranga. Listen truly, O thou
that art conversant with morality, to that ancient
history which was recited to me by sages of souls under
control. In days of yore, all the celestials
and the Rishis, united together, waited reverentially
on the Grandsire upon the mountains of Gandhamadana.
And the Lord of all creatures, seated at his case in
their midst, beheld an excellent car stationed in
the firmament, blazing with effulgence. Having
ascertained (everything about it) by meditation, joining
his hands with restrained heart, Brahman, with delighted
soul, made his salutations to the highest Divine Being.
And the Rishis and the celestials, beholding in the
firmament (the form thus) displayed, all stood up with
joined hands, their eyes fixed on that wonder of wonders.
Worshipping him duly, Brahma, the foremost of all
conversant with Brahman, the Creator of the universe,
acquainted with the highest morality, uttered these
high words: Thou art the Glory of the Universe
for thy form. Thou art the Lord of the Universe.
O thou whose protection extendeth through the whole
Universe, O thou that hath the Universe for thy work,
O thou that hath thy soul under control, Thou art
the Supreme Master of the Universe. Thou art Vasudeva.
Therefore, I seek refuge in Thee that art the soul
of Yoga and the highest Divinity. Victory to
Thee that art the Supreme God of the Universe.
Page 650
Victory to Thee that art ever employed in the good
of the worlds. Victory to Thee that art the Lord
of Yoga. Thee that art all-powerful. Victory
to Thee that art prior, and subsequent to Yoga.
Having the lotus springing from thy navel, and having
large expansive eyes, victory to Thee that art Lord
of Lords of the Universe. O Lord of the Past,
the Present, and the Future, victory to Thee that art
the embodiment of gentleness. Thee that art the
sun of suns. O thou that art the receptacle of
untold attributes, victory to Thee that art the refuge
of all things. Thou art Narayana, thou art incapable
of being understood, victory to Thee that art the
wielder of the bow called Saranga. Victory to
Thee that art endued with every attribute, O thou that
hast the Universe for thy form, O thou that art ever
hale. O Lord of the Universe, O thou of mighty
arms, victory to Thee that art always ready for benefitting
the worlds. O great Snake, O huge Boar, O first
Cause, O thou of tawny locks, victory to Thee that
art Almighty. O thou of yellow robes, O Lord
of the cardinal and the subsidiary points of the compass,
O thou that hast the Universe for thy abode, O thou
that art Infinite, O thou that hast no decay, O thou
that art the Manifest, O thou that art the Unmanifest,
O thou that art the immeasurable Space, O thou that
hast all thy senses under control, O thou that always
achievest what is good, O thou that art immeasurable,
O thou that alone knowest thy own nature, victory
to Thee that art deep, O thou that art the giver of
all wishes, O thou that art without end, O thou that
art known as Brahma, O thou that art Eternal, O thou
that art the Creator of all creatures, O thou that
art ever successful, O thou whose acts always display
wisdom, O thou that art conversant with morality,
O thou that givest victory, O thou of mysterious Self,
O thou that art the Soul of all Yoga, O thou that art
the Cause of everything that hath sprung into existence,
O thou that art the knowledge of the selves of all
beings, O Lord of the worlds, victory to thee that
art the Creator of all beings. O thou that hath
thyself for thy origin, O thou that art highly blessed,
O thou that art the Destroyer of everything, O thou
that art the inspirer of all mental thoughts, victory
to Thee that art dear to all conversant with Brahma.
O thou that art busy in creation and destruction,
O controller of all wishes, O Supreme Lord, O thou
that art the Cause of Amrita, O thou that art All-existent,
O thou that art the first that appears at the end of
the Yuga, O thou that art the giver of victory, O
Divine Lord of the Lord of all creatures, O thou that
hast the lotus springing from thy navel, O thou of
mighty strength, O thou that art sprung from Thyself,
O thou that art the great elements in their primeval
state, O thou that art the soul of all (religious)
rites, victory to Thee that givest all. The goddess
Earth represents thy two feet, the cardinal and the
subsidiary directions thy arms, and the heavens thy
Page 651
head. I am thy form, the celestials constitute
thy limbs, and the Sun, the moon are thy two eyes.
Ascetic austerities and Truth born of morality and
(religious) rites, constitute thy strength. Fire
is thy energy, the wind is thy breath, and the waters
have sprung from thy sweat. The twins Aswins constitute
thy ears, and the goddess Saraswati is thy tongue.
The Vedas are thy Knowledge, and upon thee resteth
this Universe. O Lord of Yoga and Yogins, we do
not know thy extent, thy measure, thy energy, thy
prowess, thy might, thy origin. O God, O Vishnu,
filled with devotion in thee, and depending upon thee
with vows and observances, we ever worship Thee as
the highest Lord, the God of gods. The Rishis,
the gods, Gandharvas, the Yakshas, the Rakshasas,
the Pannagas, the Pisachas, human beings, beasts, birds,
reptiles,—all these were created by me
on Earth through Thy grace. O thou having the
lotus springing from thy navel, O thou of large expansive
eyes, O Krishna, O Dispeller of all woe, Thou art
the Refuge of all creatures, and Thou art their Guide.
Thou hast the Universe for thy mouth. Through
thy grace, O Lord of the gods, the gods are ever happy.
Through thy grace the Earth hath always been freed
from terrors. Therefore, O thou of large eyes,
take birth in the race of Yadu.[386] For the sake of
establishing righteousness, for slaying the sons of
Diti, and for upholding the Universe, do what I have
said, O Lord. O Vasudeva, that which is thy supreme
mystery, that, O Lord hath been sung by me through
Thy grace. Having created the divine Sankarshana
out of thy own Self by Thyself, thou didst then, O
Krishna, create Thyself as Pradyumna born of thyself.
From Pradyumna thou didst then create Aniruddha who
is known as the eternal Vishnu. And it was Aniruddha
who created me as Brahma, the upholder of the Universe.
Created out of Vasudeva’s essence I have, therefore,
been created by thee. Dividing Thyself into portions,
take birth, O Lord, among human beings. And slaughtering
the Asuras there for happiness of all the worlds,
and establishing righteousness, and winning renown,
Thou wilt again truly attain to Yoga. The regenerate
Rishis on Earth and the gods, O thou of infinite prowess,
devoted to thee, sing of thy wonderous Self under
those names that belong to thee. O thou of excellent
arms, all classes of creatures rest on thee, having
taken refuge in Thee, thou giver of boons. The
regenerate ones sing Thee as the world’s bridge,
having no beginning, middle and end, and as possessed
of unlimited Yoga.’”
SECTION LXVI
“Bhishma said, ’Then that illustrious
Deity, the Lord of the worlds, replied unto Brahma
in a soft deep voice, saying,—’Through
Yoga, O sire, all that is wished by thee is known
to me. It will be even as thou wishest,—And
saying this, he disappeared then and there. Then
the gods, Rishis, and Gandharvas, filled with great
wonder and curiosity all asked the Grandsire, saying,—’Who
Page 652
is that one, O Lord, that was worshipped by thy illustrious
self with such humility and praised in such high words?
We desire to hear,—Thus addressed, the illustrious
Grandsire replied unto all the Gods, the regenerate
Rishis, and the Gandharvas, in sweet words saying,—He
who is called tat, He who is Supreme, He who is
existent at present and who will be for all time, He
who is the highest Self, He who is the Soul of beings,
and who is the great Lord, I was talking even with
His ever-cheerful self, ye bulls among gods. The
Lord of the Universe was solicited by me, for the
good of the Universe, to take his birth among mankind
in the family of Vasudeva. I said unto him,—For
the slaughter of the Asuras take thy birth in the world
of men!—Those Daityas and Rakshasas, of
fierce form and great strength, that were slain in
battle, have been born among men. Indeed, the
illustrious and mighty Lord, taking birth in the human
womb, will live on the Earth, accompanied by Nara.
Those ancient and best of Rishis, viz., Nara
and Narayana, are incapable of defeat in battle by
even all the celestials united together. Of immeasurable
effulgence, those Rishis viz., Nara and Narayana,
when born together in the world of men, will not be
known (as such) by fools. He, from whose Self,
I, Brahman, the Lord of the whole Universe, have sprung
that Vasudeva, that Supreme God of all the worlds,
is worthy of your adoration. Endued with great
energy, and bearing the conch, the discus, and the
mace, he should never be disregarded as a man, ye
best of deities. He is the Supreme Mystery, the
Supreme refuge, the Supreme Brahma, and the Supreme
glory. He is without decay, Unmanifest, and Eternal.
He it is who hath been sung as Purusha, though none
can comprehend him. The divine Artificer hath
sung of him as the Supreme Energy, the Supreme Felicity,
and the Supreme Truth. Therefore, the Lord Vasudeva
of immeasurable prowess should never be disregarded
as a man by all the Asuras and the gods with Indra
at their head. That person of foolish understanding
is called a wretch, who, from disregard, speaketh
of Hrishikesa as only a man. People speak of him
as one labouring under darkness who disregardeth Vasudeva,
that Yogin of illustrious soul, for his entering into
a human form. People speak of him as one labouring
under darkness who knoweth not that Divine personage,
that Soul of the mobile and the immobile creation,
that one bearing the auspicious wheel (on his breast),
that one of dazzling effulgence, that one from whose
navel hath sprung the (primeval) lotus. He who
disregardeth that wearer of the diadem and the Kaustuva
gem, that dispeller of fears of his friends, that
high-souled one, sinketh in thick darkness. Having
known all these truths duly, that Lord of the worlds,
viz., Vasudeva, should be adored by every one,
ye best of gods.’—
Page 653
“Bhishma continued,—Having said these
words unto those gods and Rishis in days of yore,
the illustrious Grandsire, dismissing them all, repaired
to his own abode. And the gods and the Gandharvas,
and the Munis and the Apsaras also, having listened
to those words spoken by Brahman, were filled with
delight and repaired to heaven. Even this was
heard by me, O sire, from Rishis of cultured soul
talking in their assembly, of Vasudeva, that ancient
one. And O thou that art well-versed in scriptures,
I heard this from Rama, the son of Jamadagni, and Markandeya
of great wisdom, and Vyasa and Narada also. Having
learnt all this and heard of the illustrious Vasudeva
as the Eternal Lord, the Supreme God of all the worlds,
and the great Master, from whom hath sprung Brahman
himself, the Father of the Universe, why should not
that Vasudeva be adored and worshipped by men?
Forbidden wert thou before, O sire, by sages of cultured
souls, (who said unto thee)—Never go to
war with that Vasudeva armed with bow as also with
the Pandavas,—This, from folly, thou couldst
not apprehend. I regard thee therefore, as a wicked
Rakshsa. Thou art, besides, enveloped in darkness.
It is for this that thou hatest Govinda and Dhananjaya
the son of Pandu, for who else among men would hate
the divine Nara and Narayana? It is for this,
O king, that I say unto thee that this one is Eternal
and Unfading, pervading the whole Universe, Unchanging,
the Ruler, Creator and Upholder of all, and the truly
Existent. He it is who upholdeth the three worlds.
He is the Supreme Lord of all mobile and immobile
creatures, and He is the great Master, He is warrior,
He is Victory, He is Victor, and He is the Lord of
all nature. O king, He is full of goodness and
divested of all the qualities of Darkness and Passion.
There, where Krishna is, there righteousness is; and
there is victory where righteousness is. It is
by the Yoga of his Supreme Excellence, and the Yoga
of his Self, that the sons of Pandu, O king, are supported.
Victory, therefore, will surely be theirs. He
it is that always imparteth to the Pandavas and understanding
endued with righteousness, and strength in battle;
and He it is that always protecteth them from danger.
He is the Eternal God, pervading all beings, and ever
blessed. He, of whom thou hadst asked me, is known
by the name of Vasudeva. He it is whom Brahmanas
and Kshatriyas and Vaisyas and Sudras, having distinctive
features of their own, humbly serve and worship with
restrained hearts and performing their own duties.
He it is who, towards the close of the Dwapara Yuga
and the beginning of the Kali Yuga, is sung of with
Sankarshana, by believers with devotion. It is
that Vasudeva that createth, Yuga after Yuga, the
worlds of the gods and the mortals, all cities girt
by the sea, and the region of human habitation.—”
SECTION LXVII
“Duryodhana said, ’In all the worlds Vasudeva
is spoken of as the Supreme Being. I desire,
O Grandsire, to know his origin and glory.”
Page 654
“Bhishma said, ’Vasudeva is the Supreme
Being. He is the God of all Gods. None superior
to him of eyes like lotus-petals is to be seen, O bull
of Bharata’s race. Markandeya speaketh
of Govinda as the Most Wonderful and the Most high,
as the All-being, as the All-soul, as the Highest soul,
and as the Supreme male Being. Water, Air, and
Fire,—these three were created by Him.
That Divine Master and Lord of all the worlds created
this Earth. That Supreme Being of illustrious
soul laid himself down on the waters. And that
Divine Being made up of all kinds of energy slept
thereon in Yoga. From his mouth He created Fire,
and from his breath, the Wind. Of unfading glory,
He created from his mouth Speech and the Vedas.
It was thus that he created first the Worlds and also
the gods along with the diverse classes of Rishis.
And he created decay and death also of all creatures,
as well as birth and growth. He is Righteousness
and of righteous soul. He is the giver of boons
and the giver of all (our) wishes. He is the
Actor and Action, and He is himself the Divine Master.[387]
He first made the Past, the Present, and the Future;
He is the Creator of the Universe. He is of illustrious
soul; He is the Master possessed of unfading glory.
He created Sankarshana, the First-born of all creatures.
He created the divine Sesha who is known as Ananta
and who upholdeth all creatures and the Earth with
her mountains. Of Supreme Energy, He it is whom
the regenerate ones know by Yoga meditation. Sprung
from the secretions of his ear, the great Asura known
by the name of Madhu, fierce and of fierce deeds and
entertaining a fierce intent and about to destroy
Brahman, was slain by that Supreme Being. And
O sire, in consequence of Madhu’s slaughter,
the gods, the Danavas, and human beings, and Rishis,
call Janardana the slayer of Madhu. He is the
great Boar. He is the great Lion, and He is the
Three-stepped Lord.[388] He is the Mother and the
Father of all living creatures. There never was,
nor will be, any superior to Him of eyes like lotus-petals.
From His mouth He created the Brahmanas: and
from His two arms the Kshatriyas, and from His thighs,
O king, He created the Vaisyas, and from His feet He
created the Sudras. One waiting dutifully on
Him, observant of vows with ascetic austerities on
days of the full-moon and the new-moon, is sure to
obtain the Divine Kesava, that refuge of all embodied
creatures that essence of Brahma and of Yoga.
Kesava is the higher Energy, the Grandsire of all the
worlds. Him, O king, the sages call Hrishikesa
(the lord of the senses). Him also should all
know as the Preceptor, the Father, and the Master.
Inexhaustible regions (of blessedness) are won by him
with whom Krishna is gratified. He also who,
in a place of fear, seeketh the protection of Kesava,
and he who frequently readeth this description, becometh
happy and endued with every prosperity. Those
men who attain to Krishna are never beguiled, Janardana
always saveth those that are sunk in great terrors.
Knowing this truly, O Bharata, Yudhishthira, with his
whole soul, O king, hath sought the shelter of the
highly blessed Kesava, the Lord of Yoga, and the Lord
of the Earth.”
Page 655
SECTION LXVIII
“Bhishma said, ’Hear from me, O king,
this hymn that was uttered by Brahman himself.
This hymn was in days of old communicated by regenerate
Rishis and the gods (to men) on Earth-Narada described
thee as the Master and the Lord of the god of gods
and all the Sadhyas and the celestials, and as one
acquainted with the nature of the Creator of the worlds.
Markandeya spoke of thee as the Past, the Present,
and the Future, and the sacrifice of sacrifices, and
the austerity of austerities. The illustrious
Bhrigu said of thee that thou art the God of the gods,
that thine is the ancient form of Vishnu. Dwaipayana
said of thee that thou art Vasudeva of the Vasus,
the establisher of Sakra, and the God of gods and
all creatures. In days of old on the occasion
of procreating creatures, the sages spoke of thee
as Daksha, the Father of creation. Angiras said
that thou art the creator of all beings. Devala
said of thee that the unmanifest all is thy body,
and the manifest is in thy mind, and that the gods
are all the result of thy breath.[389] With thy heads
is pervaded the heavens, and thy two arms support
the Earth. In thy stomach are three worlds and
thou art the Eternal Being. Even thus do men exalted
by asceticism know thee. Thou art the Sat of Sat,
with Rishis gratified with sight of Self.[390] With
royal sages of liberal minds, never retreating from
battle and having morality for their highest end, thou,
O slayer of Madhu, art, the sole refuse. Even
thus is that illustrious and Supreme Being, viz.,
Hari, adored and worshipped by Sanatkumar and other
ascetics endued with Yoga. The truth about Kesava,
O sire, is now narrated to thee, both in brief and
detail. Turn thy heart in love to Kesava.’”
Sanjaya continued, “Hearing this sacred story,
thy son, O great king, began to regard highly both
Kesava and these mighty car-warriors, viz., the
sons of Pandu. Then, O monarch, Bhishma the son
of Santanu once more addressed thy son, saying, ’Thou
hast now heard truly, O king, about the glory of the
high-souled Kesava and of Nara about which thou hadst
asked me. Thou hast also heard about the object
for which both Nara and Narayana have taken their
births among men. Thou hast also been told the
reason why those heroes are invincible and have never
been vanquished in battle, and why also, O king, the
sons of Pandu are incapable of being slain in battle,
by anybody. Krishna beareth great love for the
illustrious sons of Pandu. It is for this, O king
of kings, that I say, ‘Let peace be made with
the Pandavas.’ Restraining thy passions
enjoy thou the Earth with thy mighty brothers (around
thee). By disregarding the divine Nara and Narayana,
thou shalt certainly be destroyed. Having said
these words, thy sire, became silent, O monarch, and
dismissing the king, entered his tent. And the
king also came back to his (own) tent, having worshipped
the illustrious grandsire. And then, O bull of
Bharata’s race, he laid himself down on his white
bed for passing the night in sleep.”
Page 656
SECTION LXIX
Sanjaya said, “After the night had passed away
and the sun had risen, the two armies, O king, approached
each other for battle. Beholding each other,
each rushed in united ranks towards the other excited
with rage and desirous of vanquishing the other.
And in consequence of thy evil policy, O king, the
Pandavas and the Dhartarashtras thus rushed, cased
in mail and forming battle-array, for striking each
other. And the array that Bhishma protected from
all sides, O king, was of the shape of a Makara.[391]
And so the Pandavas also, O king, protected the array
they had formed (of their troops). Then thy sire
Devavrata, O great king, that foremost of car-warriors,
proceeded in advance, supported by a large division
of cars. And others, viz., car-warriors,
infantry, elephants, and cavalry, all followed him,
each stationed in the place allotted. And beholding
them prepared for battle, the illustrious sons of Pandu
arrayed their troops in that invincible and prince
of arrays called the Syena.[392] And in the beak of
that array shone Bhimasena of great strength.
And in its two eyes were the invincible Sikhandin and
Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata’s race. And in
the head was the heroic Satyaki of prowess incapable
of being baffled. And in its neck was Arjuna shaking
his Gandiva. And in its left wing was the high-souled
and blessed Drupada with his son and supported by
an akshauhini of all forces. And the king of
the Kekayas, owning an akshauhini, formed the right
wing (of that array). And in its back were the
sons of Draupadi, and Subhadra’s son of great
prowess. And in its tail was the heroic king Yudhishthira
himself, of excellent prowess, supported by his twin
brothers. Then in the battle (that ensued).
Bhima, penetrating the Makara array (of the Kauravas)
through its mouth, and approaching Bhishma, covered
him with his shafts. Then in that great battle,
Bhishma possessed of great prowess shot his mighty
weapons, confounding the combatants of the Pandavas
disposed in battle-array. And when the combatants
(of the Pandava army) were thus confounded, Dhananjaya,
speedily proceeding, pierced Bhishma at the van of
battle with a thousand arrows. And counteracting,
in that conflict, the weapons shot by Bhishma, Arjuna
stood ready for the combat, supported by his own division
filled with cheerfulness.[393] Then king Duryodhana,
that foremost of mighty men, that great car-warrior,
beholding that terrible carnage of his troops and
remembering the slaughter of his brothers (on the
previous day), came quickly towards Bharadwaja’s
son, and addressing him, said, ’O preceptor,
O sinless one, thou art ever my well-wisher,—Relying
on thee as also on the grandsire Bhishma, ourselves,
hope to vanquish without doubt the very gods in battle,
let alone the sons of Pandu that are destitute of
energy and prowess. Blessed be thou, act in such
away that the Pandavas may be slain. Thus addressed
Page 657
in battle by thy son, Drona penetrated into the Pandava
array in the very sight of Satyaki. Then O Bharata,
Satyaki checked the son of Bharadwaja, (and thereupon)
ensued a battle that was fierce in its incidents and
awful to behold. Then Bharadwaja’s son excited
with rage and endued with great prowess, as if smiling
the while, pierced the grandson of Sini with ten shafts
at his shoulder-joint. And Bhimasena also, excited
with rage, pierced Bharadwaja’s son (with many
shafts), desirous of protecting Satyaki, O king, from
Drona that foremost of all warriors. Then Drona
and Bhishma, and Salya also, O sire, excited with
rage, covered Bhimasena, in that battle, with their
shafts. Thereupon Abhimanyu excited with wrath,
and the sons of Draupadi, O sire, pierced with their
sharp-pointed shafts all those warriors with upraised
weapons. Then in that fierce battle, the great
bowman Sikhandin rushed against those two mighty warriors,
viz., Bhishma and Drona who, excited with rage,
had (thus) fallen upon the Pandavas. Firmly grasping
his bow whose twang resembled the roar of the clouds,
that hero, shrouding the very Sun with his arrows,
quickly covered his antagonists therewith. The
grandsire of the Bharatas, however, getting Sikhandin
before him, avoided him, remembering the femininity
of his sex. Then, O king, urged by thy son, Drona
rushed to battle, desirous of protecting Bhishma in
that stress. Sikhandin, however, approaching
Drona that foremost of all wielders of weapons, avoided,
from fear, that warrior resembling the blazing fire
that appears at the end of the Yuga. Then, O
king, thy son with a large force, desirous of winning
great glory, proceeded to protect Bhishma. And
the Pandavas also proceeded, O king, firmly setting
their hearts upon victory, and the battle then that
took place between the combatants of both armies desirous
of victory and fame, was fierce and highly wonderful,
resembling that (in days of yore) between the gods
and Danavas.
SECTION LXX
Sanjaya said, “Then Bhishma the son of Santanu
fought fiercely,[394] desirous of protecting the sons
from the fear of Bhimasena. And the battle that
then took place between the kings of the Kaurava and
the Pandava armies was awful in the extreme and destructive
of great heroes. And in that general engagement,
so fierce and terrible, tremendous was the din that
arose, touching the very heavens. And in consequence
of the shrieks of huge elephants and the neigh of
steeds and the blare of conches and beat of drums,
the uproar was deafening. Fighting for the sake
of victory, the mighty combatants endued with great
prowess roared at one another like bulls in a cow-pen.
And heads cut off in that battle with keen-edged shafts,
incessantly falling, created, O bull of Bharata’s
race, the appearance of a stony shower in the welkin.
Indeed, O bull of Bharata’s race, innumerable
were the heads lying on the field of battle, decked
Page 658
with ear-rings and turbans and resplendent with ornaments
of gold. And the earth was covered with limbs
cut off with broad-headed shafts, with heads decked
with ear-rings, and with arms adorned with ornaments.
And in a moment the whole field was strewn over with
bodies cased in mail, with arms decked with ornaments,
with faces beautiful as the moon and having eyes with
reddish corners, and with every limb, O king, of elephants,
steeds and men. And the dust (raised by the warriors)
looked like a thick cloud, and the bright implements
of destruction, like flashes of lightning. And
the noise made by the weapons resembled the roar of
thunder. And that fierce and awful passage-at-arms,
O Bharata, between the Kurus and the Pandavas caused
a very river of blood to flow there. And in that
terrible, fierce, and awful battle causing the hair
stand on end, Kshatriya warriors incapable of defeat
incessantly poured their arrowy showers. And
the elephants of both thy army and the enemy’s,
afflicted with those arrowy showers, shrieked aloud
and ran hither and thither in fury. And in consequence
of (the twang of) bows, endued with great energy,
of fierce and heroic warriors excited with fury, and
of flapping of their bow-strings against their leathern
fences, nothing could be distinguished.[395] And all
over the field which looked like a lake of blood,
headless trunks stood up, and the kings bent upon slaying
their foes, rushed to battle. And brave warriors
of immeasurable energy and possessed of arms resembling
stout bludgeons, slew one another with arrows and
darts and maces and scimitars. And elephants,
pierced with arrows and deprived of riders to guide
them with hooks, and steeds destitute of riders, wildly
ran in all directions. And many warriors, O best
of the Bharatas, belonging to both thy army and that
of the foe, deeply pierced with shafts jumped up and
fell down. And in that encounter between Bhima
and Bhishma, heaps of arms and heads, as also of bows
and maces and spiked clubs and hands and thighs, of
legs and ornaments and bracelets, were seen lying
over the field. And here and there over the field,
O king, were seen large bodies of unretreating elephants
and steeds and cars. And the Kshatriya warriors,
urged on by fate, slew one another with maces, swords,
lances, and straight shafts. And others endued
with great heroism and accomplished in fight, encountered
one another with their bare arms that resembled spiked
clubs made of iron. And other heroic warriors
of thy army, engaged with the combatants of the Pandava
host, fought on slaying one another with clenched fists
and knees, and slaps and blows, O king. And with
the fallen and falling warriors and those weltering
in agony on the ground, the field of battle everywhere
became, O king, terrible to behold, and car-warriors,
deprived of the cars and grasping excellent swords,
rushed at one another, desirous of slaughter.
Then king Duryodhana, surrounded by a large division
of Kalingas, and placing Bhishma ahead, rushed towards
the Pandavas. And so the Pandava combatants also,
supporting Vrikodara, and owning fleet animals, rushed,
excited with rage, against Bhishma.”
Page 659
SECTION LXXI
Sanjaya said, “Beholding his brothers and the
other kings engaged in battle with Bhishma, Dhananjaya,
with weapons upraised, rushed against the son of Ganga.
Hearing the blare of Panchajanya and the twang of the
bow Gandiva, and seeing also the standard of Pritha’s
son, a great fear entered our hearts. And the
standard that we behold, O king, of the wielder of
Gandiva bore the device of lion’s tail and looked
like a blazing mountain in the welkin. Beautiful
and of celestial workmanship, it was variegated with
diverse hues, and looking like a risen comet it could
not be obstructed by trees. And in that great
battle, the warriors beheld Gandiva, the back of whose
staff was decked with pure gold, and which looked
beautiful like a flash of lightning in the midst of
a mass of clouds in the firmament. And while
slaying the combatants of thy army, the shouts we
heard uttered by Arjuna seemed to resemble the loud
roars of Indra himself, and the slaps also of his
palms were frightfully loud. Like a roaring mass
of clouds charged with lightning and aided by a raging
tempest, Arjuna incessantly poured his arrowy showers
on all sides, completely shrouding the ten points
of the compass. Dhananjaya then possessed of
terrible weapons, quickly proceeded towards the son
of Ganga. Deprived of four senses in consequence
of his weapons, we could not then distinguish the
East from the West. And thy warriors, then, O
bull of Bharata’s race,—their animals
tired, steeds slain, and hearts depressed,—thoroughly
confounded[396] and huddling close to one another,
sought Bhishma’s protection along with all thy
sons. And in that battle Bhishma the son of Santanu
became their protector. Struck with fear, car-warriors
jumping down from their cars, cavalry soldiers jumping
down from the backs of their steeds, and the foot-soldiers
where they stood, all began to fall down on the earth.
Hearing the twang of Gandiva that resembled the roar
of the thunder, all thy warriors were struck with fear
and seemed, O Bharata, to melt away. Then, O king,
with many huge and fleet steeds of the Kamvoja breed,
and surrounded by many thousand of Gopas with a large
Gopayana force and supported by the Madras, the Sauviras,
the Gandharas and the Trigartas, and surrounded by
all the principal Kalingas, the king of the Kalingas,
and king Jayadratha accompanied by all the kings and
supported by a large force of diverse races with Dussasana
at their head, and fourteen thousand principal horsemen,
urged by thy son, surrounded the son of Suvala (for
supporting him). Then in that battle, all the
Pandavas, united together, and riding on separate
cars and animals, began, O bull of Bharata’s
race, to slaughter thy troops.[397] And the dust raised
by car-warriors and steeds and foot-soldiers, looking
like a mass of clouds, made the field of battle exceedingly
awful. And with a large force consisting of elephants,
steeds and cars, and armed with lances and bearded
Page 660
darts and broad-headed shafts, Bhishma engaged in
battle with the diadem decked (Arjuna). And the
king of Avanti engaged with the ruler of Kasi, and
the ruler of the Sindhus engaged with Bhimasena.
And king Yudhishthira with his sons and counsellors
engaged with Salya, the famous chief of the Madras.
And Vikarna engaged with Sahadeva, and Chitrasena
with Sikhandin. And the Matsyas, O king, engaged
with Duryodhana, and Sakuni; and Drupada and Chekitana,
and that mighty car-warrior Satyaki engaged in battle
with the high-souled Drona aided by his son.
And Kripa and Kritavarman both rushed against Dhrishtadyumna.
And thus, all over the field, rushing bodies of horses,
of elephants and cars, engaged with one another in
battle. And although there were no clouds in
the sky, yet flashes of lightning were seen.
And all the points of the compass were covered with
dust. And, O king, fierce meteors were seen failing
with thundering noise. And violent winds blew
and a shower of dust fell from above. And the
sun, covered by the dust raised by the troops, disappeared
in the firmament. And all the warriors, covered
by that dust and battling with weapons, were deprived
of their senses. And the sound made by weapons,
all capable of penetrating through every armour and
hurled from heroic arms, became a tremendous uproar.
And, O bull of Bharata’s race, weapons hurled
from excellent arms and possessed of stellar brightness,
illumined the whole welkin. And variegated shields
made of bull’s hides and embossed with gold
were strewn, O bull of Bharata’s race, all over
the field. And heads and limbs were seen falling
on all sides, cut off with swords and scimitars possessed
of solar effulgence. And great car-warriors, the
wheels, axles, and boxes of whose cars were broken,
fell down on the ground, their steeds slain and their
tall standards tumbling down.[398] And many car-warriors
having been slain, their steeds, mangled with weapons,
fell down as they ran dragging the cars (to which they
were yoked). And, in many places over the field,
excellent steeds, afflicted with arrows, with limbs
mangled, and with their traces on, ran, dragging the
car-yokes after them. And many car-warriors, with
their charioteers and steeds, were seen, O king, to
be crushed by single elephants endued with great strength.[399]
And in that battle, in the midst of large forces,
many elephants, scenting the odour of the temporal
juice of their compeers, began to snuff the breeze
repeatedly. And the whole field was strewn with
slain elephants, deprived of life by means of broad-headed
shafts and falling down with the wooden edifices and
the guides on their backs. And many elephants,
in, the midst of large forces crushed, with the standards
and warriors on their backs, by huge compeers urged
by their guides, fell down on the field. And
many car-shafts, O king, were seen to be broken in
that battle by huge elephants using their trunks,
each of which resembled the trunk of the prince of
Page 661
elephants (called Airavata). And many car-warriors
also, in that conflict, the Jalas of whose cars had
been broken, were like branches of trees dragged down
by tuskers, seized by the hair of their heads and,
thrashed violently on the ground, were crushed into
shapeless masses. And other huge elephants, dragging
cars that were entangled with other cars, ran in all
directions shrieking loudly. And those elephants,
thus dragging those cars, looked like others of their
species dragging lotus-stalks growing in lakes.
And thus was that vast field of battle strewn over
with cavalry soldiers and foot-soldiers and great
car-warriors and standards.”
SECTION LXXII
Sanjaya said, “Sikhandin with Virata king of
the Matsyas speedily approached Bhishma that invincible
and mighty bowman. And Dhananjaya encountered
Drona and Kripa, and Vikarna and many other kings,
brave in battle, all mighty bowmen endued with great
strength, as also that mighty bowman the ruler of
the Sindhus supported by his friends and kinsmen and
many kings of the west and the south also, O bull of
Bharata’s race. And Bhimasena proceeded
against that mighty bowman, viz., thy vindictive
son Duryodhana, and also against Dussaha. And
Sahadeva proceeded against those invincible warriors,
viz., Sakuni and that mighty car-warrior Uluka,
those great bowmen, who were sire and son. And
that mighty car-warrior Yudhishthira, deceitfully
treated by thy son, proceeded in that battle, O king,
against the elephant division (of the Kauravas).
And that son of Pandu and Madri, viz., the heroic
Nakula capable of wringing tears from the foe, engaged
in battle with the excellent car-warriors of the Trigartas.
And those invincible warriors, viz., Satyaki and
Chekitana, and the mighty son of Subhadra, proceeded
against Salya and the Kaikeyas. And Dhrishtaketu
and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha, both invincible in battle,
proceeded against the car-division of thy sons.
And that mighty car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna, that generalissimo
(of the Pandava forces) of immeasurable soul, engaged
in battle, O king, with Drona of fierce achievements.
And it was thus that those heroic and mighty bowmen
of thy army and the Pandavas, engaged in battle, began
to strike one another. And when the sun had reached
the meridian and the sky was brilliantly illumined
by his rays, the Kauravas and the Pandavas began to
slay one another. Then cars, furnished with standards
from whose tops pennons were afloat, variegated with
gold and covered with tiger-skins, looked beautiful
as they moved on the field of battle. And the
shouts of warriors engaged in battle from desire of
vanquishing one another, became as loud as leonine
roars. And that encounter which we beheld between
the heroic Srinjayas and the Kurus, was fierce in the
extreme and highly wonderful. And in consequence
of the arrows shot all around, we could not, O king,
distinguish, O chastiser of foes, the firmament, the
Page 662
sun and the cardinal and the subsidiary points of the
compass. And the splendour, like that of the blue
lotus, of darts with polished points, of bearded lances
hurled (at the foe), of well-tempered sabres and scimitars,
of variegated coats of mail and of the ornaments (on
the persons of the warriors), illumined the welkin
and the cardinal and the subsidiary points with its
effulgence. And the field of battle in many places,
O king, shone in consequence of the bodies of monarchs
whose effulgence resembled that of the moon and the
sun. And brave car-warriors, tigers among men
shone in that battle, O king, like the planets in
the firmament. And Bhishma, that foremost of car-warriors,
excited with rage, checked the mighty Bhimasena in
the very sight of the troops. And the impetuous
shafts shot by Bhishma, furnished with golden wings,
and whetted on stone, and rubbed with oil pierced Bhima
in that battle. Then Bhimasena endued with great
strength hurled at him, O Bharata, a dart of fierce
impetuosity that resembled a wrathful snake.
But Bhishma in that combat cut off with straight shafts
that dart with staff made of gold and difficult of
being borne, as it coursed impetuously towards him.
And with another broad-headed shaft, sharp and well-tempered,
he cut off Bhimasena’s bow, O Bharata, into two
parts. Then, O king, in that battle, Satyaki,
coming quickly towards Bhishma, pierced thy sire with
innumerable keen-edged and sharp-pointed shafts of
fierce impetuosity shot from his bowstring drawn to
the ear. Then Bhishma, aiming an exceedingly
fierce shaft, felled the charioteer of the Vrishni
hero from his box in the car. And when the charioteer
of Satyaki’s car was thus slain, his steeds,
O king, bolted away. Endued with the speed of
the tempest or the mind, they ran wild over the field.
Then cries were uttered by the whole army which became
a loud uproar. And exclamation of oh and alas
arose from the high-souled warriors of the Pandava
army. And those cries-said—Run, seize,
check the horses, go in haste. And this uproar
followed Yuyudhana’s car. Meanwhile, Bhishma
the son of Santanu began to slay the Pandava forces
like Indra slaying the Danavas. But the Panchalas
and the Somakas, though slain by Bhishma thus, forming
yet a laudable resolution, rushed towards Bhishma.
And other warriors of the Pandava army, headed by
Dhrishtadyumna, and desirous of slaughtering the ranks
of thy son, rushed towards Santanu’s son in that
battle. And so also, O king, the warriors of thy
army, headed by Bhishma and Drona, impetuously rushed
towards their foes. And thereupon another battle
took place.”
SECTION LXXIII
Page 663
Sanjaya said, “King Virata then pierced that
mighty car-warrior, viz., Bhishma, with three
shafts. And that great car-warrior pierced his
(antagonist’s) steeds also with three shafts
furnished with golden wings. And that terrible
bowman and mighty car-warrior of firm hand, viz.,
Drona’s son, pierced with six shafts the wielder
of Gandiva between his two breasts. Thereupon
that grinder of foes, viz., Phalguni, that slayer
of hostile heroes, cut off Aswatthaman’s bow
and deeply pierced him in return with five shafts.
Deprived of his senses by anger, and unable to bear
the cutting off of his bow in that battle, Drona’s
son, taking up another bow that was tougher, pierced
Phalguni, O king, with ninety sharp-shafts, and Vasudeva
also with seventy fierce arrows. Then, with eyes
red in wrath, Phalguni, with Krishna, breathing long
and hot breaths, reflected for a moment. Firmly
grasping the bow with his left hand, that grinder
of foes, viz., the wielder of gandiva excited
with rage, fixed on his bowstring a number of fierce
shafts, sharp and perfectly straight, and capable
of taking (the foe’s) life. And that foremost
of mighty men speedily pierced Drona’s son, in
that battle, with those arrows. And those arrows,
penetrating through his armour, drank his life-blood.
But though thus pierced by the wielder of Gandiva,
Drona’s son wavered not. Shooting in return
similar arrows at Partha, he stayed unperturbed, in
that battle, desirous, O king, of protecting Bhishma
of high vows. And that feat of his was applauded
by the foremost warriors of the Kuru army, consisting,
as it did, of his having encountered the two Krishnas
united together. Indeed, Aswatthaman daily battled
fearlessly amid the forces, having obtained from Drona
all weapons with the methods also of their withdrawal.
This one is the son of my preceptor. He is again
the dear son of Drona. He is especially a Brahmana,
and, therefore, worthy of my regard. Thinking
so, that scorcher of foes, the heroic Vibhatsu, that
foremost of car-warriors, showed mercy to the son of
Bharadwaja. Avoiding the son of Drona, Kunti’s
son endued with great prowess and having white steeds
(yoked unto his car), began to fight, displaying great
quickness of arms and causing a great carnage of thy
troops. Duryodhana then pierced that great bowman
Bhima with ten shafts winged with vulturine feathers,
adorned with gold, and whetted on stone. Thereupon
Bhimasena, excited with wrath, took up a tough and
well-adorned bow capable of taking the life of the
foe, and also ten sharp shafts. And steadily
aiming those sharp-pointed shafts of fierce energy
and impetuous velocity, and drawing the bow-string
to his ear, he deeply pierced the king of the Kurus
in his wide chest. Thereupon the gem hanging on
his breast on threads of gold, surrounded by those
shafts, looked beautiful like the Sun in the firmament
surrounded by the planets. Thy son, however,
endued with great energy, thus struck by Bhimasena,
could not bear it (coolly), like a snake unable to
bear the sounds of a man’s slap. Excited
with wrath and desirous of protecting his army, he
then pierced Bhima in return, O king, with many shafts
whetted on stone and endued with golden wings.
Thus struggling in battle and mangling each other
fiercely, those two mighty sons of thine looked like
a pair of celestials.
Page 664
“That tiger among men and slayer of hostile
heroes, viz., the son of Subhadra, pierced Chitrasena
with many sharp shafts and Purumitra also with seven
shafts. And piercing Satyavrata too with seventy
shafts, that hero resembling Indra himself in battle,
began as it were to dance on the field, and caused
us much pain. Chitrasena then pierced him in return
with ten shafts, and Satyavrata with nine, and Purumitra
with seven. Then the son of Arjuna, thus pierced,
while yet covered with blood, cut off the large and
beautiful bow of Chitrasena that was capable of checking
foes. And cutting through his coat of mail he
pierced his antagonist’s breast with a shaft.
Then the princes of thy army, all heroic and mighty
car-warriors, excited with wrath and united together
in that conflict, pierced him with sharp arrows.
And Abhimanyu, acquainted with the mightiest weapons,
smote them all with keen shafts. Beholding that
feat of his, thy sons then surrounded the son of Arjuna,
who was consuming thy army in that conflict like a
swelling fire of blazing flames consuming a heap of
dry grass in summer. And the son of Subhadra,
while smiting thy troops (thus), seemed to glow in
splendour. Seeing that conduct of his, thy grandson
Lakshmana then, O monarch, quickly fell upon the son
of Subhadra. Thereupon that mighty car-warrior
Abhimanyu, excited with wrath, pierced Lakshmana graced
with auspicious marks, as also his charioteer, with
six sharp arrows. But Lakshmana also, O king,
pierced Subhadra’s son with many keen shafts.
And that feat, O king, seemed to be highly wonderful.
Then that mighty car-warrior, viz., Abhimanyu,
slaying the four steeds as also the charioteer of
Lakshmana with sharp shafts, rushed towards the latter.
Thereupon Lakshmana, that slayer of hostile heroes,
staying on that car of his whose steeds had been slain,
and excited with wrath, hurled a dart towards the
car of Subhadra’s son. Abhimanyu, however,
with his sharp arrows, cut off that irresistible dart
of fierce mien, resembling a snake, and coming impetuously
towards him. Then Kripa, taking Lakshmana up
on his own car, bore him away from the conflict, in
the very sight of all the troops. Then when that
awful conflict became general, the combatants rushed
against one another, desirous of taking another’s
life. And the mighty bowmen of thy army and the
great car-warriors of the Pandava host, prepared to
lay down their lives in battle, slew one another.
With hair dishevelled, divested of their coats of
mail, deprived of their cars, and their bows broken,
the Srinjayas fought with the Kurus with their bare
arms. Then the mighty-armed Bhishma, endued with
great strength, and excited with wrath, slew with
his celestial weapons the troops of the high-souled
Pandavas. And the earth became covered with the
fallen bodies of elephants deprived of their guides
of men and steeds and car-warriors and cavalry-soldiers.”
SECTION LXXIV
Page 665
Sanjaya said, “Then, O king, the mighty-armed
Satyaki invincible in battle, drawing in that conflict
an excellent bow capable of bearing a great strain
shot innumerable winged arrows resembling snakes of
virulent poison, displaying his wonderful lightness
of hand. And while slaying his foes in battle,
so quickly did he draw the bow, take out his arrows,
fix them on the bowstring, and letting them off throw
them among the foe, that he then seemed to be a mass
of clouds pouring a thick shower of rain. Beholding
him then thus blazing up (like a swelling fire), king
Duryodhana, O Bharata, despatched ten thousand cars
against him. But that great bowman, Satyaki,
of prowess incapable of being baffled and possessed
of great energy, slew with his celestial weapons all
those mighty car-warriors. Having achieved, bow
in hand, that fierce feat, that hero then approached
Bhurisravas in battle. And Bhurisravas also, that
enhancer of the fame of the Kurus, beholding the Dhartarashtra
ranks thus felled by Yuyudhana, rushed in wrath against
the latter.[400] Drawing his great bow which resembled
that of Indra himself in hue, he shot thousands of
shafts, O monarch, looking like snakes of virulent
poison and possessed of the strength of the thunder,
displaying his extreme lightness of hand. Thereupon
the combatants that followed Satyaki, unable to bear
those shafts of fatal touch, fled away, O king, in
all directions, abandoning, O monarch, the invincible
Satyaki in that conflict. Beholding this, the
mighty sons of Yuyudhana, all mighty car-warriors
of great renown, cased in excellent mail, bearing diverse
arms, and possessing excellent standards, approaching
that great bowman, viz., Bhurisravas, in battle,
wrathfully addressed that warrior bearing on his standard
the device of a sacrificial stake, and said these words,
’Listen, O kinsman of the Kauravas, O thou that
art possessed of great strength, come, fight in battle
with us, i.e., with either all of us jointly
or with each of us separately. Vanquishing us
in battle thou mayst win great renown, or ourselves,
vanquishing thee, will have great gratification.’
Thus addressed by them, that mighty hero endued with
great strength and proud of his prowess, that foremost
of men, beholding them before him, replied unto them,
saying, ’Ye heroes, ye have said well.
If such be now your wish, fight ye then all together
with care. I shall slay all of you in battle.’
Thus addressed by him, those heroic and mighty bowmen
endued with great activity covered that chastiser of
foes with a thick shower of arrows. And it was
towards the afternoon, O king, that that dreadful
battle took place between Bhurisravas alone on one
side and the many united together on the other.
And those ten heroes covered that single mighty car-warrior
with showers of arrows like the clouds showering rain
on a mountain cliff in the season of rains. That
mighty car-warrior, however, cut off, those clouds
of shafts shot by them resembling the fatal darts
Page 666
of Death or the very thunder in effulgence, before
they could reach him.[401] They then, surrounding that
mighty-armed warrior, endeavoured to slay him.
But the son of Somadatta, excited with rage, cut off
their bows, O Bharata, and then their heads, with
sharp shafts. Thus slain, they fell down, O monarch,
like mighty trees felled by the thunder.[402] Beholding
then his mighty sons thus slain in battle, the Vrishni
hero (Satyaki), O king, uttering a loud roar, rushed
against Bhurisravas. And those mighty warriors
then each pressed his car against the other.
And each of them in that combat slew the other’s
car-steeds. And both deprived of their cars, those
mighty warriors jumped down on the ground. And
both taking up large scimitars and excellent shields
encountered each other. And those tigers among
men, stationed for the encounter, shone brightly.
Then Bhimasena, O king, quickly coming up to Satyaki
thus armed with an excellent scimitar, took him up
on his own car. And thy son also, O monarch, speedily
took up Bhurisravas on his car, in that battle, at
the very sight of all the bowmen.
“Meanwhile, during the continuance of that battle,
the Pandavas, O bull of Bharata’s race, excited
with wrath, fought with that mighty car-warrior Bhishma.
And when the sun assumed a red hue, Dhananjaya exerting
himself actively, slew five and twenty thousand great
car-warriors. These, urged on by Duryodhana for
slaying Partha, were thus completely destroyed before
they could even come up to him, like insects on a
blazing fire. Then the Matsyas and the Kekayas,
all accomplished in the science of arms, surrounded
that mighty car-warrior Partha as also his son (for
supporting them). Just at that time the sun disappeared,
and all the combatants seemed to be deprived of their
senses. Then at twilight, O king, thy sire Devavrata,
his animals having been tired, caused the troops to
be withdrawn. And the troops of both the Pandavas
and the Kurus, filled with fear and anxiety in course
of that dreadful encounter, proceeded to their respective
camps, the Pandavas with the Srinjayas and the Kauravas
also rested for the night agreeably to the rules (of
military science).”
SECTION LXXV
Sanjaya said, “Having rested for a while, O
king, both the Kurus and the Pandavas, after the night
had passed away, once more went out for battle.
And then loud was the uproar, O king, that arose of
mighty car-warriors as they prepared for battle, and
of tuskers as these were being equipped for the conflict,
and of infantry as they put on their armour, and of
steeds also, O Bharata. And the blare of conches
and the beat of drums became deafening in all parts
of the field. Then king Yudhishthira addressed
Dhrishtadyumna and said, ’O mighty-armed one,
dispose the troops in the array called Makara that
scorcheth the foe.’ Thus addressed by Pritha’s
son, that mighty car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna, that foremost
Page 667
of combatants on cars, issued the order, O great king,
to the car-warriors, (for forming the Makara array).
Drupada, and Dhananjaya the son of Pandu, formed the
head of that array, and Sahadeva and that mighty car-warrior
Nakula formed its two eyes. And the mighty Bhimasena
formed its beak. And Subhadra’s son, and
the sons of Draupadi and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha,
and Satyaki, and king Yudhishthira the just, were stationed
in its neck. And king Virata that commander of
a large division, formed its back, supported by Dhrishtadyumna
and a large force. And the five Kekaya brothers
consisted its left wing, and that tiger among men,
viz., Dhrishtaketu, and Chekitana of great prowess,
stationed in the right wing, stood for protecting
that array. And its two feet, O monarch, were
constituted by that mighty car-warrior the blessed
Kuntibhoja, and Satanika, supported by a large force.
And that great bowman, the mighty Sikhandin, surrounded
by the Somakas, and Iravat, were stationed in the
tail of that Makara array. And having, O Bharata,
formed their great array, the Pandavas, O monarch,
equipped in mail at dawn, again stood for battle.
And with elephants and steeds and cars and infantry,
and with standards upraised and umbrellas set up,
and armed with bright, whetted weapons, they quickly
proceeded against the Kauravas.
“Then thy sire Devavrata, beholding the (Pandava)
army thus arrayed, disposed his army, O king, in counter-array
after the form of a huge crane. And in its beak
was Bharadwaja’s son (Drona). And Aswatthaman
and Kripa, O monarch, formed its two eyes. And
that foremost, of all bowmen, viz., Kritavarman,
united with the ruler of the Kamvojas and with the
Valhikas was stationed, O king, in its head. And
in its neck. O Bharata, were Surasena, and thy
son Duryodhana, O king, surrounded by many kings.
And the ruler of the Pragjyotishas, united with the
Madras, the Sauviras, and the Kekayas, and surrounded
by a large force, was stationed, O king, in its breasts.
And Susarman the king of Prasthala, accompanied by
his own troops, stood, accoutred in mail, in the left
wing. And the Tusharas, the Yavanas and the Sakas,
along with the Chulikas, stood in the right wing,
O Bharata, of that array. And Srutayush and Sataytish
and Somadatta’s son, O sire, were stationed
in the rear of that array protecting one another.
“Then the Pandavas, O king, rushed against the
Kauravas for battle. The sun, O Bharata, had
risen when the battle commenced. And elephants
proceeded against elephants. And horsemen rushed
against horsemen, car-warriors against car-warriors,
O king, and against elephants also, in that dreadful
conflict. And car-men rushed against riders of
elephants, and riders of elephants against horsemen.
And car-warriors engaged with foot-soldiers, and cavalry
with infantry. And all the warriors, O king,
excited with wrath, rushed against one another in battle.
And the Pandava army, protected by Bhimasena and Arjuna
Page 668
and the twins, looked beautiful like the night decorated
with stars. And thy army also, with Bhishma and
Kripa and Drona and Salya and Duryodhana, and others,
shone like the firmament spangled with the planets.
And Bhimasena the son of Kunti, endued with great
prowess, beholding Drona rushed against the division
of Bharadwaja’s son, borne by his steeds of
great fleetness. Then Drona, excited with wrath
in that conflict and endued with great energy, pierced
Bhima with nine shafts made wholly of iron, aiming
his vital limbs. Deeply pierced by Bharadwaja’s
son in that conflict, Bhima despatched Drona’s
charioteer to the region of Yama. Thereupon the
son of Bharadwaja, endued with great prowess, himself
restraining his steeds, began to consume the Pandava
army like fire consuming a heap of cotton. And
while thus slaughtered, O king, by Drona and Bhishma,
the Srinjayas along with the Kekayas took to flight.
And so thy troops also, mangled by Bhima and Arjuna,
became deprived of their senses as they stood, like
a beautiful female in her pride. And in that
conflict destructive of heroes great was the distress,
O Bharata, that befell both thy army and theirs.
And we beheld the wonderful sight, O Bharata, of the
troops fighting with one another regardless of their
lives.[403] And the Pandavas and the Kauravas, O king,
in that conflict, fought with one another counteracting
one another’s weapons.”
SECTION LXXVI
Dhritarashtra said, “Our army is possessed of
many excellencies, consisting of diverse forces, its
efficiency is great. It is again arrayed according
to the rules of science and, therefore, ought to be
irresistible. It is attached to us exceedingly,
and always devoted to us. It is submissive, and
free from the faults of drunkenness and licentiousness.
Its prowess had before been tested. The soldiers
are neither very old nor very young. They are
neither lean nor corpulent. Of active habits,
of well-developed and strong frames, they are free
from disease. They are cased in mail and well-equipped
with arms. They are exercised in every kind of
weapons. They are skilled in encounters with
swords, with bare arms, and with maces. They are
well-exercised in lances, sabres, and darts, as also
in iron clubs, short arrows, javelins and mallets.
They are devoted to all kinds of armed exercises, and
are adepts in mounting upon and descending from the
backs of elephants, in moving forward and stepping
back, in smiting effectually, in marching and retreating.
Many a time have they been tested in the management
of elephants and steeds and cars. Having been
examined duly they have been entertained on pay, and
not for the sake of lineage, nor from favour nor from
relationship, nor from strength of attachments, nor
from connections of birth and blood. They are
all respectable and honest, and their kinsmen have
been well-treated and gratified by us. We have
done them many good offices. They are, besides,
Page 669
all renowned men and endued with great mental vigour.
O son, they are again protected by many foremost of
men endued with great activity, and of famous achievements,
resembling the very Regents of the world and renowned
over the whole earth. Innumerable Kshatriyas,
respected throughout the world, and who have of their
own will sided us with their forces and followers also
protect them. Indeed, our army is like the vast
ocean filled with the water of innumerable rivers
running from all directions. It abounds with
elephants, and with cars which though destitute of
wings, yet resemble the winged tenants of the air.
Vast numbers of combatants constitute the waters of
that ocean, and the steeds and other animals constitute
its terrible waves. Innumerable swords and maces
and darts and arrows and lances constitute the oars
(piled on that ocean). Abounding with standards
and ornaments and adorned with cloth inlaid with gold
and gems, the rushing steeds and elephants constitute
the winds agitating it into fury. Our host, therefore,
really resembles the vast, shoreless ocean roaring
in rage. And that host is protected by Drona and
Bhishma and by Kritavarman and Kripa and Dussasana,
and others headed by Jayadratha. It is also protected
by Bhagadatta and Vikarna by Drona’s son, and
Suvala’s son, and Valhika and by many other
mighty and high-souled heroes of the world. That
our army should yet be slaughtered in battle is due
only to predestined fate, O Sanjaya. Neither
men nor highly blessed Rishis of old ever beheld such
preparations (for battle) on earth before. That
so large an army, mustered according to science, and
attached (to us) by wealth, should yet be slaughtered
in battle, alas, what can it be but the result of
Destiny? O Sanjaya, all these seem to be unnatural.
Indeed Vidura had often said what was both beneficial
and desirable. But my wicked son Duryodhana would
not accept it. I believe that high-souled and
well-knowing person had foreseen all that is now happening
and hence the counsel he gave.[404] Or, O Sanjaya,
all these, in all its details, had been pre-arranged
by Him, for that which is ordained by the Creator must
happen as ordained and cannot be otherwise.”
SECTION LXXVII
Sanjaya said, “Thou hast, O king, in consequence
of thy own fault, been overtaken by this calamity.
O bull of Bharata’s race, the faults which thou,
O monarch, hadst seen in that unrighteous course of
conduct (towards the Pandavas), were not seen by Duryodhana.
It was through thy fault, O king, that the match at
dice had taken place. And it is through thy fault
that this battle hath taken place with the Pandavas.
Having committed a sin, do thou, therefore, reap the
fruit of that sin of thine. One reapeth the fruit
of acts perpetrated by one’s own self. Do
thou, therefore, O king, reap the fruit of thy own
acts both here and hereafter. Therefore, O monarch,
though overtaken by this calamity, be calm still,
and listen, O sire, to the (account of the) battle
as I recite it.
Page 670
“The heroic Bhimasena, having with his sharp
shafts broken thy mighty array, then came upon all
the younger brothers of Duryodhana. The mighty
Bhima, beholding Dussasana and Durvisaha and Dussaha
and Durmada and Jaya, and Jayasena and Vikarna and
Chitrasena and Sudarsana, and Charuchitra and Suvarman
and Duskarna and Karna, and many other mighty car-warriors,
excited with rage, of the Dhartarashtra host near enough
to himself, penetrated into (thy) mighty array that
was protected by Bhishma in that battle. Then,
beholding him in their midst, all those warriors said,
’Ye kings, let us take this one’s life’!—Thereupon
that son of Pritha was surrounded by those cousins
of his who were firmly resolved (to take his life).
And Bhima then resembled Surya himself of fierce splendour
surrounded by the mighty planets of evil nature, at
the time of the universal destruction. And although
the son of Pandu was there in the very midst of the
(Kaurava) array, yet fear entered not his heart, as
it did not that of Indra while surrounded by the Danavas
in the fierce battle of old between the celestials
and the Asuras. Then thousands of car-warriors
armed with all weapons and fully prepared for battle
overwhelmed his single self with terrible shafts.
Thereupon the heroic Bhima, disregarding the sons
of Dhritarashtra, slew in that conflict many foremost
warriors (of the Kaurava army) fighting from cars or
upon the back of elephants and steeds. And ascertaining
the purpose harboured by those cousins of his who
were bent upon his destruction, the mighty Bhima set
his heart upon slaying them all. Then leaving
his car and taking up his mace, the son of Pandu began
to smite that very sea of Dhartarashtra troops.
“Then when Bhimasena thus penetrated the Dhartarashtra
host, Dhrishtadyumna the son of Prishata, forsaking
Drona (with whom he had been engaged), quickly proceeded
to the spot where Suvala’s son was stationed.
That bull among men, baffling countless warriors of
thy army, came upon the empty car of Bhimasena in
that battle. And beholding in that conflict Visoka,
the charioteer of Bhimasena, Dhrishtadyumna, O king,
became exceedingly cheerless and almost deprived of
his senses. With voice choked in tears, and sighing
as he spoke, he asked Visoka, in grief, saying, ‘Where
is Bhima who is dear to me as my life itself?’
Visoka then, joining his hands, replied unto Dhrishtadyumna
saying, ’The mighty son of Pandu, endued with
great strength, ordering me to wait for him here,
hath alone penetrated into the Dhartarashtra host that
resembleth the very ocean. That tiger among men
very cheerfully said unto me these words—’Wait
for me, O charioteer, restraining the steeds for a
short space of time, that is, till I slay those that
are bent upon my destruction.—Beholding
then the mighty Bhima rushing mace in hand, all our
troops (that supported him) became filled with delight.
Then in this fierce and terrible battle, O prince,
thy friend, breaking the mighty array (of the foe),
Page 671
hath penetrated into it. Hearing these words of
Visoka, Prishata’s son Dhrishtadyumna, endued
with great strength, said unto the charioteer these
words on the field of battle. ’What need
have I today of life itself, if forgetting my affection
for the Pandavas, I forsake Bhima in battle?
If I return today without Bhima, what will the Kshatriyas
say of me? What will they say of me when they
will learn that while I was on the field Bhima penetrated
alone into the hostile array making a single opening
in it? The gods with Indra at their head visit
him with evil who, forsaking his comrades in battle,
returneth home unhurt! The mighty Bhima again
is my friend and kinsman. He is devoted to me,
and I also am devoted to that slayer of foes.
Therefore, I will go thither, whither Bhima hath gone.
Behold me slaying the foe like Vasava slaying the
Danavas.’ Having said this, the heroic Dhrishtadyumna,
O Bharata, proceeded through the midst of the foe,
along the tracks opened by Bhimasena and marked by
elephants crushed with his mace. He then obtained
sight of Bhimasena consuming the hostile ranks or felling
Kshatriya warriors like the tempest devastating rows
of trees. And car-warriors and horsemen and foot-soldiers
and tuskers, while thus slaughtered by him, uttered
loud cries of woe. And cries of ah and alas arose
from thy troops, O sire, while they were slaughtered
by the victorious Bhima accomplished in all moods
of warfare. Then the Kaurava warriors all accomplished
in arms, surrounding Vrikodara on all sides, fearlessly
poured upon him their arrowy showers at the same time.
Then the mighty son of Prishata, beholding that foremost
of all wielders of weapons, that celebrated hero,
viz., the son of Pandu, thus attacked on all
sides by fierce ranks of foes in close array, mangled
with shafts, treading the field on foot, and vomiting
the poison of his wrath, mace in hand and looking
like the Destroyer himself at the hour of the universal
dissolution, quickly approached him and comforted him
by his presence. And taking him upon his car,
and plucking the arrows off from all his limbs, and
embracing him warmly, the high-souled son of Prishata
comforted Bhimasena in the very midst of the foe.
Then thy son, in that terrible conflict, quickly coming
up to his brothers, said unto them, ’This son
of Drupada of wicked soul, is now united with Bhimasena.
Let us all approach him together for slaying him.
Let not the foe seek our ranks (for battle).’
Hearing these words, the Dhartarashtras, thus urged
on by the command of their eldest brother and unable
to put up (with the foe), quickly rushed, with upraised
weapons, for slaying Dhrishtadyumna like fierce comets
at the hour of the universal dissolution. Taking
up their beautiful bows, those heroes, making the
very earth shiver with the twang of their bowstring
and the rattle of their car-wheels, showered shafts
on Drupada’s son, like the clouds covering the
mountain-breast with torrents of rain. But that
Page 672
hero conversant with all modes of warfare, though thus
struck with sharp arrows in that battle, did not waver.
On the other hand, that mighty car-warrior, the youthful
son of Drupada, beholding those heroic sons of thine
staying before him in battle and exerting themselves
to their utmost being desirous of slaying them applied
that fierce weapon called Pramohana and engaged with
thy sons, O king, like Indra with the Danavas in battle.
Then those heroic warriors were deprived of their
senses, their minds and strength afflicted by the
Pramohana weapon. And the Kauravas fled away in
all directions, with their steeds and elephants and
cars, beholding those sons of thine deprived of their
senses in a swoon like those whose hours had come.
And at that time Drona, the foremost of all wielders
of weapons, approaching Drupada, pierced him with
three fierce shafts. And that monarch then, O
king, viz., Drupada, deeply pierced by Drona,
left the battle, O Bharata, remembering his former
hostility (with Bharadwaja’s son). Thereupon
Drona endued with great prowess having thus vanquished
Drupada, blew his conch. And hearing the blare
of his conch, all the Somakas were struck with fear.
Then Drona, possessed of great energy, that foremost
of all wielders of weapons, heard of thy sons being
deprived of their senses in battle with the Pramohana
weapon. Then the son of Bharadwaja, desirous of
rescuing the princes, speedily left that part of the
field where he was and proceeded to the place where
thy sons were. And that mighty bowman viz.,
Bharadwaja’s son of great prowess, there beheld
Dhrishtadyumna and Bhima careering through the field
in that dreadful conflict. And that mighty car-warrior
beheld thy sons deprived of their senses. Taking
up then the weapon called Prajna, he neutralised the
Pramohana weapon (that Dhrishtadyumna had shot).
Then thy sons those mighty car-warriors, when their
senses returned, once more proceeded to battle with
Bhima and Prishata’s son. Then Yudhishthira,
addressing his own troops said, ’Let twelve
brave car-warriors cased in mail and headed by Subhadra’s
son, follow, to the utmost of their might, the track
of Bhima and Prishata’s son in battle.
Let intelligence be had (of those two warriors).
My heart is very uneasy.’ Thus ordered
by the king, those heroes possessed of great prowess
in battle and proud of their manliness, saying ‘Yes,’
all proceeded forward when the sun had reached the
meridian. And those chastisers of foes then,
viz., the Kaikeyas and the sons of Draupadi, and
Dhrishtaketu of great prowess, supported by a large
force and with Abhimanyu at their head, and disposing
themselves in the array called Suchimukha,[405] penetrated
into that car-division of the Dhartarashtras in battle.
And thy troops, O king, struck with the fear of Bhimasena
and deprived of their senses by Dhrishtadyumna, were
unable to resist (the rush of) those mighty bowmen
headed by Abhimanyu. And they were quite helpless,
Page 673
like a lady in the streets. And those mighty bowmen
with standards variegated with gold cutting through
(the Kaurava ranks), proceeded with great speed for
rescuing Dhrishtadyumna and Vrikodara. And the
latter, beholding those mighty bowmen headed by Abhimanyu,
became filled with delight and continued to smite
down thy ranks. And the heroic prince of Panchala,
viz., the son of Prishata, seeing meanwhile his
preceptor advancing towards him with great speed, no
longer wished to compass the death of thy sons.
Causing Vrikodara then to be taken up on the car of
the king of the Kaikeyas, he rushed in great wrath
against Drona accomplished in arrow and all weapons.
And that slayer of foes, viz., the valiant son
of Bharadwaja, excited with rage, cut off with a broad-headed
shaft the bow of Prishata’s son who was rushing
towards him with impetuosity. And remembering
the bread he had eaten of his master and desirous
of doing good to Duryodhana, he also sped hundreds
of shafts after Prishata’s son. Then that
slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the son of Prishata,
taking up another bow, pierced Drona with seventy shafts
whetted on stone and furnished with wings of gold.
Then that grinder of foes, viz., Drona, once
more cut off his bow, and despatched his four steeds
to Yama’s abode with four excellent arrows, and
also slew his charioteer, O Bharata, with a broad-headed
shaft. Then that mighty car-warrior of strong
arms, viz., Dhrishtadyumna, quickly descending
from that car whose steeds had been slain, ascended
the great car of Abhimanyu. Then Drona caused
the Pandava army consisting of cars, elephants, and
steeds, to tremble, in the very sight of Bhimasena
and the intelligent son of Prishata. Beholding
then that army thus broken by Drona of immeasurable
energy, all those mighty car-warriors were incapable
of checking its flight. And that army, thus slaughtered
by Drona with his sharp shafts, began to move in eddies
there, like the agitated sea. And beholding the
(Pandava) army in that condition, thy troops were
filled with delight. And seeing the preceptor
excited with rage and thus consuming the ranks of
the foe, all thy warriors, O Bharata, set up loud
shouts and uttered exclamations in praise of Drona.”
SECTION LXXVIII
Sanjaya said, “Then king Duryodhana, regaining
his senses, once more began to resist Bhima with showers
of arrows. And once more those mighty car-warriors
viz., thy sons, united together, began to fight
valiantly with Bhimasena. And Bhimasena also
of mighty arms during that battle, having got his
car, ascended it and proceeded to the spot where thy
sons were. And taking up a strong and very tough
bow adorned with gold and capable of taking the lives
of foes he pierced thy sons in that conflict, with
his shafts. Then king Duryodhana struck the mighty
Bhimasena at the very vitals with a long shaft of
exceeding sharpness. Then that mighty bowman,
Page 674
pierced thus deeply by thy son, bow in hand, forcibly
drawing his own with eyes red in wrath, struck Duryodhana
in his two arms and the breast with three shafts.
But struck thus, O king, he moved not, like a prince
of mountains. Beholding then those two heroes
excited with rage and smiting each other, the younger
brothers of Duryodhana, all of whom were heroes prepared
to lay down their lives, remembering their previously
formed scheme of afflicting Vrikodara of terrible deeds,
set about firmly resolved, for smiting him down.
And as they fell upon him in battle, Bhimasena of
great strength rushed against them, O king, like an
elephant rushing against an attacking compeer.
Excited with fury and endued with great energy, that
celebrated hero then, O king, afflicted thy son Chitrasena
with a long arrow. And as regards thy other sons,
that descendant of Bharata smote them all in that
battle, with diverse kinds of shafts furnished with
wings of gold and endued with great impetus.
Then king Yudhishthira the just, disposing all his
own divisions properly despatched twelve mighty car-warriors
including Abhimanyu and others to follow Bhimasena
behind. Those, O king, all proceeded against those
mighty car-warriors, viz., thy sons. Beholding
those heroes on their cars, resembling the Sun himself
or the fire in splendour-those great bowmen of blazing
effulgence and superb beauty, looking resplendent in
that dreadful conflict with ornaments of gold,—thy
mighty sons abandoned Bhima (with whom they had been
fighting). The sons of Kunti, however, could
not bear the sight of their abandoning the conflict
alive.”
SECTION LXXIX
Sanjaya said, “Then Abhimanyu, accompanied by
Bhimasena pursuing thy sons, afflicted them all.
Then the mighty car-warriors of thy army, including
Duryodhana and others, beholding Abhimanyu and Bhimasena
united with Prishata’s son in the midst of the
(Kauravas) troops, took up their bows, and borne by
their fleet steeds rushed to the spot where those
warriors were. And on that afternoon, O king,
a dreadful conflict took place between the mighty
combatants of thy army and those of the foe, O Bharata.
And Abhimanyu, having, in that fierce battle, slain
the steeds of Vikarna, pierced the latter with five
and twenty small arrows. Then that mighty car-warrior,
Vikarna, abandoning that car whose steeds had been
slain, mounted on the resplendent car, O king, of Chitrasena.
Then thus stationed on the same car, viz., those
two brothers of Kuru’s race, the son of Arjuna
covered, O Bharata, with showers of arrows. Then
Durjaya and Vikarna pierced Abhimanyu with five shafts
made wholly of iron. Abhimanyu however, shook
not in the least but stood firm like the mountain
Meru. Dussasana in that battle, O sire, fought
with the five Kekaya brothers. All these, O great
king, seemed exceedingly wonderful. The sons
of Draupadi, excited with rage, resisted Duryodhana
Page 675
in that battle. And each of them, O king, pierced
thy son with three shafts. Thy son also, invincible
in battle, pierced each of the sons of Draupadi, O
monarch, with sharp shafts. And pierced by them
(in return) and bathed in blood, he shone like a hill
with rillets of water mixed with red-chalk (gliding
down its breast). And the mighty Bhishma also,
in that battle, O king, afflicted the Pandava army
like a herdsman belabouring his herd. Then, O
monarch, the twang of Gandiva was heard, of Partha,
who was engaged in slaughtering the foe on the right
of the army.
And in that part of the field headless trunks stood
up by thousands, amongst the troops, O Bharata, of
both the Kauravas and the Pandavas. And the field
of battle resembled an ocean whose water was blood,
and whose eddies were the shafts (shot by the combatants).
And the elephants constituted the islands of that
ocean, and the steeds its waves. And cars constituted
the boats by which brave men crossed it. And many
brave combatants, with arms cut off, divested of armour,
and hideously mutilated, were seen lying there in
hundreds and thousands. And with the bodies of
infuriate elephants deprived of life and bathed in
blood, the field of battle. O Bharata, looked
as if strewn with hills. And the wonderful sight
we saw there, O Bharata, was that neither in their
army nor in thine was a single person that was unwilling
to fight. And thus, O monarch, did those brave
warriors, of both thy army and the Pandavas, fight,
seeking glory and desirous of victory.”
SECTION LXXX
Sanjaya said, “Then when the sun assumed a red
hue, king Duryodhana, desirous of battle, rushed towards
Bhima from desire of slaying him. Beholding that
heroic warrior cherishing deep animosity (thus) coming
towards him, Bhimasena, excited with great wrath, said
these words,—’That hour hath come
which I have desired for so many years. I will
slay thee to-day if thou dost not abandon the battle.
Slaying thee I shall today dispel the sorrows of Kunti
as also of Draupadi and the woes that were ours during
our exile in the woods. Filled with pride, thou
hadst formerly humiliated the sons of Pandu. Behold,
O son of Gandhari, the dire fruit of that sinful behaviour.
Following the counsels of Karna as also of Suvala’s
son, and recking the Pandavas little, thou hadst formerly
behaved towards them as thou hadst hinted. Thou
hadst also disregarded Krishna who begged thee (for
peace). With a joyous heart didst thou despatch
Uluka (to us) with thy messages. For all these,
I shall slay thee to-day with all thy kinsmen, and
thus avenge all those offences of thine of former
days.’ Having said these words, Bhima bending
his bow and stretching it repeatedly, and taking up
a number of terrible shafts whose effulgence resembled
that of the lightning itself, and filled with wrath,
quickly sped six and thirty of them at Duryodhana.
And those shafts resembled the flames of a blazing
Page 676
fire, and coursed straight with the force of the thunder-bolt.
And then he pierced Duryodhana’s bow with two
shafts, and his charioteer with two. And with
four shafts he despatched Duryodhana’s (four)
steeds to the regions of Yama. And that grinder
of foes then, with two shafts shot with great force,
cut off in that battle the king’s umbrella from
his excellent car. And with three other shafts
he cut off his handsome and blazing standard.
And having cut it off, he uttered a loud shout in
the very sight of thy son. And that beautiful
standard of the latter, decked with diverse gems, suddenly
fell down on the earth from his car like a flash of
lightning from the clouds. And all the kings
beheld that beautiful standard of the Kuru king, bearing
the device of an elephant, decked with gems, and blazing
like the sun, fell down cut off (by Bhimasena).
And that mighty car-warrior, viz., Bhima, then
pierced Duryodhana in that battle, smiling the while,
with ten shafts like a guide piercing a mighty elephant
with the hook. Then that foremost of car-warriors,
viz., the mighty king of the Sindhus, supported
by many brave warriors, placed himself on the flank
of Duryodhana. And then that great car-warrior,
viz., Kripa, O king, caused the vindictive Duryodhana,
that son of Kuru’s race, of immeasurable energy,
to mount on his own car. Then king Duryodhana,
deeply pierced by Bhimasena and feeling great pain,
sat down on the terrace of that car. Then Jayadratha,
desirous of slaying Bhima, surrounded him on all sides
with several thousands of cars. Then, O king,
Dhrishtaketu and Abhimanyu of great energy, and the
Kekayas, and the sons of Draupadi, all encountered
thy sons. And the high-souled Abhimanyu smote
them all, piercing each with five straight shafts,
resembling the bolts of heaven or Death’s selves,
shot from his excellent bow. Thereupon, all of
them, unable to bear it (coolly), showered on that
foremost of car-warriors, viz., the son of Subhadra,
a perfect down-pour of sharp shafts like rain-charged
clouds pouring rain on the breast of the mountains
of Meru. But Abhimanyu, that invisible warrior
accomplished in arms, thus afflicted by them in battle,
caused all thy sons, O king, to tremble like the wielder
of the thunder-bolt causing the mighty Asuras to tremble
in the battle between the celestials and the latter.
Then that foremost of car-warriors, O Bharata, shot
fourteen broad-headed shafts, fierce and looking like
snakes of virulent poison, at Vikarna. Endued
with great prowess and as if dancing in that battle,
he felled with those shafts the standard of Vikarna
from his car and slew also his charioteer and steeds.
Then that mighty car-warrior, the son of Subhadra,
again sped at Vikarna many other arrows that were
well-tempered, straight-going, and capable of penetrating
every armour. And those arrows furnished with
feathers of the kanka bird, coming at Vikarna and
passing through his body, entered the earth, like
Page 677
hissing snakes. And those arrows, with wings and
points decked with gold, bathed in Vikarna’s
blood, seemed to vomit blood on the earth. Beholding
Vikarna thus pierced, his other uterine brothers rushed,
in that battle, against those car-warriors headed by
Subhadra’s son. And when these invincible
warriors upon their (own) cars came upon those combatants
(of the Pandava army) resplendent like so many suns
and staying on their cars both began to pierce one
another.. And Durmukha, having pierced Srutakarman
with five shafts, cut off the latter’s standard
with a single shaft and then pierced his charioteer
with seven. And advancing closer, he slew with
half a dozen shafts his foe’s steeds, fleet
as the wind and cased in golden armour, and then felled
his charioteer. Srutakarman, however, staying
on that car of his, the steeds of which had been slain,
hurled in great wrath a dart blazing like a fierce
meteor. That dart, blazing with effulgence, passing
through the renowned Durmukha’s hard coat of
mail, penetrated into the earth. Meanwhile the
mighty Sutasoma beholding Srutakarman deprived of his
car, caused him to mount upon his own car in the very
sight of all the troops. The heroic Srutakirti
rushed against thy son Jayatsena in that battle, desirous,
O king, of slaying that renowned warrior. Then
thy son Jayatsena, O king, with a sharp arrow having
a horse-shoe head, smiling the while, cut off the
bow of the high-souled Srutakirti as the latter came
along stretching it in his hands. Then Satanika,
beholding his uterine brother’s bow cut off,
endued as he was with great valour, quickly came at
that spot repeatedly roaring like a lion. And
Satanika, drawing his bow in that battle with great
force, speedily pierced Jayatsena with ten shafts,
and uttered a loud shout like an infuriate elephant.
And with another arrow of sharp point and capable of
penetrating every armour, Satanika deeply pierced Jayatsena
in the chest. Just at that time, Dushkarna who
was near his brother. (Jayatsena) infuriate with anger,
cut off Satanika’s bow and arrow. Then the
mighty Satanika taking up another excellent bow capable
of bearing a great strain, aimed many sharp shafts.
And addressing Dushkarna in the presence of his brother
(Jayatsena), saying—’Wait’,
’Wait’,—he sped at him those
sharp and blazing shafts resembling so many snakes.
And then he speedily cut off Dushkarna’s bow
with one arrow, and slew his charioteer, O sire, with
two, and then pierced Dushkarna himself with seven
arrows. And that spotless warrior then with a
dozen sharp shafts slew all the steeds of Dushkarna
that were fleet as the mind and of variegated hue.
And then with another broad-headed arrow, well-aimed
and capable of coursing swiftly, Satanika, excited
with great wrath deeply pierced Dushkarna in the chest.
And thereupon the latter fell down on the earth like
a tree struck with lightning. Beholding Dushkarna
slain, five mighty car-warriors, O king, surrounded
Satanika on all sides, from desire of slaying him.
Page 678
And they struck the renowned Satanika with showers
of arrows. Then the five Kekaya brothers, excited
with wrath, approached (Satanika for rescuing him).
Beholding the latter coming upon them, thy sons—those
mighty car-warriors,—rushed towards them
like elephants rushing against mighty elephants. (These
amongst thy sons, viz.,) Durmukha and Durjaya
and the youthful Durmarshana and Satranjaya and Satrusha,
all renowned warriors, excited with rage, proceeded,
O king, against the (five) Kekaya brothers. On
their cars that resembled (fortified) towns, unto
which were yoked steeds decked with ornaments, and
which were graced with beautiful standards of variegated
hue, those heroes wielding excellent bows and cased
in beautiful coats of mail and owning excellent standards,
entered the hostile army like lions entering one forest
from another. Smiting one another, fierce and
terrific was the battle that ensued between them and
the foe, in which cars and elephants got entangled
with one another. Cherishing feelings of hostility
towards one another, the terrible battle in which
they took part lasted for a short space of time about
sunset, increasing the population of Yama’s
kingdom. And car-warriors and horsemen by thousands
were strewn over the field. And Bhishma the son
of Santanu excited with wrath, began to slaughter
the troops of the high-souled Pandavas with his straight
shafts. And with his arrows he began to despatch
the combatants of the Panchalas to the domains of
Yama. And the grandsire, having thus broken the
ranks of the Pandavas at last withdrew his troops and
retired, O king, to his encampment. And king
Yudhishthira also, beholding both Dhrishtadyumna and
Vrikodara, smelt their heads, and filled with joy,
retired to his tents.”
SECTION LXXXI
Sanjaya said, “Then those heroes, O king, who
cherished feelings of hostility towards one another,
retired to their tents, their persons covered with
blood. Having rested for a while agreeably to
rule, and praising one another (for the feats of the
day), they were again seen clad in mail, desirous
of battle. Then thy son, O king, overwhelmed with
anxiety and covered with blood trickling down (from
his wounds), asked the grandsire, saying.[406] ’Our
troops are fierce and terrible and carry innumerable
standards. They are, again, arrayed properly.
Yet the brave and mighty car-warriors of the Pandavas,
having penetrated (into our array) and afflicted and
slaughtered (our troops), escaped unhurt.[407] Confounding
us all, they have won great fame in battle. Bhima
again, having penetrated into our Makara array which
was strong as the thunder-bolt, afflicted me with
his terrible shafts each resembling the rod of Death.
Beholding him excited with wrath, O king, I was deprived
of my senses. Even now I cannot regain my peace
of mind. Through thy grace, O thou that art firm
in truth, I desire to obtain victory and slay the
Page 679
sons of Pandu.’ Thus addressed by him, the
high-souled son of Ganga, that foremost of all wielders
of weapons, endued with great mental energy, understanding
that Duryodhana was possessed by grief replied unto
him, laughing the while though cheerless, saying,[408]
’Penetrating into (their) army with the utmost
exertions and with my whole soul, O prince, I wish
to give thee victory and joy. For thy sake I do
not at all dissemble. They that have become the
allies of the Pandavas in this battle are fierce and
numerous. Mighty car-warriors of great renown,
they are exceedingly brave and accomplished in arms.
Incapable of being fatigued, they vomit forth their
wrath. Cherishing feelings of animosity towards
thee, and swelling with prowess, they are not capable
of being defeated easily. I will, however, O
king, contend against those heroes with my whole soul
and throwing away my very life. For thy sake,
in battle, O thou of great glory, my life itself shall
today be recklessly exposed. For thy sake I would
consume all the worlds with the celestials and the
Daityas, let alone thy foes here. I will, O king,
fight with those Pandavas, and do all that is agreeable
to thee. Hearing these words, Duryodhana became
inspired with great confidence and his heart was filled
with delight. And cheerfully he ordered all the
troops, and all the kings, (in his army) saying, Advance.
And at that command, O king, his army consisting of
cars, steeds, foot-soldiers, and elephants, began
to advance. And that large force. O king,
armed with diverse kinds of weapons, was exceedingly
cheerful. And that army of thine, O monarch,
consisting of elephants, steeds, and foot-soldiers,
on the field of battle, looked exceedingly beautiful.
And huge tuskers, stationed in large bodies, and skilfully
urged, looked resplendent on the field all around.
And many royal combatants accomplished in diverse weapons
were seen in the midst of thy troops. And the
dust, red as the morning sun, raised by those cars
and foot-soldiers and elephants and steeds in large
bodies as they were duly moved over the field, looked
beautiful, shrouding the rays of the sun. And
the many-coloured banners stationed on cars and elephants,
waving in the air and moving along the welkin, looked
beautiful like flashes of lightning amid the clouds.
And loud and fierce was the uproar made by the twang
of the bows stretched by the kings, resembling the
roar of the ocean while churned in the Krita age by
the gods and the great Asuras. And that army
of thy sons, looking so proud, consisting of (combatants
of) diverse hues and shapes, shouting so fiercely,
and capable of slaying hostile warriors, then looked
like those masses of clouds that appear at the end
of the Yuga.[409]’”
SECTION LXXXII
Page 680
Sanjaya said, “O chief of the Bharatas, Ganga’s
son, once more addressing thy son who was plunged
in thought, told him these delightful words, ’Myself
and Drona and Salya and Kritavarman of Satwata’s
race, and Aswatthaman and Vikarna and Bhagadatta and
Suvala’s son and Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti,
and Valhika with the Valhikas,[410] and the mighty
king of the Trigartas and the invincible ruler of the
Magadhas, Vrihadvala the king of the Kosalas, and
Chitrasena and Vivingsati and many thousands of car-warriors
graced with tall standards, a large number of country-born
steeds well-mounted with excellent horse-soldiers and
many infuriate elephants of large size with temporal
juice issuing from their mouths and cheeks, and many
brave foot-soldiers armed with diverse weapons and
born in diverse realms, are all prepared to do battle
for thy sake.[411] These, and many others ready for
thy sake to lay down their lives, are, as I think,
competent to vanquish the very gods in battle.
I should, however, always tell thee, O king, what
is for thy good. The Pandavas are incapable of
being vanquished by the very gods with Vasava.
They have Vasudeva for their ally and are equal to
Mahendra himself in prowess. As regards myself,
I shall, however, always do thy bidding. Either
I shall vanquish the Pandavas in battle or they will
vanquish me. Having said these words, the grandsire
gave him an excellent herb of great efficacy for healing
his wounds. And therewith thy son was cured of
his wounds. Then at dawn when the sky was clear,
the valiant Bhishma, that foremost of men well-versed
in all kinds of array, himself disposed his troops
in that array called Mandala bristling with weapons.
And it abounded with foremost of warriors and with
tuskers and foot-soldiers. And it was surrounded
on all sides with many thousands of cars, and with
large bodies of horsemen armed with swords and lances.
Near unto every elephant were placed seven cars, and
near unto every car were placed seven horsemen.
And behind every horseman were placed seven bowmen,
and behind every bowman were seven combatants with
shields. And thus, O king, thy army, arrayed
by mighty car-warriors, stood for fierce battle, protected
by Bhishma. And ten thousand horses, and as many
elephants, and ten thousand cars, and thy sons, all
equipped in mail, viz., the heroic Chitrasena
and others, protected the grandsire. And it was
seen that Bhishma was protected by those brave warriors,
and those princes themselves of great strength, accoutred
in mail, were (in their turn) protected by him.
And Duryodhana accoutred in mail sat upon his car on
the field, and possessed of every grace, looked resplendent
like Sakra himself in heaven. Then, O Bharata,
loud were the shouts uttered by thy sons and deafening
the clatter of cars and the uproar of musical instruments.
That mighty and impenetrable array of those slayer
of foes, viz., the Dhartarashtras (in the form
called) Mandala, (thus) arrayed by Bhishma, began
Page 681
to proceed, facing the west. Incapable of being
defeated by enemies, it looked beautiful in every
point. Beholding then the array called Mandala
that was exceedingly fierce, king Yudhishthira himself
disposed his troops in the array called Vajra.
And when the divisions were thus arrayed, car-warriors
and horsemen, stationed in their proper places, uttered
leonine shouts. Accompanied by their respective
forces, the brave warriors of both armies, well versed
in smiting, and longing for battle, proceeded, desirous
of breaking each other’s array. And Bharadwaja’s
son proceeded against the king of the Matsyas, and
his son (Aswatthaman) against Sikhandin. And
king Duryodhana himself rushed against the son of
Prishata. And Nakula and Sahadeva went forth against
the king of the Madras. And Vinda and Anuvinda
of Avanti proceeded against Iravat. And many
kings together battled with Dhananjaya. And Bhimasena,
exerting himself well, opposed the son of Hridika in
battle. And possessed of great prowess, (Abhimanyu)
the son of Arjuna, fought in battle, O king, against
the sons Chitrasena and Vikarna, and Durmarshana.
And Hidimva’s son, that prince of the Rakshasas,
rushed against that mighty bowman, the ruler of the
Pragjyotishas, like one infuriate elephant against
another. And the Rakshasa Alamvusha, O king, excited
with wrath, rushed in battle against the invincible
Satyaki in the midst of his followers. And Bhurisravas,
exerting himself greatly, fought against Dhrishtaketu.
And Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, proceeded against
king Srutayush. And Chekitana in that battle fought
against Kripa. And others (among the Kuru warriors),
exerting themselves powerfully, proceeded against
that mighty car-warrior Bhima. And thousands
of (other) kings surrounded Dhananjaya, with darts,
lances, arrows, maces, and spiked clubs in their hands.
Then Arjuna, excited with great wrath, addressing
him of Vrishni’s race, said, ’Behold, O
Madhava, the Dhartarashtra troops in battle, arrayed
by the high-souled son of Ganga, acquainted with every
kind of array. Behold, O Madhava, those brave
warriors, countless in number, and desirous of battle
(with me). Behold, O Kesava, the ruler of the
Trigartas with his brothers.[412] This very day I
shall slay them all, O Janardana, before thy eyes,—them,
that is, O foremost of the Yadus, who, longing for
battle (with me), are on the field.’ Having
said these words, the son of Kunti, rubbing his bowstring,
showered his arrows on that multitude of kings.
And those great bowmen also, poured on him thick showers
of arrows, like clouds that fill a lake with torrents
of rain in the rainy season. And loud shouts
were heard in thy army, O monarch, when in that great
battle the two Krishnas were seen covered with thick
showers of arrows. And the gods, the celestial
Rishis, and the Gandharvas with the Uragas, beholding
the two Krishnas in that state, were filled with great
wonder. Then Arjuna, O king, excited with wrath,
invoked the Aindra weapon. And then the prowess
Page 682
we beheld of Vijaya seemed to be highly wonderful insomuch
that those showers of weapons shot by his foes were
checked by his myriads of arrows. And there among
those thousands of kings and steeds and elephants,
was none, O king, that was not wounded. And others,
O sire, the son of Pritha pierced, each with two or
three arrows. And while being thus struck by
Pritha, they sought the protection of Bhishma, the
son of Santanu. But Bhishma then became the rescuer
of those warriors who were like men sinking in the
fathomless deep. And in consequence of those
warriors thus flying away and mixing with thy troops,
thy broken ranks, O king, were agitated like the vast
deep with a tempest.”
SECTION LXXXIII
Sanjaya said, “And when the battle was thus
raging and after Susarman had ceased fighting, and
the (other) heroic warriors (of the Kuru army) had
been routed by the high-souled son of Pandu; after,
indeed, thy army, resembling the very ocean, had become
quickly agitated and the son of Ganga had speedily
proceeded against the car of Vijaya, king Duryodhana,
beholding the prowess of Partha in battle, quickly
proceeded towards those kings, and addressing them
as also the heroic and mighty Susarman stationed in
their van, said in their midst these words, gladdening
them all, ’This Bhishma, the son of Santanu,
this foremost one among the Kurus, reckless of his
very life, is desirous of fighting with his whole
soul against Dhananjaya. Exerting your best, ye
all, united together, and accompanied by your troops,
protect in battle the grandsire, of Bharata’s
race, who is proceeding against the hostile army.’
Saying, ‘Yes,’ all those divisions, belonging
to those kings, O monarch, proceeded, following the
grandsire. Then the mighty Bhishma, the son of
Santanu, (thus rushing to battle), speedily came upon
Arjuna of Bharata’s race who also had been coming
towards him, on his exceedingly resplendent and large
car unto which were yoked white steeds and upon which
was set up his standard bearing the fierce ape, and
whose rattle resembled the deep roll of the clouds.
And thy entire army, beholding the diadem-decked Dhananjaya,
thus coming to battle, uttered, from fear, many loud
exclamations. And beholding Krishna, reins in
hand, and looking like the mid-day sun in splendour,
thy troops could not gaze at him. And so also
the Pandavas were incapable of looking at Santanu’s
son Bhishma of white steeds and white bow and resembling
the planet Sukra risen in the firmament. And
the latter was surrounded on all sides by the high-souled
warriors of the Trigartas headed by their king with
his brothers and sons, and by many other mighty car-warriors.
Page 683
“Meanwhile, Bharadwaja’s son pierced with
his winged arrows the king of the Matsyas in battle.
And in that combat he cut off the latter’s standard
with one shaft, and his bow also with another.
Then Virata, the commander of a large division, leaving
aside that bow thus cut off, quickly took up another
that was strong and capable of bearing a great strain.
And he also took up a number of blazing arrows that
resembled snakes of virulent poison. And he pierced
Drona in return with three (of these) and his (four)
steeds with four. And then he pierced Drona’s
standard with one arrow, and his charioteer with five.
And he also pierced Drona’s bow with one arrow,
and (at all this) that bull among Brahmanas became
highly angry. Then Drona slew Virata’s steeds
with eight straight shafts, and then his charioteer,
O chief of the Bharatas, with one shaft. His
charioteer having been slain, Virata jumped down from
his car whose steeds also had been killed. And
then that foremost of car-warriors speedily mounted
upon the car of (his son) Sankha. Then sire and
son, staying on the same car, began with great might
to resist the son of Bharadwaja with a thick shower
of arrows. Then the mighty son of Bharadwaja,
excited with wrath, quickly shot at Sankha in that
encounter, an arrow resembling a snake of virulent
poison. And that arrow, piercing through Sankha’s
breast and drinking his blood, fell upon the earth,
wet and smeared with gore. Struck with that arrow
of Bharadwaja’s son, Sankha speedily fell down
from his car, his bow and arrows loosened from his
grasp in the very presence of his sire. And beholding
his son slain, Virata fled from fear, avoiding Drona
in battle, who resembled Death’s self with gasping
mouth. The son of Bharadwaja then, without losing
a moment, checked the mighty host of the Pandavas
resisting combatants by hundreds and thousands.
“Sikhandin also, O king, getting at Drona’s
son in that battle, struck the latter between his
brows with three swiftly coursing shafts. And
that tiger among men, viz., Aswatthaman, pierced
with those shafts looked beautiful like the mountain
Meru with its three tall golden crests. Then,
O king, Aswatthaman excited with rage, and within half
the time taken up by a wink of the eye, overthrew
in that battle Sikhandin’s charioteer and standard
and steeds and weapons, covering them with myriads
of shafts. Then that foremost of car-warriors,
viz., Sikhandin, that scorcher of foes, jumping
down from that car whose steeds had been slain, and
taking up a sharp and polished scimitar and a shield,
excited with rage, moved on the field with great activity
like a hawk. And while moving with great activity,
O king, on the field sword in hand, the son of Drona
failed to find an opportunity (for striking him).
And all this seemed highly wonderful. And then,
O bull of Bharata’s race, the highly wrathful
son of Drona sent after Sikhandin in that battle many
thousands of shafts. But Sikhandin, that foremost
Page 684
of mighty men, with his sharp sword cut that fierce
shower of arrows coming towards him. Then the
son of Drona cut into pieces that resplendent and
beautiful shield decked with a hundred moons and then
that sword also of Sikhandin. And he pierced the
latter’s person also, O king, with a large number
of winged arrows. Then Sikhandin, whirling the
fragment (in his hand) of that sword of his which
had been cut off by Aswatthaman with his arrows and
which resembled a blazing snake, quickly hurled it
at him. The son of Drona however, displaying
in that battle the lightness of his arms, cut off that
(broken blade) coming impetuously towards him and
resembling in splendour the fire that blazeth forth
at the end of the Yuga. And he pierced Sikhandin
himself with innumerable arrows made of iron.
Then Sikhandin, O King, exceedingly afflicted with
those whetted arrows, speedily mounted on the car
of (Satyaki) that high-souled scion of Madhu’s
race. Then Satyaki, excited with rage, pierced
in that battle, with his terrible shafts the cruel
Rakshasa Alamvusha on all sides. That prince of
Rakshasas then, O Bharata, cut off in that combat
Satyaki’s bow with a crescent-shaped arrow and
pierced Satyaki also with many shafts. And creating
by his Rakshasa powers an illusion, he covered Satyaki
with showers of arrows. But wonderful was the
prowess that we then beheld of the grandson of Sini,
inasmuch as struck with those whetted shafts he betrayed
no fear. On the other hand, O Bharata, that son
of Vrishni’s race applied (with Mantras) the
Aindra weapon, which that illustrious hero of Madhu’s
race had obtained from Vijaya.[413] That weapon, consuming
into ashes that Demoniac illusion, covered Alamvusha
all over with terrible shafts, like a mass of clouds
covering the mountain-breast with torrents of rain
in the rainy season. Thereupon the Rakshasa,
thus afflicted by that hero of Madhu’s race,
fled away in fear, avoiding Satyaki in battle.
Then the grandson of Sini, having vanquished that
prince of Rakshasas who was incapable of being vanquished
by Maghavat himself, uttered a loud roar in the very
sight of all thy troops. And Satyaki, of prowess
incapable of being baffled, then began to slay thy
troops with innumerable shafts whereupon the latter
fled away in fear.
“Meanwhile, O monarch, Dhrishtadyumna, the mighty
son of Drupada, covered thy royal son in battle with
innumerable straight shafts. While, however,
O Bharata, Dhrishtadyumna was thus shrouding him with
his shafts, thy royal son was neither agitated nor
struck with fear. On the other hand, he speedily
pierced Dhrishtadyumna in that battle (first) with
sixty and (then) with thirty shafts. And all
these seemed highly wonderful. Then the commander
of the Pandava army, O Bharata, excited with wrath
cut off his bow. And that mighty car-warrior
then slew in that combat the four steeds of thy son,
and also pierced him with seven shafts of the keenest
points. Thereupon (thy son), that mighty-armed
Page 685
warrior endued with great strength, jumping down from
that car whose steeds had been slain, ran on foot,
with an upraised sabre, towards the son of Prishata.
Then the mighty Sakuni, devoted to the king, quickly
coming to that spot, caused thy royal son to mount
on his own car in the very sight of all. Then
that slayer of foes, the son of Prishata, having vanquished
the king, began to slaughter thy troops like the wielder
of the thunder-bolt slaughtering the Asuras.
“Kritavarman, in that battle, covered with his
arrows that mighty car-warrior Bhima. Indeed,
he overwhelmed the latter entirely, like a mighty
mass of clouds shrouding the sun. Then that chastiser
of foes viz., Bhimasena, excited with wrath,
and laughing the while, sped some shafts at Kritavarman.
Struck therewith, that Atiratha of the Satwata race,
excelling all in might, trembled not, O king, but (instead)
pierced Bhima (in return) with many sharp arrows.
Then the mighty Bhimasena, slaying the four steeds
of Kritavarman, felled the latter’s charioteer,
and then his beautiful standard. And that slayer
of hostile heroes (viz., Bhima) then pierced Kritavarman
himself with many shafts of diverse kinds. And
Kritavarman, pierced all over, seemed to be excessively
mangled in every limb. Then from that car whose
steeds had been slain, Kritavarman quickly went to
the car of Vrishaka, in the very sight, O king, of
both Salya and thy son. And Bhimasena. excited
with rage, began to afflict thy troops. Goaded
to fury, he began to slay them, like the destroyer
himself armed with his club.”
SECTION LXXXIV
Dhritarashtra said, “Many and wonderful, O Sanjaya,
were the single combats I hear thee speak of between
the Pandavas and my warriors. Thou speakest not,
however, O Sanjaya, of any one of my side having been
cheerful (on such occasions). Thou always speakest
of the sons of Pandu as cheerful and never routed,
O Suta and thou speakest of mine as cheerless, deprived
of energy, and constantly vanquished in battle.
All this, without doubt, is Destiny.”
Sanjaya said, “Thy men, O bull of Bharata’s
race, exert themselves according to the measure of
their might and courage, and display their valour
to the utmost extent of their strength. As contact
with the properties of the ocean make the sweet waters
of the celestial stream Ganga brakish, so the valour,
O king, of the illustrious warriors of thy army coming
in contact with the heroic sons of Pandu in battle,
becometh futile. Exerting themselves according
to their might, and achieving the most difficult feats,
thou shouldst not, O chief of the Kurus, find fault
with thy troops. O monarch, this great and awful
destruction of the world, swelling the (population
of the) domains of Yama, hath arisen from thy misconduct
and that of thy sons. It behoveth thee not, O
king, to grieve for what hath arisen from thy own
fault. Kings do not always in this world protect
their lives. These rulers of Earth, desirous of
winning by battle the regions of the righteous, daily
fight, penetrating into (hostile) divisions, with
heaven only for their aim.
Page 686
“On the forenoon of that day, O king, great
was the carnage that ensued, resembling what occurred
in the battle between the gods and the Asuras (of
old). Listen to it, O monarch, with undivided
attention. The two princes of Avanti, those great
bowmen endued with exceeding might, those excellent
warriors fierce in battle, beholding Iravat, advanced
against him. The battle that took place between
them was fierce, making the hair stand on end.
Then Iravat, excited with rage, quickly pierced those
two brothers of celestial forms with many sharp and
straight shafts. Those two, however, conversant
with all modes of warfare, pierced him in return in
that battle. Struggling their best to slaughter
the foe, and desirous of counteracting each other’s
feats, no distinction, O king, could be observed between
them as they fought. Iravat then, O monarch, with
four shafts, despatched the four steeds of Anuvinda
to the abode of Yama. And with a couple of sharp,
broad-headed shafts, O sire, he cut off the bow and
standard also of Anuvinda. And this feat, O king,
seemed highly wonderful. Then Anuvinda, leaving
his own car, mounted on the car of Vinda. Taking
up an excellent and strong bow capable of bearing a
great strain, Anuvinda, as also his brother Vinda,
those foremost of car-warriors hailing from Avanti,
both stationed on the same car, quickly shot many
shafts at the high-souled Iravat. Shot by them,
those shafts of great impetuosity decked with gold,
while coursing through the air, covered the welkin.[414]
Then Iravat, excited with rage, showered on those
mighty car-warriors, those two brothers (of Avanti)
his arrowy down-pours, and felled their charioteer.
When the charioteer, deprived of life, fell down on
the ground, the horses, no longer restrained, ran away
with car. Having vanquished those two warriors,
that daughter’s son of the king of the Nagas,
displaying his prowess, then began to consume with
great activity thy ranks. Then that mighty Dhartarashtra
host, while thus slaughtered in battle, began to reel
in many directions like a person who hath drunk poison.
“That prince of Rakshasa, the mighty son of
Hidimva, on his car of solar effulgence furnished
with a standard, rushed against Bhagadatta. The
ruler of the Pragjyotishas was stationed on his prince
of elephants like the wielder of the thunder-bolt
in days of old in the battle occasioned by the ravishment
of Taraka. The gods, the Gandharvas, and the Rishis
had all come there. They could not, however,
notice any distinction between Hidimva’s son
and Bhagadatta. As the chief of the celestials,
excited with wrath, had inspired the Danavas with
fear, so did Bhagadatta, O king, frightened the Pandava
warriors. And the warriors of the Pandava army,
frightened by him on all sides, failed, O Bharata,
to find among their ranks any protector. We beheld
however, O Bharata, the son of Bhimasena there, on
his car. The other mighty car-warriors fled away
with cheerless hearts. When, however, O Bharata,
Page 687
he troops of the Pandavas rallied, in the battle that
then ensued an awful uproar arose among thy troops.
Then Ghatotkatcha, O king, in that dreadful battle,
covered Bhagadatta with his arrows like the clouds
pouring rain on the breast of Meru. Baffling
all those arrows shot from the Rakshasa’s bow,
the king quickly struck the son of Bhimasena in all
his vital limbs. That prince of the Rakshasa,
however, though struck with innumerable straight shafts,
wavered not at all (but stood still) like a mountain
pierced (with shafts). Then the ruler of the
Pragjyotishas, excited with wrath, hurled in that
combat fourteen lances, all of which, however, were
cut off by the Rakshasa. Cutting off by means
of his sharp shafts those lances, the mighty-armed
Rakshasa pierced Bhagadatta with seventy shafts, each
resembling the thunder-bolt in force. Then the
ruler of the Pragjyotishas, laughing the while, O
Bharata, despatched in that combat the four steeds
of the Rakshasa to Death’s domain. The prince
of the Rakshasas, however, of great valour, staying
on that car whose steeds had been slain, hurled with
great force a dart at the elephant of the ruler of
the Pragjyotishas. King Bhagadatta then cut off
that swift dart furnished with a staff of gold and
coursing impetuously towards him into three fragments,
and thereupon it fell down on the ground. Beholding
his dart cut off, the son of Hidimva fled from fear
like Namuchi, that foremost of the Daityas, in days
of old, from battle with Indra. Having vanquished
in battle that hero of great valour and renowned prowess,
who, O king, cannot be vanquished in battle by Yama
himself or Varuna, king Bhagadatta with his elephant
began to crush down the troops of the Pandavas like
a wild elephant. O king, crushing as he treads
the lotus-stalks (in a lake).
“The ruler of the Madras engaged in battle with
his sister’s sons, the twins. And the overwhelmed
those sons of Pandu with clouds of arrows. Then
Sahadeva, beholding his maternal uncle, engaged in
battle (with him), covered him with arrows like the
clouds covering the maker of day. Covered with
those clouds of arrows, the ruler of the Madras wore
a delighted expression, and the twins also felt great
delight for the sake of their mother.[415] Then Salya,
that mighty car-warrior, smiting effectively in that
battle, despatched with four excellent shafts, O king,
the four steeds of Nakula to the abode of Yama.
Nakula then, that mighty car-warrior, quickly jumping
down from that car whose steeds had been slain, mounted
upon the vehicle of his renowned brother. Stationed
then on the same car, those two heroes, both fierce
in battle, and both excited with rage, began to shroud
the car of the ruler of Madras, (with heir arrows),
drawing their bows with great strength. But that
tiger among men, though thus covered by his sister’s
sons with innumerable straight arrows shook not in
the least (but stood immovable) like a hill.
Laughing the while, he smote them (in return) with
Page 688
showers of arrows. Then Sahadeva of great prowess,
O Bharata, excited with wrath, took up a (powerful)
shaft, and rushing at the ruler of the Madras, shot
it at him[416]. That shaft endued with the impetuosity
of Garuda himself, shot by him, pierced the ruler
of the Madras through, and fell on the earth.
Thereupon that mighty car-warrior, deeply pierced and
greatly pained, sat down. O king, on the terrace
of his car, and went into a swoon. Beholding
him (thus) afflicted by the twins, deprived of consciousness,
and prostrated (on his car), his charioteer bore him
away on his vehicle over the field. Seeing the
car of the ruler of the Madras retreating (from battle)
the Dhartarashtras all became cheerless and thought
it was all over with him.[417] Then those mighty car-warriors,
viz., the two sons of Madri, having vanquished
in battle their maternal uncle, cheerfully blew their
conches and uttered leonine roars. And then they
rushed joyfully, O king, towards thy forces like the
gods Indra and Upendra, O monarch, towards the Daitya
host.”
SECTION LXXXV
Sanjaya said, “Then when the sun attained the
meridian, king Yudhishthira, beholding Srutayush,
urged on his steeds. And the king rushed at Srutayush,
that chastiser of foes, striking him with nine straight
shafts of keen points. That great bowman, viz.,
king Srutayush then, checking in that battle those
arrows shot by the son of Pandu, struck Yudhishthira
with seven shafts. These penetrating through his
armour, drank his blood in that battle, as if sucking
the very vital energies dwelling in the body of that
high-souled one.[418] The son of Pandu then, though
deeply pierced by that high-souled king, pierced king
Srutayush (in return), at the latter’s heart,
with an arrow shaped as the boar’s ear.
And that foremost of car-warriors, viz., the son
of Pritha, with another broad-headed arrow, quickly
felled on the earth the standard of the high-souled
Srutayush from his car. Beholding his standard
overthrown, king Srutayush then, O monarch, pierced
the son of Pandu with seven sharp shafts. Thereupon
Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, blazed up with wrath,
like the fire that blazeth forth at the end of the
Yuga for consuming creatures. Beholding the son
of Pandu excited with rage, the gods, the Gandharvas,
and the Rakshasas, trembled, O king, and the universe
became agitated. And even this was the thought
that arose in the minds of all creatures, viz.,
that that king, excited with rage, would that day
consume the three worlds. Indeed, when the son
of Pandu was thus excited with wrath, the Rishis and
the celestials prayed for the peace of the world.
Filled with wrath and frequently licking the corners
of his mouth, Yudhishthira assumed a terrible expression
looking like the sun that riseth at the end of the
Yuga. Then all thy warriors, O king, became hopeless
of their lives, O Bharata. Checking, however,
Page 689
that wrath with patience, that great bowman endued
with high renown then cut off Srutayush’s bow
at the grasp. And then, in the very sight of all
the troops, the king in that battle pierced Srutayush
whose bow had been cut off, with a long arrow in the
centre of the chest. And the mighty Yudhishthira
then, O king, speedily slew with his arrows the steeds
of Srutayush and then, without losing a moment, his
charioteer. Beholding the prowess of the king,
Srutayush leaving that car whose steeds had been slain,
quickly fled away from battle. After that great
bowman had been vanquished in combat by the son of
Dharma, all the troops of Duryodhana, O king, turned
their faces. Having, O monarch, achieved this
feat, Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, began to slay
thy troops like Death himself with wide-open mouth.
“Chekitana of the Vrishni race, in the very
sight of all the troops, covered with his shafts Gautama,
that foremost of car-warriors. Baffling all those
arrows, Kripa the son of Saradwat, pierced Chekitana
in return who was fighting with great care, O king,
with arrows in that battle. Then, O Bharata,
with another broad-headed arrow he cut off Chekitana’s
bow, and endued with great lightness of hand, he also
felled with another broad-headed arrow the former’s
charioteer. Kripa then, O monarch, slew Chekitana’s
steeds, as also both the warriors that protected the
latter’s wings. Then Chekitana of the Satwata
race, quickly jumped down from his car, and took up
a mace. The foremost of all wielders of the mace,
Chekitana, with that hero-slaying mace of his, slew
the steeds of Gautama and then felled his charioteer.
Then Gautama, standing on the ground, shot sixteen
arrows at Chekitana. Those arrows, piercing through
that hero of the Satwata race, entered the earth.
Thereat, Chekitana excited with rage, once more hurled
his mace, desirous of slaying Gautama, like Purandara
desirous of slaying Vritra. Then Gautama with
many thousands of arrows checked that huge mace, endued
with the strength of adamant, that was coursing towards
him. Then Chekitana, O Bharata, drawing his sabre
from the sheath, rushed with great speed towards Gautama.
Thereupon Gautama also, throwing away his bow, and
taking up a polished sabre, rushed with great speed
towards Chekitana. Both of them possessed of
great strength, and both armed with excellent sabres,
began to strike each other with those sharp-edged
weapons of theirs. Then those bulls among men,
struck with the force of each other’s sabres,
fell down on the earth, that (common) element of all
creatures. Exhausted by the efforts they had
made, the limbs of both were motionless in a swoon.
Then Karakarsha impelled by friendship, quickly rushed
to that spot. And that invincible warrior, beholding
Chekitana in that plight, took him up on his car in
the very sight of all troops. And so also the
brave Sakuni, thy brother-in-law, O monarch, speedily
caused Gautama, that foremost of car-warriors, to
mount on his car.
Page 690
“The mighty Dhrishtaketu, excited with wrath,
speedily pierced the son of Somadatta, O king, with
ninety shafts in the chest. And the son of Somadatta
looked highly resplendent with those shafts on his
chest, like the sun, O king, with his rays at mid-day.
Bhurisravas, however, in that battle, with his excellent
shafts, deprived Dhrishtaketu, that mighty car-warrior,
of his car, slaying his charioteer and steeds.
And beholding him deprived of his car, and his steeds
and charioteer slain, Bhurisravas covered Dhrishtaketu
in that combat with a thick shower of arrows.
The high-souled Dhrishtaketu then. O sire, abandoning
that car of his, mounted upon the vehicle of Satanika.
Chitrasena, and Vikarna, O king, and also Durmarshana,—these
car-warriors cased in golden mail,—all
rushed against the son of Subhadra. Then a fierce
battle took place between Abhimanyu and those warriors,
like the battle of the body, O king, with wind, bile,
and phlegm.[419] That tiger among men, however, (viz.,
Abhimanyu), having, O king, deprived thy sons of their
cars, slew them not, remembering Bhima’s words.[420]
Then during the progress of the fight, Kunti’s
son (Arjuna), of white steeds, beholding Bhishma, who
was incapable of being vanquished by very gods, proceeding
to rescue thy sons in view of Abhimanyu—a
boy and alone though a mighty car-warrior, addressed
Vasudeva and said these words, ’Urge the steeds,
O Hrishikesa, to that spot where are those numerous
car-warriors. They are many in number, brave,
accomplished in arms, invincible in battle. Guide
the horses so, O Madhava, that the foe may not be
able to slay our troops.’ Thus urged by
Kunti’s son of immeasurable energy, he of Vrishni’s
race then drove that car, unto which were yoked white
steeds, to battle. When Arjuna, excited with
rage, thus proceeded towards thy army, a loud uproar,
O sire, arose among thy troops.[421] The son of Kunti
then, having come up to those kings that were protecting
Bhishma, (first) addressed Susarman, O king, and said
these words, ’I know thee to be foremost in
battle, and a dire enemy (of ours) of old. Behold
to-day the terrible fruit of that evil behaviour (of
thine).[422] I will today cause thee to visit the
manes of thy ancestors.’ That leader of
car-divisions, Susarman, however, hearing these harsh
words uttered by that slayer of foes viz., Vibhatsu,
told him nothing (in reply), well or ill. (But) approaching
the heroic Arjuna, with a large number of kings in
his train, and surrounding him in that battle, he
covered him aided by thy sons, O sinless one, with
arrows from all sides, viz., front, rear, and
flanks, like the clouds covering the maker of day.
Then, O Bharata, a dreadful battle took place between
thy army and the Pandavas, in which blood ran like
water.”
SECTION LXXXVI
Page 691
Sanjaya said, “Then the mighty Dhananjaya, struck
with those shafts and drawing long breaths like a
trodden snake, cut off, with great force, by means
of his successive shafts, the bows of those mighty
car-warriors. Cutting off in a moment, O king,
the bows of those powerful monarchs in that battle,
the high-souled Arjuna, desiring to exterminate them
pierced all of them simultaneously with his shafts.
Struck (thus) by Indra’s son, O king, some of
them fell down on the field, covered with blood.
And some had their limbs mangled, and some had their
heads struck off. And some perished with bodies
mangled and coats of mail cut through. And afflicted
by the arrows of Partha, many of them, falling down
on the earth, perished together. Beholding then
those princes slain in battle, the ruler of the Trigartas
advanced on his car. And two and thirty others
amongst those car-warriors, they who had been protecting
the rear of the slain combatants also fell upon Partha.
These all, surrounding Partha, and drawing their bows
of loud twang, poured on him a thick shower of arrows
like the clouds pouring torrents of water on the mountain
breast. Then Dhananjaya afflicted with that arrowy
down-pour in that battle, became excited with wrath,
and with sixty arrows steeped in oil he despatched
all those protectors of the rear. Having vanquished
in battle those sixty car-warriors, the illustrious
Dhananjaya became cheerful at heart. And having
slain also the forces of those kings, Jishnu sped for
Bhishma’s slaughter. Then the ruler of the
Trigartas, beholding his friends those mighty car-warriors
slain, speedily advanced upon Partha, with a number
of (other) kings in his van, for slaying him.
Then the Pandava warrior headed by Sikhandin, beholding
those combatants advancing upon Dhananjaya that foremost
of all conversant with arms, proceeded with whetted
weapons in hand, desirous of protecting the car of
Arjuna. Partha also beholding those brave men
advanced towards him with the ruler of the Trigartas,
mangled them in battle with arrows shot from Gandiva.
Then that distinguished bowman, desirous of approaching
Bhishma beheld Duryodhana and other kings headed by
the ruler of the Sindhus. Fighting with great
energy for a moment and checking those warriors that
were desirous of protecting Bhishma, the heroic Arjuna
of great valour and infinite prowess avoiding Duryodhana
and Jayadratha and others,—that warrior
of mighty strength and great mental vigour,—at
last proceeded, bow and arrow in hand, towards the
son of Ganga in battle. The high-souled Yudhishthira
also, of fierce prowess and infinite renown, avoiding
in battle the ruler of the Madras who had been assigned
to his share, quickly proceeded, with excited wrath
and accompanied by Bhima and the sons of Madri towards
Bhishma, the son of Santanu, for battle. Conversant
with all modes of warfare the high-souled son of Ganga
and Santanu, though attacked in battle by all the
sons of Pandu united together, wavered not at all.
Page 692
Of fierce might and great energy king Jayadratha of
sure aim, advancing in battle, forcibly cut off with
his own excellent bow the bows of all those mighty
car-warriors. And the illustrious Duryodhana
also with excited wrath and having wrath for his position,
struck Yudhishthira and Bhimasena and the twins and
Partha, with arrows resembling flames of fire.
Pierced with arrows by Kripa and Sala and Chitrasena,
O lord, the Pandavas, inflamed with rage, resembled
the gods pierced with arrows by the united Daityas
(in days of old). King Yudhishthira then, beholding
Sikhandin flying away, having had his weapon cut off
by Santanu’s son became filled with anger.
The high-souled Ajatasatru, angrily addressing Sikhandin
in that battle, said these words, ’Thou saidst
at that time, in the presence of thy sire, unto me—Even
I shall slay Bhishma of high vows with my shafts of
the hue of the effulgent sun. Truly do I say
this.—Even this was thy oath. That
oath of thine thou dost not fulfil inasmuch as thou
dost not slay Devavrata in battle. O hero, be
not a person of unfulfilled vow. Take care of
thy virtue, race, and fame. Behold Bhishma of
terrible impetuosity scorching all my troops with
his innumerable arrows of fierce energy and destroying
everything in a moment like Death himself. With
thy bow cut off avoiding the battle, and vanquished
by the royal son of Santanu, whither dost thou go,
forsaking thy kinsmen and brothers? This doth
not become thee. Beholding Bhishma of infinite
prowess, and our army routed and flying away, thou
art assuredly, O son of Drupada, frightened, since
the colour of thy face is pale. Unknown to thee,
O hero, Dhananjaya hath engaged in the dreadful battle.
Celebrated over the whole world, why O hero, art thou
afraid today of Bhishma.[423]’—Hearing
these words of king, Yudhishthira the just, that were
harsh, though fraught with sound reason, the high-souled
Sikhandin, regarding them as good counsel, speedily
set himself about slaying Bhishma.[424] And while Sikhandin
was proceeding to battle with great impetuosity for
falling upon Bhishma, Salya began to resist him with
terrible weapons that were difficult of being baffled.
The son of Drupada, however, O king, of prowess equal
to that of Indra himself, beholding those weapons
effulgent as the fire that blazeth forth at the hour
of universal dissolution (thus) displayed, was not
confounded in the least. Checking those weapons
by means of his own shafts, that mighty bowman, viz.,
Sikhandin, stayed there without moving. And then
he took up another weapon, viz., the fierce Varuna
weapon for baffling (those fiery weapons of Salya).
Then the celestials staying in the firmament, and
the kings of the earth also, all beheld Salya’s
weapons baffled by that Varuna weapon of Sikhandin.
Meanwhile, the high-souled and heroic Bhishma, O king,
in that battle, cut off the bow and the variegated
standard also of Pandu’s son, king Yudhishthira
of the Ajamida race. Thereupon casting aside
Page 693
his bow and arrows upon beholding Yudhishthira overwhelmed
with fear, and taking up a mace in that battle, Bhimasena
rushed, on foot, at Jayadratha. Then Jayadratha,
with five hundred terrible arrows of keen points and
each resembling the rod of Death, pierced Bhimasena
from every side who was thus rushing impetuously at
him, mace in hand. Disregarding those arrows,
the impetuous Vrikodara, with heart filled with rage,
slew in that battle all the steeds, born in Aratta,
of the king of the Sindhus. Then beholding Bhimasena
on foot, thy son (Chitrasena) of unrivalled prowess
and resembling the chief of the celestials himself,
quickly rushed at him on his car, with upraised weapons,
for giving him his quietus. Bhima also, roaring
and uttering a loud shout, rushed at him impetuously,
mace in hand. Thereupon the Kauravas all around
beholding that upraised mace resembling the rod of
Death, forsaking thy brave son, fled away, desirous
of avoiding its fall (amongst them). In that
fierce and awful crush (of men), O Bharata, confounding
the senses, Chitrasena, however, beholding that mace
coursing towards him, was not deprived of his senses.
Taking up a bright scimitar and a shield, he forsook
his car and became a warrior on foot in the field,
for jumping down (from his vehicle) like a lion from
the top of a cliff he came down upon the level ground.
Meanwhile that mace, failing upon that beautiful car
and destroying the vehicle itself with its steeds
and charioteer in that battle, dropped on the ground
like a blazing meteor, loosened from the firmament,
failing upon the earth. Then thy troops, O Bharata,
beholding that highly wonderful feat became filled
with joy, and all of them together set up a loud shout
over the field of battle. And the warriors all
applauded thy son (for what they witnessed).”
SECTION LXXXVII
Sanjaya said,—“Approaching then thy
son Chitrasena of great energy who had thus been deprived
of his car, thy son Vikarna caused him to mount on
his car. And during the progress of that general
engagement, so fierce and dreadful, Bhishma, the son
of Santanu, impetuously rushed at Yudhishthira.
Then the Srinjayas with their cars, elephants, and
horses, trembled. And they regarded Yudhishthira
to be already within the jaws of Death. The lord
Yudhishthira, however, of Kuru’s race, accompanied
by the twins, proceeded towards that mighty bowman,
that tiger among men viz., Bhishma. Then
the son of Pandu, shooting in that battle thousands
of arrows, shrouded Bhishma like the clouds shrouding
the sun. And those numberless arrows, well shot
by Yudhishthira, were received by the son of Ganga
in distinct sets by hundreds and thousands.[425] And
so also, O sire, innumerable were the arrows shot
by Bhishma (in return), which looked like flights
of insects coursing through the air. In half the
time taken up by a wink of the eye, Bhishma, the son
of Santanu, in that battle, made Kunti’s son
Page 694
invisible by means of his numberless shafts shot in
sets. Then king Yudhishthira, excited with rage,
sped at the high-souled Kaurava a long arrow resembling
a snake of virulent poison. That mighty car-warrior,
Bhishma, however, O king, cut off in that combat,
with a horse-shoe (headed) arrow, that shaft shot from
Yudhishthira’s bow before it could reach him.
Having cut off that long arrow resembling Death himself,
Bhishma then slew in that battle the steeds, decked
with gold, of that prince of Kuru’s line.
Then Yudhishthira the son of Pandu, abandoning that
car whose steeds had been slain, quickly mounted upon
the car of the high-souled Nakula. Then Bhishma
that subjugator of hostile cities, excited with rage,
and coming upon the twins in that battle, covered
them with arrows. Beholding those two (brothers),
O king, thus afflicted, with the arrows of Bhishma,
Yudhishthira began to reflect earnestly desirous, O
monarch, of (compassing) Bhishma’s destruction.
Then Yudhishthira, O king, urged his friends and the
rulers (on his side), saying,—’Slay
Bhishma the son of Santanu, uniting together.’
Then all those rulers, hearing these words of Pritha’s
son, surrounded the grandsire with a large number of
cars. Thy sire Devavrata then, thus surrounded
on all sides, began to sport, O king, with his bow,
felling (all the while) many mighty car-warriors.
Him of Kuru’s race, thus careering over the
field of battle, the Pandavas beheld resembling a
young lion in the forest amid a herd of deer.
Uttering a loud roar in that battle and striking fear
into the hearts of brave warriors by means of his
shafts, the Kshatriyas beholding him, O king, were
all struck with fear, like inferior animals upon seeing
a lion. Indeed the Kshatriyas beheld the movements
of that lion of Bharata’s race in battle to
resemble those of a conflagration aided by the wind
while consuming a heap of dry grass. And Bhishma
in that battle felled the heads of car-warriors like
a skilful man felling (with stones) ripe (palmyra)
fruits from trees that bear them. And the heads
of warriors, O king, falling upon the surface of the
earth produced a loud noise resembling that of a stony
shower. During the progress of that fierce and
dreadful battle a great confusion set in among all
the troops. And in consequence of that confusion
the arrays (of both armies) were broken. And
the Kshatriyas summoning one another individually,
approached one another for fight. Then Sikhandin,
sighting the grandsire of the Bharatas, rushed at
him impetuously, saying,—Wait, Wait—Remembering,
however, the femininity of Sikhandin, and disregarding
him on that account, Bhishma proceeded against the
Srinjayas. Thereupon the Srinjayas, beholding
Bhishma in that great battle, were filled with joy.
And they set forth diverse kinds of loud shouts, mingled
with the blare of their conches. Then commenced
a fierce battle in course of which cars and elephants
got entangled with one another. And it was that
hour of the day, O lord, when the sun was on the other
Page 695
side (of the meridian). Then Dhrishtadyumna,
the prince of the Panchalas, and that mighty car-warrior
Satyaki, greatly afflicted the (Bharata) host with
showers of arrows and lances. And with innumerable
shafts, O king, these two began to smite down thy
warriors in that battle. Thy combatants, however,
O bull among men, though slaughtered in battle (thus)
retreated not from the fight, having formed an honourable
resolution in that engagement. Indeed, thy troops
began to smite according to the measure of their courage.
While, however, O king, thy high-souled combatants
were being slaughtered by the illustrious son of Prishata,
loud cries of woe were heard among them. Hearing
those loud cries, that couple of mighty car-warriors
of thy army, viz., Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti,
quickly proceeded against Prishata’s son.
And those mighty car-warriors, speedily slaying his
steeds, together covered Prishata’s son with
showers of arrows. Thereupon that mighty car-warrior,
viz., the prince of the Panchalas, quickly jumping
down from that car of his, mounted without loss of
time the car of the high-souled Satyaki. Then
king Yudhishthira, supported by a large force, proceeded
against those chastisers of foes, viz., the two
princes of Avanti excited with rage. Similarly
thy son, O sire, with every preparation, stood, surrounding
Vinda and Anuvinda in that battle (for supporting them).
Arjuna also in that battle, excited with rage, fought
against many bulls of the Kshatriya race, like the
wielder of the thunder-bolt against the Asuras.
Drona also, who always does what is agreeable to thy
son, inflamed with wrath in that battle, began to
consume the Panchalas like fire consuming a heap of
cotton. Thy other sons, O king, owning Duryodhana
as their chief, surrounding Bhishma in that battle,
fought against the Pandavas. Then when the sun
assumed a red hue,[426] king Duryodhana, O Bharata,
addressing thy troops, said,—Lose no time—And
while they were thus battling and achieving feats difficult
of accomplishment, the sun having become invisible
in consequence of his retirement behind the western
hill, there soon flowed, towards dusk, an awful river
whose current and billows were of blood, and which
was infested by innumerable jackals. And the
field of battle became dreadful, abounding as it did
with spirits and with those jackals howling hideously,
forboding evil. Rakshasas and Pisachas and other
cannibals were seen all round, in hundreds and thousands.
Then Arjuna, having vanquished those kings headed
by Susarman along with all their followers, in the
midst of their division, proceeded towards his tent.
And the lord Yudhishthira also of Kuru’s race,
accompanied by his brothers, and followed by his troops,
proceeded, O king, when night set in, towards his
tent. And Bhimasena, too, having vanquished those
kings, viz., those warriors headed by Duryodhana,
proceeded towards his tent. And king Duryodhana
(with his troops), surrounding Bhishma, the son of
Page 696
Santanu, in that great battle proceeded towards his
tent. And Drona, and Drona’s son, and Kripa,
and Salya, and Kritavarman of the Satwata race, surrounding
the whole (Dhartarashtra) army, proceeded towards their
tents. And similarly Satyaki also, O king, and
Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Prishata, surrounding their
army, proceeded towards their tents. It was thus,
O king, that those chastisers of foes, viz.,
thy troops and the Pandavas, ceased to fight when
darkness came. Then the Pandavas, and the Kauravas,
retiring to their tents, entered the same, applauding
one another. And making arrangements for the
protection of their brave warriors and disposing outposts
according to rule, they plucked out the arrows (from
their bodies) and bathed in diverse kinds of water.
And Brahmanas performed propitiatory rites for them,
and bards sang their praises. And those renowned
men sported for a while in accompaniment with music
both vocal and instrumental. And for a while
the whole scene resembled heaven itself. And
those bulls among men for a while spoke not of battle.
And when both armies abounding with tired men and
elephants and steeds slept there, they became, O monarch,
beautiful to behold.”
SECTION LXXXVIII
Sanjaya said, “Having passed the night in sound
steep, those rulers of men, the Kauravas and the Pandavas,
once more proceeded to battle. And when the troops
of both armies were about to proceed to the field,
great was the uproar heard there, resembling the loud
uproar of the ocean itself. Then king Duryodhana,
and Chitrasena, and Vivinsati, and that foremost of
car-warriors, viz., Bhishma and Bharadwaja’s
son possessed of great prowess,—those mighty
car-warriors, clad in mail and uniting together, O
King, formed with great care the array of the Kauravas
against the Pandavas. Having formed that mighty
array fierce as the ocean and having for its billows
and current its steeds and elephants, thy sire Bhishma,
the son of Santanu, then, O king, proceeded in the
van of the whole army, supported by the Malavas, and
the inhabitants of the southern countries, and the
Avantis. Next to him was the valiant son of Bharadwaja,
accompanied by the Pulindas, the Paradas, and the
Kshudraka-Malavas. Next to Drona was the valiant
Bhagadatta. O king, firmly resolved on fight,
accompanied by the Magadhas, the Kalingas, and the
Pisachas. Behind Bhagadatta was Vrihadvala the
king of the Kosalas accompanied by the Melakas, the
Tripuras, and the Chichilas. Next to Vrihadvala
was the brave Trigarta, the ruler of the Prasthala,
accompanied by a large number of the Kamvojas, and
by Yavanas in thousands. Next to the ruler of
the Trigartas, O Bharata, proceeded that mighty hero,
viz., the son of Drona, uttering leonine roars
and filling the earth with those shouts. Next
to Drona’s son proceeded king Duryodhana with
the whole army, surrounded by his uterine brothers.
Page 697
Behind Duryodhana proceeded Kripa the son of Saradwat.
It was thus that that mighty array, resembling the
very ocean, advanced (to battle). And standards
and white umbrellas, O lord, and beautiful bracelets
and costly bows shed their effulgence there.
And beholding that mighty array of thy forces, that
great car-warrior Yudhishthira, speedily addressed
the generalissimo (of his forces), viz., Prishata’s
son saying, ’Behold, O great bowman, that array,
already formed, resembling the ocean. Do thou
also, O son of Prishata, form without delay thy counter-array.
(Thus addressed), the heroic son of Prishata, O great
king, formed that terrible array called Sringataka
that is destructive of all hostile arrays. At
the horns were Bhimasena and that mighty car-warrior,
viz., Satyaki, with many thousands of cars as
also of horse and infantry. Next to them was
that foremost of men, (viz., Arjuna) of white steeds
and having Krishna for his charioteer.[427] In the
centre were king Yudhishthira and the twin sons of
Pandu by Madri. Other royal bowmen, conversant
with the science of arrays, with their troops, filled
up that array. In the rear were ordered Abhimanyu,
and that mighty car-warrior, Virata, and the sons
of Draupadi and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha. Thus,
O Bharata, having formed their mighty array, the heroic
Pandavas waited on the field, longing for battle and
desirous of victory. And the loud noise of drums
mingling with the blare of conches and leonine roars
and shouts (of the combatants) and the slapping of
their armpits, became terrible and filled all the
points of the compass. Then those brave warriors,
approaching one another for battle, looked at one another,
O king, with winkless eyes. Then O ruler of men,
the warriors, first challenging each other by name,
engaged with each other.[428] Then commenced a fierce
and terrible battle between thy troops and those of
the foe striking one another. And in that battle,
O Bharata, whetted shafts fell in showers like terrible
snakes with mouths wide open. And polished darts
of impetuous force, washed with oil, O king, shone
like the effulgent flashes of lightning from the clouds.
And maces decked with gold and attached to bright
slings were seen to fall all over the field, resembling
beautiful crests of hills. And sabres of the colour
of the clear (blue) sky, O Bharata, and shields of
bull’s hides and decked with a hundred moons,
as they fell everywhere over the field, O king, looked
beautiful. And as the two armies, O king, were
engaged in battle with each other, they looked resplendent
like the celestial and the demoniac hosts battling
with each other. All around they rushed against
one another in battle. Foremost of royal car-warriors,
impetuously dashing against car-warriors in that dreadful
battle, fought on, with the yokes of their cars entangled
with those of their adversaries. And, O bull of
Bharata’s race, all over the field flashes of
fire mixed with smoke were generated, in consequence
Page 698
of friction, in the tusks of battling elephants.
And combatants on the backs of elephants, struck with
lances, were seen all around to fall down like blocks
(loosened) from crests of hills.[429] And brave foot-soldiers,
battling with their bare arms or with lances, and
striking one another, looked exceedingly beautiful.
And the warriors of the Kaurava and the Pandava hosts,
coming upon one another in that conflict, despatched
one another with diverse kinds of shafts to the abode
of Yama. Then Bhishma, the son of Santanu, filling
(the air) with the rattle of his car, and depriving
the foe of his senses by the twang of his bow, rushed
against the Pandavas in battle. The car-warriors
of the Pandavas, too, headed by Dhrishtadyumna, uttering
fierce shouts, rushed at him, firmly resolved on fight.
Then commenced, O Bharata, a battle between the infantry,
car-warriors, and elephants, of theirs and thine,
in which the combatants became all entangled with one
another.”
SECTION LXXXIX
Sanjaya said, “The Pandavas were incapable of
even looking at Bhishma excited with rage in battle
and scorching every side like the Sun himself shedding
scorching heat. Then all the (Pandava) troops,
at the command of Dharma’s son, rushed at the
son of Ganga who was grinding (everything) with his
whetted arrows, Bhishma, however, who delighted in
battle felled the mightiest of bowmen amongst the
Srinjayas and the Panchalas, with his shafts.
Though thus slaughtered by Bhishma, the Panchalas along
with the Somakas still rushed impetuously at him,
forsaking the fear of death. The heroic Bhishma,
the son of Santanu, however, in that battle, cut off,
O king, the arms and heads of their car-warriors.
Thy sire, Devavrata deprived their car-warriors of
cars. And the heads of cavalry soldiers on their
chargers fell fast. And we beheld, O king, huge
elephants looking like hills, deprived of their riders,
and paralysed with Bhishma’s weapons, lying
all around. Amongst the Pandavas, O king, there
was no other man save that foremost of car-warriors,
the mighty Bhimasena, (who could resist Bhishma).
Indeed, Bhima alone, approaching Bhishma, encountered
him in battle. Then in that encounter between
Bhima and Bhishma, a fierce and terrible uproar arose
among all the troops (of the Kauravas). The Pandavas
then, filled with joy, uttered leonine shouts.
During that destructive carnage, king Duryodhana, surrounded
by his uterine brothers, protected Bhishma in that
battle. Then that foremost of car-warriors, viz.,
Bhima, slew Bhishma’s charioteer. Thereupon
the steeds no longer controlled, ran away from the
field with car. Then that slayer of foes, viz.,
Bhima with a sharp arrow having a horse-shoe head,
cut off the head of Sunabha. (Thus) slain, the latter
fell down on the earth. When that son of thine,
that mighty car-warrior and great bowman was slain,
seven of his heroic brothers, O sire, could not (quietly)
Page 699
bear (that act). These, viz., Adityaketu
and Vahvasin, and Kundadhara and Mahodara, and Aparajita,
and Panditaka and the invincible Visalaksha, clad
in variegated armour and with their beautiful coats
of mail and weapons,—these grinders of
foes desirous of battle,—rushed against
the son of Pandu. And Mahodara, in that battle,
pierced Bhimasena with nine winged arrows, each resembling
the thunder-bolt in force, like the slayer of Vritra
striking (the great Asura) Namuchi. And Adityaketu
struck him with seventy shafts, and Vishnu with five.
And Kundadhara struck him with ninety shafts, and
Visalaksha with seven. And that conqueror of foes,
the mighty car-warrior Aparajita, O king, struck Bhimasena
of great strength with many arrows. And Panditaka
also, in battle, pierced him with three arrows.
Bhima, however, did not (quietly) bear these attacks
of his foes in battle. Forcibly grasping the
bow with his left hand, that grinder of foes cut off,
in that battle, the head, with a straight shaft, of
thy son Aparajita, graced with a fine nose. Thus
vanquished by Bhima, his head then dropped on the
ground. Then, in the very sight of all the troops,
Bhima despatched, with another broad-headed arrow,
the mighty car-warrior Kundadhara to the domain of
Death. Then that hero of immeasurable soul, once
more aiming an arrow, sped it, O Bharata, at Panditaka
in that battle. And the arrow killing Panditaka,
entered the earth, like a snake impelled by Death
quickly entering the earth after despatching the person
(whose hour had come). Of undepressed soul, that
hero then, O king, recollecting his former woes, felled
Visalaksha’s head, cutting it off with three
arrows. Then Bhima, in that battle, struck the
mighty bowman Mahodara in the centre of the chest
with a long shaft. Slain (therewith), O king,
the latter fell down on the earth. Then, O Bharata,
cutting off with an arrow the umbrella of Adityaketu
in that battle, he severed his head with another broad-headed
shaft of exceeding sharpness. Then, O monarch,
excited with rage, Bhima, with another straight shaft,
despatched Vahvasin towards the abode of Yama.
Then thy other sons, O king, all fled away regarding
the words to be true which Bhima had uttered in the
(midst of the Kaurava) assembly.[430] Then king Duryodhana
afflicted with sorrow on account of his brothers, addressed
all his troops, saying, ‘There is Bhima.
Let him be slain.’ Thus, O king, thy sons,
those mighty bowmen, beholding their brothers slain,
recollected those words beneficial and peaceful, that
Vidura of great wisdom had spoken. Indeed, those
words of the truthful Vidura are now being realised,—those
beneficial words, O king, which, influenced by covetousness
and folly as also by affection for thy sons, thou couldst
not then understand. From the way in which that
mighty armed hero is slaying the Kauravas, it seemeth
that that mighty son of Pandu hath assuredly taken
his birth for the destruction of thy sons. Meanwhile,
Page 700
king Duryodhana, O sire, overwhelmed with great grief,
went to Bhishma, and there, overcome with sorrow,
he began to lament, saying, ’My heroic brothers
have been slain in battle by Bhimasena. Although,
again, all our troops are fighting bravely, yet they
also are failing. Thou seemest to disregard us,
behaving (as thou dost) like an indifferent spectator,
Alas, what course have I taken. Behold my evil
destiny.’”
Sanjaya continued. “Hearing these cruel
words of Duryodhana, thy sire Devavrata with eyes
filled with tears, said this unto him.[431] ’Even
this was said by me before, as also by Drona, and Vidura,
and the renowned Gandhari. O son, thou didst
not then comprehend it. O grinder of foes, it
hath also been before settled by me that neither myself,
nor Drona, will ever escape with life from this battle.
I tell thee truly that those upon whom Bhima will
cast his eyes in battle, he will surely slay.
Therefore, O king, summoning all thy patience, and
firmly resolved on battle, fight with the sons of
Pritha, making heaven thy goal. As regards the
Pandavas, they are incapable of being vanquished by
the very gods with Vasava (at their head). Therefore,
setting thy heart firmly on battle, fight, O Bharata.—’”
SECTION XC
Dhritarashtra said, “Beholding my sons, so many
in number, O Sanjaya, slain by a single person, what
did Bhishma and Drona and Kripa do in battle?[432]
Day after day, O Sanjaya, my sons are being slain.
I think, O Suta, that they are completely overtaken
by evil destiny, inasmuch as my sons never conquer
but are always vanquished. When my sons staying
in the midst of those unretreating heroes, viz.,
Drona and Bhishma, and the high-souled Kripa, and
Somadatta’s heroic son and Bhagadatta, and Aswatthaman
also, O son, and other brave warriors, are being still
slain in battle, what can it be said save the result
of fate?[433] The wicked Duryodhana did not comprehend
(our) words before, though admonished by me, O son,
and by Bhishma and Vidura. (Though forbidden) always
by Gandhari, too, from motives of doing him good,
Duryodhana of wicked understanding awoke not before
from folly.[434] That (conduct) hath now borne fruit,
inasmuch as Bhimasena, excited with wrath, despatcheth,
day after day in battle, my insensate sons to the
abode of Yama.”
Sanjaya said, “Those excellent words of Vidura,
uttered for thy good, but which thou didst not then
understand, have now come to be realised. Vidura
had said, ‘Restrain thy sons from the dice.’
Like a man whose hour is come refusing the proper
medicine, thou didst not then listen to the words
of well-wishing friends counselling thee (for thy good).
Those words uttered by the righteous have now been
realised before thee. Indeed, the Kauravas are
now being destroyed for having rejected those words,
deserving of acceptance, of Vidura and Drona and Bhishma
and thy other well-wishers. These very consequences
Page 701
happened even then when thou declinedst to listen
to those counsels. Hear now, however, to my narration
of the battle exactly as it has happened.[435] At midday
the battle became exceedingly awful and fraught with
great carnage. Listen to me, O king, as I describe
it. Then all the troops (of the Pandava army),
excited with rage, rushed, at the command of Dharma’s
son, against Bhishma alone from desire of slaying
him. Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin, and the mighty
car-warrior Satyaki, accompanied, O king, by their
forces, proceeded against Bhishma alone. And
those mighty car-warriors, viz., Virata and Drupada,
with all the Somakas, rushed in battle against Bhishma
alone. And the Kaikeyas, and Dhrishtaketu, and
Kuntibhoja, equipped in mail and supported by their
forces, rushed, O king, against Bhishma alone.
And Arjuna, and the sons of Draupadi, and Chekitana
of great prowess, proceeded against all the kings
under the command of Duryodhana. And the heroic
Abhimanyu, and that mighty car-warrior, viz.,
the son of Hidimva, and Bhimasena excited with wrath,
rushed against the (other) Kauravas. (Thus) the Pandavas,
divided into three bodies began to slaughter the Kauravas.
And similarly the Kauravas also, O king, began to
slaughter their foes.[436] That foremost of car-warriors,
viz., Drona excited with wrath, rushed against
the Somakas and the Srinjayas, desirous of sending
them to the abode of Yama. Thereupon loud cries
of woe arose among the brave Srinjayas while they
were being slaughtered. O king, by Bharadwaja’s
son bow in hand. Large numbers of Kshatriyas,
struck down by Drona, were seen to all convulsing like
persons writhing in the agony of disease. All
over the field were continuously heard moans and shrieks
and groans resembling those of persons afflicted with
hunger. And so the mighty Bhimasena, excited
with wrath, and like unto a second Yama, caused a
terrible carnage amongst the Kaurava troops. There
in that dreadful battle, in consequence of the warriors
slaying one another, a terrible river began to flow
whose billowy current consisted of blood.[437] And
that battle, O king, between the Kurus and the Pandavas,
becoming fierce and awful, began to swell the population
of Yama’s kingdom. Then in that battle
Bhima excited with wrath, fell with great impetuosity
upon the elephant division (of the Kauravas) and began
to send many to the regions of Death. Then, O
Bharata, struck with Bhima’s shafts, some of
those beasts fell down, some were paralysed, some
shrieked (in pain), and some ran away in all directions.
Huge elephants, their trunks cut off and limbs mangled,
screaming like cranes, began, O king, to fall down
on the earth. Nakula and Sahadeva fell upon the
(Kaurava) cavalry. Many steeds with garlands of
gold on their heads and with their necks and breasts
adorned with ornaments of gold, were seen to be slain
in hundreds and thousands. The earth, O king,
was strewn with fallen steeds. And some were
Page 702
deprived of their tongues; and some breathed hard;
and some uttered low moans, and some were void of life.
The earth looked beautiful, O chief of men, with those
steeds of such diverse kinds. At the same time,
O Bharata, she looked fiercely resplendent, O monarch,
with a large number of kings slain by Arjuna in that
battle. And strewn with broken cars and rent
banners and brilliant umbrellas, with torn chamaras
and fans, and mighty weapons broken into fragments,
with garlands and necklaces of gold, with bracelets,
with heads decked with ear-rings, with head-gears
loosened (from off heads), with standards, with beautiful
bottoms of cars, O king, and with traces and reins,
the earth shone as brightly as she does in spring
when strewn with flowers. And it was thus, O
Bharata, that the Pandava host suffered destruction
when Bhishma the son of Santanu, and Drona that foremost
of car-warriors, and Aswatthaman, and Kripa, and Kritavarman,
were inflamed with wrath. And similarly thy army
also suffered the same kind of destruction when the
other side, viz., the Pandava heroes were excited
with rage.”
SECTION XCI
Sanjaya said, “During the progress, O king,
of that fierce battle fraught with the slaughter of
great heroes, Sakuni the glorious son of Suvala, rushed
against the Pandavas. And so also, O monarch,
Hridika’s son of the Satwata race, that slayer
of hostile heroes, rushed in that battle against the
Pandava ranks. And smiling the while, (several
warriors on thy side), with a large number of steeds
consisting of the best of the Kamvoja breed as also
of those born in the country of the Rivers, and of
those belonging to Aratta and Mahi and Sindhu, and
of those of Vanayu also that were white in hue, and
lastly those of hilly countries, surrounded (the Pandava
army).[438] And so also with horses, exceedingly swift,
fleet as the very winds, and belonging to the Tittri
breed, (others encompassed that army). And with
many horses, clad in mail and decked with gold, the
foremost of their class and fleet as the winds the
mighty son of Arjuna (viz., Iravat), that slayer of
foes, approached the (Kaurava) force. This handsome
and valiant son of Arjuna, named Iravat, was begotten
upon the daughter of the king of the Nagas by the
intelligent Partha. Her husband having been slain
by Garuda, she became helpless, and of cheerless soul.
Childless as she was, she was bestowed (upon Arjuna)
by the high-souled Airavat. Partha accepted her
for wife, coming to him as she did under the influence
of desire. It was thus that that son of Arjuna
was begotten upon the wife of another.[439] Abandoned
by his wicked uncle from hatred of Partha, he grew
up in the region of the Nagas, protected by his mother.
And he was handsome and endued with great strength,
possessed of diverse accomplishments, and of prowess
incapable of being baffled. Hearing that Arjuna
had gone to the region of Indra, he speedily went
Page 703
thither. And the mighty-armed Iravat, possessed
of prowess incapable of being baffled, approaching
his sire, saluted him duly, standing before him with
joined hands. And he introduced himself to the
high-souled Arjuna, saying, ’I am Iravat. blessed
be thou, and I am thy son, O lord’. And
he reminded Arjuna of all the circumstances connected
with the latter’s meeting with his mother.
And thereupon the son of Pandu recollected all those
circumstances exactly as they happened. Embracing
his son then who resembled himself in accomplishments,
Partha, in Indra’s abode, was filled with joy.
The mighty-armed Iravat then, O king, in the celestial
regions was, O Bharata, joyfully commanded by Arjuna,
with regard to his own business, (in these words),
’When the battle takes place, assistance should
be rendered by thee’. Saying ‘Yes’,
O lord, he went away. And now at the time of
battle he presented himself. O king, accompanied
with a large number of steeds of great fleetness and
beautiful colour. And those steeds, decked with
ornaments of gold, of various colours and exceeding
fleetness, suddenly coursed over the field, O king,
like swans on the bosom of the vast deep. And
those steeds failing upon thine of exceeding swiftness,
struck their chests and noses against those of thine.
Afflicted by their own impetuous clash (against thine),
they suddenly fell down, O king, on the earth.
And in consequence of those steeds as also of thine
occasioned by that clash, loud sounds were heard resembling
what occurs at Garuda’s swoop. And the rider
of those steeds, O king, thus dashing against one
another in that battle, began to slay one another
fiercely. And during that general engagement which
was fierce and terrible, the chargers of both sides
(escaping from press of battle) ran wildly away over
the field. Weakened by one another’s shafts,
brave warriors, with their horses killed under them,
and themselves worn out with exertion, perished fast
sabring one another. Then when those cavalry
divisions were thinned and a remnant only survived,
the Younger brothers of Suvala’s son, Possessed
of great wisdom, rode out, O Bharata (from the Kaurava
array) to the van of battle, mounted On excellent charges
that resembled the tempest itself in both fleetness
and the violence of their dash and that were well-trained
and neither old nor young.[440] Those six brothers
endued with great strength, viz., Gaya, Gavaksha,
Vrishava, Charmavat, Arjava, and Suka dashed out of
the mighty (Kaurava) array, supported by Sakuni and
by their respective forces of great valour, themselves
clad in mail, skilled in battle, fierce in mien, and
possessed of exceeding might. Breaking through
that invincible cavalry division (of the Pandavas),
O thou of mighty arms, those Gandhara warriors who
could with difficulty be vanquished, supported by
a large force, desirous of heaven, longing for victory,
and filled with delight, penetrated into it.
Beholding them filled with joy, the valiant Iravat,
Page 704
addressing his own warriors decked with diverse ornaments
and weapons, said unto them, ’Adopt such contrivances
in consequence of which these Dhritarashtra warriors
with their weapons and animals may all be destroyed.’
Saying ‘Yes’, all those warriors of Iravat
began to slay those mighty and invincible Dhartarashtra
soldiers. Beholding that their own warriors were
thus overthrown by Iravat’s division, those sons
of Suvala being unable to beat it coolly, all rushed
at Iravat and surrounded him on all sides. And
commanding (all their followers) to attack those of
Iravat with lances, those heroes swept over the field,
creating a great confusion. And Iravat, pierced
with lances by those high-souled warriors, and bathed
in blood that trickled down (his wounds), looked like
an elephant pierced with the hook. Wounded deeply
on the chest, back, and flanks, singly encountering
the many, he did not yet, O king, swerve from his (natural)
firmness. Indeed, Iravat, excited with rage, deprived
all those adversaries of their senses, piercing them,
in that battle, with sharp shafts. And that chastiser
of foes, tearing those lances from off his body, struck
with them the sons of Suvala in battle. Then unsheathing
his polished sword and taking a shield, he rushed
on foot, desirous of slaying Suvala’s sons in
that combat. The sons of Suvala, however, recovering
their senses, once more rushed at Iravat, excited with
wrath. Iravat, however, proud of his might, and
displaying his lightness of hand, proceeded towards
all of them, armed with his sword. Moving as he
did with great activity, the sons of Suvala, although
they moved about on their fleet steeds, could not
find an opportunity for striking that hero (on foot).
Beholding him then on foot, his foes surrounded him
closely and wished to take him captive. Then
that crusher of foes, seeing them contiguous to himself,
struck off, with his sword, both their right and left
arms, and mangled their other limbs. Then those
arms of theirs adorned with gold, and their weapons,
fell down on the earth, and they themselves, with
limbs mangled, fell down on the field, deprived of
life. Only Vrishava, O king, with many wounds
on his person, escaped (with life) from that dreadful
battle destructive of heroes. Beholding them
lying on the field of battle, thy son Duryodhana, excited
with wrath said unto that Rakshasa of terrible mien,
viz., Rishyasringa’s son (Alamvusha), that
great bowman versed in illusion, that chastiser of
foes, who bore feelings of animosity against Bhimasena
in consequence of the slaughter of Vaka, these words:
“Behold, O hero, how the mighty son of Phalguni,
versed in illusion, hath done me a severe injury by
destroying my forces. Thou also, O sire, art capable
of going everywhere at will and accomplished in all
weapons of illusion. Thou cherishest animosity
also for Partha. Therefore, do thou slay this
one in battle.’ Saying ‘Yes’,
that Rakshasa of terrible mien proceeded with a leonine
Page 705
roar to that spot where the mighty and youthful son
of Arjuna was. And he was supported by the heroic
warriors of his own division, accomplished in smiting,
well-mounted, skilled in battle and fighting with bright
lances. Accompanied by the remnant of that excellent
cavalry division (of the Kauravas), he proceeded,
desirous of slaying in battle the mighty Iravat.
That slayer of foes, viz., the valiant Iravat,
excited with rage, and advancing speedily from desire
of slaying the Rakshasa, began to resist him.
Beholding him advance, the mighty Rakshasa speedily
set himself about for displaying his powers of illusion.
The Rakshasa then created a number of illusive chargers
which were riden by terrible Rakshasas armed with
spears and axes. Those two thousand accomplished
smiters advancing with rage, were however, soon sent
to the regions of Yama, (falling in the encounter
with Iravat’s forces). And when the forces
of both perished, both of them, invincible in battle,
encountered each other like Vritra and Vasava.
Beholding the Rakshasa, who was difficult of being
vanquished in battle, advancing towards him, the mighty
Iravat, excited with rage, began to check his onset.
And when the Rakshasa approached him nearer, Iravat
with his sword quickly cut off his bow, as also each
of his shafts into five fragments. Seeing his
bow cut off, the Rakshasa speedily rose up into the
welkin, confounding with his illusion the enraged
Iravat. Then Iravat also, difficult of approach,
capable of assuming any form at will, and having a
knowledge of what are the vital limbs of the body,
rising up into the welkin, and confounding with his
illusion the Rakshasa began to cut off the latter’s
limbs in that battle and thus were the limbs of the
Rakshasa repeatedly cut into several pieces.[441]
[(Rakshasa ceases to be italicized at this point for
a couple of pages.—JBH)] Then the Rakshasa,
however, O king, was re-born, assuming a youthful
appearance. Illusion is natural with them, and
their age and form are both dependent on their will.
And the limbs of that Rakshasa, O king, cut into pieces,
presented a beautiful sight. Iravat, excited
with rage, repeatedly cut that mighty Rakshasa with
his sharp axe. ’The brave Rakshasa, thus
cut into pieces like a tree by the mighty Iravat,
roared fiercely’. And those roars of his
became deafening. Mangled with the axe, the Rakshasa
began to pour forth blood in torrents. Then (Alamvusha),
the mighty son of Rishyasringa, beholding his foe
blazing forth with energy, became infuriate with rage
and himself put forth his prowess in that combat.
Assuming a prodigious and fierce form, he endeavoured
to seize the heroic son of Arjuna, viz., the renowned
Iravat. In the sight of all the combatants there
present, beholding that illusion of the wicked Rakshasa
in the van of battle, Iravat became inflamed with
rage and adopted steps for himself having recourse
to illusion. And when that hero, never retreating
from battle, became inflamed with wrath, a Naga related
Page 706
to him by his mother’s side, came to him.
Surrounded on all sides, in that battle by Nagas, that
Naga, O king, assumed a huge form mighty as Ananta
himself. With diverse kinds of Nagas then he
covered the Rakshasa. While being covered by those
Nagas, that bull among Rakshasas reflected for a moment,
and assuming the form of Garuda, he devoured those
snakes. When that Naga of his mother’s line
was devoured through illusion, Iravat became confounded.
And while in that state, the Rakshasa slew him with
his sword, Alamvusha felled on the earth Iravat’s
head decked with ear-rings and graced with a diadem
and looking beautiful like a lotus or the moon.
“When the heroic son of Arjuna was thus slain
by the Rakshasa, the Dhartarashtra host with all the
kings (in it) were freed from grief. In that
great battle that was so fierce, awful was the carnage
that occurred among both the divisions. Horses
and elephants and foot-soldiers entangled with one
another, were slain by tuskers. And many steeds
and tuskers were slain by foot-soldiers. And
in that general engagement bodies of foot-soldiers
and cars, and large numbers of horses belonging both
to thy army and theirs, were slain. O king, by
car-warriors. Meanwhile, Arjuna, not knowing
that the son of his loins had been slaughtered, slew
in that battle many kings who had been protecting
Bhishma. And the warriors, O king, of thy army
and the Srinjayas, by thousands, poured out their
lives as libations (on the fire of battle), striking
one another. And many car-warriors, with dishevelled
hair, and with swords and bows fallen from their grasp
fought with their bare arms, encountering one another.
The mighty Bhishma also, with shafts capable of penetrating
into the very vitals, slew many mighty car-warriors
and caused the Pandava army to tremble (the while).
By him were slain many combatants in Yudhishthira’s
host, and many tuskers and cavalry-soldiers and car-warriors
and steeds. Beholding, O Bharata, the prowess
of Bhishma in that battle, it seemed to us that it
was equal to that of Sakra himself. And the prowess
of Bhimasena, as also that of Parshata, was hardly
less, O Bharata, (than that of Bhishma). And so
also the battle fought by that great bowman (viz.,
Satyaki) of Satwata’s race, was equally fierce.
Beholding, however, the prowess of Drona, the Pandavas
were struck with fear. Indeed they thought, ’Alone,
Drona can slay us with all our troops. What then
should be said of him when he is surrounded by a large
body of warriors who for their bravery are renowned
over the world? Even this, O king, was what the
Partha said, afflicted by Drona. During the progress
of that fierce battle, O bull of Bharata’s race,
the brave combatants of neither army forgave their
adversaries of the other. O sire, the mighty
bowmen of both thy army and that of the Pandavas,
inflamed with wrath, fought furiously with one another,
as if they were possessed of by the Rakshasas and
demons. Indeed, he did not see any one in the
battle which was so destructive of lives and which
was considered as a battle of the demons, to take
of life.”
Page 707
SECTION XCII
Dhritarashtra said, “Tell me, O Sanjaya, all
that the mighty Partha did in battle when they heard
that Iravat had been slain.”
Sanjaya said, “Beholding Iravat slain in battle,
the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha, the son of Bhimasena, uttered
loud shouts. And in consequence of the loudness
of those roars, the earth having the ocean for her
robes, along with her mountains and forests, began
to tremble violently. And the welkin also and
the quarters both cardinal and subsidiary, all trembled.
And hearing those loud roars of his, O Bharata, the
thighs and other limbs of the troops began to tremble,
and sweat also appeared on their persons. And
all thy combatants, O king, became cheerless of heart.
And all over the field the warriors stood still, like
an elephant afraid of the lion. And the Rakshasa,
uttering those loud roars resembling the rattle of
thunder, assuming a terrible form, and with a blazing
spear upraised in hand, and surrounded by many bulls
among Rakshasas of fierce forms armed with diverse
weapons, advanced, excited with rage and resembling
the Destroyer himself at the end of the Yuga.
Beholding him advance in wrath and with a terrible
countenance, and seeing also his own troops almost
all running away from fear of that Rakshasa, king
Duryodhana rushed against Ghatotkacha, taking up his
bow with arrow fixed on the string, and repeatedly
roaring like a lion. Behind him proceeded the
ruler of the Vangas, with ten thousand elephants,
huge as hills, and each with juice trickling down.
Beholding thy son, O king, (thus) advancing surrounded
by that elephant division, that ranger of the night
(viz., Ghatotkacha) was highly inflamed with rage.
Then commenced a battle with utmost vehemences that
made the hair stand on end, between the formidable
Rakshasa and the troops of Duryodhana. And beholding
also that elephant division risen (on the horizon)
like a cloud, the Rakshasas, inflamed with rage, rushed
towards it, weapons in hand, and uttering diverse
roars like clouds charged with lightning. With
arrows and darts and swords and long shafts, as also
with spears and mallets and battle-axes and short
arrows, they began to smite down that elephant host.
And they slew huge elephants with mountain-summits
and large trees. While the Rakshasas slew those
elephants, O king, we saw that some of them had their
frontal globes smashed, some were bathed in blood,
and some had their limbs broken or cut through.
At last when that elephant host was broken and thinned,
Duryodhana, O king, rushed upon the Rakshasas, under
the influence of rage and becoming reckless of his
very life. And that mighty warrior sped clouds
of sharp shafts at the Rakshasas. And that great
bowman slew many of their foremost warriors.
Inflamed with rage, O chief of the Bharatas, that
mighty car-warrior, viz., thy son Duryodhana,
then slew with four shafts four of the principal Rakshasas,
Page 708
viz., Vegavat, Maharudra, Vidyujihva, and Pramathin.
And once again, O chief of the Bharatas, that warrior
of immeasurable soul, sped at the Rakshasa host showers
of arrows that could with difficulty be resisted.
Beholding that great feat of thy son, O sire, the
mighty son of Bhimasena blazed up with wrath.
Drawing his large bow effulgent as the lightning,
he rushed impetuously at the wrathful Duryodhana.
Beholding him (thus) rushing like Death himself commissioned
by the Destroyer, thy son Duryodhana, O king, shook
not at all. With eyes red in anger, and excited
with rage, Ghatotkacha, then, addressing thy son,
said, ’I shall today be freed from the debt I
owe to my sires, as also to my mother, they that had
so long been exiled by thy cruel self. The sons
of Pandu, O king, were vanquished by thee in that
match at dice. Drupada’s daughter Krishna
also, while ill and, therefore, clad in a single raiment,
was brought into the assembly and great trouble was
given by thee in diverse ways, O thou most wicked,
unto her. While dwelling also in her sylvan retreat,
thy well-wisher, that wicked wight, viz., the
ruler of the Sindhus, persecuted her further, disregarding
my sires. For these and other wrongs, O wretch
of thy race, I shall today take vengeance if thou
dost not quit the field.’ Having said these
words, Hidimva’s son, drawing his gigantic bow,
biting his (nether) lip with his teeth, and licking
the corners of his mouth, covered Duryodhana with a
profuse shower, like a mass of clouds covering the
mountain-breast with torrents of rain in the rainy
season.”
SECTION XCIII
Sanjaya said,—“That arrowy shower,
difficult of being borne by even the Danavas, king
Duryodhana, however, (quietly) bore in that battle,
like a gigantic elephant bearing a shower (from the
blue).[442] Then filled with anger and sighing like
a snake, thy son, O bull of Bharata’s race, was
placed in a position of great danger. He then
shot five and twenty sharp arrows of keen points.
These, O king, fell with great force on that bull
among Rakshasas, like angry snakes of virulent poison
on the breast of Gandhamadana. Pierced with those
shafts, blood trickled down the Rakshasa’s body
and he looked like an elephant with rent temples.[443]
Thereupon that cannibal set his heart upon the destruction
of the (Kuru) king. And he took up a huge dart
that was capable of piercing even a mountain.
Blazing with light, effulgent as a large meteor, it
flamed with radiance like the lightning itself.
And the mighty-armed Ghatotkacha, desirous of slaying
thy son, raised that dart. Beholding that dart
upraised, the ruler of the Vangas mounting upon an
elephant huge as a hill, drove towards the Rakshasa.
On the field of battle, with the mighty elephant of
great speed, Bhagadatta placed himself in the very
front of Duryodhana’s car. And with that
elephant he completely shrouded the car of thy son.
Beholding then the way (to Duryodhana’s car)
Page 709
thus covered by the intelligent king of the Vangas,
the eyes of Ghatotkacha, O king, became red in anger.
And he ruled that huge dart, before upraised, at that
elephant. Struck, O king, with that dart hurled
from the arms of Ghatotkacha, that elephant, covered
with blood and in great agony, fell down and died.
The mighty king of the Vangas, however, quickly jumping
down from that elephant, alighted on the ground.
Duryodhana then beholding the prince of elephants
slain, and seeing also his troops broken and giving
way, was filled with anguish. From regard, however,
for a Kshatriya’s duty[444] as also his own
pride, the king, though defeated, stood firm like
a hill. Filled with wrath and aiming a sharp arrow
that resembled the Yuga fire in energy, he sped it
at that fierce wanderer of the night. Beholding
that arrow, blazing as Indra’s bolt, thus coursing
towards him, the high-souled Ghatotkacha baffled it
by the celerity of his movements. With eyes red
in wrath, he once more shouted fiercely, frightening
all thy troops, like the clouds that appear at the
end of the Yuga. Hearing those fierce roars of
the terrible Rakshasa, Bhishma the son of Santanu,
approaching the preceptor, said these words, ’These
fierce roars that are heard, uttered by Rakshasas,
without doubt indicate that Hidimva’s son is
battling with king Duryodhana. That Rakshasa is
incapable of being vanquished in battle by any creature.
Therefore, blessed be ye, go thither and protect the
king. The blessed Duryodhana hath been attacked
by the high-souled Rakshasa. Therefore, ye chastisers
of foes, even this is our highest duty.[445]’
Hearing those words of the grandsire, those mighty
car-warriors without loss of time and with the utmost
speed, proceeded to the spot when the king of the Kurus
was. They met Duryodhana and Somadatta and Valhika
and Jayadratha; and Kripa and Bhurisravas and Salya,
and the two princes of Avanti along with Vrihadvala,
and Aswatthaman and Vikarna, and Chitrasena and Vivinsati.
And many thousands of other car-warriors, including
all those that followed them, proceeded, desirous
of rescuing thy son Duryodhana who had been hotly
pressed. Beholding that invincible division protected
by those mighty car-warriors, coming towards him with
hostile intentions, that best of Rakshasas, viz.,
the mighty-armed Ghatotkacha, stood firm like the
Mainaka mountain, with a huge bow in hand, and surrounded
by his kinsmen armed with clubs and mallets and diverse
other kinds of weapons. Then commenced a fierce
battle, making the hair stand on end, between those
Rakshasas on the one side and that foremost of Duryodhana’s
divisions on the other. And the loud noise of
twanging bows in that battle was heard, O king, on
all sides resembling the noise made by burning bamboos.
And the din produced by the weapons falling upon the
coats of mail of the combatants resembled, O king,
the noise of splitting hills. And the lances,
O monarch, hurled by heroic arms, while coursing through
Page 710
the welkin, looked like darting snakes. Then,
excited with great wrath and drawing his gigantic
bow, the mighty-armed prince of the Rakshasas, uttering
a loud roar, cut off, with a crescent-shaped arrow,
the preceptor’s bow in a rage. And overthrowing,
with another broad-headed arrow, the standard of Somadatta,
he uttered a loud yell. And he pierced Valhika
with three shafts in the centre of the chest.
And he pierced Kripa with one arrow, and Chitrasena
with three. And with another arrow, well-armed
and well-sped from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch,
he struck Vikarna at the shoulder-joint. Thereupon
the latter, covered with gore, sat down on the terrace
of his car. Then that Rakshasa of immeasurable
soul, excited With rage, O bull of Bharata’s
race, sped at Bhurisravas five and ten shafts.
These, penetrating through the latter’s armour,
entered the earth. He then struck the chariot
of Vivingsati and Aswatthaman. These fell down
on the front of their cars, relinquishing the reins
of the steeds. With another crescent-shaped shaft
he overthrew the standard of Jayadratha bearing the
device of a boar and decked with gold. And with
a second arrow he cut off the latter’s bow.
And with eyes red in wrath, he slew with four shafts
the four steeds of the high-souled king of Avanti.
And with another arrow, O king, well-tempered and
sharp, and shot from his bow drawn to its fullest
stretch, he pierced king Vrihadvala. Deeply pierced
and exceedingly pained, the latter sat down on the
terrace of his car. Filled with great wrath and
seated on his car, the prince of the Rakshasas then
shot many bright arrows of keen points that resembled
snakes of virulent poison. These, O king, succeeded
in piercing Salya accomplished in battle.”
SECTION XCIV
Sanjaya said, “Having in that battle made all
those warriors (of thy army) turn their faces from
the field, the Rakshasa then, O chief of the Bharatas,
rushed at Duryodhana, desirous of slaying him.
Beholding him rushing with great impetuosity towards
the king, many warriors of thy army, incapable of
defeat in battle, rushed towards him (in return) from
desire of slaying him. Those mighty car-warriors,
drawing their bows that measured full six cubits long,
and uttering loud roars like a herd of lions, all
rushed together against that single warrior. And
surrounding him on all sides, they covered him with
their arrowy showers like the clouds covering the
mountain-breast with torrents of rain in autumn.
Deeply pierced with those arrows and much pained, he
resembled then an elephant pierced with the hook.
Quickly then he soared up into the firmament like
Garuda. And (while there) he uttered many loud
roars like the autumnal clouds, making the welkin
and all the points of the compass, cardinal and subsidiary,
resounded with those fierce cries. Hearing those
roars of the Rakshasa, O chief of the Bharatas, king
Yudhishthira then, addressing Bhima, said unto that
Page 711
chastiser of foes these words, ’The noise that
we hear uttered by the fiercely-roaring Rakshasa, without
doubt, indicates that he is battling with the mighty
car-warriors of the Dhartarashtra army. I see
also that the burden has proved heavier than what
that bull among Rakshasas is able to bear. The
grandsire, too, excited with rage, is ready to slaughter
the Panchalas. For protecting them Phalguni is
battling with the foe. O thou of mighty arms hearing
now of these two tasks, both of which demand prompt
attention, go and give succour to Hidimva’s
son who is placed in a position of very great danger.’
Listening to these words of his brother, Vrikodara,
with great speed, proceeded, frightening all the kings
with his leonine roars, with great impetuosity, O
king, like the ocean itself during the period of the
new full moon. Him followed Satyadhriti and Sauchiti
difficult of being vanquished in battle, and Srenimat,
and Vasudana and the powerful son of the ruler of
Kasi, and many car-warriors headed by Abhimanyu, as
also those mighty car-warriors, viz., the sons
of Draupadi, and the valiant Kshatradeva, and Kshatradharman,
and Nila, the ruler of the low countries, at the head
of his own forces. And these surrounded the son
of Hidimva with a large division of cars (for aiding
him).[446] And they advanced to the rescue of Ghatotkacha,
that prince of the Rakshasas, with the six thousand
elephants, always infuriate and accomplished in smiting.
And with their loud leonine roars, and the clatter
of their car-wheels, and with the tread of their horse’s
hoofs, they made the very earth to tremble. Hearing
the din of those advancing warriors the faces of thy
troops who were filled with anxiety in consequence
of their fear of Bhimasena became pale. Leaving
Ghatotkacha then they all fled away. Then commenced
in that part of the field a dreadful battle between
those high-souled warriors and thine, both of whom
were unretreating. Mighty car-warriors, hurling
diverse kinds of the weapons, chased and smote one
another. That fierce battle striking terror into
the hearts of the timid, was such that the different
classes of combatants became entangled with one another.
Horses engaged with elephants and foot-soldiers with
car-warriors. And challenging one another, O king,
they engaged in the fight.[447] And in consequence
of that clash of cars, steeds, elephants, and foot-soldiers,
a thick dust appeared, raised by the car-wheels and
the tread (of those combatants and animals). And
that dust, thick and of the colour of reddish smoke,
shrouded the field of battle. And the combatants
were unable to distinguish their own from the foe.
Sire recognised not the son, and son recognised not
the sire, in that dreadful engagement which made the
hair stand on end and in which no consideration was
shown (by any one for any body). And the noise
made by the hissing weapons and the shouting combatants
resembled, O chief of Bharata’s race, that made
by departed spirits (in the infernal regions).
Page 712
And there flowed a river whose current consisted of
the blood of elephants and steeds and men. And
the hair (of the combatants) formed its weeds and moss.
And in that battle heads falling from the trunks of
men made a loud noise like that of a falling shower
of stones. And the earth was strewn with the
headless trunks of human beings, with mangled bodies
of elephants and with the hacked limbs of steeds.
And mighty car-warriors chased one another for smiting
one another down, and hurled diverse kinds of weapons.
Steeds, urged by their riders and falling upon steeds,
dashed against one another and fell down deprived
of life. And men, with eyes red in wrath, rushing
against men and striking one another with their chests,
smote one another down. And elephants, urged by
their guides against hostile elephants, slew their
compeers in that battle, with the points of their
tusks. Covered with blood in consequence of their
wounds and decked with standards (on their backs),
elephants were entangled with elephants and looked
like masses of clouds charged with lightning.
And some amongst them mounted (by others) with the
points of their tusks, and some with their frontal
globes split with lances, ran hither and thither with
loud shrieks like masses of roaring clouds. And
some amongst them with their trunks lopped off,[448]
and others with mangled limbs, dropped down in that
dreadful battle like mountains shorn of their wings.[449]
Other huge elephants, copiously shedding blood from
their flanks, ripped open by compeers, looked like
mountains with (liquified) red chalk running down
their sides (after a shower).[450] Others, slain with
shafts or pierced with lances and deprived of their
riders, looked like mountains deprived of their crests.[451]Some
amongst them, possessed by wrath and blinded (with
fury) in consequence of the juice (trickling down
their temples and cheeks).[452] and no longer restrained
with the hook, crushed cars and steeds and foot-soldiers
in that battle by hundreds. And so steeds, attacked
by horsemen with bearded darts and lances, rushed
against their assailants, as if agitating the points
of the compass. Car-warriors of noble parentage
and prepared to lay down their lives, encountering
car-warriors, fought fearlessly, relying upon their
utmost might. The combatants, O king, seeking
glory or heaven, struck one another in that awful
press, as if in a marriage by self-choice. During
however, that dreadful battle making the hair stand
on end, the Dhartarashtra troops generally were made
to run their backs on the field.”
SECTION XCV
Page 713
Sanjaya said, “Beholding his own troops slain,
king Duryodhana then excited with wrath, rushed towards
Bhimasena, that chastiser of foes. Taking up
a large bow whose effulgence resembled that of Indra’s
bolt, he covered the son of Pandu with a thick shower
of arrows. And filled with rage, and aiming a
sharp crescent-shaped shaft winged with feathers, he
cut off Bhimasena’s bow. And that mighty
car-warrior, noticing an opportunity, quickly aimed
at his adversary a whetted shaft capable of riving
the very hills. With that (shaft), that mighty-armed
(warrior) struck Bhimasena in the chest. Deeply
pierced with that arrow, and exceedingly pained, and
licking the corners of his mouth, Bhimasena of great
energy caught hold of his flag-staff decked with gold.
Beholding Bhimasena in that cheerless state, Ghatotkacha
blazed up with wrath like an all-consuming conflagration.
Then many mighty car-warriors of the Pandava army,
headed by Abhimanyu and with wrath generated (in their
bosoms), rushed at the king shouting loudly. Beholding
them (thus) advancing (to the fight) filled with wrath
and in great fury, Bharadwaja’s son addressing
the mighty car-warriors (of thy side), said these
words,—’Go quickly, blessed be ye,
and protect the king. Sinking in an ocean of
distress, he is placed in a situation of great danger.
These mighty car-warriors of the Pandava army, these
great bowmen, placing Bhimasena at their head, are
rushing towards Duryodhana, shooting and hurling diverse
kinds of weapons, resolved upon winning success, uttering
terrible shouts, and frightening the kings (on your
side)’. Hearing these words of the preceptor,
many warriors of thy side headed by Somadatta rushed
upon the Pandava ranks. Kripa and Bhurisravas
and Salya, and Drona’s son and Vivingsati, and
Chitrasena and Vikarna, and the ruler of the Sindhus,
and Vrihadvala, and those two mighty bowmen, viz.,
the two princes of Avanti, surrounded the Kuru king.
Advancing only twenty steps, the Pandavas and the
Dhartarashtras began to strike, desirous of slaughtering
each other. The mighty-armed son of Bharadwaja
also, having said those words (unto the Dhartarashtra
warriors), stretched his own large bow and pierced
Bhima with six and twenty arrows. And once again
that mighty car-warrior speedily covered Bhimasena
with a shower of arrows like a mass of clouds dropping
torrents of rain on the mountain-breasts in the rainy
season. That mighty bowman Bhimasena, however,
of great strength, speedily pierced him in return with
ten shafts on the left side. Deeply pierced with
those arrows and exceedingly pained, O Bharata, the
preceptor, enfeebled as he is with age, suddenly sat
down on the terrace of his car, deprived of consciousness.
Beholding him thus pained, king Duryodhana himself,
and Aswatthaman also, excited with wrath, both rushed
towards Bhimasena. Beholding those two warriors
advance, each like Yama as he shows himself at the
end of the Yuga, the mighty-armed Bhimasena, quickly
Page 714
taking up a mace, and jumping down from his car without
loss of time, stood immovable like a hill, with that
heavy mace resembling the very club of Yama, upraised
in battle. Beholding him with mace (thus) upraised
and looking (on that account) like the crested Kailasa,
both the Kuru king and Drona’s son rushed towards
him. Then the mighty Bhimasena himself rushed
impetuously at those two foremost of men thus rushing
together towards him with great speed. Beholding
him thus rushing in fury and with terrible expression
of face, many mighty car-warriors of the Kaurava army
speedily proceeded towards him. Those car-warriors
headed by Bharadwaja’s son, impelled by the
desire of slaughtering Bhimasena, hurled at his breast
diverse kinds of weapons, and thus all of them together
afflicted Bhima from all sides. Beholding that
mighty car-warrior thus afflicted and placed in a
situation of great peril, many mighty car-warriors
of the Pandava army, headed by Abhimanyu, and prepared
to lay down dear life itself, rushed to the spot,
desirous of rescuing him. The heroic ruler of
the low country, the dear friend of Bhima, viz.,
Nila, looking like a mass of blue clouds, rushed at
Drona’s son, filled with wrath. A great
bowman, Nila always desired an encounter with Drona’s
son. Drawing his large bow, he pierced the son
of Drona with many winged arrows, like Sakra in days
of old, O king, piercing the invincible Danava Viprachitti,
that terror of the celestials, who, moved by anger
frightened the three worlds by his energy. Pierced
after the same way by Nila with his well-shot arrows
winged with feathers, Drona’s son, covered with
blood and exceedingly pained, was filled with wrath.
Drawing then his large bow, of twang loud as the roar
of Indra’s thunder, that foremost of intelligent
persons set his heart upon the destruction of Nila.
Aiming then a few bright shafts of broad heads and
sharpened by the hands of their forger, he slew the
four steeds of his adversary and overthrew also his
standard. And with the seventh shaft he pierced
Nila himself in the chest. Deeply pierced and
exceedingly pained, he sat down on the terrace of his
car. Beholding king Nila, who looked like a mass
of blue clouds, in a swoon, Ghatotkacha, filled with
wrath and surrounded by his kinsmen, rushed impetuously
towards Drona’s son, that ornament of battle.
Similarly many other Rakshasas, incapable of being
easily defeated in battle, rushed at Aswatthaman.
Beholding then that Rakshasa of terrible mien coming
towards him, the valiant son of Bharadwaja impetuously
rushed towards him. Filled with wrath he slew
many Rakshasas of formidable visage, that is, those
wrathful ones amongst them who were in Ghatotkacha’s
van. Beholding them repulsed from the encounter
by means of the shafts shot from the bow of Drona’s
son, Bhimasena’s son Ghatotkacha of gigantic
size was filled with rage. He then exhibited
a fierce and awful illusion. Therewith that prince
of the Rakshasas, endued with extraordinary powers
Page 715
of illusion, confounded the son of Drona in that battle.
Then all thy troops, in consequence of that illusion,
turned their backs upon the field. They beheld
one another cut down and lying prostrate on the surface
of the earth, writhing convulsively, perfectly helpless,
and bathed in blood. Drona and Duryodhana and
Salya and Aswatthaman, and other great bowmen that
were regarded as foremost among the Kauravas, also
seemed to fly away. All the car-warriors seemed
to be crushed, and all the kings seemed to be slain.
And horses and horse-riders seemed to be cut down in
thousands. Beholding all this, thy troops fled
away towards their tents. And although, O king,
both myself and Devavrata cried out at the top of
our voices, saying, ’Fight, do not fly away,
all this is Rakshasa illusion in battle, applied by
Ghatotkacha.’ Yet they stopped not, their
senses having been confounded. Although both of
us said so, still struck with panic, they gave no
credit to our words. Beholding them fly away the
Pandavas regarded the victory to be theirs. With
Ghatotkacha (among them) they uttered many leonine
shouts. And all around they filled the air with
their shouts mingled with the blare of their conches
and the beat of their drums. It was thus that
thy whole army, routed by the wicked Ghatotkacha,
towards the hour of sunset, fled away in all directions.’”
SECTION XCVI
Sanjaya said, “After that great battle, king
Duryodhana, approaching Ganga’s son and saluting
him with humility, began to narrate to him all that
had happened about the victory won by Ghatotkacha and
his own defeat. That invincible warrior, O king,
sighing repeatedly, said these words unto Bhishma,
the grandsire of the Kurus, ’O lord, relying
upon thee, as Vasudeva hath been (relied upon) by
the foe, a fierce war hath been commenced by me with
the Pandavas. These eleven Akshauhinis of celebrated
troops that I have, are, with myself, obedient to thy
command, O chastiser of foes. O tiger among the
Bharatas, though thus situated, yet have I been defeated
into battle by the Pandava warriors headed by Bhimasena
relying upon Ghatotkacha. It is this that consumeth
my limbs like fire consuming dry tree. O blessed
one, O chastiser of foes, I therefore, desire, through
thy grace, O grandsire, to slay Ghatotkacha myself,
that worst of Rakshasas, relying upon thy invincible
self. It behoveth thee to see that wish of mine
may be fulfilled.’ Hearing these words
of the king, that foremost one among the Bharatas,
viz., Bhishma, the son of Santanu, said these
words unto Duryodhana, ’Listen, O king, to these
words of mine that I say unto thee, O thou of Kuru’s
race, about the way in which thou, O chastiser of
foes, shouldst always behave. One’s own
self, under all circumstances, should be protected
in battle, O repressor of foes. Thou shouldst
always, O sinless one, battle with king Yudhishthira—the
Just, or with Arjuna, or with the twins, or with Bhimasena.
Page 716
Keeping the duty of a king before himself, a king striketh
a king. Myself, and Drona, and Kripa, and Drona’s
son, and Kritavarman of the Satwata race, and Salya,
and Somadatta’s son, and that mighty car-warrior
Vikarna, and thy heroic brothers headed by Dussasana,
will all, for thy sake, battle against that mighty
Rakshasas. Or if thy grief on account of that
fierce prince of the Rakshasas be too great, let this
one proceed in battle against that wicked warrior,
that is to say, king Bhagadatta who is equal unto
Purandara himself in fight’. Having said
this much unto the king, the grandsire skilled in speech
then addressed Bhagadatta in the presence of the (Kuru)
king, saying, ’Proceed quickly, O great monarch,
against that invincible warrior, viz., the son
of Hidimva. Resist in battle, with care, and
in view of all the bowmen, that Rakshasa of cruel
deeds, like Indra in days of old resisting Taraka.
Thy weapons are celestial. Thy prowess also is
great, O chastiser of foes. In days of old many
have been the encounters that thou hadst with Asura,
O tiger among kings, thou art that Rakshasa’s
match in great battle. Strongly supported by
thy own troops, slay, O king, that bull among Rakshasas’.
Hearing these words of Bhishma the generalissimo (of
the Kaurava army), Bhagadatta specially set out with
a leonine roar facing the ranks of the foe. Beholding
him advance towards them like a mass of roaring clouds,
many mighty car-warriors of the Pandava army proceeded
against him, inflamed with wrath. They were Bhimasena,
and Abhimanyu and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha; and the
sons of Draupadi, and Satyadhriti, and Kshatradeva,
O sire, and the rulers of the Chedis, and Vasudana,
and the king of the Dasarnas. Bhagadatta then,
on his elephant named Supratika, rushed against them.
Then commenced a fierce and awful battle between the
Pandavas and Bhagadatta, that increased the population
of Yama’s kingdom. Shafts of terrible energy
and great impetuosity, shot by car-warriors, fell,
O king, on elephants and cars. Huge elephants
with rent temples and trained (to the fight) by their
guides, approaching fell upon one another fearlessly.
Blind (with fury) in consequence of the temporal juice
trickling down their bodies, and excited with rage,
attacking one another with their tusks resembling
stout bludgeons, they pierced one another with the
points of those weapons.[453] Graced with excellent
tails, and ridden by warriors armed with lances, steeds,
urged by those riders fell fearlessly and with great
impetuosity upon one another. And foot-soldiers,
attacked by bodies of foot-soldiers with darts and
lances, fell down on the earth by hundreds and thousands.
And car-warriors upon their cars, slaughtering heroic
adversaries in that battle by means of barbed arrows
and muskets and shafts, uttered leonine shouts.[454]
And during the progress of the battle making the hair
stand on end, that great bowman, viz., Bhagadatta,
rushed towards Bhimasena, on his elephant of rent
Page 717
temples and with juice trickling down in seven currents
and resembling (on that account) a mountain with (as
many) rillets flowing down its breast after a shower.
And he came, O sinless one, scattering thousands of
arrows from the head of Supratika (whereon he stood)
like the illustrious Purandara himself on his Airavata.
King Bhagadatta afflicted Bhimasena with that arrowy
shower like the clouds afflicting the mountain breast
with torrents of rain on the expiry of summer.
That mighty bowman Bhimasena, however, excited with
rage, slew by his arrowy showers the combatants numbering
more than a hundred, that protected the flanks and
rear of Bhagadatta.[455] Beholding them slain, the
valiant Bhagadatta, filled with rage, urged his prince
of elephants towards Bhimasena’s car. That
elephant, thus urged by him, rushed impetuously like
an arrow propelled from the bowstring towards Bhimasena,
that chastiser of foes. Beholding that elephant
advancing, the mighty car-warriors of the Pandava
army, placing Bhimasena at their head, themselves
rushed towards it. Those warriors were the (five)
Kekaya princes, and Abhimanyu, and the (five) sons
of Draupadi and the heroic ruler of the Dasarnas,
and Kshatradeva also, O sire, and the ruler of the
Chedis, and Chitraketu. And all these mighty warriors
came, inflamed with anger, and exhibiting their excellent
celestial weapons. And they all surrounded in
anger that single elephant (on which their adversary
rode). Pierced with many shafts, that huge elephant,
covered with gore flowing from his wounds, looked
resplendent like a prince of mountain variegated with
(liquified) red chalk (after a shower). The ruler
of the Dasarnas then, on an elephant that resembled
a mountain, rushed towards Bhagadatta’s elephant.
That prince of elephants, however, viz., Supratika,
bore (the rush of) that advancing compeer like the
continent bearing (the rush of) the surging sea.
Beholding that elephant of the high souled king of
the Dasarnas thus resisted, even the Pandava troops,
applauding, cried out ‘Excellent, excellent!’
Then that best of kings, viz., the ruler of the
Pragjyotishas, excited with rage, sped four and ten
lances at that elephant. These, speedily penetrating
through the excellent armour, decked with gold, that
covered the animal’s body, entered into it,
like snakes entering anthills. Deeply pierced
and exceedingly pained, that elephant, O chief of
the Bharatas, its fury quelled, speedily turned back
with great force. And it fled away with great
swiftness, uttering frightful shrieks, and crushing
the Pandava ranks like the tempest crushing trees
with its violence. After that elephant was (thus)
vanquished, the mighty car-warriors of the Pandava
army, uttering loud leonine shouts, approached for
battle. Placing Bhima at their head, they rushed
at Bhagadatta scattering diverse kinds of arrows and
diverse kinds of weapons. Hearing the fierce shouts,
O king, of those advancing warriors swelling with
Page 718
rage and vengeance, that great bowman Bhagadatta,
filled with rage and perfectly fearless, urged his
own elephant. That prince of elephants then,
thus urged with the hook and the toe, soon assumed
the form of the (all-destructive) Samvarta fire (that
appears at the end of the Yuga). Crushing crowds
of cars and (hostile) compeers and steeds with riders,
in that battle, it began, O king, to turn hither and
thither. Filled with rage it also crushed foot-soldiers
by hundreds and thousands. Attacked and agitated
by that elephant, that large force of the Pandavas
shrank in dimensions, O king, like a piece of leather
exposed to the heat of fire. Beholding, then the
Pandava array broken by the intelligent Bhagadatta,
Ghatotkacha, of fierce mien, O king, with blazing
face and eyes red as fire, filled with rage, rushed
towards him. Assuming a terrible form and burning
with wrath, he took up a bright dart capable of riving
the very hills. Endued with great strength, he
forcibly hurled that dart that emitted blazing flames
from every part desirous of slaying that elephant.
Beholding it coursing towards him with great impetuosity,
the ruler of the Pragjyotishas sped at it a beautiful
but fierce and sharp arrow with a crescent head.
Possessed of great energy he cut off that dart with
that arrow of his. Thereupon that dart, decked
with gold, thus divided in twain, dropped down on
the ground, like the bolt of heaven, hurled by Indra,
flashing through the welkin. Beholding that dart
(of his adversary), O king, divided in twain and fallen
on the ground, Bhagadatta took up a large javelin
furnished with a golden staff and resembling a flame
of fire in effulgence, and hurled it at the Rakshasa,
saying, ‘Wait, Wait’. Seeing it coursing
towards him like the bolt of heaven through the welkin,
the Rakshasa jumped up and speedily seizing it uttered
a loud shout. And quickly placing it against
his knee, O Bharata, he broke it in the very sight
of all the kings. All this seemed exceedingly
wonderful. Beholding that feat achieved by the
mighty Rakshasa, the celestials in the firmament,
with the Gandharvas and the Munis, were filled with
wonder. And the Pandava warriors also, headed
by Bhimasena, filled the earth with cries of ‘Excellent,
Excellent’. Hearing, however, those loud
shouts of the rejoicing Pandavas, that great bowman,
viz., the valiant Bhagadatta, could not bear
it (coolly). Drawing his large bow whose effulgence
resembled that of Indra’s bolt, he roared with
great energy at the mighty car-warriors of the Pandava
army, shooting at the same time many bright arrows
of great sharpness and possessed of the effulgence
of fire. And he pierced Bhima with one arrow,
and the Rakshasa with nine. And he pierced Abhimanyu
with three, and the Kekaya brothers with five.
And with another straight arrow shot from his bow
drawn to its fullest stretch, he pierced, in that
battle, the right arm of Kshatradeva. Thereupon
the latter’s bow with arrow fixed on the bowstring
Page 719
dropped down from his hand. And he struck the
five sons of Draupadi with five arrows. And from
wrath, he slew the steeds of Bhimasena. And with
three shafts winged with feathers, he cut down Bhimasena’s
standard bearing the device of a lion. And with
three other shafts he pierced Bhima’s charioteer.
Deeply pierced by Bhagadatta in that battle, and exceedingly
pained, Visoka thereupon, O chief of the Bharatas,
sat down on the terrace of the car. Then, O king,
that foremost of car-warriors, viz., Bhima, thus
deprived of his car, quickly jumped down from his
large vehicle taking up his mace. Beholding him
with mace upraised and looking like a crested hill,
all thy troops, O Bharata, became filled with great
fear. Just at this time that son of Pandu who
had Krishna for his charioteer, O king, slaughtering
the foe on all sides as he came, appeared at that
spot where those tigers among men, those mighty car-warriors,
viz., Bhimasena and Ghatotkacha, sire and son,
were engaged with the ruler of the Pragjyotishas.
Beholding his brothers, those mighty car-warriors,
engaged in battle, that son of Pandu quickly commenced
to fight, profusely scattering his shafts, O chief
of the Bharatas. Then that mighty car-warrior,
viz., king Duryodhana, speedily urged on a division
of his troops abounding with cars and elephants.
Towards that mighty division of the Kauravas thus advancing
with impetuosity, Arjuna of white steeds rushed with
great impetuosity. Bhagadatta also, upon that
elephant of his, O Bharata, crushing the Pandava ranks,
rushed towards Yudhishthira. Then commenced a
fierce battle between Bhagadatta, O sire, and the
Panchalas, the Srinjayas, and the Kekayas, with upraised
weapons. Then Bhimasena, in that battle told
both Kesava and Arjuna in detail about the slaughter
of Iravat as it had occurred.”
SECTION XCVII
Sanjaya said, “Hearing that his son Iravat had
been slain, Dhananjaya was filled with great grief
and sighed like a snake. And addressing Vasava
in the midst of battle, he said these words, ’Without
doubt, the high-souled Vidura of great wisdom had
before seen (with his mind’s eye) this awful
destruction of the Kurus and the Pandavas. It
was for this that he forbade king Dhritarashtra.[456]
In this battle, O slayer of Madhu, many other heroes
have been slain by the Kaurava and many amongst the
Kauravas have similarly been slain by ourselves.
O best of men, for the sake of wealth vile acts are
being done. Fie upon that wealth for the sake
of which such slaughter of kinsmen is being perpetrated.
For him that hath no wealth, even death would be better
than the acquisition of wealth by the slaughter of
kinsmen. What, O Krishna, shall we gain by slaying
our assembled kinsmen? Alas, for Duryodhana’s,
fault, and also of Sakuni the son of Suvala, as also
through the evil counsels of Karna, the Kshatriya
race is being exterminated, O slayer of Madhu, I now
Page 720
understand, O mighty-armed one, that the king acted
wisely by begging of Suyodhana[457] only half the
kingdom, or, instead, only five villages. Alas,
even that was not granted by that wicked-souled wight.
Beholding so many brave Kshatriyas lying (dead) on
the field of battle, I censure myself, (saying) fie
upon the profession of a Kshatriya. The Kshatriyas
will regard me powerless in battle. For this
alone, I am battling. Else, O slayer of Madhu,
this battle with kinsmen is distasteful to me.
Urge the steeds on with speed towards the Dhartarashtra
army, I will, with my two arms, reach the other shore
of this ocean of battle that is so difficult to cross.
There is no time, O Madhava, to lose in action’.
Thus addressed by Partha, Kesava, that slayer of hostile
heroes, urged those steeds of white hue endued with
the speed of the wind. Then, O Bharata, loud was
the noise that was heard among thy troops, resembling
that of the ocean itself at full tide when agitated
by the tempest.[458] In the afternoon, O king, the
battle that ensued between Bhishma and the Pandavas
was marked by noise that resembled the roar of the
clouds. Then, O king, thy sons, surrounding Drona
like the Vasus surrounding Vasava, rushed in the battle
against Bhimasena. Then Santanu’s son, Bhishma,
and that foremost of car-warriors, viz., Kripa,
and Bhagadatta, and Susarman, all went towards Dhananjaya.
And Hridika’s son (Kritavarman) and Valhika rushed
towards Satyaki. And king Amvashta placed himself
before Abhimanyu. And other great car-warriors,
O king, encountered other great car-warriors.
Then commenced a fierce battle that was terrible to
behold. Bhimasena then, I O king, beholding thy
sons, blazed up with wrath in that battle, like fire
with (a libation of) clarified butter. Thy sons,
however, O monarch, covered that son of Kunti with
their arrows like the clouds drenching the mountain-breast
in the season of rains. While being (thus) covered
in diverse ways by thy sons, O king, that hero, possessed
of the activity of the tiger, licked the corners of
his mouth.[459] Then, O Bharata, Bhima felled Vyudoroska
with a sharp horse-shoe-headed arrow. Thereupon
that son of thine was deprived of life. With another
broad-headed arrow, well-tempered and sharp, he then
felled Kundalin like a lion overthrowing a smaller
animal. Then, O sire, getting thy (other) sons
(within reach of his arrows), he took up a number of
shafts, sharp and well-tempered, and with careful
aim speedily shot these at them. Those shafts,
sped by that strong bowman, viz., Bhimasena, felled
thy sons, those mighty car-warriors, from their vehicles.
(These sons of thine that were thus slain were) Anadhriti,
and Kundabhedin, and Virata, and Dirghalochana, and
Dirghavahu, and Suvahu, and Kanykadhyaja. While
falling down (from their cars), O bull of Bharata’s
race, those heroes looked resplendent like falling
mango trees variegated with blossoms in the spring.
Then thy other sons, O monarch, fled away, regarding
Page 721
the mighty Bhimasena as Death himself. Then like
the clouds pouring torrents of rain on the mountain
breast, Drona in that battle covered with arrows from
every side that hero who was thus consuming thy sons.
The prowess that we then beheld of Kunti’s son
was exceedingly wonderful, for though held in check
by Drona, he still slew thy sons. Indeed, as a
bull beareth a shower of rain falling from above.
Bhima cheerfully bore that shower of arrows shot by
Drona. Wonderful, O monarch, was the feat that
Vrikodara achieved there, for he slew thy sons in
that battle and resisted Drona the while. Indeed,
the elder brother of Arjuna sported amongst those
heroic sons o thine, like a mighty tiger, O king, among
a herd of deer. As a wolf, staying in the midst
of a herd of deer, would chase and frighten those
animals, so did Vrikodara, in that battle chase and
frighten thy sons.
“Meanwhile, Ganga’s son, and Bhagadatta,
and that mighty car-warrior, viz., Gautama, began
to resist Arjuna, that impetuous son of Pandu.
That Atiratha, baffling with his weapons the weapons
of those adversaries of his in that battle, despatched
many prominent heroes of thy army to the abode of
Death. Abhimanyu also, with his shafts, deprived
that renowned and foremost of car-warriors, viz.,
king Amvashta, of his car. Deprived of his car
and about to be slain by the celebrated son of Subhadra,
that king quickly jumped down from his car in shame,
and hurled his sword in that battle at the high-souled
Abhimanyu. Then, that mighty monarch got up on
the car of Hridika’s son, conversant with all
movements in battle, Subhadra’s son, that slayer
of hostile heroes, beholding that sword coursing towards
him, baffled it by the celerity of his movements.
Seeing that sword thus baffled in that battle by Subhadra’s
son, loud cries of ‘well done’ ‘well
done’ were, O king, heard among the troops.
Other warriors headed by Dhrishtadyumna battled with
thy troops, while thy troops, also, all battled with
those of the Pandavas. Then, O Bharata, fierce
was the engagement that took place between thine and
theirs, that combatants smiting one another with great
force and achieving the most difficult feats.
Brave combatants, O sire, seizing one another by the
hair, fought using their nails and teeth, and fists
and knees, and palms and swords, and their well-proportioned
arms. And seizing one another’s laches,
they despatched one another to the abode of Yama.
Sire slew son, and son slew sire. Indeed, the
combatants fought with one another, using every limb
of theirs. Beautiful bows with golden staves,
O Bharata, loosened from the grasp of slain warriors,
and costly ornaments, and sharp shafts furnished with
wings of pure gold or silver and washed with oil,
looked resplendent (as they lay scattered on the field),
the latter resembling, in particular, snakes that
had cast off their slough. And swords furnished
with ivory handles decked with gold, and the shield
also of bowmen, variegated with gold, lay on the field,
Page 722
loosened from their grasp. Bearded darts and
axes and swords and javelins, all decked with gold,
beautiful coats of mail, and heavy and short bludgeons,
and spiked clubs, and battle-axes, and short arrows,
O sire, and elephants’ housings of diverse shapes,
and yak tails, and fans, lay scattered on the field.
And mighty car-warriors lay on the field with diverse
kinds of weapons in their hands or beside them, and
looking alive, though the breath of life had gone.[460]
And men lay on the field with limbs shattered with
maces and heads smashed with clubs, or crushed by
elephants, steeds, and cars. And the earth, strewn
in many places with the bodies of slain steeds, men,
and elephants, looked beautiful, O king, as if strewn
with hills. And the field of battle lay covered
with fallen darts and swords and arrows and lances
and scimitars and axes and bearded darts and iron crows
and battle-axes, and spiked clubs and short arrows
and Sataghnis[461] and bodies mangled with weapons.
And, O slayer of foes, covered with blood, warriors
lay prostrate on the field, some deprived of life and
therefore, in the silence of death, and others uttering
low moans. And the earth, strewn with those bodies,
presented a variegated sight. And strewn with
the arms of strong warriors smeared with sandal paste
and decked with leathern fences and bracelets, with
tapering thighs resembling the trunks of elephants,
and with fallen heads, graced with gems attached to
turbans and with earrings of large-eyed combatants,
O Bharata, the earth assumed a beautiful sight.
And the field of battle, overspread with blood, dyed
coats of mail and golden ornaments of many kinds, looked
exceedingly beautiful as if with (scattered) fires
of mild flames. And with ornaments of diverse
kinds fallen off from their places, with bows lying
about, with arrows of golden wings scattered around,
with many broken cars adorned with rows of bells,
with many slain steeds scattered about covered with
blood and with their tongues protruding, with bottoms
of cars, standards, quivers, and banners, with gigantic
conches, belonging to great heroes, of milky whiteness
lying about, and with trunkless elephants lying prostrate,
the earth looked beautiful like a damsel adorned with
diverse kinds of ornaments. And there, with other
elephants pierced with lances and in great agony,
and frequently uttering low moans with their trunks,
the field of battle looked beautiful as if with moving
hills. With blankets of diverse hue, and housings
of elephants, with beautiful hooks falling about having
handles decked with stones of lapis lazuli, with bells
lying about that had adorned gigantic elephants, with
clean and variegated cloths as also skins of the Ranku
deer, with beautiful neck-chains of elephants, with
gold-decked girths, with broken engines of diverse
kinds, with bearded darts decked with gold, with embroidered
housings of steeds, embrowned with dust, with the lopped
off arms of cavalry soldiers, decked with bracelets
Page 723
and lying about, with polished and sharp lances and
bright swords, with variegated head-gears fallen off
(from heads) and scattered about, with beautiful crescent-shaped
arrows decked with gold, with housings of steeds, with
skins of the Ranku deer, torn and crushed, with beautiful
and costly gems that decked the head-gears of kings,
with their umbrellas lying about and yak tails and
fans, with faces, bright as the lotus or the moon,
of heroic warriors, decked with beautiful ear-rings
and graced with well-cut beards, lying about and radiant
with other ornaments of gold, the earth looked like
the firmament besmangled with planets and stars.
Thus, O Bharata, the two armies, viz., thine
and theirs, encountering each other in battle, crushed
each other. And after the combatants had been
fatigued, routed, and crushed, O Bharata, dark night
set in and the battle could no longer be seen.
Thereupon both the Kurus and the Pandavas withdrew
their armies, when that awful night of pitchy darkness
came. And having withdrawn their troops, both
the Kurus and the Pandavas took rest for the night,
retiring to their respective tents.
SECTION XCVIII
Sanjaya said, “Then king Duryodhana, and Sakuni
the son of Suvala, and thy son Dussasana, and the
invincible Suta’s son (Karna) meeting together,
consulted in the following way. How could the
sons of Pandu, with their followers, be vanquished
in battle? Even this was the subject of their
consultation. Then king Duryodhana, addressing
the Suta’s son and the mighty Sakuni, said unto
all those counsellors of his, ’Drona, Bhishma,
and Kripa, and Salya and Somadatta’s son do not
resist the Parthas. I do not know what the cause
is of such conduct (of theirs). Unslain by any
of these, the Pandavas are destroying my forces.
Therefore, O Karna, I am becoming weaker in strength
and my weapons also are being exhausted’.
I am deceived by the heroic Pandavas—they
that are incapable of being vanquished by the very
gods. Doubt filleth my mind as to how, indeed,
I shall succeed is smiting them in battle.’
Unto the king who said so, O great monarch, the Suta’s
son answered, ’Do not grieve, O chief of the
Bharata. Even I will do what is agreeable to thee.
Let Santanu’s son Bhishma soon withdraw from
the great battle. After Ganga’s son will
have withdrawn from the fight and laid aside his weapons,
I will slay the Partha along with all the Somakas,
in the very sight of Bhishma. I pledge my truth,
O king. Indeed, Bhishma every day showeth mercy
towards the Pandavas. He is, besides incapable
of vanquishing those mighty car-warriors. Bhishma
is proud of showing his prowess in battle. He
is again, very fond of fight. Why, O sire, will
he, therefore, vanquish the assembled Pandavas (for
then the battle will be over)? Therefore, repairing
without delay to the tent of Bhishma, solicit that
old and reverend signior to lay aside his weapons.
After he will have laid aside his weapons, O Bharata,
Page 724
think the Pandavas as already slain, with all their
friends and kinsmen, O king, by myself alone.’
Thus addressed by Karna, thy son Duryodhana then said
unto his brother Dussasana these words, ’See,
O Dussasana, that without delay that all who walk
in my train be dressed.’ Having said these
words, O monarch, the king addressed Karna, saying,
’Having caused Bhishma, that foremost of men,
to consent to this, I will, without delay, come to
thee, O chastiser of foes. After Bhishma will
have retired from the fight, thou wilt smite (the
foe) in battle’. Then thy son, O monarch,
set out without delay, accompanied by his brothers
like He of a hundred sacrifices (accompanied) by the
gods. Then his brother Dussasana caused that tiger
among king, endued, besides, with the prowess of a
tiger, to mount on his horse. Graced with bracelets,
with diadem on head, and adorned with other ornaments
on his arms. O king, thy son shone brightly as
he proceeded along the streets. Smeared with
fragrant sandal-paste of the hue of the Bhandi flower
and bright as burnished gold, and clad in clean vestments,
and proceeding with the sportive gait of the lion,
Duryodhana looked beautiful like the Sun of brilliant
radiance in the firmament. And as that tiger
among men proceeded towards the tent of Bhishma, many
mighty bowmen, celebrated over the world, followed
him behind. And his brothers also walked in his
train, like the celestials walking behind Vasava.
And others, foremost of men, mounted upon steeds,
and others again on elephants, O Bharata, and others
on cars, surrounded him on all sides. And many
amongst those that wished him well, taking up arms
for the protection on his royal self, appeared there
in large bodies, like the celestials surrounding Sakra
in heaven. The mighty chief of the Kurus, adored
by all the Kauravas, thus proceeded, O king, towards
the quarters of the renowned son of Ganga. Ever
followed and surrounded, by his uterine brothers,
he proceeded, often raising his right arm, massive
and resembling the trunk of an elephant and capable
of resisting all foes. And with that arm of his,
he accepted the regards that were paid to him from
all sides by by-standers who stood raising towards
him their joined hands. And he heard, as he journeyed,
the sweet voices of the natives of diverse realms.
Of great fame, he was eulogised by bards and eulogists.
And in return that great king paid his regards unto
them all. And many high-souled persons stood
around him with lighted lamps of gold fed with fragrant
oil. And surrounded with golden lamps, the king
looked radiant like the Moon attended by the blazing
planets around him. And (attendants) with head-gears
decked with gold, having canes and Jhariharas in hand,
softly caused the crowd all around to make way.
The king then, having reached the excellent quarters
of Bhishma, alighted from his horse. And arrived
at Bhishma’s presence, that ruler of men saluted
Bhishma and then sat himself down on an excellent seat
Page 725
that was made of gold, beautiful throughout and overlaid
with a rich coverlet. With hands joined, eyes
bathed in tears, and voice chocked in grief, he then
addressed Bhishma, saying, ’Taking thy protection,
this battle, O slayer of foes, we ventured to vanquish
the very gods and the Asuras with Indra at their head.
What shall I say, therefore, of the sons of Pandu,
heroic though they be, with their kinsmen and friends?
Therefore, O son of Ganga, it behoveth thee, O lord,
to show me mercy. Slay the brave sons of Pandu
like Mahendra slaying the Danavas.—I will
slay, O king, all the Somakas and the Panchalas and
the Karushas along with the Kekayas, O Bharata-these
were thy words to me. Let these words become true.
Slay the assembled Parthas, and those mighty bowmen,
viz., the Somakas. Make thy words true,
O Bharata. If from kindness (for the Pandavas),
O king, or from thy hatred of my unfortunate self,
thou sparest the Pandavas, then permit Karna, that
ornament of battle, to fight. He will vanquish
in battle the Parthas with all their friends and kinsmen.
The king, thy son Duryodhana having said this, shut
his lips without saying anything more to Bhishma of
terrible prowess.”
SECTION XCIX
Sanjaya said, “The high-souled Bhishma, deeply
pierced with wordy daggers by thy son, became filled
with great grief. But he said not a single disagreeable
word in reply. Indeed, mangled by those wordy
daggers and filled with grief and rage, he sighed
like a snake and reflected (in silence) for a long
while. Raising his eyes then, and as if consuming,
from wrath, the world with the celestials, the Asuras,
and the Gandharvas, that foremost of persons conversant
with the world, then addressed thy son and said unto
him these tranquil words, ’Why, O Duryodhana,
dost thou pierce me thus with thy wordy daggers?
I always endeavour to the utmost of my might to achieve,
and do achieve, what is for thy good. Indeed,
from desire of doing what is agreeable to thee, I
am prepared to cast away my life in battle. The
Pandavas are really invincible. When the brave
son of Pandu gratified Agni in the forest of Khandava,
having vanquished Sakra himself in battle, even that
is a sufficient indication.[462] When, O mighty-armed
one, the same son of Pandu rescued thee while thou
wert being led away a captive by the Gandharvas, even
that is a sufficient indication. On that occasion,
O lord, thy brave uterine brothers had all fled, as
also Radha’s son of the Suta caste. That
(rescue, therefore, by Arjuna) is a sufficient indication.
In Virata’s city, alone he fell upon all of us
united together. That is a sufficient indication.
Vanquishing in battle both Drona and myself excited
with rage, he took away our robes. That is a
sufficient indication. On that occasion, of old,
of the seizure of kine, he vanquished that mighty
bowman the son of Drona, and Saradwat also. That
is a sufficient indication. Having vanquished
Page 726
Karna also who is very boastful of his manliness,
he gave the latter’s robes unto Uttara.
That is a sufficient indication. The son of Pritha
defeated in battle the Nivatakavachas who were incapable
of defeat by Vasava himself. That is a sufficient
indication. Who, indeed, is capable of vanquishing
in battle the son of Pandu by force, him, viz.,
that hath for his protector the Protector of the Universe
armed with conch, discus, and mace? Vasudeva is
possessed of infinite power, and is the Destroyer of
the Universe. He is the highest Lord of all,
the God of gods, the Supreme Soul and eternal.
He hath been variously described, O king, by Narada
and other great Rishis. In consequence of thy
folly, however, O Suyodhana, thou knowest not what
should be said and what should not. The man on
the point of death beholdeth all trees to be made
of gold. So thou also, O son of Gandhari, seest
everything inverted. Having provoked fierce hostilities
with the Pandavas and the Srinjayas, fight now (thyself)
with them in battle. Let us see thee act like
a man. As regards myself, I will, O tiger among
men, slay all the Somakas and the Panchalas assembled
together, avoiding Sikhandin alone. Slain by them
in battle, I will go to Yama’s abode, or slaying
them in battle, I will give thee joy. Sikhandin
was born in Drupada’s palace as female at first.
She became a male in consequence of the grant of a
boon. After all, however, she is Sikhandini.
Him I will not slay even if I have to lose my life,
O Bharata. She is the same Sikhandini that the
Creator had first made her. Pass the night in
happy sleep, O son of Gandhari. Tomorrow I will
fight a fierce battle about which men will speak as
long as the world lasts.’ Thus addressed
by him, thy son, O monarch, came away. And saluting
his signior with a bow of the head, he came back to
his own tent. Coming back, the king dismissed
his attendants. And soon then that destroyer of
foes entered his abode. And having entered (his
tent) the monarch passed the night (in. sleep).
And when the night dawned, rising up, the king, ordered
all the royal warriors, saying, Draw up the forces.
Today Bhishma, excited with wrath, will slay all the
Somakas.’
Hearing those copious lamentations of Duryodhana in
the night, Bhishma regarded them, O king, as commands
to himself. Filled with great grief and deprecating
the status of servitude, Santanu’s son reflected
for a long time, thinking of an encounter with Arjuna
in battle. Understanding from signs that Ganga’s
son had been thinking of that, Duryodhana, O king,
commanding Dussasana, saying, ’O Dussasana, let
cars be quickly appointed for protecting Bhishma.
Let all the two and twenty divisions (of our army)
be urged on. That hath now come about which we
had been thinking for a series of years, viz.,
the slaughter of the Pandavas with all their troops
and the acquisition (by ourselves) of the kingdom.
In this matter, I think, the protection of Bhishma
Page 727
is our foremost duty. Protected by us, he will
protect us and slay the Parthas in battle. Of
cleansed soul, he said unto me,—I will not
slay Sikhandini. He was a female before, O king,
and, therefore, should be avoided by me in battle.
The world knoweth, O thou of mighty arms, that from
desire of doing good to my father, I formerly gave
up a swelling kingdom. I will not, therefore,
slay in battle, O foremost of men, any female or anybody
that was a female before. This that I tell thee
is true. This Sikhandin, O king, was first born
a female. Thou hast heard that story. She
was born as Sikhandini after the manner I told thee
before the battle began. Taking her birth as
a daughter she hath become a man. Indeed, she
will fight with me, but I will never shoot my arrows
at her. As regards all other Kshatriyas desirous
of victory to the Pandavas, O sire, whom I may get
within my reach on the field of battle, I will slay
them.—These were the words that Ganga’s
son acquainted with the scriptures, that chief of
Bharata’s race, said unto me. Therefore,
with my whole soul I think that protecting the son
of Ganga is our foremost duty. The very wolf may
slay the lion left unprotected in the great forest.
Let not Ganga’s son be slain by Sikhandin like
the lion slain by the wolf. Let our maternal
uncle Sakuni, and Salya, and Kripa, and Drona, and
Vivingsati, carefully protect the son of Ganga.
If he is protected, (our) victory is certain.’
“Hearing these words of Duryodhana, all surrounded
Ganga’s son with a large division of cars.
And thy sons also, taking up their position around
Bhishma, proceeded to battle. And they all went,
shaking the earth and the welkin, and causing fear
in the hearts of the Pandavas. The mighty car-warriors
(of the Kaurava army), supported by those cars and
elephants, and clad in mail, stood in battle, surrounding
Bhishma. And all of them took up their positions
for protecting that mighty car-warrior like the celestials
in the battle between themselves and the Asuras for
protecting the wielder of the thunder-bolt. Then
king Duryodhana once more addressing his brother,
said, ’Yudhamanyu protects the left wheel of
Arjuna’s car, and Uttamaujas his right wheel.
And (thus protected) Arjuna protects Sikhandin.
O Dussasana, adopt such steps that, protected by Partha,
Sikhandin may not be able to slay Bhishma left unprotected
by us.’ Hearing these words of his brother,
thy son Dussasana, accompanied by the troops, advanced
for battle, placing Bhishma in the van. Beholding
Bhishma (thus surrounded by a large number of cars),
Arjuna, that foremost of car-warriors, addressed Dhrishtadyumna
and said, ’O prince, place that tiger among men,
Sikhandin, today in front of Bhishma, I myself will
be his protector, O prince of Panchala.”
SECTION C
Page 728
Sanjaya said, “Then Bhishma, the son of Santanu,
went out with the troops. And he disposed his
own troops in mighty array called Sarvatobhadra.[463]
Kripa, and Kritavarman, and that mighty car-warrior
Saivya, and Sakuni, and the ruler of the Sindhus, and
Sudakshina the ruler of the Kamvojas, these all, together
with Bhishma and thy sons, O Bharata, took up their
stations in the van of the whole army and in the very
front of the (Kaurava) array. Drona and Bhurisravas
and Salya and Bhagadatta, O sire, clad in mail, took
up their position in the right wing of that array.
And Aswatthaman, and Somadatta, and those great car-warriors,
viz., the two princes of Avanti, accompanied by
a large force, protected the left wing. Duryodhana,
O monarch, surrounded on all sides by the Trigartas,
took up, for encountering the Pandavas, a position
in the midst of that array. That foremost of car-warriors,
viz., Alamvusha, and that mighty car-warrior,
viz., Srutayush, clad in mail, took up their
position in the rear of that array, and therefore,
of the whole army. Having, O Bharata, on that
occasion formed their array thus, thy warriors, clad
in mail, looked like scorching fires.
“Then king Yudhishthira, and that son of Pandu,
viz., Bhimasena, and the twin sons of Madri,
viz., Nakula and Sahadeva, clad in mail, took
up their position in the van of that array and therefore,
at the very head of all their troops. And Dhrishtadyumna,
and Virata, and that mighty car-warrior, viz.,
Satyaki,—these destroyers of hostile ranks,—stood,
supported by a large force. And Sikhandin, and
Vijaya (Arjuna), and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha, and
Chekitana of mighty arms, and the valiant Kuntibhoja,
stood for battle, surrounded by a large force.
And that great bowman Abhimanyu, and the mighty Drupada,
and the (five) Kaikeya brothers, stood for battle,
clad in mail. Having formed their mighty and
invincible array thus, the Pandavas, endued with great
courage in battle, stood for the fight, clad in mail.
“Then the kings of thy array, O monarch, exerting
themselves at their best, accompanied by their forces,
and placing Bhishma at their van, rushed against the
Parthas in battle. Similarly the Pandavas also,
O king, headed by Bhimasena, and desirous of victory
in battle proceeded, for battling with Bhishma.
With leonine roars and confused cries, blowing their
conches Krakachas, and cow-horns, beating their drums
and cymbals and Pandavas in thousands.[464] And uttering
terrible shouts, the Pandavas advanced to battle.
With the din of our drums and cymbals and conches
and smaller drums, with loud leonine roars, and other
kinds of shouts, ourselves also, replying to the cries
of the foe, rushed against him with great impetuosity,
inflamed with rage. Those sounds mingling with
one another, produced a tremendous uproar. The
warriors then, of the two armies, rushing at one another,
began to strike. And in consequence of the din
Page 729
produced by that encounter, the earth seemed to tremble.
And birds, uttering fierce cries, hovered in the air.
The Sun, radiant as he was when he had risen, became
dimmed. And fierce winds blew, indicating great
terrors. Frightful jackals wandered, yelling terribly,
O king, and foreboding an awful carnage at hand.
The quarters seemed, O king, to be ablaze, and showers
of dust fell from the blue. And a shower fell
there, of pieces of bones mixed with blood. And
tears fell from the eyes of the animals which were
all weeping. And filled with anxiety, O king,
these began to urinate and eject the contents of their
stomachs. And the loud shouts of battle, O bull
of Bharata’s race, were rendered inaudible by
the louder cries of Rakshasas and cannibals. And
jackals and vultures and crows and dogs, uttering
diverse kinds of cries, began, O sire, to fall and
swoop down on the field. And blazing meteors,
striking against the Sun’s disc, fell with great
celerity on the earth, foreboding great terrors.
Then those two vast hosts belonging to the Pandavas
and the Dhartarashtras, in course of that awful encounter,
shook in consequence of that tremendous uproar of
conches and drums like forests shaken by the tempest.
And the noise made by the two armies, both of which
abounded with kings, elephants, and steeds, and which
encountered each other in an evil hour, resembled
the noise made by oceans tossed by the tempest.”
SECTION CI
Sanjaya said, “Then the noble Abhimanyu of great
energy, borne by his steeds of a tawny hue, rushed
at the mighty host of Duryodhana, scattering his arrowy
showers like the clouds pouring torrents of rain.
O son of Kuru’s race, thy warriors, in that
battle, were unable to resist that slayer of foes,
viz., Subhadra’s son, who, excited with
wrath and possessed of wealth of arms, was then immersed
in that inexhaustible ocean of (Kaurava) forces.
Death-dealing shafts, O king, shot by him in that
battle, despatched many heroic Kshatriyas to the regions
of the king of the departed spirits. Indeed,
excited with wrath Subhadra’s son in that battle
shot fierce and blazing arrows in profusion that resembled
snakes of virulent poison or rods of death himself.
And Phalguni’s son speedily split into fragments
car-warriors with their cars, steeds with their riders,
and elephant-warriors along with the huge animals they
rode. And the rulers of the earth, filled with
joy, applauded those mighty feats in battle and praised
him also that achieved them. And the son of Subhadra,
O Bharata, tossed those divisions (of the Kaurava army)
like the tempest tossing a heap of cotton on all sides
in the welkin. Routed by him, O Bharata, the
troops failed to find a protector, like elephants
sunk in a slough. Then, O best of men, having
routed all troops, Abhimanyu stood, O king, like a
blazing fire without a curl of smoke. Indeed,
O king, thy warriors were incapable of bearing that
Page 730
slayer of foes, like insects impelled by fate unable
to bear a blazing fire. That mighty car-warrior
and great bowman, having struck all the foes of the
Pandavas, looked at that moment like Vasava himself
armed with the thunder. And his bow, the back
of whose staff was decked with gold, as it moved on
every side, seemed, O king, like the lightning’s
flash as it spotted amid the clouds. And well-tempered
and sharp shafts came from his bow-string in that
battle like flights of bees, O king, from blossoming
trees in the forest. And as the high-souled son
of Subhadra careered on the field on his car whose
limbs were decked with gold, people were incapable
of finding an opportunity (for striking him).
Confounding Kripa and Drona and mighty son of Drona,
as also the ruler of the Sindhus, the great bowman
moved on the field of battle with great activity and
skill. As he consumed thy troops, O Bharata,
I beheld his bow incessantly drawn to a circle and
resembling on that account the circular halo of light
that is sometimes seen around the Sun. Brave Kshatriyas,
beholding him endued with such activity and scorching
the foe thus, thought, in consequence of those feats,
that the world contained two Phalgunis. Indeed,
O king, the vast host of the Bharatas, afflicted by
him, reeled hither and thither like a woman drunk
with wine. Routing that large army and causing
many mighty car-warriors to tremble, he gladdened his
friends (like Vasava gladdening the celestials) after
vanquishing Maya. And while being routed by him
in that battle, thy troops uttered loud exclamations
of woe that resembled the roar of the clouds.
Hearing that awful wail thy troops, O Bharata, that
resembled the roar of the very sea at full tide when
agitated by the winds, Duryodhana then, O king, addressed
the son of Rishyasringa and said, ’This Abhimanyu
singly, O thou of mighty arms, like a second Phalguni,
routeth from rage (my) army like Vritra routing the
celestial host. I do not see any other efficacious
medicine for him in battle than thyself, O best of
Rakshasas, that art well-skilled in every science.
Therefore, go speedily and slay the heroic son of Subhadra
in battle. As regards ourselves, headed by Bhishma
and Drona, we will slay Partha himself.’
Thus addressed, the mighty and valiant Rakshasa speedily
went to battle at the command of thy son, uttering
loud roars like the clouds themselves in the season
of rains. And in consequence of that loud noise,
O king, the vast host of the Pandavas trembled throughout
like the ocean when agitated by the wind. And
many combatants, O king, terrified by those roars,
giving up dear life, fell prostrate on the earth.
Filled with joy and taking up his bow with arrow fixed
on the string, and apparently dancing on the terrace
of his car, that Rakshasa proceeded against Abhimanyu
himself. Then the angry Rakshasa, having in that
battle got Arjuna’s son within reach, began to
rout his ranks,—even those that stood not
far from him. Indeed, the Rakshasa rushed in battle
Page 731
against that mighty Pandava host which he began to
slaughter, like Vala rushing against the celestial
host. Attacked in battle by that Rakshasa of
terrible mien, the slaughter was very great, O sire,
that took place amongst those troops. Exhibiting
his prowess, the Rakshasa began to rout that vast
force of the Pandavas, with thousands of arrows.
Thus slaughtered by that Rakshasa of terrible visage,
the Pandava army fled away from excess of fear.
Grinding that army like an elephant grinding lotus-stalks,
the mighty Rakshasa then rushed in battle against the
sons of Draupadi. Then those great bowmen, accomplished
in fighting, viz., the sons of Draupadi, rushed
towards the Rakshasa in battle like five planets rushing
against the Sun. That best of Rakshasa then was
afflicted by those brothers endued with great energy,
like the Moon afflicted by the five planets of the
awful occasion of the dissolution of the world.
Then the mighty Prativindhya quickly pierced the Rakshasa
with whetted shafts, sharp as battle-axes and furnished
with points capable of penetrating every armour.
Thereupon that foremost of Rakshasas, with his armour
pierced through, looked like a mass of clouds penetrated
by the rays of the Sun. Pierced with these shafts
furnished with golden wings, Rishyasringa’s
son, O king, looked resplendent like a mountain with
blazing crests. Then those five brothers in that
great battle, pierced that foremost of Rakshasas with
many whetted shafts of golden wings. Pierced
with those terrible shafts resembling angry snakes,
Alamvusha, O king, became inflamed with rage like
the king of the serpents himself. Deeply pierced,
O king, within only a few moments, O sire, by those
great car-warriors, the Rakshasa, much afflicted,
remained senseless for a long while. Regaining
his consciousness then, and swelling through rage to
twice his dimensions, he cut off their arrows and standards
and bows. And as if smiling the while he struck
each of them with five arrows. Then that mighty
Rakshasa and great car-warrior, Alamvusha, excited
with wrath, and as if dancing on the terrace of his
car, quickly slew the steeds, and then the charioteers,
of those five illustrious adversaries of his.
And burning with rage he once more pierced them with
sharp arrows of diverse shades by hundreds and thousands.
Then that wanderer of the night, viz., the Rakshasa
Alamvusha, having deprived those great bowmen of their
cars, rushed impetuously at them, wishing to despatch
them to Yama’s abode. Beholding them (thus)
afflicted in battle by that wicked-souled Rakshasa,
the son of Arjuna rushed at him. Then the battle
that took place between him and the cannibal resembled
that between Vritra and Vasava. And the mighty
car-warriors of thy army, as also of the Pandavas,
all became spectators of that engagement. Encountering
each other in fierce battle, blazing with wrath, endued
with great might, and with eyes red in rage, each
beheld the other in that battle to resemble the Yuga
fire. And that engagement between them became
fierce and awful like that between Sakra and Samvara
in days of old in the battle between the gods and
Asuras.”
Page 732
SECTION CII
Dhritarashtra said, “How, O Sanjaya, did Alamvusha
resist in combat the heroic son of Arjuna smiting
many of our mighty car-warriors in battle? And
how also did that slayer of hostile heroes, viz.,
the son of Subhadra, fight with Rishyasringa’s
son? Tell me all this in detail, exactly as it
happened in that fight. What also did Bhima, that
foremost of car-warriors, and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha,
and Nakula, and Sahadeva and the mighty car-warrior
Satyaki, and Dhananjaya, do with my troops in battle?
Tell me all this truly, O Sanjaya, for thou art skilled
(in narration).”
Sanjaya said, “I will presently describe to
thee, O sire, the awful battle that took place between
that foremost of the Rakshasas and the son of Subhadra.
I will also describe to thee the prowess that Arjuna
put forth in battle, and Bhimasena the son of Pandu
and Nakula, and Sahadeva, as also the warriors of
thy army headed by Bhishma and Drona, all of whom
fearlessly achieved wonderful feats of diverse kinds,
Alamvusha, uttering loud shouts and repeatedly roaring
at Abhimanyu, rushed impetuously against that mighty
car-warrior in battle, saying, ’Wait, Wait’—Abhimanyu
also, repeatedly roaring like a lion, rushed with at
great force at that mighty bowman, viz., the son
of Rishyasringa, who was an implacable foe of the
former’s sire. Soon then those two foremost
of car-warriors, man and Rakshasa, on their cars,
encountered each other, like a god and Danava.
That best of Rakshasa were endued with powers of illusion,
while Phalguni’s son was acquainted with celestial
weapons. Then Abhimanyu, O king, pierced Rishyasringa’s
son in that battle with three sharp shafts and once
more with five. Alamvusha, also, excited with
wrath, speedily pierced Abhimanyu in the chest with
nine shafts like a guide piercing an elephant with
hooks. Then, O Bharata, that wanderer of the
night, endued with great activity, afflicted Arjuna’s
son in that combat with a thousand arrows. Then
Abhimanyu excited with rage, pierced that prince of
the Rakshasas in his wide chest with nine straight
shafts of great sharpness. Piercing through his
body these penetrated into his very vitals. And
that best of Rakshasas, his limbs mangled by them,
looked beautiful like a mountain overgrown with flowering
Kinsukas. Bearing those shafts of golden wings
on his body, that mighty prince of Rakshasas looked
radiant like a mountain on fire. Then the vindictive
son of Rishyasringa, inflamed with wrath, covered
Abhimanyu, who was equal unto Mahendra himself, with
clouds of winged arrows. Those sharp shafts resembling
the rods of Yama himself, shot by him, pierced Abhimanyu
through and entered the earth. And similarly the
gold-decked arrows shot by Arjuna’s son, piercing
Alamvusha through, entered the earth. The son
of Subhadra then, in that battle, with his straight
shafts, obliged the Rakshasa to turn his back upon
Page 733
the field, like Sakra repulsing Maya in days of old.
That scorcher of foes, the Rakshasa, then, thus repulsed
and struck repeatedly by his adversary, exhibited
his great powers of illusion by causing a thick darkness
to set in. Then all the combatants there, O king,
were covered by that darkness. Neither could Abhimanyu
be seen, nor could friends be distinguished from foes
in that battle. Abhimanyu, however, beholding
that thick and awful gloom, invoked into existence.
O son of Kuru’s race, the blazing solar weapon.
Thereupon, O king, the universe once more became visible.
And thus he neutralised the illusion of that wicked
Rakshasa. Then that prince of men, excited with
wrath and endued with great energy, covered that foremost
of Rakshasa in that battle with many straight shafts.
Diverse other kinds of illusion were conjured up there
by that Rakshasa. Conversant with all weapons,
the son of Phalguni however, neutralised them all.
The Rakshasa then, his illusions all destroyed, and
himself struck with shafts, abandoned his car even
there, and fled away in great fear. After that
Rakshasa addicted to unfair fight had been thus vanquished,
the son of Arjuna began to grind thy troops in battle,
like a juice-blind prince of wild elephants agitating
a lake overgrown with lotus.[465] Then Bhishma the
son of Santanu, beholding his troops routed, covered
Subhadra’s son with a thick shower of arrows.
Then many mighty car-warriors of the Dhartarashtra
army, standing in a ring round that single hero, began
to strike him forcibly with their shafts. That
hero then, who resembled his sire in prowess and who
was equal to Vasudeva in valour and might,—that
foremost of all wielders of weapons,—achieved
diverse feats in that battle that were worthy of both
his sire and maternal uncle. Then the heroic
Dhananjaya, excited with wrath and desirous of rescuing
his son, arrived at the spot where the latter was
slaughtering thy troops as he came along. And
similarly, O king, thy sire Devavrata in that battle
approached Partha like Rahu approaching the sun.[466]
Then thy sons, O monarch, supported by cars, elephants,
and steeds, surrounded Bhishma in that battle and
protected him from every side. And so also the
Pandavas, O king, clad in mail and surrounding Dhananjaya,
engaged in fierce battle, O bull of Bharata’s
race. Then Saradwat’s son (Kripa), O king,
pierced Arjuna who was staying in front of Bhishma,
with five and twenty shafts. Thereupon, like
a tiger attacking an elephant, Satyaki, approaching
Kripa, pierced him with many whetted shafts from desire
of doing what was agreeable to the Pandavas.
Gautama in return, excited with wrath, quickly pierced
him of Madhu’s race in the chest with nine arrows
winged with the feathers of the Kanka bird. Sini’s
grandson also, excited with wrath, and forcibly drawing
his bow, quickly sped at him an arrow capable of taking
his life. The fiery son of Drona, however, excited
with wrath, cut in twain that arrow as it coursed
Page 734
impetuously towards Kripa, resembling Indra’s
bolt in effulgence. Thereupon that foremost of
car-warriors, viz., Sini’s grandson, abandoning
Gautama, rushed in battle towards Drona’s son
like Rahu in the firmament against the Moon. Drona’s
son, however, O Bharata, cut Satyaki’s bow in
twain. After his bow had thus been cut off, the
former began to strike the latter with his shafts.
Satyaki then, taking up another bow capable of bearing
a great strain and slaughtering the foe, struck Drona’s
son, O king, in the chest and arms with six shafts.
Pierced therewith and feeling great pain, for a moment
he was deprived of his senses, and he sat down on the
terrace of his car, catching hold of his flag-staff.
Regaining his consciousness then, the valiant son
of Drona, excited with rage afflicted him of Vrishni’s
race in that battle, with one long shaft. That
shaft, piercing Sini’s grandson through, entered
the earth like a vigorous young snake entering its
hole in the season of spring. And with another
broad-headed arrow, Drona’s son in that battle
cut off the excellent standard of Satyaki. And
having achieved this feat he uttered a leonine roar.
And once more, O Bharata, he covered his adversary
with a shower of fierce shafts like the clouds, O
king covering the Sun after summer is past, Satyaki
also, O monarch, baffling that arrowy shower, soon
covered the son of Drona with diverse showers of arrows
That slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the grandson
of Sini, freed from that arrowy shower like the Sun
from the clouds, began to scorch the son of Drona
(with his energy). Swelling with rage the mighty
Satyaki once more covered his foe with a thousand arrows
and uttered a loud shout. Beholding his son then
thus afflicted like the Moon by Rahu, the valiant
son of Bharadwaja rushed towards the grandson of Sini.
Desirous, O king, of rescuing, his son who was afflicted
by the Vrishni hero, Drona, in that great battle,
pierced the latter with a shaft of exceeding sharpness.
Satyaki then, abandoning the mighty car-warrior Aswatthaman,
pierced Drona himself in that battle with twenty arrows
of exceeding sharpness. Soon after, that scorcher
of foes and mighty car-warrior, viz., Kunti’s
son of immeasurable soul, excited with wrath, rushed
in that battle against Drona. Then Drona and Partha
encountered each other in fierce combat like the planets
Budha and Sukra, O king, in the firmament.[467]
SECTION CIII
Dhritarashtra said, “How did those bulls among
men, viz., that great bowman Drona, and Dhananjaya
the son of Pandu, encounter each other in battle?
The son of Pandu is ever dear to the wise son of Bharadwaja.
The preceptor also is ever dear to Pritha’s
son, O Sanjaya. Both of those car-warriors delight
in battle, and both of them are fierce like lions.
How therefore, did Bharadwaja’s son and Dhananjaya,
both fighting with care encounter each other in battle?”
Page 735
Sanjaya said, “In battle Drona never recognises
Partha as dear to himself. Partha also, keeping
a Kshatriya’s duty in view, recognises not in
battle his preceptor. Kshatriyas, O king, never
avoid one another in battle. Without showing
any regard for one another, they fight with sires
and brothers. In that battle, O Bharata, Partha
pierced Drona with three shafts. Drona, however,
regarded not those shafts shot in battle from Partha’s
bow. Indeed, Partha once more covered the preceptor
in the fight with a shower of arrows. Thereupon
the latter blazed up with wrath like a conflagration
in a deep forest. Then, O king, Drona soon covered
Arjuna in that combat with many straight shafts, O
Bharata. Then king Duryodhana, O monarch, despatched
Susarman for taking up the wing of Drona. Then
the ruler of the Trigartas, excited with rage and forcibly
drawing his bow, covered Partha, O king, with a profusion
of arrows furnished with iron heads. Shot by
those two warriors, O king, the shafts looked beautiful
in the welkin like cranes in the autumnal sky.
Those shafts, O lord, reaching the son of Kunti, entered
his body like birds disappearing within a tree bending
with a load of tasteful fruits. Arjuna then,
that foremost of car-warriors, uttering a loud roar
in that battle pierced the ruler of the Trigartas
and his son with his shafts. Pierced by Partha
like Death himself at the end of the Yuga, they were
unwilling to avoid Partha, resolved as they were on
laying down their lives. And they shot showers
on the car of Arjuna. Arjuna, however, received
those arrowy showers with showers of his own, like
a mountain, O monarch, receiving a downpour from the
clouds. And the lightness of hand that we then
beheld of Vibhatsu was exceedingly wonderful.
For alone he baffled that unbearable shower of arrows
shot by many warriors like the wind alone scattering
myriads of clouds rushing upon clouds. And at
that feat of Partha, the gods and the Danavas (assembled
there for witnessing the fight) were highly gratified.
Then, O Bharata, engaged with the Trigartas in that
battle, Partha shot, O king, the Vayavya weapon against
their division. Then arose a wind that agitated
the welkin, felled many trees, and smote down the
(hostile) troops. Then Drona, beholding the fierce
Vayavya weapon, himself shot an awful weapon called
the Saila. And when that weapon, O ruler of men,
was shot by Drona in that battle, the wind abated
and the ten quarters became calm. The heroic son
of Pandu, however, made the car-warriors of the Trigarta
division destitute of prowess and hope, and caused
them to turn their backs on the field. Then Duryodhana
and that foremost of car-warriors, viz., Kripa,
and Aswatthaman, and Salya, and Sudakshina, the ruler
of the Kamvojas, and Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti,
and Valhika supported by the Valhikas, with a large
number of cars surrounded Partha on all sides.
And similarly Bhagadatta also, and the mighty Srutayush,
surrounded Bhima on all sides with an elephant division.
Page 736
And Bhurisravas, and Sala, and Suvala’s son,
O monarch, began to check the twin sons of Madri with
showers of bright and sharp arrows. Bhishma,
however, in that battle, supported by the sons of
Dhritarashtra with their troops, approaching Yudhishthira,
surrounded him on all sides. Beholding that elephant
division coming towards him, Pirtha’s son Vrikodara,
possessed of great courage, began to lick the corners
of his mouth like a lion in the forest. Then Bhima,
that foremost of car-warriors, taking up his mace
in that great battle, quickly jumped down from his
car and struck terror into the hearts of thy warriors.
Beholding him mace in hand, those elephant-warriors
in that battle carefully surrounded Bhimasena on all
sides. Stationed in the midst of those elephants,
the son of Pandu looked resplendent like the Sun in
the midst of a mighty mass of clouds. Then that
bull among the sons of Pandu began with his mace to
consume that elephant-division like the wind dispelling
a huge mass of clouds covering the welkin. Those
tuskers, while being slaughtered by the mighty Bhimasena,
uttered loud cries of woe like roaring masses of clouds.
With diverse scratches (on his person) inflicted by
those huge animals with their tusks, the son of Pritha
looked beautiful on the field of battle like a flowering
Kinsuka. Seizing some of the elephants by their
tusks, he deprived them of those weapons. Wrenching
out the tusks of others, with those very tusks he struck
them on their frontal globes and felled them in battle
like the Destroyer himself armed with his rod.
Wielding his mace bathed in gore, and himself bespattered
with fat and marrow and smeared with blood, he looked
like Rudra himself. Thus slaughtered by him,
the few gigantic elephants that remained, ran away
on all sides, O king, crushing even friendly ranks.
And in consequence of those huge elephants fleeing
away on all sides, Duryodhana’s troops once
more, O bull of Bharata’s race, fled away from
the field.”
SECTION CIV
Sanjaya said, “At mid-day, O king, happened
a fierce battle, fraught with great carnage, between
Bhishma and the Somakas. That foremost of car-warriors,
viz., Ganga’s son began to consume the ranks
of the Pandavas with keen shafts by hundreds and thousands.
Thy sire Devavrata began to grind those troops like
a herd of bulls grinding (with their tread) a heap
of paddy sheaves. Then Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin
and Virata and Drupada, falling upon Bhishma in that
battle, struck that mighty car-warrior with numerous
arrows. Bhishma then, having pierced Dhrishtadyumna
and Virata each with three arrows, sped a long shaft,
O Bharata, at Drupada. Thus pierced in battle
by Bhishma, that grinder of foes, those great bowmen
became filled with wrath O king, like snakes trod
upon (by human feet). Then Sikhandin pierced the
grandsire of the Bharatas (with many shafts).
Of unfading glory, Bhishma, however, regarding his
Page 737
foe as a female struck him not. Dhrishtadyumna
then, in that battle, blazing up with wrath like fire,
struck the grandsire with three shafts in his arms
and chest. And Drupada pierced Bhishma with five
and twenty shafts, and Virata pierced him with ten,
and Sikhandin with five and twenty. Deeply pierced
(with those shafts) he became covered with blood,
and looked beautiful like a red Asoka variegated with
flowers. Then the son of Ganga pierced, in return,
each of them with three straight shafts. And
then, O sire, he cut off Drupada’s bow with a
broad-headed arrow. The latter then, taking up
another bow, pierced Bhishma with five shafts.
And he pierced Bhishma’s charioteer also with
three sharp shafts on the field of battle. Then
the five sons of Draupadi, and the five Kaikeya brothers
and Satyaki also of the Satwata race, headed by Yudhishthira,
all rushed towards Ganga’s son, desirous of
protecting the Panchalas headed by Dhrishtadyumna.
And so all the warriors of thy army also, O king,
prepared to protect Bhishma, rushed at the head of
their troops against the Pandava host. And then
happened there a fierce general engagement between
thy army of men and steeds and theirs, that increased
the population of Yama’s kingdom. And car-warriors
falling upon car-warriors despatched one another to
Yama’s abode. And so men and elephant-riders
and horse-riders, falling upon others (of their class),
despatched them to the other world with straight shafts
And here and there on the field, O monarch, cars,
deprived of riders and charioteers by means of diverse
kinds of fierce shafts, were in that battle dragged
on all sides over the field. And those cars, O
king, crushing large numbers of men and steeds in
battle, were seen to resemble the wind itself (in
speed) and vapoury edifices in the firmament (for
their picturesque forms). And many car-warriors
cased in mail and endued with great energy, decked
with ear-rings and head-gears and adorned with garlands
and bracelets, resembling the children of the celestials,
equal to Sakra himself for prowess in battle, surpassing
Vaisravana in wealth and Vrishaspati in intelligence,
ruling over extensive territories, and possessed of
great heroism, O monarch, deprived of their cars, were
seen to run hither and thither like ordinary men.
Huge tuskers also, O chief of men, deprived of their
skilled riders, ran, crushing friendly ranks, and
fell down with loud shrieks. Prodigious elephants
looking like newly-risen clouds and roaring also like
the clouds, were seen to run in all directions, deprived
of their coats of mail. And, O sire, their Chamaras
and variegated standards, their umbrellas with golden
staves, and the bright lances (of their riders), lay
scattered about.[468] And elephant-riders, O king,
deprived of their elephants, belonging both of thy
army and theirs, were seen to run (on foot) amid that
awful press. And steeds from diverse countries,
decked with ornaments of gold, were seen, by hundreds
Page 738
and thousands, to run with the speed of the wind.
And horse-riders, deprived of their horses, and armed
with swords were in that battle seen to run, or made
to run (by others assailing them). Elephant,
meeting with a flying elephant in that dreadful battle,
proceeded, quickly crushing foot-soldiers and steeds.
And, similarly, O king those prodigious creatures
crushed many cars in that battle, and cars also, coming
upon fallen steeds crushed them (in their course).
And steeds too, in the press of battle, crushed many
foot-soldiers, O king (with their hoofs). And
thus, O monarch, they crushed one another in diverse
ways.[469] And in that fierce and awful battle there
flowed a terrible river of bloody current. And
heaps of bows obstructed its straight course, and
the hair (of slain warriors) formed its moss.
And (broken) cars formed its lakes, and arrows its
eddies. And steeds formed its fishes. And
heads (severed from trunks) formed its blocks of stone.
And it abounded with elephants that formed its crocodiles.
And coats of mail and head-gears formed its froth.
And bows (in the hands of the warriors) constituted
the speed of its current, and swords its tortoises.
And banners and standards in profusion formed the trees
on its banks. And mortals constituted its banks
which that river continually ate away. And it
abounded with cannibals that formed its swans.
And that stream (instead of swelling the ocean with
its discharge) swelled the population of Yama’s
kingdom. And brave Kshatriyas,—mighty
car-warriors,—casting off all fear, O king,
sought to cross that river with the aid of cars, elephants,
and steeds that played the part of rafts and boats.
And as the river Vaitarani beareth all departed spirits
towards the domains of the King of the Dead, so that
river of bloody current bore away all timid men deprived
of their senses in a swoon. And the Kshatriyas,
beholding that awful carnage, all exclaimed, saying,
’Alas, through Duryodhana’s fault the
Kshatriyas are being exterminated. Why, Oh, Dhritarashtra
of sinful soul, deluded by avarice, harboured envy
for the sons of Pandu, who are graced with numerous
virtues.’ Diverse exclamations of this kind
were heard there, made by one another, fraught with
the praises of the Pandavas and censure of thy sons.
Hearing then these words uttered by all the combatants,
thy son Duryodhana, that offender against all, addressed
Bhishma and Drona and Kripa and Salya, O Bharata, saying,
’Fight ye without boastfulness. Why tarry
ye at all?’ Then the battle was resumed between
the Kurus and the Pandavas, that fierce battle, O king,
caused by the match at dice and marked by an awful
slaughter. Thou beholdest now, O son of Vichitravirya,
the dreadful fruit of that rejection by thee (of the
counsels of thy friends) though warned against it by
many illustrious persons. Neither the sons of
Pandu, O king, nor their troops, nor they that follow
them, nor the Kauravas, show the least regard for their
lives in battle. For this reason, O tiger among
men, a dreadful destruction of kinsmen is taking place,
caused either by Destiny or by thy evil policy, O
king.”
Page 739
SECTION CV
Sanjaya said, “O tiger among men, Arjuna sent
those Kshatriyas that followed Susarman to the abode
of the King of the Dead by means of his whetted shafts.
Susarman however, in that battle, pierced Partha with
his shafts. And he pierced Vasudeva with seventy,
and Arjuna once more with nine shafts. Checking
those shafts by means of his arrowy showers, that
mighty car-warrior, viz., the son of Indra, despatched
Susarman’s troops unto Yama’s abode.
Those mighty car-warriors, while being slaughtered
by Partha in that battle as if by Death himself at
the end of the Yuga, all fled away from the field,
O king struck with panic, Some abandoning their steeds,
some abandoning, O sire, their cars, and others their
elephants, fled away in all directions. Others
taking with them their horses, elephants, and cars,
fled away, O king, with great speed. Foot-soldiers
in that dreadful battle, throwing aside their weapons,
and without any regard for one another, fled away
hither and thither. Though forbidden by Susarman
the ruler of the Trigartas, and by other foremost of
kings, they stayed not yet in battle. Beholding
that host routed, thy son Duryodhana himself at the
head of the whole army and with Bhishma ahead, attacked
Dhananjaya with all his vigour, for the sake, O king,
of (protecting) the life of the ruler of the Trigartas.
And he stayed in battle, scattering diverse kinds
of arrows, supported by all his brothers. The
rest of the men all fled away. Similarly, the
Pandavas, O king, clad in mail and with all their
vigour, proceeded, for the sake of Phalguni, to the
spot where Bhishma was. Although acquainted with
the awful prowess, in battle of the wielder of Gandiva,
these yet proceeded with loud cries and great bravery
to the spot where Bhishma was and surrounded him on
all sides. Then the palmyra-bannered hero covered
the Pandava army, in that battle, with his straight
shafts. The sun having reached the meridian, the
Kauravas, O king, fought with the Pandavas in one
confused mass. The heroic Satyaki, having pierced
Kritavarman with five arrows, stayed in battle scattering
his arrows by thousands. And so king Drupada also,
having pierced Drona with many whetted shafts, once
more pierced him with seventy shafts and his charioteer
with nine. Bhimasena also, having pierced his
great grandsire king Valhika uttered a loud roar like
a tiger in the forest. Arjuna’s son (Abhimanyu)
pierced by Chitrasena with many shafts, deeply pierced
Chitrasena in the chest with three arrows. Engaged
with each other in battle, those two foremost of men
looked resplendent on the field like the planets,
Venus and Saturn, O king, in the firmament. Then
that slayer of foes, viz., the son of Subhadra,
having slain his antagonist’s steeds and charioteer
with nine arrows, uttered a loud shout. Thereupon
that mighty car-warrior, (viz., Chitrasena), quickly
jumping down from that car whose steed had been slain,
Page 740
mounted, O king, without delay, the car of Durmukha.
The valiant Drona, pierced the latter’s charioteer
also, Then, O king, Drupada, thus afflicted at the
head of his troops, retreated by the aid of his fleet
steeds, recollecting the hostility that existed from
days of old (between himself and Drona). Bhimasena,
within a moment, deprived king Valhika of his steeds,
car and charioteer, in the very sight of all the troops.
Fallen into a situation of great danger and with fear
in his heart, O king, Valhika, that best of men, jumping
down from that vehicle, quickly mounted upon the car
of Lakshmana in that battle. Satyaki, having checked
Kritavarman in that dreadful battle, fell upon the
grandsire and rained on him shafts of diverse kinds.[470]
Piercing the grandsire with sixty whetted shafts winged
with feathers, he seemed to dance on his car, shaking
his large bow. The grandsire then hurled at him
a mighty dart made of iron, decked with gold, endued
with great velocity, and beautiful as a daughter of
the Nagas. Beholding that irresistible dart, resembling
Death himself, coursing towards him, that illustrious
warrior of the Vrishni race baffled it by the celerity
of movements. Thereupon that fierce dart, unable
to reach him of the Vrishni race, fell down on the
earth like a large meteor of blazing splendour.
Then he of Vrishni’s race, O king, taking up
with a firm hand his own dart of golden effulgence,
hurled it at the car of the grandsire. That dart,
hurled in that dreadful battle with the strength of
Satyaki’s arms, coursed impetuously like the
fatal night, coursing speedily towards a (doomed)
man. As it coursed, however, towards him with
great force, Bhishma cut it in twain, O Bharata, with
a couple of horse-shoe-headed arrows of keen edge,
and thereupon it fell down on the earth. Having
cut that dart, that grinder of foes, viz., Ganga’s
son, excited with wrath and smiling the while struck
Satyaki in the chest with nine arrows. Then the
Pandava warriors, O elder brother of Pandu, with their
cars, elephants, and steeds,[471] surrounded Bhishma
in that battle, for the sake of rescuing him of Madhu’s
race. Then commenced again a fierce battle, making
the hair to stand on end, between the Pandavas and
the Kurus both of whom were desirous of victory.”
SECTION CVI
“Sanjaya said, ’Beholding Bhishma excited
with wrath in battle, surrounded on all sides by the
Pandavas like the Sun in the firmament. O king,
by the clouds at the end of summer, Duryodhana, O monarch,
addressed Dussasana, saying, ’This heroic and
great bowman Bhishma, this slayer of heroes, hath,
O bull of Bharata’s race, been surrounded on
all sides by the brave Pandavas. It is thy duty,
O hero, to protect that illustrious one. Protected
by us in battle, our grandsire Bhishma will slay all
the Panchalas along with the Pandavas. The protection
of Bhishma. therefore, I think, is our highest duty,
for this great bowman of his vows, viz., Bhishma,
Page 741
is our protector in return. Therefore, surrounding
the grandsire with all our troops, do thou protect
him, who always achieveth the most difficult feats
in battle. Thus addressed by Duryodhana, thy
son Dussasana, surrounding Bhishma with a large force
on all sides took up his position. Then Suvala’s
son Sakuni, with hundreds and thousands of horsemen
having bright spears and swords and lances in hand,
and who formed a proud, well-dressed, and strong body
bearing standards, and who were mingled with excellent
foot-soldiers that were all well-trained and skilled
in battle began to cheek Nakula, and Sahadeva, and
Yudhishthira the son of Pandu, surrounding those foremost
of men on all sides. Then king Duryodhana despatched
ten thousand (other) brave horsemen for resisting
the Pandavas. When these rushed like so many
Garudas towards the enemy with great impetuosity, the
earth, O king, struck with their horse-hoofs, trembled
and uttered a loud noise. And the loud clatter
of their hoofs was heard resembling the noise made
by a large forest of bamboos, in conflagration on
a mountain. And as these dashed over the field,
there rose a cloud of dust, which rising to the welkin
shrouded the very Sun. And in consequence of those
impetuous steeds, the Pandava army was agitated like
a large lake with a flight of swans suddenly alighting
on its bosom. And in consequence of their neighing,
nothing else could be heard there. Then king Yudhishthira,
and the two sons of Pandu by Madri, quickly checked
the charge of those horsemen in battle, like the continent,
O king, bearing the force, at full tide, of the surging
sea swollen with the waters of the rainy season.
Then those (three) car-warriors, O monarch, with their
straight shafts, cut off the heads of those horse-riders.
Slain by those strong bowmen, they fell down, O king,
(on the earth), like mighty elephants tumbling into
mountain caves, slain by huge compeers. Indeed,
coursing all over the field, those warriors (of the
Pandavas army) cut off the heads of those cavalry
soldiers with sharp-bearded darts and straight shafts.
Struck with swords, those horsemen, O bull of Bharata’s
race, suffered their heads to drop like tall trees,
dropping their fruits. All over the field, O
king, steeds along with their riders were seen fallen
or falling, deprived of life. And while being
(thus) slaughtered, the steeds, affected with panic,
fled away like smaller animals desirous of saving
their lives at sight of the lion. And the Pandavas,
O king, having vanquished their foes in that great
battle, blew their conches and beat their drums.
Then Duryodhana, filled with grief on seeing his troops
vanquished, addressed the ruler of the Madras, O chief
of the Bharatas, and said, ’There, the eldest
son of Pandu, accompanied by the twins in battle,
in thy very sight, O thou of mighty arms, routeth our
troops, O lord. O mighty-armed one, resist him
like the continent resisting the ocean. Thou
art exceedingly well-known as possessed of might and
Page 742
prowess that are irresistible.’ Hearing
these words of thy son, the valiant Salya proceeded
with a large body of cars to the spot where Yudhishthira
was. Thereupon, the son of Pandu began to resist
in battle that large host of Salya rushing impetuously
towards him with the force of a mighty wave.
And that mighty car-warrior, viz., king Yudhishthira
the just, in that battle quickly pierced the ruler
of the Madras in the centre of the chest with ten
shafts. And Nakula and Sahadeva struck him with
seven straight shafts. The ruler of the Madras
then struck each of them with three arrows. And
once more he pierced Yudhishthira with sixty sharp-pointed
arrows. And excited with wrath he struck each
of the sons of Madri also with two shafts. Then
that vanquisher of foes, the mighty-armed Bhima, beholding
the king, in that great battle, staying within reach
of Salya’s car as if within the very jaws of
Death, quickly proceeded to Yudhishthira’s side.
Then when the Sun, having passed the meridian, was
sinking, there commenced a fierce and terrible battle
(on that part of the field).
SECTION CVII
Sanjaya said, “Then thy sire, excited with wrath,
began to strike the Parthas and their troops all round,
with excellent shafts of great sharpness. And
he pierced Bhima with twelve shafts, and Satyaki with
nine. And having pierced Nakula with three shafts,
he pierced Sahadeva with seven. And he pierced
Yudhishthira in the arms and the chest with twelve
shafts. And piercing Dhrishtadyumna also, that
mighty warrior uttered a loud roar. Him Nakula
pierced (in return) with twelve shafts, and Satyaki
with three. And Dhrishtadyumna pierced him with
seventy shafts, and Bhimasena with seven. And
Yudhishthira pierced the grandsire in return with
twelve shafts. Drona (on the other hand), having
pierced Satyaki, pierced Bhimasena next. And
he pierced each of them with five sharp shafts, each
of which resembled the rod of Death. Each of those
two, however, pierced Drona, that bull among Brahmanas,
in return, with three straight shafts. The Sauviras,
the Kitavas, the Easterners, the Westerners, the Northerners,
the Malavas, the Abhishahas, the Surasenas, the Sivis,
and the Vasatis, did not avoid Bhishma in battle although
they were incessantly slaughtered by him with sharp
shafts. And similarly kings coming from diverse
countries and armed with diverse weapons, approached
the Pandavas (without seeking to avoid them in battle).
And the Pandavas, O king, surrounded the grandsire
on all sides. Surrounded on all sides, yet unvanquished
by that large body of cars, Bhishma blazed up like
a fire in the midst of a forest, and consumed his foes.
His car was his fire-chamber; his bow constituted
the (flames of that fire); swords, darts, and maces,
constituted the fuel; his shafts were the sparks (of
that fire); and Bhishma was himself the fire that consumed
the foremost of Kshatriyas. Indeed, with shafts
Page 743
furnished with golden wings and vulturine feathers
and endued with great energy, with barbed arrows,
and nalikas, and long shafts, he covered the hostile
host. And he felled elephants and car-warriors
also with his sharp shafts. And he made that
large body of cars resemble a forest of palmyras shorn
of their leafy heads. And that mighty armed warrior,
that foremost of all wielders of weapons, O king,
deprived cars and elephants and steeds of their riders
in that conflict. And hearing the twang of his
bow-string and the noise of his palms, loud as the
roar of the thunder, all the troops trembled, O Bharata.
The shafts of thy sire, O bull of Bharata’s race,
told on the foe. Indeed, shot from Bhishma’s
bow they did not strike the coats of mail only (but
pierced them through). And we beheld, O king,
many cars destitute of their brave riders dragged
over the field of battle, O monarch, by the fleet
steeds yoked unto them. Fourteen thousand car-warriors,
belonging to the Chedis, the Kasis, and the Karushas,
of great celebrity and noble parentage, prepared to
lay down their lives, unretreating from the field,
and owning excellent standards decked with gold, having
met with Bhishma in battle who resembled the Destroyer
himself with wide-open mouth, all went to the other
world along with their cars, steeds, and elephants.
And we beheld there, O king, cars by hundreds and
thousands, some with their axles and bottoms broken,
and some, O Bharata, with broken wheels. And
the earth was strewn with cars broken along with their
wooden fences, with the prostrate forms of car-warriors,
with shafts, with beautiful but broken coats of mail,
with axes. O monarch; with maces and short arrows
and sharp shafts, with bottoms of cars, with quivers
and broken wheels, O sire, with innumerable bows and
scimitars and heads decked with ear-rings; with leathern
fences and gloves and overthrown standards, and with
bows broken in various parts. And elephants,
O king, destitute of riders, and slain horsemen (of
the Pandava army), lay dead. The valiant Pandavas
notwithstanding all their efforts, could not rally
those car-warriors, who, afflicted by the shafts of
Bhishma, were flying away from the field. Indeed,
O king, that mighty host while being slaughtered by
Bhishma endued with energy equal to that of Indra
himself, broke so completely that no two persons fled
together. With its cars, elephants, and steeds
overthrown, and with its standards laid low in profusion,
the army of the sons of Pandu, deprived of senses,
uttered loud exclamations of woe. And at that
time, sire slew son, and son slew sire, and friend
smote dear friend, impelled by fate. And many
combatants of the Pandavas army, throwing aside their
armour, were seen flying in all directions with dishevelled
hair. Indeed, the Pandava troops looked like
bulls running wild in fear, and no longer restrained
by the yoke. Indeed, loud were the exclamations,
we heard of woe that they uttered.
Page 744
“Then that delighter of the Yadavas, beholding
the Pandava army breaking, reined the excellent car
(that he guided), and addressing Vibhatsu the son
of Pritha, said,—That hour is come, O Partha,
which thou hadst hoped for. Strike now, O tiger
among men, or thou wilt be deprived of thy senses.
Formerly, O hero, thou saidst, O Partha, in that conclave
of kings in Virata’s city, in the presence also
of Sanjaya, these words:—’I will
slay all the warriors of Dhritarashtra’s son,
all of them with their followers, including, Bhishma
and Drona, that would fight with me in battle—O
son of Kunti, O chastiser of foes, make those words
of thine true. Remembering the duty of a Kshatriya,
fight, without any anxiety.’ Thus addressed
by Vasudeva, Arjuna hung down his head and looked askance
at him. And Vibhatsu replied very unwillingly,
saying, ’To acquire sovereignty with hell in
the end, having slain those who should not be slain,
or the woes of an exile in the woods,—(these
are the alternatives). Which of these should
I achieve? Urge the steeds, O Hrishikesa, I will
do thy bidding. I will overthrow the Kuru grandsire
Bhishma, that invincible warrior.’—Thus
asked, Madhava urged those steeds of a silvery hue,
to the spot where Bhishma, incapable of being looked
at like the Sun himself, was staying. Then that
large host of Yudhishthira rallied and came again
to the fight, beholding the mighty-armed Partha proceeding
for an encounter with Bhishma. Then Bhishma that
foremost one among the Kurus, repeatedly roared like
a lion. And he soon covered Dhananjaya’s
car with a shower of arrows. Within a trice that
car of his with its steeds and charioteer, became entirely
invisible in consequence of that thick shower of arrows.
Vasudeva, however, without fear, mustering patience,
and endued with great activity, urged those steeds
mangled with Bhishma’s shafts. Then Partha,
taking up his celestial bow of twang loud as the roar
of the clouds, caused Bhishma’s bow to drop
from his hands, cutting it (into fragments) by means
of his sharp shafts. Then thy sire, the Kuru hero,
whose bow had thus been cut off, stringed another
large bow within the twinkling of the eye. Arjuna,
however, excited with wrath, cut that bow also of his.
The son of Santanu applauded that lightness of hand
displayed by Arjuna, saying, ’Well done, Well
done, O mighty-armed one. Well done, O son of
Kunti.’—Having addressed him thus,
Bhishma took up another beautiful bow in that battle,
and shot many arrows at Partha’s car. And
Vasudeva showed great skill in the management of steeds,
for, displaying the circling motion he baffled all
those arrows (of Bhishma). Mangled with the arrows
of Bhishma, those two tigers among men looked beautiful
like two angry bulls marked with scratches of horns.
Then that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the
mighty-armed Vasudeva of Madhu’s race beholding
that Partha was fighting mildly and that Bhishma was
incessantly scattering his arrowy showers in battle,
Page 745
and that stationed between the two hosts, he latter
was scorching everything like the Sun himself, smiting
down the foremost of Yudhishthira’s combatants,
and, in fact, achieving feat on Yudhishthira’s
army like unto what happeneth at the end of the Yuga,
could not any longer bear it. Abandoning then,
O sire, Partha’s steeds that looked like silver,
and filled with wrath, that great lord of Yoga powers
jumped down from that great car. Repeatedly roaring
like a lion, the mighty Krishna of great energy and
immeasurable splendour, the Lord of Universe, with
eyes red as copper from rage, and having his bare arms
alone for his weapons, rushed towards Bhishma, whip
in hand, desirous of slaying him and seeming to split
the universe itself with his tread. Beholding
Madhava in the vicinity of Bhishma and about to fall
upon him in that furious battle, the hearts of all
the combatants seemed to be in a stupor. ’Bhishma
is slain, Bhishma is slain.’—These
loud exclamations were heard there, O king, caused
by the fear inspired by Vasudeva. Robed in yellow
silk, and himself dark as the lapis lazuli, Janarddana,
when he pursued Bhishma, looked beautiful as a mass
of clouds charged with lightning. Like a lion
towards an elephant, or the leader of a bovine herd
upon another of his species, that bull of Madhu’s
race, with a loud roar, impetuously rushed towards
Bhishma. Beholding him of eyes like lotus petals
(thus) rushing towards him in that battle, Bhishma
began to fearlessly draw his large bow. And with
a fearless heart he addressed Govinda, saying, ’Come,
come, O thou of eyes like lotus petals. O God
of the gods, I bow to thee. O best of the Satwatas,
throw me down today in this great battle. O god,
slain by thee in battle, O sinless one, great will
be the good done to me, O Krishna, in every respect
in the world. Amongst all, in the three worlds,
great is the honour done to me today in battle, O
Govinda. Strike me as thou pleasest, for I am
thy slave, O sinless one.’ Meanwhile, the
mighty-armed Partha. quickly following Kesava behind,
seized him by encircling him with his two arms.
That best of male beings, viz., Krishna, of eyes
like lotus petals, seized by Partha, still proceeded
with great speed, bearing the latter away with him.
The mighty Partha, that slayer of hostile heroes, however,
forcibly catching hold of his legs, stopped Hrishikesa
with great difficulty at the tenth step. Then
Arjuna his dear friend, filled with sorrow, affectionately
addressed Kesava, who was then sighing like a snake
and whose eyes were troubled in wrath, saying, ’O
thou of mighty arms, stop, O Kesava, it behoveth thee
not to make those words false which thou hadst spoken
before, viz., I will not fight. O Madhava,
people will say that thou art a liar. All this
burden resteth upon me. I will slay the grandsire.
I swear, O Kesava, by my weapons, by truth, and my
good deeds, that, O slayer of foes, I will do all
by which the destruction of my foes may be achieved.
Page 746
Behold this very day that invincible and mighty car-warrior
in the act of being thrown down by me, with the greatest
ease, like the crescent moon at the end of the Yuga
(when the destruction of the universe comes).
Madhava, however, hearing these words of the high-souled
Phalguni, spoke not a word, but in anger once more
mounted upon the car. And then upon those two
tigers among men, when stationed on their car, Bhishma
the son of Santanu, once more poured his arrowy showers
like the clouds pouring rain upon the mountain-breast.
Thy sire Devavrata took the lives of the (hostile)
warriors like the Sun sucking with his rays the energies
of all things during summer. As the Pandavas
had been breaking the ranks of the Kurus in battle,
so thy sire broke the Pandava ranks in battle.
And the routed soldiers, helpless and heartless, slaughtered
in hundreds and thousands by Bhishma, were unable to
even look at him in that battle,—him who
resembled the mid-day Sun blazing in his own splendour.
Indeed, the Pandavas afflicted with fear, timidly
gazed at Bhishma who was then achieving super-human
feats in that battle. And the Pandava troops,
thus fleeing away, O Bharata, failed to find a protector,
like a herd of kine sunk in a shoal of ants while being
trod down by a strong person. Indeed, the Pandavas
could not, O Bharata, look at that mighty car-warrior
incapable of being shaken, who, furnished with a profusion
of shafts, was scorching the kings (in the Pandava
army), and who in consequence of those shafts looked
like the blazing Sun shedding his fiery rays.
And while he was thus grinding the Pandava army, the
thousand-rayed maker of day repaired to the setting
hills, and the troops, worn with fatigue, set their
hearts on withdrawal (from the field).”
SECTION CVIII
Sanjaya said, “While they were battling, the
Sun set, O Bharata, aid there came the dreadful hour
of twilight and the battle could no longer be seen.
Then king Yudhishthira, seeing that twilight had come
and that his own troops, slaughtered by Bhishma, had
thrown aside their weapons, and that stricken with
fear, and turned off the field, they were seeking
to flee away, and beholding Bhishma also, that mighty
car-warrior, excited with wrath and afflicting everybody
in fight, and noticing that the mighty car-warriors
of the Somakas, having been vanquished, had all become
cheerless, reflected a little, and then ordered the
troops to be withdrawn. Then king Yudhishthira
withdrew his forces. And similarly, the withdrawal
of thy forces also took place at the same time.
Then those mighty car-warriors, O chief of the Kurus,
having withdrawn their forces, entered their tents,
themselves mangled in battle. Afflicted by the
shafts of Bhishma and reflecting upon that hero’s
feats in battle, the Pandavas obtained no peace of
mind. Bhishma also, having vanquished the Pandavas
and the Srinjayas in battle, was worshipped by thy
Page 747
sons and glorified by them, O Bharata. Accompanied
by the rejoicing Kurus, he then entered his tent.
Night then set in, that deprives all creatures of their
senses. Then in that fierce hour of night, the
Pandavas, the Vrishnis and the invincible Srinjayas
sat down for a consultation. All those mighty
persons, skilled in arriving at conclusions in council,
coolly deliberated about that which was beneficial
for them in view of their immediate circumstances.
Then king Yudhishthira, having reflected for a long
while, said these words, casting his eyes on Vasudeva,
’Behold, O Krishna, the high-souled Bhishma
of fierce prowess. He crusheth my troops like
an elephant crushing a forest of reeds. We dare
not even look at that high-souled warrior. Like
a raging conflagration he licketh up my troops.
The valiant Bhishma of keen weapons, when excited with
wrath in battle and bow in hand shooting his shafts,
becometh as fierce as the mighty Naga Takshaka of
virulent poison. Indeed, the angry Yama is capable
of being vanquished, or even the chief of the celestials
armed with the thunder, or Varuna himself, noose in
hand, or the Lord of the Yakshas armed with mace.
But Bhishma, excited with wrath, is incapable of being
vanquished in battle. When this is the case, O
Krishna, I am, through the weakness of my understanding,
plunged in an ocean of grief having got Bhishma (as
a foe) in battle. I will retire into the woods,
O invincible one. My exile there would be for
my benefit. Battle, O Krishna, I no longer desire.
Bhishma slayeth us always. As an insect, by rushing
into a blazing fire meeteth only with death, even so
do I rush upon Bhishma. In putting forth prowess,
O thou of Vrishni’s race, for the sake of my
kingdom, I am, alas, led to destruction. My brave
brothers have all been exceedingly afflicted with
arrows. In consequence of the affection they
bear to myself their (eldest) brother they had to go
into the woods, deprived of kingdom. For myself
alone, O slayer of Madhu, hath Krishna been sunk into
such distress. I regard life to be of high value.
Indeed, even life now seemeth to be difficult of being
saved. (If I can save that life), its latter remnant
will I pass in the practice of excellent virtue.
If, with my brothers, O Kesava, I am worthy of thy
favour, tell me, O Krishna, what is for my benefit,
without contravening the duties of my order.
Hearing these words of his, and (describing the situation)
in detail, Krishna, from compassion, said these words
in reply for comforting Yudhishthira, ’O son
of Dharma, O thou that art firm in truth, do thou
not indulge in sorrow, thou that hast these invincible
heroes, these slayers of foes, for thy brothers.
Arjuna and Bhimasena are each endued with the energy
of the Wind and the Fire. The twin sons of Madri
also are each as valiant as the Chief of the celestials
himself. From the good understanding that exists
between us, do thou set me also to this task.
Even I, O son of Pandu, will fight with Bhishma.
Page 748
Directed by thee, O great king, what is there that
I may not do in great battle. Challenging that
bull among men, viz., Bhishma, I will slay him
in battle, in the very sight of the Dhartarashtras,
if Phalguni doth not wish to slay him. If, O
son of Pandu, thou seest victory to be certain on
the slaughter of the heroic Bhishma, even, I, on a
single car, will slay that aged grandsire of the Kurus.
Behold, O king, my prowess, equal to that of the great
Indra in battle. I will overthrow from his car
that warrior who always shooteth mighty weapons.
He that is an enemy of the sons of Pandu, without
doubt, is my enemy also. They, that are yours,
are mine, and so they, that are mine, are yours.
Thy brother (Arjuna) is my friend, relative, and disciple.
I will, O king, cut off my own flesh and give it away
for the sake of Arjuna. And this tiger among men
also can lay down his life for my sake. O sire,
even this is our understanding, viz., that we
will protect each other. Therefore, command me,
O king, in what way I am to fight. Formerly,
at Upaplavya, Partha had, in the presence of many
persons, vowed, saying, ‘I will slay the son
of Ganga.’ These words of the intelligent
Partha should be observed (in practice). Indeed,
if Partha requests me without doubt I will fulfill
that vow. Or, let it be the task of Phalguni
himself in battle. It is not heavy for him.
He will slay Bhishma, that subjugator of hostile cities.
If excited in battle, Partha can achieve feats that
are incapable of being achieved by others. Arjuna
can slay in battle the very gods exerting themselves
actively, along with the Daityas and the Danavas.
What need be said of Bhishma, therefore, O king?
Endued with great energy, Bhishma, the son of Santanu,
is now of perverted judgment, of intelligence decayed,
and of little sense, without doubt, he knoweth not
what he should do.’
“Hearing these words of Krishna, Yudhishthira
said, ’It is even so, O thou of mighty arms,
even as thou sayest, O thou of Madhu’s race.
All these together are not competent to bear thy force.
I am sure of always having whatever I desire, when,
O tiger among men, I have thyself staying on my side.
O foremost of victorious persons, I would conquer the
very gods with Indra at their head, when, O Govinda,
I have thee for my protector. What need I say,
therefore, of Bhishma, though he is a mighty car-warrior?
But, O Krishna, I dare not, for my own glorification,
falsify thy words. Therefore, O Madhava, as promised
before by thee, render me aid without fighting for
me. In this battle an agreement was made by me
with Bhishma. He said,—I will give
thee counsel, but fight I shall never for thee, since
I shall have to fight for Duryodhana’s sake.
Know this for truth. Therefore, O Lord, Bhishma
may give me sovereignty by giving me good counsel,
O Madhava. Therefore, O slayer of Madhu, all
of us accompanied by thee, will once more repair unto
Devavrata, for asking him about the means of his own
Page 749
death. All of us then, O best of persons, together
going to Bhishma without delay, will speedily ask him
of Kuru’s race his advice. O Janardana,
he will truly give us beneficial counsel; and O Krishna,
I will do in battle what he will say. Of austere
vows, he will give us counsel, as also victory.
We were children and orphans. By him were we
reared. O Madhava, him, our aged grandsire, I
wish to day,—him, the sire of our sire.
Oh, fie upon the profession of a Kshatriyas.’
Sanjaya continued, “Hearing these words, O king,
he of Vrishni’s race said unto Yudhishthira,
’O thou of great wisdom, these words of thine,
O king, are to my taste. Bhishma, otherwise called
Devavrata, is skilled in weapons. With only his
glances he can consume the foe. Repair unto that
son of the Ocean-going (Ganga), for asking him about
the means of his death. Asked by thee, in particular,
he will certainly say the truth. We will, therefore,
proceed for questioning the Kuru grandsire. Repairing
unto the reverend son of Santanu, we will, O Bharata,
ask him his advice and according to the advice that
he will give us we will fight with the foe.’
Having thus deliberated, O elder brother of Pandu,
the heroic sons of Pandu, and the valiant Vasudeva,
all proceeded together towards the abode of Bhishma,
casting aside their coats of mail and weapons and
entering then his tent, they all bowed to him, bending
their heads. And the sons of Pandu, O king, worshipping
that bull of Bharata’s race, and bowing unto
him with their heads, sought his protection. The
Kuru grandsire, the mighty-armed Bhishma, then addressed
them, saying, ’Welcome art thou, O thou of Vrishni’s
race. Welcome art thou, O Dhananjaya. Welcome
to thee, O king Yudhishthira the just, Ad to thee,
O Bhima. Welcome to you also, ye twins.
What am I to do now for enhancing your joy? Even
if it be exceedingly difficult of achievement, I will
yet do it with all my soul. Unto the son of Ganga
who thus repeatedly spoke unto them with such affection,
king Yudhishthira, with a cheerful heart, lovingly
said, these words, ’O thou that art conversant
with everything, how shall we obtain victory, and
how shall we acquire sovereignty? How also may
this destruction of creatures be stopped? Say
all these unto me, O lord. Tell us the means
of thy own death. How, O hero, shall we be able
to bear thee in battle? O grandsire of the Kurus,
thou givest not thy foes even a minute hole to pick
in thee. Thou art seen in battle with thy bow
ever drawn to a circle. When thou takest thy shafts,
when aimest them, and when drawest the bow (for letting
them off), no one is able to mark. O slayer of
hostile heroes, constantly smiting (as thou dost) cars
and steeds and men and elephants, we behold thee on
thy car, O mighty-armed one, to resemble a second
Sun. What man is there, O bull of Bharata’s
race, who can venture to vanquish thee, scattering
showers of arrows in battle, and causing a great destruction.
Tell me, O grandsire, the means by which we may vanquish
Page 750
thee in battle, by which sovereignty may be ours,
and lastly, by which my army may not have to undergo
such destruction. Hearing these words, Santanu’s
son, O elder brother of Pandu, said unto the son of
Pandu, ’As long as I am alive, O son of Kunti,
victory cannot be yours in battle, O thou of great
wisdom. Truly do I say this unto thee. After,
however, I am vanquished in fight, ye may have victory
in battle, ye sons of Pandu. If, therefore, ye
desire victory in the battle, smite me down without
delay. I give you permission, ye sons of Pritha,
strike me as ye please. I am thus known to you
in what I regard to be a fortunate circumstance.[472]
After I am slain, all the rest will be slain.
Therefore, do as I bid’.
“Yudhishthira said, ’Tell us the means
by which we may vanquish thee in battle, thee that
art, when excited with wrath in the fight, like unto
the Destroyer himself armed with mace. The wielder
of the thunder-bolt may be vanquished or Varuna, or
Yama. Thou, however, art incapable of being defeated
in battle by even the gods and Asuras united together,
with Indra at their head.’
“Bhishma said, ’That, O son of Pandu,
is true, which thou sayest. O thou, of mighty
arms. When with weapons and my large bow in hand
I contend carefully in battle, I am incapable of being
defeated by the very gods and the Asuras with Indra
at their head. If, however, I lay aside my weapons,
even these car-warriors can slay me. One that
hath thrown away his weapons, one that hath fallen
down, one whose armour hath slipped off, one whose
standard is down, one who is flying away, one who is
frightened, one who says—I am thine—one
who is a female, one who beareth the name of a female,
one no longer capable of taking care of one’s
self, one who hath only a single son, or one who is
a vulgar fellows,—with these I do not like
to battle. Hear also, O king, about my resolve
formed before. Beholding any inauspicious omen
I would never fight. That mighty car-warrior,
the son of Drupada, O king, whom thou hast in thy
army, who is known by the name of Sikhandin, who is
wrathful in battle, brave, and ever victorious, was
a female before but subsequently obtained manhood.
How all this took place, ye all know it truly.
Brave in battle and clad in mail, let Arjuna, keeping
Sikhandin before him, attack me with his sharp shafts.
When that inauspicious omen will be there, especially
in the form of one that was a female before, I will
never seek, though armed with bow and arrow, to strike
him. Obtaining that opportunity, let Dhananjaya
the son of Pandu quickly pierce me on every side with
his shafts, O bull of Bharata’s race. Except
the highly blessed Krishna, and Dhananjaya the son
of Pandu, I do not behold the person in the three
worlds who is able to slay me while exerting myself
in battle. Let Vibhatsu, therefore, armed with
weapons, struggling carefully in battle, with his
excellent bow in hand, placing (Sikhandin or) something
else before, throw, me down (from my car). Then
the victory will be certain. Do this, O great
king, even this that I have said unto thee, O thou
of excellent vows. Thou wilt then be able to slay
all Dhartarashtras assembled together in battle.’
Page 751
Sanjaya continued, “The Parthas then, having
ascertained all this went back to their tents, saluting
the Kuru grandsire, viz., the high-souled Bhishma.
After Ganga’s son, prepared to go to the other
world, had said this, Arjuna. burning with grief and
his face suffused in shame, said these words, ’How,
O Madhava, shall I fight in battle with the grandsire
who is my senior in years, who is possessed of wisdom
and intelligence, and who is the oldest member of
our race? While sporting in days of childhood,
O Vasudeva, I used to smear the body of this high-souled
and illustrious one with dust by climbing on his lap
with my own filthy body. O elder brother of Gada,
he is the sire of my sire Pandu. While a child,
climbing on the lap of this high-souled one I once
called him father, I am not thy father but thy father’s
father, O Bharata!—even this is what he
said to me (in reply) in my childhood. He who
said so, Oh, how can he be slain by me. O, let
my army perish. Whether, it is victory or death
that I obtain I will never fight that high-souled person.
(Even this is what I think). What dost thou think,
O Krishna!’
“Vasudeva said, ’Having vowed the slaughter
of Bhishma before, O Jishnu, how canst thou abstain
from slaying him, agreeably to the duties of a Kshatriya?
Throw down from his car, O Partha, that Kshatriya who
is invincible in battle. Victory can never be
yours without slaying Ganga’s son. Even
thus shall he go to the abode of Yama. This hath
been settled before by the gods. That which hath
been destined before, O Partha, must happen.
It cannot be otherwise. None save thee, O invincible
one, not even the wielder of the thunder-bolt himself,
would be capable of fighting with Bhishma, who is
like the Destroyer with wide-open mouth. Slay
Bhishma, without any anxiety. Listen also to these
words of mine that are what Vrihaspati of great intelligence
had said unto Sakra in days of old. One should
slay even an aged person endued with every merit and
worthy of reverence if he cometh as a foe, or, indeed
any other who approacheth for destroying one’s
self—O Dhananjaya, this is the eternal
duty sanctioned for the Kshatriya, viz., that
they should fight, protect subjects, and perform sacrifices,
all without malice.’
“Arjuna said, ’Sikhandin, O Krishna, will
certainly be the cause of Bhishma’s death, for
Bhishma, as soon as he beholds the prince of the Panchalas,
abstains from striking. Therefore, keeping Sikhandin
before him and at our head, we will, by that means,
overthrow the son of Ganga. Even this is what
I think. I will hold in check other great bowmen
with my shafts. As regards Sikhandin, he will
fight with Bhishma alone, that foremost of all warriors.
I have heard from that chief of the Kurus that he
would not strike Sikhandin, for having been born before
as a woman he subsequently became a male person.’
Sanjaya continued, “Having settled this with
Bhishma’s permission, the Pandavas, along with
Madhava, went away with rejoicing hearts. And
then those bulls among men retired to their respective
beds.”
Page 752
SECTION CIX
Dhritarashtra said, “How did Sikhandin advance
against the son of Ganga in battle, and how did Bhishma
also advance against the Pandavas? Say all this
unto me, O Sanjaya!”
Sanjaya said, “Then all those Pandavas, towards
the hour of sun-rise, with beat of drums and cymbals
and smaller drums, and with the blare of conches of
milky whiteness, all around, went out for battle, placing
Sikhandin in their van. And they marched out,
O king, having formed an array that was destructive
of all foes. And Sikhandin, O monarch, was stationed
in the very van of all the troops. And Bhimasena
and Dhananjaya became the protectors of his car-wheels.
And in his rear were the sons of Draupadi and the
valiant Abhimanyu. And those mighty car-warriors,
viz., Satyaki and Chekitana, became the protectors
of the last. And behind them was Dhrishtadyumna
protected by the Panchalas. Next to Dhrishtadyumna,
behind, marched the royal lord Yudhishthira, accompanied
by the twins, filling the air with leonine shouts,
O bull of Bharata’s race. Next behind him
was Virata, surrounded by his own troops. Next
to him marched Drupada, O mighty-armed one. And
the five Kaikeya brothers and the valiant Dhrishtaketu,
O Bharata, protected the rear of the Pandava army.
Having disposed their vast army in such an array, the
Pandavas rushed against thy host, prepared to cast
away their lives. And similarly the Kauravas,
O king, placing that mighty car-warrior Bhishma at
the head of their whole host, proceeded against the
Pandavas. And that invincible warrior was protected
by thy mighty sons. Next behind them was the great
bowman Drona, as also his mighty son (Aswatthaman).
Next behind was Bhagadatta surrounded by his elephant
division. And behind Bhagadatta were Kripa and
Kritavarman. Behind them were Sudakshina the mighty
ruler of the Kamvojas, and Jayatsena, the king of
the Magadhas, and Suvala’s son and Vrihadvala.
And similarly, many other kings, that were all great
bowmen, protected the rear of thy host, O Bharata.
As each day came, Bhishma the son of Santanu, formed
arrays in battle, sometimes after the manner of the
Asuras, sometimes after that of the Pisachas, and sometimes
after that of the Rakshasas. Then commenced the
battle between thy troops, O Bharata, and theirs,
both parties smiting one another and increasing the
population of Yama’s kingdom. And the Parthas
with Arjuna at their head, placing Sikhandin in the
van, proceeded against Bhishma in that battle, scattering
diverse kinds of arrows. And then, O Bharata
afflicted by Bhishma with his shafts, (many of) thy
warriors, profusely bathed in blood, repaired to the
other world. And Nakula and Sahadeva, and the
mighty car-warrior Satyaki, approaching thy army, began
to afflict it with great vigour. Thus slaughtered
in battle, O bull of Bharata’s race, thy warriors
were unable to resist that vast host of the Pandavas.
Then thy host, vigorously afflicted by great car-warriors
and thus slaughtered by them everywhere, fled away
on all sides. Slaughtered with sharp shafts by
the Pandavas and the Srinjayas they found not a protector,
O bull of Bharata’s race.”
Page 753
Dhritarashtra said, “Tell me, O Sanjaya, what
the valiant Bhishma, excited with rage, did in battle,
upon beholding my host afflicted by the Parthas.
O sinless one, tell me how that hero, that chastiser
of foes, rushed against the Pandavas in battle, and
slaughtered the Somakas.”
Sanjaya said, “I will tell thee, O king, what
thy sire did when thy sons’ host was afflicted
by the Pandavas and the Srinjayas. With cheerful
hearts, the brave sons of Pandu, O elder brother of
Pandu, encountered thy son’s host, slaughtering
(all whom they met). That carnage, O chief of
men, of human beings, elephants and steeds, that destruction
by the foe of thy army in battle, Bhishma could not
brook. That invincible and great bowman, then,
reckless of his very life poured upon the Pandavas,
the Panchalas, and the Srinjayas, showers of long shafts
and calf-toothed and crescent-shaped arrows.
And with weapons, O monarch, he checked with his shafts
and with showers of other weapons, both offensive and
defensive, all sped with energy and wrath, the five
foremost of mighty car-warriors of the Pandavas, who
had been struggling vigorously in battle. Excited
with wrath, he slaughtered in that battle countless
elephants and steeds. And that bull among men,
O monarch, throwing down many car-warriors from their
cars,[473] and horsemen from their horses, and crowds
of foot soldiers, and elephant-warriors from the backs
of the beasts they rode, struck terror into the foe.
And the Pandava warriors all rushed together upon
Bhishma singly, upon that mighty car-warrior struggling
in battle with great activity, like the Asuras rushing
together upon him with the thunderbolt in hand.
Shooting on all sides his whetted arrows whose touch
resembled that of Indra’s thunder, he seemed
to the enemy to have assembled a terrible visage.
While fighting in that battle, his large bow, resembling
that of Sakra himself, seemed to be always drawn to
a circle. Beholding those feats in battle, thy
sons, O monarch, filled with exceeding wonder, worshipped
the grandsire. The Parthas cast their eyes, with
cheerless hearts, upon thy heroic sire struggling
in battle, like the celestials upon (the Asura) Viprachitti
(in days of old).[474] They could not resist that warrior
who then resembled the Destroyer himself with wide-open
mouth. In that battle on the tenth day, Bhishma,
with his sharp shafts, consumed the division of Sikhandin
like a conflagration consuming a forest. Him resembling
an angry snake of virulent poison, or the Destroyer
urged by Death himself, Sikhandin pierced with three
shafts in the centre of the chest. Deeply pierced
therewith, Bhishma saw that it was Sikhandin (who was
piercing him). Excited with wrath, but unwilling
(to fight with Sikhandin) Bhishma laughingly said,
’Whether thou choosest to strike me or not, I
will never fight with thee. Thou art that Sikhandin
still which the Creator had made thee first’,[475]
Hearing these words of his, Sikhandin, deprived of
Page 754
his senses by wrath, and licking the corners of his
mouth addressed Bhishma in that battle, saying, ’I
know thee, O mighty-armed one, to be the exterminator
of the Kshatriya race. I have heard also of thy
battle with Jamadagni’s son. I have also
heard much of thy super-human prowess. Knowing
thy prowess I will still fight with thee today.
For doing what is agreeable to the Pandavas and is
agreeable to my own self, O chastiser of foes, I will
today fight with thee in battle, O best of men.
I will, of a certainty, slay thee. I swear this
before thee by my troth! Hearing these words
of mine, do that which thou shouldst. Whether
thou choosest to strike me or not, thou shall not
escape me with life. O thou that art ever victorious,
O Bhishma, look thy last on this world.
Sanjaya continued, “Having said so, Sikhandin
in that battle pierced Bhishma with five straight
shafts, having already pierced him with his wordy
shafts. Hearing those words of his, the mighty
car-warrior Arjuna, regarding Sikhandin to be Bhishma’s
Destroyer, urged him on, saying, ’I will fight
behind thee, routing the foe with my shafts. Excited
with fury, rush thou against Bhishma of terrible prowess.
The mighty Bhishma will not be able to afflict thee
in battle. Therefore, O mighty-armed one, encounter
Bhishma with vigor. If, O sire, thou returnest
today without slaying Bhishma, thou wilt, with myself,
be an object of ridicule to the world. Seek to
do that in battle by which, O hero, we may not incur
ridicule in this great battle. Stay the grandsire.
O thou of great strength, I will protect thee in this
battle, checking all the car-warriors (of the Kuru
army). Do thou slay the grandsire. Drona,
and Drona’s son, and Kripa, and Suyodhana, and
Chitrasena, and Vikarna, and Jayadratha the ruler
of the Sindhus, Vinda and Anuvinda. of Avanti, and
Sudakshina the ruler of the Kamvojas, and the brave
Bhagadatta, and the mighty king of the Magadhas, and
Somadatta’s son, and the brave Rakshasas who
is Rishyasringa’s son and the ruler of the Trigartas,
alone with all the other great car-warriors (of the
Kuru army). I will check like the continent resisting
the surging sea. Indeed, I will hold in check
all the mighty warriors of the Kuru army assembled
together and battling with us. Do thou slay the
grandsire.’
SECTION CX
Dhritarashtra said, “How did Sikhandin the prince
of the Panchalas, excited with wrath, rushed in battle
against the grandsire, viz., Ganga’s son
of righteous soul and regulated vows. What mighty
car-warriors of the Pandavas army, upraised weapons,
desirous of victory, and exerting themselves with
activity, protected Sikhandin on that occasion which
required great activity? How also did Bhishma
the son of Santanu, endued with great energy, fight
on that tenth day of battle with the Pandavas and
the Srinjayas? I cannot brook the idea of Sikhandin
encountering Bhishma in battle. (Indeed, when Sikhandin
attacked Bhishma), was Bhishma’s car or his
bow broken?”
Page 755
Sanjaya said, “While fighting in that battle,
O bull of Bharata’s race, neither the bow nor
the car of Bhishma had suffered any injury. He
was then slaying the foe with straight shafts.
Many thousands of mighty car-warriors belonging to
thy army, as also elephants, O king, and steeds well
harnessed, proceeded for battle, with the grandsire
in the van. Agreeably to his vow, O thou of Kuru’s
race, the ever-victorious Bhishma was incessantly
engaged in slaughtering the troops of the Parthas.
The Panchalas and the Pandavas were unable to bear
that great bowman battling (with them) and slaying
his foes with his shafts. When the tenth day
came, the hostile army was torn into pieces by Bhishma
with his shafts by hundreds and thousands. O
elder brother of Pandu, the sons of Pandu were incapable
of defeating in battle the great bowman Bhishma who
resembled the Destroyer himself armed with the lance.
“Then, O king, the unvanquished Vibhatsu or
Dhananjaya, who was capable of drawing the bow with
even the left hand, came to that spot, frightening
all the car-warriors. Roaring loudly like a lion,
and repeatedly drawing the bow-string, and scattering
showers of arrows, Partha careered on the field of
battle like Death himself. Frightened at those
roars of his, thy warriors, O bull of Bharata’s
race, fled away in terror, like smaller animals, O
king, at the sound of the lion. Beholding the
son of Pandu crowned with victory and thus afflicting
that host, Duryodhana, himself under the influence
of terror addressed Bhishma and said, ’You son
of Pandu, O sire, with white steeds (yoked unto his
car), and having Krishna for his charioteer, consumeth
all my troops like a conflagration consuming a forest.
Behold, O son of Ganga, all troops, slaughtered by
Pandu’s son in battle, are, O foremost of warriors,
fleeing away. Indeed, as the herdsman belaboureth
his cattle in the forest, even so, O scorcher of foes
is my army being belaboured. Broken and driven
away on all sides by Dhananjaya with his shafts, the
invincible Bhima is also routing that (already broken)
host of mine. And Satyaki, and Chekitana, and
the twin sons of Madri, and the valiant Abhimanyu,—these
also are routing my troops. The brave Dhrishtadyumna,
and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha also, are vigorously breaking
and driving away my army in this fierce conflict.
Of these troops that are being slaughtered by all
those mighty car-warriors, I do not see any other
refuge in the matter of their staying and fighting
on the field, O Bharata, save thee, O tiger among
men, that art possessed of prowess equal to that of
the celestials, Therefore, receive thou those great
car-warriors without delay, and be thou the refuge
of these afflicted troops. Thus addressed by
him, O king, thy sire Devavrata, the son of Santanu,
reflecting for a moment and settling what he should
do, said these words unto thy son, comforting him
(therewith), ’O Duryodhana, listen calmly to
what I say, O king, O thou of great might, formerly
Page 756
I vowed before thee that slaying every day ten thousand
high-souled Kshatriyas, I would come back from the
battle. I have fulfilled that vow, O bull of
Bharata’s race! O thou of great might, today
I will achieve even a great feat. Today I will
either sleep myself being slain, or, I will slay the
Pandavas. O tiger among men, I will today free
myself from the debt I owe thee,—the debt,
O king, arising out of the food, thou gavest me,—by
casting away my life at the head of thy army.’
Having said these words, O chief of the Bharatas,
that invincible warrior, scattering his shafts among
the Kshatriyas, attacked the Pandava host. And
the Pandavas then, O bull of Bharata’s race,
began to resist the son of Ganga staying in the midst
of his forces and excited with wrath like a snake of
virulent poison. Indeed, O king, on that tenth
day of the battle, Bhishma, displaying his might,
slew, O son of Kuru’s race, hundreds of thousands.
And he drained the energies of those royal and mighty
car-warriors that were the foremost among the Panchalas,
like the Sun sucking up the moisture (of the earth)
with his rays. Having slain ten thousand elephants
of great activity and ten thousand steeds also, O
king, along with their riders, and full two hundred
thousands of foot-soldiers, that best of men, viz.,
Bhishma, shone resplendent in battle like a fire without
a curl of smoke. And no one amongst the Pandavas
was capable of even looking at him who then resembled
the burning Sun staying in the northern solstice.
The Pandavas, however, though afflicted in battle
by that great bowman, still rushed, accompanied by
the mighty car-warriors of the Srinjayas, for slaughtering
him. Battling with myriads upon myriads around
him, Santanu’s son Bhishma then looked like
the cliff of Meru covered on all sides with masses
of clouds. Thy sons, however, stood, surrounding
Bhishma on all sides with a large force (for protecting
him). Then commenced a fierce battle (between
the Kurus and the Pandavas).”
SECTION CXI
Sanjaya said, “Arjuna then, O king, beholding
the prowess of Bhishma in battle, addressed Sikhandin
saying, ’Proceed towards the grandsire.
Thou shouldst not entertain the slightest fear of
Bhishma today. Even I will throw him down from
his excellent car by means of my sharp shafts’.
Thus addressed by Partha, Sikhandin, O bull of Bharata’s
race, having heard those words, rushed at the son
of Ganga. And so Dhrishtadyumna also, O king,
and the mighty car-warrior Abhimanyu, having heard
those words of Partha, joyfully rushed at Bhishma.
And old Virata and Drupada, and Kuntibhoja also, clad
in mail, rushed at Bhishma in the very sight of thy
son. And Nakula, Sahadeva, and the valiant king
Yudhishthira also, and all the rest of the warriors,
O monarch, rushed against Bhishma. As regards
thy warriors O king, that rushed, according to the
measure of their might and courage, against those
Page 757
mighty car-warriors (of the Pandava army) united together,
listen to me as I speak (of them) unto thee.
Like a young tiger attacking a bull, Chitrasena, O
king, rushed against Chekitana who in that battle
was proceeding for getting at Bhishma. Kritavarman,
O king, resisted Dhrishtadyumna who had reached the
presence of Bhishma and who was exerting himself with
great activity and vigour in that battle. Somadatta’s
son, O monarch, with great activity, resisted Bhimasena
excited with fury and desirous of slaying Bhishma.
Similarly Vikarna, desirous of (protecting) Bhishma’s
life, resisted the brave Nakula who was scattering
innumerable arrows around. And so, O king, Kripa
the son of Saradwat, excited with rage, resisted Sahadeva
proceeding towards Bhishma’s car. And the
mighty Durmukha rushed at that Rakshasa of cruel deeds,
viz., the mighty son of Bhishmasena, desirous
of Bhishma’s slaughter. Thy son Duryodhana
himself resisted Satyaki proceeding to battle.
Sudakshina the ruler of the Kamavojas, O king, resisted
Abhimanyu, O monarch, who was proceeding towards Bhishma’s
car. And Aswatthaman, O king, excited with rage,
resisted old Virata and Drupada, those two chastisers
of foes united together. And Bharadwaja’s
son, exerting himself with vigour in battle, resisted
the eldest Pandava, that is to say, king Yudhishthira
the just, who was desirous of Bhishma’s death.
And that great bowman, viz., Dussasana, in that
battle, resisted Arjuna who was rushing with great
speed, with Sikhandin before him, desirous of coming
upon Bhishma, O monarch, and illuminating the ten
quarters (with his bright weapons). And other
warriors of thy army resisted in that great battle
other mighty car-warriors of the Pandavas proceeding
against Bhishma. Dhrishtadyumna, that mighty car-warrior,
excited with rage, rushed against Bhishma alone and
addressing the troops, repeatedly said in a loud voice,
’There, Arjuna, that delighter of Kuru’s
race, is proceeding against Bhishma in battle.
Rush ye against Ganga’s son. Be not afraid.
Bhishma will not be able to attack you in battle.[476]
Vasava himself cannot venture to fight with Arjuna
in battle. What therefore, need be said of Bhishma
who, though possessed of bravery in battle, is feeble
and old.” Hearing these words of their
commander, the mighty car-warriors of the Pandava army,
filled with joy, rushed towards the car of Ganga’s
son. Many foremost of men, however, of thy army
cheerfully received and resisted those heroes coming
towards Bhishma like impetuous mass of living energy.
That mighty car-warrior, Dussasana, abandoning all
fears, rushed against Dhananjaya, desirous of protecting
the life of Bhishma. And so the heroic Pandavas
also, O king, rushed in. battle against thy sons,
those mighty car-warriors, stationed about Bhishma’s
car. And then, O king we beheld a highly wonderful
incident, viz., that Partha, having proceeded
as far as Dussasana’s car, could not advance
further. As the continent resists the surging
Page 758
sea, even so did thy son (Dussasana) resist the angry
son of Pandu. Both of them were foremost of car-warriors.
Both of them, O Bharata, were invincible. Both
of them, in beauty and splendour, O Bharata, resembled
the Sun or the Moon. Both of them were excited
with wrath. And each of them desired to slay
the other. And they encountered each other in
dreadful battle like Maya and Sakra in days of old.
And Dussasana, O king, in that battle pierced the
son of Pandu with three shafts and Vasudeva with twenty.
Then Arjuna, excited with rage upon beholding him
of Vrishni’s race thus afflicted, pierced Dussasana
with a hundred shafts. These, penetrating through
the latter’s armour, drank his blood in that
battle. Then Dussasana, excited with wrath, pierced
Partha with five shafts. And once more, O chief
of the Bharatas, he pierced Arjuna in the forehead
with three sharp shafts. And with those shafts
sticking to his forehead, the son of Pandu looked
beautiful in that battle, like Meru, O king with its
tall crests. That great bowman, viz., Partha,
then thus deeply pierced by thy son wielding the bow,
looked resplendent in that battle like a flowering
Kinsuka. The son of Pandu then, excited with rage,
afflicted Dussasana, like Rahu inflamed with rage
on the fifteenth day of the lighted fortnight afflicting
the Moon at full. Thus afflicted by that mighty
warrior, thy son, O king, pierced Partha in that battle
with many shafts whetted on stone and winged with
the features of the Kanka bird. Then Partha,
cutting off Dussasana’s bow and splitting his
car with three shafts, sped at him many fierce arrows
resembling the darts of Death. Thy son, however,
cut off all those shafts of Partha exerting himself
with vigour before they could reach him. All
this seemed highly wonderful. Then thy son pierced
Partha with many shafts of great sharpness. Then
Partha, excited with rage in that battle, placed on
his bowstring a number of shafts whetted on stone
and furnished with wings of gold and aiming them,
sped them all at his foe. These, O king, penetrated
the body of that high-souled warrior, like swans,
O monarch, diving into a lake. Thus afflicted
by the high-souled son of Pandu, thy son avoiding Partha,
quickly proceeded to the car of Bhishma. Indeed,
Bhishma then became an island unto him who was thus
sinking into fathomless waters. Regaining consciousness
then, thy son, O monarch, endued with heroism and prowess,
once more began to resist Partha with sharp arrows
like Purandara resisting (the Asura) Vritra.
Of huge form, thy son began to pierce Arjuna, but
the latter was scarcely pained (at all this).”
SECTION CXII
Page 759
Sanjaya said, “The mighty bowman (Alamvusha)
the son of Rishyasringa, in that battle, resisted
Satyaki clad in mail and proceeding towards Bhishma.
He of Madhu’s race, however, O king, excited
with wrath, pierced the Rakshasa with nine arrows,
smiling the while, O Bharata. And so the Rakshasa
also, O king, excited with wrath, afflicted him of
Madhu’s race, viz., that bull of Sini’s
line, with nine arrows. Then Sini’s grandson,
that slayer of hostile heroes, of Madhu’s race,
excited with rage, sped in that battle a profusion
of arrows at the Rakshasa. Then that mighty-aimed
Rakshasa pierced Satyaki, of prowess incapable of being
baffled, with many sharp arrows, and uttered a loud
shout. Then he of Madhu’s race, endued
with great energy, though deeply pierced by the Rakshasa
in that battle, still, relying upon his prowess, laughed
(at his wounds) and uttered loud roars. Then
Bhagadatta, excited with rage, afflicted him of Madhu’s
race in that battle with many sharp arrows like a
guide piercing a huge elephant with the hook.
Then that foremost of car-warriors, viz., the
grandson of Sini, abandoning the Rakshasa in battle,
sped many straight shafts at the ruler of the Pragjyotishas.
The ruler of the Pragjyotishas then, with a broad-headed
arrow of great sharpness, displaying great lightness
of hand, cut off, the large bow of Satyaki. Then
that slayer of hostile heroes, excited with rage and
taking up another bow of greater impetus, pierced
Bhagadatta in that battle with many sharp arrows.
That mighty bowman, viz., Bhagadatta, then deeply
pierced, began to lick the corners of his mouth.
And he then hurled at his foe, in that dreadful battle,
a tough dart, made wholly of iron, decked with gold
and stones of lapis lazuli, and fierce as the rod of
Yama himself. Sped with the might of Bhagadatta’s
arm and coursing towards him impetuously, Satyaki,
O king, cut that dart in twain by means of his shafts.
Thereupon that dart fell down suddenly, like a great
meteor shorn of its splendour. Beholding the dart
baffled, thy son (Duryodhana), O monarch, surrounded
him of Madhu’s race with a large number of cars.
And seeing that mighty car-warrior among the Vrishnis
thus surrounded, Duryodhana, angrily addressing all
his brothers, said, ’Take such steps, ye Kauravas,
that Satyaki may not, in this battle, escape you and
this large division of cars, with life. If he
be slain, the vast host of the Pandavas may be regarded
as slain also.’ Accepting Duryodhana’s
words with the answer—So be it,—those
mighty car-warriors fought with Sini’s grandson
in the view of Bhishma. The mighty ruler of the
Kamvojas, in that battle, resisted Abhimanyu who was
proceeding against Bhishma. The son of Arjuna,
having pierced the king with many straight shafts,[477]
once more pierced that monarch, O monarch, with four
and sixty shafts. Sudakshina, however, desirous
of Bhishma’s life, pierced Abhimanyu in that
battle with five arrows and his charioteer with nine.
Page 760
And the battle that took place there, in consequence
of the meeting of those two warriors, was fierce in
the extreme. That grinder of foes Sikhandin,
then rushed at the of Ganga. Old Virata and Drupada,
those mighty car-warriors, both excited with rage,
rushed to battle with Bhishma, resisting the large
host of the Kauravas as they went. That best
of car-warriors, viz., Aswatthaman, excited with
rage, encountered both those warriors. Then commenced
a battle, O Bharata, between him and them. Virata
then, O chastiser of foes, struck, with broad-headed
shafts, that mighty bowman and ornament of battle,
viz., Drona’s son, as the latter advanced
against them. And Drupada also pierced him with
three sharp shafts. Then the preceptor’s
soil, Aswatthaman, coming upon those mighty warriors
thus striking him, viz., the brave Virata and
Drupada both proceeding towards Bhishma, pierced them
both with many shafts. Wonderful was the conduct
that we then beheld of those two old warriors, inasmuch
as they checked all those fierce shafts shot by Drona’s
son. Like an infuriate elephant in the forest
rushing against an infuriate compeer, Kripa, the son
of Saradwat, proceeded against Sahadeva who was advancing
upon Bhishma. And Kripa, brave in battle, quickly
struck that mighty car-warrior, viz., the son
of Madri, with seventy shafts decked with gold.
The son of Madri, however, cut Kripa’s bow in
twain by means of his shafts. And cutting off
his bow, Sahadeva then pierced Kripa with nine arrows.
Taking up then, in that battle, another bow capable
of bearing a great strain Kripa, excited with rage
and desirous of Bhishma’s life, cheerfully struck
Madri’s son in that battle with ten shafts.
And so the son of Pandu, in return, desirous of Bhishma’s
death, excited with rage, struck the wrathful Kripa
in the chest (with many shafts). And then occurred
there a terrible and fierce battle. That scorcher
of foes, viz., Vikarna, desirous of saving the
grandsire Bhishma, excited with rage in that battle,
pierced Nakula with sixty arrows. Nakula also,
deeply pierced by thy intelligent son, pierced Vikarna
in return with seven and seventy shafts. There
those two tigers among men, those two chastisers of
foes, those two heroes, struck each other for the sake
of Bhishma, like two bovine bulls in a fold.
Thy son Durmukha, endued with great prowess, proceeded,
for the sake of Bhishma, against Ghatotkacha advancing
to battle and slaughtering thy army as he came.
Hidimva’s son, however, O king, excited with
rage, struck Durmukha, that chastiser of foes, in the
chest a straight shaft. The heroic Durmukha then,
shouting cheerfully, pierced Bhimasena’s son
on the field of battle with sixty shafts of keen points.
That mighty car-warrior, viz., the son of Hridika
resisted Dhrishtadyumna, that foremost of car-warriors,
who was advancing to battle from desire of Bhishma’s
slaughter. The son of Prishata, however, having
pierced Kritavarman with five shafts made wholly of
Page 761
iron, once more, struck him quickly in the centre
of the chest fifty shafts. And similarly, O king,
Prishata’s son struck Kritavarman with nine sharp
and blazing shaft, winged with the feathers of the
Kanka bird. Encountering each other with great
vigour, the battle that took place between them for
Bhishma’s sake was as fierce as that between
Vritra and Vasava. Against Bhimasena who was
advancing upon the mighty Bhishma, proceeded Bhurisravas
with great speed, saying,—Wait, Wait,—And
the son of Somadatta struck Bhima in the centre of
the chest with an arrow of exceeding sharpness and
golden wings in that battle. And the valiant
Bhimasena, with that arrow on his chest, looked beautiful,
O best of kings, like the Krauncha mountain in days
of old with the dart of Skanda. And those two
bulls among men, enraged in battle, shot at each other
shafts brightly polished by their forgers and endued
with effulgence of the Sun. Bhima, longing for
Bhishma’s death, fought with the mighty son
of Somadatta, and the latter, desirous of Bhishma’s
victory, fought with the former, each carefully seeking
to counteract the other’s feats. Bharadwaja’s
son resisted Yudhishthira the son of Kunti, who, accompanied
by a large force, was coming towards Bhishma.
Hearing the rattle of Drona’s car, O king, that
resembled the roar of the clouds, the Prabhadrakas,
O sire, began to tremble. That large force, of
Pandu’s son, resisted by Drona in battle, could
not, exerting vigorously, advance even one step.
Thy son Chitrasena, O king, resisted Chekitana of wrathful
visage who was exerting vigorously for coming upon
Bhishma. Possessed of great prowess and great
dexterity of hand, that mighty car-warrior for the
sake of Bhishma, battled with Chekitana, O Bharata,
according to the utmost of his power. And Chekitana
also fought with Chitrasena to the utmost of his power.
And the battle that took place there in consequence
of the meeting of those two warriors, was exceedingly
fierce. As regards Arjuna, although he was resisted
by all means, O Bharata, he still compelled thy son
to turn back and then crushed thy troops. Dussasana
however, to the utmost stretch of his power, began
to resist Partha, wishing, O Bharata, to protect Bhishma.
The army of thy son, O Bharata, undergoing such slaughter,
began to be agitated here and there by many foremost
car-warriors (of the Pandava).”
SECTION CXIII
Sanjaya said, “The heroic Drona, that great
bowman endued with the prowess of an infuriate elephant,
that foremost of men possessed of great might, taking
up his large bow which was capable [of] checking even
an infuriate elephant, and shaking it (in his hands),
was engaged in afflicting the Pandava ranks, having
penetrated into their midst. That valiant warrior
acquainted with every omen, beholding the omens on
all sides, addressed his son who also was scorching
the hostile ranks and said these words, ’This
is that day, O son, on which the mighty Partha, desirous
Page 762
of slaying Bhishma in battle, will exert himself to
the best of his might. My arrows are coming out
(of the quiver, of their own accord). My bow
seems to yawn. My weapon seems unwilling to obey
my behests, and my heart also is cheerless. Animals
and birds are uttering fearful and incessant cries.
Vultures seem to disappear beneath the feet of the
Bharata troops. The Sun himself seems to have
lost hue. The quarters are all ablaze. The
Earth seems to shriek, inspire fear, and tremble everywhere.
Kankas, and vultures, and cranes are frequently crying.
Jackals are uttering inauspicious and fierce yells
foreboding great danger. Large meteors seem to
fall from the centre of the solar disc. The constellation
called Parigha, with a trunkless form, appeareth around
the Sun. The solar and the lunar discs have become
awful, foreboding great danger to Kshatriyas about
the mangling of their bodies. The idols of the
Kuru king in his temples tremble and laugh and dance
and weep. The illustrious Moon riseth with his
horns downward. The bodies of the kings belonging
to the Kuru army all seem to be pale, and though clad
in mail, are shorn of splendour. The loud blare
of Panchajanya and the twang of Gandiva are heard
on all sides of both the armies. Without doubt,
Arjuna, relying upon his great weapons and avoiding
other warriors will advance upon the grandsire.
The pores of my body are contracting, and my heart
also is depressed, thinking, O mighty-armed one, of
the encounter between Bhishma and Arjuna. Keeping
on his fore the Panchala prince of sinful soul and
conversant with deceit, Partha is proceeding towards
Bhishma for battle. Bhishma said before that
he would not slay Sikhandin. By the Creator had
that one been made female, though through chance he
subsequently became a male person. That mighty
son of Yajnasena is also an inauspicious omen (by
himself). The son of the Ocean-going (Ganga)
will not strike that person of inauspicious self.
Thinking of this, viz., that Arjuna, excited
with wrath, is about to fall upon the aged Kuru grandsire,
my heart is exceedingly depressed. The wrath of
Yudhishthira, an encounter between Bhishma and Arjuna
in battle, and an endeavour like this (of the shooting
of weapons) by myself,—these (three) are
certainly fraught with great harm to creatures.
Arjuna is endued with great energy; he is powerful,
brave, accomplished in weapons, and possessed of valour
that is very active. Capable of shooting his arrows
to a great distance and shooting them with force,
he is, besides, acquainted with omens, Endued with
great might and intelligence, and above fatigue, that
foremost of warriors is incapable of defeat by the
very gods with Vasava at their head. The son
of Pandu possesses terrible weapons and is ever victorious
in battle. Avoiding his path, go thou to battle
(for Bhishma’s victory) O thou of rigid vows.[478]
Today in this dreadful battle thou wilt behold a great
carnage. The beautiful and costly coats of mail,
Page 763
decked with gold, of brave warriors will be pierced
with straight shafts. And the tops of standards,
and bearded javelins, and bows, and bright lances
of sharp points, and darts bright with gold, and the
standards on the backs of elephants, will all be cut
off by Kiritin in wrath. O son, this is not the
time when dependants should take care of their lives.
Go to battle, keeping heaven before thee, and for
the sake of fame and victory. There, the ape-bannered
(Arjuna) crosseth on his car the river of battle that
is awful and incapable of being easily crossed, and
hath cars, elephants, and steeds, for its eddies.
Regard for Brahmanas, self-restraint, liberality,
asceticism, and noble conduct, are seen in Yudhishthira
alone who hath for his brothers Dhananjaya, and the
mighty Bhimasena, and the twin sons of Madri by Pandu,
and who hath Vasudeva of the Vrishni race for his
protector. The wrath, born of grief, of that
Yudhishthira whose body hath been purified by the flames
of penance, directed to the wicked-souled son of Dhritarashtra,
is consuming this Bharata host. There cometh
Partha, having Vasudeva for his protector, checking
(as he cometh) this entire Dhartarashtra army.
Behold, Kiritin is agitating this host like a large
whale agitating the vast sea of crested waves.
Hark, cries of distress and woe are heard in the van
of the army. Go, encounter the heir of the Panchala
king. As for myself, I will proceed against Yudhishthira.
The heart of king Yudhishthira’s very strong
array is difficult of access. Inaccessible as
the interior of the sea, it is guarded on all sides
by Atirathas. Satyaki, and Abhimanyu and Dhrishtadyumna,
and Vrikodara, and the twins, even these are protecting
that ruler of men, viz., king Yudhishthira.
Dark as the younger brother of Indra, and risen like
a tall Sala, behold Abhimanyu advancing at the head
of the (Pandava) host, like a second Phalguna!
Take up thy mighty weapons, and with thy large bow
in hand proceed against the royal son of Prishata
(viz., Sikhandin), and against Vrikodara. Who
is there that doth not wish his dear son to live for
many years? Keeping the duties of a Kshatriya,
however, before me, I am engaging thee (to this task).
So Bhishma also, in this battle, is consuming the
mighty host of the Pandavas. O son, he is, in
battle, equal to Yama or Varuna himself.’”
SECTION CXIV
Sanjaya said, “Hearing these words of the high-souled
Drona, Bhagadatta and Kripa and Salya and Kritavarman,
and Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, and Jayadratha the
ruler of the Sindhus, and Chitrasena and Vikarna and
Durmarshana and others, these ten warriors of thy army,
supported by a large host consisting of many nationalities,
fought with Bhimasena, desirous of winning high renown
in the battle for Bhishma’s sake. And Salya
struck Bhima with nine arrows, and Kritavarman struck
him with three, and Kripa with nine. And Chitrasena
and Vikarna and Bhagadatta, O sire, each struck him
Page 764
with ten arrows. And the ruler of the Sindhus
struck him with three, and Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti
each struck him with five arrows. And Duryodhana
struck that son of Pandu with twenty sharp arrows.
Bhimasena, O king, pierced in return every one of those
kings, those foremost of men in the world, those mighty
car-warriors of the Dhartarashtra army, one after
another. The brave Pandava, that slayer of hostile
heroes, pierced Salya with seven arrows, and Kritavarman
with eight. And he cut off Kripa’s bow
with arrow fixed thereon, O Bharata, in the middle,
dividing it in twain. And after thus cutting off
his bow, he pierced Kripa once more with seven arrows.
And he struck Vinda and Anuvinda with three arrows
each. And he pierced Durmarshana with twenty
arrows, and Chitrasena with five, and Vikarna with
ten, and Jayadratha with five. And once more
striking the ruler of the Sindhus with three arrows,
he uttered a loud shout, filled with joy. Then
Gautama, that foremost of car-warriors, taking up
another bow, angrily pierced Bhima with ten sharp
shafts. Pierced with those ten shafts like a huge
elephant with the hook, the valiant Bhimasena, O king,
filled with wrath, struck Gautama in that battle with
many shafts. Possessed of the splendour of Yama
himself, as he appears at the end of the Yuga, Bhimasena
then, with three arrows, despatched unto Death’s
domain the steeds of the ruler of the Sindhus as also
his charioteer. Thereupon that mighty car-warrior,
(viz., Jayadratha), quickly jumping down from that
car whose steeds had been slain, shot in that battle
many sharp-pointed shafts at Bhimasena. Then,
O sire, with a couple of broad-headed arrows, he cut
off, O chief of the Bharatas, the bow of the high-souled
king of the Sindhus in the middle. His bow cut
off, himself deprived of car, his steeds and charioteer
slain, Jayadratha then, O king, quickly mounted on
the car of Chitrasena. Indeed, the son of Pandu
achieved in that battle a most wonderful feat, for
piercing all those mighty car-warriors and holding
them in check, he deprived, O sire, the ruler of the
Sindhus of his car in the very sight of all the army.
Salya could not brook to see the prowess that Bhimasena
displayed, for saying unto him,—Wait, Wait,—he
aimed some sharp arrows well-polished by the forger’s
hands, and pierced Bhima therewith in that battle.
And Kripa and Kritavarman and the valiant Bhagadatta,
and Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, and Chitrasena, and
Durmarshana, and Vikarna, and the valiant ruler of
the Sindhus also, in that battle,—These
chastisers of foes, all quickly pierced Bhima for the
sake of Salya. Bhima then pierced each of them
in return with five arrows. And he pierced Salya
then with seventy arrows and once more with ten.
And Salya then pierced him with nine arrows and once
more with five. And he pierced Bhimasena’s
charioteer also, deep in his vitals, with a broad-headed
arrow. The valiant Bhimasena then, beholding his
charioteer Visoka deeply pierced, sped three arrows
Page 765
at the arms and chest of the ruler of Madras.
And as regards the other great bowmen, he pierced each
of them in that battle With three straight arrows,
and then uttered a loud roar like that of a lion.
Each of those great bowmen then, exerting himself
with vigour, deeply Pierced that son of Pandu skilled
in battle, with three arrows in his vitals. That
mighty bowman viz., Bhimasena, though pierced
deeply, trembled not (but stood still) like a mountain
drenched with torrents of rain by showering clouds.
Then that mighty car-warrior of the Pandavas, filled
with wrath, that celebrated hero, deeply, pierced
the ruler of the Madras with three arrows. And
he pierced the ruler of the Pragjyotishas, O king,
in that battle, with a hundred arrows. Of great
renown, he then pierced Kripa with many arrows, and
then, displaying great dexterity, he cut off with a
keen-edged shaft the bow, with arrow fixed thereon,
of the high-souled Kritavarman. Then Kritavarman,
that scorcher of foes, taking up another bow, struck
Vrikodara between his eyebrows with a long arrow.
Bhima, however, in that battle, having pierced Salya
with nine arrows made wholly of iron, and Bhagadatta
with three, and Kritavarman with eight, pierced each
of the others with Gautama at their head, with two
arrows. Those warriors also, in return, pierced
him, O king, with sharp-pointed shafts. Though
thus afflicted by those mighty car-warriors with all
kinds of weapons, yet, regarding them all as straw,
he coursed on the field without any anxiety.
Those foremost of car-warriors (on the other hand),
with great coolness, sped at Bhima sharp-pointed arrows
by hundreds and thousands. The heroic and mighty
Bhagadatta then, in that battle, hurled at him a dart
of fierce impetuosity furnished with a golden staff.
And the Sindhu king, of strong arms, hurled at him
a lance and an axe. And Kripa, O king, hurled
at him a Sataghni, and Salya an arrow. And the
other great bowmen each sped at him five arrows with
great force. The son of the Wind-god then cut
off, with a sharp shaft, that lance in twain.
And he cut off that axe also with three shafts, as
if it were a sesame stalk. And with five shafts
winged with the feathers of the Kanka bird, he cut
that Sataghni into fragments. That mighty car-warrior
then, having cut off the arrow sped by the ruler of
the Madras, forcibly cut off the dart sped by Bhagadatta
in that battle. As regards the other fierce shafts,
Bhimasena, proud of his feats in battle, cut them
each into three fragments by means of his own straight
shafts. And he struck each of those great bowmen
also with three shafts. Then Dhananjaya, during
the progress of that dreadful battle, beholding the
mighty car-warrior Bhima striking the foe and battling
(against many) with his arrows, came thither on his
car. Then those bulls among men, of thy army,
beholding those two high-souled sons of Pandu together,
gave up all hopes of victory. Then Arjuna, desirous
of slaying Bhishma, placing Sikhandin before him,
Page 766
approached Bhima who had been fighting with those
great car-warriors and fell upon those fierce combatants,
numbering ten, of thy army, O Bharata. Then Vibhatsu,
desirous of doing what was agreeable to Bhima, pierced
all those warriors, O king, who had been battling
with Bhima. Then king Duryodhana urged Susarman,
for the destruction of both Arjuna and Bhimasena, saying,
’O Susarman, go thou quickly supported by a large
force. Slay those two sons of Pandu, viz.,
Dhananjaya and Vrikodara.’ Hearing these
words of his, the Trigarta king who ruled the country
called Prasthala, quickly rushed in battle upon those
two bowmen, viz., Bhima and Dhananjaya, and surrounded
them both by many thousands of cars. Then commenced
a fierce battle between Arjuna and the foe.”
SECTION CXV
Sanjaya said, “Arjuna covered with his straight
shafts the mighty car-warrior Salya who was struggling
vigorously in battle. And he pierced Susarman
and Kripa with three arrows each. And in that
battle the Atiratha Arjuna, afflicting thy host, struck
the ruler of the Pragjyotishas, and Jayadratha the
king of the Sindhus, and Chitrasena, and Vikarna,
and Kritavarman, and Durmarshana, O monarch, and those
two mighty car-warriors, viz., the princes of
Avanti, each with three arrows winged with the feathers
of the Kanka and the peacock. Jayadratha, staying
on the car of Chitrasena, pierced Partha (in return),
O Bharata, and then, without loss of time, Bhima also,
with his shafts. And Salya, and that foremost
of car-warriors, viz., Kripa, both pierced Jishnu,
O monarch, with diverse arrows capable of penetrating
into the very vitals. Thy sons headed by Chitrasena,
O king, each quickly pierced Arjuna and Bhimasena
in that battle, O sire, with five sharp shafts.
Those two foremost of car-warriors however, viz.,
those sons of Kunti, those bulls of Bharata’s
race, began in that battle to afflict the mighty host
of the Trigartas. Susarman (in return) pierced
Partha with nine swift arrows, and uttered a loud
shout frightening the vast host (of the Pandavas).
And other heroic car-warriors pierced Bhimasena and
Dhananjaya with many straight-going arrows of keen
points and golden wings. Amid these car-warriors,
however, those two bulls of Bharata’s race, viz.,
the two sons of Kunti, those great car-warriors, looked
exceedingly beautiful. And they seemed to sport
amid them like two furious lions amid a herd of kine.
Cutting off in various ways the bows and arrows of
many brave warriors in that battle, those two heroes
felled the heads of combatants by hundreds upon hundreds.
Innumerable cars were broken, and steeds by hundreds
were slain, and many elephants, along with their riders,
were laid low on the field in that dreadful battle.
And car-warriors and horsemen and elephant-riders
in large numbers, O king, deprived of life were seen
moving in convulsions all over the field. And
Page 767
the earth was covered with slain elephants and foot-soldiers
in large bands, and steeds deprived of life, and cars
broken in diverse ways. And the prowess we beheld
there of Partha was highly wonderful, in as much as
holding in check all those heroes, that mighty warrior
caused a great slaughter. Kripa, and Kritavarman,
and Jayadratha, the ruler of the Sindhus, and Vinda
and Anuvinda of Avanti,—these did not forsake
the battle. Then that great bowman Bhima, and
that mighty car-warrior Arjuna, began in that battle
to rout the fierce host of the Kauravas. The kings
(in that army) quickly sped at Dhananjaya’s
car myriads upon myriads and millions upon millions
of arrows furnished with peacock feathers. Partha,
however, checking those arrows by means of his own
arrowy showers, began to send those mighty car-warriors
to Yama’s abode. The great car-warrior Salya
then, excited with wrath and as if sporting in that
battle, struck Partha in the chest with some straight
shafts of broad heads. Partha then, cutting off
by means of five shafts Salya’s bow and leathern
fence, pierced the latter deeply in the very vitals
with many arrows of keen points. Taking up another
bow capable of bearing a great strain, the ruler of
the Madras then furiously attacked Jishnu with three
arrows, O king, and Vasudeva with five. And he
struck Bhimasena in the arms and the chest with nine
arrows. Then Drona, O king, and that mighty car-warrior,
viz., the ruler of the Magadhas, commanded by
Duryodhana, both came to that spot where those two
mighty car-warriors, viz., Partha and Bhimasena,
were slaughtering the mighty host of the Kuru king.
Jayatsena (the king of the Magadhas) then, O bull
of Bharata’s race pierced Bhima, that wielder
of awful weapons in battle, with eight sharp arrows.
Bhima, however, pierced him (in return) with ten arrows,
and once more with five. And with another broad-headed
shaft he felled Jayatsena’s charioteer from
his niche in the car. The steeds (of his car),
no longer restrained, ran wildly in all directions
and thus carried away the ruler of the Magadhas (from
battle) in the sight of all the troops. Meanwhile
Drona, noticing an opening, pierced Bhimasena, O bull
of Bharata’s race, with eight keen shafts furnished
with heads shaped after the frog’s mouth.
Bhima, however, ever delighting in battle, pierced
the preceptor, who was worthy of paternal reverence,
with five broad-headed arrows, and then, O Bharata,
with sixty. Arjuna, again piercing Susarman with
a large number of arrows made (wholly) of iron, destroyed
his troops like the tempest destroying mighty masses
of clouds. Then Bhishma, and the king (viz.,
Duryodhana), and Vrihadvala, the ruler of the Kosalas,
excited with rage, advanced upon Bhimasena and Dhananjaya.
At this, the heroic warriors of the Pandava army,
and Dhrishtadyumna the son of Prishata, rushed in
battle against Bhishma who was advancing like Death
himself with wide-open mouth. Sikhandin also,
sighting the grandsire of the Bharatas, was filled
Page 768
with joy and rushed at him, abandoning all fear of
the mighty car-warrior. Then all the Parthas with
Yudhishthira at their head, placing Sikhandin in the
van, and uniting with the Srinjayas, fought with Bhishma
in battle. And similarly all the warriors of thy
army, placing Bhishma of regulated vows in their van,
fought in battle with all the Parthas headed by Sikhandin.
The battle then that commenced there between the Kauravas
and the sons of Pandu for the sake of Bhishma’s
victory or victory over Bhishma, was exceedingly terrible.
Indeed, in that game of battle, played for the sake
of victory or the reverse, Bhishma, O monarch, became
the stake on which the victory of thy army depended.
Then Dhrishtadyumna, O king, commanded all the troops,
saying, ’Rush against the son of Ganga.
Do not fear, ye best of car-warriors. Hearing
those words of their generalissimo, the army of the
Pandavas quickly advanced against Bhishma, ready to
lay down their lives in that dreadful battle.
Bhishma then, that foremost of car-warriors, received
that large host rushing towards him, like the continent
receiving the surging sea.”
SECTION CXVI
Dhritarashtra said, “How, O Sanjaya, did Santanu’s
son Bhishma of mighty energy fight on the tenth day
of battle, with the Pandavas and the Srinjayas?
How also did the Kurus resist the Pandavas in battle?
Describe to me the great battle fought by Bhishma,
that ornament of battle.”
Sanjaya said, “I will presently describe to
thee, O Bharata, how the Kauravas fought with the
Pandavas, and how that battle took place. Day
after day many mighty car-warriors of thy army, excited
with wrath, were despatched to the other world by
the diadem-decked (Arjuna) with his great weapons.
The ever-victorious Kuru warrior Bhishma also, agreeably
to his vow, always caused a great carnage among the
Partha army. O chastiser of foes, beholding Bhishma,
fighting at the head of the Kurus, and Arjuna also
fighting at the head of the Panchalas, we could not
say truly on which side the victory would declare
itself. On the tenth day of battle, when Bhishma
and Arjuna encountered each other, awful was the carnage
that took place. On that day, O scorcher of foes,
Santanu’s son, Bhishma, conversant with high
and mighty weapons, repeatedly slew thousands upon
thousands of warriors. Many, O Bharata, whose
names and families were not known, but who, endued
with great bravery, were unretreating from battle,
were on that day slain by Bhishma. Scorching
the Pandava army for ten days, Bhishma of virtuous
soul, gave up all desire of protecting his life.
Wishing his own slaughter presently at the head of
his troops,—No more shall I slay large numbers
of foremost of warriors.—thought thy mighty-armed
sire Devavrata. And seeing Yudhishthira near
him, O king, he addressed him, saying, ’O Yudhishthira,
O thou of great wisdom, O thou that art acquainted
with every branch of learning, listen to these righteous
Page 769
and heaven-leading words, O sire, that I say.
O Bharata, I no longer desire to protect, O sire, this
body of mine. I have passed much time in slaying
large numbers of men in battle. If thou wishest
to do what is agreeable to me, strive to slay me,
placing Partha with the Panchalas and the Srinjayas
at thy van’. Ascertaining this to be his
intention, king Yudhishthira of true sight proceeded
to battle with the Srinjayas (for his support).
Then Dhrishtadyumna, O king, and Pandu’s son
Yudhishthira, having heard those words of Bhishma
urged their array on. And Yudhishthira said, ’Advance!
Fight! Vanquish Bhishma in battle. Ye all
will be protected by that conqueror of foes, viz.,
Jishnu of unbaffled aim. And this great bowman,
this generalissimo (of our forces), viz., the
son of Prishata, as also Bhima, will assuredly protect
you. Ye Srinjayas, entertain no fear today of
Bhishma in battle. Without doubt, we will vanquish
Bhishma today, placing Sikhandin in our van’.
Having, on the tenth day of battle, made such a vow,
the Pandavas, resolved to (conquer or) go to heaven,
advanced, blinded by rage, with Sikhandin and Dhananjaya
the son of Pandu to the fore. And they made the
most vigorous efforts for the overthrow of Bhishma.
Then diverse kings, of great might, urged by thy son,
and accompanied by Drona and his son and a large force,
and the mighty Dussasana at the head of all his uterine
brothers, proceeded towards Bhishma staying in the
midst of that battle. Then those brave warriors
of thy army, placing Bhishma of high vows in their
van, battled with the Parthas headed by Sikhandin.
Supported by the Chedis and the Panchalas, the ape-bannered
Arjuna, placing Sikhandin ahead, proceeded towards
Bhishma, the son of Santanu. And the grandson
of Sini battled with Drona’s son, and Dhrishtaketu
with the descendant of Puru, and Yudhamanyu with thy
son Duryodhana at the head of his followers. And
Virata, at the head of his forces, encountered Jayadratha
supported by his own troops. And Vardhakshatra’s
heir, O chastiser of foes, encountered thy son Chitrasena
armed with excellent bow and arrows.[479] And Yudhishthira
proceeded against the mighty bowman Salya at the head
of his troops. And Bhimasena, well-protected,
proceeded against the elephant-division (of the Kaurava
army). And Dhrishtadyumna, the prince of Panchala,
excited with fury and accompanied by his brothers,
proceeded against Drona, that foremost of all wielders
of weapons, invincible, and irresistible. That
chastiser of foes, viz., prince Vrihadvala, bearing
on his standard the device of the lion, proceeded
against Subhadra’s son whose standard bore the
device of the Karnikara flower. Thy sons, accompanied
by many kings, proceeded against Sikhandin and Dhananjaya
the son of Pritha, from desire of slaughtering both
of them. When the combatants of both armies rushed
against each other with awful prowess, the earth shook
(under their tread). Beholding Santanu’s
Page 770
son in battle, the divisions of thy army and of the
foe, O Bharata, became mingled with one another.
Tremendous was the din, O Bharata, that arose there
of those warriors burning with rage and rushing against
each other. And it was heard on all sides, O king.
With the blare of conchs and the leonine shouts of
the soldiers, the uproar became awful. The splendour,
equal to that of either the Sun or the Moon, of bracelets
and diadems of all the heroic kings, became dimmed.
And the dust that rose looked like a cloud, the flash
of bright weapons constituting its lightning.
And the twang of bows, the whiz of arrows, the blare
of conchs, the loud beat of drums, and the rattle of
cars, of both the armies, constituted the fierce roar
of those clouds. And the welkin, over the field
of battle, in consequence of the bearded darts, the
javelins, the swords and showers of arrows of both
armies, was darkened. And car-warriors, and horsemen
felled horsemen, in that dreadful battle. And
elephants killed elephants, and foot-soldiers slew
foot-soldiers. And the battle that took place
there for Bhishma’s sake, between the Kurus
and the Pandavas, O tiger among men, was fierce in
the extreme, like that between two hawks for a piece
of flesh. Engaged in battle, that encounter between
those combatants desirous of slaughtering and vanquishing
one another, was extremely dreadful.”
SECTION CXVII
Sanjaya said, “Abhimanyu, O king, displaying
his prowess for the sake of Bhishma, fought with thy
son who was supported by a large force. Then
Duryodhana, excited with wrath, struck Abhimanyu in
the chest with rune straight arrows, and once more
with three. Then in that battle, Arjuna’s
son, inflamed with wrath, hurled at Duryodhana’s
car a terrible dart resembling the rod of Death himself.
Thy son, however, that mighty car-warrior, O king,
with a broad-headed arrow of great sharpness, cut
off in twain that dart of terrible force coursing towards
him with great speed. Beholding that dart of
his drop down on the earth, Arjuna’s wrathful
son pierced Duryodhana with three shafts in his arms
and chest. And once more, O Chief of the Bharatas,
that mighty car-warrior of Bharata’s race struck
the Kuru king with ten fierce shafts in the centre
of his chest. And the battle, O Bharata, that
took place between those two heroes, viz., Subhadra’s
son, and that bull of Kuru’s race, the former
fighting for compassing Bhishma’s death and the
latter for Arjuna’s defeat, was fierce and interesting
to behold, and gratifying to the senses, and was applauded
by all the kings. That bull among Brahmanas and
chastiser of foes, viz., the son of Drona, excited
with wrath in that battle, forcibly struck Satyaki
in the chest with fierce arrow. The grandson
of Sini also, that hero of immeasurable soul, struck
the preceptor’s son in every vital limbs with
nine shafts winged with the feathers of the Kanka
bird. Aswatthaman then, in that battle, struck
Page 771
Satyaki (in return) with nine shafts, and once more,
quickly, with thirty, in his arms and chest.
Then that great bowman Of the Satwata race, possessed
of great fame, deeply pierced by Drona’s son,
pierced the latter (in return) with arrows. The
mighty car-warrior Paurava, covering Dhrishtaketu
in that battle with his shafts, mangled that great
bowman exceedingly. The mighty car-warrior Dhrishtaketu,
endued with great strength, quickly pierced the former
with thirty arrows. Then the mighty car-warrior
Paurava cut off Dhrishtaketu’s bow, and uttering
a loud shout, pierced him with whetted shafts.
Dhrishtaketu then taking up another bow, pierced Paurava,
O king, with three and seventy shafts of great sharpness.
Those two great bowmen and mighty car-warriors, both
of gigantic stature, pierced each other with showers
of arrows. Each succeeded in cutting off the
other’s bow, and each slew the other’s
steeds. And both of them, thus deprived of their
cars, then encountered each other in a battle with
swords. And each took up a beautiful shield made
of bull’s hide and docked with a hundred moons
and graced with a hundred stars. And each of
them also took up a polished sword of brilliant lustre.
And thus equipt, they rushed, O king at each other,
like two lions in the deep forest, both seeking the
companionship of the same lioness in her season.
They wheeled in beautiful circles, advanced and retreated,
and displayed other movements, seeking to strike each
other. Then Paurava, excited with wrath, addressed
Dhrishtaketu, saying—Wait, Wait,—and
struck him on the frontal bone with that large scimitar
of his. The king of the Chedis also, in that battle,
struck Paurava, that bull among men, on his shoulder-joint,
with his large scimitar of sharp edge. Those
two repressors of foes thus encountering each other
in dreadful battle and thus striking each other, O
king, both fell down on the field. Then thy son
Jayatsena, taking Paurava up on his car, removed him
from the field of battle on that vehicle. And
as regards Dhrishtaketu, the valiant and heroic Sahadeva,
the son of Madri, possessed of great prowess, bore
him away from the field.
“Chitrasena, having pierced Susarman with many
arrows made wholly of iron, once more pierced him
with sixty arrows and once more with nine. Susarman,
however, excited with wrath in battle, pierced thy
son, O king, with hundreds of arrows. Chitrasena
then, O monarch, excited with rage, pierced his adversary
with thirty straight shafts. Susarman, however,
pierced Chitrasena again in return.[480]
“In that battle for the destruction of Bhishma,
Subhadra’s son, enhancing his fame and honour,
fought with prince Vrihadvala, putting forth his prowess
for aiding (his sire) Partha and then proceeded towards
Bhishma’s front. The ruler of the Kosalas,
having pierced the son of Arjuna with five shafts
made of iron, once more pierced him with twenty straight
shafts. Then the son of Subhadra pierced the ruler
Page 772
of Kosalas with eight shafts made wholly of iron.
He succeeded not, however, in making the ruler of
the Kosalas to tremble, and, therefore, he once more
pierced him with many arrows. And Phalguni’s
son then cut off Vrihadvala’s bow, and struck
him again with thirty arrows winged with feathers of
the Kanka bird. Prince Vrihadvala then, taking
up another bow, angrily pierced the son of Phalguni
in that battle with many arrows. Verily, O scorcher
of foes, the battle, for Bhishma’s sake, that
took place between them, both excited with rage and
both conversant with every mode of fight, was like
the encounter of Vali and Vasava in days of old on
the occasion of the battle between the gods and the
Asuras.
“Bhimasena, fighting against the elephant-division,
looked highly resplendent like Sakra armed with the
thunder after splitting large mountains.[481] Indeed,
elephants, huge as hills, slaughtered by Bhimasena
in battle, fell down in numbers on the field, filling
the earth with their shrieks. Resembling massive
heaps of antimony, and of mountain-like proportions,
those elephants with frontal globes split open, lying
prostrate on the earth, seemed like mountains strewn
over the earth’s surface. The mighty bowman
Yudhishthira, protected by a large force, afflicted
the ruler of the Madras, encountering him in that
dreadful battle. The ruler of the Madras, in return,
displaying his prowess for the sake of Bhishma, afflicted
the son of Dharma, that mighty car-warrior, in battle.
The king of Sindhus, having pierced Virata with nine
straight arrows of keen points, once more struck him
with thirty. Virata, however, O king, that commander
of a large division, struck Jayadratha in the centre
of his chest with thirty shafts of keen points.
The ruler of the Matsyas and the ruler of the Sindhus,
both armed with beautiful bows and beautiful scimitars,
both decked with handsome coats of mail and weapons
and standards, and both of beautiful forms looked
resplendent in that battle.
“Drona, encountering Dhrishtadyumna the prince
of the Panchalas in dreadful battle, fought fiercely
with his straight shafts. Then Drona, O king,
having cut off the large bow of Prishata’s son,
pierced him deeply with fifty arrows. Then that
slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the son of Prishata,
taking up another bow, sped at Drona who was contending
with him, many arrows. The mighty car-warrior
Drona however, cut off all those arrows, striking
them with his own. And then Drona sped at Drupada’s
son five fierce shafts. Then that slayer of hostile
heroes, viz., the son of Prishata, excited with
rage, hurled at Drona in that battle a mace resembling
the rod of Death himself. Drona however, with
fifty arrows checked that mace decked with gold as
it coursed impetuously towards him. Thereupon
that mace, cut into fragments, O king, by those shafts
shot from Drona’s bow, fell down on the earth.
Then that scorcher of foes, viz., the son of
Prishata, beholding his mace baffled, hurled at Drona
an excellent dart made wholly of iron. Drona,
however, O Bharata, cut that dart with nine shafts
in that battle and then afflicted that great bowman,
viz., the son of Prishata. Thus took place,
O king, that fierce and awful battle between Drona
and the son of Prishata, for the sake of Bhishma.
Page 773
“Arjuna, getting at the son of Ganga, afflicted
him with many arrows of keen points, and rushed at
him like an infuriate elephant in the forest upon
another. King Bhagadatta, however, of great prowess
then rushed at Arjuna, and checked his course in battle
with showers of arrows. Arjuna then, in that
dreadful battle, pierced Bhagadatta’s elephant
coming towards him, with many polished arrows of iron,
that were all bright as silver and furnished with
keen points. The son of Kunti, meanwhile, O king,
urged Sikhandin, saying,—Proceed, proceed,
towards Bhishma, and slay him!—Then, O
elder brother of Pandu, the ruler of Pragjyotishas,
abandoning that son of Pandu, quickly proceeded, O
king, against the car of Drupada. Then Arjuna,
O monarch, speedily proceeded towards Bhishma, placing
Sikhandin ahead. And then there took place a fierce
battle, for all the brave combatants of thy army rushed
with great vigour against Arjuna, uttering loud shouts.
And all this seemed extremely wonderful. Like
the wind dispersing in the summer masses of clouds
in the welkin, Arjuna dispersed, O king, all those
diverse divisions of thy sons. Sikhandin, however,
without any anxiety, coming up at the grandsire of
the Bharatas, quickly pierced him with great many arrows.
As regards Bhishma, his car was then his fire-chamber.
His bow was the flame of that fire. And swords
I and darts and maces constituted the fuel of that
fire. And the showers of arrows he shot were
the blazing sparks of that fire with which he was
then consuming Kshatriyas in that battle. As a
raging conflagration with constant supply of fuel,
wandereth amid masses of dry grass when aided by the
wind, so did Bhishma blaze up with his flames, scattering
his celestial weapons. And the Kuru hero slew
the Somakas that followed Partha in that battle.
Indeed that mighty car-warrior checked also the other
forces of Arjuna, by means of his straight and whetted
shafts furnished with wings of gold. Filling in
that dreadful battle all the points of the compass,
cardinal and subsidiary, with his leonine shouts,
Bhishma felled many car-warriors, O king, (from their
cars) and many steeds along with their riders.
And he caused large bodies of cars to look like forests
of palmyras shorn of their leafy heads. That
foremost of all wielders of weapons, in that battle,
deprived cars and steeds and elephants, of their riders.
Hearing the twang of his bow and the slap of his palms,
both resembling the roll of the thunder, the troops,
O king, trembled all over the field. The shafts,
O chief of men, of thy sire were never bootless as
they fell. Indeed, shot from Bhishma’s
bow they never fell only touching the bodies of the
foe (but pierced them through in every case).
We saw crowds of cars, O king, deprived of riders,
but unto which were yoked fleet steeds, dragged on
all sides with the speed of the wind. Full fourteen
thousand great car-warriors of noble parentage, prepared
to lay down their lives, unretreating and brave, and
Page 774
possessed of standards decked with gold, belonging
to the Chedis, the Kasis, and the Karushas, approaching
Bhishma, that hero who resembled the Destroyer himself
with wide-open mouth, were despatched to the other
world, with their steeds, cars and elephants.
There was not, O king, a single great car-warrior
among the Somakas, who, having approached Bhishma
in that battle, returned with life from that engagement.
Beholding Bhishma’s prowess, people regarded
all those warriors (who approached him) as already
despatched to the abode of the king of the Dead.
Indeed, no car-warrior ventured to approach Bhishma
in battle, except the heroic Arjuna having white steeds
(yoked unto his car) and owning Krishna for his charioteer,
and Sikhandin, the prince of Panchala, of immeasurable
energy.”
SECTION CXVIII
Sanjaya said,—Sikhandin, O bull among men,
approaching Bhishma in battle, struck him in the centre
of the chest with ten broad-headed arrows The son
of Ganga, however, O Bharata, only looked at Sikhandin
with wrath and as if consuming the Panchala prince
with that look. Remembering his femininity, O
king, Bhishma, in the very sight of all, struck him
not. Sikhandin, however, understood it not.
Then Arjuna, O monarch, addressed Sikhandin, saying,—’Rush
quickly and slay the grandsire. What needst thou
say, O hero? Slay the mighty car-warrior Bhishma.
I do not see any other warrior in Yudhishthira’s
army who is competent to fight with Bhishma in battle,
save thee, O tiger among men. I say this truly.’
Thus addressed by Partha, Sikhandin, O bull of Bharata’s
race, quickly covered the grandsire with diverse kinds
of weapons. Disregarding those shafts, thy sire
Devavrata began, with his shafts, to check the angry
Arjuna only in that battle. And that mighty car-warrior,
O sire, began also to despatch, with his shafts of
keen points, the whole army of the Pandavas to the
other world. The Pandavas also, O king, after
the same manner, supported by their vast host, began
to overwhelm Bhishma like the clouds covering the maker
of day. O bull of Bharata’s race, surrounded
on all sides, that Bharata hero consumed many brave
warriors in that battle like a raging conflagration
in the forest (consuming numberless trees). The
prowess that we then beheld there of thy son (Dussasana)
was wonderful, inasmuch as he battled with Partha and
protected the grandsire at the same time. With
that feat of thy son Dussasana, that illustrious bowman,
all the people there were highly gratified. Alone
he battled with all the Pandavas having Arjuna amongst
them; and he fought with such vigour that the Pandavas
were unable to resist him. Many car-warriors
were in that battle deprived of their cars by Dussasana.
And many mighty bowmen on horseback and many mighty-warriors,
elephants, pierced with Dussasana’s keen shafts,
fell down on the earth. And many elephants, afflicted
with his shafts, ran away in all directions.
Page 775
As a fire fiercely blazeth forth with bright flames
when fed with fuel, so did thy son blaze forth, consuming
the Pandava host. And no car-warrior, O Bharata,
of the Pandava host ventured to vanquish or even proceed
against that warrior of gigantic proportions, save
Indra’s son (Arjuna) owning white steeds and
having Krishna for his charioteer. Then Arjuna
also called Vijaya, vanquishing Dussasana in battle,
O king, in the very sight of all the troops, proceeded
against Bhishma. Though vanquished, thy son,
however, relying upon the might of Bhishma’s
arms, repeatedly comforted his own side and battled
with the Pandavas with great fierceness. Arjuna,
O king, fighting with his foes in that battle, looked
exceedingly resplendent.[482] Then Sikhandin, in that
battle, O king, pierced the grandsire with many arrows
whose touch resembled that of the bolts of heaven
and which were as fatal as the poison of the snake.
These arrows, however, O monarch, caused thy sire
little pain, for the son of Ganga received them laughingly.
Indeed, as a person afflicted with heat cheerfully
receives torrents of rain, even so did the son of
Ganga received those arrows of Sikhandin. And
the Kshatriyas there, O king, beheld Bhishma in that
great battle as a being of fierce visage who was incessantly
consuming the troops of the high-souled Pandavas.
“Then thy son (Duryodhana), addressing all his
warriors, said unto them, ’Rush ye against Phalguni
from all sides. Bhishma, acquainted with the
duties of a commander, will protect you’.
Thus addressed, the Kaurava troops casting off all
fear, fought with the Pandavas. (And once more, Duryodhana
said unto them). ’With his tall standard
bearing the device of the golden palmyra, Bhishma
stayeth, protecting the honour and the armour of all
the Dhartarashtra warriors. The very gods, striving
vigorously, cannot vanquish the illustrious and mighty
Bhishma. What need be said, therefore, of the
Parthas who are mortals? Therefore, ye warriors,
fly not away from the field, getting Phalguni for
a foe. I myself, striving vigorously, will today
fight with the Pandavas.. uniting with all of you,
ye lords of earth, exerting yourselves actively.’
Hearing these words, O monarch, of thy son with bow
in hand, many mighty combatants, excited with rage,
belonging to the Videhas, the Kalingas, and the diverse
tribes of the Daserkas, fell upon Phalguni. And
many combatants also, belonging to the Nishadas, the
Sauviras, the Valhikas, the Daradas, the Westerners,
the Northerners, the Malavas, the Abhighatas, the Surasenas,
the Sivis, the Vasatis, the Salwas, the Sakas, the
Trigartas, the Amvashthas, and the Kekayas, similarly
fell upon Partha, like flights of insects upon a fire.
The mighty Dhananjaya, otherwise called Vibhatsu, then,
O monarch, calling to mind diverse celestial weapons
and aiming them at those great car-warriors at the
heads of their respective divisions,[483] quickly
consumed them all, by means of those weapons of great
Page 776
force, like fire consuming a flight of insects.
And while that firm bowman was (by means of his celestial
weapons) creating thousands upon thousands of arrows,
his Gandiva looked highly resplendent in the welkin.
Then those Kshatriyas, O monarch, afflicted with those
arrows with their tall standards torn and overthrown,
could not even together, approach the ape-bannered
(Partha). Car-warriors fell down with their standards,
and horsemen with their horses, and elephant-riders
with their elephants, attacked by Kiritin with his
shafts. And the earth was soon covered all on
all sides with the retreating troops of those kings,
routed in consequence of the shafts shot from Arjuna’s
arms. Partha then, O monarch, having routed the
Kaurava army, sped many arrows at Dussasana.
Those arrows with iron heads, piercing thy son Dussasana
through, all entered the earth like snakes through
ant-hills. Arjuna then slew Dussasana’s
steeds and then felled his charioteer. And the
lord Arjuna, with twenty shafts, deprived Vivingsati
of his car, and struck him five straight shafts.
And piercing Kripa and Vikarna and Salya with many
arrows made wholly of iron, Kunti’s son owning
white steeds deprived all of them of their cars.
Thus deprived of their cars and vanquished in battle
by Savyasachin, Kripa and Salya, O sire, and Dussasana,
and Vikarna and Vivingsati, all fled away. Having
vanquished those mighty car-warriors, O chief of the
Bharatas, in the forenoon, Partha blazed up in that
battle like a smokeless conflagration. Scattering
his shafts all around like the Sun shedding rays of
light, Partha felled many other kings, O monarch.
Making those mighty car-warriors turn their backs upon
the field by means of his arrowy showers, Arjuna caused
a large river of bloody current to flow in that battle
between the hosts of the Kurus and the Pandavas, O
Bharata. Large numbers of elephants and steeds
and car-warriors were slain by car-warriors.
And many were the car-warriors slain by elephants,
and many also were the steeds slain by foot-soldiers.
And the bodies of many elephant-riders and horsemen
and car-warriors, cut off in the middle, as also their
heads, fell down on every part of the field.
And the field of battle, O king, was strewn with (slain)
princes,—mighty car-warriors,—falling
or fallen, decked with ear-rings and bracelets.
And it was also strewn with the bodies of many warriors
cut off by car-wheels, or trodden down by elephants.
And foot-soldiers ran away, and horsemen also with
their horses. And many elephants and car-warriors
fell down on all sides. And many cars, with wheels
and yokes and standards broken, lay scattered all
about on the field. And the field of battle,
dyed with the gore of large numbers of elephants, steeds,
and car-warriors, looked beautiful like a red cloud,
in the autumnal sky. Dogs, and crows, and vultures,
and wolves, and jackals, and many other frightful
beasts and birds, set up loud howls, at the sight of
the food that lay before them. Diverse kinds
Page 777
of winds blew along all directions. And Rakshasas
and evil spirits were seen there, uttering loud roars.
And strings, embroidered with gold, and costly banners,
were seen to wave, moved by the wind. And thousands
of umbrellas and great cars with standards attached
to them, were seen lying scattered about on the field.
Then Bhishma, O king, invoking a celestial weapon,
rushed at the son of Kunti, in the very sight of all
the bowmen. Thereupon Sikhandin, clad in mail,
rushed at Bhishma who was dashing towards Arjuna.
At this, Bhishma withdrew that weapon resembling fire
(in effulgence and energy). Meanwhile Kunti’s
son owning white steeds slaughtered thy troops, confounding
the grandsire.[484]”
SECTION CXIX
Sanjaya said, “When the combatants of both armies,
strong in number, were thus disposed in battle array,
all those unretreating heroes, O Bharata, set their
heart upon the region of Brahma.[485] In course of
the general engagement that followed, the same class
of combatants did not fight with the same class of
combatants. Car-warriors fought not with car-warriors,
or foot-soldiers with foot-soldiers, or horsemen with
horsemen, or elephant-warriors with elephant-warriors.
On the other hand, O monarch, the combatants fought
with one another like mad men. Great and dreadful
was the calamity that overtook both the armies.
In that fierce slaughter when elephants and men spread
themselves on the field, all distinctions between
them ceased, for they fought indiscriminately.
“Then Salya and Kripa, and Chitrasena, O Bharata,
and Dussasana, and Vikarna, those heroes mounted on
their bright cars, caused the Pandava host to tremble.
Slaughtered in battle by those high-souled warriors,
the Pandava army began to reel in diverse ways, O
king, like a boat on the waters tossed by the wind.
As the wintry cold cuts kine to the quick, so did
Bhishma cut the sons of Pandu to the quick. As
regards thy army also, many elephants, looking like
newly-risen clouds, were felled by the illustrious
Partha. And many foremost of warriors too were
seen to be crushed by that hero. And struck with
arrows and long shafts in thousands, many huge elephants
fell down, uttering frightful shrieks of pain.
And the field of battle looked beautiful, strewn with
the bodies, still decked with ornaments of high-souled
warriors deprived of life and with heads still decked
with ear-rings. And in that battle, O king, which
was destructive of great heroes, when Bhishma and Dhananjaya
the son of Pandu put forth their prowess, thy sons,
O monarch, beholding the grandsire exert himself vigorously,
approached him, with all their troops placed ahead.
Desirous of laying down their lives in battle and making
heaven itself their goal, they approached the Pandavas
in that battle, which was fraught with great carnage.
The brave Pandavas also, O king, bearing in mind the
many injuries of diverse kinds inflicted upon them
before by thee and thy son, O monarch, and casting
off all fear, and eager to win the highest heavens,
cheerfully fought with thy son and the other warriors
of thy army.
Page 778
“Then the generalissimo of the Pandava army,
viz., the mighty car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna,
addressing his soldiers, said, ’Ye Somakas, accompanied
by the Srinjayas, rush ye at Ganga’s son.’
Hearing those words of their commander the Somakas
and the Srinjayas, though afflicted with showers of
arrows, rushed at the son of Ganga. Thus attacked,
O king, thy sire Bhishma, influenced by wrath, began
to fight with the Srinjayas. In days of old,
O sire, the intelligent Rama had imparted to Bhishma
of glorious achievements that instruction in weapons
which was so destructive of hostile ranks. Relying
on that instruction and causing a great havoc among
the troops of the foe, that slayer of hostile heroes,
viz., the old Kuru grandsire Bhishma, day after
day, slew ten thousand warriors of the Ratha.
On the tenth day, however, O bull of Bharata’s
race, Bhishma, single-handed, slew ten thousand elephants.
And then he slew seven great car-warriors among the
Matsyas and the Panchalas. In addition to all
this, in that dreadful battle five thousand foot-soldiers,
and one thousand tuskers, and ten thousand steeds,
were also slain by thy sire, O king, through skill
acquired by education. Then having thinned the
ranks of all the kings, he slew Satanika, the dear
brother of Virata. And the valiant Bhishma, having
slain Satanika in battle, felled, O king, full one
thousand Kshatriyas with his broad-headed shafts.
Besides these, all the Kshatriyas of the Pandava army
who followed Dhananjaya, as soon as they approached
Bhishma, had to go to Yama’s abode. Covering
the Pandava host from every side with showers of arrows,
Bhishma stayed in battle at the head of the Kaurava
army. Achieving the most glorious feats on the
tenth day, as he stayed between the two armies, bow
in hand, none of the kings, O monarch, could even
look at him, for he then resembled the hot mid-day
Sun in the summer sky. As Sakra scorched the Daitya
host in battle, even so, O Bharata, did Bhishma scorch
the Pandava host. Beholding him thus put forth
his prowess, the slayer of Madhu, viz., the son
of Devaki, cheerfully addressing Dhananjaya, said,
’There, Bhishma, the son of Santanu, stayeth
between the two armies. Slaying him by putting
forth thy might, thou mayst win victory. There,
at that spot, whence he breaketh our ranks, check
him, putting forth thy strength. O lord, none
else, save thee, ventureth to bear the arrows of Bhishma.
Thus urged, the ape-bannered Arjuna at that moment
made Bhishma with his car, steeds, and standard, invisible
by means of his arrows. That bull, however, among
the foremost of Kurus, by means of his own arrowy showers,
pierced those showers of shafts shot by the son of
Pandu. Then the king of the Panchalas the valiant
Dhrishtaketu, Bhimasena the son of Pandu, Dhrishtadyumna
of Prishata’s race, the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva),
Chekitana, and the five Kaikaya brothers, and the mighty-armed
Satyaki and Subhadra’s son, and Ghatotkacha,
Page 779
and the (five) sons of Draupadi, and Sikhandin, and
the valiant Kuntibhoja, and Susarman, and Virata, these
and many other powerful warriors of the Pandava army,
afflicted by the shafts of Bhishma, seemed to sink
in an ocean of grief, Phalguni, however, rescued them
all. Then Sikhandin, taking up a mighty weapon
and protected by Kiritin, rushed impetuously towards
Bhishma alone. The unvanquished Vibhatsu then,
knowing what should be done after what, slew all those
that followed Bhishma, and then himself rushed at him.
And Satyaki, and Chekitana, and Dhristadyumna of Prishata’s
race, and Virata, and Drupada, and the twin sons of
Madri by Pandu, all protected by that firm bowman
(viz., Arjuna) rushed against Bhishma alone in that
battle. And Abhimanyu, and the five sons of Draupadi
also, with mighty weapons upraised, rushed against
Bhishma in battle. All those firm bowmen, unretreating
from battle, pierced Bhishma in diverse parts of his
body with well-aimed shafts. Disregarding all
those shafts, large in number, shot by those foremost
of princes belonging to the Pandava host, Bhishma
of undepressed soul penetrated into the Pandava ranks.
And the grandsire baffled all those arrows, as if
sporting the while. Frequently looking at Sikhandin
the prince of the Panchalas with a laugh, he aimed
not a single arrow at him, recollecting his femininity.
On the other hand, he slew seven great car-warriors
belonging to Drupada’s division. Then confused
cries of woe soon arose amongst the Matsyas, the Panchalas,
and the Chedis, who were together rushing at that
single hero. With large numbers of foot-soldiers
and steeds and cars, and with showers of arrows, O
scorcher of foes, they overwhelmed that single warrior,
viz., Bhishma the son of Bhagirathi, that scorcher
of foes, like the clouds overwhelming the maker of
day. Then in that battle between him and them,
which resembled the battle between the gods and the
Asuras in days of old, the diadem-decked (Arjuna),
placing Sikhandin before him, pierced Bhishma (repeatedly).’
SECTION CXX
Sanjaya said, “Thus all the Pandavas, placing
Sikhandin before them pierced Bhishma in that battle
repeatedly surrounding him on all sides. And
all the Srinjayas, uniting together, struck him with
dreadful Sataghnis, and spiked maces, and battle-axes,
and mallets, and short thick clubs, and bearded darts,
and other missiles, and arrows furnished with golden
wing, and darts and lances and kampanas; and with long
shafts, and arrows furnished with heads shaped like
the calf-tooth, and rockets. Thus afflicted by
many, his coat of mail was pierced everywhere.
But though pierced in every vital part, Bhishma felt
no pain. On the other hand, he then seemed to
his enemies to resemble in appearance the (all-destructive)
fire that rises at the end of Yuga. His bow and
arrows constituted the blazing flames (of that fire).
The flight of his weapons constituted its (friendly)
Page 780
breeze. The rattle of his car-wheels constituted
its heat and mighty weapons constituted its splendour.
His beautiful bow formed its fierce tongue, and the
bodies of heroic warriors, its profuse fuel.
And Bhishma was seen to roll through the midst of
crowds of cars belonging to those kings, or to come
out (of the press) at times, or course once more through
their midst. Then, disregarding the king of the
Panchalas and Dhrishtaketu, he penetrated, O monarch,
into the midst of the Pandava army. He then pierced
the six Pandava warriors, viz., Satyaki, and
Bhima, and Dhananjaya the son of Pandu, and Drupada,
and Virata, and Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata’s
race, with many excellent arrows of great sharpness
and dreadful whizz and exceeding impetuosity, and
capable of piercing through every kind of armour.
Those mighty car-warriors, however, checking those
keen shafts, afflicted Bhishma with great force, each
of them striking him with ten shafts. Those mighty
shafts, whetted on stone and furnished with golden
wings, which the great car-warrior Sikhandin shot,
quickly penetrated into Bhishma’s body.
Then the diadem-decked (Arjuna), excited with wrath,
and placing Sikhandin ahead rushed at Bhishma and cut
off the latter’s bow. Thereupon mighty
car-warriors, seven in number, viz., Drona and
Kritavarman, and Jayadratha the ruler of the Sindhus,
and Bhurisravas, and Sala, and Salya, and Bhagadatta
could not brook that act of Arjuna. Inflamed
with rage, they rushed at him. Indeed, those mighty
car-warriors, invoking into existence celestial weapons,
fell with great wrath upon that son of Pandu, and
covered him with their arrows. And as they rushed
towards Phalguni’s car, the noise made by them
was heard to resemble that made by the ocean itself
when it swelleth in rage at the end of the Yuga, Kill,
Bring up (our forces), Take, Pierce, Cut off, this
was the furious uproar heard about Phalguni’s
car. Hearing that furious uproar, the mighty
car-warriors of the Pandava army rushed forward, O
bull of Bharata’s race, for protecting Arjuna.
They were Satyaki, and Bhimasena, and Dhrishtadyumna
of Prishata’s race, and both Virata and Drupada,
and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha, and the wrathful Abhimanyu.
These seven, inflamed with rage, and armed with excellent
bows, rushed with great speed. And the battle
that took place between these and the Kaurava warriors
was fierce, making the hair stand on end, and resembling
O chief of the Bharatas, the battle of the gods with
the Danavas. Sikhandin, however, that foremost
of car-warriors, protected in the battle by the diadem-decked
(Arjuna), pierced Bhishma, in that encounter, with
ten shafts after the latter’s bow had been cut
off. And he struck Bhishma’s charioteer
with other shafts, and cut off the latter’s standard
with one shaft. Then the son of Ganga took up
another bow that was tougher. That even was cut
off by Phalguni with three sharp shafts. Indeed,
that chastiser of foes, viz., Arjuna, who was
Page 781
capable of drawing the bow with even his left hand,
excited with rage, one after another, cut off all the
bows that Bhishma took up. Then Bhishma, whose
bows were thus cut off, excited with rage, and licking
the corners of his mouth, took up a dart that was
capable of riving a hill. In rage he hurled it
at Phalguni’s car. Beholding its course
towards him like the blazing bolt of heaven, the delighter
of the Pandavas fixed five sharp broad-headed arrows
(on his bow-string). And with those five arrows,
O chief of the Bharatas, the angry Arjuna cut off
into five fragments that dart hurled from Bhishma’s
arms. Thus cut off by the angry Arjuna, that dart
then fell down like a flash of lightning separated
from a mass of clouds. Beholding his dart cut
off, Bhishma became filled with rage. That hero,
that subjugator of hostile cities, then began to reflect.
And he said unto himself, ’With only a single
bow I could slay all the Pandavas, if the mighty Vishnu
himself had not been their protector. For two
reasons, however, I will not fight with the Pandavas,
viz., their unslayableness, and the femininity
of Sikhandin. Formerly, when my sire wedded Kali,
he pleased (with me) gave me two boons, viz.,
that I should be incapable of being slain in battle,
and that my death should depend on my own choice.
I should, however, now wish my own death, this being
the proper hour.’ Ascertaining this to
be the resolve of Bhishma of immeasurable energy,
the Rishis and the Vasus stationed in the firmament,
said, ’That which hath been resolved by thee
is approved by us also, O son! Act according
to thy resolution, O king. Withdraw thy heart
from battle.’ On the conclusion, of those
words, fragrant and auspicious breeze charged with
particles of water, began to blow along a natural direction.[486]
And celestial cymbals of loud sounds began to beat.
And a flowery shower fell upon Bhishma, O sire.
The words spoken by the Rishis and the Vasus, however,
O king, were not heard by any one save Bhishma himself.
I also heard them, through the power conferred on
me by the Muni. Great was the grief, O monarch,
that filled the hearts of the celestials at the thought
of Bhishma, that favourite of all the worlds, falling
down from his car. Having listened to these words
of the celestials, Santanu’s son Bhishma of
great ascetic merit rushed out at Vibhatsu, even though
he was then being pierced with sharp arrows capable
of penetrating through every armour. Then Sikhandin,
O king, excited with rage, struck the grandsire of
the Bharatas in the chest with nine sharp arrows.
The Kuru grandsire Bhishma, however, though struck
by him in battle, thus, trembled not, O monarch, but
remained unmoved like a mountain during an earthquake.
Then Vibhatsu, drawing his bow Gandiva with a laugh,
pierced the son of Ganga with five and twenty arrows.
And once more, Dhananjaya, with great speed and excited
with wrath struck him in every vital part with hundreds
of arrows. Thus pierced by others, also with
Page 782
thousands of arrows, the mighty car-warrior Bhishma
pierced those others in return with great speed.
And as regards the arrows shot by those warriors,
Bhishma, possessed of prowess in battle that was incapable
of being baffled, equally checked them all with his
own straight arrows. Those arrows, however, endued
with wings of gold and whetted on stone, which the
mighty car-warrior Sikhandin shot in that battle,
scarcely caused Bhishma any pain. Then the diadem-decked
(Arjuna), excited with rage and placing Sikhandin to
the fore, approached Bhishma (nearer) and once more
cut off his bow. And then piercing Bhishma with
ten arrows, he cut off the latter’s standard
with one. And striking Bhishma’s chariot
with ten arrows, Arjuna caused him to tremble.
The son of Ganga then took up another bow that was
stronger. Within, however, the twinkling of an
eye, as soon, in fact, as it was taken up, Arjuna
cut that bow also into three fragments with three
broad-headed shafts. And thus the son of Pandu
cut off in that battle even all the bows of Bhishma.
After that, Bhishma the son of Santanu, no longer
desired to battle with Arjuna. The latter, however,
then pierced him with five and twenty arrows.
That great bowman, thus pierced greatly, then addressed
Dussasana, and skid, ’Behold, Partha, that great
car-warrior of the Pandavas, excited with wrath in
battle, pierceth me alone with many thousands of arrows.
He is incapable of being vanquished in battle by the
wielder of the thunder-bolt himself. As regards
myself also, O hero, the very gods, Danavas and Rakshasas
united together, are incapable of vanquishing me.
What I shall say then of mighty car-warriors among
men?’ While Bhishma was thus speaking to Dussasana,
Phalguni with sharp shafts, and placing Sikhandin
to the fore, pierced Bhishma in that battle.
Then Bhishma, deeply and excessively pierced by the
wielder of Gandiva with keen-pointed shafts, once
more addressed Dussasana with a smile and said, ’These
arrows coursing towards me in one continuous line,
whose touch resembleth that of heaven’s bolt,
have been shot by Arjuna. These are not Sikhandin’s.
Cutting me to the quick, piercing through even my
hard coat of mail, and striking me with the force of
mushalas, these arrows are not Sikhandin’s.
Of touch as hard as that of the Brahmana’s rod
(of chastisement),[487] and of impetus unbearable as
that of the thunder-bolt, these arrows are afflicting
my vital forces. These are not Sikhandin’s.
Of the touch of maces and spiked bludgeons, those arrows
are destroying my vital forces like messengers of
Death commissioned (by the grim king himself).
These are not Sikhandin’s. Like angry snakes
of virulent poison, projecting their tongues out,
these are penetrating into my vitals. These are
not Sikhandin’s—these that cut me
to the quick like the cold of winter cutting kine
to the quick. Save the heroic wielder of Gandiva,
viz., the ape-bannered Jishnu, even all other
kings united together cannot cause me pain. Saying
Page 783
these words, Bhishma, the valiant son of Santanu,
as if for the object of consuming the Pandavas, hurled
a dart at Partha. Partha, however, caused that
dart to drop down, cutting it into three fragments
with three shafts, in the very sight, O Bharata, of
all the Kuru heroes of thy army. Desirous of obtaining
either death or victory, the son of Ganga then took
up a sword and a shield decked with gold. Before,
however, he could come down from his car, Arjuna cut
off by means of his arrows, that shield into a hundred
fragments. And that feat of his seemed exceedingly
wonderful. Then the king Yudhishthira urged his
own troops, saying, ’Rush ye at Ganga’s
son. Do not entertain the slightest fear’.
Then, armed with bearded darts, and lances, and arrows,
from all sides, with axes, and excellent scimitars,
and long shafts of great sharpness, with calf-toothed
arrows, and broad-headed shafts, they all rushed at
that single warrior. Then arose from among the
Pandava host a loud shout. Then thy sons also,
O king, desirous of Bhishma’s victory, surrounded
him and uttered leonine shouts. Fierce was the
battle fought there between thy troops and those of
the enemy on that the tenth day, O king, when Bhishma
and Arjuna met together. Like unto the vortex
that occurs at the spot where the Ganga meets the
Ocean, for a short while a vortex occurred there where
the troops of both armies met and struck one another
down. And the Earth, wet with gore, assumed a
fierce form. And the even and the uneven spots
on her surface could no longer be distinguished.
Although Bhishma was pierced in all his vital limbs,
yet on that the tenth day he stayed (calmly) in battle,
having slain ten thousand warriors. Then that
great bowman, Partha, stationed at the head of his
troops, broke the centre of the Kuru army. Ourselves
then, afraid of Kunti’s son Dhananjaya having
white steeds attached to his car, and afflicted by
him with polished weapons, fled away from the battle.
The Sauviras, the Kitavas, the Easterners, the Westerners,
the Northerners, the Malavas, the Abhishahas, the
Surasenas, the Sivis, the Vasatis, the Salwas, the
Sayas, the Trigartas, the Amvashthas, and the Kaikeyas.[488]—these
and many other illustrious warriors,—afflicted
with arrows and pained by their wounds, abandoned Bhishma
in that battle while he was fighting with the diadem-decked
(Arjuna). Then a great many warriors, surrounding
that single warrior on all sides, defeated the Kurus
(that protected him) and covered him with shower of
arrows. Throw down, Seize, Fight, Cut into pieces,—this
was the furious uproar, O king, heard in the vicinity
of Bhishma’s car. Having slain in that
battle, O monarch, (his foes) by hundreds and thousands,
there was not in Bhishma’s body space of even
two fingers’ breadth that was not pierced with
arrows. Thus was thy sire mangled with arrows
of keen points by Phalguni in that battle. And
then he fell down from his car with his head to the
east, a little before sunset, in the very sight of
Page 784
thy sons. And while Bhishma fell, loud cries
of alas and oh, O Bharata, were heard in the welkin
uttered by the celestials and the kings of the earth.
And beholding the high-souled grandsire falling down
(from his car), the hearts of all of us fell with
him. That foremost of all bowmen, that mighty-armed
hero, fell down, like an uprooted standard of Indra,
making the earth tremble the while.[489] Pierced all
over with arrows, his body touched not the ground.
At that moment, O bull of Bharata’s race, a
divine nature took possession of that great bowman
lying on a bed of arrows. The clouds poured a
(cool) shower (over him) and the Earth trembled.
While falling he had marked that the Sun was then in
the southern solstice. That hero, therefore,
permitted not his senses to depart, thinking of that
(inauspicious) season (of death). And all around
in the welkin he heard celestial voices saying, ’Why,
Oh why, should Ganga’s son, that foremost of
all warriors of weapons, yield up his life during
the southern declension?’ Hearing these words,
the son of Ganga answered, ‘I am alive!’
Although fallen upon the earth, the Kuru grandsire
Bhishma, expectant of the northern declension, suffered
not his life to depart. Ascertaining that to
be his resolve, Ganga, the daughter of Himavat, sent
unto him the great Rishis in swanlike form. Then
those Rishis in the forms of swans inhabiting the
Manasa lake, quickly rose up, and came together, for
obtaining a sight of the Kuru grandsire Bhishma, to
that spot where that foremost of men was lying on his
bed of arrows. Then those Rishis in swanlike
forms, coming to Bhishma, beheld that perpetuator
of Kuru’s race lying on his bed of arrows.
Beholding that high-souled son of Ganga, that chief
of the Bharatas, they walked round him, and the Sun
being then in the southern solstice, they said, addressing
one another, these words, ’Being a high-souled
person, why should Bhishma pass out (of the world)
during the southern declension?’ Having said
these words, those swans went away, proceeding towards
the southern direction. Endued with great intelligence,
Bhishma, O Bharata. beholding them, reflected for
a moment. And the son of Santanu then said unto
them. ’I will never pass out (of the world)
as long as the Sun is in the southern solstice.
Even this is my resolve. I will proceed to my
own ancient abode when the Sun reacheth the northern
solstice. Ye swans, I tell you this truly.
Expectant of the northern declension I will hold my
life. Since I have the fullest control over the
yielding up of my life, I will, therefore, hold life,
expectant of death during the northern declension.
The boon that was granted to me by my illustrious sire,
to the effect that my death would depend on my own
wish O, let that boon become true. I will hold
my life, since I have control in the matter of laying
it down.’ Having said these words to those
swans, he continued to lie down on his bed of arrows.
Page 785
“When that crest of the Kuru race, viz.,
Bhishma of great energy, fell down, the Pandavas and
the Srinjayas uttered leonine shouts. When the
grandsire of the Bharatas who was endued with great
might was overthrown, thy son, O bull of Bharata’s
race, knew not what to do. And all the Kurus
were entirely deprived of their senses. And the
Kurus headed by Kripa, and Duryodhana, sighed and
wept. And from grief they remained for a long
while deprived of their senses. And they remained
perfectly still, O monarch, without setting their
hearts on battle. As if seized by thighs, they
stood motionless, without proceeding against the Pandavas.
When Santanu’s son Bhishma of mighty energy,
who was (regarded as) unslayable, was slain, all of
us thought that the destruction of the Kuru king was
at hand.[490] Vanquished by Savyasachin, with our
foremost heroes slain, and ourselves mangled with
sharp arrows, we knew not what to do. And the
heroic Pandavas possessed of massive arms that looked
like spiked maces, having obtained the victory and
won a highly blessed state in the other world,[491]
all blew their great conches. And the Somakas
and the Panchalas all rejoiced, O king. Then
when thousands of trumpets were blown, the mighty
Bhimasena slapped his arm-pits and uttered loud shouts.
When the all-powerful son of Ganga was slain, the heroic
warriors of both armies, laying down their weapons,
began to reflect thoughtfully. And some uttered
loud shrieks and some fled away, and some were deprived
of their senses. And some censured the practices
of the Kshatriya order and some applauded Bhishma.
And the Rishis and the Pitris all applauded Bhishma
of high vows. And the deceased ancestors of the
Bharatas also praised Bhishma. Meanwhile the
valiant and intelligent Bhishma, the son of Santanu,
having recourse to that Yoga which is taught in the
great Upanishads and engaged in mental prayers, remained
quiet, expectant of his hour.”
SECTION CXXI
Dhritarashtra said, ’Alas, what was the state
of (my) warriors, O Sanjaya, when they were deprived
of the mighty and god-like Bhishma who had become
a Brahmacharin for the sake of his reverend sire?
Even then I regarded the Kurus and all the others
as slain by the Pandavas when Bhishma, despising the
son of Drupada, struck him not. Wretch that I
am, also, I hear today of my sire’s slaughter.
What can be a heavier sorrow than this? My heart
assuredly, O Sanjaya, is made of adamant, since it
breaketh not into a hundred fragments on hearing of
Bhishma’s death! Tell me, O thou of excellent
vows, what was done by that lion among the Kurus,
viz., the victory-desiring Bhishma when he was
slain in battle. I cannot at all brook it that
Devavrata should be slain in battle. Alas, he
that was not slain by Jamadagni’s son himself
in days of old by means of even his celestial weapons,
alas, he hath now been slain by Drupada’s son
Sikhandin, the prince of Panchala!—
Page 786
’Sanjaya said,—“Slain in the
evening the Kuru grandsire Bhishma saddened the Dhartarashtras
and delighted the Panchalas. Falling down on the
earth, he lay on his bed of arrows without however,
touching the earth with his body. Indeed, when
Bhishma, thrown down from his car fell upon the surface
of the earth, cries of Oh and Alas were heard among
all creatures. When that boundary-tree of the
Kurus, viz., the ever victorious Bhishma, fell
down, fear entered the hearts, O king, of the Kshatriyas
of both the armies. Beholding Bhishma, the son
of Santanu, with his standard overthrown and his armour
cut open, both the Kurus and the Pandavas were inspired,
O monarch, with sentiments of cheerlessness.
And the welkin was enveloped with a gloom and the Sun
himself became dim. The Earth seemed to utter
loud shrieks when the son of Santanu was slain.
This one is the foremost of those conversant with the
Vedas! This one is the best of those that are
conversant with the Vedas!—Even thus did
creatures speak of that bull among men as he lay (on
his bed of arrows).This one, formerly, ascertaining
his sire Santanu to be afflicted by Kama, this bull
among men, resolved to draw up his vital steed!—Even
thus did the Rishis together with the Siddhas and the
Charanas said of that foremost one of the Bharatas
as he lay on his bed of arrows. When Santanu’s
son Bhishma, the grandsire of the Bharatas, was slain,
thy sons, O sire, knew not what to do. Their
faces wore an expression of grief. The splendour
of their countenances seemed to abandon them, O Bharata!
All of them stood in shame, hanging down their heads.
The Pandavas, on the other hand, having, won the victory,
stood at the head of their ranks. And they all
blew their large conchs decked with gold. And
when in consequence of their joys thousands of trumpets,
O sinless one, were blown there, we beheld O monarch,
the mighty Bhimasena, the son of Kunti, sporting in
great glee, having quickly slain many hostile warriors
endued with great strength. And a great swoon
overtook all the Kurus. And Karna and Duryodhana
repeatedly drew long breaths. When the Kuru grandsire
Bhishma fell down, thus, cries of sorrow were heard
all round, and the greatest confusion prevailed (among
the Kuru army). Beholding Bhishma fallen, thy
son Dussasana, with great speed, entered the division
commanded by Drona. That hero, clad in mail and
at the head of his own troops, had been placed by
his elder brother (for the protection of Bhishma).
That tiger among men now came, plunging the troops
he had commanded into grief. Beholding him coming
towards them, the Kauravas surrounded prince Dussasana,
desirous, O monarch, of hearing what he had to say.
Then Dussasana of Kuru’s race informed Drona
of Bhishma’s slaughter. Drona then, hearing
those evil tidings, suddenly fell down from his car.
Then the valiant son of Bharadwaja, quickly recovering
his senses, forbade the Kuru army, sire, to continue
the fight. Beholding the Kurus desist from battle,
Page 787
the Pandavas also, through messengers on fleet horses,
forbade their orders, ceased to fight, the kings of
both armies, putting off their armour, all repaired
to Bhishma. Desisting from the fight, thousands
of (other) warriors then, proceeded towards the high-souled
Bhishma like the celestials towards the Lord of all
creatures. Approaching Bhishma who was then, O
bull of Bharata’s race, lying (on his bed of
arrows), the Pandavas and the Kurus stood there, having
offered him their salutations. Then Santanu’s
son Bhishma of righteous soul addressed the Pandavas
and the Kurus who having reverenced him thus, stood
before him. And he said,—Welcome to
you, ye highly blessed ones! Welcome to you,
ye mighty car-warriors! Gratified am I with your
sight, ye that are the equals of the very gods.—Thus
addressing them with his head hanging down, he once
more said,—’My head is hanging down
greatly. Let a pillow be given to me!—The
kings (standing there) then fetched many excellent
pillows that were very soft and made of very delicate
fabrics. The grandsire, however, desired them
not. That tiger among men then said unto those
kings with a laugh,—These, ye kings, do
not become a hero’s bed.—Beholding
them that foremost of men, that mightiest of car-warriors
in all the worlds, viz., the mighty-armed Dhananjaya
the son of Pandu, he said,—O Dhananjaya,
O thou of mighty arms, my head hangeth down, O sire!
Give me a pillow such as thou regardest to be fit!—’”
SECTION CXXII
“Sanjaya said,—’Stringing then
his large bow and reverentially saluting the grandsire,
Arjuna, with eyes filled with tears, said these words,
O foremost one among the Kurus, O thou that art the
first among all wielders of weapons, command me, O
invincible one, for I am thy slave! What shall
I do, O grandsire!—Unto him Santanu’s
son said,—My head, O sire, hangeth down!—O
foremost one among the Kuru’s O Phalguni, get
me a pillow! Indeed, give me one without delay
O hero, that would become my bed! Thou O Partha,
art competent, thou art the foremost of all wielders
of bows! Thou art conversant with the duties of
Kshatriyas and thou art endued with intelligence and
goodness!—Then Phalguni, saying,—So
be it—desired to do Bhishma’s bidding.
Taking up Gandiva and a number of straight shafts,
and inspiring them with mantras, and obtaining the
permission of that illustrious and mighty car-warrior
of Bharata’s race, Arjuna then, with three keen
shafts endued with great force, supported Bhishma’s
head. Then that chief of the Bharatas, viz.,
Bhishma of virtuous soul, conversant with the truths
of religion, seeing that Arjuna, having divined his
thought, had achieved that feat, became highly gratified.
And after that pillow had thus been given to him, he
applauded Dhananjaya. And casting his eyes upon
all the Bharatas there, he addressed Kunti’s
son Arjuna, that foremost of all warriors, that enhancer
Page 788
of the joys of his friends and said,—Thou
hast given me, O son of Pandu, a pillow that becometh
my bed! If thou hadst acted otherwise, I would
have cursed thee, from wrath! Even thus, O mighty-armed
one, should a Kshatriya, observant of his duties,
sleep on the field of battle on his bed of arrows!—Having
addressed Vibhatsu thus, he then said unto all those
kings and princes that were present there, these words:—Behold
ye the pillow that the son of Pandu hath given me!
I will sleep on this bed till the Sun turneth to the
northern solstice! Those king that will then
come to me will behold me (yield up my life)!
When the Sun on his car of great speed and unto which
are yoked seven steeds, will proceed towards the direction
occupied by Vaisravana, verily, even then, will I yield
up my life like a dear friend dismissing a dear friend!
Let a ditch be dug here around my quarters ye kings!
Thus pierced with hundreds of arrows will I pay my
adorations to the Sun? As regards yourselves,
abandoning enmity, cease ye from the fight, ye kings—
’Sanjaya continued,—“Then there
came unto him some surgeons well trained (in their
science) and skilled in plucking out arrows, with all
becoming appliances (of their profession). Beholding
them, the son of Ganga said unto thy son,—’Let
these physicians, after proper respect being paid to
them, be dismissed with presents of wealth. Brought
to such a plight, what need have I now of physicians?
I have won the most laudable and the highest state
ordained in Kshatriya observances! Ye kings, lying
as I do on a bed of arrows, it is not proper for me
to submit now to the treatment of physicians.
With these arrows on my body, ye rulers of men, should
I be burnt!’—Hearing these words of
his, thy son Duryodhana dismissed those physicians,
having honoured them as they deserved. Then those
kings of diverse realms, beholding that constancy in
virtue displayed by Bhishma of immeasurable energy,
were filled with wonder. Having given a pillow
to thy sire thus, those rulers of men, those mighty
car-warriors, viz., the Pandavas and the Kauravas,
united together, once more approached the high-souled
Bhishma lying on that excellent bed of his. Reverentially
saluting that high-souled one and circumambulating
him thrice, and stationing guards all around for his
protection, those heroes, with bodies drenched in
blood, repaired for rest towards their own tents in
the evening, their hearts plunged into grief and thinking
of what they had seen.
Then at the proper time, the mighty Madhava, approaching
the Pandavas, those mighty car-warriors cheerfully
seated together and filled with joy at the fall of
Bhishma, said unto Dharma’s son Yudhishthira
these words,—“By good luck victory
hath been thine, O thou of Kuru’s rare!
By good luck hath Bhishma been overthrown, who is
unslayable by men, and is a mighty car-warrior of
aim incapable of being baffled! Or, perhaps, as
destiny would have it, that warrior who was master
Page 789
of every weapon, having obtained thee for a foe that
canst slay with thy eyes alone, hath been consumed
by thy wrathful eye!—Thus addressed by Krishna,
king Yudhishthira the just, replied unto Janardana,
saying,—Through Thy grace is Victory, through
Thy wrath is Defeat! Thou art dispeller of the
fears of those that are devoted to thee. Thou
art our refuge! It is not wonderful that they
should have victory whom Thou always protectest in
battle, and in whose welfare Thou art always engaged,
O Kesava! Having got Thee for our refuge, I do
not regard anything as wonderful! Thus addressed
by him, Janardana answered with a smile,—O
best of kings, these words can come from thee alone!”
SECTION CXXIII
“Sanjaya said,—’After the night
had passed away, O monarch, all the kings, the Pandavas
and the Dhartarashtras, repaired to the grandsire,
Those Kshatriyas then saluted that bull of their order,
that foremost one among the Kurus, that hero lying
on a hero’s bed, and stood in his presence.
Maidens by thousands, having repaired to that place,
gently showered over Santanu’s son powdered
sandal wood and fried paddy, and garlands of flowers.
And women and old men and children, and ordinary spectators,
all approached Santanu’s son like creatures of
the world desirous of beholding the Sun. And
trumpets by hundreds and thousands, and actors, and
mimes, and skilled mechanics also came to the aged
Kuru grandsire. And ceasing to fight, putting
aside their coats of mail, and lying aside their weapons,
the Kurus and the Pandavas, united together, came
to the invincible Devavrata, that chastiser of foes.
And they were assembled together as in days of old,
and cheerfully addressed one another according to
their respective ages. And that conclave full
of Bharata kings by hundreds and adorned with Bhishma,
looked beautiful and blazing like a conclave of the
gods in heaven. And that conclave of kings engaged
in honouring the son of Ganga looked as beautiful as
a conclave of the celestials engaged in adorning their
Lord, viz., the Grandsire (Brahman). Bhishma,
however, O bull of Bharata’s race, suppressing
his agonies with fortitude though burning with the
arrows (still sticking to his body), was sighing like
a snake. His body burning with these arrows,
and himself nearly deprived of his senses in consequence
of his weapon-wounds, Bhishma cast his eyes on those
kings and asked for water. Then those Kshatriyas,
O king, brought thither excellent viands and several
vessels of cold water. Beholding that water brought
for him, Santanu’s son said,—I cannot,
O sire, now use any article of human enjoyment!
I am removed from the pale of humanity. I am lying
on a bed of arrows. I am staying here, expecting
only the return of the Moon and the Sun! Having
spoken these words and thereby rebuked those kings,
O Bharata, he said,—I wish to see Arjuna!—The
mighty-armed Arjuna then came there, and reverentially
Page 790
saluting the grandsire stood with joined hands, and
said,—What shall I do?—Beholding
then that son of Pandu, O monarch, thus standing before
him after having offered him respectful salutations,
Bhishma of righteous soul cheerfully addressed Dhananjaya,
saying,—Covered all over with thy shafts,
my body is burning greatly! All the vital parts
of my body are in agony. My mouth is dry.
Staying as I am with body afflicted with agony, give
me water, O Arjuna! Thou art a great bowman!
Thou art capable of giving me water duly!—The
valiant Arjuna then saying,—So be it,—mounted
on his car, and striking his Gandiva with force, began
to stretch it. Hearing the twang of his bow and
the slap of his palms which resembled the roar of the
thunder, the troops and the kings were all inspired
with fear. Then that foremost of car-warriors,
mounted on his car, circumambulated that prostrate
chief of the Bharatas, that foremost of all wielders
of weapons. Aiming then a blazing arrow, after
having inspired it with Mantras and identified it
with the Parjanya weapon, in the very sight of the
entire army, the son of Pandu, viz., Partha,
pierced the Earth a little to the south of where Bhishma
lay. Then there arose a jet of water that was
pure, and auspicious, and cool, and that resembling
the nectar itself, was of celestial scent and taste.
And with that cool jet of water Partha gratified Bhishma,
that bull among the Kurus, of godlike deeds and prowess.
And at that feat of Partha who resembled Sakra himself
in his acts, all those rulers of Earth were filled
with great wonder. And beholding that feat of
Vibhatsu implying superhuman prowess, the Kurus trembled
like kine afflicted with cold. And from wonder
all the kings there present waved their garments (in
the air). And loud was the blare of conchs and
the beat of drums that were then heard all over the
field. And Santanu’s son, his thirst quenched,
then addressed Jishnu, O monarch, and said, applauding
him highly in the presence of all those kings, these
words, viz.,—O thou of mighty arms,
this is not wonderful in thee, O son of Kuru’s
race! O thou of immeasurable effulgence, even
Narada spoke of thee as an ancient Rishi! Indeed,
with Vasudeva as thy ally, thou wilt achieve many
mighty feats which the chief of the celestials himself
with all the gods, of a certainty, will not venture
to achieve! They that have knowledge of such
things know thee to be the destroyer of the whole
Kshatriya race! Thou art the one bowman among
the bowmen of the world! Thou art the foremost
among men. As human beings are, in this world,
foremost of all creatures, as Garuda is the foremost
of all winged creatures; as the Ocean is the foremost
among all receptacles of water and the cow among all
quadrupeds; as the Sun is the foremost amongst all
luminous bodies and Himavat among all mountains; as
the Brahmana is the foremost among all castes, art
thou the foremost of all bowmen! Dhritarashtra’s
son (Duryodhana) listened not to the words repeatedly
Page 791
spoken by me and Vidura and Drona and Rama and Janardana
and also by Sanjaya. Reft of his senses, like
unto an idiot, Duryodhana placed no reliance on those
utterances. Past all instructions, he will certainly
have to lie down for ever, overwhelmed by the might
of Bhima!—Hearing these words of his, the
Kuru king Duryodhana became of cheerless heart.
Eyeing him, Santanu’s son said,—Listen,
O king! Abandon thy wrath! Thou hast seen,
O Duryodhana how the intelligent Partha created that
jet of cool and nectar-scented water! There is
none else in this world capable of achieving such
feat. The weapons appertaining to Agni, Varuna,
Soma, Vayu, and Vishnu, as also those appertaining
to Indra, Pasupati, and Paramesthi, and those of Prajapati,
Dhatri, Tashtri, Savitri, and Vivaswat, all these
are known to Dhananjaya alone in this world of men!
Krishna, the son of Devaki, also knoweth them.
But there is none else here that knoweth them.
This son of Pandu, O sire, is incapable of being defeated
in battle by even the gods and the Asuras together.
The feats of this high-souled one are superhuman.
With that truthful hero, that ornament of battle,
that warrior accomplished in fight, let peace, O king,
be soon made! As long as the mighty-armed Krishna
is not possessed by wrath, O chief of the Kurus, it
is fit, O sire, that peace should be made with the
heroic Parthas! As long as this remnant of thy
brothers is not slain, let peace, O monarch, be made!
As long as Yudhishthira with eyes burning in wrath
doth not consume thy troops in battle, let peace, O
sire, be made! As long as Nakula, and Sahadeva,
and Bhimasena, the sons of Pandu, do not, O monarch,
exterminate thy army, it seems to me that friendly
relations should be restored between thee and the heroic
Pandavas! Let this battle end with my death, O
sire! Make peace with the Pandavas, Let these
words that are uttered to thee by me be acceptable
to thee, O sinless one! Even this is what I regard
to be beneficial both for thyself and the race (itself
of Kuru)! Abandoning thy wrath, let peace be
made with Parthas. What Phalguni hath already
done is sufficient. Let friendly relations be
restored with the death of Bhishma! Let this
remnant (of warriors) live! Relent, O king!
Let half the kingdom be given to the Pandavas.
Let king Yudhishthira the just, go to Indraprastha.
O chief of the Kurus, do not achieve a sinful notoriety
among the kings of the earth by incurring the reproach
of meanness, becoming a fomentor of intestine dissensions!
Let peace come to all with my death! Let these
rulers of earth, cheerfully mix with one another!
Let sire get back the son, let sister’s son
get back the maternal uncle! If from want of
understanding and possessed by folly thou dost not
harken to those timely words of mine thou wilt have
to repent greatly! What I say is true. Therefore,
desist even now! Having, from affection, said
these words unto Duryodhana in the midst of the kings,
the son of the ocean-going (Ganga) became silent.
Though his vital limbs were burning with the arrow-wounds,
yet, prevailing over his agonies, he applied himself
to yoga.
Page 792
“Sanjaya continued—’Having
heard these beneficial and peaceful words fraught
with both virtue and profit, thy son, however, accepted
them not, like a dying man refusing medicine.”
SECTION CXXIV
“Sanjaya said,—’After Santanu’s
son Bhishma, O monarch, had become silent, all those
rulers of earth, there present, then returned to their
respective quarters. Hearing of Bhishma’s
slaughter that bull among men, viz., Radha’s
son (Karna), partially inspired with fear quickly came
there. He beheld that illustrious hero lying on
his bed of reeds. Then Vrisha (Karna) endued
with great glory, with voice choked in tears, approaching
that hero lying with eyes closed, fell at his feet.
And he said,—O chief of the Kurus, I am
Radha’s son, who while before thy eyes, was
everywhere looked upon by thee with hate!—Hearing
these words, the aged chief of the Kurus, the son
of Ganga, whose eyes were covered with film slowly
raising his eyelids, and causing the guards to be removed,
and seeing the place deserted by all, embraced Karna
with one arm, like a sire embracing his son, and said
these words with great affection:—Come,
come! Thou art an opponent of mine who always
challengest comparison with me! If thou hadst
not come to me, without doubt, it would not have been
well with thee! Thou art Kunti’s son, not
Radha’s! Nor is Adhiratha thy father!
O thou of mighty arms, I heard all this about thee
from Narada as also from Krishna-Dwaipayana!
Without doubt, all this is true! I tell thee
truly, O son, that I bear thee no malice! It was
only for abating thy energy that I used to say such
harsh words to thee! O thou of excellent vows
without any reason thou speakest ill of all the Pandavas!
Sinfully didst thou come into the world. It is
for this that thy heart hath been such. Through
pride, and owning also to thy companionship with the
low, thy heart hateth even persons of merit! It
is for this that I spoke such harsh words about thee
in the Kuru camp! I know thy prowess in battle,
which can with difficulty be borne on earth by foes!
I know also thy regard for Brahmanas. thy courage,
and thy great attachment to alms-giving! O thou
that resemblest a very god, amongst men there is none
like thee! For fear of intestine dissensions I
always spoke harsh words about thee. In bowmanship,
in aiming weapon, in lightness of hand and in strength
of weapons, thou art equal to Phalguni himself, or
the high-souled Krishna! O Karna, proceeding
to the city of Kasi, alone with thy bow, thou hadst
crushed the kings in battle for procuring a bride for
the Kuru king! The mighty and invincible king
Jarasandha also, ever boastful of his prowess in battle,
could not become thy match in fight! Thou art
devoted to Brahmanas; thou always fightest fairly!
In energy and strength, thou art equal to a child
of the celestials and certainly much superior to men.
The wrath I cherished against thee is gone. Destiny
is incapable of being avoided by exertion. O
slayer of foes, the heroic sons of Pandu are thy uterine
brothers! If thou wishest to do what is agreeable
to me, unite with them, O thou of mighty arms!
O son of Surya, let these hostilities end with me!
Let all the kings of Earth be to-day freed from danger!—
Page 793
“’Karna said I know this, O thou of mighty
arms! All this without doubt, is (as thou sayest)!
As thou tellest me, O, Bhishma, I am Kunti’s
son, and not the son of a Suta! I was, however,
abandoned by Kunti, and I have been reared by a Suta.
Having (so long) enjoyed the wealth of Duryodhana,
I dare not falsify it now. Like Vasudeva’s
son who is firmly resolved for the sake of the Pandavas,
I also, O thou that makest profuse presents to Brahmanas,
am prepared to cast away my possessions, my body itself,
my children, and my wife, for Duryodhana’s sake!
Death from disease, O thou of Kuru’s race, doth
not become a Kshatriya! Relying upon Suyodhana
I have always offended the Pandavas! This affairs
is destined to take its course. It is incapable
of being prevented. Who was there that would
venture to overcome Destiny by exertion? Various
omens indicating the destruction of the Earth.
O grandsire, were noticed by thee and declared in
the assembly. It is well known to me that the
son of Pandu, and Vasudeva, are incapable of being
conquered by other men. Even with them we venture
to fight! I will vanquish the son of Pandu in
battle! Even this is my firm resolve! I
am not capable, of casting off this fierce animosity
(that I cherish against the Pandavas)! With a
cheerful heart, and keeping the duties of my order
before my eye, I will contend against Dhananjaya.
Firmly resolved that I am on battle, grant me thy permission,
O hero! I will fight. Even this is my wish.
It behoveth thee to forgive me also any harsh words
that I may have at any time uttered against thee or
any act that I may have done against thee from anger
or inconsiderateness!—”
“’Bhishma said,—If, indeed,
thou art unable to cast off this fierce animosity,
I permit thee, O Karna! Fight, moved by the desire
of heaven! Without anger and without vindictiveness,
serve thou the king according to thy power and according
to thy courage and observant of the conduct of the
righteous! Have then my permission, O Karna!
Obtain thou that which thou seekest! Through
Dhananjaya thou wilt obtain all those regions (hereafter)
which are capable of being had by fulfilling the duties
of a Kshatriya! Freed from pride, and relying
on thy (own) might and energy, engage in battle, since
a Kshatriya cannot have a (source of) greater happiness
than a righteous battle. For a long while I made
great efforts for bringing about peace! But I
succeeded not, O Karna, in the task! Truly do
I say this unto thee!—”
“’Sanjaya continued,—’After
the son of Ganga had said this, Radha’s son
(Karna) having saluted Bhishma and obtained his forgiveness,
got up on his car and proceeded towards (the quarters
of) thy son.’
The End of Bhishma Parva
FOOTNOTES
1. Tapas-kshetra because Kuru, the common ancestor
of the rival houses, performed his ascetic austerities
there. Since Kuru’s time, many ascetics
took up their abode there.
Page 794
2. Some texts have Duddharsham for Durddharshas.
3. Literally, “gives heat”.
4. ‘Varna’ is used here in the sense
of races and not castes.
5. This sloka is variously read. For bhauman
in the first line some texts read bhimam which I have
adopted. For sahasa in the second line some texts
have rajasa, and then aditye (locative) for ‘adityas’.
6. The Bombay text is evidently faulty here;
it repeats the second half of the 7th sloka, making
the second half of the 25th the first half of the
24th.
7. i.e., stragglers should not be slain.
8. Literally, “confiding.”
9. The Bombay text has Castropanayishu; the Bengal
texts have Castropojibishu.
10. Rather, “have their periods run out.”
11. The Bombay text reads pralahshaye for prajashaye.
I have adopted the former.
12. Both the Bengal and the Bombay editions have
Kukkuran for Kukkutan as the Burdwan Pundits correct
it. A bitch producing dogs and bitches would
be no anomaly.
13. Unlike the Bengal editions, the Bombay edition
correctly includes this sloka, or rather half sloka,
within the 17th, making the 17th a triplet instead
of a couplet. For the well-known word Dhishthitas
however, the Bombay text has Vishthitas.
14. The Bombay text reads Paricchanna for Paricchinna.
The former is better.
15. Vaisase is explained by Nilakantha as Virodhe.
Conttavarta—–a river having bloody
eddies.
16. Conitam cchardayanniva. I have adopted
Nilakantha’s explanation. The Burdwan Pundits
take it as referring to “weapons” instead
of “hearers.” The passage, however,
may mean that the bird screams so frightfully as if
it vomits blood. The only thing that militates
against this interpretation is that cchardayan is
a causal verb. In the Mahabharata, however, causal
forms are frequently used without causal meaning.
17. This sloka is omitted in many editions, though
it is certainly genuine. I have rendered it very
freely, as otherwise it would be unintelligible.
The fact is, three lunations twice meeting together
in course of the same lunar fortnight is very rare.
The lunar-fortnight (Paksha) being then reduced by
two days, the day of full-moon or that of new moon,
instead of being (as usual) the fifteenth day from
the first lunation becomes the thirteenth day.
Lunar-eclipses always occur on days of the full-moon,
while solar-eclipses on those of the new moon.
Such eclipses, therefore, occurring on days removed
from the days of the first lunation by thirteen instead
of (as usual) fifteen days, are very extraordinary
occurrences.
18. Vishamam is battle or war, and akranda is
weeping or productive of grief. The latter word
may also mean a fierce battle. If understood in
this sense, Vishamam may be taken as indicating hostility,
or absence of peace.
Page 795
19. Nilakantha explains this in a long note the
substance of which is appended below. Kings are
divided into three classes, viz., owners of elephants
(Gajapati), owners of horses (Aswapati), and owners
of men (Narapati). If an evil-omened planet (papa-graha)
sheds its influence upon any of the nine constellations
beginning with Aswini, it forebodes danger to Aswapatis;
if on any of the nine beginning with Magha, it forebodes
danger to Gajapatis; and if on any of the nine beginning
with Mula, it forebodes danger to Narapatis.
What Vyasa says here, therefore, is that one or another
papa-graha has shed its influence upon one another
of each of the three classes of constellations, thus
foreboding danger to all classes of kings.
20. Vide note ante.
21. Aparvani, i.e., not on Parva days or
days of full-moon and new-moon as ordinarily coming.
The Bombay edition, after aparvani, reads grahenau
tau. A better reading unquestionably grastavetau,
as many Bengal texts have.
22. Pratisrotas; strict grammar would require
pratisrotasas; the meaning is that those that flowed
east to west now flow west to east, &c. For kurddanti
some texts have narddanti which is certainly better.
Kurddanti means play or sport; wells playing like
bulls would be unmeaning, unless the sport is accompanied
by bellowing.
23. The Burdwan Pundits reads suskasani for sakrasani.
The latter, however, is the true reading.
24. The original is very obscure. Uluka
is explained by Nilakantha as a brand (used for want
of lambs). The line, however, is elliptical.
The Burdwan Pundits introduce an entirely new line.
25. Mahabhuta is swelling greatly.
26. Parena is explained by Nilakantha as atisayena.
27. Some of the Bengal texts read anugraham (making
the initial a silent after maharshe, in the vocative
case). There can be no doubt however, that this
is incorrect. The true reading is nadharmam which
I have adopted. The Bombay text reads na cha
dharmam. The introduction of the article cha
needlessly makes the line incorrect as to metre.
28. The second line of the 67th sloka is very
obscure. I have followed Nilakantha in translating
it thus. The sense seems to be, that when crows
hover behind an army, that is an auspicious sign; while
it is an inauspicious sign if they are seen ahead.
I am not sure that Nilakantha is right in taking the
pronoun ye as referring to even crows.
29. Such as “don’t fight, for you
will be dead men soon.” &c.
30. Nilakantha explains these five species thus:
trees such as the peepul; gulma (shrub), as kusa,
kasa, &c., growing from a clump underneath; creepers,
such as all plants growing upon the soil but requiring
some support to twine round; Valli, those that creep
on the earth and live for a year only, such, as the
gourd, the pumpkin, etc., and lastly, Trina,
such as grass and all plants that are stemless, having
only their barks and leaves.
Page 796
31. When Gayatri, or Brahma or the Universe,
is mentioned, these twenty-four are indicated, five
of which exist independently, the remaining nineteen
being the result of five in those various proportions.
32. I have rendered 4 and 5 a little too freely.
The language of the original is very terse.
33. Samyam is homogeneity. The allusion
is to the state of the universe before creation, when
there exists nothing but a homogeneous mass or Brahma
alone. The first compound of the 2nd line is read
differently. The Burdwan Pandits and the Bombay
edition read anyonyam (in the accusative); many of
the Bengal texts read anyonyena (in the instrumental).
The meaning is scarcely affected by this difference
of reading.
34. The order of destruction is that earth merges
into water, water into fire, fire into air, and air
into space. And so the order of birth is that
from space arises air, from air arises fire, from fire
arises water, and from water arises earth.
35. Nilakantha explains the last six slokas as
having an esoteric meaning. By Sudarsana he understands
the mind. The rest is explained consistently.
Interpretations, however, are not rare among commentators
seeking to put sense in non-sense.
36. The Bombay text reads Varsha parvatas for
parvatas samas.
37. For Pinaddha occurring in the Bengal texts,
the Bombay edition reads Vichitra.
38. The Bengal texts add a line here which is
properly omitted in the Bombay edition.
39. After the 10th occurs a line in the Bengal
text which is evidently vicious.
40. Day of the full-moon and that of the new-moon.
41. The Bengal texts, except the Burdwan one,
have divi for Daityas, of course, the latter reading
is correct.
42. The Bombay text has Sarvatas (which is better)
for Sarvata in the Bengal texts.
43. in the first line of 28, the Bengal texts read
Sirasas (ablative) for Sikhhrat of the Bombay edition.
In the last line of 29 also, the Bombay text has plavantiva-pravegena
for the Bengal reading patatyajapravegena. No
material difference of meaning arises if one or the
other is accepted.
44. Alluding to the tradition of Siva’s
holding Ganga on his head and for which the great
god is sometimes called Gangadhara.
45. This word occurs in various forms, Ketumala
and Ketumali being two others.
46. The Bombay edition reads tu for cha after
Jamvukhanda. The meaning becomes changed.
47. The sacred stream Ganga is believed to have
three currents. In heaven the current is called
Mandakini; on earth, it is called Ganga; and in the
subterraneous world it is called Bhogavati.
48. The Bengal texts, excepting the Burdwan one,
incorrectly read Sakram for Satram.
49. The correct reading is Gatimanti. Many
of the Bengal texts incorrectly read matimanti, which
is unmeaning.
50. Many of the Bengal texts incorrectly read
Merorapyyantaram for Merorathottaram.
Page 797
51. This sloka beginning with mani and ending
with prabham is omitted in the Bombay text, I don’t
think rightly. If anything that seems to be a
repetition is to be omitted.
52. i.e. “have fallen away from a celestial
state.”
53. In sloka 13, the Bengal texts read Bhayanakas
for mahavalas. In 15 Mudhabhishekas for Purvabhishekas;
is substituted in the Bombay text. In 1 again
the Bombay text reads Subhas for drumas.
54. The Bengal texts have Chandrabhasa for Chandraprabha.
The difference is not material.
55. Both the Burdwan and the Bombay editions
read Panchashat (five and six). The Bengal texts
generally have panchasat (fifty).
56. The Bombay edition reads Tasmat-sritigamatas
param. The Bengal texts read Yasmat-sringamatas
param. The Bengal reading is better. The
Asiatic Society’s edition contains a misprint.
The meaning is, “Because Sringa (jewelled mountain
of that name), therefore superior.” I have
rendered it somewhat freely.
57. They are but portions of the same Supreme
Being.
58. i.e. mountains forming boundaries of divisions.
59. The Bombay text reads Ikshula and Krimi for
“Ikshumlavi” occurring in Bengal texts.
60. The Bengal texts have Gandakincha mahanadim.
The Bombay text reads Vandanancha mahanadim with a
cha immediately before. The Burdwan Pandits read
Chandanancha mahanadim.
61. The Bombay texts read Tridiva for Nischita;
this is incorrect, for Tridiva occurs in the Bombay
text itself a little before. The name Lohatarini
occurs in various forms.
62. For Vetravati, the Bengal texts read Chandrabhaga.
Both Chandrabhaga and Vetravati, however occur before.
63. Kamadhuk is that species of kine which always
yield milk.
64. Nilakantha explains this in this way.
The gods depend on sacrifices performed by human beings;
and as regards human beings, their food is supplied
by the Earth. Superior and inferior creatures,
therefore, are all supported by the earth; the Earth
then is their refuge. The word Earth in these
slokas is sometimes used to signify the world and
sometimes the element of that name.
65. I render the last line a little too freely.
If the saying is intended to be general, the translation
should run thus: “Up to this day there is
no man whose desires can be satiated.”
66. The Bombay text reads Kimanyat Kathayami
te. The Bengal reading is Kimanyat srotumicchasi.
67. The Bombay text reads Tatas parena; the Bengal
reading is Tatas purvena. I adopt the former.
68. Probably this mythical account of Sakadwipa
embodies some vague tradition current in ancient India
of some republic in Eastern Asia or Oceanic Asia (further
east in the Pacific). Accustomed as the Hindus
were to kingly form of government, a government without
a king, would strike them exactly in the way described
in the last two slokas.
Page 798
69. The second line of the 3rd sloka is read
variously. The Bombay edition incorrectly reads
‘Parvataccha’ etc. etc.,; the
Bengal reading is evameva etc. etc.
The Bengal reading is better, although the true reading,
I apprehend, is Evametais &c., &c.
70. Vamanaka and Vamana are the same words the
final ka being a suffix causing no difference of meaning.
So Andhakaraka and Andhakara are the same.
71. Dig-gaja, i.e. an elephant supporting
the globe. There are four such in Hindu mythology
or ten according to some accounts.
72. i.e., with the juice trickling down from
their cheeks and mouth. In the season of rut,
a peculiar kind of juice issues from several parts
of an elephant’s body. It is believed to
be the temporal-juice. The stronger and fierce
the elephant, the greater the quantity of the juice
that issues out its body.
73. Tasya (singular of Tad) and sa (masculine
singular of Tad) both refer to the four elephants,
Gaja-chatushtaya in singular.
74. Asamyadha lit. “Unbound”
or “unrestrained,” i.e. freely or
irregularly.
75. It is a remarkable fact that the ratio between
the diameter and the circumference of a circle was
roughly known to the ancient Hindus. The circumference
is nearly, as stated here, three times and a half of
the diameter. The next ratio, of course, is slightly
less, being three and one-seventh.
76. The first word of this sloka is variously
read. ‘Yathadishtam’ is the Bengal
reading, while the Bombay reading ‘Yathoddishtam.’
If the latter reading were adopted, the meaning would
be as indicated (in the Sastras). The second
line literally rendered, is “pacify thy son Duryodhana.”
But how Dhritarashtra is to pacify his son having
listened to the geographical digression, is not easy
to see.
77. For Sadhusattamas of the Bengal texts, the
Bombay edition reads Sadhusammatas. I adopt the
last.
78. The last word in the first line of the 11th
sloka, in the Bengal texts, is ‘Pravriha.’
In the Bombay edition it is ‘Anikaha.’
The difference in meaning is immaterial.
79. The first half of the first line, in the
Bengal texts, is read as ‘Kathamascha me putra’,
the Bombay text reads “Kathamascha me Yoddha’.
If the latter reading be adopted, the meaning would
be—“Tell me how my warriors were,
etc. etc.
80. In the second line of sloka 3, for ‘kim
na asinmanastada’ (what was the state of mind
of our men) the Bombay text reads ‘Kimu asinmanastava’
(what was the state of your mind)?
81. The Plural pronouns ‘ye’ in the
second line of the 8th sloka (changed into ‘ya’
by rule of Sandhi because coming before tenam) is read
‘ke’ (or ka)’ by the Burdwan Pundits.
I think the correction a happy one. Nilakantha
would take 7 and 8 and the first half of 9 as a complete
sentence reading ‘Asya twama antike’ (thou
wert near him) for ’Asyaram antike’ (smiting
or shooting arrows near).
Page 799
82. Some of the Bengal texts have Panchalanam
for Pandavanam.
83. The form of the 2nd line is a negative interrogative,
implying,—’I hope the Kurus did not
abandon him.
84. This comparison, lengthy as it is, is not
sustained throughout with the usual felicity of Vyasa.
In several parts it is undoubtedly faulty. Slight
variation of reading also occur here and there, without
affecting the sense materially.
85. Gachchhato durgam gatim. The Bombay
edition reads Gachchhanto etc., etc.
The meaning then would be—“who protected
the wings, themselves making the last painful journey?
86. The Burdwan Pundits make Mahavalas an adjective
of Putras. A better construction would be to
take it as referring to Bhishma.
87. Ghatayitwa is, literally, causing to be slain.
88. The words “high-souled” and also
“through whose boon bestowed of me occur in
the 9th sloka following.
89. Vyotthiopatti vijananam, Vyutthita is a very
doubtful word.
90. Literally, “in Indra’s abodes,”
i.e. Amaravati.
91. A Kshatriya failing bravely in fight at once
goes to the highest regions of bliss.
92. Nilakantha in a long note explains that Magha
Vishayagas Somas cannot mean that Soma or the Moon
entered the constellation called Magha. He quotes
numerous slokas scattered throughout the Mahabharata
that throw light, directly or indirectly, on the question
of the opening day of the battle, and shows that all
these lead to a different conclusion. What is
meant by the Moon approaching the region of the Pitris
is that those who fall in battle immediately ascend
to heaven; of course, they have first to go to the
region of Pitris. Thence they have to go to the
lunar region for obtaining celestial bodies.
All this implies a little delay. Here, however,
in the case of those that would fall on the field of
Kurukshetra, they would not have to incur even such
a little delay. Chandramas or Soma approached
the region of Pitris so that the fallen warriors might
have celestial bodies very soon, without, in fact,
any necessity, on their part, to incur the delay of
a journey to the lunar region prior to their ascension
to heaven with resplendent bodies.
93. There are nine planets in all the Pauranic
astronomy. Of these Rahu and Ketu are regarded
Upagrahas, and hence, of grahas there are only seven.
Thus Nilakantha, and the Burdwan pundits have made
a mess of this line.
94. The Bengal texts read Bhanumanudito divi.
The Bombay reading is Bhanumanudito Ravis. If
the latter be adopted, Bhanuman would be an adjective
of Ravis.
95. Purvais Purvatarais is literally—“They
of old and still older times”; for Sanatanas
some editions read Srutijas (qualifying panthas).
Srutija means arising from the Srutis or as laid down
in the Srutis.
96. Chamupatis is the Bengal reading. The
Bombay text reads Chamupari. If the latter reading
be adopted, the meaning would be, “at the head
of the (Kuru) army.”
Page 800
97. The Bengal editions read ‘Magadhascha
ripum yayau.’ The Bombay text reads ‘Magadhasya
Kripo-yayau.’ If the latter reading be adopted,
the meaning would be “and guiding the very van
of the Magadha troops Kripa went.”
98. The Bengal reading is Saradabhraghana-prakshyam.
The Bombay reading is ‘Sharadamvudhara-prakshyam.’
99. Vasavartinas is nominative, masculine, plural,
referring to cars, &c.; the Burdwan Pundits take it
as a genitive singular qualifying tasya, and they
render it, therefore, as “of that subordinate
of Duryodhana.” This is evidently incorrect.
100. Machines, perhaps catapults.
101. ‘Vyuha’ is an array of troops
in a certain form. Many such will be spoken of
in this and the other ‘parvas’ devoted
to the battle.
102. The Bombay edition reads Yamunantara for
Yamunantare of the Bengal texts. The difference
in meaning is not very material.
103. The Bengal texts read Syandamana; the Bombay
reading is Spandamana. Both imply “moving”,
only the motion in the latter case is slower, perhaps,
than in the former.
104. The word used is Dayadas lit., taker of
(one’s) wealth.
105. The Bombay text is here faulty. Darsay
swamahavalam is scarcely correct. The Bengal
reading is ‘Darsayan sumahavalam.’
106. Literally, “with rent cheeks and mouth.”
107. The Bombay reading is certainly faulty here.
For Chalanta iva parvatas it reads Jimuta iva varashikas,
although it makes the previous line begin Ksharantaiva
Jimuta.
108. A parigha is a thick club mounted with iron.
The comparison is very feeble, for Bhima’s mace,
in the popular estimation, is much heavier and stouter
than any parigha manufactured for human combatants.
Prachakarsha is, lit. dragged. I think, however,
the root krish must be taken here in the sense of
crush.
109. The name Vajra implies either a hard needle
for boring diamonds and gems, or the thunder-bolt.
In this sloka the word Vajra is used as associated
with the thunder and therefore, as thunder is accompanied
by lightning so the bows of the warriors are the lightning-marks
of this particular Vajra.
110. The word is Uttaradhus which seems to be
very doubtful.
111. Yenarjunastena, Yena is yatra and tena is
tatra, as Nilakantha rightly explains. The meaning
is—“who would be there where Arjuna
would be.”
112. The Bengal texts read Dharmenikena chanagha
which is evidently faulty, remembering that the words
are Brahman’s to Indra and the celestials.
The Bombay reading is Dharmenaivodyamena cha which
I have adopted.
113. The sense is that they, viz., the gods,
who accepted Krishna’s lead, or selected him
for their leader, became victorious. The Bengal
reading is evidently superior, viz., Anu Krishna
literally “behind Krishna,” i.e.,
“with Krishna in the front, or “with Krishna
as a leader.” The Bombay reading is Katham
Krishna. If this were adopted, the meaning would
be, “How O Krishna, shall we conquer?”
I do not understand how victory should be theirs who
answered in this way. Of course, the answer implies
modesty. But modesty is not the sole requisite
of victory, nor is modesty inculcated here as the
chief means of victory.
Page 801
114. The Bengal texts read Kanchana-bhanda-yuktam.
The Bombay reading is much better, being Kanchanabhanda-yoktam;
again, for Nagakulasya the Bombay edition reads Nagapurasya,
Nilakantha notices the latter reading.
115. The Bengal reading is Mahindram (king of
earth, or king); the Bombay reading is Mahendram (the
great Indra). Without iva any word to that effect,
Mahendram would be ungrammatical.
116. The Bengal texts read, and as I think, correctly,
Stutavanta enam. The Bombay reading is Srutavanta
enam. In the case of regenerate Rishis and Siddhas
it is scarcely necessary to say that they are conversant
with the Srutis.
117. The Bengal reading Sahasrani for Savastrani
is correct. I adopt the latter,
118. This is how I understand this verse, and
I am supported by the Burdwan Pundits. Nilakantha,
it seems, thinks that the car had a thousand wheels
resembling a thousand suns.
119. Verse 15 is read variously. As the
last word of the first line, I read Achakarsha for
raraksha, and accordingly I take that as a genitive
and not an ablative particle.
120. follow Nilakantha in rendering many of the names
occurring in this and the succeeding slokas.
I retain, however, those names that are of doubtful
etymology, as also those that are very common.
121. Every scholar knows the derivation of this
word as given in this sloka of Kalidasa (in his Kumara
Sambhavam) Umeti matra tapasonishiddha paschadumakhyam
Sumukhi Jagama.
122. Both Swaha and Swadha are mantras of high
efficacy. Kala and Kastha are divisions of time.
Saraswati implies speech.
123. Sankhye is explained by Nilakantha to be
Samyak Khyanam Prakasana Yasmin; hence Atmanatma-vivekarupa
Samadhi.
124. The text of the Gita has come down to us
without, it may be ventured to be stated, any interpolation.
The difference of reading are few and far between.
For Jayadratha some texts read tathaivacha.
125. The words Aparyaptam and Paryaptam have
exercised all commentators. If paryaptam is sufficient
(as it certainly is), aparyaptam may mean either more
or less than sufficient. The context, however,
would seem to show that Duryodhana addressed his preceptor
in alarm and not with confidence of success, I, therefore,
take aparyaptam to be less than sufficient.
126. It has been observed before that Schlegel
renders the names of these conches as Gigantea, Theodotes,
Arundinca, Triumpphatrix, Dulcisona, and Gemmiflora,
and that Professor Wilson approves of them.
127. It seems a fashion to doubt the etymology
of this word, as if commentators of the learning of
Sreedhara and Sankara, Anandagiri and Nilakantha even
upon a question of derivation and grammar can really
be set aside in favour of anything that may occur
in the Petersburgh lexicon. Hrishikesa means
the lord of the senses.
128. Ranasamudyame may also mean “at the
outset of battle.”
Page 802
129. The meaning is that even for the sake of
such a rich reward in prospect I would not kill persons
so dear and near to me. I would much rather suffer
them strike me, myself not returning their blows.
130. The word is atatayinas.
131. Most editions read savandhavam “with
(their) kinsmen or friends,” I think, however,
that swa (own) for (with) is the correct reading.
K. T. Telang adopts it in his translation published
ill Vol. VIII of the Sacred Books of the East.
132. In some editions this lesson is stated to
be “Arjuna’s grief.” The description
of the lesson again is given in fewer words.
133. The commentators betray their ingenuity
by emphasizing the word ishubhis (with arrows), explaining,
“how can I encounter them with arrows whom I
cannot encounter with even harsh words?”
134. Arthakaman is an adjective qualifying Gurun.
Some commentators particularly Sreedhara, suggest
that it may, instead, qualify bhogan. The meaning,
however, in that case would be far-fetched.
135. Sreedhara explains that Karpanya is compassion
(for kinsmen), and dosha is the fear of sin (for destroying
a race). The first compound, therefore, according
to him, means,—“My nature affected
by both compassion and fear of sin, etc.
It is better, however, to take Karpanya itself as
a dosha (taint or fault). K. T. Telang understands
it in this way. Upahata, however, is affected
and not contaminated.
136. What Arjuna says here is that “Even
if I obtain such a kingdom on Earth, even if I obtain
the very kingship of the gods, I do not yet see that
will dispel that grief which will overtake me if I
slay my preceptor and kinsmen.” Telang’s
version is slightly ambiguous.
137. The Bengal texts have Parantapa with a Visarga,
thus implying that it refers to Gudakesa. The
Bombay edition prints it without the Visarga, implying
that it is in the vocative case, referring to Dhritarashtra,
the listener.
138. One of the most useful rules in translating
from one language into another is to use identical
words for identical expressions in the original.
In translating, however, from a language like Sanskrit
which abounds in synonyms, this is not always practicable
without ambiguity. As an example, the word used
in 13 is Dhira; that used in 11 is Pandita. There
can be little doubt, however, that Pandita and Dhira
have exactly the same meaning.
139. Amritatwa is really emancipation or non-liability
to repeated death or repeated rebirth. To render
it as “immortality” is, perhaps, a little
slovenly, for every soul is immortal, and this particular
section inculcates it.
140. Sat and asat are the two words which must
be distinctly understood as they occur often in Hindu
philosophy. Sat is explained as the real, i.e.,
the soul, or anything as real and permanent as the
soul. Asat is the reverse of this, i.e.,
the unreal or the Non-soul. What is said here
by Krishna is that the unreal has no existence; the
real, again can have no non-existence. Is not
this a sort of cosmothetic idealism?
Page 803
141. Most texts read Yudhaya Yujyaswa. A
manuscript belonging to a friend of mine has the correction
in red-ink, Yudhaya Yudhaya Yudhaywa. It accords
so well with the spirit of the lesson sought to be
inculcated here that I make no scruple to adopt it.
142. A life in this world that is subject to
decay and death. So say all the commentators.
143. What Krishna seeks to inculcate here is
the simple truth that persons who believe in the Vedas
and their ordinances laying down specific acts for
the attainment of a heaven of pleasure and power,
cannot have the devotion without which there cannot
be final emancipation which only is the highest bliss.
The performance of Vedic rites may lead to heaven
of pleasure and power, but what is that heaven worth?
True emancipation is something else which must be
obtained by devotion, by pure contemplation.
In rendering Janma-Karma-phalapradam I have followed
Sankara. Sreedhara and other commentators explain
it differently.
144. This sloka has been variously rendered by
various translators. It is the same that occurs
in the Sanat-Sujata Parva of the Udyoga. (Vide Udyoga
Parva, Section XLV). Both Sreedhara and Sankara
(and I may mention Anandagiri also) explain it in
this way. Shortly stated, the meaning is that
to an instructed Brahmana (Brahma-knowing person and
not a Brahmana by birth), his knowledge (of self or
Brahma) teaches him that which is obtainable from
all the Vedas, just as a man wanting to bathe or drink
may find a tank or well as useful to him as a large
reservoir of water occupying an extensive area.
Nilakantha explains it in a different way.
145. Srotavyasya Srutasyacha is literally ’of
the hearable and the heard’, i.e., “what
you may or will hear, and what you have heard.”
European translators of the Gita view in these words
a rejection of the Vedas by the author. It is
amusing to see how confidently they dogmatise upon
this point, rejecting the authority of Sankara, Sreedhara,
Anandagiri, and the whole host of Indian commentators.
As K. T. Telang, however, has answered the point elaborately,
nothing more need be said here.
146. One may abstain, either from choice or inability
to procure them, from the objects of enjoyment.
Until, however, the very desire to enjoy is suppressed,
one cannot be said to have attained to steadiness of
mind. Of Aristotle’s saying that he is
a voluptuary who pines at his own abstinence, and
the Christian doctrine of sin being in the wish, mere
abstinence from the act constitutes no merit.
147. The particle ‘he’ in the second
line is explained by both Sankara and Anandagiri as
equivalent to Yasmat. The meaning becomes certainly
clearer by taking the word in this sense. The
‘he’, however, may also be taken as implying
the sense of “indeed.”
148. Buddhi in the first line is explained by
Sreedhara as Aintavishayak buddhi. Bhavanta Sreedhara
explains, is Dhyanam; and Sankara as Atmajnanabhinivesas.
K. T. Telang renders Bhavana as perseverance.
I do not think this is correct.
Page 804
149. Sankara, Anandagiri, and Nilakantha explain
this sloka thus. Sreedhara explains it otherwise.
The latter supposes the pronouns yat and tat to mean
a particular sense among the Charatam indriyanam.
If Sreedhara’s interpretation be correct, the
meaning would be—“That (one sense)
amongst the senses moving (among their objects) which
the mind follows, (that one sense) tosseth the mind’s
(or the man’s) understanding about like the
wind tossing a (drunken boatman’s) boat on the
waters.” The parenthetical words are introduced
by Sreedhara himself. It may not be out of place
to mention here that so far as Bengal, Mithila and
Benares are concerned, the authority of Sreedhara is
regarded as supreme.
150. The vulgar, being spiritually dark, are
engaged in worldly pursuits. The sage in spiritual
light is dead to the latter.
151. Prakritijais Gunas is explained by Sreedhara
as qualities born of one’s nature such as Ragadveshadi.
Sankara thinks that they are the qualities or attributes
of primal matter (which enters into the composition
of every self) such as Satwa, Rajas, and Tamas.
152. “Apply to work”, i.e. to
work as prescribed in the scriptures. Thus says
Sankara. “To morning and evening prayers,
etc.” says Sreedhara.
153. Sacrifices Vishnu’s self as declared
by the Srutis; work for sacrifice, therefore, is work
for Vishnu’s sake or gratification. For
the sake of that i.e., for sacrifice’s,
or “Vishnu’s sake. So say all the
commentators.
154. Bhavaya is explained by both Sankara and
Sreedhara as Vradhaya or make grow. Perhaps,
“rear” is the nearest approach to it in
English. K. T. Telang renders it, ‘please.’
The idea is eminently Indian. The gods are fed
by sacrifices, and in return they feed men by sending
rain. The Asuras again who warred with the gods
warred with sacrifices.
155. Parjjanya is explained by both Sankara and
Sreedhara as rain. It means also the clouds or
the origin of rain.
156. The word in the original that is rendered
in the Vedas is Brahma. It may mean the Supreme
Soul. Of course, in Brahmanic literature, the
Vedas are Brahma and Brahma is the Vedas, but still
in the second line of 15 there is no necessity of
taking Brahma as equivalent to the Vedas, I do not
think Telang is accurate in his rendering of this line.
157. The wheel referred to is what has been said
before, viz., from the Vedas are work, from work
is rain, from rain is food, from food are creatures,
from creatures again work and so back to the Vedas.
158. The sense seems to be, as explained by the
commentators, that such a man earns no merit by action,
nor sin by inaction or omission. Nor is there
anybody from the Supreme Being to the lowest creature
on whom he depends for anything.
159. The example set by the great is always catching,
Itaras, here, is Vulgar and not “other”.
Kurute which I have rendered as “maketh”
is used in the sense of “regardeth.”
Pramanam, however, may not necessarily mean something
else that is set up as an ideal. It may refer
to the actions themselves of the great men set up
by them as a standard.
Page 805
160. Sreedhara would connect “in the three
worlds” with what follows. I follow Sankara
and the natural order of words.
161. The word rendered “nature” is
prakriti. It really implies “primal matter.”
162. The second line, literally rendered, is
“deeming that qualities engage in qualities.”
The first “qualities” imply the senses,
and the second, the objects of the senses. The
purport is that one knowing the distinction referred
to, never thinks that his soul is the actor, for that
which is work is only the result of the senses being
applied to their objects.
163. Guna-karmashu is explained by Sankara as
works of the qualities, or works done by them.
Sreedhara explains the compound as “qualities
and (their) works.”
164. Devoting all work to me, i.e., in the
belief that all you do is for me or my sake.
165. The senses, as regards their diverse objects
in the world, are either drawn towards them or repelled
by them. These likes and dislikes (in the case
of men who, of course, only act according to their
nature) stand in the way of their emancipation, if
men submit to them.
166. Desire, if not gratified, results in wrath.
Thus say the commentators.
167. Prajahi is explained by both Sankara and
Sreedhara as parityaja (cast off).
168. He is the Supreme Soul or Being.
169. There can be little doubt that what Krishna
says here is that no form of worship is unacceptable
to him. Whatever the manner of the worship, it
is I who is worshipped. After K. T. Telang’s
exhaustive and effective reply to Dr. Lorinser’s
strange hypothesis of the Gita having been composed
under Christian influences, it is scarcely necessary
to add that such toleration would ill accord with
the theory of the Christian authorship of the poem.
170. i.e., both inactive and undecaying.
Work implies exertion, and, therefore, loss of energy.
In me there is no action, no loss of energy and therefore,
no decay.
171. ‘Kama-sankalpa vivarjjitas.’
i.e., freed from kama (desire of fruit) and sankalpa—the
consequent will or determination to do. Thus both
Sreedhara and Sankara.
172. Chitta the mind and atma in this connection
is the senses. Thus both Sreedhara and Sankara.
173. Sacrifice means here the Supreme Soul.
What is done for the sake of sacrifice is done for
procuring emancipation.
174. What is meant by this is that in the case
of such a person complete identification with Brahma
takes place, and when such an identification has taken
place, action is destroyed.
175. I.e., offering up sacrifice itself
as a sacrifice to the Brahma fire, they cast off all
action.
176. Offering up the senses to the fire of restraint
means restraining the senses for the practice of Yoga.
Offering up the objects of the senses means non-attachment
to those objects.
Page 806
177. Suspending the functions of life for contemplation
or Yoga.
178. In these cases the sacrifices consist in
the giving away of wealth, in the ascetic austerities
themselves, in meditation, in study, etc.
Sreedhara explains the first compound of the second
line differently. According to him, it means
not study and knowledge, but the knowledge from study.
179. All these are different kinds of Yoga, or
the different stages of Yoga practice.
180. i.e., knowledge being attained, the fruits
of action are attained by, at least, their end being
compassed.
181. Sankhya is renunciation of action, while
Yoga is devotion through action.
182. The grammatical form of the word Yoga as
here employed is exceptional.
183. The first atman is explained as the soul,
the second as the body, by all the commentators.
184. Taking means taking anything with the hands.
185. Water when thrown over a lotus-leaf escapes
without soaking or drenching the leaf at all.
186. Telang renders Pura as city, of course,
the body having two eyes, two ears, two nostrils,
one mouth, and two openings for excretions, is meant.
187. Such men are exempted from the obligation
of re-birth. Leaving this body they merge into
the Supreme Soul.
188. The word is Swapacha meaning a member of
the lowest caste.
189. “Brahma is faultless and equable”;
so Sreedhara and others,—“since faultless
equality is Brahma.”
190. The sense is that they are at one with Brahma
both here and hereafter.
191. Renouncer and devotee Sannyasin and Yogin.
192. Which spring from desire.
193. Self in this sloka is explained by the commentators
as mind. The mind, unless controlled, cannot
lead to devotion.
194. Chitta and atma are explained by the commentators
as “mind and body.”
195. Fixed on one’s own self, i.e.,
withdrawn from all objects of sense. Thus Sankara.
196. Nischayena is explained by Sankara as equivalent
to “with preservence” or steadily.
Sreedhara explains it as equal to “with the
certitude of knowledge acquired by instruction.”
197. Mriti-grahitaya Buddhya is, as explained
by Sankara and others “with understanding controlled
by patience,” K. T. Telang renders it “with
firm resolve coupled with courage.”
198. i.e. I am always visible to him, and
he too is always within my sight and I am always kind
to him.
199. i.e. how its stable existence may be secured,
the mind being by nature ever restless.
200. Fallen off from both, i.e., from heaven
(through work) and absorption into Brahma (through
devotion).
201. Without leaving anything, i.e., entirely.
202. The Divine-Word i.e., the Vedas.
So great is the efficacy of devotion that one merely
enquiring of it transcends him who conforms to the
rites of the Vedas.
Page 807
203. Only some one, i.e., very few.
Few perfection, i.e., for knowledge of self.
Thus all the commentators.
204. The last word of the first line of this
sloka is param (higher) and not aparam with the initial
a silent owing to the rules of Sandhi. Many of
the Bengal texts have aparam, not excepting the latest
one printed at Calcutta.
205. Kama which I have rendered desire is explained
by Sreedhara as the wish for an unattained object;
and raga as the longing or thirst for more. The
second Kama is explained as desires of the class of
love or lust.
206. Daivi is explained by Sankara as divine;
by Sreedhara as marvellous.
207. The divine desires are about sons, fame,
victory over enemies, etc., regulations, such
as fasts etc.; their own nature, i.e., disposition
as dependent on the acts of their past lives.
Thus all the commentators.
208. The worshipper obtains his desires, thinking
he gets them from the godhead he worships. It
is however, that gives him those.
209. The divinities being perishable, myself
imperishable. What these obtain is perishable.
What my worshippers obtain is imperishable.
210. The ignorant, without knowledge of my transcendent
essence take me to be no higher than that what is
indicated in my human and other incarnate manifestations.
Thus Sreedhara.
211. Adhyatman is explained as all that by which
Brahman is to be attained. All actions mean the
whole course of duties and practices leading to the
knowledge of Brahman.
212. The three words occurring in this sloka
and explained in the next section, forming as they
do the subject of a question by Arjuna.
213. Bhava is production, and Udbhava is growth
or development. Thus Sreedhara.
214. All the doors, i.e., the senses.
Confining the mind within the heart, i.e., withdrawing
the mind from all external objects. Murdhni is
explained by Sreedhara to mean here “between
the eyebrows.”
215. All these regions being destructible and
liable to re-birth, those that live there are equally
liable to death and re-birth.
216. The meaning, as explained by Sreedhara,
is that such persons are said to know all, and not
those whose knowledge is bounded by the course of
the sun and the moon.
217. In this round of births and deaths, the
creatures themselves are not free agents, being all
the while subject to the influence of Karma, as explained
by the commentators.
218. The commentators explain the word fire,
the light, day, &c., as several godheads presiding
over particular times.
219. The atmosphere occupies space without affecting
it or its nature. So all things are in the Supreme
Being without affecting him.
220. My nature, i.e., the unmanifest principle
or primal essence.
221. Prakriti which I render “nature”
is explained by the commentators as Karma, the influence
of Karma or action being universal in setting the
form of a particular entity at the time of its creation.
Page 808
222. This reason, i.e., my supervision.
223. Sreedhara says that these are different
modes of worship; “with reverence and ever devoted”
grammatically refers to each of the three classes
of worshippers indicated.
224. Performing the sacrifice of knowledge, i.e.,
believing Vasudeva to be everything. In many
forms, i.e., as Brahman, Rudra, etc.
225. Mantra is the sacred verse or verses used
for invoking godheads, and for other purposes.
226. Hence they have to come back, explains Sreedhara.
227. Prayatatmanas is explained as Suddhachittasya.
228. Iman lokan (this mortal world), Sreedhara
says, may mean “this form of royal saint that
thou hast.” This is far-fetched.
229. Telang renders Paramam ‘excellent’;
Mr. John Davies, ’all important’.
The meaning is referring to the ‘Supreme Soul’.
230. Both Sankara and Sreedhara explain Sarvassas
as “in every way”. i.e., as creator,
as guide, &c.
231. Prajas offspring, including, as Sankara
says, both mobile, and immobile, therefore, not mankind
alone.
232. Bhava-samanwitas is explained by Sreedhara
as “full of love”, which K. T. Telang
accepts. Sankara explains it as “endued
with penetration into the knowledge of the Supreme
object.”
233. Tityam, ever, is connected with what follows
and not what precedes. Thus Sreedhara. Mr.
Davies connects it with Kathayantas.
234. K. T. Telang renders buddhi-yogam as knowledge;
Mr. Davies, as mental devotion and Sankara, “devotion
by special insight.”
235. To know thee fully is impossible. In
what particular forms or manifestations, therefore,
shall I think of thee? The word Bhava in the
second line is rendered “entities” by K.
T. Telang, and “form of being” by Mr.
Davies.
236. Vistarasya evidently refers (as explained
by all the commentators) to Vibhutinam. it is a question
of grammar and not of doctrine that there can be any
difference of opinion. Mr. Davies, however, renders
it “of (my) greatness.” This is inaccurate.
237. The Adityas are the solar deities, twelve
in number, corresponding to the twelve months of the
year. The Maruts are the wind-gods, whose chief
is Marichi.
238. The Rudras are a class of destructive gods,
eleven in number. The Vasus are an inferior class
of deities, eight in number. The lord of treasures
is Kuvera.
239. The Japa-sacrifice is the sacrifice by meditation
which is superior to all sacrifices.
240. Kamadhuk, the wish-giving cow called Surabhi.
The cause of re-production, i.e., I am not the
mere carnal passion, but that passion which procreates
or is crowned with fruit.
241. In 28, Vasuki is called the chief of the
Sarpas (serpents); in 29 Ananta is spoken of as the
chief of the Nagas. The latter are Sarpas as
well, Sreedhara says that the distinction lies in the
fact of the Nagas being without poison. This
is hardly correct.
Page 809
242. Pavatam may also mean “of those that
have motion.” Rama is Dasaratha’s
son, the hero of Valmiki’s poem. Ganga is
called Jahnavi because she was, after having been
drunk up, let out by the ascetic Jahnu through his
knee.
243. Mr. Davies renders Vedas ‘Pravadatam’
as “the speech of those that speak.”
K. T. Telang renders it “the argument of controversialists.”
244. A, or rather the sound of A as in full,
is the initial letter of the Sanskrit alphabet.
Of compounds, the Dwanda, or the copulative compound,
is enumerated first. In other respects again,
the Dwanda is the best kind of compound for the words
forming it are co-ordinate, without one being dependent
on the other or others.
245. The Vrihat-saman is said to be the best,
because it leads to emancipation at once. Thus
Sankara. The Margasirsha is the month from the
middle of February to the middle of March. Productive
of flowers, i.e., the Spring.
246. Mr. Davies renders the last line of this
verse as “I have established in continuance
all this universe by one part myself.” This
is both obscure and inaccurate.
247. Adhyatman, i.e., the relation between
the Supreme and the individual soul. This my
delusion, i.e., about my being the slayer.
248. Avyayam is that which has no decay.
Ordinarily, it may be rendered “eternal.”
Telang renders it “inexhaustible”.
Elsewhere I have rendered it as “understanding.”
249. Ekastham, lit. “all in one”.
i.e., collected together.
250. Devam is explained by Sreedhara as Dyotanatmakam
i.e., endued with splendour. Mr. Davies
renders it resplendent; but Telang renders it “deity.”
251. Pra-vibhaktam-anekadha (divided diversely)
is an adjective of Jagat. See Sreedhara.
Both Mr. Davies and Telang seem to take it as a predicate
in contra-distinction to Ekastham. This is scarcely
correct.
252. Verse 21 is read differently. For Twam
Surasangha, some texts read twa-Asurasanghas.
Then again for Stuvanti in the second line some read
Vikshate.
253. Pravritti is explained by both Sankara and
Sreedhara as Chesta, i.e., movements or acts.
Mr. Davies is, I think, not correct in taking it to
mean “evolved or developed form.”
254. Kala here is death. Mr. Davies renders
it Time, following some other translators. Pravriddha
is not (as Mr. Davies renders it) “old”
or “very old,” but swelling or fully developed.
Then again, Mr. Davies commits a ludicrous blunder
in rendering Rite twam as “Except thee.”
This is one of those idioms at which a foreigner is
sure to stumble who has only the lexicons for his
guide. What Krishna says is not that all would
perish save Arjuna, but that without Arjuna (i.e.,
even if he did not fight) all would perish.
255. Nidhanam is either refuge or support or
abode or receptacle. Mr. Davies incorrectly renders
it “treasure-house.”
Page 810
256. Sankara accepts the reading Gururgariyan,
Sreedhara takes it as Gururgariyan. In either
case the difference in meaning is not material.
257. Sankara connects Adhyayana with Veda and
Yajna. This seems to be right explanation.
258. Ata urddham is ‘after this,’
or ‘hereafter on high’ as Mr. Davies renders
it.
259. Although the limitation “for fruit”
does not occur in the text, yet, it is evident, it
should be understood. Krishna does not recommend
the total abandonment of actions, but abandonment
for their fruit. Mr. Davies renders arambha as
“enterprise.”
260. The learned, i.e., they that are themselves
acquainted with is Kshetra and what not. As explained
by Krishna himself below, Kshetra is Matter, and Kshetrajna
is Soul.
261. Dukha-dosha is explained by both Sankara
and Sreedhara as a Dwanda compound.
262. Vivikta is explained by the commentators
as Suddha or Chittaprasadakara. There can be
no doubt, however, that it is in opposition to Janasamsadi
following. Hence I render it “lonely”.
263. The object of the knowledge of truth is
the dispelling of ignorance and the acquisition of
happiness.
264. Nor having eyes, etc., yet seeing,
etc.; without attributes, yet having or enjoying
all that the attributes give.
265. All modifications, i.e., of material
forms; all qualities, i.e., pleasure, pain, etc.
The word rendered “nature” is Prakriti
(primal matter), and that rendered “spirit”
is Purusha (the active principle). Vikarna and
Gunan include all material forms and attributes of
the soul.
266. Karya-karana-karttritwa is explained by
both Sankara and Sreedhara to mean “the capacity
of working (residing) in the body and the senses.”
K. T. Telang adopts this. Mr. Davies in his text
has “in the activity of the organs of action.”
In course of his philological notes, however, he gives
the correct rendering. ‘Is said to be’
is explained by Sreedhara. as referring to Kapila
and others.
267. It is the embodied spirit only that can
enjoy the qualities of Nature. Then again, the
kind of connection it has with those qualities settles
its birth in good or evil wombs.
268. Mr. Davies misunderstands the grammatical
connection of the words in the second line of this
verse. K. T. Telang, following Sreedhara, says,
the word should be rendered “approver.”
269. What is heard, i.e., the Srutis or
the sacred doctrines.
270. Destroying self by self is to be deprived
of true knowledge.
271. Sarvatra in the second line is explained
by Sreedhara as “in every body, superior and
inferior.” Grammatically it may mean also,
“in every part of the body.” Such
a theory, however, of the seat of the soul would be
contrary to all Hindu ideas.
272. Bhuta-Prakriti-moksha is explained by both
Sankara and Sreedhara as moksha or deliverance from
the prakriti (nature) of bhutas’ or entities.
It is true knowledge that effects such deliverance.
Mr. Davies renders it “deliverance of beings
from Nature.” This is evidently incorrect.
“Beings” is not synonymous with self or
soul.
Page 811
273. Itas is explained by Sreedhara as “from
the fetters of this body.”
274. Sreedhara makes mahat an adjective of yoni;
Sankara makes it an adjective of Brahma. K. T.
Telang follows Sankara.
275. Happiness and knowledge are attributes of
the mind, not of the soul. Hence, when attached
to the soul, they are as fetters from which the soul
should be freed.
276. Deha samudbhava is explained by the commentators
as having their “samudbhava or parinama in deha.”
It is an instance of the vahuvrihi compound.
277. Light, activity, and delusion are the three
qualities as indicated by their effects.
278. Pratishtha is explained by Sankara as “something
on which another (here Brahma) stays or rests.”
Sreedhara explains it as Pratima. Telang following
Sreedhara, renders it “embodiment;” Mr.
Davies, as “seat.” Amritasya and
Avyayasya are taken separately by the commentators.
279. The ‘Aswattha’ is the sacred
Indian fig tree, here emblematical of the course of
worldly life. Its roots are above; those roots
are the Supreme Being. Its branches are below,
these being the inferior deities. Its leaves
are the sacred hymns of the Vedas, i.e., as leaves
keep the tree alive and even conduce to its fruits,
so the Vedas support this tree and lead to salvation.
280. Upwards and downwards i.e., from the
highest to the lowest of created things. Enlarged
by the qualities, i.e., the qualities appearing
as the body, the senses, etc. The sprouts
are the objects of sense, being attached to the senses
themselves as sprouts to branches. The roots
extending downwards are the desires for diverse enjoyments.
Thus Telang, following the commentators.
281. Joined to the qualities, i.e., perceiving
objects of sense or experiencing pleasure and pain.
282. “Atmani” in the first line is
“in the body” as explained by Sreedhara
and others: “in the understanding”
as explained by Sankara. It seems, however, to
be used in the general senses of “themselves”,
without particular reference to either body or understanding.
An Akritatman is one whose soul is not made or formed;
generally, “a person of unsubdued passions.”
283. There can be no question that Soma here
means the moon and not the Soma juice quaffed in sacrifices,
or sap. It is the moon that supports, nourishes
all herbs and numerous passages may be quoted from
Hindu sacred literature to show this. Mr. Davies,
therefore, clearly errs in rendering Soma as “the
savoury juice.”
284. The four kinds of food are: that which
is masticated, that which is sucked, that which is
licked, and that which is drunk.
285. Apohanam is loss or removal. It is
a well-known word and its application here is very
natural. I am memory and knowledge (to those
that use them for virtuous acts). I am the loss
of these faculties (to those that engage in unrighteous
acts). Mr. Davies erroneously renders it as “The
power of reason.”
Page 812
286. Kutashtha is rendered by K. T. Telang as
“the unconcerned one”, by Mr. Davies as
“the lord on high.” I incline to the
scholiasts who explain it as “the uniform or
the unchangeable one.”
287. Sarvabhavena is explained by Sankara by
Sarvatma-chintaya (thinking Me to be the soul of everything).
Sreedhara explains it as Sarvaprakarena. Why
may it not mean “with the whole soul” or
“with excess of love.”
288. I adopt Sankara’s explanation of the
last compound of the first line of this sloka, Sreedhara
explains it differently.
289. Prabritti I render “inclination”
and Nivritti as “disinclination.”
The inclination is, as all the commentators explain,
towards righteous actions, and the disinclination,—consequently,
is about all unrighteous actions. K. T. Telang
renders these words as “action” and “inaction”.
Mr. Davies, following the French version of Burnouf,
takes them to mean “the creation and its end.”
290. Sankara seems to connect the genitive Jagatas
with achitas Sreedhara connects it (which is natural)
with Kshayaya, which I accept.
291. ‘That’ evidently refers to sacrifice,
penance, and gift, in the clause before. The
commentators, however, suggest that it may, besides,
refer to Brahma. I am myself not sure that it
does not refer to Brahma.
292. ’What the author wishes to lay down
in these verses is that the words om, tat,
and sat, have each their respective uses.
When used as directed here, such use cures the defects
of the respective actions to which they are applied,
it being understood that all three denote Brahma.
293. Sanyasa I render Renunciation. K. T.
Telang does the same. Mr. Davies renders it “abstention.”
So ‘Tyaga’ I render “abandonment.”
Mr. Davies renders it “renunciation.”
What the two words, however, mean is explained fully
in the verses that follow.
294. Both Sankara and Sreedhara explain the second
line consisting of two propositions, the connecting
verb bhavet being understood.
295. I have used “when” for “whatever”
to make the sentence grammatical.
296. Davies, giving the sense correctly, does
not follow the true order of the subject and the predicate.
Following Lassen, he renders kusala and akusala as
“prosperous” and “unprosperous;”
for medhabi K. T. Telang has rendered “talented”
which has not the sanction of good usage.
297. That is, as Sreedhara explains, one who
hath renounced the fruit of actions.
298. Kritante Sankara takes it as an adjective
of Sankhye and thinks that the reference is to the
Vedanta. Sreedhara also seems to be of the same
opinion.
299. The substratum is the body. The agent
is the person that thinks himself to be the actor.
The organs are those of perception etc. The
efforts are the actions of the vital winds—Prana,
etc. The deities are those that preside
over the eye and the other senses. The deities
have no place in Kapila’s system. Hence,
if it is not the Vedanta, some system materially based
upon Kapila’s and recognising the interference
of the deities, seems to be indicated. Atra is
explained by Sreedhara as equivalent to “among”
or “with these.” I think, however,
it means, “are here”, i.e., are enumerated
here, or, in this connection.
Page 813
300. Hath no feeling of egoism, i.e., doth
not regard himself as the doer, Sullied, i.e.,
by the taint of desire of fruit.
301. Mr. Davies, I think, is right in rendering
Samgrahas as “complement.” K. T.
Telang renders it as equivalent to “in brief.”
302. In the enunciation of qualities i.e.,
in the Sankhya system.
303. Full of affections, i.e., for children,
etc., as Sreedhara.
304. Prakrita which I have rendered “without
discernment” following Sreedhara, may be, as
Mr. Davies renders it, but “malicious.”
305. Mr. Davies makes “unswerving”
an adjective of ‘devotion.’ This is
wrong, for Avyabhicharinya (unswerving) is a feminine
instrumental, and must qualify Dhritya.
306. Atma-budhi-prasadajam. K. T. Telang,
following an alternative explanation offered by Sankara,
renders it “clear knowledge of the self.”
Mr. Davies renders the “serenity of one’s
own mind.” I follow Sreedhara.
307. Asamsayas is the reading that occurs in
every text, and not Asamsayam. Mr. Davies, therefore,
is incorrect in rendering it “doubtless”
and making it an adverb qualifying “come to me.”
308. Bhuti is explained by Sreedhara as gradual
abhivridhhi, i.e., growth or greatness.
Niti is explained as Nyaya or justice.
309. Varayudham is according to Nilakantha, the
excellent bow. Yena in verse 8 is equivalent
to Yatra.
310. What Bhishma says is this: I am bound
by the Kauravas and, therefore, I am not a free agent.
Obliged I am to battle against you. Yet I am
saying, “What do you ask of me?” as if
I could really give you what you might ask. My
words, therefore, are without meaning, or vain, like
those of a eunuch. Klivavat is explained by Nilakantha
as Kataravat. Even in that case, the sense would
be the same.
311. The Bengal reading is evidently incorrect.
The Bombay text reads Raja for Vacoa.
312. Nilakantha thinks that vigatakalmashas refers
to Drona; the meaning he suggests is “Tell me
with pure heart etc., etc.,” I think
Nilakantha is not right.
313. The sense of the first line is that because
I am bound by the Kauravas with their wealth, therefore,
I am obliged to make this reservation in the matter
of granting thee thy wishes. That reservation
really nullifies my promise.
314. Paran is explained by Nilakantha as “superior”
qualifying Ripun.
315. Vritosmi is the reading of the Bengal texts,
better than Vaddhosmi of the Bombay edition, and bhristomi
of the Burdwan text. Salya was not bound to the
Kauravas like Bhishma or Drona or Kripa by pensions,
but gratified by the reception granted to him by Duryodhana
in secret, he, generously agreed to aid the latter
even against his own sister’s sons and their
step-brothers.
316. For Puskalan the Bombay text reads Pushkaran
which means a kind of drum.
Page 814
317. For rajan in the Bengal texts, in the first
line of the 5th verse, the Bombay text reads hyasan
which I adopt.
318. Maha samucchrave is explained by Nilakantha
as Mahasamprahare.
319. Literally, “showing himself in an
awful form.”
320. Subhadra’s son Abhimanyu.
321. These fences were made of iguana skins and
cased the hands of the bowmen up to a few inches of
the elbow-joint.
322. Nimitta is explained by Nilakantha as the
mark of object aimed at. Drona was the preceptor
in arms of almost all the Bharata princes.
323. With two Bhallas Abhimanyu cut off his adversary’s
standard; with one, one of the protectors of his car-wheels:
and with another, his charioteer. Thus Nilakantha.
A Parshni is altogether a different person from a
Sarathi. Hence Nilakantha is assuredly right.
324. ‘Angaraka’ is the planet Mars,
and ‘Sukra’ i.e. Venus.
325. Prativindhya was Yudhishthira’s son
by Draupadi.
326. Maghavat is Indra, the chief of the celestials.
327. The word used in the original is Viparitam
lit. contrary. The sense seems to be that car
men fought on foot, cavalry soldiers on elephants,
warriors on elephants from horseback, &c. The
very character of the forces was altered.
328. i.e., though repulsed, these frequently
rallied, and occupied the same ground as before.
329. The last half of the 7th with the 8th forms
one sentence. It is certainly pleonastic.
Ranavaranais of the Bengal texts is preferable to
the Bombay reading Varavaranais. Toranas are the
wooden edifices placed on the backs of elephants for
the protection and comfort of the riders. These
are called in India Hawdas.
330. Many of the Bengal texts read Avinitas.
The correct reading, as in the Bombay text, is Abhinitas.
Aprabhinna is literally “unrent,” i.e.
with the temporal juice not trickling down. This
juice emanates from several parts of the elephant’s
body when the season of rut comes. To avoid a
cumbrous periphrasis, which again would be unintelligible
to the European reader, I have given the sense only.
331. For the Bengal reading ‘Mahaprajna’
the Bombay text reads ‘Mahaprasas.’
332. Rathat and not Rathan is the reading that
I adopt.
333. The Bengal reading ‘narvarakshaye’
seems to be better than ‘Mahavirakshaye’
of the Bombay text.
334. Talaketu is lit. Palmyra-bannered.
Without using such compounds, the ‘brevity’
of the sentences cannot be maintained.
335. Karshni is Krishna’s or Arjuna’s
son Abhimanyu. Arjuna was sometimes called Krishna.
336. Laghavamargasya is a mis-reading for Laghavamargastham’;
then again chapi is incorrect, the correct reading
chapam as in the Bombay text.
337. The Bengal reading is ‘Suaris Vritascha
Sainyena’. The Bombay reading (which I
do not adopt) is ‘Vritastu Sarva Sainyena.’
Page 815
338. Nine slokas and a half, from the second
half of the 43rd verse to the 52nd verse (as above),
are omitted in the Bengal texts. These, however,
occur subsequently in section 46 following. The
fact is, the whole of the passage in this section
and the 116 verses in the following section, and the
first 24 verses in the section 49, are regarded as
an interpolation. In those sections of the Udyoga
Parvam where the Rathas and the Atirathas, &c, are
counted by Bhishma, no mention is made of any warrior
of the name of Sweta. The Burdwan Pundits omit
these passages altogether. I myself believe them
to be an interpolation. Occurring, however, as
it does in both the Bengal and the Bombay texts, I
cannot omit in the English version.
339. The Bombay text reads ‘Yavana nihatam,’
which is better.
340. I adopt the Bombay reading of the 22nd verse.
341. ‘Swayam’ in some of the Bengal
texts is a misprint for ‘Kshayam’.
342. Chakrapani is Vishnu armed with the discus.
343. For ‘Yuthan’ which gives no
meaning, I read ‘Yodhas’. The Bengal
reading ‘muktvagnimiva daruna’ is better
than the Bombay reading ’muktam ripumishu darunam.’
344. The Bombay reading ‘jivitam dustyajam’
is better than the Bengal reading ‘jivam taduttham’,
if it has any meaning.
345. In the first line of 71st verse, the word
is not ‘Laghu’ but ‘alaghu’,
the initial ‘a’ being only silent according
to the rule of Sandhi. Though omitted in the
Bengal texts, it occurs in the Bombay edition.
346. ‘Ghoram’, ‘ugram’,
‘mahabhayam’, are pleonastic.
347. In the first line of 87 for Maheswara (meaning
Siva) the Bombay text reads Dhaneswara (meaning Kuvera,
the lord of treasures). For also ‘Bhimainipatitiya’
in the second line the Bombay text reads ’Bhishma
inipainya’.
348. The transgression of which Dhritarashtra
alludes is the slaughter by Bhishma from his car,
of Sweta who was then a combatant on foot. Or,
it may be the very slaughter of Sweta, who was dear
to the Pandavas and which act would, the king thought,
provoke them more.
349. Verses 4 to 7 are exceedingly difficult.
I am not sure that I have understood them correctly.
They are of the nature of Vyasakutas, i.e., deliberate
obscurities for puzzling Ganesa, who acted as the scribe,
for enabling Vyasa to gain time for compositions.
In verse 4 ‘Pitus’ means uncle’s
and not father’s; so also ‘durga decam’
in verse 6 means entanglements, like Duryodhana’s
hostility with the Gandharvas on the occasion of the
tale of cattle. In verse 7 of the Bengal reading
is Yudhishthiram bhaktya. The Bombay reading
which I adopt, is Yudhishthire bhaktas. In 8,
the purushadhamas are Sakuni and Karna. &c.
350. As both operations are useless, so are these
thy regrets.
351. The sense is that Arjuna representing one
force, and Bhishma another, the two forces seemed
to mingle, into one another, like one bolt of heaven
against another, as one may say.
Page 816
352. Aplavas and Alpave are both correct.
353. In the first line of the 14th verse Aviseshana
seems to be incorrect. The Bombay text reads
Avaseshena which I adopt.
354. The correct reading is Vishnu, and not Jishnu
as in many of the Bengal texts.
355. Indrayudha is Indra’s bow or the rainbow.
Akasaga (literally a ranger of the skies) is a bird.
The vapoury edifices and forms, constantly melting
away and reappearing in new shapes, are called Gandharvanagar
as (lit. towns of the Gandharvas or celestial choiristers).
356. The Bengal reading is Savayambhuriva bhanuna
which I have adopted. The Bombay reading is Merurivabhanuna,
which means “like the mountain Meru with Sun.”
It is difficult to make a choice between the two.
357. The Bombay text differs in many respects
from the Bengal texts as regards the positions assigned
to the several warriors and races in the Pandava host.
It is impossible to settle the true readings.
I have, therefore, without any attempt at correction,
followed the Bengal text.
358. The last word of the 28th verse is ‘Ratheshu
cha’, and not ’Dhajeshu cha’ for
umbrellas could not possibly be fastened to standards.
359. This identical verse occurs in the first
chapter of the Bhagavad Gita (vide, Verse 10, Chap.
25, of this Parvan, ante). There following the
commentators, particularly Sreedhara, I have rendered
Aparyaptam and Paryaptam as less than sufficient and
sufficient. It would seem, however, that that
is erroneous.
360. For these names, vide note in page ante,
Bhishma Parva.
361. The 26th verse in the Bengal texts consists
of three lines. In the Bombay texts, the half-sloka
about Artayani does not occur.
362. In the first line of the 5th verse, the
true reading is avidhata and not amarshanam.
363. In the first line of 29, the correct reading
is Prishna and not Pritana.
364. ‘Samuchchhritam’ or ‘Samutthitam,’
meaning risen, is scarcely a happy adjective here.
365. ‘Parshni’ is the wing or side
of a car-warrior. The last word of this verse
is not ‘Satpurushochitam’ but ‘Satparushairvritam’.
366. ‘Kovdara’ is the species of
ebony called Bauhinia Variegata.
367. The Bombay reading ‘Vegavattaram’
is better. Literally, it means, ‘capable
of imparting a greater impetus.’ To avoid
such periphrasis I render it ‘tougher’.
368. The sense is that all these were entirely
shrouded by Arjuna’s arrows.
369. The true reading is Charmanam and not Varmanam:
also bhumipa and bhutale.
370. i.e., is about to set.
371. For ‘Satyatha tena’ the Bombay
text reads ‘Satyasandhena’. I follow
the Bengal reading.
372. What these were it is difficult to determine.
The Bombay reading is different. For Indrajala
they read Indrakila which is as unknown as the other.
373. The Vaitarani is the fabulous river that
separate this world from the next.
Page 817
374. In the first line of the 5th, for ‘rajna’
of the Bengal texts the Bombay text reads ‘gupta’.
I follow the Bengal reading which is better.
375. In the second line of the 6th, for sasars
sena the Bombay reading is sena mahogra which is better,
I adopt it.
376. I adopt the Bengal reading Vyapta and not
Vyala.
377. The word Saravarani in the text is rendered
by K. P. Singha as quivers. Nilakantha explains
it as coats of mail. There can be no doubt, however,
that the Burdwan Pundits render it correctly as shields.
378. In the first line of 19th, the Bengal reading
Saykanam is a mistake. The true reading is Saditanam.
379. Salya is called Artayani after the name
of his father.
380. These were Kshuras (arrows with heads like
razors), kshurapras, (arrows with horseshoe heads),
bhallas (broad-headed arrows), and anjalikas (arrows
with crescent-shaped-heads).
381. i.e., the universal destroyer armed with
his bow.
382. Gory mace wet with &c. the original is pleonastic.
383. The Bengal reading parantapa is a mistake
for kathanchana.
384. ‘Kimpaca’ is a species of cucurbitaceous
plant. To avoid periphrasis I render it poison.
385. Aklishtakarman literally means one who is
not tired with what he does; hence, one who easily
achieves the highest feats. When applied to Krishna
or any divine personage it means one who does everything
by a fiat of his will, without being dependent on
means like ordinary persons. It may also mean
one of pure or white deeds.
386. Literally “be a perpetuator (son)
of Yadu’s race!”
387. The Bengal reading is Sa vai devas.
The Bombay reading is Purvadevas.
388. The Three-stepped Lord, Vishnu became vamana
or the dwarf for robbing the Asura Vali of his dominions.
Disguised in that shape he asked of Vali three steps
of land. Vali, smiling at the littleness of what
was asked, gave it. But when the dwarf expanded
his form and covered the heavens and the earth with
only two steps of his, no space could be found for
the third step. Vali was forthwith seized and
bound as a promise-breaker, and sent to reside in
the nether regions.
389. Word of command.
390. i.e., really existent among all things.
391. A fabulous aquatic animal resembling an
alligator.
392. Formed after the shape of the hawk.
393. The Bengal reading is ‘Yudhi sandhaya’.
The Bombay reading is ‘pratisamvarya’.
I adopt the latter.
394. Literally, “made a fierce battle.”
395. The Bengal reading Gooranamatitejasa is
what I adopt. The Bombay reading, Ghoranamapnitaujasam
involves a useless hyperbole. Of course, atitejasa
qualifies dhanusha in the next line.
396. Kandigbhutas lit. “not knowing which
point of the compass was which.”
397. In the second line of 17, the Bombay text
incorrectly reads Arjunam for Pandavas.
Page 818
398. In the first line of 32 the Bengal reading
is Mahabhujas. The correct reading seems to be
(as in the Bombay text) Mahadhvajas.
399. The last half of the second line of 35 in
the Bengal text is vicious, I adopt the Bombay reading.
400. The pronoun ‘sa’ in the first
line of 8 refers to Yuyudhana. Burdwan Pundits
erroneously take it as referring to Duryodhana, being
misled by the words Kurunam Kirtivardhanas.
401. The Bombay reading asaniparabhan (which
I adopt) is better than the Bengal reading asaniswanan,
for in connection with yamadanda immediately preceding
the latter would be incongruous, if not unmeaning.
402. An additional verse occurs here in connection
with the slaughter of Satyaki’s sons, in the
Bombay texts. The Bengal texts omit it.
403. Ekayangatas is lit. “intently.”
404. Literally, “hence his thoughts were
so.”
405. Suchimukha is literally “needle-mouthed.”
It is a wedge-like column with the thin or pointed
end turned towards the side of the enemy.
406. The Bombay reading, which I adopt, is visravat
in the beginning of the 2nd line. The Bengal
reading is visramvat, meaning “from motives of
affectionate enquiry”. It may also mean
“from confidence,” though not in this
connection.
407. The last word of 4 is read differently in
the Bengal texts viz., Rathanghas, instead of,
as in the Bombay edition, Maharathas.
408. Vimana the nominative singular of Vamanas
refers to Gangasutas. The Burdwan Pundits wrongly
translate it “with mind unmoved.”
I am not aware of any other reading.
409. The last verse is read variously. But
the Bombay and the Bengal texts have faults of their
own. The first word is ugranadam (Bengal) and
not ugranagam (Bombay). The Vahuvarnarupam (Bombay)
is correct, and not Vahuvarnarutam (Bengal).
The last word of the first line is Samudirnamevam
(Bombay), and not Samudirnavarnam (Bengal).
410. Differently read in the Bengal texts, viz.,
Somadatta with the Saindhavas.
411. The Bengal reading Rathas in the first line
of 6 is a mistake; should be, as in the Bombay text,
tatha.
412. The last word of the first line of 36 is
amitan in the Bengal texts. The Bombay reading
is Varmitan. I prefer the Bengal reading.
413. Satyaki was Arjuna’s disciple in arms.
Vijaya was another name of Arjuna.
414. Divakaram prapya, lit, ‘reaching the
path of the sun,’ i.e., while coursing
through the sky.
415. The meaning seems to be that Salya was pleased
in witnessing the skill of his sister’s sons,
while the twins themselves were pleased in displaying
that skill before one who was related to them through
their mother.
416. The Burdwan Pundits render this verse by
carelessly taking, Viryavat as an adjective of saram.
It qualifies Sahadeva. The reading Viryavat occurs
in no text.
Page 819
417. Lit. “This one no longer is”
i.e., ‘alive’.
418. The original is Vichnvantas (a practical)
meaning ’plucking as flowers’.
419. These, in Hindu physiology, are the three
humours of the body always contending for mastery
over the vital forces.
420. Bhima had vowed to slay the sons of Dhritarashtra;
therefore, Abhimanyu liked not to falsify his uncle’s
vow by himself slaying any of them.
421. Instead of yat in the beginning of the second
line, yada would be better. None of the printed
text, however, have yada.
422. In the first line of 50, the Bengal reading
is Satam. I prefer the Bombay reading which is
atyantam. For, again, paryayasya in the beginning
of the second line, the Bombay text reads anayassa
which is better.
423. The Bombay reading which I adopt is ajnayamanas
cha. The Bengal reading seems to be incorrect.
424. Vipralapapavidham is literally “force
from unreasoning declamation.” The Bombay
reading is vicious.
425. The meaning seems to be that the arrows
shot by Yudhishthira were cut off by Bhishma, in numberless
distinct sets, taking each set at a time.
426. i.e., just before setting.
427. Krishna-sarathis (Bombay); the Bengal reading
is Vanaradhvajas.
428. The true reading, I think, is that of the
Bombay text, viz., namabhis. The Bengal
reading is manobhis. How can persons challenge
each other mentally, although they may single out
their antagonists so?
429. Nagas, which may mean both stones and trees.
In either case, the comparison would apply.
430. His pledge, viz., that in battle he
would slay all the sons of Dhritarashtra.
431. The Bengal reading is tatas kruddhar.
The Bombay reading is vachas kruram. I adopt
the latter.
432. The last word of this verse in the Bengal
text is Sanjaya; in the Bombay text, it is Samyuge.
The latter seems to be the true reading, for after
Sanjaya in the first line, its repetition in the second
is useless.
433. The last word of the 4th verse is anivartinam.
In the Bengal texts it is sumahatmanam.
434. The last word of the first line of 8 is
Vichetasa and not (as in the Bengal texts, including
the Burdwan edition) Viseshatas which would scarcely
have any meaning.
435. I have expanded the first line of 13, as
a closely literal version would scarcely be intelligent
to the general reader. The sense is that the
evil consequences, that have now overtaken thee, arose
even then when the beneficial counsels of Vidura were
first rejected.
436. The Bengal reading Dwidhabhutais is incorrect.
It should be, as in the Bombay text, tridhabhutais.
437. In the Bengal texts, tava in the first line
is incorrect. It should be tatra (Bombay).
438. Steeds that are described as Nadijas would
literally mean “those born in rivers.”
The Punjab, or some other country watered by many rivers
is meant.
Page 820
439. Literally, “in soil belonging to another.”
The original is parakshetre.
440. Vayuvega-samsparsam, literally, “the
contact (of whose dash or collision) resembles that
of the wind in force.” The meaning, therefore,
is that those chargers dashed against hostile division
with the fury of the tempest.
441. In the first line of 64, the true reading
is Survamarmajna, and not Sarvadharmajna.
442. The last word of the second line is variously
read. The Bengal reading is Mahadwijas Probably
implying Garuda, the prince of birds. I have
adopted the Bombay reading.
443. i.e., with temporal juice trickling down.
444. The duty consisted in not retreating from
the field.
445. i.e., the rescue of the king.
446. In the second line of 15, the Bengal reading
saravarshena is incorrect. The Bombay reading
Rathavansena is what I follow.
447. The Bengal reading hayais in the instrumental
plural is incorrect. The Bombay text reads hayas
(nom. plural). This is correct.
448. Literally, ‘divided in twin’.
449. Mountains, in Hindu mythology, had wings,
till they were shorn of these by Indra with his thunder.
Only Mainaka, the son of Himavat, saved himself by
a timely flight. To this day he conceals himself
within the ocean.
450. The Bengal reading of the first line of
this verse is vicious. The true reading is parswaistudaritairanye.
Both parsa and darita should be (as here) in the instrumental
Plural, and anye should be in the nom. plural.
451. The correct reading, as settled by the Burdwan
Pundits, is Hataroha vyodrisyanta. Some texts
have Hayaroha which is incorrect.
452. “Blinded cheeks.” The Sanskrit
word is madandha. Literally rendered, it would
be “juice-blind”. This can scarcely
be intelligible to the general European reader.
Hence the long-winded adjectival clause I have used.
453. The first line is evidently pleonastic.
Sanskrit, however, being very copious, repetitions
can scarcely be marked at the first glance. Literally
rendered, the original is—“Juice-blind
and excited with rage.” ‘Juice-blind,’
I have explained elsewhere.
454. The word I render “muskets”
is nalika sometime ago the Bharata (a Bengali periodical
of Calcutta edited by Babu Dwijendra Nath Tagore) in
a paper on Hindu weapons of warfare from certain quotations
from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, argued that
the nalika must have been some kind of musket vomiting
bullets of iron in consequence of some kind of explosive
force. The Rishis discouraged use of nalika, declaring
them to be barbarous and fit only for kings that would
come in the Kali age.
455. Padarakshan lit., those that protected the
feet (for any warrior of note). These always
stood at the flanks and rear of the warrior they protected.
In the case of car-warriors’ these were called
chakra-rakshas (protectors of the wheels). So
we have Parshni-rakshas and Prishata-rakshas’,
&c.
Page 821
456. in the first line of the 3rd verse, the Bengal
reading is bhayam. The true reading, however,
is khayam.
457. In the second line of 8th, for the Bengal
reading, vachaymasa yodhanam, the Bombay reading is
yachtacha Suyodhanam. This is better. The
Bengal reading has no meaning.
458. Literally, “when its impetuosity is
stirred up by the wind.”
459. The Bengal reading, which I adopt is sardula
iva vegavan. The Bombay reading is sardula iva
darpitas.
460. In the first line of 54, the Bombay reading
pragrihya is better than the Bengal reading visrijya.
461. Literally, hundred-slayers; supposed to
be a kind of rockets.
462. Some of the Bengal texts, in the first line
of the 6th, incorrectly read sa-run for Sakram.
463. The Bengal reading atmana, the last word
of the verse, seems to be a mistake. The Bombay
text gives the right word, which is aimanas (genitive).
Sarvatobhadra seems to have been a kind of square array
in which the troops faced all the points of the compass.
464. In the Bengal texts, savdas in the first
line is vicious. The true reading seems to be
sahkhan, as in the Bombay edition. Then again
in Kunjaran (Bengal), the Bombay text reads Pushkaran
which is unquestionably correct.
465. The Bengal reading vanya-nagendra is better
than the Bombay reading gandha-nagendra.
466. In Hindu mythology, solar eclipses are caused
by Rahu’s attempts at swallowing the Sun.
467. Budha is Mercury, and Sukra is Venus.
468. Both the Bombay and the Bengal texts repeat
Chamarais in the second line of 24th. This is
certainly erroneous. The Burdwan Pundits read
it tomarais. This is correct.
469. In the second line of 30th, the correct
reading is Rathas (nom. plural) and not Rathan.
So in the first line of 31st, the word is turangas
(nom. plural) and not turangan.
470. Lit. “reached him with shafts etc.”
471. Both the Bengal and the Bombay printed texts
are in fault regarding the word Pandupurvaja.
The Bombay text makes it a nom. plural. The Bengal
text makes it an accusative singular. There can
be no doubt that the Burdwan Pundits are right in
taking it as a vocative.
472. That you know me to be invincible is a fortunate
circumstance, for if you had not known this, you would
have fought on for days together and thus caused a
tremendous destruction of creatures. By your coming
to know, that destruction may be stopped.
473. The adjective Vahu in the first line of
32 qualifies rathinas in the second line. The
last of the verse is a nom. sing. and not a vocative.
474. The Bengal texts read mahasuram in the second
line of the verse. This seems to be vicious.
A latter reading would be mahasuram (the great Asura).
The Bombay text reads rane suram. I adopt the
last.
475. i.e. Thou art still a woman though
the sex hath been changed.
Page 822
476. Literally, “will not get or obtain
you.”
477. There can be no doubt that (in the second
line of 19 corresponding with the first line of 19
of the Bombay text), Arjuni should be a nominative,
and not an accusative. The Bombay reading, therefore,
is vicious. The Burdwan Pundits also err in taking
that word as occurring in the accusative form.
478. I think Yatavrata had better be read Yatavratam.
It would then mean Bhishma.
479. Both the Bengal and the Bombay texts are
confusing here. I follow the text as settled
by the Burdwan Pundits. If the erudition of the
Burdwan Pundits be rejected, 28 would read as, “Virata,
at the head of his forces, encountered Jayadratha
supported by his owl, troops, and also Vardhaskhemi’s
heir, O Chastiser of foes.” This would be
evidently wrong.
480. This Susarman was not the king of the Trigartas
but another person who was on the Pandava side.
481. Both the Bengal and the Bombay texts have
Rathanika. The correct reading as settled by
the Burdwan Pundits, is Gajanika.
482. Both the Bengal and the Bombay texts read
Arjunas in the second line of 21. The Burdwan
Pundits are for correcting it as Arjunam. I do
not think the correction happy.
483. In the second line of 35 for Satanika, the
true reading, is Sahanikan.
484. After the 60th verse, three lines occur
in the Bombay edition as follows,—“And
many elephants, with standards on their backs, were
seen to fly away in all directions. And many
Kshatriyas, O monarch, armed with maces and darts
and bows, were seen lying Prostrate on the field.”
485. The Bengal texts read Evam etc.; the
Bombay reading is samam, I adopt the former reading.
“Set their hearts upon the region of Brahma,”
i.e., fought on, resolved to win the highest heaven
by bravery or death in battle.
486. The Bengal reading of this verse is vicious.
In the first line, lokasya is incorrect and unmeaning,
the correct word being vakyasa. In the second
line, again, for Prishtha-ascha samantatas, the correct
reading is Prisharaischa samantatas.
487. Brahma-danda literally means a Brahmana’s
rod—bamboo-stick. In consequence of
the Brahmana’s ascetic power, this thin rod (symbolical
of the Brahmana’s power of chastisement) is
infinitely more powerful than even Indra’s bolt.
The latter can strike only one, but the former can
smite whole countries, and entire races from generation
to generation. With only his Brahma-danda Vasishtha
baffled all the mighty and celestial weapons of Viswamitra
vide, Ramayana, section 56, Valakanda.
488. Instead of “the Salwas, the Sayas,
and the Trigartas,” the Bombay text reads, “the
Trigartas depending on (king) Salwa.” I
have not, however, met with any Trigartas under Salwa’s
rule, that race having, at this time, Susarman for
their ruler.
489. Indra#ddhwaja was a pole, decked with banners,
created in honour of Indra. The festival attracted
considerable crowds.
Page 823
490. The second line of 114 in the Bengal text
is vicious. I adopt the Bombay reading, which
is Kururajasya tarkitas. Literally rendered the
second line is “the destruction of the Kuru king
was inferred.”
491. By bravery on the field of battle, which,
according to the Hindu scriptures, is always thus
rewarded
The Mahabharata
of
Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa
BOOK 7
DRONA PARVA
Translated into English Prose from the Original Sanskrit
Text
by
Kisari Mohan Ganguli
[1883-1896]
Scanned at sacred-texts.com, 2004. Proofed by
John Bruno Hare, October 2004.
SECTION I
(Dronabhisheka Parva)
Om! Having bowed down unto Narayan,
and unto that most exalted of male beings, viz.,
Nara, and unto the goddess Saraswati also, must the
word Jaya be uttered.
“Janamejaya said, ’Hearing that his sire
Devavrata of unrivalled vigour and sturdiness, and
might, energy and prowess, had been slain by Sikhandin,
the prince of the Panchalas, what, indeed, O regenerate
Rishi, did the powerful king Dhritarashtra with eyes
bathed in tears do? O illustrious one, his son
(Duryodhana) wished for sovereignty after vanquishing
those mighty bowmen, viz., the sons of Panda,
through Bhishma and Drona and other great car-warriors.
Tell me, O thou that hast wealth of asceticism, all
that he, of Kura’s race, did after that chief
of all bowmen had been slain.’
“Vaisampayana said, ’Hearing that his
sire had been slain, king Dhritarashtra of Kura’s
race filled with anxiety and grief, obtained no peace
of mind. And while he, of Kura’s race, was
thus continually brooding over that sorrow, Gavalgana’s
son of pure soul once more came to him. Then,
O monarch, Dhritarashtra, the son of Amvika, addressed
Sanjaya, who had that night come back from the camp
to the city called after the elephant. With a
heart rendered exceedingly cheerless in consequence
of his having heard of Bhishma’s fall, and desirous
of the victory of his sons, he indulged in these lamentations
in great distress.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’After having wept
for the high-souled Bhishma of terrible prowess, what,
O son, did the Kauravas, urged by fate, next do?
Indeed, when that high-souled and invincible hero was
slain, what did the Kauravas do, sunk as they were
in an ocean of grief? Indeed, that swelling and
highly efficient host of the high-souled Pandavas,
would, O Sanjaya, excite the keenest fears of even
the three worlds. Tell me, therefore, O Sanjaya,
what the (assembled) kings did after Devavrata, that
bull of Kura’s race, had fallen.’
Page 824
“Sanjaya said, ’Listen, O king, with undivided
attention, to me as I recite what thy sons did after
Devavrata had been killed in battle. When Bhishma,
O monarch, of prowess incapable of being baffled, was
slain, thy warriors as also the Pandavas both reflected
by themselves (on the situation). Reflecting
on the duties of the Kshatriya order, they were filled
with wonder and joy; but acting according to those
duties of their own order, they all bowed to that
high-souled warrior. Then those tigers among
men contrived for Bhishma of immeasurable prowess a
bed with a pillow made of straight shafts. And
having made arrangements for Bhishma’s protection,
they addressed one another (in pleasant converse).
Then bidding Ganga’s son their farewell and walking
round him, and looking at one another with eyes red
in anger, those Kshatriyas, urged by fate, once more
went out against one another for battle. Then
by the blare of trumpets and the beat of drums, the
divisions of thy army as also those of the foe, marched
out. After the fall of Ganga’s son, O king,
when the best part of the day had passed away, yielding
to the influence of wrath, with hearts afflicted by
fate, and disregarding the words, worthy of acceptance,
of the high-souled Bhishma, those foremost ones of
Bharata’s race went out with great speed, armed
with weapons. In consequence of thy folly and
of thy son’s and of the slaughter of Santanu’s
son, the Kauravas with all the kings seemed to be summoned
by Death himself. The Kurus, deprived of Devavrata,
were filled with great anxiety, and resembled a herd
of goats and sheep without a herdsman, in a forest
abounding with beasts of prey. Indeed, after the
fall of that foremost one of Bharata’s race,
the Kuru host looked like the firmament divested of
stars, or like the sky without the atmosphere, or like
the earth with blasted crops, or like an oration disfigured
by bad grammar,[1] or like the Asura host of old after
Vali had been smitten down, or like a beautiful damsel
deprived of husband,[2] or like a river whose waters
have been dried up, or like a roe deprived of her mate
and encompassed in the woods by wolves; or like a
spacious mountain cave with its lion killed by a Sarabha.[3]
Indeed, O chief of the Bharatas, the Bharata host,
on the fall of Ganga’s son, became like a frail
boat on the bosom of the ocean, tossed by a tempest
blowing from every side. Exceedingly afflicted
by the mighty and heroic Pandavas of sure aim, the
Kaurava host, with its steeds, car-warriors and elephants
much troubled, became exceedingly distressed, helpless,
and panic-stricken. And the frightened kings
and the common soldiers, no longer relying upon one
another, of that army, deprived of Devavrata, seemed
to sink into the nethermost region of the world.
Then the Kauravas remembered Karna, who indeed, was
equal to Devavrata himself. All hearts turned
to that foremost of all wielders of arms, that one
resembling a guest resplendent (with learning and
Page 825
ascetic austerities). And all hearts turned to
him, as the heart of a man in distress turneth to
a friend capable of relieving that distress.
And, O Bharata, the kings then cried out saying, Karna!
Karna! The son of Radha, our friend, the son of
a Suta, that one who is ever prepared to lay down
his life in battle! Endued with great fame, Karna,
with his followers and friends, did not fight for these
ten days. O, summon him soon!’ The mighty-armed
hero, in the presence of all the Kshatriyas, during
the mention of valiant and mighty car-warriors, was
by Bhishma classed as an Ardha-ratha, although that
bull among men is equal to two Maharathas! Even
thus was he classed during the counting of Rathas
and Atirathas, he that is the foremost (of all Rathas
and Atirathas), he that is respected by all heroes,
he that would venture to fight even with Yama, Kuvera,
Varuna, and Indra. Through anger caused by this,
O king, he had said unto Ganga’s son these words:
’As long as thou livest, O thou of Kuru’s
race, I will never fight! if thou, however, succeedest
in slaying the sons of Pandu in great battle, I shall,
O Kaurava, with Duryodhana’s permission, retire
into the woods. If, on the other hand, thou, O
Bhishma, slain by the Pandavas, attainest to heaven,
I shall then, on a single car, slay all of them, whom
thou regardest as great car-warriors.’
Having said this, mighty-armed Karna of great fame,
with thy son’s approval, did not fight for the
first ten days. Bhishma, of great prowess in
battle and of immeasurable might, slew, O Bharata,
a very large number of warriors belonging to Yudhishthira’s
army. When, however, that hero of sure aim and
great energy was slain, thy sons thought of Karna,
like persons desirous of crossing a river thinking,
of a boat. Thy warriors and thy sons, together
with all the kings, cried out, saying, Karna!
And they all said, ‘Even this is the time for
the display of his prowess.’ Our hearts
are turned to that Karna who derived his knowledge
of weapons from Jamadagni’s son, and whose prowess
is incapable of being resisted! He, indeed, O
king, is competent to save us from great dangers, like
Govinda always saving the celestials from great dangers.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ’Unto Sanjaya
who was thus repeatedly applauding Karna, Dhritarashtra
sighing like a snake, said those words.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’[I understand] that
the hearts of all of you are turned towards Vikartana’s
son Karna, and that all of you, saw that son of Radha,
that hero of the Suta caste, ever prepared to lay down
his life in battle. I hope that hero of prowess
incapable of being baffled, did not falsify the expectations
of Duryodhana and his brothers, all of whom were then
afflicted with grief and fear, and desirous of being
relieved from their danger. When Bhishma, that
refuge of Kauravas, was slain, could Karna, that foremost
of bowmen, succeed in filling up the gap caused?
Filling up that gap, could Karna fill the foe with
fear? Could he also crown with fruit the hopes,
entertained by my sons, of victory?’”
Page 826
SECTION II
“Sanjaya said, ’Then Adhiratha’s
son of the Suta caste, knowing that Bhishma had been
slain, became desirous of rescuing, like a brother,
thy son’s army from the distress into which
it had fallen, and which then resembled a boat sunk
in the fathomless ocean. [Indeed], O king, having
heard that that mighty car-warrior and foremost of
men, that hero of unfading glory, viz., Santanu’s
son, had been thrown down (from his car), that grinder
of foes, that foremost of all wielders of bows, viz.,
Karna, soon came (to the field of battle). When
the best of car-warriors, viz., Bhishma, was
slain by the foe, Karna speedily came there, desirous
of rescuing the Kuru host which resembled a boat sunk
in the ocean, like a sire desirous of rescuing his
children.’
“And Karna (addressing the soldiers) said, ’That
Bhishma who possessed firmness, intelligence, prowess,
vigour, truth, self-restraint, and all the virtues
of a hero, as also celestial weapons, and humidity,
and modesty, agreeable speech, and freedom from malice,
that ever-grateful Bhishma, that slayer of the foes
of Brahmanas, in whom were these attributes as permanently
as Lakshmi in the moon, alas, when that Bhishma, that
slayer of hostile heroes, hath received his quietus,
I regard all other heroes as already slain. In
consequence of the eternal connection (of all things)
with work, nothing exists in this world that is imperishable.
When Bhisma of high vows hath been slain, who is there
that would take upon himself to say with certitude
that tomorrow’s sun will rise? When he
that was endued with prowess equal to that of the
Vasus, he that was born of the energy of the Vasus,
when he, that ruler of the earth, hath once more been
united with the Vasus, grieve ye, therefore, for your
possessions and children for this earth and the Kurus,
and this host.’[4]
“Sanjaya continued, ’Upon the fall of
that boon-giving hero of great might, that lord of
the world, viz., Santanu’s son of great
energy, and upon the (consequent) defeat of the Bharatas,
Karna, with cheerless heart and eyes filled with tears,
began to console (the Dhartarashtras). Hearing
these words of Radha’s son, thy sons, O monarch,
and thy troops, began to wail aloud and shed copious
tears of grief corresponding with the loudness of
those wails.[5] When, however, the dreadful battle
once more took place and the Kaurava divisions, urged
on by the Kings, once more set up loud shouts, that
bull among mighty car-warriors, viz., Karna,
then addressed the great car-warriors (of the Kaurava
army) and said words which caused them great delight:
In this transient world everything is continually
flitting (towards the jaws of Death). Thinking
of this, I regard everything as ephemeral. When,
however, all of you were here, how could Bhishma,
that bull among the Kurus, immovable as a hill, be
thrown down from his car? When that mighty car-warrior,
Page 827
viz., the son of Santanu, hath been overthrown,
who even now lieth on the ground like the Sun himself
dropped (from the firmament), the Kuru kings are scarcely
competent to bear Dhananjaya, like trees incapable
of bearing the mountain-wind. I shall, however,
now protect, as that high-souled one did, this helpless
Kuru host of cheerless mien, whose foremost warriors
have already been slain by the foe. Let this burden
now devolve on me. I see that this universe is
transient, since that foremost of heroes hath been
slain in battle. Why shall I then cherish any
fear of battle? Coursing, therefore, on the field
I shall despatch those bulls of Kuru’s race
(viz., the Pandavas) to Yama’s abode by means
of my straight shafts. Regarding fame as the
highest object in the world, I shall slay them in
battle, or, slain by the foe, shall sleep on the field.
Yudhishthira is possessed of firmness, intelligence,
virtue, and might. Vrikodara is equal to a hundred
elephant in prowess, Arjuna is young and is the son
of the chief of the celestials. The Pandava host,
therefore, is not capable of being easily defeated
by the very celestials. That force in which are
the twins, each resembling Yama himself, that force
in which are Satyaki and the son of Devaki, that force
is like the jaws of Death. No coward, approaching
it, can come back with life. The wise oppose swelling
ascetic power with ascetic austerities, so should
force be opposed by force. Verily, my mind is
firmly fixed upon opposing the foe and protecting my
own party, O charioteer, I shall today certainly resist
the might of the enemy, and vanquish him by repairing
only to the field of battle. I will not tolerate
this intestine feud. When the troops are broken,
he that cometh (for aiding) in the endeavour to rally
is a friend. I shall either achieve this righteous
feat worthy of an honest man, or casting off my life
shall follow Bhishma. I shall either slay all
my foes united together, or slain by them proceed
to the regions reserved for heroes. O charioteer,
I know that even this is what I should do, when women
and children cry for help, or when Duryodhana’s
prowess sustains a check. Therefore, I shall
today conquer the foe. Reckless of my very life
in this terrible battle, I shall protect the Kurus
and slay the sons of Pandu. Slaying in battle
all my foes banded together, I shall bestow (undisputed)
sovereignty on Dhritarashtra’s son. Let
my armour, beautiful, made of gold, bright, and radiant
with jewels and gems, be donned; and my head-gear,
of effulgence equal to that of the sun; and my bows
and arrows that resemble fire, poison, or snakes.
Let also sixteen quivers be tied (to my car) at the
proper places, and let a number of excellent bows
be procured. Let also shafts, and darts and heavy
maces, and my conch, variegated with gold, be got
ready. Bring also my variegated, beautiful, and
excellent standard, made of gold, possessed of the
effulgence of the lotus, and bearing the device of
Page 828
the elephant’s girth, cleaning it with a delicate
cloth, and decking it with excellent garlands and
a network of wires.[6] O charioteer’s son, bring
me also, with speed, some fleet steeds of the hue
of tawny clouds, not lean, and bathed in water sanctified
with mantras, and furnished with trappings of bright
gold. Bring me also, with speed, an excellent
car decked with garlands of gold, adorned gems, bright
as the sun or the moon, furnished with every necessary,
as also with weapons, and unto which are yoked excellent
animals. Bring me also a number of excellent bows
of great toughness, and a number of excellent bow-strings
capable of smitting (the foe), and some quivers, large
and full of shafts and some coats of mail for my body.
Bring me also, with speed, O hero, every (auspicious)
article needed for occasions of setting out (for battle),
such as vessels of brass and gold, full of curds.
Let garlands of flowers be brought, and let them be
put on the (proper) limbs of my body. Let drums
also be beaten for victory! Go, O charioteer,
quickly to the spot where the diadem-decked (Arjuna),
and Vrikodara, and Dharma’s son (Yudhishthira),
and the twins, are. Encountering them in battle,
either I shall slay them, or, being slain by them,
my foes, I shall follow Bhishma. Arjuna, and
Vasudeva, and Satyaki, and the Srinjayas, that force,
I think, is incapable of being conquered by the kings.
If all-destroying Death himself with unremitting vigilance,
were to protect Kiritin, still shall I slay him, encountering
him in battle, or repair myself to Yama’s abode
by Bhishma’s track. Verily, I say, that
I will repair into the midst of those heroes.
Those (kings) that are my allies are not provokers
of intestine feuds, or of weak attachment to me, or
of unrighteous souls.’
“Sanjaya continued, Riding on an excellent and
costly car of great strength, with an excellent pole,
decked with gold, auspicious, furnished with a standard,
and unto which were yoked excellent steeds that were
fleet as the wind, Karna proceeded (to battle) for
victory. Worshipped by the foremost of Kuru car-warriors
like Indra by the celestials, that high-souled and
fierce bowman, endued with immeasurable energy like
the Sun himself, upon his car decked with gold and
jewels and gems, furnished with an excellent standard,
unto which were yoked excellent steeds, and whose
rattle resembled the roll of the clouds, proceeded,
accompanied by a large force, to that field of battle
where that bull of Bharata’s race (Bhishma)
had paid his debt to nature. Of beautiful person,
and endued with the splendour of fire, that great
bowman and mighty car-warrior, viz., the son
of Adhiratha, then mounted on his own beautiful car
possessed of the effulgence of fire, and shone like
the lord of the celestials himself riding on his celestial
car.’”
SECTION III
Page 829
“Sanjaya said, ’Beholding the grandsire,
viz., the venerable Bhishma, that destroyer of
all the Kshatriyas, that hero of righteous soul and
immeasurable energy, that great bowman thrown down
(from his car) by Savyasachin with his celestial weapons,
lying on a bed of arrows, and looking like the vast
ocean dried up by mighty winds, the hope of thy sons
for victory had disappeared along with their coats
of mail and peace of mind. Beholding him who
was always an island unto persons sinking in the fathomless
ocean in their endeavours to cross it, beholding that
hero covered with arrows that had coursed in a stream
as continuous as that of Yamuna, that hero who looked
like Mainaka of unbearable energy thrown down on the
earth by the great Indra, that warrior lying prostrate
on the earth like the Sun dropped down from the firmament,
that one who looked like the inconceivable Indra himself
after his defeat of old by Vritra, that depriver of
all warriors of their senses, that foremost of all
combatants, that signal of all bowmen, beholding that
hero and bull among men, viz., thy sire Bhishma
of high vows, that grandsire of the Bharatas thrown
down in battle and lying covered with Arjuna’s
shafts, on a hero’s bed. Adhiratha’s
son (Karna) alighted from his car, in great affliction,
filled with grief, and almost senseless. Afflicted
(with sorrow), and with eyes troubled with tears,
he proceeded on foot. Saluting him with joined
palms, and addressing him reverentially, he said, ’I
am Karna! Blessed be thou! Speak to me,
O Bharata, in sacred and auspicious words, and look
at me, opening thy eyes. No man certainly enjoyeth
in this world the fruits of his pious deeds, since
thou, reverend in years and devoted to virtue, liest
slain on the ground. O thou that art the foremost
one amongst the Kurus, I do not see that there is
any one else among them, who is competent (like thee)
in filling the treasury, in counsels, in the matter
of disposing the troops in battle array, and in the
use of weapons, Alas, he that was endued with a righteous
understanding, he that always protected the Kurus
from every danger, alas, he, having slain numberless
warriors, proceedeth to the region of the Pitris.
From this day, O chief of the Bharatas, the Pandavas,
excited with wrath, will slaughter the Kurus like
tigers slaying deer. Today the Kauravas, acquainted
with the force of Gandiva’s twang, will regard
Savyasachin, like the Asuras regarding the wielder
of the thunder-bolt, with terror. Today the noise,
resembling that of heaven’s thunder, of the arrows
shot from Gandiva, will inspire the Kurus and other
kings with great terror. Today, O hero, like
a raging conflagration of fierce flames consuming a
forest, the shafts of Kiritin will consume the Dhartarashtras.
In those parts of the forest through which fire and
wind march together, they burn all plants and creepers
and trees. Without doubt, Partha is even like
a surging fire, and, without doubt, O tiger among
Page 830
men, Krishna is like the wind. Hearing the blare
of Panchajanya and the twang of Gandiva all the Kaurava
troops, O Bharata, will be filled with fear. O
hero, without thee, the kings will never be able to
bear the rattle of the ape-bannered car belonging
to that grinder of foes, when he will advance (upon
them). Who amongst the kings, save thyself, is
competent to battle with that Arjuna whose feats,
as described by the wise, are all superhuman?
Superhuman was the battle that he fought with the high-souled
(Mahadeva) of three eyes. From him he obtained
a boon that is unattainable by persons of unsanctified
souls. Delighted in battle, that son of Pandu
is protected by Madhava. Who is there that is
competent to vanquish him who could not be vanquished
by thee before, although thou, endued with great energy,
hadst vanquished Rama himself in battle, that fierce
destroyer of the Kshatriya race, worshipped, besides,
by the gods and the Danavas? Incapable of putting
up with that son of Pandu, that foremost of heroes
in battle, even I, with thy permission, am competent
to slay, with the force of my weapons, that brave
and fierce warrior who resembleth a snake of virulent
poison and who slayeth his foes with his glances alone!’”
SECTION IV
“Sanjaya said, ’Unto him who was talking
thus, the aged Kuru grandsire with a cheerful heart,
said these words adapted to both time and place:
’Like the ocean unto rivers, like the Sun unto
all luminous bodies, like the righteous unto Truth,
like a fertile soil unto seeds, like the clouds unto
all creatures, be thou the refuge of thy relatives
and friends! Like the celestials upon him of
a thousand eyes, let thy kinsmen depend on thee.
Be thou the humiliator of thy foes, and the enhancer
of the joys of thy friends. Be thou unto the
Kauravas as Vishnu unto the dwellers of heaven.
Desirous of doing what was agreeable to Dhritarashtra’s
son, thou didst with the might and prowess of own
arms, O Karna, vanquish the Kamvojas having proceeded
to Rajpura. Many kings, amongst whom Nagnajit
was the foremost, while staying in Girivraja, as also
the Amvashthas, the Videhas, and the Gandharvas, were
all vanquished by thee. The Kiratas, fierce in
battle, dwelling in the fastness of Himavat, were formerly,
O Karna, made by thee to own Duryodhana’s sway.
And so also, the Utpalas, the Mekalas, the Paundras,
the Kalingas, the Andhras, the Nishadas, the Trigartas,
and the Valhikas, were all vanquished by thee, O Karna,
in battle. In many other countries, O Karna,
impelled by the desire of doing good to Duryodhana,
thou didst, O hero, vanquish many races and kings of
great energy. Like Duryodhana, O child, with his
kinsmen, and relatives, and friends, be thou also
the refuge of all the Kauravas. In auspicious
words I command thee, go and fight with the enemy.
Lead the Kurus in battle, and give victory unto Duryodhana.
Thou art to us our grandson even as Duryodhana is.
According to the ordinance, all of us also are as
much thine as Duryodhana’s![7]The wise, O foremost
of men, say that the companionship of the righteous
with the righteous is a superior relationship to that
born of the same womb. Without falsifying, therefore,
thy relationship with Kurus, protect thou the Kaurava
host like Duryodhana, regarding it as thy own.
Page 831
“Hearing these words of his, Vikartana’s.
son Karna, reverentially saluting Bhishma’s
feet, (bade him farewell) and came to that spot where
all the Kaurava bowmen were. Viewing that wide
and unparalleled encampment of the vast host, he began
to cherish (by words of encouragement) those well-armed
and broad-chested warriors. And all the Kauravas
headed by Duryodhana were filled with joy. And
beholding the mighty-armed and high-souled Karna come
to the field and station himself at the head of the
whole army, for battle, the Kauravas received him with
loud shouts and slapping of arm-pits and leonine roars
and twang of bows and diverse other kinds of noise.’”
SECTION V
“Sanjaya said, ’Beholding that tiger among
men, viz., Karna, mounted on his car, Duryodhana,
O king, filled with joy, said these words, ’This
host, protected by thee, hath now, I think, got a proper
leader. Let that, however, be settled now which
is proper and within our power.’
’Karna said, ’Tell us thyself, O tiger
among men, for thou art the wisest of kings.
Another can never see so well what should be done as
one seeth it whose concern it is. Those kings
are all desirous of listening to what thou mayst have
to say. I am sure that no improper words will
be uttered by thee.’
“Duryodhana, said, ’Bhishma was our commander
possessed (as he was) of years, prowess, and learning
and supported by all our warriors. That high-souled
one, O Karna, achieving great glory and slaying large
numbers of my enemies protected us by fair fight for
ten days. He achieved the most difficult of feats.
But now that he is about to ascend to heaven, whom,
O Karna, dost thou think fit to our commander after
him? Without a leader, an army cannot stay in
battle for even a short while. Thou art foremost
in battle, like a boat without a helmsman in the waters.
Indeed, as a boat without a helmsman, or a car without
a driver, would go anywhere, so would the plight be
of a host that is without a leader. Like a merchant
who falleth into every kind of distress when he is
unacquainted with the ways of the country he visits,
an army that is without a leader is exposed to every
kind of distress. Look thou, therefore, among
all the high-souled warriors of our army and find out
a proper leader who may succeed the son of Santanu.
Him whom thou wouldst regard as a fit leader in battle,
him, all of us, without doubt, will together make
our leader.’
“Karna said, ’All these foremost of men
are high-souled persons. Every one of them deserveth
to be our leader. There is no need of any minute
examination. All of them are conversant with noble
genealogies and with the art of smiting; all of them
are endued with prowess and intelligence, all of them
are attentive and acquainted with the scriptures, possessed
of wisdom, and unretreating from battle.[8] All, however,
cannot be leaders at the same time. Only one
Page 832
should be selected as leader, in whom are special
merits. All of these regard one another as equals.
If one amongst them, therefore, be honoured, others
will be dissatisfied, and, it is evident, will no
longer fight for thee from a desire of benefiting
thee. This one, however, is the Preceptor (in
arms) of all these warriors; is venerable in years,
and worthy of respect. Therefore, Drona, this
foremost of all wielders of weapons, should be made
the leader. Who is there worthy of becoming a
leader, when the invincible Drona, that foremost of
persons conversant with Brahma, is here, that one who
is equal to Sukra or Vrihaspati himself? Amongst
all the kings in thy army, O Bharata, there is not
a single warrior who will not follow Drona when the
latter goeth to battle.[9] This Drona is the foremost
of all leaders of forces, the foremost of all wielders
of weapons, and the foremost of all intelligent persons.
He is, besides, O king, thy preceptor (in arms).
Therefore, O Duryodhana, make this one the leader of
thy forces without delay, as the celestials made Kartikeya
their leader in battle for vanquishing the Asuras.’”
SECTION VI
“Sanjaya said, ’Hearing these words of
Karna, king Duryodhana. then said this unto Drona
who was staying in the midst of the troops.’
“Duryodhana said, ’For the superiority
of the order of thy birth, for the nobility of thy
parentage, for thy learning, years and intelligence,
for also thy prowess, skill, invincibility, knowledge
of worldly matters, policy, and self-conquest, by
reason also of thy ascetic austerities and thy gratitude,
superior as thou art as regards every virtue, among
these kings there is none who can make so good a leader
as thou. Protect thou, therefore, ourselves,
like Vasava protecting the celestials. Having
thee for our leader, we desire, O best of Brahmanas,
to vanquish our foes. As Kapali amongst the Rudras,
Pavaka among the Vasus, Kuvera among the Yakshas,
Vasava among the Maruts, Vasishtha among Brahmanas,
the Sun amongst luminous bodies, Yama among the Pitris,
Varuna among aquatic creatures, as the Moon among
the stars, and Usanas among the sons of Diti, so art
thou the foremost of all leaders of forces. Be
thou, therefore, our leader. O sinless one, let
these ten and one Akshauhinis of troops be obedient
to thy word of command. Disposing these troops
in battle array, slay thou our foes, like Indra slaying
the Danavas. Proceed thou art the head of us
all, like Pavaka’s son (Kartikeya) at the head
of the celestial forces. We will follow thee
to battle, like bulls following a bovine leader.
A fierce and great bowman as thou art, beholding thee
stretching the bow at our head. Arjuna will not
strike. Without doubt, O tiger among men, if
thou becomest our leader, I will vanquish Yudhishthira
with all his followers and relatives in battle.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’After Duryodhana
had uttered these words, the kings (in the Kaurava
army) all cried victory to Drona. And they delighted
thy son by uttering a loud leonine shout. And
the troops, filled with joy, and with Duryodhana at
their head, desirous of winning great renown, began
to glorify that best of Brahmanas. Then, O king,
Drona addressed Duryodhana fin those words.’”
Page 833
SECTION VII
“Drona said, ’I know the Vedas with their
six branches. I know also the science of human
affairs. I am acquainted also with the Saiva weapon,
and diverse other species of weapons. Endeavouring
to actually display all those virtues which ye, desirous
of victory, have attributed to me, I will fight with
the Pandavas. I will not, however, O king, be
able to slay the son of Prishata. O bull among
men, he hath been created for my slaughter. I
will fight with the Pandavas, and slay the Somakas.
As regards the Pandavas, they will not fight with
me with cheerful hearts.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’Thus permitted by
Drona, the son, O king, then made him the commander
of his forces according to the rites prescribed in
the ordinance. And the kings (in the Katirava
army) headed by Duryodhana performed the investiture
of Drona in the command of the forces, like the celestials
headed by India in days of yore performing the investiture
of Skanda. After Drona’s installation in
the command, the joy of the army expressed itself
by the sound of drums and the loud blare of conchs.
Then with cries such as greet the ears en a festive
day, with auspicious invocations by Brahmanas gratified
with cries of Jaya uttered by foremost of Brahmanas,
and with the dance of mimes, Drona was duly honoured.
And Kaurava warriors regarded the Pandayas as already
vanquished.’
“Sanjaya continued. ’Then that mighty
car-warrior, viz., Bharadwaja’s son, having
obtained the command, arrayed the troops in order of
battle, and went out with thy sons from desire of
fighting the foe. And the ruler of the Sindhus,
and the chief of the Kalingas, and thy son Vikarna,
clad in mail, took up their position on the right
wing (of Drona). And Sakuni, accompanied by many
foremost of horsemen battling with bright lances and
belonging to the Gandhara tribe, proceeded, acting
as their support. And Kripa, and Kritavarman,
and Chitrasena, and Vivinsati headed by Duhsasana,
strove vigorously for protecting the left wing.
And the Kamvojas headed by Sudakshina, and the Sakas,
and the Yavanas, with steeds of great fleetness, proceeded,
as the latter’s support. And the Madras,
the Trigartas the Amvashthas, the Westerners, the Northerners,
the Malavas, the Surasenas, the Sudras the Maladas,
the Sauviras, the Kaitavas, the Easterners, and the
Southerners placing thy son (Duryodhana) and the Suta’s
son (Karna) at their head, forming the rear guard,
gladdened warriors of their own army, added to the
strength of the (advancing) force, Vikartana’s
son Karna proceeded at the head of the bowmen.[10]
And his blazing and large and tall standard bearing
the advice of the elephant’s rope, shone with
an effulgence like that of the Sun, gladdening his
own divisions. Beholding Karna, none regarded
the calamity caused by Bhishma’s death.
And the kings, along with the Kurus, all became freed
from grief. And large numbers of warriors, banded
Page 834
together, said unto one another, ’Beholding Karna
on the field, the Pandavas will never be able to stand
in battle. Indeed, Karna is quite competent to
vanquish in battle the very gods with Vasava at their
head. What need be said, therefore, for the sons
of Pandu who are destitute of energy and prowess?
The mighty-armed Bhishma spared the Parthas in battle.
Karna, however, will slay them in the fight with his
keen shafts.’ Speaking unto one another
thus and filled with joy, they proceeded, applauding
and worshipping the son of Radha. As regards our
army, it was arrayed by Drona in the form of a Sakata
(vehicle); while the array of our illustrious foes,
O king, was in the form of a Krauncha (crane), as
disposed, O Bharata, by king Yudhishthira the just
in great cheerfulness. At the head of their array
were those two foremost of persons viz., Vishnu
and Dhananjaya, with their banner set up, bearing
the device of the ape. The hump of the whole army
and the refuge of all bowmen, that banner of Partha,
endued with immeasurable energy, as it floated in
the, sky, seemed to illumine the entire host of the
high-souled Yudhishthira. The banner of Partha,
possessed of great intelligence, seemed to resemble
the blazing Sun that riseth at the end of the Yuga
for consuming the world. Amongst bowmen, Arjuna
is the foremost; amongst bows, Gandiva is the foremost
amongst creature Vasudeva is the first; and amongst
all kinds of discs, Sudarsana is the first. Bearing
these four embodiments of energy, that car unto which
were yoked white steeds, took up its position in the
front of the (hostile) army, like the fierce discus
upraised (for striking). Thus did those two foremost
of men stand at the very head of their respective forces,
viz., Karna at the head of thy army, and Dhananjaya
at the head of the hostile one. Both excited
with wrath, and each desirous of slaying the other,
Karna and Arjuna looked at each other in that battle.’
“Then when that mighty car-warrior, viz..
Bharadwaja’s son, proceeded to battle with great
speed, the earth seemed to tremble with loud sounds
of wailing. Then the thick dust, raised by the
wind resembling a canopy of tawny silk, enveloped
the sky and the sun. And though the firmament
was cloudless, yet a shower fell of pieces of flesh,
bones, and blood. And vultures and hawks and
cranes and Kankas, and crows in thousands, began continually
to fall upon the (Kaurava) troops. And jackals
yelled aloud; and many fierce and terrible birds repeatedly
wheeled to the left of thy army, from desire of eating
flesh and drinking blood,[11] and many blazing meteors,
illuminating (the sky), and covering large areas with
their tails, fell on the field with loud sound and
trembling motion. And the wide disc of the sun
O monarch, seemed to emit flashes of lightning with
thundering noise, when commander of the (Kaurava) army
set out. These and many other portents, fierce
and indicating a destruction of heroes, were seen
Page 835
during the battle. Then commenced the encounter
between the troops of the Kurus and the Pandavas,
desirous of slaying each other. And so loud was
the din that it seemed to fill the whole earth.
And the Pandavas and the Kauravas, enraged with each
other and skilled in smiting, began to strike each
other with sharp weapons, from desire of victory.
’Then that great bowman of blazing effulgence
rushed towards the troops of the Pandavas with great
impetuosity, scattering hundreds of sharp arrows.
Then the Pandavas and the Srinjayas, beholding Drona
rush towards them, received him, O king, with showers
upon showers (in distinct sets) of arrows. Agitated
and broken by Drona, the large host of the Pandavas
and the Panchalas broke like rows of cranes by force
of the wind. Invoking into existence many celestial
weapons in that battle, Drona, within a very short
time, afflicted the Pandavas and the Srinjayas.
Slaughtered by Drona, like Danavas by Vasava, the Panchalas
headed by Dhrishtadyumna trembled in that battle.
Then that mighty car-warrior, viz., Yajnasena’s
son (Dhrishtadyumna), that hero acquainted with celestial
weapons, broke, with his arrowy showers, the division
of Drona in many places. And the mighty son of
Prishata baffling with his own arrowy showers the
showers of arrows shot by Drona, caused a great slaughter
among the Kurus. The mighty-armed Drona then,
rallying his men in battle and gathering them together,
rushed towards the son of Prishata. He then shot
at Prishata’s son a thick shower of arrows, like
Maghavat excited with rage showering his arrows with
great force upon the Danavas, Then the Pandavas and
the Srinjayas, shaken by Drona with his shafts, repeatedly
broke like a herd of inferior animals attacked by a
lion. And the mighty Drona coursed through the
Pandava force like a circle of fire. All this,
O king, seemed highly wonderful. Mounted on his
own excellent car which (then) resembled a city coursing
through the skies, which was furnished with every
necessary article according to (military) science,
whose banner floated on the air, whose rattle resounded
through the field, whose steeds were (well) urged,
and the staff of whose standard was bright as crystal,
Drona struck terror into the hearts of the enemy and
caused a great slaughter among them.’”
SECTION VIII
“Sanjaya said, ’Beholding Drona thus slaying
steeds and drivers and car-warriors and elephants,
the Pandavas, without being troubled, encompassed
him on all sides. Then king Yudhishthira, addressing
Dhrishtadyumna and Dhananjaya, said unto them, ’Let
the pot-born (Drona) be checked, our men surrounding
him on all sides with care.’ Thus addressed
those mighty car-warriors, viz., Arjuna and Prishata’s
son, along with their followers, all received Drona
as the latter came. And the Kekaya princes, and
Bhimasena, and Subhadra’s son and Ghatotkacha
and Yudhishthira, and the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva),
Page 836
and the ruler of the Matsyas, and the son of Drupada,
and the (five) sons of Draupadi, all filled with joy,
and Dhrishtaketu, and Satyaki, and the wrathful Chitrasena,
and the mighty car-warrior, Yuyutsu, and many other
kings, O monarch, who followed the sons of Pandu,
all achieved diverse feats in keeping with their lineage
and prowess. Beholding then that host protected
in that battle by those Pandava warriors, Bharadwaja’s
son, turning his eyes in wrath, cast his looks upon
it. Inflamed with rage, that warrior, invincible
in battle, consumed, as he stood upon his car, the
Pandava host like the tempest destroying vast masses
of clouds. Rushing on all sides at car-warriors
and steeds and foot-soldiers and elephants, Drona
furiously careered over the field like a young man,
though bearing the weight of years. His red steeds,
fleet as the wind, and of excellent breed, covered
with blood, O king, assumed a beautiful appearance.
Beholding that hero of regulated vows, felling them
like Yama himself inflamed with wrath, the soldiers
of Yudhishthira fled away on all sides. And as
some fled away and other rallied, as some looked at
him and others stayed on the field, the noise they
made was fierce and terrible. And that noise
causing delight to heroes and enhancing the fears
of the timid, filled the whole sky and the earth.
And once more Drona, uttering his own name in battle,
made himself exceedingly fierce, scattering hundreds
of arrows among the foes. Indeed, the mighty Drona,
though old, yet acting like a young man, careered like
Death himself, O sire, amid the divisions of Pandu’s
son. That fierce warrior cutting off heads and
arms decked with ornaments, made the terraces of many
cars empty and uttered leonine roars. And in
consequence of those joyous shouts of his, as also
of the force of his shafts, the warriors, O lord,
(of the hostile army) trembled like a herd of cows
afflicted by cold. And in consequence of the
rattle of his car and the stretching of his bow-string
and the twang of his bow, the whole welkin resounded
with a loud noise. And the shaft., of that hero,
coursing in thousands from his bow, and enveloping
all the points of the compass, fell upon the elephants
and steeds and cars and foot-soldiers (of the enemy).
Then the Panchalas and the Pandavas boldly approached
Drona, who, armed with his bow of great force, resembled
a fire having weapons for its flames. Then with
their elephants and foot-soldiers and steeds he began
to despatch them unto the abode of Yama. And
Drona made the earth miry with blood. Scattering
his mighty weapons and shooting his shafts thick on
every side, Drona soon so covered all the points of
the compass, that nothing could be seen except his
showers of arrows. And among foot-soldiers and
cars and steeds and elephants nothing could be seen
save Drona’s arrows. The standard of his
car was all that could be seen, moving like flashes
of lightning amid the cars.[12] Of soul incapable of
being depressed, Drona then, armed with bow and arrows,
Page 837
afflicted the five princes of Kekaya and the ruler
of the Panchalas and then rushed against the division
of Yudhishthira. Then Bhimasena and Dhananjaya
and the grandson of Sini, and the sons of Drupada,
and the ruler of Kasi, viz., the son of Saivya,
and Sivi himself, cheerfully and with loud roars covered
him with their arrows. Shafts in thousands, decked
with wings of gold, shot from Drona’s bow, piercing
through the bodies of the elephants and the young
horses of those warriors, entered the earth, their
feathers dyed with blood. The field of battle,
strewn with cars and the prostrate forms of large
bands of warriors, and of elephants and steeds mangled
with shafts, looked like the welkin covered with masses
of black clouds. Then Drona, desirous of the
prosperity of thy sons, having thus crushed the divisions
of Satyaki, and Bhima, and Dhananjaya and Subhadra’s
son and Drupada, and the ruler of the Kasi, and having
ground many other heroes in battle, indeed, that high-souled
warrior, having achieved these and many other feats,
and having, O chief of the Kurus, scorched the world
like the Sun himself as he rises at the end of the
Yuga, proceeded hence, O monarch, to heaven.
That hero possessed of golden car, that grinder of
hostile hosts, having achieved mighty feats and slain
in thousands the warriors of the Pandava host in battle,
hath at last been himself slain by Dhrishtadyumna.
Having, in fact, slain more than two Akshauhinis of
brave and unreturning warriors, that hero endued with
intelligence, at last, attained to the highest state.
Indeed, O king, having achieved the most difficult
feats, he hath, at last, been slain by the Pandavas
and the Panchalas of cruel deeds. When the preceptor
was slain in battle, there arose in the welkin, O
monarch, a loud uproar of all creatures, as also of
all the troops. Resounding through heaven and
earth and the intermediate space and through the cardinal
and the subsidiary directions, the loud cry ’O
Fie!’—of creatures; was heard.
And the gods, the Pitris, and they that were his friends,
all beheld that mighty car-warrior, viz., the
son of Bharadwaja, thus slain. The Pandavas,
having won the victory, uttered leonine shouts.
And the earth trembled with those loud shouts of theirs.’”
SECTION IX
“Dhritarashtra said, ’How did the Pandavas
and the Srinjayas slay Drona in battle,—Drona.
who was so accomplished in weapons amongst all wielders
of arms? Did his car break (in course of the fight)?
Did his bow break while he was striking (the foe)?
Or, was Drona careless at the time when he met with
his death-blow? How, indeed, O child, could Prishata’s
son, (viz., Dhrishtadyumna) the prince of the Panchalas,
slay that hero incapable of being humiliated by enemies,
who scattered thick showers of shafts furnished with
wings of gold, and who was endued with great lightness
of hand, that foremost of Brahmanas, who was accomplished
Page 838
in everything, acquainted with all modes of warfare,
capable of shooting his shafts to a great distance,
and self-restrained, who was possessed of great skill
in the use of weapons and armed with celestial weapons,
that mighty warrior, of unfading glory, who was always
careful, and who achieved the fiercest feats in battle?
It is plain, it seems to me, that destiny is superior
to exertion, since even brave Drona hath been slain
by the high-souled son of Prishata, that hero in whom
were the four kinds of weapons, alas, thou sayest
that that Drona, that preceptor in bowmanship, is
slain. Hearing of the slaughter of that hero who
used to ride his bright car covered with tiger skins
and adorned with pure gold. I cannot drive away
my grief. Without doubt, O Sanjaya, no one dies
of grief caused by another’s calamity, since,
wretch that I am, I am yet alive although I have heard
of Drona’s death. Destiny I regard to be
all powerful, exertion is fruitless. Surely,
my heart, hard as it is, is made of adamant, since
it breaketh not into a hundred pieces, although I have
heard of Drona’s death. He who was waited
up-on by Brahmanas and princes desirous of instruction
in the Vedas and divination and bowmanship, alas,
how could he be taken away by Death? I cannot
brook the overthrow of Drona which is even like the
drying up of the ocean, or the removal of Meru from
its site, or the fall of the Run from the firmament.
He was a restrainer of the wicked and a protector
of the righteous. That scorcher of foes who hath
given up his life for the wretched Duryodhana, upon
whose prowess rested that hope of victory which my
wicked sons entertained, who was equal to Vrihaspati
or Usanas himself in intelligence, alas, how was he
slain? His large steeds of red hue, covered with
net of gold, fleet as the wind and incapable of being
struck with any weapon in battle, endued with great
strength, neighing cheerfully, well-trained and of
the Sindhu breed, yoked unto his car and drawing the
vehicle excellently, always preserving in the midst
of battle, did they become weak and faint? Coolly
bearing in battle the roar of elephants, while those
huge creatures trumpeted at the blare of conchs and
the beat of drums, unmoved by the twang of bows and
showers of arrows and other weapons, foreboding the
defeat of foes by their very appearance, never drawing
long breaths (in consequence of toil), above all fatigue
and pain, how were those fleet steeds that drew the
car of Bharadwaja’s son soon over-powered?
Even such were the steeds yoked unto his golden car.
Even such were the steeds yoked thereto by that foremost
of human heroes. Mounted on his own excellent
car decked with pure gold, why, O son, could he not
cross the sea of the Pandava army? What feat
were achieved in battle by Bharadwaja’s son,
that warrior who always drew tears from other heroes,
and upon whose knowledge (of weapons) all the bowmen
of the world rely? Firmly adhering to truth, and
endued with great might, what, indeed, did Drona do
Page 839
in battle? Who were those car-warriors that encountered
that achiever of fierce deeds, that foremost of all
wielders of the bow, that first of heroes, who resembled
Sakra himself in heaven? Did the Pandava fly
away beholding him of the golden car and of mighty
strength who invoked into existence celestial weapons?
Or, did king Yudhishthira the just, with his younger
brothers, and having the prince of Panchala (Dhrishtadyumna)
for his binding chord,[13] attack Drona, surrounding
him with his troops on all sides? Verily, Partha
must have, with his straight shafts, checked all the
other car-warriors, and then Prishata’s son
of sinful deeds must have surrounded Drona. I
do not see any other warrior, save the fierce Dhrishtadyumna
protected by Arjuna, who could have compassed the
death of that mighty hero? It seems that when
those heroes, viz., the Kekayas, the Chedis, the
Karushas, the Matsyas, and the other kings, surrounding
the preceptor, pressed him exceedingly like ants pressing
upon a snake, while he was engaged in some difficult
feat, the wretched Dhrishtadyumna must have slain him
then. This is what, I think. He who, having
studied the four Vedas with their branches and the
histories forming the fifth (Veda), became the refuge
of the Brahmanas, as the ocean is of rivers, that
scorcher of foes, who lived both as a Brahmana and
as a Kshatriya, alas, how could that Brahmana, reverend
in years, meet with his end at the edge of a weapon?
Of a proud spirit, he was yet often humiliated and
had to suffer, pain on my account. However undeserving
of it, he yet attained at the hands of Kunti’s
son, the fruit of his own conduct.[14] He, upon whose
feats depend all wielders of bows in the world, alas,
how could that hero, firmly adhering to truth and
possessed of great skill, be slain by persons desirous
of affluence? Foremost in the world like Sakra
himself in heaven, of great might and great energy,
alas, how could he be slain by the Parthas, like the
whale by the smaller fish? He, from whose presence
no warrior desirous of victory could ever escape with
life, he whom, while alive, these two sounds never
left, viz., the sound of the Vedas by those desirous
of Vedic lore, and the twang of bows caused by those
desirous of skill in bowmanship, he who was never cheerless,
alas, that tiger among men, that hero endued with
prosperity and never vanquished in battle, that warrior
of prowess equal to that of the lion or the elephant,
hath been slain. Verily, I cannot bear the idea
of his death. How could Prishata’s son,
in the sight of the foremost of men, slay in battle
that invincible warrior whose might was never humiliated
and whose fame was never tarnished? Who were they
that fought in Drona’s van, protecting him,
standing by his side? Who proceeded in his rear
and obtained that end which is so difficult of attainment?
Who were those high-souled warriors that protected
the right and the left wheels of Drona? Who were
in the van of that hero while he struggled in battle?
Page 840
Who were they that, reckless of their lives on that
occasion, met with death which stood face to face
with them? Who were those heroes that went in
the last journey in Drona’s battle? Did
any of those Kshatriyas that were assigned for Drona’s
protection, proving false, abandon that hero in battle?
Was he slain by the foe after such desertion and while
alone? Drona would never, from fear, show his
back in battle, however great the danger. How
then was he slain by the foe? Even in great distress,
O Sanjaya, an illustrious person should do this, viz.,
put forth his prowess according to the measure of
his might. All this was in Drona; O child, I
am losing my senses. Let this discourse be suspended
for a while. After regaining my senses I will
once more ask thee, O Sanjaya!’”
SECTION X
“Vaisampayana said, ’Having addressed
the Suta’s son in this way, Dhritarashtra, afflicted
with excessive grief of heart and hopeless of his
son’s victory, fell down on the ground.
Beholding him deprived of his senses and fallen down,
his attendants sprinkled him with perfumed and cold
water, fanning him the while. Seeing him fallen,
the Bharata ladies O king, surrounded him on all sides
and gently rubbed him with their hands. And slowly
raising the king from the ground, those royal ladies,
their voices chocked with tears, seated him on his
seat. Seated, the King continued to be under
the influence of that swoon. And he remained
perfectly motionless, while they fanned him standing
around. And a tremour then passed over the monarch’s
body and he slowly regained his senses. And once
more he began to interrogate Gavalgana’s son
of the Suta caste about the incidents, as they occured
in the battle.’
“Dhritarashtra said, [That Ajatasatru] who,
like the risen sun, dispelleth darkness by his own
light; who rusheth against a foe as a swift and angry
elephant with rent temples, incapable of being vanquished
by hostile leaders of herds, rusheth against a rival
proceeding with cheerful face towards a female of
the species in rust, O, what warriors (of my army)
resisted that Ajatasatru as he came, for keeping him
away from Drona?[15] That hero, that foremost of persons,
who hath slain many brave warriors (of my army) in
battle, that mighty-armed and intelligent and courageous
prince of unbaffled prowess, who, unassisted by any
one, can consume the entire host of Duryodhana by
means of his terrible glances alone, that slayer by
his sight, that one bent on winning victory, that
bowman, that hero of unfading glory, that self-restrained
monarch who is revered by the whole world, O, who were
those heroes (of my army) that surrounded that warrior?[16]
That invincible prince, that bowman of unfading glory,
that tiger among men, that son of Kunti, who advancing
with great celerity came upon Drona, that mighty warrior
who always achieves grand feats against the foe, that
hero of gigantic fame and great courage, who in strength
Page 841
is equal to ten thousand elephants, O, what brave
combatants of my army surrounded that Bhimasena as
he rushed upon my host? When that car-warrior
of exceeding energy, viz., Vibhatsu, looking
like a mass of clouds, came, emitting thunderbolts
like the clouds themselves, shooting showers of arrows
like Indra pouring rain, and making all the points
of the compass resound with the slaps of his palms
and the rattle of his car-wheels, when that hero whose
bow was like the lightning’s flash and whose
car resembled a cloud having for its roars the rattle
of its wheels (when that hero came) the whizz of whose
arrows made him exceedingly fierce, whose wrath resembles
an awful cloud, and who is fleet as the mind or the
tempest, who always pierces the foe deep into his
very vitals, who, armed with shafts, is terrible to
look at, who like Death himself bathes all the points
of the compass with human blood in profusion, and
who, with fierce uproar and awful visage, wielding
the bow Gandiva incessantly pours on my warriors headed
by Duryodhana shafts whetted on stone and furnished
with vultures’ feathers, alas, when that hero
of great intelligence came upon you, what became the
state of your mind? When that warrior having the
huge ape on his banner came, obstructing the welkin
with dense showers of arrows, what became that state
of your mind at sight of that Partha? Did Arjuna
advance upon you, slaying your troops with the twang
of the Gandiva and achieving fierce feats on the way?
Did Duryodhana take, with his shafts, your lives,
like the tempest destroying gathering masses of clouds
or felling forests of reeds, blowing through them?
What man is there that is capable of bearing in battle
the wielder of the Gandiva? Hearing only that
he is stationed at the head of the (hostile) force,
the heart of every foe seems to rend in twain.
In that battle in which the troops trembled and even
heroes were struck with fear, who were they that did
not desert Drona, and who were those cowards that
abandoned him from fear? Who were they that,
reckless of their lives met Death himself, standing
face to face with them, in the shape of Dhananjaya,
who hath vanquished even superhuman combatants in
battle? My troops are incapable of bearing the
impetus of that warrior having white steeds yoked unto
his car and the twang of Gandiva, that resembles the
roll of the very clouds. That car which has Vishnu
himself for its driver and Dhananjaya for its warrior,
that car I regard to be incapable of being vanquished
by the very gods and the Asuras united together.
Delicate, young, and brave, and of a very handsome
countenance, that son of Pandu who is gifted with intelligence
and skill and wisdom and whose prowess incapable of
being baffled in battle, when Nakula with loud noise
and afflicting all hostile warriors, rushed at Drona,
what heroes (of my army) surrounded him? When
Sahadeva who resembles an angry snake of virulent
poison, when that hero owning white steeds and invincible
Page 842
in battle, observant of laudable vows, incapable of
being baffled in his purposes, gifted with modesty,
and never vanquished in fight, came upon us, what
heroes (of our army) surrounded him? That warrior
who, having crushed the mighty host of the Sauvira
king, took for his wife the beautiful Bhoja maiden
of symmetrical limbs, that bull among men, viz.,
Yuyudhana, in whom are always truth and firmness and
bravery and Brahmacharya, that warrior gifted with
great might, always practising truth, never cheerless,
never vanquished, who in battle is equal to Vasudeva
and is regarded as his second self, who, through Dhananjaya’s
instructions, hath become foremost in the use of arrows,
and who is equal to Partha himself in weapons, O, what
warrior (of my army) resisted that Satyaki, for keeping
him away from Drona? The foremost hero among
the Vrishnis, exceedingly brave among all bowmen,
equal to Rama himself in (knowledge and the use of)
weapons and in prowess and fame, (know, O Sanjaya,
that) truth and firmness, intelligence and heroism,
and knowledge of Brahma, and high weapons, are all
in him (Satyaki) of the Satwata race, as the three
worlds are in Kesava. What heroes (of my army),
approaching that mighty bowman, Satyaki, possessed
of all those accomplishments and incapable of being
resisted by the very gods, surrounded him? The
foremost among the Panchalas, possessed of heroism,
high-born and the favourite of all high-born heroes,
ever achieving good deeds in battle, viz., Uttamaujas,
that Prince ever engaged in the welfare of Arjuna,
born for only my evil, equal unto Yama, or Vaisaravana,
or Aditya, or Mahendra, or Varuna, that prince regarded
as a mighty car-warrior and prepared to lay down his
life in the thick of battle, O, what heroes (of my
army) surrounded him? Who (amongst my warriors)
opposed Dhrishtaketu, that single warrior amongst
the Chedis who, deserting them, hath embraced the side
of the Pandavas, while he rushed upon Drona?
Who resisted the heroic Ketumat for keeping him away
from Drona, the brave Ketumat who slew prince Durjaya
while the latter had taken shelter in Girivraja?
What heroes (of my army) surrounded Sikhandin, that
tiger among men, who knows the merits and demerits
(in his own person) of manhood and femininity, that
son of Yajnasena, who is always cheerful in battle,
that hero who became the cause of the high-souled
Bhishma’s death in battle, when he rushed towards
Drona? That foremost hero of the Vrishni race,
that chief of all bowmen, that brave warrior in whom
all accomplishments exist in a greater degree than
in Dhananajaya himself, in whom are ever weapons and
truth and Brahmacharya, who is equal to Vasudeva in
energy and Dhananjaya in strength, who in splendour
is equal to Aditya and in intelligence to Vrihaspati,
viz., the high-souled Abhimanyu, resembling Death
himself with wide-open mouth, O what heroes (of my
army) surrounded him when he rushed towards Drona?
That youth of vigorous understanding, that slayer
Page 843
of hostile heroes, viz., Subhadra’s son,
O, when he rushed towards Drona, what became the state
of your mind? What heroes surrounded those tigers
among men, viz., the sons of Draupadi, when they
rushed in battle against Drona like rivers rushing
towards the sea? Those children who, giving up
all (childish) sports for twelve years, and observing
excellent vows, waited upon Bhishma for the sake of
weapons, those children, viz., Kshatranjaya and
Kshatradeva and Kshatravarman and Manada, those heroic
sons of Dhrishtadyumna, O, who resisted them, seeking
to keep them away from Drona? He whom the Vrishnis
regarded as superior in battle to a hundred car-warriors,
O, who resisted that great bowman, viz., Chekitana,
for keeping him away from Drona? Those five Kekaya
brothers, virtuous and possessed of prowess, incapable
of being baffled, resembling (in hue) the insects
called Indragopakas, with red coats of mail, red weapons
and red banners, those heroes that are the maternal
cousins of the Pandavas and that always wish for victory
unto the latter, O, what heroes (of my army) surrounded
those valiant princes when they rushed towards Drona
for slaying him? That lord of battle, that foremost
of bowmen, that hero of unbaffled aim and great strength,
that tiger among men, viz., Yuyutsu, whom many
wrathful kings battling together for six months at
Varanavata from desire of slaying him could not vanquish,
and who in battle at Varanasi overthrew with a broad-headed
arrow that mighty car-warrior, viz., the prince
of Kasi, desirous of seizing (at a Swayamvara) a maiden
for wife, O, what hero (of my army) resisted him?
That mighty bowman, viz., Dhrishtadyumna, who
is the chief counsellor of the Pandavas, who is engaged
in doing evil to Duryodhana, who was created for Drona’s
destruction, O, what heroes (of my army) surrounded
him when he came towards Drona, breaking through all
my ranks and consuming all my warriors in battle?
That foremost of all persons conversant with weapons,
who has been reared almost on Drupada’s lap,
O, what warriors (of my army) surrounded that Sikhandin
protected by (Arjuna’s) weapons, for keeping
him away from Drona? He who encompassed this earth
by the loud rattle of his car as by a leathern belt,
that mighty car-warrior and foremost of all slayers
of foes, who, as (a substitute for) all sacrifices,
performed, without hindrance, ten Horse sacrifices
with excellent food and drink and gifts in profusion,
who ruled his subjects as if they were his children,
that Usinara’s son who in sacrifices gave away
kine countless as the grains of sand in the Ganga’s
stream, whose feat none amongst men have been or will
ever be able to imitate, after the performance of
whose difficult feats the very gods had cried out,
saying, ’We do not see in the three worlds with
their mobile and immobile creatures a second person
other than Usinara’s son who, was, has ever
been, or will ever be born, who hath attained to regions
Page 844
(in after-life) which are unattainable by human beings,
O, who (amongst my army) resisted that Saivya, that
grandson of that Usinara’s son, while he came
upon (Drona)? What heroes (of my army) surrounded
the car-division of that slayer of foes, viz..
Virata, the king of the Matsyas, while it reached
Drona in battle? Who kept away from Drona the
gigantic Ghatotkacha, that thorn (on the side), of
my sons, that warrior who always wishes victory unto
the Pandavas, that heroic Rakshasa, possessed of extensive
powers of illusion, endued with great strength and
great prowess, and born of Bhima in course of a single
day, and of whom I entertain very great fears?[17]
What, O Srinjaya, can remain unconquered by them for
whose sake these and many others are prepared to Jay
down their lives in battle? How can the sons
of Pritha meet with defeat, they, viz., that have
the greatest of all beings, the wielder of the bow
called Sarnga, for their refuge and benefactor?
Vasudeva is, indeed, the great Master of all the worlds,
the Lord of all, and Eternal! Of celestial soul
and infinite power, Narayana is the refuge of men
in battle. The wise recite his celestial feats.
I also will recite them with devotion, for recovering
my firmness!’”
SECTION XI
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Hear, O Sanjaya,
the celestial feats of Vasudeva, feats that Govinda
achieved and the like of which no other person hath
ever been able to achieve. Whilst being brought
up, O Sanjaya, in the family of the cowherd (Nanda),
that high-souled one, while yet a boy, made the might
of his arms known to the three worlds. Even then
he slew Hayaraja, living in the woods (on the shores)
of the Yamuna, who was equal to (the celestial steed)
Uchchaisravas in strength and the wind itself in speed.[18]
In childhood, he also slew with his two bare arms,
the Danava, in the form of a bull, of terrible deeds,
and risen like Death himself unto all the kine.
Of eyes like the lotus petals, he also slew the mighty
Asuras named Pralamva, and Naraka, and Jambha, and
Pitha, as also Mura, that terror of the celestials.
And so also Kansa of mighty energy, who was, besides,
protected by Jarasandha, was, with all his followers,
slain in battle by Krishna aided by his prowess alone.[19]
With Valadeva as his second, that slayer of foes, viz.,
Krishna, consumed in battle, with all his troops,
the king of the Surasenas, viz., Sunaman, of
great activity and prowess in battle, the lord of a
full Akshauhini, and the valiant second brother of
Kansa, the king of the Bhojas. The highly wrathful
regenerate Rishi (gratified with the adoration) gave
him boons.[20] Of eyes like the lotus petals, and
endued with great bravery, Krishna, vanquishing all
the kings at a self-choice, bore away the daughter
of the king of the Gandharas. Those angry kings,
as if they were horses by birth, were yoked unto his
nuptial car and were lacerated with the whip.
Page 845
The mighty-armed Janardana also caused Jarasandha,
the lord of a full Akshauhini of troops, to be slain
through the instrumentality of another.[21] The mighty
Krishna also slew the valiant king of Chedis, that
leader of kings, as if he were some animal, on the
occasion of the latter’s disputing about the
Arghya. Putting forth his prowess, Madhava hurled
unto the sea the Daitya city called Saubha, (moving)
in the skies, protected by Salwa, and regarded as
impregnable. The Angas, the Vangas, the Kalingas,
the Magadhas, the Kasis, the Kosalas, the Vatsyas,
the Gargyas, the Karushas and the Paundras,—all
these he vanquished in battle. The Avantis, the
Southerners, the Mountaineers, the Daserakas, the
Kasmirakas, the Aurasikas, the Pisachas, the Samudgalas,
the Kamvojas, the Vatadhanas, the Cholas, the Pandyas,
O Sanjaya, the Trigartas, the Malavas, the Daradas
difficult of being vanquished, the Khasas arrived
from diverse realms, as also the Sakas, and the Yavanas
with followers, were all vanquished by him of eyes
like lotus-petals. In days of old, penetrating
into the very sea, he vanquished in battle Varuna
himself in those watery depths, surrounded by all kinds
of aquatic animals. Slaying in battle (the Danava
named) Panchajanya living in the depths of Patala,
Hrishikesa obtained the celestial conch called Panchajanya.
The mighty Kesava, accompanied by Partha, having gratified
Agni at Khandava, obtained his invincible weapon of
fire, viz., his discus (called Sudarsana).
Riding on Vinata’s son and frightening (the
denizens of) Amaravati, the heroic Krishna brought
from Mahendra himself (the celestial flower called)
Parijata. Knowing Krishna’s prowess, Sakra
quietly bore that act.[22] We have never heard that
there is any one among the kings who has not been
vanquished by Krishna. That exceedingly wonderful
feat also, O Sanjaya, which the lotus-eyed one performed
in my court, who else is capable of performing it?
And since, humbled by devotion, I was suffered to
behold Krishna as the Supreme Lord; everything (about
that feat) is well-known to me, myself having witnessed
it with my own eyes, O Sanjaya, the end can never be
seen of the (infinite) achievements of Hrishikesa.
of great energy and great intelligence. Gada,
and Samva, and Pradyumna, and Viduratha, and Charudeshna,
and Sarana, and Ulmukha, and Nisatha, and the valiant
Jhilivabhru, and Prithu, and Viprithu, and Samika,
and Arimejaya,—these and other mighty Vrishni
heroes, accomplished in smiting, will, standing on
the field of battle, take up their position in the
Pandava host, when summoned by that Vrishni hero,
viz., the high-souled Kesava. Everything
(on my side) will then be in great danger. Even
this is what I think. And there where Janardana
is, there will be the heroic Rama, equal in strength
to ten thousand elephants, resembling the Kailasa peak,
decked with garlands of wild flowers, and armed with
the plough. That Vasudeva, O Sanjaya, whom all
the regenerate ones describe as the Father of all,
Page 846
will that Vasudeva fight for the sake of the Pandavas?
O son, O Sanjaya, if he puts on his armour for the
sake of the Pandavas, there is none amongst us who
can be his antagonist. If the Kauravas happen
to vanquish the Pandavas, he, of the Vrishni race,
will then, for the sake of the latter, take up his
mighty weapon. And that tiger among men, that
mighty-armed one, slaying then all the kings in battle
as also the Kauravas, will give away the whole earth
to Kunti’s son. What car will advance in
battle against that car which has Hrishikesa for its
driver and Dhananjaya for its warrior? The Kurus
cannot, by any means, gain victory. Tell me,
then everything about how the battle took place.
Arjuna is Kesava’s life and Krishna is always
victory; in Krishna is always fame. In all the
worlds, Vibhatsu is invincible. In Kesava are
infinite merits in excess. The foolish Duryodhana,
who doth not know Krishna or Kesava, seems, through
Destiny, to have Death’s noose before him.
Alas, Duryodhana knows not Krishna of Dasarha’s
race and Arjuna the son of Pandu. These high-souled
ones are ancient gods. They are even Nara and
Narayana. On earth they are seen by men as; two
separate forms, though in reality they are both possessed
but by one soul. With the mind alone, that invincible
pair, of world-wide fame, can, if only they wish it,
destroy this host. Only, in consequence of their
humanity they do not wish it.[23] Like a change of
the Yuga, the death of Bhishma, O child, and the slaughter
of the high-souled Drona, overturn the senses.
Indeed, neither by Brahmacharya, nor by the study
of the Vedas, nor by (religious) rites, nor by weapons,
can any one prevent death. Hearing of the slaughter
of Bhishma and Drona, those heroes accomplished in
weapons, respected by all the worlds, and invincible
in battle, why O Sanjaya, do I yet live? In consequence
of the death of Bhishma and Drona, O Sanjaya, we will
henceforth have to live as dependants on that prosperity
beholding which in Yudhishthira we had before been
so jealous. Indeed, this destruction of the Kurus
hath come in consequence only of my acts. O Suta,
in killing these that are ripe for destruction, the
very straw becomes thunderbolt. That prosperity
is without end in this; world which Yudhishthira is
about to obtain—Yudhishthira through whose
wrath both Bhishma and Drona have fallen. In
consequence of his very disposition, hath Righteousness
gone over to the side of Yudhishthira, while it is
hostile to my son. Alas, time, so cruel, that
hath now come for the destruction of all, cannot be
overcome. Things calculated in one way, O son,
even by men of intelligence, become otherwise through
Destiny. This is what I think. Therefore,
tell me everything that has taken place during the
progress of this unavoidable and dreadful calamity
productive of the most sorrowful reflection incapable
of being crossed over (by us).’”
SECTION XII
Page 847
“Sanjaya said, ’Yes, as I saw everything
with my own eyes, I will describe to thee how Drona
fell down, slain by the Pandavas and the Srinjayas.
Having obtained the command of the troops, that mighty
car-warrior, viz., Bharadwaja’s son, said
these words unto thy son in the midst of all the troops,
’Inasmuch as, O king, thou hast honoured me with
the command of the troops immediately after that bull
among the Kauravas, viz., the son of the Ocean-going
(Ganga), take thou, O Bharata, the adequate fruit
of that act of thine. What business of thine shall
I now achieve? Ask thou the boon that thou desirest.’
Then king Duryodhana having consulted with Karna and
Duhsasana and others, said unto the preceptor, that
invincible warrior and foremost of all victors, these
words, ’If thou wouldst give me a boon, then,
seizing that foremost of car-warriors, viz.,
Yudhishthira, alive, bring him unto me here.’
Then that preceptor of the Kurus, hearing those words
of thy son, returned him the following answer, gladdening
all the troops therewith, Praised be Kunti’s
son (Yudhishthira) whose seizing only thou desirest.
O thou that art difficult of being vanquished, thou
askest not any other boon (one for example) for his
slaughter. For what reason, O tiger among men,
dost thou not desire his death? Thou art, without
doubt, O Duryodhana, not ignorant of policy.
Why, therefore, dost thou not allude to Yudhisthira’s
death? It is a matter of great wonder that king
Yudhisthira, the just, hath no enemy desirous of his
death. Inasmuch as thou wishest him to be alive,
thou (either) seekest to preserve thy race from extinction,
or, O chief of the Bharatas, thou, having vanquished
the Pandavas in battle, art desirous of establishing
brotherly relation (with them) by giving them their
kingdom. Auspicious was the birth of that intelligent
prince. Truly is he called Ajatasatru (the foeless
one), for even thou bearest affection for him.’
Thus addressed by Drona, O Bharata, the feeling that
is ever present in thy son’s breast suddenly
made itself known. Not even persons like Vrihaspati
can conceal the expressions of their countenance.
For this, thy son, O king, filled with joy, said these
words, ’By the slaughter of Kunti’s son
in battle, O preceptor, victory cannot be mine.
If Yudhishthira were slain, Partha then, without doubt,
would slay all of us. All of them, again, cannot
be slain by the very gods. He amongst them that
will, in that case, survive, will exterminate us.
Yudhishthira, however, is truthful in his promises.
If brought hither (alive), vanquished once more at
dice, the Pandavas will once more go to the woods,
for they are all obedient to Yudhishthira. It
is evident that such a victory will be an enduring
one. It is for this that I do not, by any means,
desire the slaughter of king Yudhishthira the just.’
Ascertaining this crooked purpose of Duryodhana, Drona
who was conversant with the truths of the science
of profit and gifted with great intelligence, reflected
a little and gave him the boon circumscribing it in
the following way.’
Page 848
“Drona said, ’If the heroic Arjuna do
not protect Yudhishthira in battle, thou mayst think
the eldest Pandava as already brought under thy control.
As regards Partha, the very gods and the Asuras together
headed by Indra, cannot advance against him in battle.
It is for this that I dare not do what thou askest
me to do. Without doubt, Arjuna is disciple, and
I was his first preceptor in arms. He is, however,
young, endued with great good fortune, and excessively
intent (on the achievement of his purposes).
He hath obtained, again, many weapons from Indra and
Rudra. He hath besides been provoked by thee.
I dare not, therefore, do what thou askest me.
Let Arjuna be removed, by whatsoever means that can
be done, from the battle. Upon Partha being withdrawn,
thou mayst regard king Yudhishthira as already vanquished.
Upon his seizure is victory and not upon his slaughter,
O bull among men! Even by stratagem, can his seizure
be accomplished. Seizing that king devoted to
truth and righteousness, I will, without doubt, O
monarch, bring him to thy control this very day, if
he stays before me in battle even for a moment, of
course, if Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, that tiger
among men, be withdrawn from the field. In Phalguni’s
presence, however, O king, Yudhishthira is incapable
of being taken in battle even by the gods and the Asuras
headed by Indra.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’After Drona had promised
the king’s seizure even under these limitations,
thy foolish sons regarded Yudhishthira as already
taken. Thy son (Duryodhana) knew Drona’s
partiality for the Pandavas. In order to make
Drona stick to his promise, therefore, he divulged
those counsels. Then, O chastiser of foes, the
fact of Drona’s having promised to seize the
(eldest) Pandava was proclaimed by Duryodhana unto
all his troops.’”
SECTION XIII
“Sanjaya said, ’After Drona had promised
the kings seizure under those limitations, thy troops
hearing of (that promise about) Yudhishthira’s
capture, uttered many leonine shouts, mingling them
with the whiz of their arrows and the blare of their
conchs. King Yudhishthira the just, however,
O Bharata, soon learnt in detail, through his spies,
everything about the purpose upon which Bharadwaja’s
son was intent. Then bringing together all his
brothers and all the other kings of his army, king
Yudhishthira the just addressed Dhananjaya, saying,
’Thou hast heard, O tiger among men, about the
intention of Drona. Let such measures, therefore,
be adopted as may prevent the accomplishment of that
purpose. It is true, Drona, that grinder of foes,
hath vowed his pledge, subject to limitations, however,
O great bowman, rest on thee. Fight thou, therefore,
today, O thou of mighty arms, in my vicinity, so that
Duryodhana may not obtain from Drona the fruition of
his desire.’
Page 849
“Arjuna said, ’As the slaughter of my
preceptor can never be accomplished by me, so, king,
I can never consent to give thee up. O son of
Pandu, I would rather yield up my life in battle than
fight against my preceptor. This son of Dhritarashtra
desireth sovereignty, having seized thee as a captive
in battle. In this world he will never obtain
the fruition of that desire of his. The firmament
itself with its stars may fall down, the Earth herself
may split into fragments, yet Drona will, surely, never
succeed in seizing thee as long as I am alive.
If the wielder of the thunderbolt himself, or Vishnu
at the head of the gods, assist him in battle, still
he shall not succeed in seizing thee on the field.
As long as I am alive, O great king, it behoveth thee
not to entertain any fear of Drona, although he is
the foremost of all wielders of weapons. I further
say unto thee. O monarch, that my promise never
remains unfulfilled. I do not recollect having
ever spoken any untruth. I do not recollect having
ever been vanquished. I do not recollect having
ever, after making a vow, left the least part of it
unfulfilled.
“Sanjaya continued, ’Then, O king, conchs
and drums and cymbals and smaller drums were sounded
and beaten in the Pandava camp. And the high-souled
Pandavas uttered many leonine shouts. These and
the awful twang of their bow-strings and the slaps
of palms reached the very heaven. Hearing that
loud blare of conchs that arose from the camp of the
mighty sons of Pandu, diverse instruments were sounded
amongst thy divisions also. Then thy divisions
as also those of theirs were arrayed in order of battle.
And slowly they advanced against each other from desire
of battle. Then commenced a battle, that was fierce
and that made the hairs stand on their ends, between
the Pandavas and the Kurus, and Drona and the Panchalas.
The Srinjayas, though struggling vigorously, were
unable to beat in battle the host of Drona as it was
protected by Drona himself. And so also the mighty
car-warriors of thy son, skilled in smiting, could
not beat the Pandava host, as it was protected by the
Diadem-decked (Arjuna). Protected by Drona and
Arjuna, both the hosts seemed to stand inactive like
two blossoming forests in the silence of the night.
Then he, of the golden car, (viz., Drona) like the
Sun himself of great splendour, crushing the ranks
of the Pandavas, careered through them at will.
And the Pandavas, and the Srinjayas, through fear,
regarded that single warrior of great activity upon
his quickly-moving car as if multiplied into many.
Shot by him, terrible shafts coursed in all directions,
frightening, O king, the army of Pandu’s son.
Indeed, Drona then seemed as the Sun himself at mid-day
covered by a hundred rays of light. And as the
Danavas were unable to look at Indra, so there was
not one amongst the Pandavas, who. O monarch,
was able to look at the angry son of Bharadwaja in
that battle. The valiant son of Bharadwaja then,
having confound the (hostile) troops, speedily began
to consume the division of Dhrishtadyumna by means
of sharp shafts. And covering and obstructing
all the points of the compass by means of his straight
shafts, he began to crush the Pandava force even there,
where Prishata’s son was.’”
Page 850
SECTION XIV
“Sanjaya said, ’Then Drona, causing a
great confusion in the Pandava host, careered through
it, like a conflagration consuming (a forest of) trees.
Beholding that angry warrior, owning a golden car,
consume their divisions like a raging conflagration,
the Srinjayas trembled (in fear). The twang,
in that battle, of the constantly stretched bow of
that warrior of great activity was heard to resemble
the roar of the thunder.[24] Fierce shafts shot by
Drona, endued with great lightness of hand, began
to crush car-warriors and horsemen and elephant-warriors
and foot soldiers along with elephants and steeds.
Showering his arrows as the roaring clouds at the
close of summer, assisted by the wind, pour hail-stones,
he inspired fear in the hearts of the foe. Coursing
(through the hostile ranks), O king, and agitating
the troops, the mighty Drona enhanced the unnatural
fear entertained by the enemy. The gold-decked
bow, on his quickly-moving car, was repeatedly seen
to resemble the lightning’s flash amid a mass
of dark clouds. That hero, firm in truth, endued
with wisdom, and always devoted, besides, to righteousness,
caused an awful river of angry current, such as may
be seen at the end of the Yuga, to flow there.
And that river had its source in the impetuosity of
Drona’s wrath, and it was haunted by crowds of
carnivorous creatures. And the combatants constituted
the waves that filled its entire surface. And
heroic warriors constituted the trees on its banks
whose roots were constantly eaten away by its current.
And its waters were constituted by the blood that
was shed in that battle, and cars constituted its eddies,
and elephants and steeds formed its banks. And
costs of mail constituted its lilies, and the flesh
of creatures the mire on its bed. And the fat,
marrow, and bones (of fallen animals and men) formed
the sands on its beach, and (fallen) head-gears its
froth. And the battle itself that was fought
there constituted the canopy above its surface.
And lances constituted the fish with which it abounded.
And it was inaccessible in consequence of the large
number of (slain) men, elephants, and steeds (that
fell in it). And the impetus of the shaft shot
constituted its current. And the slain bodies
themselves constituted the timber floating on it.
And cars constituted its tortoises. And heads
constituted the stones scattered on its banks and
bed, and scimitars, its fish in profusion. And
cars and elephants formed its lakes. And it was
decked with many adornments. And mighty car-warriors
constituted its hundreds of little whirlpools.
And the dust of the earth constituted its wavelets.
And capable of being easily crossed by those possessed
of exceeding energy, it was incapable of being crossed
by the timid. And heaps of dead bodies constituted
the sand-banks obstructing its navigation. And
it was the haunt of Kankas and vultures and other
birds of prey. And it carried away thousands
Page 851
of mighty-car-warriors to the abode of Yama. And
long spears constituted the snakes that infested it
in profusion. And the living combatants constituted
the fowls sporting on its waters.[25] Torn umbrellas
constituted its large swans. Diadems formed the
(smaller) birds that adorned it. Wheels constituted
its turtles, and maces its alligators, and arrows
its smaller fish. And it was the resort of frightful
swarms of crows and vultures and jackals. And
that river, O best of kings, bore away in hundreds,
to the region of the Pitris, the creatures that were
slain by Drona in battle. Obstructed by hundreds
of bodies (floating on it), the hair (of slain warriors
and animals) constituted its moss and weeds.
Even such was the river, enhancing the fears of the
timid, that Drona caused to flow there.[26]
“And when Drona was thus grinding the hostile
army hither and thither, the Pandava warriors headed
by Yudhishthira rushed at that mighty car-warrior
from all sides. Then seeing them thus rushing
(towards Drona), brave combatants of thy army, possessed
of unyielding prowess, rushed from every side.
And the battle that thereupon ensued made the hair
stand on end. Sakuni, full of a hundred kinds
of deceit, rushed towards Sahadeva, and pierced the
latter’s charioteer, and standard, and car,
with many keen-pointed shafts. Sahadeva, however,
without being much excited, cutting off Sauvala’s
standard and bow and car-driver and car, with sharp
arrows, pierced Sauvala himself with sixty shafts.
Thereupon, Suvala’s son, taking up mace, jumped
down from his excellent car, and with that mace, O
king, he felled Sahadeva’s driver from the latter’s
car. Then these two heroic and mighty warriors,
O monarch, both deprived of car, and both armed with
mace, sported in battle like two crests of hills.
Drona, having pierced the ruler of the Panchalas with
ten shafts, was, in return, pierced by the latter
with many shafts. And the latter was again pierced
by Drona with a larger number of shafts. Bhimasena
pierced Vivinsati with sharp arrows. The latter,
however, thus pierced, trembled not, which seemed
to be highly wonderful. Vivinsati then, O monarch,
suddenly deprived Bhimasena of his steeds and standard
and bow. And thereupon all the troops worshipped
him for that feat. The heroic Bhimasena, however,
brooked not that exhibition of prowess by his enemy
in battle. With his mace, therefore, he slew the
well-trained steeds of Vivinsati. Then the mighty
Vivinsati, taking up a shield (and sword) jumped down
from that car whose steeds had been slain, and rushed
against Bhimasena like an infuriated elephant rushing
against an infuriated compeer. The heroic Salya,
laughing the while, pierced, as if in dalliance, his
own dear nephew, Nakula. with many shafts for angering
him. The valiant Nakula, however, cutting off
his uncle’s steeds and umbrella and standard
and charioteer and bow in that battle, blew his conch.
Dhrishtaketu, engaged with Kripa, cut off diverse kinds
Page 852
of arrows shot at him by the latter, and then pierced
Kripa, with seventy arrows. And then he cut off
the device of Kripa’s standard with three arrows.
Kripa, however, began to oppose him with a thick shower
of arrows. And resisting him in this way, the
Brahmana fought on with Dhrishtaketu. Satyaki,
laughing the while, pierced Kritavarman in the centre
of the chest with a long arrow. And piercing
him then with seventy arrows, he once more pierced
him with many others. The Bhoja warrior, however,
in return, pierced Satyaki with seventy arrows of
keen points. Like the swiftly-coursing winds
failing to move a mountain, Kritavarman was unable
to move Satyaki or make him tremble. Senapati
deeply struck Susarman in his vitals. Susarman
also struck his antagonist with a lance on the shoulder-joint.
Virata, aided by his Matsya warriors of great energy,
resisted Vikartana’s son in that battle.
And that feat (of the Matsya king) seemed highly wonderful.
Even this was regarded as an act of great valour on
the part of the Suta’s son, in that, he singly
resisted that whole force by means of his straight
shafts. King Drupada was engaged with Bhagadatta.
And the battle between those two warriors became beautiful
to behold. That bull among men, viz., Bhagadatta,
pierced king Drupada and his driver and standard and
car with many straight shafts. Then Drupada,
excited with wrath, quickly pierced that mighty car-warrior
in the chest with a straight shaft. Those two
foremost of warriors on earth, viz., Somadatta’s
son and Sikhandin, both conversant with every weapon,
encountered each other in fierce battle that made all
creatures tremble with fear. The valiant Bhurisravas,
O king, covered that mighty car-warrior, Yajnasena’s
son Sikhandin, with a thick shower of arrows.
Sikhandin, then O monarch, excited with wrath, pierced
Somadatta’s son with ninety shafts, and caused
him, O Bharata, to tremble. Those Rakshasas of
fierce deeds, viz., Hidimba’s son and Alamvusha,
each desirous of vanquishing the other, battled most
wonderfully. Both capable of creating a hundred
illusions, both swelling with pride, battled with
each other most wonderfully, relying on their powers
of illusion, and each desirous of vanquishing the
other. The fierce Chekitana battled with Anuvinda.
They coursed on the field, disappearing at times, and
causing great wonder. Lakshmana fought fiercely
with Kshatradeva, even as Vishnu, O monarch, in days
of old, with the (Asura) Hiranyaksha. With his
fleet steeds and upon his car duly equipped, Paurava,
O king, roared at Abhimanyu. Endued with great
might, Paurava then rushed at Abhimanyu, desirous
of battle. Then that chastiser of foes, viz.,
Abhimanyu fought fiercely with that foe. Paurava
covered Subhadra’s son with a thick shower of
arrows. Thereupon, Arjuna’s son felled his
antagonist’s standard and umbrella and bow on
earth.[27] Then piercing Paurava with seven arrows,
Subhadra’s son pierced the latter’s driver
Page 853
and steeds with five arrows. Gladdening his troops
thus, he then repeatedly roared like a lion.
Then Arjuna’s son quickly fixed an arrow on his
bow-string that was certain to take away Paurava’s
life. Beholding however, that arrow of frightful
mien fixed on Abhimanyu’s bow-string, Haridika’s
son, with two shafts, cut off that bow and arrow.
Then that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., Subhadra’s
son, throwing aside that broken bow, took up a bright
sword and a shield. Whirling with great speed
that shield decked with many stars, and whirling that
sword also, he coursed on the field, exhibiting his
prowess. Whirling them before him, and whirling
them on high, now shaking them and now jumping up
himself, from the manner of his handling those weapons,
it seemed that (with him) there is no difference between
that offensive and that defensive weapons. Jumping
suddenly then upon the shafts of Paurava’s car,
he roared aloud. Mounting next upon his car,
he seized Paurava by the hair, and slaying meanwhile
with a kick, the latter’s driver, he felled
his standard with a stroke of his sword. And
as regards Paurava himself, Abhimanyu raised him up,
like the Garuda raising a snake from the bottom of
the sea agitating the waters. Thereupon, all
the kings beheld Paurava (standing helpless) with
dishevelled hair, and looking like an ox deprived of
its senses while on the point of being slain by a
lion. Beholding Paurava thus prostrated, placed
under the control of Arjuna’s son, and dragged
helplessly, Jayadratha was unable to brook it.
Taking up a sword as also a shield that bore the device
of a peacock and was decked with a hundred bells of
small size suspended in rows, Jayadratha jumped down
from his car with a loud roar. Then Subhadra’s
son (Abhimanyu), beholding the ruler of the Sindhus,
let Paurava alone, and leaping up like a hawk from
the latter’s car, quickly alighted on the earth.
The lances and aves and scimitars hurled by his foes—Arjuna’s
son cut off by means of his sword or warded off by
his shield. Thus showing unto all the warriors
the strength of his own arms the mighty [and heroic]
Abhimanyu, once more upraising his large and heavy
sword as also his shield,[28] proceeded towards Vriddhakshatra’s
son who was a sworn foe of his (Abhimanyu’s)
father, like a tiger proceeding against an elephant.
Approaching they cheerfully attacked each other with
their swords like a tiger and a lion with their claws
and teeth. And none could notice any difference
between those two lions among men as regards the whirl-strokes,
and descent of their swords and shields.[29] And as
regards the descent and the whiz of their swords,
and the warding off of each other’s blows, it
seemed there was no distinction between the two.
Coursing, beautifully in outward and inward tracks,
those two illustrious warriors seemed to be like two
winged mountains. Then Jayadratha struck on the
shield of the renowned Abhimanyu when the latter stretched
his sword for making a pass at him. Then, O Bharata,
Page 854
Jayadratha’s large sword sticking into Abhimanyu’s
shield covered with golden plate, broke, as the ruler
of the Sindhus attempted to draw it off forcibly.
Seeing his sword broken, Jayadratha hastily retreated
six steps and was seen within a twinkle of the eye
to be mounted on his own car. Then Arjuna’s
son also, that combat with the sword being over, ascended
his own excellent car. Many kings, then, of the
Kuru army, uniting together, surrounded him on all
sides. The mighty son of Arjuna, however, eyeing
Jayadratha, whirled his sword and shield, and uttered
a loud shout. Having vanquished the ruler of the
Sindhus, Subhadra’s son, that slayer of hostile
heroes, then began to scorch that division of the
Kaurava army like Sun scorching the world. Then
in that battle Salya hurled at him a fierce dart made
wholly of iron, decked with gold, and resembling a
blazing flame of fire. Thereupon, Arjuna’s
son, jumping up, caught hold of that dart, like Garuda
catching a mighty snake falling from above. And
having seized it thus, Abhimanyu unsheathed his sword.
Witnessing the great activity and might of that warrior
of immeasurable energy, all the kings together uttered
a leonine shout. Then that slayer of hostile
heroes, viz., the son of Subhadra, hurled with
the might of his arms at Salya himself that very dart
of great effulgence, decked with stones of lapis lazuli.
Resembling a snake that has recently cast off its
slough, that dart, reaching Salya’s car slew
the latter’s driver and felled him from his
niche of the vehicle. Then Virata and Drupada,
and Dhristaketu, and Yudhishthira, and Satyaki, and
Kekaya, and Bhima, and Dhrishtadyumna, and Sikhandin,
and the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva), and the five
sons of Draupadi, all exclaimed, ’Excellent!
Excellent!’ And diverse kinds of sounds due to
the shooting of arrows, and many leonine shouts, arose
there, gladdening the unretreating son of Arjuna.
Thy sons, however, could not brook those indications
of the victory of their foe. Then all of them
suddenly surrounded Subhadra’s son and covered
him, O king, with showers of arrows like the clouds
pouring rain on the mountain-breast. Then that
slayer of foes, viz., Artayani (Salya), wishing
good of thy sons, and remembering the overthrow of
his own driver, rushed in rage against Subhadra’s
son.’”
SECTION XV
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Thou hast, O Sanjaya,
described to me many excellent single combats.
Hearing about them, I envy those that have eyes.
This battle between the Kurus and the Pandavas, resembling
that (of old) between the gods and the Asuras, will
be spoken of as exceedingly wonderful by all men.
I am scarcely gratified by listening to thy narrations
of this stirring battle. Tell me, therefore, about
this combat between Artayani (Salya) and Subhadra’s
son.’
Page 855
“Sanjaya said, ’Beholding his driver slain,
Salya, upraising a mace made wholly of iron, jumped
down in rage from his excellent car. Bhima, then
taking up his own huge mace, quickly rushed towards
Salya who then resembled the blazing Yuga-fire or
the Destroyer himself armed with his bludgeon.
Subhadra’s son also, taking up a prodigious mace
resembling the bolt of heaven, addressed Salya, saying,
‘Come, Come!’ Bhima, however, with much
ado, persuaded him to stand aside. The valiant
Bhimasena, then, having persuaded Subhadra’s
son to stand aside, approached Salya in battle and
stood immovable as a hill. The mighty ruler of
Madras also, beheld Bhima, and proceeded towards him
like a tiger towards an elephant. Then was heard
there the loud blare of trumpets and conchs by thousands
and leonine shouts, and the sound of drums. And
loud cries of ’Bravo, Bravo,’ arose among
hundreds of Pandava and Kaurava warriors rushing towards
each other. There is none else among all the kings,
O Bharata, save the ruler of Madras who can venture
to bear the might of Bhimasena in battle; similarly,
who else save Vrikodara, in the world, can venture
to bear the impetus of the illustrious Salya’s
mace in battle? Bound in hempen strings mixed
with wires of gold, the prodigious mace, of Bhima,
capable of delighting by its beauty all spectators,
being grasped by him, shone, brilliantly. And
similarly the mace of Salya, also, who coursed in
beautiful circles, looked like a blazing flash of lightning.
Both of them roared like bulls, and both coursed in
circles. And both Salya and Vrikodara, standing
as they did, with their maces slightly bent, looked
like a couple of horned bulls. Whether as regards
coursing in circles or in whirling and striking with
their maces, the combat that took place between those
two lions among men was in every way equal. Struck
by Bhimasena with his mace, the prodigious mace of
Salya, emitting fierce sparks of fire, soon broke
unto fragments. And similarly, Bhimasena’s
mace, struck by the foe, looked beautiful like a tree
covered fire-flies during the season of rains at even-tide.
And the mace that the ruler of Madras hurled in that
battle, irradiating the welkin, O Bharata, frequently
caused sparks of fire (to fly around). Similarly,
the mace hurled by Bhimasena at the foe scorched his
antagonist’s forces like a fierce meteor falling
down (from the firmament). And both those best
of maces, striking against each other, resembled sighing
she-snakes and caused flashes of fire. Like two
large tigers attacking each other with their claws,
or like two mighty elephants with their tusks, those
mighty warriors coursed in circles, encountering each
other with those two foremost of maces, and soon covered
with blood, those two illustrious warriors seemed
to resemble a couple of flowering Kinsukas. And
the blows, loud as Indra’s thunder, of the maces
wielded by those two lions among men were heard on
all sides. Struck by the ruler of Madras with
Page 856
his mace on both the left and the right side, Bhima
moved not in the least, like a hill riven by the thunder.
Similarly, the mighty ruler of Madras, struck by Bhima
with his mace, patiently stood still like a hill struck
with the thunder. Both of them, with upraised
maces, endued as they were with great impetus, fell
upon each other, coursing in shorter circles.
Quickly nearing each other, then by eight steps and
falling upon each other like two elephants, they suddenly
struck each other with those maces of theirs made
entirely or iron. And each of those heroes, in
consequence of the other’s impetuosity and violence
being struck with each other’s mace, fell down
at the same instant of time like a couple of Indra’s
poles. Then the mighty car-warrior Kritavarman
quickly approached Salya who, deprived of his senses,
was breathing hard as he lay on the field. And
beholding him, O king, struck violently with the mace,
and writhing like a snake, and deprived of his senses
in a swoon, the mighty car-warrior Kritavarman, taking
him upon his car, quickly bore the ruler of Madras
away from the field. Reeling like a drunken man,
the heroic Bhima of mighty arms, rising up within
the twinkling of an eye, stood mace in hand.
Thy sons then, beholding the ruler of the Madras turn
away from the fight, began, O sire, to tremble, along
with their elephants, and foot-soldiers, and cavalry,
and cars. Ground then by the Pandavas desirous
of victory, those warriors of thy army, struck with
fear, fled away in all directions, like masses of
clouds driven away by the wind. And those mighty
car-warriors, viz., the Pandavas, having vanquished
the Dhritarashtras, looked resplendent in that battle.
O king, like blazing fires. And they uttered
loud leonine roars, and blew their conchs, elated
with joy. And they beat their drums, large and
small, and cymbals and other instruments.’”
SECTION XVI
“Sanjaya said, ’Beholding that army of
thine exceedingly broken, the valiant Vrishasena,
single-handed, began to protect it, O king, displaying
the illusion of his weapons. Shot by Vrishasena
in that battle, thousands of arrows coursed in all
directions, piercing through men and steeds and cars
and elephants. Mighty arrows, of blazing effulgence,
shot by him, coursed in thousands, like the rays, O
monarch, of the sun, in the summer season. Afflicted
and crushed therewith, O king, car-warriors and horse-men,
suddenly fell down on the earth, like trees broken
by the wind. The mighty car-warrior Vrishasena,
O king, felled large bodies of steeds, of cars and
of elephants, in that battle, by thousands. Beholding
that single warrior coursing fearlessly on the field,
all the kings (of the Pandava army) uniting together,
surrounded him on all sides. Nakula’s son,
Satanika, rushed at Vrishasena and pierced him with
ten arrows capable of penetrating into the vitals.
The son of Karna, however, cutting off his bow, felled
Page 857
then his standard. Thereupon, the other sons
of Draupadi, desirous of rescuing that brother of
theirs, rushed at him. And soon they made Karna’s
son invisible by means of their arrowy showers.
Against them thus smiting (the son of Karna), many
car-warriors headed by Drona’s son (Aswatthama)
rushed. And those, O monarch, quickly covered
those mighty car-warriors, viz., the sons of
Draupadi, with diverse kinds of arrows like clouds
pouring rain on mountain breasts. Thereupon,
the Pandavas, from affection for their sons, quickly
encountered those assailants. The battle then
that took place between thy troops and those of the
Pandavas, was exceedingly fierce and made the hairs
stand on their ends, resembling as it did that between
the Gods and the Danavas. Even thus did the heroic
Kauravas and the Pandavas, excited with rage, fight,
eyeing one another (furiously) and having incurred
one another’s animosity for past offences.
The bodies of those heroes of immeasurable energy
then seemed, in consequence of (the) wrath (that inspired
them), to resemble those of Garuda and (mighty) Nagas
battling in the sky. And with Bhima and Karna
and Kripa and Drona and Drona’s son and Prishata’s
son and Satyaki, the field of battle looked resplendent
like the all-destructive sun that rises at the end
of the Yuga. The battle that took place between
those mighty men engaged with mighty antagonists and
all smiting one another was fierce in the extreme,
resembling that (of yore) between the Danavas and the
gods. Then Yudhishthira’s host, uttering
a shout, loud as that of the surging sea, began to
slaughter thy troops, the great car-warriors of thy
army having fled away. Beholding the (Kaurava)
host broken and excessively mangled by the foe, Drona
said, ‘Ye heroes, ye need not fly away.’
Then he (Drona) owning red steeds, excited with wrath
and resembling a (fierce) elephant with four tusks,
penetrated into the Pandava host and rushed against
Yudhishthira. Then Yudhishthira pierced the preceptor
with many whetted arrows equipped with Kanka feathers;
Drona, however, cutting off Yudhishthira’s bow,
rushed impetuously at him. Then the protector
of Yudhishthira’s car-wheels, Kumara, the renowned
prince of the Panchalas, received the advancing Drona,
like the continent receiving the surging sea.
Beholding Drona, that bull among Brahmanas, held in
check by Kumara, loud leonine shouts were heard there
with cries of ’Excellent, Excellent!’
Kumara then, in that great battle, excited with rage,
pierced Drona with an arrow in the chest and uttered
many leonine shouts. Having checked Drona in
battle, the mighty Kumara, endued with great lightness
of hand, and above all fatigue, pierced him with many
thousands of arrows. Then that bull among men
(Drona) slew that protector of Yudhishthira’s
car-wheels, Kumara, that hero observant of virtuous
vows and accomplished in both mantras and weapons.
And then penetrating into the midst of the (Pandava)
host and careering in all directions, that bull among
Page 858
men, Bharadwaja’s son, became the protector of
thy troops. And piercing Sikhandin with twelve
arrows, and Uttamaujas with twenty, and Nakula with
five, and Sahadeva with seven, and Yudhishthira with
twelve, and each of the (five) sons of Draupadi with
three, and Satyaki with five, and the ruler of Matsyas
with ten arrows, and agitating the entire host in
that battle, he rushed against one after another of
the foremost warriors (of the Pandavas). And
then he advanced against Kunti’s son, Yudhisthira,
from a desire of seizing him. Then Yugandhara,
O king, checked Bharadwaja’s son, that mighty
car-warrior, filled with rage and resembling the very
ocean lashed into fury by the tempest. Bharadwaja’s
son, however, having pierced Yudhishthira with many
straight arrows, felled Yugandhara with a broad-headed
shaft from his niche in the car. Then, Virata
and Drupada, and the Kaikeya princes, and Satyaki,
and Sivi, and Vyaghradatta, the prince n the Panchalas,
and the valiant Singhasena, these, and many others,
desirous of rescuing Yudhishthira, surrounded Drona
on all sides and impeded his way, scattering countless
arrows. Vyaghradatta, the prince of the Panchalas,
pierced Drona with fifty keen-pointed arrows, at which,
O king, the troops uttered loud shouts. Then
Singhasena also, quickly piercing that mighty car-warrior,
Drona, roared aloud in joy, striking terror into the
hearts of mighty car-warriors; Drona then expanding
his eyes and rubbing his bowstring and producing loud
sound of slaps by his palms, rushed against the latter.
Then the mighty son of Bharadwaja, putting forth his
prowess, cut off with a couple of broad-headed arrows
the heads decked with earrings from the trunks of
both Singhasena and Vyaghradatta. And afflicting
also, with his arrowy showers, the other mighty car-warriors
of the Pandavas, he stood in front of Yudhishthira’s
car, like all-destroying Death himself. Then,
O king, loud cries were heard among the warriors of
Yudhishthira’s army to the effect, ‘The
king is slain,’ when Bharadwaja’s son,
of regulated vows, thus, stood in his vicinity.
And the warriors there all exclaimed, beholding Drona’s
prowess, ’Today the royal son of Dhritarashtra
will be crowned with success. This very moment
Drona having seized Yudhishthira, will, filled, with
joy, assuredly come to us and Duryodhana’s presence.
While thy soldiers were indulging in such talks, Kunti’s
son (Arjuna) quickly came there, filling (the welkin)
with the rattle of his car, and creating, as he came,
owing to the carnage he caused, a river whose waters
were blood, and whose eddies were cars, and which
abounded with the bones and bodies of brave warriors
and which bore creatures away to where the spirits
of the departed dwell. And the son of Pandu came
there, routing the Kurus, and quickly crossing that
river whose froth was constituted by showers of arrows
and which abounded with fish in the form of lances
and other weapons. And the diadem-decked (Arjuna)
suddenly came upon Drona’s divisions, covering
Page 859
it with a thick net-work of arrows and confounding
the very sense (of those that followed Drona).
Incessantly placing his arrows on the bow-string and
quickly shooting them, none could notice any lapse
of time between these two acts of the renowned son
of Kunti. Neither (four cardinal) directions,
nor the firmament above, nor the earth, O king, could
any longer be distinguished, for everything then became
one dense mass of arrows. Indeed, O king, when
the wielder of Gandiva caused that thick darkness by
means of his arrows, nothing could be seen in that
battle. Just then the sun also set, enveloped
with a dusty cloud. Neither friend nor foe could
any longer be distinguished. Then Drona and Duryodhana
and others caused the withdrawal of their troops.
And ascertaining the foe to be inspired with fear
and unwilling to continue the fight, Vibhatsu also
slowly caused his troops to be withdrawn. Then
the Pandavas and the Srinjayas and the Panchalas,
filled with joy, praised Partha with delightful speeches
like the Rishis praising the Sun. Having vanquished
his foes thus, Dhananjaya then, filled with joy, retired
to his tent, proceeding in the rear of the whole army,
with Kesava as his companion. And stationed on
his beautiful car decked with the costliest specimens
of sapphires and rubies and gold and silver and diamonds
and corals and crystals, the son of Pandu looked resplendent
like the moon in the firmament bespangled with stars.’”
SECTION XVII
“Sanjaya said, ’The troops of both the
armies, having proceeded to their tents, duly took
up their quarters, O king, according to the divisions
and the sub-divisions to which they belonged.
Having withdrawn the troops, Drona, in great cheerlessness
of mind, beholding Duryodhana, said these words in
shame: ’I told thee before that when Dhananjaya
is by Yudhishthira, he is incapable of being seized
in battle by the very gods. Although all of you
fell upon him in battle, yet Partha frustrated all
your attempts. Do not doubt what I say, Krishna
and Pandu’s son (Arjuna) are invincible.
If, however, Arjuna of white steeds can, by any means,
be withdrawn (from Yudhishthira’s side), then
Yudhishthira, O king, shall soon come under thy control.
Let some one challenging him (Arjuna) in battle draw
him away to some other part of the field. The
son of Kunti will not return without vanquishing him.
Meanwhile, when Arjuna will not be by, O monarch,
I will seize king Yudhishthira the just, penetrating
through the Pandava host in the very sight of Dhrishtadyumna.
Thus, O monarch, I will, without doubt, bring Yudhishthira,
the son of Dharma, along with his followers, under
control. If that son of Pandu stays even for
a moment before me in battle, I will bring him a captive
from the field. That feat will be more advantageous
than victory (over the Pandava army).’
Page 860
“Sanjaya continued, ’Hearing those words
of Drona, the ruler of the Trigartas, O monarch, with
his brothers, said these words: ’We, O king,
are always humiliated by the wielder of Gandiva!
O bull of Bharata’s race, although we have done
him no injury, yet he hath always injured us.
Remembering all those diverse instances of humiliation,
we burn in wrath and are never able to sleep at night.
By good luck, that Arjuna, armed with weapons, will
stand before us. That therefore, which is in our
heart and which we strive to accomplish, we are resolved
to achieve now, that viz., which will be agreeable
to thee, and which will bring us renown. Taking
him out of the field will slay him. Let the earth
today be without Arjuna or let it be without the Trigartas.
We truly swear this before thee. This our vow
will never be false.’ And Satyaratha and
Satyavarman, O Bharata, and Satyavrata and Satyeshu,
and Satyakarman also, having spoken similarly, those
five brothers together, with ten thousand cars, came,
O king, (before Duryodhana), having taken that oath
on the field of battle. And the Malavas, and
the Tundikeras with thousand cars, and the tiger among
men, Susarman, the ruler of Prasthala, with the Mavellakas,
the Lalithas, and the Madrakas, accompanied by ten
thousand cars and his brothers, and with another ten
thousand cars from diverse realms came forward for
taking the oath. Then bringing fire, and each
making preparations for igniting one for himself,
they took up ropes Kusa grass and beautiful coats
of mail. And equipped in mail, bathed in clarified
butter, clad in robes of Kusa grass, and with their
bow-strings serving as girdles, those heroes, who
had given away hundreds and thousands as presents
to Brahmanas, who had performed many sacrifices, had
been blessed with children, and were deserving of
blessed regions hereafter, who had nothing more to
do in this world, who were deserving of blessed regions
hereafter, who were prepared to lay down their lives
in battle, and who devoted their souls to the attainment
of fame and victory, who were desirous of soon repairing
by fair fight to those regions (hereafter) that are
attainable by means only of sacrifices, with abundant
presents to Brahmanas, and by means also of the rites,
the chief amongst which are Brahmacharya and study
of the Vedas, those heroes, having each gratified
Brahmanas by giving them gold,[30] and kine, and robes,
and having addressed one another in loving discourse,
ignited those fires and took that vow in battle.
And in the presence of those fires, firmly resolved,
they took that vow. And having made that vow for
the slaughter of Dhananjaya, they, in the hearing of
creatures, very loudly said, Those regions that are
for persons who have never adopted any vows, are for
one who drinketh wine, those that are for him who hath
adulterous connection with his preceptor’s wife,
those that are for him who robbeth the property of
a Brahmana, or for him who enjoyeth the king’s
Page 861
grant without satisfying the condition of that grant
or for him who abandoneth one asking for shelter,
or for him who slayeth a candidate for his favour,
those that are for persons that set fire to houses
and for those that slay kine, those regions that are
for those that injure others, those that are for persons
harbouring malice against Brahmanas, those that are
for him who from folly doth not seek the companionship
of his wife in her season, those also that are for
those that seek the companionship of women on the
day they have to perform the Sraddha of their ancestors,
those that are for persons that injure their own selves,
or for those that misappropriate what is deposited
with them from confidence or for those that destroy
learning, or for those who battle with eunuchs, or
for those that follow persons that are mean those
regions that are for atheists, or for those that abandon
their (sacred) fires and mothers, and those regions
also that are for the sinful, those shall be ours,
if without slaying Dhananjaya we return from the field,
or if, ground by him on the field, we turn back from
fear. If, again, we succeed in achieving in battle
feats the most difficult of accomplishment in the
world, we shalt then, without doubt, obtain the most
desirable regions. Having said these words, O
king, those heroes then marched to battle, summoning
Arjuna towards the southern part of the field.
That tiger among men, and subjugator of hostile cities,
Arjuna, thus challenged by them, said these words
unto king Yudhishthira the Just without any delay:
’Summoned, I never turn back. This is my
fixed vow. These men, sworn to conquer or die,
are summoning me, O king, to great battle. This
Susarman here, with his brothers, summoneth me to battle.
It behoveth thee to grant me permission for slaying
him, with all his followers. O bull among men,
I am unable to brook this challenge. I tell thee
truly, know these foes to be (already) slain in battle.’
“Yudhishthira said, ’Thou hast heard,
O child, in detail, what Drona hath resolved to accomplish.
Act thou in such a way that that resolve of his may
become futile. Drona is endued with great might.
He is a hero, accomplished in arms, and above fatigue.
O mighty car-warrior, even he hath vowed my seizure.’
“Arjuna said, ’This Satyajit, O king,
will today become thy protector in battle. As
long as Satyajit lives, the preceptor will never be
able to attain his desire. If, however, O lord,
this tiger among men, Satyajit, be slain in battle,
thou shouldst not then remain on the field even if
surrounded by all our warriors.’
“’Sanjaya continued, ’King Yudhishthira
then gave (Arjuna) the leave (he sought). And
he also embraced Arjuna and eyed him affectionately.
And diverse were the benedictions that the king uttered
on him. Having made this arrangement (for Yudhishthira’s
protection),[31] the mighty Partha went out against
the Trigartas, like a hungry lion, for assuaging his
hunger upon a herd of deer. Then Duryodhana’s
troops, filled with joy at Arjuna’s absence
(from Yudhishthira’s side), became furious for
the seizure of Yudhishthira. Then both the hosts,
with a great impetuosity, encountered each other,
like the Ganga and the Sarayu in the season of rains
when both streams are swollen with water.’”
Page 862
SECTION XVIII
“Sanjaya said, ’The Samsaptakas,[32] then,
filled with joy, took their stand on a level field,
having, with their cars, formed an array in the shape
of the half-moon. And those tigers among men,
beholding the diadem-decked (Arjuna) come towards
them, were, O sire, filled with delight and uttered
loud shouts. That noise filled the sky and all
the points of the compass, cardinal and subsidiary.
And because it was an open plain covered only with
men, it produced no echoes. Ascertaining them
to be exceedingly delighted, Dhananjaya, with a little
smile, said these words unto Krishna: ’Behold,
O thou that hast Devaki for thy mother, those Trigarta
brothers, who are about to perish in battle, are filled
with delight at a time when they should weep.
Or, this is, without doubt, the hour of delight (with
them) since they will obtain those excellent regions
that are unattainable by cowards.’ Having
said these words unto the mighty-armed Hrishikesa,
Arjuna came upon the arrayed ranks of the Trigartas
in battle, taking up then his conch called Devadatta
decked with gold, he blew it with great force, filling
all the points of the compass with its blare.
Terrified by that blare, that car-host of the Samsaptakas
stood motionless in battle, as if it was petrified.
And all their animals stood with eyes wide open, ears
and necks and lips paralysed, and legs motionless.
And they passed urine and vomited blood. Regaining
consciousness then, and placing their ranks in proper
order, they shot their arrows all at once at the son
of Pandu. Capable of displaying his prowess with
great speed, Arjuna, with five and ten arrows cut
off those thousands of arrows before they could reach
him. They then pierced Arjuna, each with ten
arrows. Partha pierced them with three arrows.
Then each of them, O king, pierced Partha with five
arrows. Endued with great prowess, he pierced
each of them in return with two arrows. And,
once again, excited with wrath, they quickly poured
upon Arjuna and Kesava countless arrows like the clouds
pouring upon a lake their incessant showers.
Then those thousands of arrows fell upon Arjuna, like
swarms of bees upon a flowering cluster of trees in
the forest. Then deeply pierced Arjuna’s
diadem with thirty shafts, endued with the strength
of adamant with those shafts equipped with wings of
gold fixed on his diadem, Arjuna, as if decked with
ornaments of gold, shone like the (newly) risen sun.
The son of Pandu then, in that battle, with a broad-headed
arrow, cut off the leathern fence of Suvahu, and covered
Sudharman and Sudhanwan, and Suvahu pierced Partha
with ten arrows. Partha, having the excellent
ape-device on his banner, pierced all of them in return
with many arrows, and also cut off, with some broad-headed
shafts, their standards made of gold. And cutting
off the bow of Sudhanwan, he slew with his arrows
the latter’s steeds. And then he cut off
from his trunk the latter’s head graced with
Page 863
turban. Upon the fall of that hero, his followers
were terrified. And stricken with panic, they
all fled away to where Duryodhana’s forces were.
Then Vasava’s son, filled with wrath, smote
that mighty host with incessant showers of arrows,
like the sun destroying darkness by means of his incessant
rays. Then when that host broke and melted away
on all sides, and Arjuna was filled with wrath, the
Trigartas were struck with fear. While being
slaughtered by Partha with his straight shafts, they
remained where they stood, deprived of their senses,
like a terrified, herd of deer. Then the king
of the Trigartas, filled with rage, addressed those
mighty car-warrior, saying, ’Do not fly, ye
heroes! It behoveth ye not to be frightened.
Having, in the sight of all the troops, taken those
terrible steps, repairing thither, what shall ye say
unto the leaders of Duryodhana’s host?
Do we not incur ridicule in the world by such a (cowardly)
act in battle? Therefore, stop ye all, and fight
according to your strength.’ Thus addressed,
O king, those heroes, repeatedly uttering loud shouts,
blew their conchs, gladdening one another. Then
those Samsaptakas once more returned to the field,
with the Narayana cow-herds, resolved to fade Death
himself.’”
SECTION XIX
“Sanjaya said, ’Beholding those Samsaptakas
once more return to the field, Arjuna addressed the
high-souled Vasudeva, saying, ’Urge the steeds,
O Hrishikesa, towards the Samsaptakas. They will
not give up the battle alive. This is what I
think. Today thou shalt witness the terrible
might of my arms as also of my bow. Today I shall
slay all these, like Rudra slaying creatures (at the
end of the Yuga).’ Hearing these words,
the invincible Krishna smiled, and gladdening him with
auspicious speeches, conveyed Arjuna to those places
whither the latter desired to go. While borne
in battle by those white steeds, that car looked exceedingly
resplendent like a celestial car borne along the firmament.
And like Sakra’s car, O king, in the battle between
the gods and the Asuras in days of old, it displayed
circular, forward, backward, and diverse other kinds
of motion. Then the Narayanas, excited with wrath
and armed with diverse weapons, surrounded Dhananjaya,
covering him with showers of arrows. And, O bull
of Bharata’s race, they soon made Kunti’s
son, Dhananjaya, together with Krishna, entirely invisible
in that battle. Then Phalguni, excited with wrath,
doubled his energy, and quickly rubbing its string,
grasped Gandiva, (firmly) in the battle. Causing
wrinkles to form themselves on his brow, sure indications
of wrath, the son of Pandu blew his prodigious conch,
called Devadatta, and then he shot the weapon called
Tvashtra that is capable of slaying large bodies of
foes together. Thereupon, thousands of separate
forms started into existence there (of Arjuna himself
and of Vasudeva). Confounded by those diverse
images after the form of Arjuna, the troops began to
Page 864
strike each other, each regarding the other as Arjuna’s
self.’ ‘This is Arjuna!’ ‘This
is Govinda!’ ‘They are Pandu’s son
and he is of Yadu’s race!’ Uttering such
exclamations, and deprived of their senses, they slew
one another in that battle. Deprived of their
senses by that mighty weapon, they slew one another.
Indeed, those warriors (while striking one another)
looked beautiful like blossoming Kinsukas. Consuming
those thousands of arrows shot by them, that (mighty)
weapon despatched those heroes to Yama’s abode.
Then Vibhatsu, laughing, crushed with his arrows the
Lalithya, the Malava, the Mavellaka, and the Trigarta
warriors. While those Kshatriyas, urged by fate,
were thus slaughtered by that hero, they shot at Partha
showers of diverse kinds of arrows. Overwhelmed
with those terrible showers of arrows, neither Arjuna,
nor his car, nor Kesava, could any longer be seen.
Seeing their arrows strike the aim, they uttered joyous
shouts. And regarding the two Krishnas as already
slain, they joyously waved their garments in the air.
And those heroes also blew their conchs and beat their
drums and cymbals by thousands, and uttered many leonine
shouts, O sire! Then Krishna, covered with sweat,
and much weakened, addressed Arjuna, saying, ’Where
art thou, O Partha! I do not see thee. Art
thou alive, O slayer of foes?’ Hearing those
words of his, Dhananjaya with great speed dispelled,
by means of the Vayavya weapon, that arrowy downpour
shot by his foes. Then the illustrious Vayu (the
presiding deity of that mighty weapon) bore away crowds
of Samsaptakas with steeds and elephants and cars
and weapons, as if these were dry leaves of trees.
Borne away by the wind, O king, they looked highly
beautiful, like flights of birds, O monarch, flying
away from trees. Then Dhananjaya, having afflicted
them thus, with great speed struck hundreds and thousands
of them with sharp shafts. And he cut off their
heads and also hands with weapons in their grasp,
by means of his broad-headed arrows. And he felled
on the ground, with his shafts, their thighs, resembling
the trunks of elephants. And some were wounded
on their backs, arms and eyes. And thus Dhananjaya
deprived his foes of diverse limbs, and cars decked
and equipped according to rule, and looking like the
vapour edifices in the welkin, he cut off into fragments,
by means of his arrows, their riders and steeds and
elephants. And in many places crowds of cars,
whose standards had been cut off, looked like forests
of headless palmyras. And elephants with excellent
weapons, banners, hooks, and standards fell down like
wooded mountains, split with Sakra’s thunder.
Graced with tails, looking like those of the yak, and
covered with coats of mail, and with their entrails
and eyes dragged out, steeds along with their riders,
rolled on the ground, slain by means of Partha’s
shafts. No longer holding in their grasp the swords
that had served for their nails, with their coats
of mail tom, and the joints of their bones broken,
Page 865
foot-soldiers with their vital limbs cut open, helplessly
laid themselves down on the field, slain by means
of Arjuna’s arrows. And the field of battle
assumed an awful aspect in consequence of those warriors
slain, or in the course of being slaughtered, falling
and fallen, standing or in course of being whirled
along. And the air was purified of the dust that
had arisen, by means of the showers of blood (caused
by Arjuna’s arrows). And the earth, strewn
with hundreds of headless trunks, became impassable.
And the car of Vibhatsu in that battle shone fiercely
like the car of Rudra himself, while engaged at the
end of the Yuga in destroying all creatures.
While slaughtered by Partha thus, those warriors,
with their steeds and cars and elephants in great distress,
ceased not to rush against him; though, deprived of
life one after another, they had to become the guests
of Sakra. Then the field of battle, O chief of
the Bharatas, strewn with mighty car-warriors deprived
of life, looked dreadful like Yama’s domains,
abounding with the spirits of the departed creatures.
Meanwhile, when Arjuna was furiously engaged (with
the Samsaptakas), Drona, at the head of his forces
arrayed for battle, rushed against Yudhishthira, and
many warriors, accomplished in smiting and properly
arrayed, followed him, actuated by the desire of seizing
Yudhishthira. The battle then that ensued became
exceedingly fierce.’”
SECTION XX
“Sanjaya said, ’Having passed the night,
that mighty car-warrior viz., Bharadwaja’s
son, addressed Suyodhana, O monarch, saying, ’I
am thine![33] I have made arrangements for Partha’s
encounter with the Samsaptaka.’[34] After Partha
went out for slaying the Samsaptakas, Drona then,
at the head of his troops arrayed for battle, proceeded,
O chief of the Bharatas, for seizing king Yudhishthira
the just. Seeing that Drona had arrayed his forces
in the form of a Garuda, Yudhishthira disposed his
troops in counter array in the form of a semi-circle.
In the mouth of that Garuda was the mighty car-warrior
Drona himself. And its head was formed by king
Duryodhana, surrounded by his uterine brothers.
And Kritavarman and the illustrious Kripa formed the
two eyes of that Garuda. And Bhutasarman, and
Kshemasarman, and the valiant Karakaksha, and the
Kalingas, the Singhalas, the Easterners, the Sudras,
the Abhiras, the Daserakas, the Sakas, the Yavanas,
the Kamvojas, the Hangsapadas, the Surasenas, the
Daradas, the Madras, and the Kalikeyas, with hundreds
and thousands of elephants, steeds, cars, and foot-soldiers
were stationed at its neck. And Bhurisravah.
and Salya, and Somadatta, and Valhika, these heroes,
surrounded by a full Akshauhini, took up their position
in the right wing. And Vinda and Anuvinda of
Avanti, and Sudakshina, the ruler of the Kamvojas,
stationed themselves in the left wing at the head,
however, of Drona’s son Aswatthaman. In
the back (of that Garuda) were the Kalingas, the Amvashthas,
Page 866
the Magadhas, the Paundras, the Madrakas, the Gandharas,
the Sakunas, the Easterners, the Mountaineers, and
the Vasatis. In the tail stood Vikartana’s
son Karna, with his sons, kinsmen and friends, and
surrounded by a large force raised from diverse realms,
Jayadratha, and Bhimaratha, and Sampati, and the Jays,
and the Bhojas, and Bhuminjaya, and Vrisha, and Kratha,
and the mighty ruler of the Nishadhas, all accomplished
in battle, surrounded by a large host and keeping
the region of Brahma before their eyes, stood, O king,
in the heart of that array. That array, formed
by Drona, in consequence of its foot-soldiers, steeds,
cars and elephants, seemed to surge like the tempest-tossed
ocean (as it advanced to battle). Warriors, desirous
of battle, began to start out from the wings and sides
of that array, like roaring clouds charged with lightning
rushing from all sides (in the welkin) at summer.
And in the midst of that army, the ruler of the Pragjyotishas,
mounted on his duly equipped elephant, looked resplendent,
O king, like the rising sun. Decked, O monarch,
in garlands of flower, and with a white umbrella held
over his head, he looked like the full moon when in
conjunction with the constellation Krittika. And
blind with the wine-like exudation, the elephant,
looking like a mass of black antimony, shone like
a huge mountain washed by mighty clouds (with their
showers). And the ruler of the Pragjyotishas was
surrounded by many heroic kings of the hilly countries,
armed with diverse weapons, like Sakra himself surrounded
by the celestials. Then Yudhishthira, beholding
that superhuman array incapable of being vanquished
by foes in battle, addressed Prishata’s son,
saying, ’O lord, O thou that ownest steeds white
as pigeons, let such measures be adopted that I may
not be taken a prisoner by the Brahmana.’
“Dhrishtadyumna said, ’O thou of excellent
vows, never shalt thou be placed under the power of
Drona, however much may he strive. Even I shall
check Drona today with all his followers. As long
as I am alive, O thou of Kuru’s race, it behoveth
thee not to feel any anxiety. Under no circumstances
will Drona be able to vanquish me in battle.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’Having said these
words, the mighty son of Drupada owning steeds of
the hue of pigeons, scattering his shafts, rushed
himself at Drona. Beholding that (to him) evil
omen in the form of Dhrishtadyumna stationed before
him, Drona soon became exceedingly cheerless.
Beholding this, that crusher of foes, viz., thy
son Durmukha, desirous of doing what was agreeable
to Drona, began to resist Dhrishtadyumna. Then
a terrible and a fierce battle took place, O Bharata,
between the brave son of Prishata and thy son, Durmukha.
Then Prishata’s son, quickly covering Durmukha,
with a shower of arrows, checked Bharadwaja’s
son also with a thick arrowy downpour. Beholding
Drona checked, thy son Durmukha quickly rushed at Prishata’s
son and confounded him with clouds of arrows of diverse
Page 867
kinds. And while the prince of the Panchalas
and that foremost one of Kuru’s race were thus
engaged in battle, Drona consumed many sections of
Yudhishthira’s host. As a mass of clouds
is dispersed in different directions by the wind,
even so was Yudhisthira’s host, in many parts
of the field, scattered by Drona. For only a
short while did that battle look like an ordinary
combat. And then, O king, it became an encounter
of infuriated persons in which no consideration was
shown for anybody. And the combatants could no
longer distinguish their own men from the foe.
And the battle raged on, the warriors being guided
by inferences and watch-words. Upon the gems on
their headgears, upon their necklaces and other ornaments,
and upon their coats of mail, rays of light like those
of the Sun seemed to fall and play. And cars
and elephants and steeds, decked with streaming banners,
seemed in that battle to resemble masses of clouds
with flocks of cranes under them. And men slew
men, and steeds of fiery metal slew steeds, and car-warriors
slew car-warriors and elephants slew elephants.
And soon a fierce and terrible encounter took place
between elephants with tall standards on their backs
and mighty compeers (rushing against them). All
in consequence of those huge creatures rubbing their
bodies against those of hostile compeers and tearing
one another (with their tusks), fires mixed with smoke
were generated there by (such) friction of countless
tusks with tusks. Shorn of the standards (on their
backs), those elephants, in consequence of the fires
caused by their tusks, looked like masses of clouds
in the welkin charged with lightning. And the
earth, strewn with elephants dragging (hostile compeers)
and roaring and falling down, looked beautiful like
the autumnal sky overspread with clouds. And
the roars of those elephants while they were being
slaughtered with showers of shafts and lances, sounded
like the roll of clouds in the rainy season.
And some huge elephants, wounded with lances and shafts,
became panic-stricken. And others amongst those
creatures, left the field with loud cries.[35] And
some elephants there, struck by others with their
tusks, uttered fierce yells of distress that resounded
like the roll of the all-destroying clouds at the
end of the Yuga. And some, turned back by huge
antagonists, returned to the charge, urged on by sharp
hooks. And crushing hostile ranks, they began
to kill all who came in their way. And elephant-drivers,
attacked by elephant-drivers with arrows and lances,
fell down from the backs of their beasts, their weapons
and hooks being loosened from their hands. And
many elephants, without riders on their backs, wandered
hither and thither like clouds torn from mightier
masses, and then fell down, encountering one another.
And some huge elephants, bearing on their backs slain
and fallen warriors, or those whose weapons had fallen
down, wandered in all directions singly.[36] And in
the midst of that carnage, some elephants attacked,
Page 868
or in course of being attacked with lances, swords
and battle axes, fell down in course of that awful
carnage, uttering sounds of distress. And the
earth, suddenly struck with the falling bodies, huge
as hills, of those creatures all around trembled and
emitted sounds. And with those elephants slain
along with their riders and lying all about with the
standards on their backs, the earth looked beautiful
as if strewn with hills. And the drivers on the
backs of many elephants, with their breasts pierced
by car-warriors with broad-headed shafts in that battle,
fell down, their lances and hooks loosened from their
grasp. And some elephants, struck with long shafts,
uttered crane like cries and ran in all directions,
crushing friends and foes by trampling them to death.
And covered with countless bodies of elephants and
steeds and car-warriors, the earth, O king, became
miry with flesh and blood. And large cars with
wheels and many without wheels, crushed by the points
of their tusks, were thrown up by elephants, with
the warriors mounted on them. Cars were seen
deprived of warriors. And riderless steeds and
elephants ran in all directions, afflicted with wounds.
And there father slew his son, and son slew his sire,
for the battle that took place was exceedingly fierce
and nothing could be distinguished. Men sank
ankle-deep in the gory mire and looked like tall trees
whose lower parts were swallowed up in a blazing forest-conflagration.
And robes and coats of mail and umbrellas and standards
having been dyed with blood, everything seemed to
be bloody on the field. Large bodies of slain
steeds, of cars, and of men, were again cut into fragments
by the rolling of car-wheels. And that sea of
troops having elephants for its current, and slain
men for its floating moss and weeds, and cars for its
fierce, eddies, looked terribly grim. Warriors,
having steeds and elephants for their large vessels,
and desirous of victory as their wealth, plunged into
that sea, and instead of sinking in it endeavoured
to deprive their enemies of their senses. When
all the warriors, each bearing particular signs, were
covered with arrowy showers, there was none amongst
them lost heart, though all were deprived of their
signs. In that fierce and awful battle, Drona
confounding the senses of his foes, (at last) rushed
at Yudhishthira.’”
SECTION XXI
“Sanjaya continued, ’Then Drona, beholding
Yudhishthira near him fearlessly received him with
a thick shower of arrows. And there arose a loud
noise among the troops of Yudhishthira’s army
like what is made by the elephants belonging to a
herd when their leader is attacked by a mighty lion.
Beholding Drona, the brave Satyajit, of prowess incapable
of being baffled, rushed at the Preceptor who was
desirous of seizing Yudhishthira. The Preceptor
and the Panchala prince, both endued with great might,
fought with each other, agitating each other’s
troops, like Indra and Vali. Then Satyajit, of
Page 869
prowess incapable of being baffled, invoking a mighty
weapon, pierced Drona with keen-pointed arrows.
And Satyajit shot at Drona’s charioteer five
arrows, fatal as snake-poison and each looking like
Death himself. The charioteer, thus struck, became
deprived of his senses. Then Satyajit quickly
Pierced Drona’s steeds with ten shafts; and
filled with rage, he next pierced each of his Parshni
drivers with ten shafts. And then he coursed at
the head of his troops on his car in a circular motion.
Excited with wrath, he cut off the standard of Drona,
that crushers of foes Drona then, that chastiser of
foes, beholding these feats of his foe in battle,
mentally resolved to despatch him to the other world.[37]
The Preceptor, cutting off Satyajit’s bow with
arrow fixed thereon, quickly pierced him with ten arrows
capable of penetrating into the very vitals.
Thereupon, the valiant Satyajit, quickly taking up
another bow, struck Drona, O king, with thirty arrows
winged with the feathers of the Kanka bird. Beholding
Drona (thus) encountered in battle by Satyajit, the
Pandayas, O king, shouted in joy and waved their garments.
Then the mighty Vrika, O king, excited with great
wrath, pierced Drona in the centre of the chest with
sixty arrows. That feat seemed highly wonderful.,
Then that mighty car-warrior, viz., Drona, of
great impetuosity, covered with the arrowy showers
(of his foes) opened his eyes wide and mustered all
his energy. Then cutting off the bows of both
Satyajit and Vrika, Drona, with six shafts slew Vrika
with his charioteer and steeds. Then Satyajit,
taking up another bow that was tougher, pierced Drona
with his steeds, his charioteer, and his standard.
Thus afflicted in battle by the prince of the Panchalas,
Drona could not brook that act. For the destruction
then of his foe, he quickly shot his arrows (at him).
Drona then covered with incessant showers of arrows
his antagonist’s steeds and standards as also
the handle of his bow, and both his Parshni drivers.
But though his bows were (thus) repeatedly cut off,
the prince of the Panchalas conversant with the highest
weapons continued to battle with him of red steeds.
Beholding Satyajit swell with energy in that dreadful
combat, Drona cut off that illustrious warrior’s
head with a crescent-shaped arrow.[38] Upon the slaughter
of that foremost of combatants, that mighty car-warrior
among the Panchalas, Yudhishthira, from fear of Drona,
fled away, (borne) by fleet steeds. Then the
Panchalas, the Kekayas, the Matsyas, the Chedis, the
Karushas and the Kosalas, seeing Drona, rushed at him,
desirous of rescuing Yudhishthira. The Preceptor,
however, that slayer of large numbers of foes, desirous
of seizing Yudhishthira, began to consume those divisions,
like fire consuming heaps of cotton. Then Satanika,
the younger brother of the ruler of the Matsyas, rushed
at Drona who was thus engaged in incessantly destroying
those divisions (of the Pandava host). And Satanika,
piercing Drona along with his driver and steeds with
Page 870
six shafts, bright as the rays of the sun and polished
by his hands of their forger, uttered loud shouts.
And engaged in a cruel act, and endeavouring to accomplish
what was difficult of attainment, he covered Bharadwaja’s
son, that mighty car-warrior with showers of arrows.[39]
Then Drona, with an arrow sharp as razor, quickly
cut off from his trunk the head, decked with ear-rings
of Satanika, shouting at him. Thereupon, the Matsya
warriors all fled away. Having vanquished the
Matsyas, the son of Bharadwaja then defeated the Chedis,
the Karushas, the Kaikeyas, the Panchalas, the Srinjayas.
and the Pandus repeatedly. Beholding that hero
of the golden car, excited with rage and consuming
their divisions, like a fire consuming a forest, the
Srinjayas trembled (with fear). Endued with great
activity and slaughtering the foe ceaselessly, the
twang of the bow-string, as he stretched his bow,
was heard in all directions. Fierce arrows shot
by that warrior endued with great lightness of hand,
crushed elephants and steeds and foot-soldiers and
car-warriors and elephant-riders. As a mighty
mass of roaring clouds in summer with violent winds
(blowing) poureth a shower of hail-stones, so did Drona
pour his arrowy showers and inspired fear in the hearts
of his foes. That mighty hero, that great bowman,
that dispeller of the fears of his friends, careered
in all directions (of the field) agitating the (hostile)
host. The bow, decked with gold, of Drona of immeasurable
energy, was seen in all directions like the flashes
of lightning in the clouds. The beautiful altar
on his banner, as he careered in battle, O Bharata,
was seen to resemble a crest or Himavat. The slaughter
that Drona caused among the Pandava troops was very
great, resembling that caused by Vishnu himself, the
adored of both the gods and Asuras, among the Daitya
host. Heroic, truthful in speech, endued with
great wisdom and might, and possessed of prowess incapable
of being baffled, the illustrious Drona caused a river
to flow there that was fierce and capable of striking
the timid with fear. Coats of mail formed its
waves, and standards its eddies. And it carried
away (as it ran) large numbers of mortal creatures.
And elephants and steeds constituted its great alligators,
and swords formed its fishes. And it was incapable
of being easily crossed over. The bones of brave
warriors formed its pebbles, and drums and cymbals
its tortoises. And shields and armour formed its
boats, and the hair of warriors its floating moss
and weeds. And arrows constituted its wavelets
and bows its current. And the arms of the combatants
formed its snakes.[40] And that river of fierce current,
running over the field of battle, bore away both the
Kurus and the Srinjayas. And the heads of human
beings, constituted its stones, and their thighs its
fishes. And maces constituted the rafts (by which
many sought to cross it). And head-gears formed
the forth that covered its surface, and the entrails
(of animals) its reptiles. Awful (in mien), it
Page 871
bore away heroes (to the other world). And blood
and flesh constituted its mire. And elephants
formed its crocodiles, and standards, the trees (on
its banks). Thousands of Kshatriyas sank in it.
Fierce, clogged (dead) bodies, and having horse-soldiers
and elephant-warriors for its sharks, it was extremely
difficult to cross it. And that river ran towards
the abode of Yama. And it abounded with Rakshasas
and dogs and jackals. And it v as haunted by
fierce cannibals all around.
“Then many Pandava warriors, headed by Kunti’s
son, rushing at Drona, that mighty car-warrior consuming
their divisions like Death himself, surrounded him
on all sides. Indeed, those brave warriors completely
encompassed Drona who was scorching everything around
him like the sun himself scorching the world with
his rays. Then the kings and the princes of thy
army, with upraised weapons, all rushed for supporting
that hero and great bowman. Then Sikhandin pierced
Drona with five straight arrows. And Kshatradharman
pierced him with twenty arrows, and Vasudeva with
five. And Uttamaujas pierced him with three arrows,
and Kshatradeva with five. And Satyaki pierced
him in that battle with a hundred arrows, and Yudhamanyu
with eight. And Yudhishthira pierced Drona with
a dozen shafts, and Dhrishtadyumna pierced him with
ten, and Chekitana with three. Then Drona, of
unbaffled aim and resembling an elephant with rent
temples, getting over the car-division (of the Pandavas),
overthrew Dridhasena. Approaching then king Kshema
who was battling fearlessly, he struck him with nine
arrows. Thereupon, Kshema, deprived of life, fell
down from his car. Getting then into the midst
of the (hostile) troops, he careered in all directions,
protecting others, but himself in no need of Protection.
He then pierced Sikhandin with twelve arrows, and
Uttamaujas with twenty. And he despatched Vasudeva
with a broad-headed arrow to the abode of Yama.
And he pierced Kshemavarman with eighty arrows, and
Sudakshina with six and twenty. And he felled
Kshatradeva with a broad-headed arrow from his niche
in the car. And having pierced Yudhamanyu with
sixty-four arrows and Satyaki with thirty, Drona, of
the golden car, quickly approached Yudhishthira.
Then Yudhishthira, that best of kings, quickly fled
away from the preceptor, borne by his fleet steeds.
Then Panchala rushed at Drona. Drona slew the
prince, cutting off his bow, and felling his steeds
and charioteer along with him. Deprived of life,
the prince fell down on the earth from his car, like
a luminary loosened from the firmament. Upon
the fall of that illustrious prince of the Panchalas,
loud cries were heard thereof, ‘Slay Drona, Slay
Drona!’ The mighty Drona then began to crush
and mangle the Panchalas, the Matsyas, the Kaikeyas,
the Srinjayas, and the Pandavas, all excited with
rage. And supported by the Kurus, Drona, then
vanquished Satyaki and Chekitana’s son, and
Senavindu, and Suvarchas, all these and numerous other
kings. Thy warriors, O king, having obtained the
victory in that great battle, slew the Pandavas as
they flew away in all directions. And the Panchalas,
the Kaikeyas and the Matsyas, thus slaughtered on all
sides like the Danavas by Indra, began to tremble (with
fear).’”
Page 872
SECTION XXII
“Dhritarashtra said, ’When the Pandavas
were broken by Bharadwaja’s son in hat dreadful
battle, and the Panchalas also, was there anybody that
approached Drona for battle? Alas, beholding Drona
stationed in battle, like a, awning tiger, or an elephant
with rent temples, ready to lay down his life in battle,
well-armed, conversant with all modes of fight, that
great bowman, that tiger among men, that enhancer of
the fear of foes, grateful, devoted to truth, ever
desirous of benefiting Duryodhana,—alas,
beholding him at the head of his troops, was there
no man that could approach him, with a laudable determination
for battle a determination that enhances the renown
of Kshatriyas, that mean-spirited persons can never
form, and that is distinctive only of the foremost
of persons? Tell me, O Sanjaya, who were those
heroes that approached the son of Bharadwaja, beholding
him at the head of his forces?’
“Sanjaya said, ’Beholding the Panchalas,
the Pandavas, the Matsyas, the Srinjayas, the Chedis,
the Kalikeyas, thus routed after being broken in battle
by Drona with his shafts, beholding them thus driven
from the field by those showers of fleet arrows shot
from Drona’s, bow, like vessels sent adrift
by the awful waves of the tempest-tossed ocean, the
Kauravas with many leonine shouts and with the noise
of diverse instruments, began to assail the cars and
elephants and foot-soldiers (of that hostile host)
from all sides. And beholding those (fleeting
soldiers of the Pandavas) king Duryodhana, stationed
in the midst of his own forces and encompassed by
his own relatives and kinsmen, filled with joy, and
laughing as he spoke, said these words unto Karna.’
“Duryodhana said, ’Behold, O Radha’s
son, the Panchalas broken by that firm bowman (Drona)
with his shafts, like a herd of the wild deer frightened
by a lion. These, I think, will not again come
to battle. They have been broken by Drona like
mighty trees by the tempest. Afflicted by that
high-souled warrior with those shafts winged with gold,
they are fleeing away, no two persons are together.
Indeed, they seem to be dragged in eddies all over
the field. Checked by the Kauravas as also by
the high-souled Drona, they are huddling close to one
another like (a herd of) elephants in the midst of
a conflagration. Like a blossoming trees penetrated
by flights of bees, these warriors, pierced with the
sharp shafts of Drona, are huddling close to one another,
as they are flying away from the field. There,
the wrathful Bhima, abandoned by the Pandavas and
the Srinjayas, and surrounded by my warriors, delighteth
me greatly, O Karna! It is evident, that wicked
wight beholdeth the world today to be full of Drona!
Without doubt, that son of Pandu hath today become
hopeless of life and kingdom.’
Page 873
“Karna said, ’That mighty-armed warrior
will not certainly abandon the battle as long as he
is alive. Nor will he, O tiger among men, brook
these leonine shouts (of ours). Nor will the Pandavas,
I think, be defeated in battle. They are brave,
endued with great might, accomplished in weapons,
and difficult of being resisted in battle. Recollecting
the woes caused them by our attempts at poisoning
and burning them, and the woes that arose from the
match at dice, bearing in mind also their exile in,
the woods, the Pandavas, I think, will not abandon
the fight. The mighty-armed Vrikodara of immeasurable
energy hath already turned back (for the fight).
The son of Kunti will certainly slay many of our foremost
car-warriors. With sword and bow and dart, with
steeds and elephants and men and cars,[41] with his
mace made of iron, he will slay crowds (of our soldiers).
Other car-warriors headed by Satyajit, together with
the Panchalas, the Kekayas, the Matsyas, and especially
the Pandavas, are following him. They are all
brave, and possessed of great might and prowess.
Mighty car-warriors, they are again led by Bhima in
wrath. Those bulls of the race, surrounding Vrikodara
on all sides, like the clouds surrounding the Sun,
begin to approach Drona from all sides. Closely
intent upon one object, these will certainly afflict
unprotected Drona, like flights of insects, on the
point of death, striking a blazing lamp. Accomplished
in weapons, they are certainly competent to resist
Drona. Heavy is the burthen, I think, that now
rests on Bharadwaja’s son. Let us then
quickly go to the spot where Drona is. Let not
those slay him of regulated vows like wolves slaying
a mighty elephant!’
“Sanjaya continued, ’Hearing these words
of Radheya, king Duryodhana then, accompanied by his
brothers, O monarch, proceeded towards Drona’s
car. The noise there was deafening, of Pandava
warriors returned to the fight on their cars drawn
by excellent steeds of diverse hue,[42] all actuated
by the desire of slaying Drona alone.’”
SECTION XXIII
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Tell me, O Sanjaya,
the distinctive indications of the cars of all those
who, excited with wrath and headed by Bhimasena, had
proceeded against Drona.’
“Sanjaya said, ’Beholding Vrikodara advancing
(on a car drawn) by steeds of dappled hue (like:
that of the antelope), the brave grandson of Sini
(Satyaki) proceeded, borne by steeds of a silvery hue.
The irresistible Yudhamanyu, excited with rage, proceeded
against Drona, borne by excellent steeds of variegated
hue. Dhristadyumna, the son of the Panchala king,
proceeded, borne by steeds of great fleetness in trappings
of gold and of the hue of pigeons.[43] Desirous of
protecting his sire, and wishing him complete success,
Dhristadyumna’s son, Kshatradharman of regulated
vows, proceeded., borne by red steeds. Kshatradeva,
the son of Sikhandin, himself urging well-decked steeds
Page 874
of the hue of lotus-leaves and with eyes of pure white,
proceeded (against Drona). Beautiful steeds of
the Kamvoja breed, decked with the feathers of the
green parrot, bearing Nakula, quickly ran towards
thy army. Dark steeds of the clouds wrathfully
bore Uttamaujas, O Bharata, to battle, against the
invincible Drona, standing with arrows aimed.
Steeds, fleet as the wind, and of variegated hue,
bore Sahadeva with upraised weapons to that fierce
battle. Of great impetuosity, and possessed of
the fleetness of the wind, steeds of the ivory hue
and having black manes on the neck, bore Yudhishthira,
that tiger among men. And many warriors followed
Yudhishthira, borne on their steeds, decked in trappings
of gold and all fleet as the wind. Behind the
king was the royal chief of the Panchalas, viz.,
Drupada, with a golden umbrella over his head and himself
protected by all those soldiers (that followed Yudhishthira).
That great bowman among all the kings, viz.,
Sautabhi, proceeded, borne by beautiful steeds capable
of bearing every noise. Accompanied by all the
great car-warriors, Virata quickly followed the former.
The Kaikeyas and Sikhandin, and Dhrishtaketu, surrounded
by their respective troops, followed the ruler of
Matsyas. Excellent steeds of the (pale red) hue
of trumpet-flowers, looked exceedingly beautiful as
they bore Virata. Fleet steeds of yellow colour
and decked in chains of gold, bore with great speed
the son (Uttara) of that slayer of foes, viz.,
Virata, the royal chief of the Matsyas. The five
Kekaya brothers were borne by steeds of deep red hue.
Of the splendour of gold and owning standards of the
red hue, and decked with chains of gold, all of them
heroes, accomplished in battle, they proceeded, clad
in mail, and showering arrows like the very clouds.
Excellent steeds, the gift of Tumvuru, of the hue of
unbaked earthen pots, bore Sikhandin, the Panchala
prince of immeasurable energy. Altogether, twelve
thousand mighty car-warriors of the Panchala race
proceeded to battle. Of these, six thousand followed
Sikhandin. Sportive steeds, O sire, of the dappled
hue of the antelope, bore the son of Sisupal, that
tiger among men. That bull among the Chedis, viz.,
Dhrishtaketu, endued with great strength, and difficult
of being vanquished in battle, proceeded, borne by
Kamvoja steeds of variegated hue. Excellent steeds
of the Sindhu breed, of beautiful limbs, and of the
hue of the smoke of straw, quickly bore the Kaikeya
prince, Vrihatkshatra. Possessed of eyes of pure
white, of the hue of the lotus, born in the country
of the Valhikas, and decked with ornaments, bore Sikhandin’s
son, the brave Kshatradeva.[44] Decked in trappings
of gold, and possessed of the hue of red silk, quiet
steeds bore Senavindu, that chastiser of foes, to
battle. Excellent steeds of the hue of cranes,
bore to battle the youthful and delicate son of the
king of the Kasis, that mighty car-warrior. White
steeds with black necks, endued with the speed of
Page 875
the mind, O monarch, and exceedingly obedient to the
driver, bore prince Prativindhya. Whitish yellow
steeds bore Sutasoma, the son of Arjuna, whom the
latter had obtained from Soma himself. He was
born in the Kuru city known by the name of Udayendu.
Endued with effulgence of a thousand moons, and because
he also had won great renown in an assembly of the
Somakas, he came to be called Sutasoma. Steeds
of the hue of Sala flowers or of morning sun bore
Nakula’s son Satanika worthy of every praise.
Steeds decked in trappings of gold, and endued with
the hue of the peacock’s neck, bore that tiger
among men, Srutakarman, the son of Draupdi (by Bhima).
Excellent steeds of the hue of the king-fishers bore
Draupadi’s son Srutkirti to that battle, who
like Partha was an ocean of learning. Steeds
of a tawny hue bore the youthful Abhimanyu who was
regarded as superior to Krishna or Partha one and a
half times in battle. Gigantic steeds bore Yuyutsu
to battle, that only warrior amongst the sons of Dhritarashtra
who (abandoning his brothers) hath sided with the
Pandavas. Plump and well-decked steeds of the
hue of the (dried) paddy stalk bore Vardhakshemi of
great activity to that dreadful battle. Steeds
with black legs, equipped in breast-plates of gold,
and exceedingly obedient to the driver, bore youthful
Sauchitti to battle. Steeds whose backs were
covered with golden armour, decked with chains of gold,
well-broken, and of the hue of red silk, bore Srenimat.
Steeds of a red hue bore the advancing Satyadhriti
accomplished in the science of arms and in the divine
Vedas. That Panchala who was commander (of the
Pandava army) and who took Drona as the victim allotted
to his share,—that Dhrishtadyumna,—was
borne by steeds of the hue of pigeons. Him followed
Satyadhriti, and Sauchitti irresistible in battle,
and Srenimat, and Vasudana, and Vibhu, the son of
the ruler of the Kasis. These had fleet steeds
of the best Kamvoja breed decked with chains of gold.
Each resembling Yama or Vaisravana, they proceeded
to battle, striking fear into the hearts of the hostile
soldiers. The Prabhadrakas of the Kamvoja country,
numbering six thousand, with upraised weapons, with
excellent steeds of diverse hues on their gold-decked
cars, with stretched bows and making their foes tremble
with their showers of arrows and resolved to die together,[45]
followed Dhristadyumna. Excellent steeds of the
hue of tawny silk, decked with beautiful chains of
gold, cheerfully bore Chekitana. Arjuna’s
maternal uncle Purujit, otherwise called Kuntibhoja,
came borne by excellent steeds of the colour of the
rainbow. Steeds of the colour of star-bespangled
firmament bore to battle king Rochamana. Steeds
of the hue of the red deer, with white streaks over
their bodies, bore the Panchala prince Singhasena,
the son of Gopati. That tiger among the Panchalas
who is known by the name of Janamejaya, had excellent
steeds of the hue of mustard flowers. Fleet, gigantic
and dark blue steeds decked with chains of gold, with
Page 876
backs of the hue of curd and faces of the hue of the
moon, bore with great speed the ruler of the Panchalas.
Brave steeds with beautiful heads, (white) as the stalks
of reeds, and a splendour resembling that of the firmament
or the lotus, bore Dandadhara. Light brown steeds
with backs of the hue of the mouse, and with necks
proudly drawn up, bore Vyaghradatta to battle.
Dark-spotted steeds bore that tiger among men, viz.,
Sudhanwan, the prince of Panchala. Of fierce
impetuosity resembling that of Indra’s thunder,
beautiful steeds of the hue of Indragopakas, with variegated
patches, bore Chitrayudha. Decked with golden
chains, steeds whose bellies were of the hue of the
Chakravaka bore Sukshatra, the son of the ruler of
the Kosalas. Beautiful and tall steeds of variegated
hue and gigantic bodies, exceedingly docile, and decked
with chains of gold, bore Satyadhriti accomplished
in battle. Sukla advanced to battle with his
standard and armour and bow and steeds all of the same
white hue. Steeds born on the sea-coast and white
as the moon, bore Chandrasena of fierce energy, the
son of Samudrasena. Steeds of the hue of the blue
lotus and decked with ornaments of gold and adorned
with beautiful floral wreaths, bore Saiva owning a
beautiful car to battle. Superior steeds of the
hue of Kalaya flowers, with white and red streaks,
bore Rathasena difficult of being resisted in battle.
White steeds bore that king who slew the Patachcharas
and who is regarded as the bravest of men. Superior
steeds of the hue of Kinsuka flowers bore Chitrayudha
decked with beautiful garlands and owning beautiful
armour and weapons and standard. King Nila advanced
to battle, with standard and armour and bow and banner
and steeds all of the same blue colour. Chitra
advanced to battle with car-fence and standard and
bow all decked with diverse kinds of gems, and beautiful
steeds and banner. Excellent steeds of the hue
of the lotus bore Hemavarna, the son of Rochamana.
Chargers, capable of bearing all kinds of weapons,
of brave achievements in battle, possessed of vertebral
columns of the hue of reeds, having white testicles,
and endued with the colour of the hen’s egg,
bore Dandaketu. The mighty Sarangadhwaja, endued
with wealth of energy, the king of the Pandyas, on
steeds of the hue of the moon’s rays and decked
with armour set with stones of lapis lazuli, advanced
upon Drona, stretching his excellent bow. His
country having been invaded and his kinsmen having
fled, his father had been slain by Krishna in battle.
Obtaining weapons then from Bhishma and Drona, Rama
and Kripa, prince Sarangadhwaja became, in weapons,
the equal of Rukmi and Karna and Arjuna and Achyuta.
He then desired to destroy the city of Dwaraka and
subjugate the whole world. Wise friends, however,
from desire of doing him good, counselled him against
that course. Giving up all thoughts of revenge,
he is now ruling his own dominions. Steeds that
were all of the hue of the Atrusa flower bore a hundred
Page 877
and forty thousand principle car-warriors that followed
that Sarangadhwaja, the king of the Pandyas.
Steeds of diverse hues and diverse kinds of forces,
bore the heroic Ghatotkacha. Mighty steeds of
gigantic size, of the Aratta breed, bore the mighty-armed
Vrihanta of red eyes mounted on his golden car, that
prince, viz., who, rejecting the opinions of all
the Bharatas, hath singly, from his reverence for
Yudhishthira. gone over to him, abandoning all his
cherished desire.[46] Superior steeds of the hue of
gold, followed that foremost of kings viz., the
virtuous Yudhishthira at his back. Large number
of Prabhadrakas, of celestial shapes, advanced to
battle, with steeds of diverse excellent colours.
All of them owning standards of gold and prepared
to struggle vigorously, proceeded with Bhimasena,
and wore the aspect, O monarch, of the denizens of
heaven with Indra at their head. That assembled
host of Prabhadrakas was much liked by Dhristadyumna.’
“Bharadwaja’s son, however, O monarch,
surpassed all the warriors in splendour. His
standard, with a black deer-skin waving on its top
and the beautiful water-pot, O monarch, that it bore,
looked exceedingly beautiful. And Bhimasena’s
standard, bearing the device of a gigantic lion in
silver with its eyes made of lapis lazuli, looked exceedingly
resplendent. The standard of Yudhishthira of great
energy, bearing the device of a golden moon with planets
around it, looked very beautiful. Two large and
beautiful kettle-drums, called Nanda and Upananda,
were tied to it. Played upon by machinery, these
produced excellent music that enhanced the delight
of all who heard it. For terrifying the foe, we
beheld that tall and fierce standard of Nakula, placed
on his car bearing the device of a Sarabha with its
back made of gold. A beautiful silver swan with
bells and banner terrible to look at and enhancing
the grief of the foe, was seen on Sahadeva’s
standard. The standards of the five sons of Draupadi
bore on them the excellent images of Dharma, Marut,
Sakra, and the twin Aswins. On the car, O king,
of the youthful Abhimanyu was an excellent standard
that bore a golden peacock, which was bright as heated
gold. On Ghatotkacha’s standard, O king,
a vulture shone brightly, and his steeds also were
capable of going everywhere at will, like those of
Ravana in days of yore. In Yudhishthira’s
hands was the celestial bow called Mahendra; and in
the hands of Bhimasena, O king, was the celestial
bow called Vayavya. For the protection of the
three worlds Brahman created a bow. That celestial
and indestructible bow was held by Phalguni.
The Vaishnava bow was held by Nakula, and the bow called
Aswina was held by Sahadeva. That celestial and
terrible bow called the Paulastya, was held by Ghatotkacha.
The five jewels of bows born by the five sons of Draupadi
were the Raudra, the Agneya, the Kauverya, the Yamya,
and the Girisa. That excellent and best of bows,
called the Raudra, which Rohini’s son (Valadeva)
Page 878
had obtained, the latter gave unto the high-souled
son of Subhadra, having been gratified with him.
These and many other standards decked with gold, were
seen there, belonging to brave warriors, all of which
enhanced the fear of their foes. The host commanded
by Drona, which numbered not a single coward, and in
which countless standards rising together seemed to
obstruct the welkin, then looked, O monarch, like
images on a canvas. We heard the names and lineage,
O king, of brave warriors rushing towards Drona in
that battle like to what is heard, O monarch, at a
self-choice.[47]
“Then royal Drupada advanced against him at
the head of a mighty division. The encounter
between those two old men at the heads of their respective
forces became terrible like that between two mighty
leaders, with rent temples, of two elephantine herds.
Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, with their troops encountered
Virata, the ruler of Matsyas at the head of his forces,
like Indra and Agni in days of old encountering the
(Asura) Vali. That awful encounter between the
Matsyas and the Kekayas, in which steeds and car-warriors
and elephants fought most fearlessly, resembled that
between the gods and the Asuras in days of old.
Bhutakarman, otherwise called Sabhapati, kept away
from Drona. Nakula’s son Satanika, as the
latter advanced, scattering showers of arrows.
Then the heir of Nakula, with three broad-headed shafts
of great sharpness, deprived Bhutakarman of both his
arms and head in that battle. Vivinsati resisted
the heroic Sutasoma of great prowess, as the latter
advanced towards Drona, scattering showers of arrows.
Sutasoma, however, excited with wrath, pierced his
uncle Vivinsati with straight arrows, and cased in
mail, stood ready for the combat. Bhimaratha,
(brother of Duryodhana), with six sharp shafts of
great swiftness and made wholly of iron, despatched
Salwa along with his steeds and charioteer to Yama’s
abode. Chitrasena’s son, O king, opposed
thy (grand) son Srutakarman as the latter came, borne
by steeds, looking like peacocks. Those two grandsons
of thine, both difficult of being vanquished in battle,
and each desirous of slaying the other, fought vigorously
for the success of the objects of their respective
sires. Beholding Prativindhya staying at the van
of that dreadful battle, Drona’s son (Aswatthaman),
desirous of protecting the honour of his sire, resisted
the former with his shafts. Prativindhya, then,
excited with rage pierced Aswatthaman, bearing on his
standard the device of a lion’s tail and staying
in battle for the sake of his father, with many sharp
shafts. The (eldest) son of Draupadi then scattered
over Drona’s son showers of arrows, like a sower,
O bull among men, scattering seeds on the soil at
the sowing season.[48] The son of Duhsasana resisted
the mighty car-warrior Srutakirti, the son of Arjuna
by Draupadi, as the latter was rushing towards Drona.
That son of Arjuna, however, who was equal to Arjuna
himself, cutting off the former’s bow and standard
Page 879
and charioteer with three broad-headed arrows of great
sharpness, proceeded against Drona. Duryodhana’s
son, Lakshmana, resisted the slayer of the Patachcharas,—him,
that is, O king, who is regarded by both the armies
as the bravest of the brave. The latter, however,
cutting off both the bow and the standard of Lakshmana,
and showering upon him many arrows, flared up with
splendour. The youthful Vikarna of great wisdom
resisted Sikhandin, the youthful son of Yajnasena,
as the latter advanced in that battle. Yajnasena’s
son then covered the former with showers of arrows.
The mighty son Vikarna, baffling those arrowy showers,
looked resplendent on the field of battle. Angada
resisted with showers of arrows the heroic Uttamaujas
in that battle as the latter rushed towards Drona.
That encounter between those two lions among men became
frightful, and it filled both them and the troops
with great zeal. The great bowman Durmukha, endued
with great might, resisted with his shafts the heroic
Purujit as the latter proceeded towards Drona.
Furujit struck Durmukha between his eye-brows with
a long shaft. Thereupon, Durmukha’s face
looked beautiful like a lotus with its stalk.
Karna resisted with showers of arrows the five Kekaya
brothers, owning red standards, as they proceeded
towards Drona. Scorched with the arrowy showers
of Karna, those five brothers covered Karna with their
arrows. Karna, in return, repeatedly covered
them with showers of arrows. Covered with arrows,
neither Karna nor the five brother could be seen with
their steeds, charioteers, standards, and cars.
Thy sons, Durjaya, Jaya, and Vijaya, resisted Nila,
and the ruler of the Kasis, and Jayatsena, three against.
And the combat between those warriors deepened and
gladdened the hearts of the spectators like those
between a lion, a tiger, and a wolf on the one side
and a bear, a buffalo, and a bull on the other.
The brothers Kshemadhurti and Vrihanta mangled Satyaki
of the Satwata race with their keen arrows, as the
latter proceeded against Drona. The battle between
those two on one side and Satyaki on the other became
exceedingly wonderful to behold, like that between
a lion and two mighty elephants with rent temples
in the forest. The king of the Chedis, excited
with wrath, and shooting many warriors, kept away
from Drona, king Amvashtha, that hero who always delighted,
in battle. Then king Amvashtha pierced his antagonist
with a long arrow capable of penetrating into the very
bones. Thereupon, the latter, with bow and arrow
loosened from his grasp, fell down from his car on
the ground. The noble Kripa, son of Saradwata,
with many small arrows resisted Vardhakshemi of the
Vrishni race who was the embodiment of wrath (in battle).
They that looked at Kripa, son of Saradwata, with
many small arrows, resisted Vardhakshemi of the Vrishni
race who was the embodiment of wrath (in battle).
They that looked at Kripa and Vardhakshemi, those
heroes conversant with every mode of warfare, thus
Page 880
engaged in encountering each other, became so absorbed
in it that, they could not attend to anything else.
Somadatta’s son, for enhancing the glory of
Drona, resisted king Manimat of great activity as
the latter came to fight. Then Manimat quickly
cut off the bowstring, the standard, the banner, the
charioteer and the umbrella of Somadatta’s son
and caused them to fall down from the latter’s
car.[49] The son of Somadatta then, bearing the device
of the sacrificial stake on his standard, that slayer
of foes, quickly jumping down from his car, cut off
with his large swords, his antagonist with his steeds,
charioteer, standard, and car. Re-ascending then
upon his own car, and taking up another bow, and guiding
his steeds himself, he began, O monarch, to consume
the Pandava host. Vrishasena (the son of Karna),
competent for the feat, resisted with showers of arrows
king Pandava who was rushing to battle like Indra
himself following the Asuras for smiting them.
With maces and spiked bludgeons, and swords and axes
and stones, short clubs and mallets, and discs, short
arrows and battle-axes with dust and wind, and fire
and water, and ashes and brick-bats, and straw and
trees, afflicting and smitting, and breaking, and
slaying and routing the foe, and hurling them on the
hostile ranks, and terrifying them therewith, came
Ghatotkacha, desirous of getting at Drona. The
Rakshasa Alambusha, however, excited with rage, encountered
him with diverse weapons and diverse accoutrements
of war. And the battle that took place between
those two foremost of Rakshasas resembled that which
took place in days of old between Samvara and the
chief of the celestials. Thus blessed be thou,
took place hundreds of single combats between car-warriors
and elephants, and steeds and foot-soldiers of thy
army and theirs in the midst of the dreadful general
engagement. Indeed, such a battle was never seen
or heard of before as that which then took place between
those warriors that were bent upon Drona’s destruction
and protection. Indeed, many were the encounters
that were then seen on all parts of field, some of
which were terrible, some beautiful, and some exceedingly
fierce, O lord.’”
SECTION XXIV
“Dhritarashtra said, ’When the troops
were thus engaged and thus proceeded against one another
in separate divisions, how did Partha and the warriors
of my army endued with great activity fight? What
also did Arjuna do towards the car-warriors of the
Samsaptakas? And what, O Sanjaya, did the Samsaptakas,
in their turn, do to Arjuna?’
“Sanjaya said, ’When the troops were thus
engaged and proceeded against one another, thy son
Duryodhana himself rushed against Bhimasena, leading
his elephant division. Like an elephant encountering
an elephant, like a bull encountering a bull, Bhimasena,
summoned by the king himself, rushed against that
elephant division of the Kaurava army. Skilled
in battle and endued with great might of arms, Pritha’s
Page 881
son, O sire, quickly broke that elephant division.
These elephants, huge as hills, and with ichor trickling
down from every part of their bodies, were mangled
and forced to turn back by Bhimasena with his arrows.
Indeed, as the wind, when it riseth, driveth away
gathering masses of clouds, so did that son of Pavana
rout that elephant force of the Kauravas. And
Bhima, shooting his arrows at those elephants, looked
resplendent like the risen sun, striking everything
in the world with his rays. Those elephants,
afflicted with the shafts of Bhima, became covered
with blood and looked beautiful like masses of clouds
in the welkin penetrated with the rays of the sun.
Then Duryodhana, excited with wrath, pierced with the
sharp shafts that son of the Wind-god who was causing
such a slaughter among his elephants. Then Bhima,
with eyes red in wrath, desirous of despatching the
king to Yama’s abode, pierced him speedily with
many sharp shafts. Then Duryodhana, mangled all
over with arrows and excited with rage, pierced Bhima,
the son of Pandu, with many shafts endued with the
effulgence of solar rays, smiling the while. Then
the son of Pandu, with a couple of broad-headed arrows,
quickly cut off Duryodhana’s bow as also his
standard, bearing the device of a jewelled elephant,
decked with diverse gems. Beholding Duryodhana
thus afflicted, O sire, by Bhima, the ruler of the
Angas on his elephant came there for afflicting the
son of Pandu. Thereupon, Bhimasena deeply pierced
with a long arrow that prince of elephants advancing
with loud roars, between its two frontal globes.
That arrow, penetrating through its body, sank deep
in the earth. And at this the elephants fell
down like a hill riven by the thunder. While the
elephant was falling down, the Mleccha king also was
falling down it. But Vrikodara, endued with great
activity, cut off his head with a broad-headed arrow
before his antagonist actually fell down. When
the heroic ruler of the Angas fell, his divisions
fled away. Steeds and elephants and car-warriors
struck with panic, crushed the foot-soldiers as they
fled.
“When those troops, thus broken, fled away in
all directions, the ruler of the Pragjyotishas then
advanced against Bhima, upon his elephant.[50] With
its two (fore) legs and trunk contracted, filled with
rage, and with eyes rolling, that elephant seemed
to consume the son of Pandu (like a blazing fire).
And it pounded Vrikodara’s car with the steed
yoked thereto into dust. Then Bhima ran forward
and got under the elephant’s body, for he knew
the science called Anjalikabedha. Indeed, the
son of Pandu fled not. Getting under the elephant’s
body, he began to strike it frequently with his bare
arms. And he smote that invincible elephant which
was bent upon slaying him. Thereupon, the latter
began to quickly turn round like a potter’s
wheel. Endued with the might of ten thousand
elephants, the blessed Vrikodara, having struck that
elephant thus, came out from under Supratika’s
Page 882
body and stood facing the latter. Supratika then,
seizing Bhima by its trunk, threw him down by means
of its knees. Indeed, having seized him by the
neck, that elephant wished to slay him. Twisting
the elephant’s trunk, Bhima freed himself from
its twine, and once more got under the body of that
huge creature. And he waited there, expecting
the arrival of a hostile elephant of his own army.
Coming out from under the beast’s body, Bhima
then ran away with great speed. Then a loud noise
was heard, made by all the troops, to the effect, ’Alas,
Bhima hath been slain by the elephant!’ The
Pandava host, frightened by that elephant, suddenly
fled away, O king, to where Vrikodara was waiting.
Meanwhile, king Yudhishthira, thinking Vrikodara to
have been slain, surrounded Bhagadatta on all sides,
aided by the Panchalas. Having surrounded him
with numerous cars, king Yudhishthira that foremost
of car-warriors, covered Bhagadatta with keen shafts
by hundreds and thousands. Then Bhagadatta, that
king of the mountainous regions, frustrating with
his iron hook that shower of arrows, began to consume
both the Pandavas and the Panchalas by means of that
elephant of his. Indeed. O monarch, the
feat that we then beheld, achieved by old Bhagadatta
with his elephant, was highly wonderful. Then
the ruler of the Dasarnas rushed against the king
of the Pragjyotisha, on a fleet elephant with temporal
sweat trickling down, for attacking Supratika in the
flank. The battle then that took place between
those two elephants of awful size, resembled that
between two winged mountains overgrown with forests
in days of old. Then the elephant of Bhagadatta,
wheeling round and attacking the elephant of the king
of the Dasarnas, ripped open the latter’s flank
and slew it outright. Then Bhagadatta himself
with seven lances bright as the rays of the sun, slew
his (human) antagonist seated on the elephant just
when the latter was about to fall down from his seat.
Piercing king Bhagadatta then (with many arrows), Yudhishthira
surrounded him on all sides with a large number of
cars. Staying on his elephant amid car-warriors
encompassing him all around, he looked resplendent
like a blazing fire on a mountain-top in the midst
of a dense forest. He stayed fearlessly in the
midst of those serried cars ridden by fierce bowmen,
all of whom showered upon him their arrows. Then
the king of the Pragjyotisha, pressing (with his toe)
his huge elephant, urged him towards the car of Yuyudhana.
That prodigious beast, then seizing the car of Sinis
grandson, hurled it to a distance with great force.
Yuyudhana, however, escaped by timely flight.
His charioteer also, abandoning the large steeds of
the Sindhu breed, yoked unto that car, quickly followed
Satyaki and stood where the latter stopped. Meanwhile
the elephant, quickly coming out of the circle of
cars, began to throw down all the kings (that attempted
to bar his course). These bulls among men, frightened
out of their wits by that single elephant coursing
Page 883
swiftly, regarded it in that battle as multiplied
into many. Indeed, Bhagadatta, mounted on that
elephant of his, began to smite down the Pandavas,
like the chief of the celestials mounted on Airavata
smiting down the Danavas (in days of old).[51] As
the Panchalas fled in all directions, loud and awful
was the noise that arose amongst them, made by their
elephants and steeds. And while the Pandava troops
were thus destroyed by Bhagadatta, Bhima, excited
with rage, once more rushed against the ruler of the
Pragjyotisha. The latter’s elephant then
frightened the steeds of advancing Bhima by drenching
them with water spouted forth from its trunk, and
thereupon those animals bore Bhima away from the field.
Then Kriti’s son, Ruchiparvan, mounted on his
car, quickly rushed against Bhagadatta, scattering
showers of arrows and advancing like the Destroyer
himself. Then Bhagadatta, that ruler of the hilly
regions, possessed of beautiful limbs, despatched
Ruchiparvan with a straight shaft to Yama’s
abode.[52] Upon the fall of the heroic Ruchiparvan,
Subhadra’s son and the sons of Draupadi, and
Chekitana, and Dhrishtaketu, and Yuyutsu began to
afflict the elephant. Desiring to slay that elephant,
all those warriors, uttering loud shouts, began to
pour their arrows on the animals, like the clouds
drenching the earth with their watery down-pour.
Urged then by its skilful rider with heel, hook, and
toe the animal advanced quickly with trunk stretched,
and eyes and cars fixed. Treading down Yuyutsu’s
steeds, the animal then slew the charioteer. Thereupon,
O king, Yuyutsu, abandoning his car, fled away quickly.
Then the Pandava warriors, desirous of slaying that
prince of elephants, uttered loud shouts and covered
it quickly with showers of arrows. At this time,
thy son, excited with rage, rushed against the car
of Subhadra’s son. Meanwhile, king Bhagadatta
on his elephant, shooting shafts on the foe, looked
resplendent like the Sun himself scattering his rays
on the earth. Arjuna’s son then pierced
him with a dozen shafts, and Yuyutsu with ten, and
each of the sons of Draupadi pierced him with three
shafts and Dhrishtaketu also pierced him with three.
That elephant then, pierced with these shafts, shot
with great care, looked resplendent like a mighty
mass of clouds penetrated with the rays of the sun.
Afflicted with those shafts of the foe, that elephant
then, urged by its riders with skill and vigour, began
to throw hostile warriors on both his flanks.
Like a cowherd belabouring his cattle in the forest
with a goad, Bhagadatta repeatedly smote the Pandava
host. Like the cawing of quickly retreating crows
when assailed by hawks, a loud and confused noise was
heard among the Pandava troops who fled away with
great speed. That prince of elephants, struck
by its rider with hook, resembled, O king, a winged
mountain of old. And it filled the hearts of the
enemy with fear, like to what merchants experience
at sight of the surging sea.[53] Then elephants and
Page 884
car-warriors and steeds and kings, flying away in fear,
made, as they fled, a loud and awful din that, O monarch,
filled the earth and sky and heaven and the cardinal
and subsidiary directions in that battle. Mounted
on that foremost of elephants, king Bhagadatta penetrated
the hostile army like the Asura Virochana in days
of old into the celestial host in battle well-protected
by the gods. A violent wind began to blow; a dusty
cloud covered the sky and the troops; and people regarded
that single elephant as multiplied into many, coursing
all over the field.’”
SECTION XXV
“Sanjaya said, ’Thou askest me about the
feats of Arjuna in battle. Listen, O thou of
mighty arms, to what Partha achieved in the fight.
Beholding the risen dust and hearing the wail of the
troops when Bhagadatta was performing great feats
on the field, the son of Kunti addressed Krishna and
said ’O slayer of Madhu, it seems that the ruler
of the Pragjyotishas hath, on his elephant, with great
impetuosity, advanced to battle. This loud din
that we hear must be due to him. Well-versed in
the art of grinding and battling from the back of an
elephant, and not inferior to Indra himself in battle,
he, I think, is the formost of all elephant-warriors
in the world.[54] His elephant, again, is the foremost
of elephants, without a rival to encounter it in battle.
Possessed of great dexterity and above all fatigue,
it is, again, impervious to all weapons. Capable
of bearing every weapon and even the touch of fire,
it will, O sinless one, alone destroy the Pandava
force today. Except us two, there is none else
capable of checking that creature. Go quickly,
therefore, to that spot where the ruler of the Pragjyotishas
is. Proud in battle, in consequence of the strength
of his elephant, and arrogant in consequence of his
age, I will this very day send him as a guest to the
slayer of Vala.’ At these words of Arjuna,
Krishna began to proceed to the place where Bhagadatta
was breaking the Pandava ranks. While Arjuna
was proceeding towards Bhagadatta, the mighty Samsaptaka
car-warriors, numbering fourteen thousand, made up
of ten thousand Gopalas or Narayanas who used to follow
Vasudeva, returning to the field, summoned him to
battle. Beholding the Pandava host broken by Bhagadatta,
and summoned on the other hand by the Samsaptakas,
Arjuna’s heart was divided in twain. And
he began to think, ’Which of these two act will
be better for me to do today, to return from this
spot for battling with Samsaptakas or to repair to
Yudhishthira?’ Reflecting with the aid of his
understanding, O perpetuator of Kuru’s race,
Arjuna’s heart, at last, was firmly fixed on
the slaughter of the Samsaptakas. Desirous of
alone slaughtering in battle thousands of car-warriors,
Indra’s son (Arjuna) having the foremost of
apes on banner, suddenly turned back. Even this
was what both Duryodhana and Karna had thought of
for achieving the slaughter of Arjuna. And it
Page 885
was for this that they had made arrangements for the
double encounter. The son of Pandu allowed his
heart to waver this side and that, but, at last, resolving
to slay those foremost of warriors, viz., the
Samsaptakas, he baffled the purpose of his enemies.[55]
Then mighty Samsaptakas car-warriors, O king, shot
at Arjuna thousands of straight arrows. Covered
with those arrows, O monarch, neither Kunti’s
son Partha, nor Krishna, otherwise called Janardana,
nor the steeds, nor the car, could be seen. Then
Janardana became deprived of his senses and perspired
greatly. Thereupon, Partha shot the Brahma weapon
and nearly exterminated them all. Hundreds upon
hundreds of arms with bows and arrows and bowstrings
in grasp, cut off from trunks, and hundreds upon hundreds
of standards and steeds and charioteers and car-warriors,
fell down on the ground. Huge elephants, well-equipped
and resembling foremost hills over-grown with woods
or masses of clouds, afflicted with Partha’s
shafts and deprived of riders, fell down on the earth.
Many elephants again, with riders on their backs,
crushed by means of Arjuna’s shafts, fell down,
deprived of life, shorn of the embroidered cloths on
their backs, and with their housings torn. Cut
off by Kiritin with his broad-headed arrows, countless
arms having swords and lances and rapiers for their
nails or having clubs and battle-axes in grasp, fell
down on the earth. Heads also, beautiful, O king,
as the morning sun or the lotus or the moon, cut off
by Arjuna with his arrows, dropped down on the ground.
While Phalguni in rage was thus engaged in slaying
the foe with diverse kinds of well-adorned and fatal
shafts, that host seemed to be ablaze. Beholding
Dhanunjaya crushing that host like an elephant crushing
lotus-stalks, all creatures applauded him, saying,
’Excellent, Excellent!’ Seeing that feat
of Partha resembling that of Vasava himself, Madhava
wondered much and, addressing him with joined hands,
said, ’Verily, O Partha, I think that this feat
which thou hast achieved, could not be performed by
Sakra, or Yama, or the Lord of treasures himself.
I see that thou hast today felled in battle hundreds
and thousands of mighty Samsaptaka warriors an together.’
Having slain the Samsaptakas then,—that
is, who were engaged in battle,—Partha addressed
Krishna, saying, ‘Go towards Bhagadatta.’”
SECTION XXVI
“Sanjaya said, ’At Partha’s desire,
Krishna then urged his white steeds, fleet as the
mind and covered in golden armour, towards Drona’s
divisions. While that foremost one of the Kurus
was thus proceeding towards his brothers who were
exceedingly afflicted by Drona, Susarman with his
brothers, followed him behind, desirous of battle.
The ever-victorious Arjuna then addressed Krishna,
saying, ’O thou of unfading glory, this Susarman
here, with his brothers, challengeth me to battle!
O slayer of foes, our host, again, is broken (by Drona)
Page 886
towards the north. In consequence of these Samsaptakas,
my heart wavers today as to whether I should do this
or that. Shall I slay the Samsaptakas now, or
protect from harm my own troops already afflicted by
the foe? Know this to be what I am thinking of,
viz., ’Which of these would be better for
me?’ Thus addressed by him, he of Dasarha’s
race, turned back the car, and took the son of Pandu
to where the ruler of the Trigartas was. Then
Arjuna pierced Susarman with seven shafts, and cut
off both his bow and standard with a couple of sharp
arrows. He then, with six arrows, quickly despatched
the brothers of Trigarta king to Yama’s abode.[56]
Then Susarman, aiming Arjuna, hurled at him a dart
made wholly of iron and looking like a snake, and
aiming Vasudeva, hurled a lance at him. Cutting
off that dart with three arrows and that lance also
with three other arrows, Arjuna, by means of his arrowy
showers, deprived Susarman of his senses on his car.
Then advancing fiercely (towards thy division), scattering
showers of arrows, like Vasava pouring rain, none among
thy troops, O king, ventured to oppose. Like
a fire consuming heaps of straw as it advances, Dhananjaya
advanced, scorching all the mighty car-warriors among
the Kauravas by means of his arrows. Like a living
creature incapable of bearing the touch of fire, thy
troops could not bear the irresistible impetuosity
of that intelligent son of Kunti. Indeed, the
son of Pandu, overwhelming the hostile host by means
of his arrows, came upon the king of the Pragjyotishas,
O monarch, like Garuda swooping down (upon his prey).
He then held in his hands that Gandiva which in battle
was beneficial to the innocent Pandavas and baneful
to all foes, for the destruction of Kshatriyas brought
about, O king, by the fault of thy son who had recourse
to deceitful dice for accomplishing his end.
Agitated by Partha thus, thy host then, O king, broke
like a boat when it strikes against a rock. Then
ten thousand bowmen, brave and fierce, firmly resolved
to conquer, advanced (to encounter Arjuna). With
dauntless hearts, those mighty car-warriors all surrounded
him. Capable of bearing any burden, howsoever
heavy in battle, Partha took up that heavy burden.
As an angry elephant of sixty years, with rent temples,
crushes an assemblage of lotus stalks, even so did
Partha crush that division of thy army. And when
that division was being thus crushed, king Bhagadatta,
on that same elephant of his, impetuously rushed towards
Arjuna. Thereupon, Dhananjaya, that tiger among
men, staying on his car, received Bhagadatta.
That encounter between Arjuna’s car and Bhagadatta’s
elephant was fierce in the extreme. Those two
heroes, viz., Bhagadatta and Dhananjaya, then
coursed on the field, the one on his car and the other
on his elephant, both of which were equipped according
to the rules of science. Then Bhagadatta, like
the lord Indra, from his elephant looking like a mass
of clouds, poured on Dhananjaya showers of arrows.
Page 887
The valiant son of Vasava, however, with his arrows,
cut off those arrowy showers of Bhagadatta before
they could reach him. The king of the Pragjyotishas,
then, baffling that arrowy shower of Arjuna, struck
both Partha and Krishna, O king, with many shafts
and overwhelming both of them with a thick shower
of shafts, Bhagadatta then urged his elephant for
the destruction of Krishna and Partha. Beholding
that angry elephant advancing like Death himself,
Janardana quickly moved his car in such a way as to
keep the elephant on his left. Dhananjaya, although
he thus got the opportunity of slaying that huge elephant
with its rider from the back, wished not yet to avail
himself of it, remembering the rules of fair fight.
The elephant, however, coming upon other elephants
and cars and steeds, O king, despatched them all to
Yama’s abode. Beholding this, Dhananjaya
was filled with rage.
SECTION XXVII
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Filled with rage,
what did Partha, the son of Pandu, do to Bhagadatta?
What also did the king of the Pragjyotishas do to
Partha? Tell me all this, O Sanjaya!’
“Sanjaya said, ’While Partha and Krishna
were thus engaged with the ruler of the Pragjyotishas,
all creatures regarded them to be very near the jaws
of Death. Indeed, O monarch, from the neck of
his elephant, Bhagadatta scattered showers of shafts
on the two Krishnas, staying upon their car.
He pierced Devaki’s son with many arrows made
wholly of black iron, equipped with wings of gold,
whetted on stone, and shot from his bow, drawn to
the fullest stretch. Those shafts whose touch
resembled that of fire, equipped with beautiful feathers,
and shot by Bhagadatta, passing through Devaki’s
son, entered the earth. Partha then cut off Bhagadatta’s
bow and slaying next the warrior that protected his
elephant from the flank, began to fight with him as
if in sport. Then Bhagadatta hurled at him fourteen
lances of sharp points, that were bright as the rays
of the sun. Arjuna, however, cut each of those
lances into three fragments. Then Indra’s
son cut open the armour in which that elephant was
eased, by means of a thick shower of arrows. The
armour thus cut off, fell down on the earth.
Exceedingly afflicted with arrows shot by Arjuna,
that elephant, deprived of its coat of mail, looked
like a prince of mountains destitute of its cloudy
robes and with streaks of water running down its breast.
Then the ruler of the Pragjyotishas hurled at Vasudeva
a dart made wholly of iron and decked with gold.
That dart Arjuna cut in twain. Then cutting off
the king’s standard and umbrella by means of
his arrows Arjuna quickly pierced that ruler of the
mountainous realms with ten arrows, smiling all the
while. Deeply pierced with those shafts of Arjuna,
that were beautifully winged with Kanka feathers, Bhagadatta,
O monarch, became incensed with the son of Pandu.
He then hurled some lances at Arjuna’s head
Page 888
and uttered a loud shout. In consequence of those
lances Arjuna’s diadem was displaced. Arjuna,
then, having placed his diadem properly, addressed
the ruler of the Pragjyotishas, saying, ’Look
well on this world!’ Thus addressed by him, Bhagadatta
became filled with rage, and taking up a bright bow
showered upon both the Pandava and Govinda his arrowy
down-pours. Partha then cutting off his bow and
quivers, quickly struck him with two and seventy shafts,
afflicting his vital limbs. Thus pierced, he
was excessively pained. Filled then with rage,
he with Mantras, turned his hook into the Vaishnava
weapon and hurled it at Arjuna’s breast.
That all-slaying weapon, hurled by Bhagadatta, Kesava,
covering Arjuna, received on his breast. Thereupon,
that weapon became a triumphal garland on Kesava’s
breast. Arjuna then cheerlessly addressed Kesava,
saying, ’O sinless one, without battling thyself,
thou art to only guide my steed! Thou hadst said
so, O lotus-eyed one! Why then dost thou not
adhere to thy promise? If I sink in distress,
or become unable to baffle, or resist a foe or weapon,
then mayst thou act so, but not when I am standing
thus. Thou knowest that with my bow and arrows
I am competent to vanquish these worlds with the gods,
the Asuras, and men.’ Hearing these words
of Arjuna, Vasudeva replied unto him, saying, ’Listen,
O Partha, to this secret and ancient history as it
is, O sinless one! I have four forms, eternally
engaged as I am in protecting the worlds. Dividing
my own Self, I ordain the good of the worlds.
One form of mine, staying on the earth, is engaged
in the practice of ascetic austerities. Another
beholdeth the good and the evil deeds in the world.
My third form, coming into the world of men, is engaged
in action. My fourth form lieth down in sleep
for a thousand years. The form of mine which
awaketh from sleep at the end of a thousand years,
granteth, upon awakening, excellent boons to persons
deserving of them. The earth, knowing (on one
occasion) that that time had come, asked of me a boon
for (her son) Naraka. Hear, O Partha, what that
boon was. Possessed of the Vaishnava weapon,
let my son become incapable of being slain by the
gods and the Asuras. It behoveth thee to grant
me that weapon. Hearing this prayer, I then gave,
in days of old, the supreme and infallible Vaishnava
weapon to the Earth’s son. I said also at
that time these words, ’O Earth, let this weapon
be infallible for the protection of Naraka. None
will be able to slay him. Protected by this weapon,
thy son will always, in all the worlds, be invincible
and crush all hostile hosts.’ Saying, So
be it! the intelligent goddess went away, her wishes
fulfilled. And Naraka also became invincible and
always scorched his foes. It was from Naraka,
O Partha, that the ruler of the Pragjyotishas got
this weapon of mine. There is none, in all the
world, O sire, including even Indra and Rudra, who
is unslayable by this weapon. It was for thy
sake, therefore, that I baffled it, violating my promise.
Page 889
The great Asura hath now been divested of that supreme
weapon. Slay now, O Partha, that invincible foe
of thine, viz., Bhagadatta, enemy of the gods,
even as I formerly slew for the good of the worlds,
the Asura Naraka.’ Thus addressed by the
high-souled Kesava, Partha suddenly overwhelmed Bhagadatta
with clouds of whetted arrows. Then, the mighty-armed
and high-souled Arjuna fearlessly struck a long arrow
between the frontal globes of his enemy’s elephant.
That arrow, splitting the elephant like the thunder
splitting a mountain, penetrated into its body to
the very wings, like a snake penetrating into an ant-hill.
Though urged repeatedly then by Bhagadatta, the elephant
refused to obey like a poor man’s wife her lord.
With limbs paralysed, it fell down, striking the earth
with its tusks. Uttering a cry of distress, that
huge elephant gave up the ghost. The son of Pandu
then, with a straight shaft furnished with a crescent-shaped
head, pierced the bosom of king Bhagadatta. His
breast, being pierced through by the diadem-decked
(Arjuna), king Bhagadatta, deprived of life, threw
down his bow and arrows. Loosened from his head,
the valuable piece of cloth that had served him for
a turban, fell down, like a petal from a lotus when
its stalk is violently struck. And he himself,
decked with golden garlands, fell down from his huge
elephant adorned with golden housings, like flowering
Kinsuka broken by the force of the wind from the mountain-top.
The son of Indra then, having slain in battle that
monarch who resembled Indra himself in prowess and
who was Indra’s friend, broke the other warriors
of thy army inspired with hope of victory like the
mighty wind breaking rows of trees.’”
SECTION XXVIII
“Sanjaya said, Having slain Bhagadatta who was
ever the favourite and I friend of Indra and who was
possessed of great energy, Partha circumambulated
him. Then the two sons of the king of Gandhara
viz., the brothers Vrishaka and Achala, those
subjugators of hostile towns, began to afflict Arjuna
in battle. Those two heroic bowmen, uniting together,
began to deeply pierce Arjuna from the front and from
behind with whetted shafts of great impetuosity.
Arjuna then with sharp shafts cut off the steeds and
driver and bow and umbrella and standard and car of
Vrishaka, the son of Suvala, into atoms. With
clouds of arrows and diverse other weapons, Arjuna
then once more severely afflicted the Gandhara troops
headed by Suvala’s son. Then Dhananjaya,
filled with rage, despatched to Yama’s abode,
with his shafts, five hundred heroic Gandharas with
upraised weapons. The mighty-armed hero then,
quickly alighting from that car whose steeds had been
slain, mounted upon the car of his brother and took
up another bow. Then those two brothers, viz.,
Vrishaka and Achala, both mounted on the same car,
began incessantly to pierce Vibhatsu with showers
of arrows. Indeed, those high-souled princes,
Page 890
those relatives of thine by marriage, viz., Vrishaka
and Achala, struck Partha very severely, like Vritra
or Vala striking Indra of old. Of unfailing aim,
these two princes of Gandhara, themselves unhurt, began
once more to strike the son of Pandu, like the two
months of summer afflicting the world with sweat-producing
rays.[57] Then Arjuna slew those princes and tigers
among men, viz., Vrishaka and Achala, staying
on one car side by side, with, O monarch, a single
arrow. Then those mighty-armed heroes, with red
eyes and looking like lions, those uterine brothers
having similar features, together fell down from that
car. And their bodies, dear to friends, falling
down upon the earth, lay there, spreading sacred fame
all around.
“Beholding their brave and unretreating maternal
uncles thus slain by Arjuna, thy sons, O monarch,
rained many weapons upon him. Sakuni also, conversant
with a hundred different kinds of illusions, seeing
his brothers slain, created illusions for confounding
the two Krishnas. Then clubs, and iron balls,
and rocks and Sataghnis and darts, and maces, and
spiked bludgeons, and scimitars, and lances, mallets,
axes, and Kampanas, and swords, and nails, and short
clubs, and battle-axes, and razors, and arrows with
sharp broad heads, and Nalikas, and calf-tooth headed
shafts, and arrows having bony heads and discs and
snake-headed shafts, and spears, and diverse other
kinds of weapons, fell upon Arjuna from all sides.
And asses, and camels, and buffaloes, and tigers, and
lions, and deer, and leopards, and bears, and wolves
and vultures, and monkeys, and various reptiles, and
diverse cannibals, and swarms of crows, all hungry,
and excited with rage, ran towards Arjuna. Then
Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, that hero conversant
with celestial weapons, shooting clouds of arrows,
assailed them all. And assailed by that hero with
those excellent and strong shafts, they uttered loud
cries and fell down deprived of life. Then a
thick darkness appeared and covered Arjuna’s
car, and from within that gloom harsh voices rebuked
Arjuna. The latter, however, by means of the
weapons called Jyotishka, dispelled that thick and
awful darkness. When that darkness was dispelled
frightful waves of water appeared. For drying
up those waters, Arjuna applied the weapon called
Aditya. And in consequence of that weapon, the
waters were almost dried up. These diverse illusions,
repeatedly created by Sauvala, Arjuna destroyed speedily
by means of the force of his weapons, laughing the
while. Upon all his illusions being destroyed,
afflicted with Arjuna’s shafts and unmanned
by fear, Sakuni fled away, aided by his fleet, steeds,
like a vulgar wretch. Then Arjuna, acquainted
with all weapons, showing his enemies the exceeding
lightness of his hands, showered upon the Kaurava
host clouds of arrows. That host of thy son, thus
slaughtered by Partha, became divided into two streams
like the current of Ganga when impeded by a mountain.
Page 891
And one of those streams, O bull among men, proceeded
towards Drona, and the other with loud cries, proceeded
towards Duryodhana. Then a thick dust arose and
covered all the troops. We could not then see
Arjuna. Only the twang of Gandivas was heard by
us from off the field. Indeed, the twang of Gandiva
was heard, rising above the blare of conchs and the
beat of drums and the noise of other instruments.
Then on the southern part of the field took place
a fierce battle between many foremost warriors on
the one side and Arjuna on the other. I, however,
followed Drona. The various divisions of Yudhishthira’s
force smote the foe on every part of the field.
The diverse divisions of thy son, O Bharata, Arjuna
smote, even as the wind in the summer season destroys
masses of clouds in the welkin. Indeed, as Arjuna
came, scattering clouds of arrows, like Vasava pouring
thick showers of rain, there was none in thy army
who could resist that great fierce bowman, that tiger
among men. Struck by Partha, thy warriors were
in great pain. They fled away, and in flying
killed many among their own number. The arrows
shot by Arjuna, winged Kanka feathers and capable
of penetrating into every body, fell covering all
sides, like flights of locusts. Piercing steeds
and car-warriors and elephants and foot-soldiers,
O sire, like snakes through ant-hills, those shafts
entered the earth. Arjuna never shot arrows, at
any elephant, steed or man. Struck with only one
arrow, each of these, severely afflicted, fell down
deprived of life. With slain men and elephant
and shaft-struck steeds lying all about, and echoing
with yells of dogs and jackals, the field of battle
presented a variegated and awful sight. Pained
with arrows, sire forsook son, and friend forsook friend
and son forsook sire. Indeed, every one was intent
upon protecting his own self. Struck with Partha’s
shafts, many warriors abandoned the very animals that
bore them.’”
SECTION XXIX
“Dhritarashtra said, ’When those divisions
(of mine), O Sanjaya, were broken and routed, and
all of you retreated quickly from the field, what
became the state of your minds? The rallying of
ranks when broken and flying away without beholding
a spot whereon to stand, is always exceedingly difficult.
Tell me all about it, O Sanjaya!’
“Sanjaya said, [Although thy troops were broken],
yet, O monarch, many foremost of heroes in the world,
inspired by the desire of doing good to thy son and
of maintaining their own reputation, followed Drona.
In that dreadful pass, they fearlessly followed their
commander, achieving meritorious feats against the
Pandava troops with weapons upraised, and Yudhishthira
within accessible distance.[58] Taking advantage of
an error of Bhimasena of great energy and of heroic
Satyaki and Dhrishtadyumna, O monarch, the Kuru leaders
fell upon the Pandava Army.[59] The Panchalas urged
their troops, saying, ‘Drona, Drona!’ Thy
Page 892
sons, however, urged all the Kurus, saying, ‘Let
not Drona be slain. Let not Drona be slain!’
One side saying, ‘Slay Drona’, ‘Slay
Drona,’ and the other saying, ’Let not
Drona be slain, ‘Let not Drona be slain,’
the Kurus and the Pandavas seemed to gamble, making
Drona their stake. Dhrishtadyumna, the prince
of the Panchalas, proceeded to the side of all those
Panchala car-warriors whom Drona sought to crush.
Thus no rule was observed as to the antagonist one
night select for battling with him. The strife
became dreadful. Heroes encountered heroes, uttering
loud shouts Their foes could not make the Pandavas
tremble. On the other hand, recollecting all
their woes, the latter made the ranks of their enemies
tremble. Though possessed of modesty, yet excited
with rage and vindictiveness, and urged by energy
and might, they approached that dreadful battle, reckless
of their very lives for slaying Drona. That encounter
of heroes of immeasurable energy, sporting in fierce
battle making life itself the stake, resembled the
collision of iron against adamant. The oldest
men even could not recollect whether they had seen
or heard of a battle as fierce as that which took
place on this occasion. The earth in that encounter,
marked with great carnage and afflicted with the weight
of that vast host, began to tremble. The awful
noise made by the Kuru army agitated and tossed by
the foe, paralysing the very welkin, penetrated into
the midst of even the Pandava host. Then Drona,
coming upon the Pandava divisions by thousands, and
careering over the field, broke them by means of his
whetted shafts. When these were being thus crushed
by Drona of wonderful achievements, Dhrishtadyumna,
the generalissimo of the Pandava host, filled with
rage himself checked Drona. The encounter that
we beheld between Drona and the prince of the Panchalas
was highly wonderful. It is my firm conviction
that it has no parallel.
“Then Nila, resembling a veritable fire, his
arrows constituting its sparks and his bow its flame,
began to consume the Kuru ranks, like a conflagration
consuming heaps of dry grass. The valiant son
of Drona, who from before had been desirous of an
encounter with him, smilingly addressed Nila as the
latter came consuming the troops, and said unto him
these polite words,[60] ’O Nila, what dost thou
gain by consuming so many common soldiers with thy
arrowy flames? Fight with my unaided self, and
filled with rage, strike me.’ Thus addressed,
Nila, the brightness of whose face resembled the splendour
of a full-blown lotus, pierced Aswatthaman, whose
body resembled an assemblage of lotuses and whose eyes
were like lotus-petals with his shafts. Deeply
and suddenly pierced by Nila, Drona’s son with
three broad-headed arrows, cut off his antagonist’s
bow and standard and umbrella. Quickly jumping
down from his car, Nila, then, with a shield and an
excellent sword, desired to sever from Aswatthaman’s
trunk his head like a bird (bearing away its prey in
Page 893
its talons). Drona’s son, however, O sinless
one, by means of a bearded arrow, cut off, from his
antagonist’s trunk, his head graced with a beautiful
nose and decked with excellent ear-rings, and which
rested on elevated shoulders. That hero, then,
the brightness of whose face resembled the splendour
of the full moon and whose eyes were like lotus-petals,
whose stature was tall, and complexion like that of
the lotus, thus slain, fell down on the earth.
The Pandava host then, filled with great grief, began
to tremble, when the Preceptor’s son thus slew
Nila of blazing energy. The great car-warriors
of the Pandavas, O sire, all thought, ’Alas,
how would Indra’s son (Arjuna) be able to rescue
us from the foe, when that mighty warrior is engaged
on the southern part of the field in slaughtering
the remnant of the Samsaptakas and the Narayana force?’”
SECTION XXX
“Sanjaya said, ’Vrikodara, however, could
not brook that slaughter of his army. He struck
Valhika with sixty and Karna with ten arrows.
Drona then, desirous of slaying Bhima, quickly struck
the latter, in his very vitals, many straight and
whetted shafts of keen edge. Desirous again of
allowing no time, he once more struck him with, six
and twenty shafts whose touch resembled that of fire
and which were all like snakes of virulent poison.
Then Karna pierced him with a dozen shafts, and Aswatthaman
with seven, and king Duryodhana also with six.
The mighty Bhimasena, in return, pierced them all.
He struck Drona with fifty shafts, and Karna with ten.
And piercing Duryodhana with a dozen shafts, and Drona
with eight, he engaged in that battle uttering a loud
shout. In that encounter in which the warriors
fought reckless of their lives and in which death was
easy of attainment, Ajatasattru despatched many warriors,
urging them to rescue Bhima. Those heroes of
immeasurable energy, viz., the two son of Madri
and Pandu, and others headed by Yuyudhana, quickly
proceeded to Bhimasena’s side. And those
bulls among men, filled with rage and uniting together,
advanced to battle, desirous of breaking the army of
Drona that was protected by many foremost of bowmen.
Indeed, those great car-warriors of mighty energy,
viz., Bhima and others, fell furiously upon Drona’s
host. Drona, however, that foremost of car-warriors,
received without any anxiety, all those mighty car-warriors,
of great strength,—those heroes accomplished
in battle. Disregarding their kingdoms and casting
off all fear of death, the warriors of thy army proceeded
against the Pandavas. Horsemen encountered horsemen,
and car-warriors encountered car-warriors. The
battle proceeded, darts against darts, swords against
swords, axes against axes. A fierce encounter
with swords took place, producing a terrible carnage.
And in consequence of the collision of elephants against
elephants the battle became furious. Some fell
down from the backs of elephants, and some from the
Page 894
backs of steeds, with heads downwards. And others,
O sire, fell down from cars, pierced with arrows.
In that fierce press, as some one fell down deprived
of armour, an elephant might be seen attacking him
in the chest and crushing his head. Elsewhere
might be seen elephants crushing numbers of men fallen
down on the field. And many elephants, piercing
the earth with their tusks (as they fell down), were
seen to tear therewith large bodies of men. Many
elephants, again, with arrows sticking to their trunks,
wandered over the field, tearing and crushing men by
hundreds. And some elephants were seen pressing
down into the earth fallen warriors and steeds and
elephants cased in armour of black iron, as if these
were only thick reeds. Many kings, graced with
modesty, their hour having come, laid themselves down
(for the last sleep) on painful beds, overlaid with
vultures’ feathers. Advancing to battle
on his car, sire slew son; and son also, through madness
all losing regard, approached-sire in battle.
The wheels of cars were broken; banners were torn;
umbrellas fell down on the earth. Dragging broken
yokes, steeds ran away. Arms with swords in grasp,
and heads decked with ear-rings fell down. Cars,
dragged by mighty elephants, thrown down on the ground,
were reduced to fragments. Steeds with riders
fell down, severely wounded by elephants. That
fierce battle went on, without anybody showing any
regard for any one. ’Oh father!—Oh
son!—Where art thou, friend?—Wait!—Where
dost thou go!—Strike!—Bring!
Slay this one!’—these and diverse
other cries, with loud laughs and shouts, and roars
were uttered and heard there. The blood of human
beings and steeds and elephants, mingled together.
The earthy dust disappeared. The hearts of all
timid persons became cheerless. Here a hero getting
his car-wheel entangled with the car-wheel of another
hero, and the distance being too near to admit of the
use of other weapons, smashed that other’s head
by means of his mace. Brave combatants, desirous
of safety where there was no safety, dragged one another
by the hair, and fought fiercely with fists, and teeth
and nails. Here was a hero whose upraised arm
with sword in grasp was cut off, There another’s
arm was lopped off with bow, or arrow or hook in grasp.
Here one loudly called upon another. There another
turned his back on the field. Here one severed
another’s head from his trunk, getting him within
reach. There another rushed with loud shouts Upon
an enemy. Here one was filled with fear at another’s
roar. There another slew with sharp shafts a
friend or a foe. Here an elephant, huge as a hill,
slain with a long shaft, fell down en the field and
lay like a flat island in a river during the summer
season. There an elephant, with sweat trickling
down its body, like a mountain with rills flowing
adown its breast, steed, having crushed by its tread
a car-warrior with his steeds and charioteer on the
field. Beholding brave warriors, accomplished
Page 895
in arms and covered with blood, strike one another,
they that were timid and of weak hearts, lost their
senses. In fact, all became cheerless. Nothing
could any longer be distinguished. Overwhelmed
with the dust raised by the troops, the battle became
furious. Then the commander of the Pandava forces
saying, ‘This is the time,’ speedily led
the Pandavas on those heroes that are always endued
with great activity. Obeying his behest, the
mighty-armed Pandavas, smiting (the Katirava army)
proceeded towards Drona’s car like swans towards
a lake,—’Seize him,’—–’Do
not fly away,’—’Do not fear,’—’Cut
into pieces,’—these uproarious cries
were heard in the vicinity of Drona’s car.
Then Drona and Kripa, and Karna and Drona’s
son, and king Jayadratha, and Vinda and Anuvinda of
Avanti, and Salya, received those heroes. Those
irresistible and invincible warriors, however, viz.,
the Panchalas and the Pandavas, inspired by noble
sentiments, did not, though afflicted with shafts,
avoid Drona. Then Drona, excited with great rage,
shot hundreds of shafts, and caused a great carnage
amongst the Chedis, the Panchalas, and the Pandavas.
The twang of his bowstring and the slaps of his palms,
were, O sire, heard on all sides. And they resembled
the roar of thunder and struck fear into the hearts
of all. Meanwhile, Jishnu, having vanquished large
number of Samsaptakas, quickly came to that place
where Drona was grinding the Pandava troops.
Having crossed many large lakes whose waters were
constituted by blood, and whose fierce billows and
eddies were constituted by shafts, and having slain
the Samsaptakas, Phalguni showed himself there.
Possessed of great fame and endued as he was with the
energy of the Sun himself, Arjuna’s emblem, viz.,
his banner bearing the ape, was beheld by us to blaze
with splendour. Having dried up the Samsaptaka
ocean by means of weapons that constituted his rays,
the son of Pandu then blasted the Kurus also, as if
he were the very Sun that arises at the end of the
Yuga. Indeed, Arjuna scorched all the Kurus by
the heat of his weapons, like the fire[61] that appears
at the end of the Yuga, burning down all creatures.
Struck by him with thousands of shafts, elephant warriors
and horsemen and car-warriors fell down on the earth,
with dishevelled hair, and exceedingly afflicted with
those arrowy showers, some uttered cries of distress.
Others set up loud shouts. And some struck with
the shafts of Partha, fell down deprived of life.
Recollecting the practices of (good) warriors, Arjuna
struck not those combatants among the foe that had
fallen down, or those that were retreating, or those
that were unwilling to fight. Deprived of their
cars and filled with wonder, almost all the Kauravas,
turning away from the field, uttered cries of Oh and
Alas and called upon Karna (for protection).
Hearing that din made by the Kurus, desirous of protection,
Adhiratha’s son (Karna), loudly assuring the
troops with the words ’Do not fear’ proceeded
Page 896
to face Arjuna. Then (Karna) that foremost of
Bharata car-warriors, that delighter of all the Bharatas,
that first of all persons acquainted with weapons,
invoked into existence the Agneya weapon. Dhananjaya,
however, baffled by means of his own arrowy downpours
the flights of arrows shot by Radha’s son, that
warrior of the blazing bow, that hero of bright shafts.
And similarly, Adhiratha’s son also baffled
the shafts of Arjuna of supreme energy. Resisting
Arjuna’s weapons thus by his own, Karna uttered
loud shouts and shot many shafts at his antagonist.
Then Dhristadyumna and Bhima and the mighty car-warrior
Satyaki, all approached Karna, and each of them pierced
in with three straight shafts. The son of Radha,
however, checking Arjuna’s weapons by his own
arrowy showers, cut off with three sharp shafts the
bows of those three warriors. Their bows cut off,
they looked like snakes without poison. Hurling
darts at their foe from their respective cars, they
uttered loud leonine shouts. Those fierce darts
of great splendour and great impetuosity, looking
like snakes, hurled from those mighty arms, coursed
impetuously towards Karna’s car. Cutting
each of those darts with three straight arrows and
speeding many arrows at the same time at Partha, the
mighty Karna uttered a loud shout. Then Arjuna
piercing Karna with seven shafts, despatched the latter’s
younger brother by means of his sharp shafts.
Slaying Satrunjaya thus with six arrows, Partha, with
a broad-headed shaft, struck off Vipatha’s head
as the latter stood on his car. In the very sight
of the Dhritarashtras, therefore, as also of the Suta’s
son, the three uterine brothers of the latter were
despatched by Arjuna unaided by any one. Then
Bhima, jumping down from his own car, like a second
Garuda, slew with his excellent sword five and ten
combatants amongst those that supported Karna.
Mounting once more on his car and taking up another
bow, he pierced Karna with ten shafts and his charioteer
and steeds with five. Dhrishtadyumna also taking
up a sword and a bright shield; despatched Charmavarman
and also Vrihatkshatra, the ruler of the Naishadhas.
The Panchala prince then, mounting upon his own car
and taking up another bow, pierced Karna with three
and seventy shafts, and uttered a loud roar. Sini’s
grandson also, of splendour equal to that of Indra
himself, taking up another bow pierced Suta’s
son with four and sixty shafts and roared like a lion.
And cutting off Karna’s bow with a couple of
well-shot shafts, he once more pierced Karna on the
arms and the chest with three arrows. The king
Duryodhana, and Drona and Jayadratha, rescued Karna
from the Satyaki-ocean, as the former was about to
sink into it. And foot-soldiers and steeds and
cars and elephants, belonging to thy army and numbering
by hundreds, all accomplished in smitting rushed to
the spot where Karna was frightening (his assailants).
Then Dhrishtadyumna, and Bhima and Subhadra’s
son, and Arjuna himself, and Nakula, and Sahadeva,
Page 897
began to protect Satyaki in that battle. Even
thus went on that fierce battle for the destruction
of bowmen belonging to thy army and of the enemy’s.
All the combatants fought, reckless of their very
lives. Infantry and cars and steeds and elephants
were engaged with cars and infantry. Car-warriors
were engaged with elephants and foot-soldiers and steeds,
and cars and foot-soldiers were engaged with cars and
elephants. And steeds were seen engaged with
steeds, and elephants with elephants, and foot-soldiers
with foot-soldiers. Even thus did that battle,
marked by great confusion, take place, enhancing the
delight of cannibals and carnivorous creatures, between
those high-souled men facing one another fearlessly.
Indeed, it largely swelled the population of Yama’s
kingdom. Large numbers of elephants and cars
and foot-soldiers and steeds were destroyed by men,
cars, steeds and elephants. And elephants were
slain by elephants, and car-warriors with weapons
upraised by car-warriors, and steeds by steeds, and
large bodies of foot-soldiers. And elephants were
slain by cars, and large steeds by large elephants
and men by steeds; and steeds by foremost of car-warriors.
With tongues lolling out, and teeth and eyes pressed
out of their places, with coats of mail and ornaments
crushed into dust, the slaughtered creatures fell down
on the field. Others, again, of terrible mien
were struck and thrown down on the earth by others
armed with diverse and excellent weapons and sunk into
the earth by the tread of steeds and elephants, and
tortured and mangled by heavy cars and car wheels.
And during the progress of that fierce carnage so
delightful to beasts of prey and carnivorous birds
and cannibals, mighty combatants, filled with wrath,
and slaughtering one another careered over the field
putting forth all their energy. Then when both
the hosts were broken and mangled, the warriors bathed
in blood, looked at each other. Meanwhile, the
Sun went to his chambers in the western hills, and
both the armies, O Bharata, slowly retired to their
respective tents.
SECTION XXXI
(Abhimanyu-badha Parva)
“Sanjaya said, ’Having been first broken
by Arjuna of immeasurable prowess, and owing also
to the failure of Drona’s vow, in consequence
of Yudhishthira having been well-protected, thy warriors
were regarded as defeated. All of them with coats
of mail torn and covered with dust, cast anxious glances
around. Retiring from the field with Drona’s
consent, after having been vanquished by their enemies
of sure aim and humiliated by them in battle, they
heard, as they proceeded, the countless merits of
Phalguni praised by all creatures, and the friendship
of Kesava for Arjuna spoken of by all. They passed
the night like men under a curse, reflecting upon
the course of events and observing perfect silence.
Page 898
“Next morning, Duryodhana said unto Drona, these
words, from petulance and wrath, and in great cheerlessness
of heart at the sight of the prosperity of their foe.
Skilled in speech, and filled with rage at the success
of the foe, the king said these words in the hearing
of all the troops, ’O foremost of regenerate
ones, without doubt thou hast set us down for men
who should be destroyed by thee. Thou didst not
seize Yudhishthira today even though thou hadst got
him within thy reach. That foe whom thou wouldst
seize in battle is incapable of escaping thee if once
thou gettest him within sight, even if he be protected
by the Pandavas, aided by the very gods. Gratified,
thou gavest me a boon; now, however, thou dost not
act according to it. They that are noble (like
thee), never falsify the hopes of one devoted to them.’
Thus addressed by Duryodhana, Bharadwaja’s son
felt greatly ashamed. Addressing the king, he
said, ’It behoveth thee not to take me to be
such. I always endeavour to achieve what is agreeable
to thee. The three worlds with the gods, the
Asuras, the Gandharvas, the Yakshas, the Nagas and
the Rakshasas, cannot defeat the force that is protected
by the diadem-decked (Arjuna). There where Govinda,
the Creator of the universe is, and there where Arjuna
is the commander, whose might can avail, save three-eyed
Mahadeva’s, O lord? O sire, I tell the
truly today and it will not be otherwise. Today,
I will slay a mighty car-warrior, one of the foremost
heroes of the Pandavas. Today I will also form
an array that impenetrable by the very gods.
Do, however, O king, by some means take Arjuna away
from the field. There is nothing that he doth
not know or cannot achieve in battle. From various
places hath he acquired all that is to be known about
battle.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’After Drona had said
these words, the Samsaptakas once more challenged
Arjuna to battle and took him away to the southern
side of the field. Then an encounter took place
between Arjuna and his enemies, the like of which
had never been seen or heard of. On the other
hand, the array formed by Drona, O king, looked resplendent.
Indeed, that array was incapable of being looked at
like the sun himself when in his course he reaches
the meridian and scorches (everything underneath).
Abhimanyu, at the command, O Bharata, of his sire’s
eldest brother, pierced in battle that impenetrable
circular array in many places. Having achieved
the most difficult feats and slain heroes by thousands,
he was (at last) encountered by six heroes together.
In the end, succumbing to Duhsasana’s son, O
lord of earth, Subhadra’s son, O chastiser of
foes, gave up his life. At this we were filled
with great joy and the Pandavas with great grief.
And after Subhadra’s son had been slain, our
troops were withdrawn for nightly rest.’
Page 899
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Hearing, O Sanjaya,
of the slaughter of the son (Abhimanyu), yet in his
minority, of that lion among men, (viz., Arjuna),
my heart seems to break into pieces. Cruel, indeed,
are the duties of Kshatriyas as laid down by the legislators,
in as much as brave men, desirous of sovereignty scrupled
not to shoot their weapons at even a child. O
son of Gavalgana, tell me how so many warriors, accomplished
in arms, slew that child who, though brought up in
luxury, yet careered over the field so fearlessly.
Tell me, O Sanjaya, how our warriors behaved in battle
with Subhadra’s son immeasurable energy who had
penetrated into our car-array.’
“Sanjaya said, ’That which thou askest
me, O king, viz., the slaughter of Subhadra’s
son, I will describe to thee in detail. Listen,
O monarch, with attention. I shall relate to
thee how that youth, having penetrated into our ranks,
played with his weapons, and how the irresistible heroes
of thy army, all inspired by hope of victory, were
afflicted by him. Like the denizens of a forest
abounding with plants and herbs and trees, when surrounded
on all sides by a forest conflagration, the warriors
of thy army were all filled with fear.’”
SECTION XXXII
“Sanjaya said, ’Of fierce deeds in battle
and above all fatigue, as proved by their feats, five
sons of Pandu, with Krishna, are incapable of being
resisted by the very gods. In righteousness, in
deeds, in lineage, in intelligence, in achievements,
in fame, in prosperity, there never was, and there
never will be, another man so endued as Yudhishthira.
Devoted to truth and righteousness, and with passions
under control, king Yudhishthira, in consequence of
his worship of the Brahmans and, diverse other virtues
of similar nature, is always in the enjoyment of Heaven.
The Destroyer himself at the end of the Yuga, Jamadagni’s
valiant son (Rama), and Bhimasena on his car,—these
three, O king, are spoken of as equal. Of Partha,
the wielder of Gandiva, who always achieveth his vows
in battle, I do not see a proper parallel on earth.
Reverence for superiors, keeping counsels, humility,
self-restraint, beauty of person, and bravery—these
six—are ever present in Nakula. In
knowledge of scriptures, gravity, sweetness of temper,
righteousness and prowess, the heroic Sahadeva is
equal to the Aswins themselves. All those noble
qualities that are in Krishna, all those that are in
the Pandavas, all that assemblage of qualities was
to be found in Abhimanyu alone. In firmness,
he was equal to Yudhishthira, and in conduct to Krishna;
in feats, he was the equal to Bhimasena of terrible
deeds, in beauty of person, in prowess, and in knowledge
of scriptures he was the equal to Dhananjaya.
In humility, he was equal to Sahadeva and Nakula.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’I desire, O Suta,
to hear in detail, how the invincible Abhimanyu, the
son of Subhadra, hath been slain on the field of battle.’
Page 900
“Sanjaya continued, ’Be still, O king!
Bear thy grief that is so unbearable. I shall
speak to thee of the great slaughter of thy kinsmen.
“The preceptor, O king, had formed the great
circular array. In it were placed all the kings
(of our side) that are each equal to Sakra himself.
At the entrance were stationed all the princes possessed
of solar effulgence. All of them had taken oaths
(about standing by one another). All of them
had standards decked with gold. All of them were
attired in red robes, and all had red ornaments.
All of them had red banners and all were adorned with
garlands of gold, smeared with sandal-paste and other
perfumed unguents; they were decked with floral wreaths.
In a body they rushed towards Arjuna’s son,
desirous of battle. Firm bowmen, all they numbered
ten thousand. Placing thy handsome grandson, Lakshmana,
at their head, all of them, sympathising with one
another in joy and grief, and emulating one another
in feats of courage, desiring to excel one another,
and devoted to one another’s good, they advanced
to battle. Duryodhana, O monarch, was stationed
in the midst of his forces. And the king was
surrounded by the mighty car-warriors, Karna, Duhsasana,
and Kripa, and had a white umbrella held over his
head. And fanned with yak tails, he looked resplendent
like the chief of the celestials. And at the head
of that army was the commander Drona looking like
the rising sun.[62] And there stood the ruler of the
Sindhus, of great beauty of person, and immovable
like the cliff of Meru. Standing by the side of
the ruler of the Sindhus and headed by Aswatthaman,
were, O king, thy thirty sons, resembling the very
gods. There also on Jayadratha’s flank,
were those mighty car-warriors, viz., the ruler
of Gandhara, i.e., the gamester (Sakuni), and
Salya, and Bhurisrava. Then commenced, the battle,
fierce, and making the hairs stand on their ends,
between thy warriors and those of the foe. And
both sides fought, making death itself the goal.’”
SECTION XXXIII
“Sanjaya said, ’The Parthas then, headed
by Bhimasena, approached that invincible array protected
by Bharadwaja’s son. And Satyaki, and Chekitana,
and Dhrishtadyumna. the son of Prishata, and Kuntibhoja
of great prowess, and the mighty car-warrior Drupada.
and Arjuna’s son (Abhimanyu), and Kshatradharman,
and the valiant Vrihatkshatra, and Dhrishtaketu, the
ruler of the Chedis, and the twin sons of Madri, (viz.,
Nakula and Sahadeva), and Ghatotkacha, and the powerful
Yudhamanyu and the unvanquished Sikhandin, and the
irresistible Uttamaujas and the mighty car-warrior
Virata, and the five sons of Draupadi,—these
all excited with wrath, and the valiant son of Sisupala,
and the Kaikeyas of mighty energy, and the Srinjayas
by thousands,—these and others, accomplished
in weapons and difficult of being resisted in battle,
suddenly rushed, at the head of their respective followers,
Page 901
against Bharadwaja’s son, from a desire of battle.
The valiant son of Bharadwaja, however, fearlessly
checked all those warriors, as soon as they came near,
with a thick shower of arrows. Like a mighty wave
of waters coming against an impenetrable hill, or
the surging sea itself approaching its bank, those
warriors were pushed back by Drona. And the Pandavas,
O king, afflicted by the shafts shot from Drona’s
bow, were unable to stay before him. And the
strength of Drona’s arms that we saw was wonderful
in the extreme, inasmuch as the Panchalas and the
Srinjayas failed to approach him. Beholding Drona
advancing in rage. Yudhishthira thought of diverse
means for checking his progress. At last, regarding
Drona incapable of being resisted by any one else,
Yudhishthira placed that heavy and unbearable burden
on the son of Subhadra. Addressing Abhimanyu,
that slayer of hostile heroes, who was not inferior
to Vasudeva himself and whose energy was superior
to that of Arjuna, the king said, ’O child, act
in such a way that Arjuna, returning (from the Samsaptakas),
may not reprove us. We do not know how to break
the circular array. Thyself, or Arjuna or Krishna,
or Pradyumna, can pierce that array. O mighty-armed
one, no fifth person can be found (to achieve that
teat). O child, it behoveth thee, O Abhimanyu,
to grant the boon that thy sires, thy maternal uncles,
and all these troops ask of thee. Taking up thy
arms quickly, destroy this array of Drona, else Arjuna,
returning from the fight, will reprove us all.’
“Abhimanyu said, ’Desiring victory to
my sires, soon shall I in battle penetrate into that
firm, fierce and foremost of arrays formed by Drona.
I have been taught by my father the method of (penetrating
and) smiting this kind of array. I shall not
be able, however, to come out if any kind of danger
overtakes me.’
“Yudhishthira said, ’Break this array
once, O foremost of warriors, and make a passage for
us. All of us will follow thee in the track by
which thou wilt go. In battle, thou art equal
to Dhananjaya himself. Seeing thee enter, we
shall follow thee, protecting thee on all sides.’
“Bhima said, ’I myself will follow thee,
and Dhrishtadyumna and Satyaki, and the Panchalas,
and the Prabhadrakas. After the array once is
broken by thee, will enter it repeatedly and slay
the foremost warriors within it.’
“Abhimanyu said, ’I will penetrate into
this invincible array of Drona, like an insect filled
with rage entering a blazing fire. Today, I will
do that which will be beneficial to both races (viz.,
my sire’s and my mother’s). I will
do that which will please my maternal uncle as also
my mother. Today all creatures will behold large
bodies of hostile soldiers continually slaughtered
by myself, an unaided child. If anybody, encountering
me, escapes today with life, I shall not then regard
myself begotten by Partha and born of Subhadra.
If on a single car I cannot in battle cut off the
whole Kshatriya race into eight fragments, I will not
regard myself the son of Arjuna.’[63]
Page 902
“Yudhishthira said, ’Since protected by
these tigers among men, these great bowmen endued
with fierce might, these warriors that resemble the
Sadhyas, the Rudras, or the Maruts, or are like the
Vasus, or Agni or Aditya himself in prowess, thou
venturest to pierce the invincible array of Drona,
and since thou speakest so, let thy strength, O son
of Subhadra be increased.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’Hearing these words
of Yudhishthira, Abhimanyu ordered his charioteer,
Sumitra, saying, Quickly urge the steeds towards Drona’s
army.’”
SECTION XXXIV
“Sanjaya said, ’Hearing these words of
the intelligent Yudhishthira, the son of Subhadra,
O Bharata, urged his charioteer towards Drona’s
array. The charioteer, urged by him with the
words, ‘Proceed, Proceed,’ replied unto
Abhimanyu, O king, in these words, ’O thou that
art blest with length of days, heavy is the burthen
that hath been placed upon thee by the Pandavas!
Ascertaining by thy judgment as to whether thou art
able to bear it or not, thou shouldst then engage
in battle. The preceptor Drona is a master of
superior weapons and accomplished (in battle).
Thou, however, hast been brought up in great luxury
and art unused to battle.’
“Hearing these words, Abhimanyu replied unto
his charioteer, saying with a laugh, ’O charioteer,
who is this Drona? What, again, is this vast
assemblage of Kshatriyas? Sakra himself on his
Airavata and aided by all the celestials, I would
encounter in battle. I do not feel the slightest
anxiety about all these Kshatriyas today. This
hostile army doth not come up to even a sixteen part
of myself. O son of a Suta, getting my maternal
uncle Vishnu himself, the conqueror of the universe
or my sire, Arjuna, as an antagonist in battle, fear
would not enter my heart.’ Abhimanyu then,
thus disregarding those words of the charioteer, urged
the latter, saying, ‘Go with speed towards the
army of Drona.’ Thus commanded, the charioteer,
with a heart scarcely cheerful, urged Abhimanyu’s
three-year old steeds, decked with golden trappings.
Those coursers, urged by Sumitra towards Drona’s
army, rushed towards Drona himself, O king, with great
speed and prowess. Beholding him coming (towards
them) in that way, al! the Kauravas, headed by Drona,
advanced against him, as, indeed, the Pandavas followed
him behind. Then Arjuna’s son, superior
to Arjuna’s self eased in golden mail and owning
an excellent standard that bore the device of a Karnikara
tree, fearlessly encountered, from desire of battle,
warriors headed by Drona, like a lion-cub assailing
a herd of elephants. Those warriors then, filled
with joy, began to strike Abhimanyu while he endeavoured
to pierce their array. And for a moment an agitation
took place there, like to the eddy that is seen in
the ocean where the current of the Ganga mingles with
it. The battle, O king, that commenced there,
between those struggling heroes striking one another,
Page 903
became fierce and terrible. And during the progress
of that awful battle, Arjuna’s son, in the very
sight of Drona, breaking that array, penetrated into
it. Then large bodies of elephants and steeds
and cars and infantry, filled with joy, encompassed
that mighty warrior after he had thus penetrated into
the midst of the foe, and commenced to smite him.
[Causing the earth to resound] with noise of diverse
musical instruments, with shouts and slaps of arm-pits
and roars, with yells and leonine shouts, with exclamations
of ‘Wait, Wait,’ with fierce confused voices
with cries of, ‘Do not go, Wait, Come to me’,
with repeated exclamations of, ‘This one, It
is I, The foe,’ with grunt of elephants, with
the tinkling of bells and ornaments, with bursts of
laughter, and the clatter of horse-hoofs and car-wheels,
the (Kaurava) warriors rushed at the son of Arjuna.
That mighty hero, however, endued with great lightness
of hands and having a knowledge of the vital parts
of the body, quickly shooting weapons capable of penetrating
into the very vitals, stew those advancing warriors.
Slaughtered by means of sharp shafts of diverse kinds,
those warriors became perfectly helpless, and like
insects falling upon a blazing fire, they continued
to fall upon Abhimanyu on the field of battle.
And Abhimanyu strewed the earth with their bodies and
diverse limbs of their bodies like priests strewing
the altar at a sacrifice with blades of Kusa grass.
And Arjuna’s son cut off by thousands the arms
of those warriors. And some of these were eased
in corslets made of iguana skin and some held bows
and shafts, and some held swords or shields or iron
hooks and reins; and some, lances of battle axes.
And some held maces or iron balls or spears and some,
rapiers and crow-bars and axes. And some grasped
short arrows, or spiked maces, or darts, or Kampanas.
And some had goads and prodigious conchs; and some
bearded darts and Kachagrahas. And some had mallets
and some other kinds of missiles. And some had
nooses, and some heavy clubs, and some brickbats.
And all those arms were decked with armlets and laved
with delightful perfumes and unguents. And with
those arms dyed with gore and looking bright the field
of battle became beautiful, as if strewn, O sire, with
five-headed snakes slain by Garuda. And Phalguni’s
son also scattered over the field of battle countless
heads of foes, heads graced with beautiful noses and
faces and locks, without pimples, and adorned with
ear-rings. Blood flowed from those heads copiously,
and the nether-lips in all were bit with wrath.
Adorned with beautiful garlands and crowns and turbans
and pearls and gems, and possessed of splendour equal
to that of the sun or the moon, they seemed to be
like lotuses severed from their stalks. Fragrant
with many perfumes, while life was in them, they could
speak words both agreeable and beneficial. Diverse
cars, well-equipped, and looking like the vapoury
edifices in the welkin, with shafts in front and excellent
Page 904
bamboo poles and looking beautiful with the standards
set up on them, were deprived of their Janghas, and
Kuvaras, and Nemis, and Dasanas, and wheels, and standards
and terraces. And the utensils of war in them
were all broken.[64] And the rich clothes with which
they were overlaid, were blown away, and the warriors
on them were slain by thousands. Mangling everything
before him with his shafts, Abhimanyu was seen coursing
on all sides. With his keen-edged weapons, he
cut into pieces elephant-warriors, and elephants with
standards and hooks and banners, and quivers and coats
of mail, and girths and neck-ropes and blankets, and
bells and trunks and tusks as also the foot-soldiers
that protected those elephants from behind. And
many steeds of the Vanayu, the hilly, the Kamvoja,
and the Valhika breeds, with tails and ears and eyes
motionless and fixed, possessed of great speed, well-trained,
and ridden by accomplished warriors armed with swords
and lances, were seen to be deprived of the excellent
ornaments on their beautiful tails. And many
lay with tongues lolling out and eyes detached from
their sockets, and entrails and livers drawn out.
And the riders on their backs lay lifeless by their
sides. And the rows of bells that adorned them
were all torn. Strewn over the field thus, they
caused great delight to Rakshasas and beasts of prey.
With coats of mail and other leathern armour (casing
their limbs) cut open, they weltered in excreta ejected
by themselves. Thus slaying many foremost of
steeds of thy army, Abhimanyu looked resplendent.
Alone achieving the most difficult feat, like the
inconceivable Vibhu himself in days of old, Abhimanyu
crushed thy vast host of three kinds of forces (cars,
elephants, and steeds), like the three-eyed (Mahadeva)
of immeasurable energy crushing the terrible Asura
host. Indeed, Arjuna’s son, having achieved
in battle feats incapable of being borne by his foes,
everywhere mangled large divisions of foot-soldiers
belonging to thy army. Beholding then thy host
extensively slaughtered by Subhadra’s son single-handed
with his whetted shafts like the Asura host by Skanda
(the celestial generalissimo), thy warriors and thy
sons cast vacant looks on all sides. Their mouths
became dry; their eyes became restless; their bodies
were covered with sweat; and their hairs stood on
their ends. Hopeless of vanquishing their foe,
they set their hearts on flying away from the field.
Desirous of saving their lives, called one another
by their names and the names of their families, and
abandoning their wounded sons and sires and brothers
and kinsmen and relatives by marriage lying around
on the field, they endeavoured to fly away, urging
their steeds and elephants (to their utmost speed).’”
SECTION XXXV
Page 905
“Sanjaya said, ’Beholding his army routed
by Subhadra’s son of immeasurable energy, Duryodhana,
filled with rage, himself proceeded against the former.
Seeing the king turn back towards Subhadra’s
son in battle, Drona, addressing all the (Kaurava)
warriors, said, ’Rescue the king.[65] Before
us, in our very sight, the valiant Abhimanyu is slaying
all he aims at. Rush ye, therefore, speedily against
him, without fear and protect the Kuru king.’
Then many grateful and mighty warriors, having Duryodhana’s
good at heart, and always graced with victory, inspired
with fear, surrounded thy son. And Drona, and
Drona’s son, and Kripa and Karna and Kritavarman
and Suvala’s son, Vrihadvala, and the ruler
of the Madras, and Bhuri, and Bhurisravas, and Sala,
and Paurava and Vrishasena, shooting sharp shafts,
checked Subhadra’s son by means of those arrowy
showers. Confounding him with those showers of
shafts, they rescued Duryodhana. The son of Arjuna,
however, brooked not that act of snatching a morsel
from his mouth. Covering those mighty car-warriors,
their charioteers, and steeds with thick showers of
arrows and causing them to turn back, the son of Subhadra
uttered a leonine roar. Hearing that roar of
his, resembling that of a lion hungering after prey,
these angry car-warriors, headed by Drona, brooked
it not. Encompassing him on all sides, O sire,
with a large body of cars they shot at him showers
of diverse kinds of arrows. The grandson, however,
cut them off in the welkin (before any of them could
reach him) by means of sharp shafts, and then pierced
all of them with his shafts. That feat of his
seemed exceedingly wonderful. Provoked by him
thus by means of those shafts of his that resembled
snakes of virulent poison, they surrounded that unretreating
son of Subhadra, desirous of slaying him. That
sea of (Kaurava) troops, however, O bull of Bharata’s
race, the son of Arjuna singly held in check by means
of his shafts, like the continent resisting the surging
ocean. And among those heroes thus fighting with
and striking one another, viz., Abhimanyu and
his man on one side and all those warriors together
on the other, none turned back from the field.
In that dreadful and fierce battle, Duhsaha pierced
Abhimanyu with nine shafts. And Duhsasana pierced
him with a dozen; and Saradwata’s son Kripa,
with three. And Drona pierced him with seventeen
shafts, each resembling a snake of virulent poison.
And Vivinsati, pierced him with seventy shafts, and
Kritavarman with seven. And Vrihadvala pierced
him with eight, and Aswatthaman with seven shafts.
And Bhurisrava pierced him with three shafts and the
ruler of the Madras with six. And Sakuni pierced
him with two, and king Duryodhana with three shafts.
The valiant Abhimanyu, however, O king, seemingly
dancing on his car, pierced each of those warriors
in return with three shafts. Then Abhimanyu, filled
with rage in consequence of thy sons’ endeavouring
to frighten him thus, displayed the wonderful strength
Page 906
he had acquired from culture and practice. Borne
by his well-broken steeds, endued with the speed of
Garuda or the Wind, and thoroughly obedient to the
behests of him who held their reins, he quickly checked
the heir of Asmaka. Staying before him, the handsome
son of Asmaka, endued with great might, pierced him
with ten shafts and addressing him, said, ‘Wait,
Wait.’ Abhimanyu then, with ten shafts,
cut off the former’s steeds and charioteer and
standard and two arms and bow and head, and caused
them to fall down on the earth, smiling the while.
After the heroic ruler of the Asmakas had thus been
slain by the son of Subhadra, the whole of his force
wavered and began to fly away from the field.
Then Karna and Kripa, and Drona and Drona’s son,
and the ruler of the Gandharas, and Sala and Salya,
and Bhurisravas and Kratha, and Somadatta, and Vivinsati,
and Vrishasena, and Sushena, and Kundavedhin, and
Pratardana, and Vrindaraka and Lalithya, and Pravahu,
and Drighalochana, and angry Duryodhana, showered
their arrows upon him. Then Abhimanyu, excessively
pierced by those great bowmen with their straight
shafts, shot shafts at Karna which was capable of piercing
through every armour and body. That shaft, piercing
through Karna’s coat of mail and then his body,
entered the earth like a snake piercing through an
anthill. Deeply pierced, Karna felt great pain
and became perfectly helpless. Indeed, Karna
began to tremble in that battle like a hill during
an earthquake. Then with three other shafts of
great sharpness, the mighty son of Arjuna, excited
with rage, slew those three warriors, viz., Sushena,
Drighalochana, and Kundavedhin. Meanwhile, Karna
(recovering from the shock) pierced Abhimanyu with
five and twenty shafts. And Aswatthaman struck
him with twenty, and Kritavarman with seven.
Covered all over with arrows, that son of Sakra’s
son, filled with rage, careered over the field.
And he was regarded by all the troops as Yama’s
self armed with the noose. He then scattered over
Salya, who happened to be near him thick showers of
arrows. That mighty-armed warrior then uttered
loud shouts, frightening thy troops therewith.
Meanwhile, Salya, pierced by Abhimanyu accomplished
in weapons, with straight shafts penetrating into
his very vitals, sat down on the terrace of his car
and fainted away. Beholding Salya thus pierced
by the celebrated son of Subhadra, all the troops
fled away in the very sight of Bharadwaja’s
son. Seeing that mighty-armed warrior, viz.,
Salya, thus covered with shafts of golden wings, thy
army fled away like a head of deer attacked by a lion.
And Abhimanyu glorified by the Pitris, the gods, and
Charanas, and Siddhas, as also by diverse classes of
creatures on the earth, with praises about (his heroism
and skill in) battle, looked resplendent like a sacrificial
fire fed with clarified butter.’”
SECTION XXXVI
“Dhritarashtra said, ’While Arjuna’s
son was thus grinding, by means of his straight arrows,
our foremost bowmen, what warriors of my army endeavoured
to check him?’
Page 907
“Sanjaya said, ’Hear, O king, of the splendid
prowess in battle of youthful Abhimanyu while engaged
in breaking the car-ranks (of the Kauravas), protected
by the son of Bharadwaja himself.’
“Beholding the ruler of the Madras disabled
in battle by Subhadra’s son with his shafts,
the younger brother of Salya, filled with wrath, advanced
against Abhimanyu, scattering his shafts. Arjuna’s
son however. endued with great lightness of hand,
cut off his antagonist’s head and charioteer,
his triple bamboo-pole, his bed (on the car), his car-wheels,
his yoke, and shafts and quiver, and car-bottom, by
means of his arrows, as also his banner and every
other implements of battle with which his car was
equipped. So quick were his movements that none
could obtain a sight of his person. Deprived
of life, that foremost and chief of all ornaments
of battle fell down on the earth, like a huge hill
uprooted by a mighty tempest. His followers then,
struck with fear, fled away in all directions.
Beholding that feat of the son of Arjuna, all creatures
were highly gratified, and cheered him, O Bharata,
with loud shouts of ‘Excellent, Excellent!’
“After Salya’s brother had thus been slain,
many followers of his, loudly proclaiming their families,
places of residence, and names, rushed against Arjuna’s
son, filled with rage and armed With diverse weapons.
Some of them were on cars, some on steeds and some
on elephants; and others advanced on foot. And
all of them were endued with fierce might. And
they rushed frightening the son of Arjuna with the
loud whiz of their arrows, the deep roar of their
car-wheels, their fierce whoops and shouts and cries,
their leonine roars, the loud twang of their bow-string,
and the slaps of their palms. And they said,
’Thou shalt not escape us with life today!’
Hearing them say so, the son of Subhadra, smiling the
while, pierced with his shafts those amongst them
that had pierced him first. Displaying diverse
weapons of beautiful look and of great celerity, the
heroic son of Arjuna battled mildly with them.
Those weapons that he had received from Vasudeva and
those that he had received from Dhananjaya, Abhimanyu
displayed in the very same way as Vasudeva and Dhananjaya.
Disregarding the heavy burthen he had taken upon himself
and casting off all fear, he repeatedly shot his arrows.
No interval, again, could be noticed between his aiming
and letting off an arrow. Only his trembling
bow drawn to a circle could be seen on every side,
looking like the blazing disc of the autumnal sun.
And the twang of his bow, and the slap of his palms,
O Bharata, were heard to resound like the roaring of
clouds charged with thunder. Modest, wrathful,
reverential to superiors, and exceedingly handsome,
the son of Subhadra, out of regard for the hostile
heroes, fought with them mildly. Commencing gently,
O king, he gradually became fierce, like the illustrious
maker of the day when autumn comes after the season
of the rains is over. Like the Sun himself shedding
his rays, Abhimanyu, filled with wrath, shot hundreds
and thousands of whetted arrows, furnished with golden
wings. In the very sight of Bharadwaja’s
son, that celebrated warrior covered the car-division
of the Kaurava army with diverse kinds of arrows.[66]
Thereupon, that army thus afflicted by Abhimanyu with
his shafts, turned its back on the field.’”
Page 908
SECTION XXXVII
“Dhritarashtra said, ’My heart, O Sanjaya,
is agitated with different emotions, viz., shame
and gratification, upon hearing that Subhadra’s
son singly held in cheek the whole army of my son.
O son of Gavalgana, ten me everything once more in
detail about the encounter of youthful Abhimanyu,
which seems to have been pretty like Skanda’s
encounter with the Asura host.’
“Sanjaya said, ’I will relate to thee
that fearful encounter that fierce battle, as it took
place between one and the many. Mounted upon his
car, Abhimanyu, with great daring, showered his arrows
on the warriors of thy army mounted on their cars,
all of whom were chastisers of foes, endued with great
courage. Careering with great speed like a circle
of fire, he pierced Drona and Karna, and Kripa, and
Salya and Drona’s son, and Kritavarman of the
Bhoja race, and Vrihadvala, and Duryodhana, and Somadatta,
and mighty Sakuni, and diverse kings and diverse princes
and diverse bodies of troops. While engaged in
slaying his foes by means of superior weapons, the
valiant son of Subhadra, endued with mighty energy,
seemed, O Bharata, to be present everywhere. Beholding
that conduct of Subhadra’s son of immeasurable
energy, thy troops trembled repeatedly. Seeing
that warrior of great proficiency in battle, Bharadwaja’s
son of great wisdom, with eyes expanded in joy, quickly
came towards Kripa, and addressing him said, as if
crushing (by that speech of his) the very vitals of
thy son, O Bharata, the following words, ’Yonder
cometh the youthful son of Subhadra at the head of
the Parthas, delighting all his friends, and king
Yudhishthira, and Nakula, and Sahadeva, and Bhimasena,
the son of Pandu, and all his kinsmen, and relatives
by marriage, and all who are watching the battle as
spectators without taking any part in it. I do
not regard any bowman to be his equal in battle.
If only he entertains the wish, he can slay this vast
host. It seems, that for some reason or other,
he doth not entertain that wish.’ Hearing
these words of Drona, so expressive of the gratification
he felt, thy son, enraged with Abhimanyu, looked at
Drona, faintly smiling the while. Indeed, Duryodhana
said unto Karna and king Valhika and Duhsasana and
the ruler of the Madras and the many other mighty
car-warriors of his army, these words, ’The
preceptor of the entire order of the Kshatriyas,—he
that is the foremost of all conversant with Brahma,
doth not, from stupefaction, wish to slay this son
of Arjuna. None can, in battle, escape the preceptor
with life, not even the Destroyer himself, if the latter
advanceth against the preceptor as a foe. What,
O friend, shall we say then of any mortal? I
say this truly. This one is the son of Arjuna,
and Arjuna is the preceptor’s disciple.
It is for this that the preceptor protecteth this
youth. Disciples and sons and their sons are always
dear to the virtuous people. Protected by Drona,
Page 909
the youthful son of Arjuna regardeth himself valourous.
He is only a fool entertaining a high opinion of himself.
Crush him, therefore, without delay.’ Thus
addressed by the Kuru king, those warriors, O monarch,
excited with rage and desirous of slaying their foe,
rushed, in the very sight of Drona at the son of Subhadra
that daughter of the Satwata race. Duhsasana,
in particular, that tiger among the Kurus, hearing
those words of Duryodhana, answered the latter, saying,
’O monarch, I tell thee that even I will slay
this one in the very sight of the Pandavas and before
the eyes of the Panchalas. I shall certainly
devour the son of Subhadra today, like Rahu swallowing
Surya (sun).’ And once more addressing the
Kuru king loudly, Duhsasana said, ’Hearing that
Subhadra’s son hath been slain by me, the two
Krishnas, who are exceedingly vain, will without doubt,
go to the region of the departed spirits, leaving
this world of men. Hearing then of the death
of the two Krishnas, it is evident that the other sons
born of Pandu’s wives, with all their friends,
will, in course of a single day, cast away their lives
from despair. It is evident, therefore, that
this one foe of thine being slain, all thy foes will
be slain. Wish me well, O king, even I will slay
this foe of thine.’ Having said these words,
O king, thy son Duhsasana, filled with rage and uttering
a loud roar, rushed against the son of Subhadra and
covered him with showers of arrows. Abhimanyu
then, O chastiser of foes, received that son of thine
thus advancing upon him wrathfully, with six and twenty
arrows of sharp points. Duhsasana, however, filled
with rage, and looking like an infuriated elephant,
fought desperately with Abhimanyu, the son of Subhadra
in that battle. Both of them masters in car-fight,
they fought on describing beautiful circles with their
cars, one of them to the left and other to the right.
The warriors then, with their Panavas and Mridangas
and Dundubhis and Krakachas and great Anakas and Bheris
and Jharjaras, caused a deafening noise mingled with
leonine roars, such as arise from the great receptacle
of salt waters!”
SECTION XXXVIII
“Sanjaya said, ’Then the intelligent Abhimanyu,
with limbs mangled with arrows, smilingly addressed
his foe, Duhsasana, stationed before him saying, ’By
good luck it is that I behold in battle that vain hero
arrived before me, who is cruel, who hath cast away
all righteousness, and who brawleth out lustily his
own praises. In the assembly (for the Kurus)
and in the hearing of king Dhritarashtra, thou hadst,
with thy harsh speeches, angered king Yudhishthira.
Relying on the deception of the dice and the skill
(therein) of Suvala’s son, thou hadst also maddened
by success, addressed many delirious speech to Bhima![67]
In consequence of the anger of those illustrious persons,
thou art, at last, about to obtain the fruit of that
conduct of thine![68]. O thou of wicked understanding,
Page 910
obtain thou without delay the fruit[69] of the robbery
of other people’s possessions, wrathfulness,
of thy hatred of peace, of avarice, of ignorance,
of hostilities (with kinsmen), of injustice and persecution,
of depriving my sires—those fierce bowmen—of
their kingdom, and of thy own fierce temper.
I shall today chastise thee with my arrows in the
sight of the whole army. Today, I shall in battle
disburden myself of that wrath which I cherish against
thee. I shall today free myself of the debt I
owe to angry Krishna and to my sire who always craveth
for an opportunity to chastise thee. O Kaurava,
today I shall free myself of the debt I owe to Bhima.
With life thou shalt not escape me, if indeed, thou
dost not abandon the battle.’ Having said
these words, that mighty-armed warrior, that slayer
of hostile heroes, aimed a shaft endued with the splendour
of Yama or of Agni or of the Wind-god, capable of
despatching Duhsasana to the other world. Quickly
approaching Duhsasana’s bosom, that shaft fell
upon his shoulder-joint and penetrated into his body
up to the very wings, like a snake into an ant-hill.
And soon Abhimanyu once more struck him with five and
twenty arrows whose touch resembled that of fire,
and which were sped from his bow drawn to its fullest
stretch, Deeply pierced and greatly pained, Duhsasana,
sat down on the terrace of his car and was, O king,
overtaken by a swoon. Afflicted thus by the arrows
of Subhadra’s son and deprived of his senses,
Duhsasana. was speedily borne away from the midst of
the fight by his charioteer. Beholding this,
the Pandavas, the five sons of Draupadi, Virata, the
Panchalas, and the Kekayas, uttered leonine shouts.
And the troops of the Pandavas, filled with joy, caused
diverse kinds of musical instruments to be beat and
blown. Beholding that feat of Subhadra’s
son they laughed with joy. Seeing that implacable
and proud foe of theirs thus vanquished, those mighty
car-warriors, viz., the (five) sons of Draupadi,
who had on their banners the images of Yama and Maruta
and Sakra and the twin Aswins, and Satyaki, and Chekitana,
and Dhrishtadyumna, and Sikhandin, and the Kekayas,
and Dhrishtaketu, and the Matsyas, Panchalas, and
the Srinjayas, and the Pandavas headed by Yudhishthira,
were filled with joy. And all of them rushed with
speed, desirous of piercing Drona’s array.
Then a dreadful battle took place between the warriors
and those of the foe, All of them were unretreating
heroes, and inspired by desire of victory. During
the progress of that dreadful encounter, Duryodhana,
O monarch, addressing the son of Radha, said, ’Behold,
the heroic Duhsasana, who resembleth the scorching
sun who was hitherto slaying the foe in battle, hath
at last himself succumbed to Abhimanyu. The Pandavas
also, filled with rage and looking fierce like mighty
lions, are rushing towards us, desirous of rescuing
the son of Subhadra.’ Thus addressed, Karna
with rage and desirous of doing good to thy son, rained
Page 911
showers of sharp arrows on the invincible Abhimanyu.
And the heroic Karna, as if in contempt of his antagonist,
also pierced the latter’s followers on the field
of battle, with many excellent shafts of great sharpness.
The high-souled Abhimanyu, however, O king, desirous
of proceeding against Drona, quickly pierced Radha’s
son with three and seventy shafts. No car-warrior
of thy army succeeded at that time in obstructing
the progress towards Drona, of Abhimanyu, who was the
son of Indra’s son and who was afflicting all
the foremost car-warriors of the Kaurava host.
Then Karna, the most honoured of all bowmen, desirous
of obtaining victory, pierced the son of Subhadra
with hundreds of arrows, displacing his best weapons.
That foremost of all persons conversant with weapons,
that valiant disciple of Rama, by means of his weapons,
thus afflicted Abhimanyu who was incapable of being
defeated by foes. Though afflicted in battle
by Radha’s son with showers of weapons, still
Subhadra’s son who resembled a very celestial
(for prowess) felt no pain. With his shafts whetted
on stone and furnished with sharp points, the son
of Arjuna, cutting off the bows of many heroic warriors,
began to afflict Karna in return. With shafts
resembling snakes of virulent poison and shot from
his bow drawn to a circle, Abhimanyu quickly cut off
the umbrella, standard, the charioteer, and the steeds
of Karna, smiling the while. Karna then shot
five straight arrows at Abhimanyu. The son of
Phalguna, however, received them fearlessly. Endued
with great valour and courage, the latter then, in
a moment, with only a single arrow, cut off Karna’s
bow and standard and caused them to drop down on the
ground. Beholding Karna in such distress, his
younger brother, drawing the bow with great force,
speedily proceeded against the son of Subhadra.
The Parthas then, and their followers uttered loud
shouts and beat their musical instruments and applauded
the son of Subhadra [for his heroism].’”
SECTION XXXIX
“Sanjaya said, ’Then the younger brother
of Karna, uttering loud roars, bow in hand, and repeatedly
stretching the bow-string, quickly placed himself
between those two illustrious warriors. And Karna’s
brother, with ten shafts, pierced invincible Abhimanyu
and his umbrella and standard and charioteer and steeds,
smiling the while. Beholding Abhimanyu thus afflicted
with those arrows, although he had achieved those superhuman
feats in the manner of his sire and grandsire, the
warriors of thy army were filled with delight.
Then Abhimanyu, forcibly bending the bow and smiling
the while, with one winged arrow cut off his antagonist’s
head. That head, severed from the trunk, fell
down on the earth. Beholding his brother slain
and overthrown, like a Karnikara tree shaken and thrown
down by the wind from the mountain top, Karna, O monarch,
was filled with pain. Meanwhile, the son of Subhadra,
causing Karna by means of his arrows to turn away
Page 912
from the field, quickly rushed against the other great
bowmen. Then Abhimanyu of fierce energy and great
fame, filled with wrath, broke that host of diverse
forces abounding with elephants and steeds and cars
and infantry. As regards Karna, afflicted by Abhimanyu
with countless shafts, he fled away from the field
borne by swift steeds. The Kaurava array then
broke. When the welkin was covered with Abhimanyu’s
shafts, like flights of locusts or thick showers of
rain, nothing, O monarch, could be distinguished.
Amongst thy warriors thus slaughtered by Abhimanyu
with sharp shafts, none, O monarch, stayed any longer
on the field of battle except the ruler of the Sindhus.
Then that bull among men, viz., the son of Subhadra,
blowing his conch, speedily, fell upon the Bharata
host, O bull of Bharata’s race! Like a burning
brand thrown into the midst of dry grass, Arjuna’s
son began to consume his foes, quickly careering through
the Kaurava army. Having pierced through their
array, he mangled cars and elephants and steeds and
human beings by means of his sharp shafts and caused
the field of battle teem with headless trunks.
Cut off by means of excellent arrows shot from the
bow of Subhadra’s son, the Kaurava warriors fled
away, slaying, as they fled, their own comrades before
them. Those fierce arrows, of terrible effect
whetted on stone and, countless in number, slaying
car-warriors and elephants, steeds, fell fast on the
field. Arms, decked with Angadas and other ornaments
of gold, cut off and hands cased in leathern covers,
and arrows, and bows, and bodies and heads decked with
car-rings and floral wreaths, lay in thousands on
the field. Obstructed with Upashkaras and Adhishthanas
and long poles also with crushed Akshas and broken
wheels and yokes, numbering thousands, With darts and
bows and swords and fallen standards, and with shields
and bows lying all about, with the bodies, O monarch,
of slain Kshatriyas and steeds and elephants, the
field of battle, looking exceedingly fierce, soon became
impassable. The noise made by the princes, as
they called upon One another while slaughtered by
Abhimanyu, became deafening and enhanced the fears
of the timid. That noise, O chief of the Bharatas,
filled all the points of the compass. The son
of Subhadra, rushed against the (Kaurava) troops,
slaying foremost of car-warriors and steeds and elephants,
Quickly consuming his foes, like a fire playing in
the midst of a heap of dry grass, the son of Arjuna
was seen careering through the midst of the Bharata
army. Encompassed as he was by our troops and
covered with dust, none of us could obtain a sight
of that warrior when, O Bharata, he was careening
over the field in all directions, cardinal and subsidiary.
And he took the lives of steeds and elephants and
human warriors, O Bharata, almost incessantly.
And soon after we saw him (come out of the press).
Indeed, O monarch, we beheld him then scorching his
foes like the meridian sun (scorching everything with
his rays). Equal to Vasava himself in battle,
that son of Vasava’s son viz., Abhimanyu,
looked resplendent in the midst of the (hostile) army.’”
Page 913
SECTION XL
“Dhritarashtra said, A mere child in years,
brought up in great luxury, proud of the strength
of his arms, accomplished in battle, endued with great
heroism, the perpetuator of his race, and prepared
to lay down his life—when Abhimanyu penetrated
into the Katirava army, borne on his three-years old
steeds of spirited mettle, was there any of great
warriors, in Yudhishthira’s army, that followed
the son of Arjuna?’
“Sanjaya said, ’Yudhishthira and Bhimasena,
and Sikhandin and Satyaki, and the twins Nakula and
Sahadeva, and Dhrishtadyumna and Virata, and Drupada,
and Kekaya, and Dhristaketu, all filled with wrath,
and the Matsya warrior, rushed to battle. Indeed,
Abhimanyu’s sires accompanied by his maternal
uncles, those smiters of foes, arrayed in order of
battle rushed along the self-same path that Abhimanyu
had created, desirous of rescuing him.. Beholding
those heroes rushing, thy troops turned away from
the fight. Seeing then that vast army of thy son
turning away from the fight, the son-in-law of great
energy rushed to rally them. Indeed, king Jayadratha,
the son of the ruler of the Sindhus, checked, with
all their followers, the Parthas, desirous of rescuing
their son. That fierce and great bowman, viz.
the son of Vriddhakshatra, invoking into existence
celestial weapons resisted the Pandavas, like an elephant
sporting in a low land.’[70]
“Dhritarashtra said, ’I think, Sanjaya,
that heavy was the burthen thrown upon the ruler of
the Sindhus, inasmuch as alone he had to resist the
angry Pandavas desirous of rescuing their son.
Exceedingly wonderful, I think, was the might and
heroism of the ruler of the Sindhus. Tell me
what the high-souled warrior’s prowess was and
how he accomplished that foremost of feats. What
gifts did he make, what libations had he poured, what
sacrifices had he performed, what ascetic austerities
had he well undergone, in consequence of which, single-handed,
he succeeded in checking Parthas excited with wrath?’
“Sanjaya said, ’On the occasion of his
insult to Draupadi, Jayadratha was vanquished by Bhimasena.
From a keen sense of his humiliation, the king practised
the severest of ascetic austerities, desirous of a
boon. Restraining his senses from all objects
dear to them, bearing hunger, thirst and heat, he
reduced his body till his swollen veins became visible.
Uttering the eternal words of the Veda, he paid his
adoration to the god Mahadeva. That illustrious
Deity, always inspired with compassion for his devotees,
at last, became kind towards him. Indeed, Hara,
appearing in a dream unto the ruler of the Sindhus,
addressed him, saying ’Solicit the boon thou
desirest. I am gratified with thee, O Jayadratha!
What dost thou desire?’ Thus addressed by Mahadeva,
Jayadratha, the ruler of the Sindhus, bowed down unto
him and said with joined palms and restrained soul,
’Alone, on a single car, I shall check in battle
Page 914
all the sons of Pandu, endued though they are with
terrible energy and prowess.’ Even this,
O Bharata, was the boon he had solicited. Thus
prayed to that foremost of the deities said unto Jayadratha,
’O amiable one, I grant thee the boon.
Except Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha, thou shalt in
battle check the four other sons of Pandu.’
‘So be it,’ said Jayadratha unto that
Lord of the gods and then awoke, O monarch, from his
slumber. In consequence of that boon which he
had received and of the strength also of his celestial
weapons, Jayadratha, single-handed, held in check the
entire army of the Pandavas. The twang of his
bow-string and the slaps of his palms inspired the
hostile Kshatriyas with fear, filling thy troops,
at the same time with delight. And the Kshatriyas
(of the Kuru army), beholding that the burthen was
taken up by the ruler of the Sindhus, rushed with
loud shouts, O monarch, to that part of the field where
Yudhishthira’s army was.’”
SECTION XLI
“Sanjaya said, ’Thou askest me, O monarch,
about the prowess of the ruler of the Sindhus.
Listen to me as I describe in detail how he fought
with the Pandavas. Large steeds of the Sindhu
breed, well-trained and fleet as the wind, and obedient
to the commands of the charioteer, bore him (on that
occasion). His car, duly equipped, looked like
a vapoury edifice in the welkin. His standard
bearing the device of a large boar in silver, looked
exceedingly beautiful. With his white umbrella
and banners, and the yak-tails with which he was fanned—which
are regal indications—he shone like the
Moon himself in the firmament. His car-fence made
of iron was decked with pearls and diamonds and gems
and gold. And it looked resplendent like the
firmament bespangled with luminous bodies. Drawing
his large bow and scattering countless shafts, he once
more filled up that array in those places where openings
had been made by the son of Arjuna. And he pierced
Satyaki with three arrows, and Vrikodara with eight;
and having pierced Dhrishtadyumna. with sixty arrows,
he pierced Drupada with five sharp ones, and Sikhandin
with ten. Piercing then the Kaikeyas with five
and twenty arrows, Jayadratha pierced each of the five
sons of Draupadi with three arrows. And piercing
Yudhishthira then with seventy arrows, the ruler of
the Sindhus pierced the other heroes of the Pandava
army with thick showers of shafts. And that feat
of his seemed exceedingly wonderful. Then, O
monarch, the valiant son of Dharma, aiming Jayadratha’s
bow, cut it off with a polished and well-tempered shaft,
smiling the while. Within the twinkling, however,
of the eye, the ruler of the Sindhus took up another
bow and piercing Pratha (Yudhishthira) with ten arrows
struck each of the others with three shafts. Marking
that lightness of hands showed by Jayadratha, Bhima
then with three broad-headed shafts, quickly felled
on the earth his bow, standard and umbrella.
Page 915
The mighty Jayadratha then, taking up another bow,
strung it and felled Bhima’s standard and bow
and steeds. O sire! His bow cut off, Bhimasena
then jumping down from that excellent car whose steeds
had been slain, mounted on the car of Satyaki, like
a lion jumping to the top of a mountain. Seeing
this, thy troops were filled with joy. And they
loudly shouted, ‘Excellent! Excellent!’
And they repeatedly applauded that feat of the ruler
of the Sindhus. Indeed, all creatures highly applauded
that feat of his, which consisted in his resisting,
single-handed, all the Pandavas together, excited
with wrath. The path that the son of Subhadra
had made for the Pandavas by the slaughter of numerous
warriors and elephants was then filled up by the ruler
of the Sindhus. Indeed, those heroes, viz.,
the Matsyas, the Panchalas, the Kaikeyas, and the Pandavas,
exerting themselves vigorously, succeeded in approaching
the presence of Jayadratha, but none of them could
bear him. Everyone amongst thy enemies who endeavoured
to pierce the array that had been formed by Drona,
was checked by the ruler of the Sindhus in consequence
of the boon he had got (from Mahadeva).’”
SECTION XLII
“Sanjaya said, ’When the ruler of the
Sindhus checked the Pandavas, desirous of success,
the battle that took place then between thy troops
and the enemy became awful. The invincible son
of Arjuna, of sure aim and mighty energy, having penetrated
in the (Kaurava) array agitated it like a Makara agitating
the ocean. Against that chastiser of foes then,
viz., the son of Subhadra, who was thus agitating
the hostile host with his arrowy showers, the principal
warriors of the Kaurava army rushed, each according
to his rank and precedence. The clash between
them of immeasurable energy, scattering their arrowy
showers with great force, on the one side and Abhimanyu
alone on the other, became awful. The son, of
Arjuna, encompassed on all sides by those enemies with
crowds of cars, slew the charioteer of Vrishasena
and also cut off his bow. And the mighty Abhimanyu
then pierced Vrishasena’s steeds with his straight
shafts, upon which those coursers, with the speed of
the wind, bore Vrishasena away from the battle.
Utilizing that opportunity, Abhimanyu’s charioteer
freed his car from that press by taking it away to
another part of the field. Those numerous car-warriors
then, (beholding this feat) were filled with joy and
exclaimed, ‘Excellent! Excellent!’
Seeing the lion-like Abhimanyu angrily slaying the
foe with his shafts and advancing from a distance.
Vasatiya, proceeding towards him quickly fell upon
him with great force. The latter pierced Abhimanyu
with sixty shafts of golden wings and addressing him,
said, ’As long as I am alive, thou shalt not
escape with life.’ Cased though he was in
an iron coat of mail, the son of Subhadra pierced
him in the chest with a far-reaching shaft. Thereupon
Page 916
Vasatiya fell down on the earth, deprived of life.
Beholding Vasatiya slain, many bulls among Kshatriyas
became filled with wrath, and surrounded thy grandson,
O king, from a desire of slaying him. They approached
him, stretching their countless bows of diverse kinds,
and the battle then that took place between the son
of Subhadra and his foes was exceedingly fierce.
Then the son of Phalguni, filled with wrath, cut off
their arrows and bows, and diverse limbs of their bodies,
and their heads decked with ear-rings and floral garlands.
And arms were seen lopped off, that were adorned with
various ornaments of gold, and that Still held scimitars
and spiked maces and battle-axes and the fingers of
which were still cased in leathern gloves. [And the
earth became strewn][71] with floral wreaths and ornaments
and cloths, with fallen standards, with coats of mail
and shields and golden chains and diadems and umbrellas
and yak-tails; with Upashkaras and Adhishthanas, and
Dandakas, and Vandhuras with crushed Akshas, broken
wheels, and yokes, numbering thousands,[72] with Anukarashas,
and banners, and charioteers, and steeds; as also with
broken cars, and elephants, and steeds. The field
of battle, strewn with slain Kshatriyas endued (while
living) with great heroism,—rulers of diverse
realms, inspired with desire of victory,—presented
a fearful sight. When Abhimanyu angrily careered
over the field of battle in all directions, his very
form became invisible. Only his coat of mail,
decked with gold, his ornaments, and bow and shafts,
could be seen. Indeed, while he slew the hostile
warriors by means of his shafts, staying in their
midst like the sun himself in his blazing effulgence,
none could gaze at him with his eyes.’”
SECTION XLIII
“Sanjaya said, ’Engaged in taking the
lives of brave warriors, Arjuna’s son then resembled
the Destroyer himself, when the latter takes the lives
of all creatures on the arrival of the Universal Dissolution.
Possessed of prowess resembling that of Sakra himself,
the mighty son of Sakra’s son, viz., Abhimanyu,
agitating the Katirava army looked exceedingly resplendent.
Penetrating into the Katirava host, O king, that destroyer
of foremost Kshatriyas resembling Yama himself, seized
Satvasravas, like an infuriated tiger seizing a deer.
Beholding Satyasrayas, seized by him, many mighty
car-warriors, taking up diverse kinds of weapons, rushed
upon him. Indeed, those bulls among Kshatriyas,
from a spirit of rivalry, rushed at the son of Arjuna
from desire of slaying him, all exclaiming, ‘I
shall go first, I shall go first!’ As a whale
in the sea obtaining a shoal of small fish seizes
them with the greatest ease, even so did Abhimanyu
receive that whole division of the rushing Kshatriyas.
Like rivers that never go back when they approach
the sea, none amongst those unretreating Kshatriyas
turned back when they approached Abhimanyu. That
army then reeled like a boat tossed on the ocean when
Page 917
overtaken by a mighty tempest, (with its crew) afflicted
with panic caused by the violence of the wind.
Then the mighty Rukmaratha, son of the ruler of the
Madras, for assuring the frightened troops, fearlessly
said, ’Ye heroes, ye need not fear! When
I am here, what is Abhimanyu? Without doubt, I
will seize this one a living captive’. Having
said these words, the valiant prince, borne on his
beautiful and well-equipped car, rushed at Abhimanyu.
Piercing Abhimanyu with three shafts in the chest,
three in the right arm, and three other sharp shafts
in the left arm, he uttered a loud roar. Phalguni’s
son, however, cutting off his bow, his right and left
arms, and his head adorned with beautiful eyes and
eye-brows quickly felled them on the earth. Beholding
Rukmaratha, the honoured son of Salya, slain by the
illustrious son of Subhadra, that Rukmaratha viz.,
who had vowed to consume his foe or take him alive,
many princely friends of Salya’s son, O king,
accomplished in smiting and incapable of being easily
defeated in battle, and owning standards decked with
gold, (came up for the fight). Those mighty car-warriors,
stretching their bows full six cubits long, surrounded
the son of Arjuna, all pouring their arrowy showers
upon him. Beholding the brave and invincible son
of Subhadra singly encountered by all those wrathful
princes endued with heroism and skill acquired by
practice and strength and youth, and seeing him covered
with showers of arrows, Duryodhana rejoiced greatly,
and regarded Abhimanyu as one already made a guest
of Yama’s abode. Within the twinkling of
an eye, those princes, by means of their shafts of
golden wings, and of diverse forms and great impetuosity,
made Arjuna’s son invisible. Himself, his
standard, and his car, O sire, were seen by us covered
with shafts like (trees overwhelmed with) flights of
locusts. Deeply pierced, he became filled with
rage like an elephant struck with the hook. He
then, O Bharata, applied the Gandharva weapon and the
illusion consequent to it.[73] Practising ascetic penances,
Arjuna had obtained that weapon from the Gandharva
Tumvuru and others. With that weapon, Abhimanyu
now confounded his foes. Quickly displaying his
weapons, he careered in that battle like a circle of
fire, and was, O king, seen sometimes as a single
individual, sometimes as a hundred, and sometimes
as a thousand ones. Confounding his foes by the
skill with which his car was guided and by the illusion
caused by his weapons, he cut in a hundred pieces,
O monarch, the bodies of the kings (opposed to him).
By means of his sharp shafts the lives of living creatures
were despatched. These, O king attained to the
other world while their bodies fell down on the earth.
Their bows, and steeds and charioteers, and standards,
and armies decked with Angadar, and heads, the son
of Phalguni cut off with his sharp shafts. Those
hundred princes were slain and felled by Subhadra’s
son like a tope of five-year old mango-trees just on
Page 918
the point of bearing fruit (laid low by a tempest).
Beholding those youthful princes brought up in every
luxury, and resembling angry snakes of virulent poison,
all slain by the single-handed Abhimanyu, Duryodhana
was filled with fear. Seeing (his) car-warriors
and elephants and steeds and foot-soldiers crushed,
the Kuru king quickly proceeded in wrath against Abhimanyu.
Continued for only a short space of time, the unfinished
battle between them became exceedingly fierce.
Thy son then, afflicted with Abhimanyu’s arrows,
was obliged to turn back from the fight.’
SECTION XLIV
“Dhritarashtra said, ’That which thou
tellest me, O Suta, about the battle, fierce and terrible,
between the one and the many, and the victory of that
illustrious one, that story of the prowess of Subhadra’s
son is highly wonderful and almost incredible.
I do not, however, regard it as a marvel that is absolutely
beyond belief in the case of those that have righteousness
for their refuge. After Duryodhana was beaten
back and a hundred princes slain, what course was
pursued by the warriors of my army against the son
of Subhadra?’
“Sanjaya said, ’Their mouths became dry,
and eyes restless. Sweat covered their bodies,
and their hairs stood on their ends. Despairing
of vanquishing their foe, they became ready to leave
the field. Abandoning their wounded brothers
and sires and sons and friends and relatives by marriage
and kinsmen they fled, urging their steeds and elephants
to their utmost speed. Beholding them broken
and routed, Drona and Drona’s son, and Vrihadvala,
and Kripa, and Duryodhana, and Karna, and Kritavarman,
and Suvala’s son (Sakuni), rushed in great wrath
against the unvanquished son of Subhadra. Almost
all these, O king, were beaten back by thy grandson.
Only one warrior then, viz., Lakshmana, brought
up in luxury, accomplished in arrows, endued with
great energy, and fearless in consequence of inexperience
and pride, proceeded against the son of Arjuna.
Anxious about his son, his father (Duryodhana) turned
back for following him. Other mighty car warriors,
turned back for following Duryodhana. All of
them then drenched Abhimanyu with showers of arrows,
like clouds pouring rain on the mountain-breast.
Abhimanyu, however, single-handed, began to crush
them like the dry wind that blows in every direction
destroying gathering masses of clouds. Like one
infuriated elephant encountering another, Arjuna’s
son then encountered thy invincible grandson, Lakshmana,
of great personal beauty, endued with great bravery,
staying near his father with outstretched bow, brought
up in every luxury, and resembling a second prince
of the Yakshas[74]. Encountering Lakshmana, that
slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the son of Subhadra,
had his two arms and chest struck with his sharp shafts.
Thy grandson, the mighty-armed Abhimanyu then, filled
with rage like a snake struck (with a rod), addressing,
Page 919
O king, thy (other) grandson, said, ’Look well
on this world, for thou shalt (soon) have to go to
the other. In the very sight of all thy kinsmen,
I will despatch thee to Yama’s abode.’
Saying thus that slayer of hostile heroes, viz.,
the mighty-armed son of Subhadra, took out a broad-headed
arrow that resembled a snake just emerged from its
slough. That shaft, sped by Abhimanyu’s
arms, cut off the beautiful head, decked with ear-rings,
of Lakshmana, that was graced with a beautiful nose,
beautiful eye-brows, and exceedingly good-looking
curls. Beholding Lakshmana slain, thy troops uttered
exclamations of Oh and, Alas. Upon the slaughter
of his dear son, Duryodhana became filled with rage.
That bull among Kshatriyas then loudly urged the Kshatriyas
under him, saying, ‘Slay this one!’ Then
Drona, and Kripa, and Karna, and Drona’s son
and Vrihadvala, and Kritavarman, the son of Hridika,—these
six car-warriors,—–encompassed Abhimanyu.
Piercing them with sharp arrows and beating them off
from him, the son of Arjuna fell with great speed
and fury upon the vast forces of Jayadratha.
Thereupon, the Kalingas, the Nishadas, and the valiant
son of Kratha, all clad in mail, cut off his path
by encompassing him with their elephant-division.
The battle then that took place between Phalguni’s
son and those warriors was obstinate and fierce.
Then the son of Arjuna began to destroy that elephant-division
as the wind coursing in every direction destroys vast
masses of gathering clouds in the welkin. Then
Kratha covered the son of Arjuna with showers of arrows,
while many other car-warriors headed by Drona, having
returned to the field, rushed at him, scattering sharp
and mighty weapons. Checking all those weapons
by means of his own arrows, the son of Arjuna began
to afflict the son of Kratha with ceaseless showers
of shafts, with great despatch and inspired by the
desire of slaying his antagonist. The latter’s
bow and shafts, and bracelets, and arms, and head
decked with diadem, and umbrella, and standard, and
charioteer, and steeds, were all cut off and felled
by Abhimanyu. When Kratha’s son, possessed
of nobility of lineage, good behaviour, acquaintance
with the scriptures, great strength, fame, and power
of arms, was slain, the other heroic combatants almost
all turned away from the fight.’"[75]
SECTION XLV
“Dhritarashtra said, ’While the youthful
and invincible son of Subhadra, never retreating from
battle, was, after penetrating into our array, engaged
in achieving feats worthy of his lineage, borne by
his three-year old steeds of great might and of the
best breed, and apparently trotting in the welkin,
what heroes of my army encompassed him?’
Page 920
“Sanjaya said, ’Having penetrated into
our array, Abhimanyu of Pandu’s race, by means
of his sharp shafts, made all the kings turn away from
the fight. Then Drona, and Kripa, and Karna,
and Drona’s son, and Vrihadvala and Kritavarman,
the son of Hridika,—these six car-warriors,—encompassed
him. As regards the other combatants of thy army,
beholding that Jayadratha had taken upon himself the
heavy duty (of keeping off the Pandavas), they supported
him, O king, by rushing against Yudhishthira.[76]
Many amongst them, endued with great strength, drawing
their bows full six cubits long, showered on the heroic
son of Subhadra arrowy downpours like torrents of
rain. Subhadra’s son, however, that slayer
of hostile heroes, paralysed by his shafts all those
great bowmen, conversant with every branch of learning.
And he pierced Drona with fifty arrows and Vrihadvala
with twenty. And piercing Kritavarman with eighty
shafts, he pierced Kripa with sixty. And the son
of Arjuna pierced Aswatthaman with ten arrows equipped
with golden wings, endued with great speed and shot
from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch. And
the son of Phalguni pierced Karna, in the midst of
his foes, in one of his cars, with a bright, well-tempered,
and bearded arrow of great force. Felling the
steeds yoked to Kripa’s car, as also both his
Parshni charioteers, Abhimanyu pierced Kripa himself
in the centre of the chest with ten arrows. The
mighty Abhimanyu, then, in the very sight of thy heroic
sons, slew the brave Vrindaraka, that enhancer of
the fame of the Kurus. While Abhimanyu was thus
engaged in fearlessly slaying one after another the
foremost warriors among his enemies, Drona’s
son Aswatthaman pierced him with five and twenty small
arrows. The son of Arjuna, however, in the very
sight of all the Dhartarashtras quickly pierced Aswatthaman
in return, O sire, with many whetted shafts.
Drona’s son, however, in return, piercing Abhimanyu.
with sixty fierce arrows of great impetuosity and
keen sharpness, failed to make him tremble, for the
latter, pierced by Aswatthaman, stood immovable like
the Mainaka mountain. Endued with great energy,
the mighty Abhimanyu then pierced his antagonist with
three and seventy straight arrows, equipped with wings
of gold. Drona then, desirous of rescuing his
son, pierced Abhimanyu with a hundred arrows.
And Aswatthaman pierced him with sixty arrows, desirous
of rescuing his father. And Karna struck him
with two and twenty broad-headed arrows and Kritavarman
struck him with four and ten. And Vrihadvala pierced
him with fifty such shafts, and Saradwata’s
son, Kripa, with ten. Abhimanyu, however, pierced
each of these in return with ten shafts. The ruler
of the Kosala struck Abhimanyu, in the chest with
a barbed arrow. Abhimanyu, however, quickly felled
on the earth his antagonist’s steeds and standard
and bow and charioteer. The ruler of the Kosalas,
then, thus deprived of his car, took up a sword and
wished to sever from Abhimanyu’s trunk his beautiful
Page 921
head, decked with ear-rings. Abhimanyu then pierced
king Vrihadvala, the ruler of the Kosalas, in the
chest, with a strong arrow. The latter then,
with riven heart, fell down. Beholding this, ten
thousand illustrious kings broke and fled. Those
kings, armed with swords and bows, fled away, uttering
words inimical (to king Duryodhana’s Interest).
Having slain[77] Vrihadvala thus, the son of Subhadra
careered it battle, paralysing thy warriors,—–those
great bowmen,—by means of arrowy downpours,
thick as rain.’"[78]
SECTION XLVI
“Sanjaya said, ’Phalguni’s son once
more pierced Karna in the car with a barbed arrow,
and for angering him still further, he pierced him
with fifty other shafts. The son of Radha pierced
Abhimanyu in return with as many shafts. Covered
all over with arrows, Abhimanyu, then, O sire, looked
exceedingly beautiful. Filled with rage, he caused
Karna also to be bathed in blood. Mangled with
arrows and covered with blood, the brave Karna also
shone greatly.[79] Both of them pierced with arrows,
both bathed in blood, those illustrious warriors then
resembled a couple of flowering Kinsukas. The
son of Subhadra then slew six of Karna’s brave
counsellors, conversant with all modes of warfare,
with their steeds and charioteers and cars. As
regards other great bowmen Abhimanyu fearlessly pierced
each of them in return, with ten arrows. That
feat of his seemed highly wonderful. Slaying
next the son of the ruler of the Magadhas, Abhimanyu,
with six straight shafts, slew the youthful Aswaketu
with his four steeds and charioteer. Then slaying,
with a sharp razor-headed arrow, the Bhoja prince
of Martikavata, bearing the device of an elephant
(on his banner), the son of Arjuna uttered a loud shout
and began to scatter his shafts on all sides.
Then the son of Duhsasana pierced the four steeds
of Abhimanyu with four shafts, his charioteer with
one and Abhimanyu himself with ten. The son of
Arjuna, then, piercing Duhsasana’s son with
ten fleet shafts, addressed him in a loud tone and
with eyes red in wrath, said, ’Abandoning the
battle, thy sire hath fled like a coward. It
is well thou knowest how to fight. Thou shalt
not, however, escape today with life.’
Saying these words unto him, Abhimanyu sped a long
arrow, well polished by smith’s hand, at his
foe. The son of Drona cut that arrow with three
shafts of his own. Leaving Aswatthaman alone,
Arjuna’s son struck Salya, in return, fearlessly
pierced him in the chest with highly nine shafts,
equipped with vulture’s feathers. That feat
seemed highly wonderful. The son of Arjuna then
cut off Salya’s bow and slew both his Parshni
charioteers. Abhimanyu then pierced Salya himself
with six shafts made wholly of iron. Thereupon,
the latter, leaving that steedless car, mounted another.
Abhimanyu then slew five warriors., named Satrunjaya,
and Chandraketu, and Mahamegba, and Suvarchas, and
Suryabhasa. He then pierced Suvala’s son.
Page 922
The latter piercing Abhimanyu with three arrows, said
unto Duryodhana, ’Let us all together grind this
one, else, fighting singly with us he will slay us
all. O king, think of the means of slaying this
one, taking counsel with Drona and Kripa and others.’
The Karna, the son of Vikartana, said unto Drona, ’Abhimanyu
grindeth us all. Tell us the means by which we
may slay him.’ Thus addressed, the mighty
bowman, Drona, addressing them all, said, ’Observing
him with vigilance, have any of you been able to detect
any defeat in this youth? He is careening in
all directions. Yet have any of you been able
to detect today the least hole in him? Behold
the lightness of hand and quickness of motion of this
lion among men, this son of Arjuna. In the track
of his car, only his bow drawn to a circle can be
seen, so quickly is he aiming his shafts and so quickly
is he letting them off. Indeed, this slayer of
hostile heroes, viz., the son of Subhadra, gratifieth
me although he afflicteth my vital breath and stupefieth
me with shafts. Even the mightiest car-warriors,
filled with wrath, are unable to detect any flaw in
him. The son of Subhadra, therefore, careering
on the field of battle, gratifieth me greatly.
I do not see that in battle there is any difference
between the wielder of Gandiva himself and this one
of great lightness of hand, filling all the points
of the horizon with his mighty shafts.’
Hearing these words, Karna, afflicted with the shafts
of Arjuna’s son, once more said unto Drona,
’Exceedingly afflicted with the shafts of Abhimanyu,
I am staying in battle, only because (as a warrior)
I should stay here. Indeed, the arrows of this
south of great energy are exceedingly fierce.
Terrible as they are and possessed of the energy of
fire, these arrows are weakening my heart.’
The preceptor then, slowly and with a smile, said unto
Karna, ’Abhimanyu is young, his prowess is great.
His coat of mail is impenetrable. This one’s
father had been taught by me the method of wearing
defensive armour. This subjugator of hostile towns
assuredly knoweth the entire science (of wearing armour).
With shafts well shot, you can, however, cut off his
bow, bow-string, the reins of his steeds, the steeds
themselves, and two Parshni charioteers. O mighty
bowman, O son of Radha, if competent, do this.
Making him turn back from the fight (by this means),
strike him then. With his bow in hand he is incapable
of being vanquished by the very gods and the Asuras
together. If you wish, deprive him of his car,
and divest him of his bow.’. Hearing these
words of the preceptor, Vikartana’s son Karna
quickly cut off, by means of his shafts, the bow of
Abhimanyu, as the latter was shooting with great activity.
He, of Bhoja’s race (viz., Kritavarman) then
slew his steeds, and Kripa slew his two Parshni charioteers.
The others covered him with showers of arrows after
he had been divested of his bow. Those six great
car-warriors, with great speed, when speed was so necessary,
Page 923
ruthlessly covered that carless youth, fighting single-handed
with them, with showers of arrows. Bowless and
carless, with an eye, however, to his duty (as a warrior),
handsome Abhimanyu, taking up a sword and a shield,
jumped into the sky. Displaying great strength
and great activity, and describing the tracks called
Kausika and others, the son of Arjuna fiercely coursed
through the sky, like the prince of winged creatures
(viz., Garuda.). ‘He may fall upon me sword
in hand,’ with such thoughts, those mighty bowmen,
were on the lookout for the laches of Abhimanyu, and
began to pierce him in that battle, with their gaze
turned upwards. Then Drona of mighty energy,
that conqueror of foes with a sharp arrow quickly
cut off the hilt, decked with gems, of Abhimanyu’s
sword. Radha’s son Karna, with sharp shafts,
cut off his excellent shield. Deprived of his
sword and shield thus, he came down, with sound limbs,
from the welkin upon the earth. Then taking up
a car-wheel, he rushed in wrath against Drona.
His body bright with the dust of car-wheels, and himself
holding the car-wheel in his upraised arms, Abhimanyu
looked exceedingly beautiful, and imitating Vasudeva
(with his discus), became awfully fierce for a while
in that battle. His robes dyed with the blood
flowing (from his wounds), his brow formidable with
the wrinkles visible thereon, himself uttering loud
leonine roars, lord Abhimanyu of immeasurable might,
staying in the midst of those kings, looked exceedingly
resplendent on the field of battle.’”
SECTION XLVII
“Sanjaya said, ’That joy of Vishnu’s
sister (viz., Abhimanyu), that Atiratha, decked with
the weapons of Vishnu himself, looked exceedingly
beautiful on the field of battle and looked like a
second Janardana. With the end of his locks waving
in the air, with that supreme weapon upraised in his
hands, his body became incapable of being looked at
by the very gods. The kings beholding it and
the wheel in his hands, became filled with anxiety,
and cut that off in a hundred fragments. Then
that great car-warrior, the son of Arjuna, took up
a mighty mace. Deprived by them of his bow and
car and sword, and divested also of his wheel by his
foes, the mighty-armed Abhimanyu (mace in hand) rushed
against Aswatthaman. Beholding that mace upraised,
which looked like the blazing thunderbolt, Aswatthaman,
that tiger among men, rapidly alighted from his car
and took three (long) leaps (for avoiding Abhimanyu).
Slaying Aswatthaman’s steeds and two Parshni
charioteers with that mace of his, Subhadra’s
son, pierced all over with arrows, looked like a porcupine.
Then that hero pressed Suvala’s son, Kalikeya,
down into the earth, and stew seven and seventy Gandhara
followers of the latter. Next, he slew ten car-warriors
of the Brahma-Vasatiya race, and then ten huge elephants.
Proceeding next towards the car of Duhsasana’s
son, he crushed the latter’s car and steeds,
Page 924
pressing them down into the earth. The invincible
son of Duhsasan, then, O sire, taking up his mace,
rushed at Abhimanyu. saying, ‘Wait, Wait!’
Then those cousins, those two heroes, with upraised
maces, began to strike each other, desirous of achieving
each other’s death, like three-eyed (Mahadeva)
and (the Asura) Andhaka in the days of old. I
ach of those chastisers of foes, struck with the other’s
mace-ends fell down on the earth, like two uprooted
standards erected to the honour of Indra. Then
Duhsasana’s son, that enhancer of the fame of
the Kurus, rising up first, struck Abhimanyu with
the mace on the crown of his head, as the latter,
was on the point of rising. Stupefied with the
violence of that stroke as also with the fatigue he
had undergone, that slayer of hostile hosts, viz.,
the son of Subhadra, fell on the earth, deprived of
his senses. Thus, O king, was one slain by many
in battle,—one who had ground the whole
army, like an elephant grinding lotus-stalks in a lake.
As he lay dead on the field, the heroic Abhimanyu looked
like a wild elephant slain by the hunters, The fallen
hero was then surrounded by thy troops. And he
looked like an extinguished fire in the summer season
after (as it lies) having consumed a whole forest,
or like a tempest divested of its fury after having
crushed mountain crests;[80] or like the sun arrived
at the western hills after having blasted with his
heat the Bharata host; or like Soma swallowed up by
Rahu; or like the ocean reft of water. The mighty
car-warriors of thy army beholding Abhimanyu whose
face had the splendour of the full moon, and whose
eyes were rendered beautiful in consequence of lashes
black as the feathers of the raven, lying prostrate
on the bare earth, were filled with great joy.
And they repeatedly uttered leonine shouts. Indeed,
O monarch, thy troops were in transports of joy, while
tears fell fast from the eyes of the Pandava heroes.
Beholding the heroic Abhimanyu lying on the field of
battle, like the moon dropped from the firmament, diverse
creatures, O king, in the welkin, said aloud, ’Alas,
this one lieth on the field, slain, while fighting
singly, by six mighty car-warriors of the Dhartarashtra
army, headed by Drona and Karna. This act hath
been, we hold, an unrighteous one.’ Upon
the slaughter of that hero, the earth looked exceedingly
resplendent like the star-bespangled firmament with
the moon. Indeed, the earth was strewn with shafts
equipped with wings of gold, and covered with waves
of blood. And strewn with the beautiful heads
of heroes, decked with ear-rings and variegated turbans
of great value, and banner and yak-tails and beautiful
blankets, and begemmed weapons of great efficacy,
and the bright ornaments of cars and steeds, and men
and elephants, and sharp and well-tempered swords,
looking like snakes freed from their sloughs, and
bows, and broken shafts, and darts, and swords, and
lances, and Kampanas, and diverse other kinds of weapons,
she assumed a beautiful aspect. And in consequence
Page 925
of the steeds dead or dying, but all weltering in
blood, with their riders (lying about them), felled
by Subhadra’s son, the earth in many places became
impassable. And with iron hooks, and elephants—huge
as hills—equipped with shields and weapons
and standards, lying about, crushed with shafts, with
excellent cars deprived of steeds and charioteers
and car-warriors, lying scattered on the earth, crushed
by elephants and looking like agitated lakes, with
large bodies of foot-soldiers decked with diverse weapons
and lying dead on the ground, the field of battle,
wearing a terrible aspect, inspired all timid hearts
with terror.
“Beholding Abhimanyu, resplendent as the sun
or the moon, lying on the ground, thy troops were
in transport of joy, while Pandavas were filled with
grief. When youthful Abhimanyu, yet in his minority,
fell, the Pandava divisions, O king, fled away in
the very sight of king Yudhishthira. Beholding
his army breaking upon the fall of Subhadra’s
son, Yudhishthira addressed his brave warriors, slaying,
’The heroic Abhimanyu, who without retreating
from battle hath been slain, hath certainly ascended
to heaven. Stay then, and fear not, for we shall
yet vanquish our foes.’ Endued with great
energy and great splendour, king Yudhishthira the
just, that foremost of warriors, saying such words
unto his soldiers inspired with grief, endeavoured
to dispel their stupor. The king continued, ’Having
in the first instance, slain in battle hostile princes,
resembling snakes of virulent poison, the son of Arjuna
hath then given up his life. Having slain ten
thousand warriors, viz., the king of the Kosalas,
Abhimanyu, who was even like Krishna or Arjuna himself,
hath assuredly gone to the abode of Indra. Having
destroyed cars and steeds and men and elephants by
thousands, he was still not content with what he did.
Performing as he did such meritorious feats, we should
not certainly grieve for him, he hath gone to the bright
regions of the righteous, regions that men acquire
by meritorious deeds.’”
SECTION XLVIII
“Sanjaya said, ’Having thus slain one
of their foremost warriors, and having been afflicted
with their arrows, we came back to our encampment
in the evening, covered with blood. Steadfastly
gazed at by the enemy, we slowly left, O monarch,
the field of battle, having sustained a severe loss
and nearly deprived of our senses. Then came that
wonderful hour intervening between day and night.
Inauspicious howls of jackals were heard. The
sun, with the pale-red hue of the filaments of the
lotus,—sank low in the horizon, having approached
the western hills. And he took away with him
the splendour of our swords and darts, rapiers and
car-fences, and shields and ornaments. Causing
the firmament and the earth to assume the same hue,
the sun assumed his favourite form of fire. The
field of battle was strewn with the motionless bodies
of innumerable elephants deprived of life, Looking
Page 926
like crests of cloud-capped hills riven by the thunder,
and lying about with their standards and hooks and
riders fallen from their backs. The earth looked
beautiful with large cars crushed to pieces, and with
their warriors and charioteers and ornaments and steeds
and standards and banners crushed, broken and torn.
Those huge cars, O king, looked like living creatures
deprived of their lives by the foe with his shafts.
The field of battle assumed a fierce and awful aspect
in consequence of large number of steeds and riders
all lying dead, with costly trappings and blankets
of diverse kinds scattered about, and tongues and
teeth and entrails and eyes of those creatures bulging
out of their places. Men decked with costly coats
of mail and ornaments and robes and weapons, deprived
of life, lay with slain steeds and elephants and broken
cars, on the bare ground, perfectly helpless, although
deserving of costly beds and blankets. Dogs and
jackals, and crown and cranes and other carnivorous
birds, and wolves and hyenas, and ravens and other
food-drinking creatures, all diverse tribes of Rakshasas,
and large number of Pisachas, on the field of battle,
tearing the skins of the corpse and drinking their
fat, blood and marrow, began to eat their flesh.
And they began to suck also the secretions of rotten
corpses, while the Rakshasas laughed horribly and sang
aloud, dragging dead bodies numbering thousands.
An awful river, difficult to cross, like the Vaitarani
itself, was caused there by foremost of warriors.
Its waters were constituted by the blood (of fallen
creatures). Cars constituted the rafts (or, which
to cross it), elephants formed its rocks, and the
heads of human beings, its smaller stones. And
it was miry with the flesh (of slain steeds and elephants
and men). And diverse kinds of costly weapons
constituted the garlands (floating on it or lying on
its banks). And that terrible river flowed fiercely
through the middle of the field of battle, wafting
living creatures to the regions of the dead.
And large numbers of Pisachas, of horrible and repulsive
forms, rejoiced, drinking and eating in that stream.
And dogs and jackals and carnivorous birds, all eating
of the same food, and inspiring living creatures with
terror, held their high carnival there. And the
warriors, gazing on that field of battle which, enhancing
the population of Yama’s domain, presented such
an awful sight, and where human corpses rising up,
began to dance, slowly left it as they beheld the
mighty car-warrior Abhimanyu who resembled Sakra himself,
lying on the field, his costly ornaments displaced
and fallen off, and looking like a sacrificial fire
on the altar no longer drenched with clarified butter.’”
SECTION XLIX
Page 927
“Sanjaya said, ’After the slaughter of
that hero, that leader of car-divisions, viz.,
the son of Subhadra, the Pandava warriors, leaving
their cars and putting off their armour, and throwing
aside their Lows, sat, surrounding king Yudhishthira.
And they were brooding over that grief of theirs,
their hearts fixed upon the (deceased) Abhimanyu.
Indeed, upon the fall of that heroic nephew of his,
viz., the mighty car-warrior Abhimanyu, king
Yudhishthira, overwhelmed with grief, indulged in
(these) lamentations: ’Alas, Abhimanyu,
from desire of achieving my good, pierced the array
formed by Drona and teeming with his soldiers.
Encountering him in battle, mighty bowmen endued with
great courage, accomplished in weapons and incapable
of being easily defeated in battle, were routed and
forced to retreat. Encountering our implacable
foe Duhsasana in battle, he with his arrows, caused
that warrior to fly away from the field, deprived
of his senses. Alas, the heroic son of Arjuna,
having crossed the vast sea of Drona’s army,
was ultimately obliged to become a guest of Yama’s
abode, upon encountering the son of Duhsasana.
When Abhimanyu is slain, how shall I cast my eyes on
Arjuna and also the blessed Subhadra deprived of her
favourite son? What senseless, disjointed, and
improper words shall we have to say today unto Hrishikesa
and Dhananjaya! Desirous of achieving what is
good, and expectant of victory, it is I who have done
this great evil unto Subhadra and Kesava and Arjuna.
He that is covetous never beholdth his faults.
Covetousness spring from folly. Collectors of
honey see not the fall that is before them; I am even
like them. He who was only a child, he who should
have been provided with (good) food, with vehicles,
with beds, with ornaments, alas, even he was placed
by us in the van of battle. How could good come
to a child of tender years, unskilled in battle, in
such a situation of great danger. Like a horse
on proud mettle, he sacrificed himself instead of
refusing to do the bidding of his master. Alas,
we also shall today lay ourselves down on the bare
earth, blasted by the glances of grief, cast by Arjuna
filled with wrath. Dhananjaya liberal, intelligent,
modest, forgiving, handsome, mighty, possessed of
well-developed and beautiful limbs, respectful to superiors,
heroic, beloved, and devoted to truth; of glorious
achievements’ the very gods applaud his feats.
That valiant hero slew the Nivatakavachas and the
Kalakeyas, those enemies of Indra having their abode
in Hiranyapura. In the twinkling of an eye he
slew the Paulomas with all their followers. Endued
with great might, he granteth quarter to implacable
enemies asking for quarter! Alas, we could not
protect today the son of even such a person from danger.
A great fear hath overtaken the Dhartarashtras endued
though they might be with great strength![81] Enraged
at the slaughter of his son, Partha will exterminate
the Kauravas. It is evident also that the mean-minded
Duryodhana having mean counsellors, that destroyer
of his own race and partisans, beholding this extermination
of the Kaurava army, will give up his life in grief.
Beholding this son of Indra’s son, of unrivalled
energy and prowess, on the field of battle, neither
victory, nor sovereignty, nor immortality, nor abode
with the very celestials, causeth me the least delight!’”
Page 928
SECTION L
“Sanjaya said, ’While Kunti’s son,
Yudhishthira, was indulging in such lamentations,
the great Rishi Krishna Dwaipayana came to him.
Worshipping him duly, and causing him to be seated,
Yudhishthira, afflicted with grief on account of the
death of his brother’s son, said, ’Alas,
while battling with many mighty bowmen, the son of
Subhadra, surrounded by several great car-warriors
of unrighteous propensities, hath been slain on the
field. The slayer of hostile heroes, the son of
Subhadra, was a child in years and of childish understanding.[82]
He fought in battle against desperate odds. I
asked him to open a passage for us in battle.
He penetrated within the hostile army, but we could
not follow him, obstructed by the ruler of the Sindhus.
Alas, they that betake themselves to battle as a profession,
always fight with antagonists equally circumstanced
with themselves. This battle, however, that the
enemy fought with Abhimanyu, was an extremely unequal
one. It is that which grieves me greatly and
draws tears from me. Thinking of this, I fail
to regain peace of mind.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’The illustrious Vyasa,
addressing Yudhishthira who was indulging in such
lamentations and who was thus unmanned by an accession
of sorrow, said these words.’
“Vyasa said, ’O Yudhishthira, O thou of
great wisdom, O thou that art master of all branches
of knowledge, persons like thee never suffer themselves
to be stupefied by calamities. This brave youth,
having slain numerous foes hath ascended to heaven.
Indeed, that best of persons, (though a child), acted,
however, like one of matured years. O Yudhishthira,
this law is incapable of being transgressed. O
Bharata, Death takes all viz., Gods and Dhanavas
and Gandharvas (without exception).’
“Yudhishthira said, ’Alas, these lords
of earth, that lie on the bare earth, slain in the
midst of their forces, bereft of consciousness, were
possessed of great might. Others (of their class)
possessed strength equal to that of ten thousand elephants.
Others, again, were endued with the impetuosity and
might of the very wind. They have all perished
in battle, slain by men of their own class. I
do not behold the person (save one of their own class)
who could slay any of them in battle. Endued with
great prowess, they were possessed of great energy
and great might. Alas, they who used daily to
come to battle with this hope firmly implanted in
their hearts, viz., that they would conquer, alas
even they, possessed of great wisdom, are lying on
a field, struck (with weapons) and deprived of life.
The significance of the word Death hath today been
made intelligible, for these lords of earth, of terrible
prowess, have almost all been dead. Those heroes
are lying motionless; reft of vanity, having succumbed
to foes. Many princes, filled with wrath, have
been victimised before the fire (of their enemies’
wrath). A great doubt possesses me, viz.,
whence is Death? Whose (offspring) is Death?
What is Death? Why does Death take away creatures?
O grandsire, O thou that resemblest a god, tell me
this.’
Page 929
“Sanjaya continued, ’Unto Kunti’s
son, Yudhishthira, asking him thus, the illustrious
Rishi, comforting him, said these words.’
“Vyasa said, As regards the matter in hand,
O king, this ancient story of what Narada had in days
of old said unto Akampana is cited. King Akampana,
O monarch, I know, while in this world was afflicted
with very great and unbearable grief on account of
the death of his son, I will now tell these the excellent
story about the origin of Death. Having listened
to it, thou wilt be emancipated from sorrow and the
touch of affection’s tie. Listen to me,
O sire, as I recite this ancient history. This
history is, indeed, excellent. It enhanceth the
period of life, killeth grief and conduceth to health.
It is sacred, destructive of large bodies of foes,
and auspicious of all auspicious things. Indeed,
this history is even as the study of the Vedas.
O monarch, it should every morning be listened to
by the foremost of kings who are desirous of longlived
children and their own good.
“In days of old, O sire, there was a king named
Akampana. Once, on the field of battle, he was
surrounded by his foes and nearly overpowered by them.
He had a son who was called Hari. Equal to Narayana
himself in might, that latter was exceedingly handsome,
accomplished in weapons, gifted with great intelligence,
possessed of might, resembled Sakra himself in battle.
Encompassed by countless foes on the field of battle,
he sped thousands of shafts at those warriors and the
elephants that surrounded him. Having achieved
the most difficult feats in battle, O Yudhishthira,
that scorcher of foes was, at last, slain in the midst
of the army. Performing the obsequies of his
son, king Akampana cleansed himself.[83] Grieving,
however, for his son day and night, the king failed
to regain happiness of mind. Informed of his grief
on account of the death of his son, the celestial
Rishi Narada came to his presence. The blessed
king, beholding the celestial Rishi, told the latter
everything that had happened unto him, viz., his
defeat at the hands of his foes, and the slaughter
of his son. And the king said, ’My son was
endued with great energy, and equalled Indra or Vishnu
himself in splendour. That mighty son of mine,
having displayed his prowess on the field against
countless foes was at last slain! O illustrious
one, who is this Death? What is the measure of
his energy, strength and prowess? O foremost
of intelligent persons, I desire to hear all this truly.’
Hearing these words of his, the boon giving lord, Narada.,
recited the following elaborate history, destructive
of grief on account of a son’s death.’
Page 930
“Narada said. ’Listen, O mighty-armed
king, to this long history, exactly as I have heard
it, O monarch! In the beginning, the Grandsire
Brahma created all creatures. Endued with mighty
energy, he saw that the creation bore no signs of
decay. Thereat, O king, the Creator began to
think about the destruction of the universe. Reflecting
on the matter, O monarch, the Creator failed to find
any means of destruction. He then became angry,
and in consequence of his anger a fire sprang from
the sky. That fire spread in all directions for
consuming everything of the universe. Then heaven,
sky, and earth, all became filled with fire. And
thus the Creator began to consume the whole mobile
and immobile universe. Thereby all creatures,
mobile and immobile, were destroyed. Indeed, the
mighty Brahma, frightening everything by the force
of his wrath, did all this, Then Hara, otherwise called
Sthanu or Siva, with matted locks on his head, that
Lord of all wanderers of the night, appealed to the
divine Brahma, the Lord of the gods. When Sthanu
fell (at Brahma’s feet) from a desire of doing
good to all creatures, the Supreme Deity to that greatest
of ascetics, blazing with splendour, said, ’What
wish of thine shall we accomplish, O thou that deservest
to have all thy wishes fulfilled? O thou that
hast been born of our wish! We shall do all that
may be agreeable to thee! Tell us, O Sthanu,
what is thy wish?’”
SECTION LI
“Sthanu said, ’O lord, thou hadst taken
great care for creating diverse creatures. Indeed,
creatures of diverse kinds were created and reared
by thee. Those very creatures, again, are now
being consumed through thy fire. Seeing this,
I am filled with compassion. O illustrious lord,
be inclined to grace.’
“Brahma said, ’I had no desire of destroying
the universe, I desired good of the earth, and it
was for this that wrath possessed me. The goddess
Earth, afflicted with the heavy weight of creatures,
always urged me for destroying the creatures on her.
Urged by her, I could not however, find any means
for the destruction of the infinite creation.
At this wrath possessed me.’
“Rudra said, ’Be inclined to grace.
O lord of the universe, cherish not the wrath for
the destruction of creatures. No more let creatures,
immobile and mobile, be destroyed. Through thy
grace, O illustrious one, let the threefold universe,
viz., the Future, the Past, and the Present exist.
Thou, O Lord, hadst blazed up with wrath. From
that wrath of thine, a substance like fire sprang
into existence, That fire is even now blasting rocks
and trees and rivers, and all kinds of herbs and grass.
Indeed, that fire is exterminating the immobile and
the mobile universe. The mobile and the immobile
universe is being reduced to ashes. Be inclined
to grace, O illustrious one! Do not give way to
wrath. Even this is the boon I solicit, All created
things, O divine Being, belonging to thee, are being
Page 931
destroyed. Therefore, let thy wrath be appeased.
Let it be annihilated in thy own self. Cast thy
eye on thy creatures, inspired with the desire of
doing them good. Do that by which creatures endued
with life may not cease to be. Let not these creatures,
with their productive powers weakened be exterminated.
O Creator of the worlds, thou hast appointed me their
Protector, O Lord of the universe, let not the mobile
and the immobile universe to be destroyed. Thou
art inclined to grace, and it is for this that I say
these words unto thee.’
“Narada continued, Hearing these words (of Mahadeva)
the divine Brahma, from desire of benefiting creatures,
held in his own inner self his wrath that had been
roused. Extinguishing the fire, the divine Benefactor
of the world, the great Master, declared the duties
of Production and Emancipation. And while the
Supreme Deity exterminated that fire born of his wrath,
there came out from the doors of his diverse senses
a female who was dark and red and tawny, whose tongue
and face and eyes were red, and who was decked with
two brilliant ear-rings and diverse other brilliant
ornaments. Issuing out of his body, she smilingly
looked at those two lords of the universe and then
set out for the southern quarter, Then Brahma, that
controller of the creation and destruction of the
worlds, called after her by the name of Death.
And Brahma, O king, said unto her, ’Slay these
creatures of mine! Thou hast been born of that
wrath of mine which I cherished for the destruction
(of the universe). By doing this, kill all creatures
including idiots and seers at my command. By
doing this, thou wilt be benefited.’ Thou
lotus-lady, called Death, thus addressed by him reflected
deeply, and then helplessly wept aloud in melodious
accents. The Grandsire then caught the tears she
had shed, with his two hands, for the benefit of all
creatures, and began to implore her (with these words).’
SECTION LII
“Narada said, ’The helpless lady, suppressing
her arrow within her own self, addressed, with joined
hands, the Lord of the creation, bending with humility
like a creeper. And she said, O foremost of speakers,
created by thee how shall I, being a female, do such
a cruel and evil act knowing it to be cruel and evil?
I fear unrighteousness greatly. O divine Lord,
be inclined to grace. Sons and friends and brothers
and sires and husbands are always dear; (if I kill
them), they who will suffer these losses will seek
to injure me. It is this that I fear. The
tears that will fall from the eyes of woe-stricken
and weeping persons, inspire me with fear, O Lord!
I seek thy protection. O divine Being, O foremost
of gods, I will not go to Yama’s abode.
O boon-giving one, I implore thee or thy grace, bowing
my head and joining my palms. O grandsire of the
worlds, I solicit (the accomplishment of even) this
wish at thy hands![84] I desire, with thy permission,
to undergo ascetic penances, O Lord of created things!
Grant me this boon, O divine Being, O great master!
Permitted by thee, I will go to the excellent asylum
of Dhenuka! Engaged in adoring Thyself, I will
undergo the severest austerities there. I will
not be able, O Lord of the gods, to take away the dear
life-breaths of living creatures weeping in sorrow.
Protect me from unrighteousness.’
Page 932
“Brahma said, ’O Death, thou hast been
intended for achieving the destruction of creatures.
Go, destroy all creatures, thou needst have no scruples.
Even this must be. It cannot be otherwise.
Do but my behest. Nobody in the world will find
any fault in thee.’
“Narada continued, ’Thus addressed, that
lady became very much affrighted.[85] Looking at Brahma’s
face, she stood with joined hands. From desire
of doing good to creatures, she did not set her heart
upon their destruction. The divine Brahma also,
that Lord of the lord of all creatures, remained silent.
And soon the Grandsire became gratified in his own
self. And casting his eyes upon all the creation
he smiled. And, thereupon, creatures continued
to live as before i.e., unaffected by premature
death. And upon that, invincible and illustrious
Lord having shaken off his wrath, that damsel left
the presence of that wise Deity. Leaving Brahma,
without having agreed to destroy creatures, the damsel
called Death speedily proceeded to the retreat called
Dhenuka. Arrived there, she practised excellent
and highly austere vows. And she stood there
on one leg for sixteen billions of years, and five
times ten billions also, through pity for living creatures
and from desire of doing them good, and all the time
restraining her senses from their favourite objects.
And once again, O king she stood there on one leg for
one and twenty times ten billions of years. And
then she wandered for ten times ten thousand billions
of years with the creatures (of the earth), Next,
repairing to the sacred Nanda that was full of cool
and pure water, she passed in those waters eight thousand
years. Observing rigid vows at Nanda, she cleansed
herself of all her sins. Then she proceeded, first
of all, to the sacred Kausiki, observant of vow.
Living upon air and water only, she practised austerities
there, Repairing then to Panchaganga and next to Vetasa,
that cleansed damsel, by diverse kinds of especial
austerities, emaciated her own body. Going next
to the Ganga and thence to the great Meru, she remained
motionless like a stone, suspending her life-breath.
Thence going to the top of Himavat, where the gods
had performed their sacrifice (in days of yore), that
amiable and auspicious girl remained for a billion
of years standing on the toe only of her feet.
Wending then to Pushkara, and Gokarna, and Naimisha,
and Malaya, she emaciated her body, practising austerities
agreeable to her heart. Without acknowledging
any other god, with steady devotion to the Grandsire,
she lived and gratified the Grandsire in every way.
Then the unchangeable Creator of the worlds, gratified
said unto her, with a softened and delighted heart.
’O Death, why dost thou undergo ascetic austerities
so severe?’ Thus addressed, Death said unto the
divine Grandsire, ’Creatures, O Lord, are living
in health. They do not injure one another even
by words. I shall not be able to slay them.
O Lord, I desire even this boon at thy hands.
Page 933
I fear sin, and it is for this that I am engaged in
ascetic austerities. O blessed one, undertake
to remove for ever my fears. I am a woman, in
distress, and without fault. I beg thee, be thou
protector. Unto her the divine Brahman acquainted
with the past, the present and the future, said, ’Thou
shalt commit no sin, O Death, by slaying these creatures.
My words can never be futile., O amiable one!
Therefore, O auspicious damsel, slay these creatures
of four kinds. Eternal virtue shall always be
thine. That Regent of the world, viz., Yama,
and the diverse disease shall become thy helpmates.
I myself and all the gods will grant thee boons, so
that, freed from sin and perfectly cleansed, thou
mayst even acquire glory.’ Thus addressed,
O monarch, that lady, joining her hands, once more
said these words, seeking her grace by bowing down
unto him with her head, If, O Lord, this is not to
be without me, then thy command I place upon my head.
Listen, however, to what I say, Let covetousness,
wrath, malice, jealousy, quarrel, folly and shamelessness,
and other stern passions tear the bodies of all embodied
creatures.’
“Brahman said, ’It will be, O Death, as
thou sayest. Meanwhile, slay creatures duly.
Sin shall not be thine, nor shall I seek to injure
thee, O auspicious one. Those tear-drops of thine
that are in my hands, even they will become diseases,
springing from living creatures themselves. They
will kill men; and if men are killed, sin shall not
be thine. Therefore, do not fear, Indeed, sin
shall not be thine. Devoted to righteousness,
and observant of thy duty, thou shalt sway (all creatures).
Therefore, take thou always the fives of these living
creatures. Casting off both desire and wrath,
take thou the life of all living creatures. Even
thus will eternal virtue be thine. Sin will stay
those that are of wicked behaviour. By doing my
bidding cleanse thyself. It will be thine to
sink them in their sins that are wicked. Therefore,
cast off both desire and wrath, and kill these creatures
endued with life.’
“Narada continued, ’That damsel, seeing
that she was (persistently) called by the name of
Death, feared (to act otherwise). And in terror
also of Brahma’s curse, she said, ‘Yes!’
Unable to do otherwise, she began, casting off desire
and wrath, to take the lives of living creatures when
the time came (for their dissolution). It is only
living creatures that die. Diseases spring from
living creatures themselves. Disease is the abnormal
condition of creatures. They are pained by it.
Therefore, indulge not in fruitless grief for creatures
after they are dead. The senses, upon the death
of creatures, go with the latter (to the other world),
and achieving their (respective) functions, once more
come back (with creatures when the latter are reborn).
Thus all creatures, O lion among beings, the very
gods included going, thither, have to act, like mortals.[86]
The wind, that is awful, of terrible roars and great
Page 934
strength, omnipresent and endued with infinite energy,
it is the wind that will rive the bodies of living
creatures. It will, in this matter put forth
no active energy, nor will it suspend its functions;
(but do this naturally). Even all the gods have
the appellation of mortals attached to them.
Therefore, O lion among kings, do not grieve for thy
son! Repairing to heaven, the son of thy body
is passing his days in perpetual happiness, having
obtained those delightful regions that are for heroes.
Casting off all sorrows, he hath attained to the companionship
of the righteous. Death hath been ordained by
the Creator himself for all creatures! When their
hour comes, creatures are destroyed duly. The
death of creatures arises from the creatures themselves.
Creatures kill themselves. Death doth not kill
any one, armed with her bludgeon! Therefore,
they that are wise, truly knowing death to be inevitable,
because ordained by Brahma himself, never grieve for
creatures that are dead. Knowing this death to
be ordained by the Supreme God, cast off, without
delay; thy grief for thy dead son!’
“Vyasa continued, ’Hearing these words
of grave import spoken by Narada, king Akampana, addressing
his friend, said, ’O illustrious one, O foremost
of Rishi, my grief is gone, and I am contented.
Hearing this history from thee, I am grateful to thee
and I worship thee.’ That foremost of superior
Rishi, that celestial ascetic of immeasurable soul,
thus addressed by the king, proceeded to the woods
of Nandava. The frequent recital of this history
for the hearing of others, as also the frequent hearing
of this history, is regarded as cleansing, leading
to fame and heaven and worthy of approbation.
It enhanceth besides, the period of life. Having
listened to this instructive story, cast off thy grief,
O Yudhishthira, reflecting besides or, the duties of
a Kshatriya and the high state (of blessedness) attainable
by heroes. Abhimanyu, that mighty car-warrior,
endued with mighty energy, having slain (numerous)
foes before the gaze of all bowmen, hath attained to
heaven. The great bowman, that mighty car-warrior,
struggling on the field, hath fallen in the battle
struck with sword and mace and dart, and bow.
Sprung from Soma, he hath disappeared in the lunar
essence, cleansed of all his impurities. Therefore,
O son of Pandu, mustering all thy fortitude. thyself
with thy brothers, without allowing your senses to
be stupefied speedily set out, inflamed with rage,
for battle.’"[87]
SECTION LIII
“Sanjaya said, ’Hearing of the origin
of Death and her strange acts, king Yudhishthira,
humbly addressing Vyasa, once more said these words
unto him.’
“Yudhishthira said, ’Many kings there
were in blessed countries, of righteous deeds and
of prowess equal to that of Indra himself. They
were royal sages, O regenerate one, that were sinless
and truth-speaking. Once more, address me in
words of grave import, and console me with (accounts
of) the feats of those royal sages of ancient times.
What was the measure of the sacrificial gifts made
by them? Who were those high-souled royal sages
of righteous deeds that made them? Tell me all
this, O illustrious one!’
Page 935
“Vyasa said, ’There was a king of the
name of Switya. He had a son who was called Srinjaya.
The Rishis Narada and Parvata were his friends.
One day, the two ascetics, for paying Srinjaya a visit,
came to his palace. Duly worshipped by Srinjaya,
they became pleased with him, and continued to live
with him happily. Once on a time as Srinjaya was
seated at his case with the two ascetics, his beautiful
daughter of sweet smiles came to him. Saluted
with reverence by his daughter, Srinjaya delighted
that girl standing by his side with proper benedictions
of the kind she desired. Beholding that maiden,
Parvata smilingly asked Srinjaya, saying, ’Whose
daughter is this damsel of restless glances and possessed
of every auspicious mark? Is she the splendour
of Surya, or the flame of Agni? Or, is she any
of these, viz., Sri, Hri, Kirti, Dhriti, Pushti,
Siddhi, and the splendour of Soma?’ After the
celestial Rishi (Parvata) said these words, king Srinjaya
answered, saying, ’O illustrious one, this girl
is my daughter. She beggeth my blessings.’
Then Narada addressed king Srinjaya and said.
’If, O monarch, thou wishest for great good (to
thyself), then give this daughter of thine unto me
for a wife.’ Delighted (with the Rishi’s
proposal), Srinjaya addressed Narada, saying, ’I
give her unto thee.’ At this, the other
Rishi, viz., Parvata, indignantly addressed Narada,
saying, ’Chosen before this by me, within my
heart, thou hast taken this damsel as thy wife.
And since thou hast done this, thou, O Brahmana, shalt
not go to heaven as thy will.’ Thus addressed
by him, Narada answered him, saying, ’The husband’s
heart and speech (directed thereto), (the giver’s)
consent, the speeches (of both), the actual gift made
by sprinkling water, and the (recital of the mantras)
ordained for the seizure of the (bride’s hand),—these
have been declared to be indications by which one
is constituted a husband. Even this ceremonial
is not all. That which (above all) is essential
is the walk for seven paces (by the bride in circumambulating
the bridegroom).[88] Without these thy purpose (about
marriage) have been unaccomplished. Thou hast
cursed. Therefore, thou also shalt not go to heaven
without me.’ Having cursed each other those
two Rishis continued to live there. Meanwhile,
king Srinjaya, desirous of (obtaining) a son, began,
with cleansed soul, to carefully entertain the Brahmanas,
to the utmost of his power, with food and robes.
After a certain time, those foremost of Brahmanas
devoted to the study of the Vedas and fully conversant
with those scriptures and their branches became gratified
with that monarch, desirous of getting a son.
Together they came to Narada and said unto him, ’Give
this king a son of the kind he desires.’—Thus
addressed by the Brahmanas, Narada replied unto them,
saying, ’So be it.’—and then
the celestial Rishi addressed Srinjaya saying, ’O
royal sage, the Brahmanas have been pleased and they
wish thee a son! Solicit thou the boon, blessed
Page 936
be thou, about the kind of son thou desirest.’
Thus addressed by him, the king, with joined hands,
asked for a son possessed of every accomplishment,
famous, of glorious feats, of great energy, and capable
of chastising all foes. And he further asked that
the urine, the excreta, the phlegm and the sweat of
that child should be gold. And in due time the
king had a son born unto him, who came to be named
Suvarnashthivin[89] on earth. And in consequence
of the boon, that child began to increase (his father’s)
wealth beyond all limits. And king Srinjaya caused
all desirable things of his to be made of gold.
And his houses and walls and forts, and the houses
of all Brahmanas (within his dominions), and his beds,
vehicles, and plates, and all manners of pots and
cups, and palace that he owned, and all implements
and utensils, domestic and otherwise were made of
gold. And in time his stock increased. Then
certain robbers hearing of the prince and seeing him
to be such, assembled together and sought to injure
the king. And some amongst them said, ’We
will seize the king’s son himself. He is
his father’s mine of gold. Towards that
end, therefore, we should strive.’ Then
those robbers inspired with avarice, penetrating into
the king’s palace, forcibly took away prince
Suvarnashthivin. Having seized and taken him
to the woods, those senseless idiots, inspired with
avarice but ignorant of what to do with him, slew
him there and cut his body in fragments. They
saw not, however, any gold in him. After the prince
was slain, all the gold, obtained in consequence of
the Rishi’s boon, disappeared. The ignorant
and senseless robbers struck one another. And
striking one another thus, they perished and with them
that wonderful prince on the earth. And those
men of wicked deeds sank in an unimaginable and awful
hell. Seeing that son of his, obtained through
the Rishi’s boon thus slain, that great ascetic,
viz., king Srinjaya, afflicted with deep sorrow,
began to lament in piteous accents. Beholding
the king afflicted with grief on account of his son,
and thus weeping, the celestial Rishi Narada showed
himself in his presence. Listen, O Yudhishthira,
to what Narada said unto Srinjaya, having approached
that king, who afflicted with grief and deprived of
his senses, was indulging in piteous lamentations.
Narada said, ’Srinjaya, with thy desires unfulfilled,
thou shalt have to die, although we utterers of Brahma,
live in thy house. Avikshit’s son Marutta
even, O Srinjaya, we hear, had to die. Piqued
with Vrihaspati, he had caused Samvatta[90] himself
to officiate at his great sacrifices! Unto that
royal sage the illustrious lord (Mahadeva) himself
had given wealth in the shape of a golden plateau
of Himavat. (With that wealth) king Marutta had performed
diverse sacrifices. Unto him, after the completion
of his sacrifices diverse tribes of celestials, those
creators of the universe, with Indra himself in their
company and with Vrihaspati at their head, used to
Page 937
come. All the carpets and furnitures of his sacrificial
compound were of gold. The regenerate classes,
desirous of food, all ate as they pleased, at his
sacrifices, food that was clean and agreeable to their
desires. And in all his sacrifices, milk and
cards and clarified butter and honey, and other kinds
of food and edibles, all of the best order, and robes
and ornaments covetable for their costliness, gratified
Brahmanas, thoroughly conversant with the Vedas.
The very gods used to become distributors of food
in king Marutta’s palace. The Viswedevas
were the courtiers of that royal sage, the son of
Avikshit. By him were gratified the denizens of
heaven with libations of clarified butter. And
gratified (therewith), these, in their turn, increased
that powerful ruler’s wealth of crops with copious
showers of rain. He always contributed to the
gratification of the Rishis, the Pitris, and the gods,
and thereby made them happy, by practising Brahmacharya,
study of the Vedas, obsequial rites, and all kinds
of gifts. And his beds and carpets and vehicles,
and his vast stores of gold difficult to be given
away, in fact, all that untold wealth of his, was
given away voluntarily unto the Brahmanas, Sakra himself
used to wish him well. His subjects were made
happy (by him), Acting always with piety, he (ultimately)
repaired to those eternal regions of bliss, acquired
by his religious merit. With his children and
counsellors and wives and descendants and kinsmen,
king Marutta, in his youth, ruled his kingdom for
a thousand years. When such a king, O Srinjaya,
died who was superior to thee, in respect of the four
cardinal virtues (viz., ascetic penances, truth, compassion,
and liberality), and who, superior to thee, was much
superior to thy son, do not grieve saying ’O
Swaitya, for thy son who performed no sacrifice and
gave no sacrificial present.’”
SECTION LVI
“Narada said, ’King Suhotra also, O Srinjaya,
we hear, fell a prey to death. He was the foremost
of heroes, and invincible in battle. The very
gods used to come for seeing him. Acquiring his
kingdom virtuously, he sought the advice of his Ritwijas
and domestic priests and Brahmanas for his own good,
and enquiring of them, used to obey their behests.
Well-acquainted with the duty of protecting his subjects,
possessed of virtue and liberality, performing sacrifices
and subjugating foes, king Suhotra wished for the
increase of his wealth. He adored the gods by
following the ordinances of the scriptures, and defeated
his foes by means of his arrows. He gratified
all creatures by means of his own excellent accomplishments.
He ruled the earth, freeing her from Mlecchas and
the forest-thieves.[91] The deity of the clouds showered
gold unto him from year’s end to year’s
end. In those olden days, therefore, the rivers
(in his kingdom) ran (liquid) gold, and were open to
everybody for use.[92] The deity of the clouds showered
Page 938
on his kingdom large number of alligators and crabs
and fishes of diverse species and various objects of
desire, countless in number, that were all made of
gold. The artificial lakes in that king’s
dominions each measured full two miles. Beholding
thousands of dwarfs and humpbacks and alligators and
Makaras, and tortoises all made of gold, king Suhotra
wondered much. That unlimited wealth of gold,
the royal sage Suhotra performing a sacrifice at Kurujangala,
gave away unto the Brahmanas, before the completion
of the sacrifice. Having performed a thousand
Horse-sacrifices, a hundred Rajasuyas, many sacred
Kshatriya-sacrifices[93] in all of which he made abundant
presents to the Brahmanas and having performed daily
rites, almost countless in number, undergone from
specified desires, the king ultimately obtained a
very desirable end. When, O Srinjaya, such a king
died, who was superior to thee as regards the four
cardinal virtues and who, superior to thee, was therefore,
much superior to thy son, thou shouldst not grieve
saying, ‘Oh Swaitya, Oh, Swaitya,’ for
thy son performed no sacrifice and made no sacrificial
present.’”
SECTION LVII
“Narada said, ’The heroic king Paurava
also, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey to death.
That king gave away a thousand times thousand horses
that were all white in hue. At the Horse-sacrifice
performed by that royal sage, countless number of
learned Brahmanas versed in the principles of Siksha[94]
and Akshara come from diverse realms. These Brahmanas,
purified by the Vedas, by knowledge, and by vows, and
liberal and of agreeable countenances, having obtained
from the king costly gifts, such as, robes and houses
and excellent beds and carpets and vehicles and draft-cattle,
were always delighted by actors and dancers and singers,
thoroughly competent and well-versed (in their respective
art), engaged in spot and ever-striving for their
diversion. At each of his Sacrifices in due time
he gave away as sacrificial presents ten thousand elephants
of golden splendour, with the temporal juice trickling
down their bodies, and cars made of gold with standards
and banners. He also gave away, as sacrificial
presents, a thousand times thousand maidens decked
with ornaments of gold, and cars and steeds and elephants
for mounting, and houses and fields, and hundreds
of kine, by hundreds of thousand, and thousands of
cowherds decked with gold. They that are acquainted
with the history of the past, sing this song, viz.,
that in that sacrifice, king Paurava gave away kine
with calves, having golden horns and silver hoofs
and brass milkpots, and female slaves and male slaves
and asses and camels, and sheep, countless in number,
and diverse kinds of gems and diverse hill-like mounds
of food. That sacrificing king of the Angas successively
performed, in the order of their merit, and according
to what was competent for his own class, many auspicious
sacrifices capable of yielding every object of desire.
When such a king, O Srinjaya, died who was superior
to thee as regards the four cardinal virtues and who,
superior to thee was, therefore, much more superior
to thy son, thou shouldst not, saying ‘Oh, Swaitya,
Oh, Swaitya,’ grieve for thy son who performed
no sacrifice and made no sacrificial present.’”
Page 939
SECTION LVIII
“Narada said, Usinara’s son, Sivi also,
O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey to death. That
king had, as it were, put a leathern girdle around
the earth, making the earth with her mountains and
islands and seas and forests resound with the clatter
of his car. The vanquisher of foes, viz.,
king Sivi. always slew the foremost of foes. He
performed many sacrifices with presents in profusion
unto the Brahmanas. That monarch of great prowess
and great intelligence had acquired enormous wealth.
In battle: he won the applause of all Kshatriyas.[95]
Having brought the whole earth under subjection, he
performed many Horse-sacrifices, without any obstruction,
which were productive of great merit giving away (as
sacrificial present) a thousand crores of golden nishkas,
and many elephants and steeds and other kinds of animals,
much grain, and many deer and sheep. And king
Sivi gave away the sacred earth consisting of diverse
kinds of soil unto the Brahmanas. Indeed, Usinara’s
son, Sivi, gave away as many kine as the number of
rain-drops showered on the earth, or the number of
stars in the firmament, or the number of sand-grains
or, the bed of Ganga, or the number of rocks that
constitute the mountain called Meru, or the number
of gems or of (aquatic) animals in the ocean.
The Creator himself hath not met with and will not
meet within the past, the present, or the future,
another king capable of bearing the burdens that king
Sivi bore. Many were the sacrifices, with every
kind of rites, that king Sivi performed. In those
sacrifices, the stakes, the carpets, the houses, the
walls, and the arches, were all made of gold.
Food and drink, agreeable to the taste and perfectly
clean were kept in profusion. And the Brahmanas
that repaired to them could be counted by myriads and
myriads. Abounding with viands of every description,
nothing but agreeable words such as give away and
take were heard there. Milk and curds were collected
in large lakes. In his sacrificial compound, there
were rivers of drink and white hills of food.
’Bathe, and drink and eat as ye like,’
these were the only words heard there. Gratified
with his righteous deeds, Rudra granted Sivi a boon,
saying, As thou givest away, let thy wealth, thy devotion,—thy
fame, thy religious acts, the love that all creatures
bear thee, and the heaven (thou attain), be all inexhaustible.’
Having obtained all these desirable boons, even Sivi,
when the time came, left this world for heaven.
When, O Srinjaya, he died who was superior to thee,
was much superior to thy son, thou shouldst not, saying,
‘Oh, Swaitya, Oh, Swaitya’, grieve for
thy son who performed no sacrifice and made no sacrificial
present.’”
SECTION LIX
Page 940
“Narada said, ’Rama, the son of Dasaratha,
O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey to death. His
subjects were as much delighted with him, as a sire
is delighted with the children of his loins.
Endued with immeasurable energy, countless virtues
were there in him. Of unfading glory, Rama, the
elder brother of Lakshmana, at the command of his father,
lived for fourteen years in the woods, with his wife.
That bull among men slew in Janasthana fourteen thousand
Rakshasas for the protection of the ascetics.
While dwelling there, the Rakshasa called Ravana, beguiling
both him and his companion (Lakshmana) abducted his
wife, the princess of Videha. Like the Three-eyed
(Mahadeva), in days of old, slaying (the Asura) Andhaka,
Rama in wrath slew in battle that offender of Pulastya’s
race who had never before been vanquished by any foe.
Indeed, the mighty-armed Rama slew in battle that
descendant of Pulastya’s race with all his kinsmen
and followers, that Rakshasa who was incapable of being
slain by the gods and the Asuras together, that wretch
who was a thorn unto the gods and the Brahmanas.
In consequence of his affectionate treatment of his
subjects, the celestials worshipped Rama. Filling
the entire earth with his achievements, he was much
applauded even by the celestial Rishis. Compassionate
unto all creatures, that king, having acquired diverse
realms and protected his subjects virtuously, performed
a great sacrifice without obstruction. And the
lord, Rama, also performed a hundred Horse-sacrifices
and the great sacrifice called Jaruthya. And
with libations of clarified butter he contributed to
Indra’s delight.[96] And by these acts of his,
Rama conquered hunger and thirst, and all the diseases
to which living creatures are subject. Possessed
of every accomplishment, he always blazed forth with
his own energy. Indeed, Rama, the son of Dasaratha,
greatly outshone all creatures. When Rama ruled
his kingdom, the Rishis, the gods, and men, all lived
together on the earth. The lives of living creatures
were never otherwise. The life-breaths also,
called Prana, Apana, Samana, and the others, when Rama
ruled his kingdom, all performed their functions.
All luminous bodies shone brighter, and calamities
never occurred. All his subjects were long-lived.
None died in youth. The dwellers of heaven highly
gratified, used to get, according to (the ordinances
of) the four Vedas, libations of clarified butter
and other offerings of food made by men. His realms
were free from flies and gnats; and of beasts of prey
and poisonous reptiles, there were none. And
none was of unrighteous tendencies, none was covetous,
and none was ignorant. The subjects, of all the
(four) orders, were engaged in righteous and desirable
acts, When the Rakshasas, about this time obstructed
the offerings to the Pitris and the worship of the
gods in Janasthana, Lord Rama, slaying them, caused
those offerings and that worship to be once more given
to the Pitris and the gods. Men were each blessed
Page 941
with a thousand children, and the period of their lives
was a thousand years. Seniors had never to perform
Sraddhas of their juniors.[97] Youthful in shape,
of a dark-blue hue, of red eyes, possessed of the
tread of an infuriated elephant, with arms reaching
down to the knees, and beautiful and massive, of leonine
shoulders, of great strength, and beloved by all creatures,
Rama ruled his kingdom for eleven thousand years.
His subjects always uttered his name. While Rama
ruled his kingdom, the world became extremely beautiful.
Taking at last his four kinds of subjects[98] with
him Rama went to heaven, having established his own
line consisting of eight houses on the earth.
When even he died, O Srinjaya, who was superior to
thee in respect of the four cardinal virtues and superior
to thy son, thou shouldst not lament, saying ‘Oh,
Swaitya, Oh, Swaitya,’ for thy son who performed
no sacrifice and made no sacrificial present.’”
SECTION LX
“Narada said, ’Even king Bhagiratha, O
Srinjaya, we hear, was dead. He caused the shores
of Ganga, called after his name Bhagirath to be covered
with flights of steps made of gold.[99] Surpassing
all kings and all princes, he gave unto the Brahmanas
a thousand times thousand damsels decked with ornaments
of gold. All those damsels were upon cars.
And unto every car were yoked four steeds, and behind
each car were a hundred kine. And behind each
cow were (many) goats and sheep. King Bhagiratha
gave enormous presents at his sacrifices. For
that reason a large concourse of men assembled there.
Afflicted there with Ganga was much pained. ‘Protect
Me,’ she said and sat down on his lap. And
because Ganga thus sat upon his lap in days of old,
therefore, she, like the celestial dancer Urvasi came
to be regarded as his daughter and was named after
his name. And having become the king’s
daughter, she became his son (by becoming like a son,
the means of salvation unto his deceased ancestors).[100]
Sweet-speeched Gandharvas of celestial splendour,
gratified, sang all this in the hearing of the Rishis,
the gods, and human beings.[101] Thus, O Srinjaya,
did that goddess, viz., the ocean-going Ganga,
select lord Bhagiratha, descendant of Ikshvaku, the
performer of sacrifices with profuse gifts (to the
Brahmanas), as her father. His sacrifices were
always graced with (the presence of) the very gods
with Indra at their head. And the gods used to
take their respective shares, by removing all impediments,
to facilitate those sacrifices in every way.
Possessed of great ascetic merit, Bhagiratha gave unto
the Brahmanas whatever benefit they desired without
obliging them to stir from the place wherever they
might entertain those desires. There was nothing
which he could withhold from the Brahmanas. Every
one received from him everything he coveted.
At last, the king ascended to the region of Brahman,
through the grace of the Brahmanas. For that object
Page 942
on which the Rishis that subsisted on the rays of
the sun used to wait upon the sun and the presiding
deity of the sun, for that very object they used to
wait upon the lord Bhagiratha, that ornament of the
three worlds. When he died, O Srinjaya, who was
superior to thee, as regards the four cardinal virtues,
and who, superior to thee, was much superior to thy
son, thou shouldst not grieve, saying ‘Oh, Swaitya,
Oh, Swaitya,’ for the latter who performed no
sacrifice and made no sacrificial present.’”
SECTION LXI
“Narada said, ’Dilipa, the son of Havila,
too, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey to death.
Brahmanas, vested in knowledge of Truth, devoted to
the performance of sacrifices, blessed with children
and children’s children and numbering myriads
upon myriads, were present at his hundreds of sacrifices.
King Dilipa, having performed various sacrifices, gave
away this earth, filled with treasures, unto the Brahmanas.
At the sacrifices of Dilipa, the roads were all made
of gold. The very gods, with Indra at their head
used to come to him regarding him as Dharma himself.
The upper and lower rings of his sacrificial stake
were made of gold. Eating his Raga-khandavas,
many persons, at his sacrifices, were seen to lie down
on the roads. While battling over the waters,
the two wheels of Dilipa’s car never sank in
that liquid. This seemed exceedingly wonderful,
and never occured to other kings, Even those that
saw king Dilipa, that firm bowman, always truthful
in speech and giving away profuse gifts at his sacrifices,
succeeded in ascending to heaven. In the abode
of Dilipa, called also Khattanga, these five sounds
were always to be heard, viz., the sound of Vedic
recitations, the twang of bows, and Drink, Enjoy, and
Eat! When he died, O Srinjaya, who was superior
to thee in respect of the four cardinal virtues and
who superior to thee, was much superior to thy son,
thou shouldst not, saying, ‘Oh, Swaitya, Oh,
Swaitya,’ grieve for thy son who performed no
sacrifice and made no sacrificial gifts.’"[102]
SECTION LXII
“Narada said, ‘Mandhatri’ the son
of Yuvanaswa, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey to
death. That king vanquished the gods, the Asuras
and men. Those celestials, viz., the twin
Aswins, brought him out of his father’s womb
by a surgical operations. Once on a time, king
Yuvanaswa while chasing the deer in the forest, became
very thirsty and his steeds also became exceedingly
fatigued. Beholding a wreath of smoke, the king
(directed by it) went to a sacrifice and drank the
sacred sacrificial butter that lay scattered there.
(The king, thereupon, conceived). Beholding that
Yuvanaswa was quick with child, those best of physicians,
viz., the twin Aswins among the celestials, extracted
the child from the king’s womb. Seeing
that child of celestial splendour lying on the lap
Page 943
on his father, the gods said unto one another, ‘What
shall support this child?’ Then Vasava said,
‘Let the child suck my fingers,’ Thereupon
from the fingers of Indra issued milk sweet as nectar.
And since Indra from compassion, said, ‘He will
draw his sustenance from me,’ and showed him
that kindness, therefore, the gods named that child
Mandhatri.[103] Then jets of milk and clarified butter
dropped into the mouth of Yuvanaswa’s son from
the hand of the high-souled Indra. The boy continued
to suck the hand of Indra and by that means to grow.
In twelve days he became twelve cubits in stature
and endued with great prowess. And he conquered
the whole of this earth in the course of a single
day. Of virtuous soul, possessed of great intelligence,
heroic, devoted to truth and a master of his passions,
Mandhatri vanquished, by his bow Janamejaya and Sudhanwan
and Jaya and Suna[104] and Vrihadratha and Nriga.
And the lands lying between the hill where the sun
rises and the hill where he sets, are known to this
day as the dominion of Mandhatri. Having performed
a hundred Horse-sacrifices and a hundred Rajasuya
sacrifices also, he gave away, O monarch, unto the
Brahmanas, some Rohita fish made of gold, that were
ten Yojanas in length and one Yojana in breadth.
Mountains of savoury food and comestibles of diverse
kinds, after the Brahmanas had been entertained, were
eaten by others, (who came at his sacrifices) and
contributed to their gratification. Vast quantities
of food and eatables and drink, and mountains of rice,
looked beautiful as they stood. Many rivers,
having lakes of clarified butter, with diverse kinds
of soup for their mire, curds for their froth and
liquid honey for their water, looking beautiful, and
wafting honey and milk, encircled mountains of solid
viands. Gods and Asuras and Men and Yakshas and
Gandharvas and Snakes and Birds, and many Brahmanas,
accomplished in the Vedas and their branches, and
many Rishis came to his sacrifices. Amongst those
present there, none was illiterate. King Mandhatri,
having bestowed the earth bounded by the seas and
full of wealth upon the Brahmanas, at last disappeared
like the sun. Filling all the points of the compass
with his fame, he repaired to the regions of the righteous.
When he died, O Srinjaya, who excelled thee in the
four cardinal virtues and who, superior to thee, was
much superior to thy son, thou shouldst not grieve,
saying, ‘Oh, Swaitya, Oh, Swaitya’ for
the latter who performed no sacrifice and made no
sacrificial gift.’”
SECTION LXIII
“Narada said, ’Yayati, the son of Nahusha,
O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey to death. Having
performed a hundred Rajasuyas, a hundred Horse-sacrifices,
a thousand Pundarikas, a hundred Vajapeyas, a thousand
Atiratras, innumerable Chaturmasyas, diverse Agnishtomas,
and many other kinds of sacrifices, in all of which
he made profuse gifts unto the Brahmanas, he gave
away unto the Brahmanas, having counted it first, the
Page 944
whole of the wealth that existed on the earth in the
possession of Mlecchas and other Brahmana-hating people.
When the gods and the Asuras were arrayed for battle,
king Yayati aided the gods. Having divided the
earth into four parts, he gave it away unto four persons.
Having performed various sacrifices and virtuously
begotten excellent offspring upon (his wives) Devayani,
the daughter of Usanas and Sarmishtha, king Yayati,
who was like unto a celestial, roved through the celestial
woods at his own pleasure, like a second Vasava.
Acquainted with all the Vedas, when, however, he found
that he was not satiated with the indulgence of his
passions, he then, with his wives, retired into the
forest, saying this: ’Whatever of paddy
and wheat and gold and animals and women there are
on earth, even the whole of these is not sufficient
for one man. Thinking of this, one should cultivate
contentment.’ Thus abandoning all his desires,
and attaining to contentment, the lord Yayati, installing
(his son) on his throne, retired into the forest.
When he died, O Srinjaya, who was superior to thee
in respect of the four cardinal virtues and who, superior
to thee, was much superior to thy son, thou shouldst
not, saying, ‘Oh, Swaitya, Oh, Swaitya’,
grieve for the latter who performed no sacrifice and
made no sacrificial present.’”
SECTION LXIV
“Narada said, ’Nabhaga’s son, Amvarisha,
O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey to death. Alone
he battled a thousand times with a thousand kings.
Desirous of victory, those foes, accomplished in weapons,
rushed against him in battle from all sides, uttering
fierce exclamations. Aided by his strength and
activity and the skill he had acquired by practice,
he cut off, by the force of his weapons, the umbrellas,
the weapons, the standards, the cars, and the lances
of those enemies, and dispelled his anxieties.[105]
Desirous of saving their lives, those men, doffing
their coats of mail, implored him (for mercy).
They sought his protection, saying, ‘We yield
ourselves to thee.’ Reducing them to subjection
and conquering the whole earth, he performed a hundred
sacrifices of the best kind, according to the rites
ordained in the scriptures, O sinless one! Food
possessed of every agreeable quality was eaten (at
those sacrifices) by large classes of people.
At those sacrifices, the Brahmanas were respectfully
worshipped and greatly gratified. And the regenerate
classes ate sweet-meats, and Purikas and Puras, and
Apupas and Sashkalis of good taste and large size,
and Karambhas and Prithumridwikas, and diverse kinds
of dainties, and various kinds of soup, and Maireyaka,
and Ragakhandavas, and diverse kinds of confectionary,
well-prepared, soft, and of excellent fragrance, and
clarified butter, and honey, and milk, and water,
and sweet curds, and many kinds of fruits and roots
agreeable to the taste.[106] And they that were habituated
to wine drank in due time diverse kinds of intoxicating
Page 945
drinks for the sake of the pleasure that those produced,
and sang and played upon their musical instruments.
Avid others, by thousands, intoxicated with what they
drank, danced and merrily sang hymns to the praise
of Amvarisha; while others, unable to keep themselves
erect, fell down on the earth. In those sacrifices,
king Amvarisha gave, as sacrificial presents, the
kingdoms of hundreds and thousands of kings unto the
ten million priests (employed by him) Having performed
diverse sacrifices the king gave unto the Brahmanas,
as sacrificial presents, numbers of princes and kings
whose coronal locks had undergone the sacred bath,
all cased in golden coats of mail, all having white
umbrellas spread over their heads, all seated on golden
cars, all attired in excellent robes and having large
trains of followers, and all bearing their sceptres,
and in possession of their treasuries. The great
Rishis, seeing what he did, were highly gratified,
and said, ’None amongst men in past times did,
none in future will be able to do, what king Amvarisha
of profuse liberality, is doing now. When he,
O Srinjaya, died who was superior to thee in respect
of the four cardinal virtues and who superior to thee,
was, much more superior to thy son, thou shouldst
not, therefore, saying, ‘Oh, Swaitya, Oh, Swaitya’,
grieve for the latter who performed no sacrifice and
made no sacrificial present.’”
SECTION LXV
“Narada said, ’King Sasavindu, O Srinjaya,
we hear, fell a prey to death. Of great beauty
and of prowess incapable of being baffled, he performed
diverse sacrifices. That high-souled monarch had
one hundred thousand wives. From each of those
wives were born a thousand sons. All those princes
were endued with great prowess. They performed
millions of sacrifices. Accomplished in the Vedas,
those kings performed many foremost of sacrifices.
All of them were cased (on occasions of battle) in
golden coats of mail. And all of them were excellent
bowmen. All these princes born of Sasavindu performed
Horse-sacrifices. Their father, O best of monarchs,
in the Horse-sacrifices he had performed, gave away,
(as sacrificial presents), all those sons unto the
Brahmanas. Behind each of those princes were
hundreds upon hundreds of cars and elephants and fair
maidens decked in ornaments of gold. With each
maiden were a hundred elephants; with each elephant,
a hundred cars; with each car a hundred steeds, adorned
with garlands of gold. With each of those steeds
were a thousand kine; and with each cow were fifty
goats. The highly blessed Sasavindu gave away
unto the Brahmanas, in the great Horse-sacrifice of
his such unlimited wealth. The king caused as
many sacrificial stakes of gold to be made for that
great Horse-sacrifice of his as is the number, double
of sacrificial stakes of wood in other sacrifices of
the kind. There were mountains of food and drink
of the height of about two miles each. Upon the
Page 946
completion of’ his Horse-sacrifice, thirteen
such mountains of food and drink remained (untouched).
His kingdom abounded in people that were contented
and well-fed. And it was free from all inroads
of evil and the people were perfectly happy. Having
ruled for many long years, Sasavindu, at last, ascended
to heaven. When he died, O Srinjaya, who was
superior to thee in respect of the four cardinal virtues
and who superior to thee was, therefore, much more
superior to thy son, thou shouldst not, saying, ‘Oh,
Swaitya, Oh Swaitya’, grieve for the latter
who performed no sacrifice and made no sacrificial
present.’”
SECTION LXVI
“Narada said, ’Gaya, the son of Amartarayas,
O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey to death, That king,
for a hundred years, ate nothing but what remained
of the libations of clarified butter poured into the
sacrificial fire. Agni (gratified with his proof
of great devotion) offered to give him a boon.
Gaya solicited the boon (desired), saying, ’I
desire to have a thorough knowledge of the Vedas through
ascetic penances, through practice of Brahmacharya,
and of vows and rules, and through the grace of my
superiors.[107] I desire also inexhaustible wealth,
through practice of the duties of my own order and
without injury to others. I wish also that I
may always be able to make gifts unto the Brahmanas,
with devotion. Let me also procreate sons upon
wives belonging to my own order and not upon others.
Let me be able to give away food with devotion.
Let my heart always delight in righteousness.
O (Agni) thou supreme cleanser, let no impediment
overtake me while I am engaged in acts for the attainment
of religious merit.’ Saying ‘Be it
so,’ Agni disappeared then and there. And
Gaya also, acquiring all he had asked for, subjugated
his foes in fair fight. King Gaya then performed,
for a full hundred years, diverse kinds of sacrifices
with profuse presents unto the Brahmanas and the vows
called Chaturmasyas and others. Every year, for
a century, the king gave (unto the Brahmanas) one
hundred and sixty thousand kine, ten thousand steeds,
and one crore gold (nishkas) upon rising (on the completion
of his sacrifices). Under every constellation
also he gave away the presents ordained for each of
these occasions.[108] Indeed, the king performed various
sacrifices like another Soma or another Angiras.
In his great Horse-sacrifice, king Gaya, making a golden
earth, gave her away unto the Brahmanas. In that
sacrifice, the stakes of king Gaya were exceedingly
costly, being of gold, decked with gems delightful
to all creatures. Capable of killing every wish,
Gaya gave those stakes unto well-pleased Brahmanas
and other people. The diverse classes of creatures
dwelling in the ocean, the woods, the islands, the
rivers male and female, the waters, the towns, the
provinces, and even in heaven, were all gratified
with wealth and food distributed at Gaya’s sacrifices.
Page 947
And they all said, ’No other sacrifice can come
up to this one of Gaya. The sacrificial altar
of Gaya was thirty Yojanas in length, six and twenty
Yojanas in width, and twenty Yojanas in height.
And it was made entirely of gold, and overspread with
pearls and diamonds and gems. And he gave away
this altar unto the Brahmanas, as also robes and ornaments.
And the munificent monarch also gave unto the Brahmanas
other presents of the kind laid down (in the scriptures).
Upon the completion of that sacrifice five and twenty
hills of food remained untouched, and many lakes and
several beautifully flowing rivulets of juicy drinks,
and many heaps, besides, of robes and ornaments.
And in consequence of the merit of that great sacrifice,
Gaya came to be well-known in the three worlds.
And due to that sacrifice are the eternal Banian and
the sacred Brahmasara. When he died, O Srinjaya,
who was superior to thee in respect of four cardinal
virtues and who superior to thee, was, therefore, much
superior to thy son, thou shouldst not, saying, ‘Oh,
Swaitya, Oh, Swaitya,’ grieve for the latter
who performed no sacrifice and made no sacrificial
present.’”
SECTION LXVII
“Narada said, ’Rantideva, the son of Srinjaya,
we hear, fell a prey to death. That high-souled
king had two hundred thousand cooks to distribute
excellent food, raw and cooked, like unto Amrita, unto
the Brahmanas, by day and by night, who might come
to his house as guests.[109] The king gave away unto
the Brahmanas his wealth acquired by righteous means.
Having studied the Vedas, he subjugated his foes in
fair fight. Of rigid vows and always engaged
in due performance of sacrifices, countless animals,
desirous of going to heaven, used to come to him of
their own accord.[110] So large was the number of
animals sacrificed in the Agnihotra of that king that
the secretions flowing from his kitchen from the heaps
of skins deposited there caused a veritable river which
from this circumstance, came to be called the Charmanwati.[111]
He, incessantly gave away nishkas of bright gold unto
the Brahmanas, ’I give thee nishkas.’
‘I give thee nishkas,’ these were the words
incessantly uttered by him. ‘I give thee,’
‘I give thee’ saying these words he gave
away thousands of nishkas. And once again, with
soft words to the Brahmanas, he gave away nishkas.
Having given away, in course of a single day, one
crore of such coins, he thought that he had given away
very little. And, therefore, he would give away
more. Who else is there that would be able to
give what he gave? The king gave away wealth,
thinking, If I do not give wealth in the hands of
Brahmanas, great and eternal grief, without doubt,
will be mine.’ For a hundred years, every
fortnight, he gave unto thousands of Brahmanas a golden
bull into each, followed by a century of kine and
eight hundred pieces of nishkas. All the articles
that were needed for his Agnihotra, and all that were
Page 948
needed for his other sacrifices, he gave away unto
the Rishis, including Karukas[112] and water-pots
and plates and beds and carpets and vehicles, and
mansions and houses, and diverse kinds of trees, and
various kinds of viands. Whatever utensils and
articles Rantideva possessed were of gold. They
that are acquainted with the history of ancient times
seeing the superhuman affluence of Rantideva, sing
this song, viz., ’We have not seen such
accumulated treasures even in the abode of Kuvera;
what need be said, therefore, of human beings?’
And people wonderingly said, Without doubt, the kingdom
of Rantideva is made of gold.[113] On such nights,
when guests were assembled in the abode of Rantideva,
one and twenty thousand kine were sacrificed (for
feeding them). And yet the royal cook adorned
with begemmed ear-rings, had to cry out, saying, ’Eat
as much soup as you like, for, of meat, there is not
as much today as in other days. Whatever gold
was left belonging to Rantideva, he gave even that
remnant away unto the Brahmanas during the progress
of one of his sacrifices. In his very sight the
gods used to take the libations of clarified butter
poured into the fire for them, and the Pitris the food
that was offered to them, in Sraddhas. And all
superior Brahmanas used to obtain from him (the means
of gratifying) all their desires. When he died,
O Srinjaya, who was superior to thee in respect of
the four cardinal virtues and who, superior to thee
was, therefore, much superior to thy son, thou shouldst
not, saying, ‘Oh, Swaitya, Oh, Swaitya,’
grieve for the latter who performed no sacrifice and
made no sacrificial present.’”
SECTION LXVIII
“Narada said, ’Dushmanta’s son,
Bharata, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey to death.
While only a child (living) in the forest, he achieved
feats incapable of being achieved by others.
Endued with great strength, he speedily deprived the
very lions, white as snow and armed with teeth and
claws, of all their prowess, and dragged them and bound
them (at his pleasure). He used to check tigers
also, that were fiercer and more ruthless (than lions),
and bring them to subjection. Seizing other beasts
of prey possessed of great might, and even huge elephants,
dyed with red arsenic and spotted with other liquid
minerals by their teeth and tusks, he used to bring
them to subjection, causing their mouths to become
dry, or obliging them to fly away. Possessed
of great might, he used also to drag the mightiest
of buffaloes. And in consequence of his strength,
he checked proud lions by hundreds, and powerful Srimaras
and horned rhinoceroses and other animals. Binding
them by their necks and crushing them to an inch of
their lives, he used to let them go. For those
feats of his the regenerate ascetics (with whom he
lived) came to call him Sarvadamana (the controller
of all). His mother, at last, forbade him from
torturing animals in that way. Endued with great
Page 949
prowess he performed a hundred Horse-sacrifices on
the banks of the Yamuna, three hundred such sacrifices
on the banks of Saraswati, and four hundred on the
banks of the Ganga. Having performed these sacrifices,
he once more performed a thousand Horse-sacrifices
and a hundred Rajasuyas, great sacrifices, in which
his gifts also to the Brahmanas were very profuse.
Other sacrifices, again, such as the Agnishtoma, the
Atiratra, the Uktha and the Viswajit, he performed
together with thousands and thousands of Vajapeyas,
and completed without any impediment. The son
of Sakuntala, having performed all these, gratified
the Brahmanas with presents of wealth. Possessed
of great fame, Bharata then gave ten thousand billions
of coins, made of the most pure gold, unto Kanwa (who
had brought up his mother Sakuntala as his own daughter).
The gods with Indra at their head, accompanied by
the Brahmanas, coming to his sacrifice, set up his
sacrificial stake made entirely of gold, and measuring
in width a hundred Vyamas.[114] And imperial Bharata,
of noble soul, that victor over all foes, that monarch
never conquered by any enemy, gave away unto the Brahmanas
beautiful horses and elephants and cars, decked with
gold, and beautiful gems of all kinds, and camels
and goats and sheep, and slaves—male and
female—and wealth, and grains and milch
cows with calves, and villages and fields, and diverse
kinds of robes, numbering by millions and millions.
When he died, O Srinjaya, who was superior to thee
in respect of the four cardinal virtues and who superior
to thee, was, therefore, much superior to thy son,
thou shouldst not, saying, ’Oh, Swaitya, Oh,
Swaitya,’ grieve for the latter who performed
no sacrifice and made no sacrificial present.’
SECTION LXIX
“Narada said, ’Vena’s son, king
Prithu, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey to death,
In the Rajasuya sacrifice he performed, the great Rishis
installed him as Emperor (of the world). He vanquished
all, and his achievements, became known (all over
the world). For this he came to be called Prithu
(the celebrated). And because he protected all
people from wounds and injuries, for this he became
a true Kshatriya.[115] Beholding Vena’s son,
Prithu, all his subjects said, We are highly pleased
with him. In consequence of this affection that
he enjoyed of his subjects he came to be called a
Raja.[116] During the time of Prithu, the earth, without
being cultivated, yielded crops in sufficiency.
All the kine, again, yielded milk whenever they were
touched. Every lotus was full of honey.
The Kusa blades were all of gold, agreeable to the
touch, and otherwise delightful. And the subjects
of Prithu made clothes of these blades and the beds
also on which they lay. All the fruits were soft
and sweet and like unto Amrita (in taste). And
these constituted the food of his subjects, none amongst
whom had ever to starve. And all men in Prithu’s
time were hale and hearty. And all their wishes
Page 950
were crowned with fruition. They had nothing
to fear. On trees, or in caves, they dwelt as
they liked. His dominions were not distributed
into provinces and towns. The people lived happily
and in joy as each desired. When king Prithu
went to the sea, the waves became solid. The very
mountains used to yield him openings that he might
pass through them. The standard of his car never
broke (obstructed by anything). Once on a time,
the tall trees of the forest, the mountains, the gods,
the Asuras, men, the snakes, the seven Rishis, the
Apsaras, and the Pitris, all came to Prithu, seated
at his ease, and addressing him, said, ’Thou
art our Emperor. Thou art our king. Thou
art our protector and Father. Thou art our Lord.
Therefore, O great king, give us boons after our own
hearts, through which we may, for ever, obtain gratification
and joy.’ Unto them Prithu, the son of
Vena, said, So be it. Then taking up his Ajagava
bow[117] and some terrible arrows the like of which
existed not, he reflected for a moment. He then
addressed the Earth, saying, ’Coming quickly,
O Earth! Yield to these the milk they desire.
From that, blessed be thou, I will give them the food
they solicit.’ Thus addressed by him, the
Earth said, ‘It behoveth thee, O hero, to regard
me as thy daughter.’ Prithu answered, So
be it!—And then that great ascetic, his
passions under control, made all arrangements (for
milking the Earth. Then the entire assemblage
of creatures began to milk the Earth). And first
of all, the tall trees of the forest rose for milking
her, The Earth then, full of affection, stood there
desiring a calf, a milker, and vessels (wherein to
hold the milk). Then the blossoming Sala became
the calf, the Banian became the milker, torn buds
became the milk, and the auspicious fig tree became
the vessel. (Next, the mountains milked her).
The Eastern hill, whereon the Sun rises, became the
calf; the prince of mountains, viz., Meru, became
the milker; the diverse gems and deciduous herbs became
the milk; and the stones became the vessels (for holding
that milk). Next, one of the gods became the
milker, and all things capable of bestowing energy
and strength became the coveted milk. The Asuras
then milked the Earth, having wine for their milk,
and using an unbaked pot for their vessel. In
that act, Dwimurddhan became the milker, and Virochana,
the calf. The human beings milked the Earth for
cultivation and crops. The self-created Manu
became their calf, and Prithu himself the milker.
Next, the Snakes milked the Earth, getting poison as
the milk, and using a vessel made of a gourd, Dhritarashtra
became the milker, and Takshaka the calf. The
seven Rishis, capable of producing everything by their
fiat,[118] then milked the Earth, getting the Vedas
as their milk. Vrihaspati became the milker, the
Chhandas were the vessel, and the excellent Soma,
the calf. The Yakshas, milking the Earth, got
the power of disappearance at will as the milk in an
Page 951
unbaked pot. Vaisravana (Kuvera) became their
milker, and Vrishadhvaja their calf. The Gandharvas
and the Apsaras milked all fragrant perfumes in a vessel
made of a lotus-leaf. Chitraratha became their
calf, and the puissant Viswaruchi their milker.
The Pitris milked the Earth, getting Swaha as their
milk in a vessel of silver. Yama, the son of Vivaswat,
became their calf, and (the Destroyer Antaka) their
milker. Even thus was the Earth milked by that
assemblage of creatures who all got for milk what they
each desired. The very calves and vessels employed
by them are existing to this day and may always be
seen. The powerful Prithu, the son of Vena, performing
various sacrifices, gratified all creatures in respect
of all their desires by gifts of articles agreeable
to their hearts. And he caused golden images
to be made of every article on earth, and bestowed
them all on the Brahmanas as his great Horse-sacrifice,[119]
The king caused six and sixty thousand elephants to
be made of gold, and all those he gave away unto the
Brahmanas. And this whole earth also the king
caused to be decked with jewels and gems and gold,
and gave her away unto the Brahmanas. When he
died, O Srinjaya, who was superior to thee as regards
the four cardinal virtues and who, superior to thee,
was, therefore, much superior to thy son thou shouldst
not, saying ’Oh, Swaitya, Oh, Swaitya,’
grieve for the latter who performed no sacrifice and
made no sacrificial present.’”
SECTION LXX
“Narada said, ’Even the great ascetic
Rama, the hero worshipped by all heroes, that son
of Jamadagni, of great fame, will die, without being
contented (with the period of his life). Rooting
out all evils from the earth, he caused the primeval
Yuga to set in. Having obtained unrivalled prosperity,
no fault could be seen in him.[120] His father having
been slain and his calf having been stolen by the
Kshatriyas, he without any boast, slew Kartavirya
who had never been vanquished before by foes.
With his bow he slew four and sixty times ten thousand
Kshatriyas already within the jaws of death.
In that slaughter were included fourteen thousand
Brahmana-hating Kshatriyas of the Dantakura country,
all of whom he slew. Of the Haihayas, he slew
a thousand with his short club, a thousand with his
sword, and a thousand by hanging.[121] Heroic warriors,
with their cars, steeds, and elephants, lay dead on
the field, slain by the wise son of Jamadagni, enraged
at the slaughter of his father. And Rama, on
that occasion, slew ten thousand Kshatriyas with his
axe. He could not quietly bear the furious speeches
uttered by those (foes of his). And when many
foremost of Brahmans uttered exclamations, mentioning
the name of Rama of Bhrigu’s race,[122] then
the valiant son of Jamadagni, proceeding against the
Kashmiras, the Daradas, the Kuntis, the Kshudrakas,
the Malavas, the Angas, the Vangas, the Kalingas, the
Videhas, the Tamraliptakas, the Rakshovahas, the Vitahotras,
Page 952
the Trigartas, the Martikavatas, counting by thousand,
slew them all by means of his whetted shafts.
Proceeding from province to province, fie thus slew
thousands of crores of Kshatriyas. Creating a
deluge of blood and filling many lakes also with blood
as red as Indrajopakas or the wild fruit called Vandujiva,
and bringing all the eighteen islands (of which the
earth is composed) under his subjection, that son of
Bhrigu’s race performed a hundred sacrifices
of great merit, all of which he completed and in all
of which the presents he made unto the Brahmanas were
profuse. The sacrificial altar, eighteen nalas
high made entirely of gold, and constructed according
to the ordinance, full of diverse kinds of jewels
and gems, and decked with hundreds of standards, and
this earth abounding in domestic and wild animals,
were accepted by Kasyapa as sacrificial present made
unto him by Rama, the son of Jamadagni. And Rama
also gave him many thousand prodigious elephants,
all adorned with gold. Indeed, freeing the earth
from all robbers, and making her teem with honest and
graceful inhabitants, Rama gave her away to Kasyapa
at his great Horse-sacrifice. Having divested
the earth of Kshatriyas for one and twenty times,
and having performed hundreds of sacrifices, the puissant
hero gave away the earth to the Brahmanas. And
it was Marichi (Kasyapa) who accepted from him the
earth with her seven islands. Then Kasyapa said
unto Rama, ‘Go out of the earth, at my command.’
At the word of Kasyapa, the foremost of warriors,
desirous of obeying the Brahmana’s behest, caused
by his arrows the very ocean to stand aside, and repairing
to that best of mountains called Mahendra, continued
to live there. Even that enhancer of the fame
of the Bhrigus, possessed of such numberless virtues,
that famous son of Jamadagni, of great splendour, will
die. Superior to thy son, (even he will die).
Do not, therefore, grieve for thy son who performed
no sacrifice and made no sacrificial present.
All these, superior to thee as regards the four cardinal
virtues and as regards also a hundred other merits,
all these foremost of men, have died, O Srinjaya,
and they that are like them will also die.’”
SECTION LXXI
“Vyasa said, ’Hearing this sacred history
of sixteen kings, capable of enhancing the period
of life (of the listener), king Srinjaya remained
silent without saying anything. The illustrious
Rishi Narada then said unto him thus sitting silent,
’O thou of great splendour, hast thou heard
those histories recited by me, and hast thou caught
their purport? Or, are all these lost like Sraddha
as performed by a person of regenerate classes having
a Sudra wife?’ Thus addressed, Srinjaya then
replied with joined hands, ’O thou that hast
wealth of asceticism, having listened to these excellent
and praiseworthy histories of ancient royal sages,
all of whom had performed great sacrifices with profuse
presents unto the Brahmanas, my grief hath all been
dispelled by wonder, like the darkness that is dispelled
by the rays of the sun. I have now been cleansed
of my sins, and I do not feel any pain now. Tell
me, what shall I do now?’
Page 953
“Narada said, ’By good luck it is that
thy grief hath been dispelled. Solicit thou the
boon that thou desirest. Thou wilt obtain all
thou mayst ask. We never say what is not true.’
“Srinjaya said, ’I am happy with even
this, viz., that thou, O holy one, art gratified
with me. He with whom thou, O holy one, art gratified,
hath nothing unobtainable here.’
“Narada said, ’I will once more give thee
thy son who was fruitlessly slain by the robbers,
like an animal, slaughtered in sacrifice, taking him
out of terrible hell.’
“Vyasa said, ’Then the son of Srinjaya,
of wonderful splendour, appeared, that child resembling
the son of Kuvera himself, bestowed by the gratified
Rishi (on the bereaved father). And king Srinjaya,
once more meeting with his son, became highly delighted.
And he performed many meritorious sacrifices, giving
away profuse sacrificial presents upon completion.
Srinjaya’s son had not fulfilled the purposes
of his being. He had performed no sacrifice and
had no children. Destitute of bravery, he had
perished miserably and not in battle. It was for
this reason that he could be brought back into life.[123]
As regards Abhimanyu, he was brave and heroic.
He hath fulfilled the purposes of life, for the brave
son of Subhadra, having blasted his foes by thousands,
hath left the world, falling in the field of battle.
Those inaccessible regions that are attainable by
Brahmacharya, by knowledge, by acquaintance with the
scriptures, by foremost of sacrifices, even, these
have been obtained by thy son. Men of knowledge
always desire heaven by their righteous deeds.
They that are living in heaven never prefer this world
to heaven. Therefore, it is not easy for any
desirable thing that might have been unattained by
him to bring back into the world Arjuna’s son
slain in battle and now residing in heaven. Thy
son has attained to that eternal goal which is attained
by yogins with eyes shut in contemplation or by performers
of great sacrifices, or people possessed of great ascetic
merit. After death, attaining a new body that
hero is shining like a king in his own immortal rays.
Indeed, Abhimanyu has once more got his own body of
lunar essence that is desirable by all regenerate persons.
He deserveth not thy grief.[124] Knowing this, be
quiet, and slay thy foes. Let fortitude be thine.
O sinless one, it is the living that stand in need
of our grief, and not they that have attained to heaven.
His sins increase, O king, for whom, the living grieve.
Therefore, he that is wise, abandoning grief, should
strive for (the) benefit (of the dead). The living
man should think of the joy, the glory, and the happiness
(of the dead). Knowing this, the wise never indulge
in grief, for grief is painful. Know this to
be true. Rise up! Strive (to achieve thy
purpose). Do not grieve. Thou hast heard
of the origin of Death, and her unexampled penances,
as also the impartiality of her behaviour towards all
Page 954
creatures. Thou hast heard that prosperity is
unstable. Thou hast heard how the dead son of
Srinjaya was revived. O learned king, do not grieve.
Peace be to thee, I go!’—Having said
this, the holy Vyasa disappeared then and there.
Upon the departure of that master of speech, that
foremost of intelligent persons, viz., the holy
Vyasa, whose colour was like that of the clouded sky,
Yudhishthira, having derived consolation in consequence
of what he had heard about the sacrificial merit and
prosperity of these great monarchs of olden times,
possessed of energy equal to that of the great Indra
himself and all of whom had acquired wealth by righteous
means, mentally applauded those illustrious persons
and became freed from grief. Once more, however,
with a melancholy heart he asked himself, saying,
‘What shall we say unto Dhananjaya?’”
SECTION LXXII
“Sanjaya said, ’When that terrible day,
so fraught with the slaughter of creatures, departed,
and when the sun set, the beautiful twilight of the
evening spread itself. The troops, O bull of Bharata’s
race, of both parties, had retired to their tents.
Then the ape-bannered Jishnu, having slain a large
number of Samsaptakas by means of his celestial weapons,
proceeded towards his tent, mounted on that victorious
car of his. And as he was proceeding, he asked
Govinda, with voice choked with tears, ’Why
is my heart afraid, O Kesava, and why both my speech
falter? Evil omens encounter me, and my limbs
are weak. Thoughts of disaster possess my mind
without living it. On earth, on all sides, various
omens strike me with fear. Of many kinds are
those omens and indications, and seen everywhere,
foreboding dire calamity. Is it all right with
my venerable superior, viz., the king with all
his friends?’
“Vasudeva said, ’It is evident that everything
is right with thy brother and his friends. Do
not grieve, some trifling evil in another direction
will happen.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’Then those two heroes
(viz., Krishna and Arjuna), having adored the Twilight,[125]
mounted on their car and proceeded, talking of the
day’s battle so destructive of heroes. Having
achieved feats exceedingly difficult of accomplishment,
Vasudeva and Arjuna, at last, reached the (Pandava)
encampment. Then that slayer of hostile heroes,
viz., Vibhatsu, beholding the camp joyless and
melancholy and everything to be in confusion, addressed
Krishna with an agonised heart, and said, ’O
Janardana, no auspicious trumpet blows today, its blasts
mingled with the beat of drums and the loud blare of
conchs. The sweet Vina also is nowhere played
upon in accompaniment with slapping of palms.[126]
Auspicious and delightful songs fraught with praise
are nowhere recited or sung by our bards amongst the
troops. The warriors also, all recede hanging
down their heads. They do not tell me beholding
me, as before, of the feats achieved by them.
O Madhava, is it all right with my brothers today?
Beholding our own men plunged in grief, I know no
peace. Is it all right, O giver of honours, with
the ruler of the Panchalas, or Virata, or all our
warriors, O thou of unfading glory? Alas, Subhadra’s
son, ever cheerful, doth not today, with his brothers,
come out with smiles to receive me returning from battle.’
Page 955
“Sanjaya said, ’Thus conversing, those
two, (viz., Krishna and Arjuna), entered their own
camp. And they saw that the Pandavas, all cheerless,
were sitting, plunged in great grief. Beholding
his brothers and sons, the ape-bannered Arjuna became
very cheerless. Not seeing the son of Subhadra
there, Arjuna said, ’Pale is the colour I behold
of the faces of you all. I do not, again, see
Abhimanyu. Nor doth he come to congratulate me.
I heard that Drona had today formed the circular array.
None amongst you, save the boy Abhimanyu, could break
that array. I, however, did not teach him how
to come out of that array, after having pierced it.
Did you cause the boy to enter that array? Hath
that slayer of heroes, viz., the son of Subhadra,
that mighty bowman, having pierced that array, through
numberless warriors of the enemy in battle, fallen,
at last in the fight? Oh, tell me, how that hero
of mighty arms and red eyes, born (in our line) like
a lion on the mountain breast, and equal unto the younger
brother of Indra himself, hath fallen on the field
of battle? What warrior, deprived on his senses
by Death ventured to slay that dear son of Subhadra,
that favourite of Draupadi and Kesava, that child ever
loved by Kunti? Equal unto the high-souled Vrishni
hero, Kesava, himself in prowess and learning and
dignity, how hath he been slain on the field of battle?
The favourite son of that daughter of the Vrishni race,
always cherished by me, alas, if I do not see him
I will repair to the abode of Yama. With locks
ending in soft curls, of tender years, with eyes like
those of a young gazelle, with tread like that of an
infuriated elephant, tall like a Sala offshoot, of
sweet speech accompanied with smiles, quiet, ever
obedient to the behest of his superiors, acting like
one of mature years though tender in age, of agreeable
speech, reft of vanity, of great courage and great
energy, of large eyes resembling lotus-petals, kind
to those devoted to him, self-restrained, following
nothing mean, grateful, possessed of knowledge, accomplished
in weapons, unretreating from battle, always delighting
in fight, and enhancing the fears of foes, engaged
in the welfare of kinsmen, desirous of victory into
sires, never striking first, perfectly fearless in
battle, alas, if I do not behold that son, I will
repair to the abode of Yama. In the counting of
car-warriors always reckoned as a Maharatha, superior
to me one and a half times, of tender years, of mighty
arms, even dear to Pradyumna and Kesava and myself,
alas, if I do not behold that son I will repair to
the abode of Yama. Of beautiful nose, of beautiful
forehead, of fair eyes and eyebrows and lips, if I
do not behold that face, what peace can my heart have?
Melodious as the voice of the male Kokila, delightful,
and sweet as the warblings of the Vina, without listening
to his voice, what peace can my heart have? His
beauty was unrivalled, rare even among the celestials.
Without casting my eyes on that form, what peace can
Page 956
my heart have? Accomplished in saluting (his
superiors) with reverence, and always obedient to
the behests of his sires, alas, if I do not behold
him, what peace can my heart have? Brave in battle,
accustomed to every luxury, deserving of the softest
bed, alas, he sleepeth today on the bare earth, as
if there is none to take care of him, although he is
foremost of those that have protectors to look after
them. He on whom, while on his bed, the foremost
of beautiful women used to attend, alas, he mangled
with shafts, will have inauspicious jackals, prowling
over the field, to attend upon him today. He
who was formerly roused from his slumbers by singers
and bards and panegyrists, alas, he will today be surely
awakened by discordant beasts of prey. That beautiful
face of his eminently deserved to be shaded by the
umbrella, alas, the dust of battle-field will surely
befoul today. O child, unfortunate that I am,
death forcibly takes thee away from me, who was never
satiated with looking at thee. Without doubt,
that abode of Yama, which is always the goal of persons
of righteous deeds, that delightful mansion, illuminated
today by thy own splendours, is rendered exceedingly
beautiful by thee. Without doubt, Yama and Varuna
and Satakratu and Kuvera, obtaining thee as a favourite
guest, are making much of thy heroic self. Thus
indulging in diverse lamentations, like a merchant
whose vessel has been sunken. Arjuna, afflicted
with great grief, asked Yudhishthira, saying, ’O,
thou of Kuru’s race, hath he ascended to heaven,
having caused a great slaughter among the enemy and
contended with the foremost warriors in the face of
battle? Without doubt, while contending single-handed
with foremost of warriors, countless in number, and
fighting with vigour and resolution, his heart turned
towards me from a desire of help. While afflicted
by Karna and Drona and Kripa and others with sharp
shafts of diverse kinds and bright points, my sons
of little strength, must have repeatedly thought,
‘My father will in this press be my rescuer.’
I think, while indulging in such lamentations, he
was felled on the ground by cruel warriors. Or,
perhaps, when he was begotten by me, when he was the
nephew of Madhva, when he was born in Subhadra he
could not have uttered such lamentations. Without
doubt, my heart, hard as it is, is made of the essence
of the thunder, since it breaketh not, even though
I do not behold that mighty-armed hero of red eyes.
How could those mighty bowmen of cruel hearts shoot
their deep-piercing shafts upon that child of tender
years, who, again, Was my son and the nephew of Vasudeva?
That noble-hearted youth who, coming forward every
day, used to congratulate me, alas, why doth he not
present himself today to me when I come back having
slain the foe? Without doubt, overthrown, he lieth
today on the bare earth bathed in blood. Beautifying
the earth by his body, he lieth like the sun fallen
(from the firmament). I grieve for Subhadra, who,
Page 957
hearing of the death in battle of her unretreating
son, will, afflicted with sorrow, cast away her life.
What will Subhadra missing Abhimanyu, say unto me?
What also will Draupadi say unto me? Afflicted
with grief as they are, what also shall I say unto
them? Without doubt, my heart is made of the
essence of the thunder, since it breaketh not in a
thousand fragments at the sight of my weeping daughter-in-law,
pierced with grief. The leonine shouts of the
Dhritarashtras swelling with pride did, indeed, enter
my ears. Krishna also heard Yuyutsu, censuring
the heroes (of the Dhritarashtra army in these words):
’Ye mighty car-warriors, having been unable
to vanquish Vibhatsu, and having slain only a child,
why do ye rejoice? Why, having done what is disagreeable
to those two, viz., Kesava and Arjuna, in battle,
why do you in joy roar like lions, when truly the
hour for sorrow is come? The fruits of this sinful
deed of Yours will soon overtake you. Heinous
is the crime perpetrated by you. How long will
it not bear its fruits?’ Rebuking them in these
words, the high-souled son of Dhritarashtra by his
Vaisya wife, went away, casting off his weapons afflicted
with rage and grief. O Krishna, why did you not
tell me all this during the battle? I would then
have consumed all those car-warriors of cruel hearts.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’Then Vasudeva, consoling
Partha who was afflicted with grief on account of
his son, who was exceedingly anxious, whose eyes were
bathed in tears, and who was, in fact, overwhelmed
with this sorrow caused by the slaughter of his child,
said unto him, ’Do not yield so to grief.
This is the way of all brave, unretreating heroes,
especially of Kshatriyas, whose profession is battle.
O foremost of intelligent men, even this is the goal
ordained by the authors of our scriptures for unretreating
heroes engaged in battle. Death is certain for
heroes that do not retreat. There is no doubt
that Abhimanyu hath ascended to those regions that
are reserved for persons of righteous acts. O
bull of Bharata’s race, even this is coveted
by all that are brave, viz., that they may die
in battle, facing their foes. As regards Abhimanyu,
he having slain in battle many heroic and mighty princes,
hath met with that death in the face of battle which
is coveted by heroes. Do not grieve, O tiger
among men I The legislators of old have declared this
to be the eternal merit of the Kshatriyas, viz.,
their death in battle. O best of the Bharatas,
these brothers of thine are all exceedingly cheerless,
as also the king, and these thy friends, seeing thee
plunged in grief. O giver of honours, comfort
them in consoling words. That which should be
is known to thee. It behoveth thee not to grieve.’
Thus comforted by Krishna of wonderful deeds, Partha
then said these words unto all his brothers, with
voice choked with sorrow: ’O lord of the
earth, I desire to hear how the mighty-armed Abhimanyu,
how that hero of large eyes, resembling lotus-petals,
Page 958
fought. Ye will see that I will exterminate the
foe with his elephants and cars and steeds, I will
exterminate in battle those slayers of my son with
all their followers and kinsmen. Ye all are accomplished
in arms. Ye all were armed with weapons, how then
could Subhadra’s son be slain, even if it were
the wielder of the thunder-bolt himself with whom
he fought? Alas, if I had known that Pandavas
and the Panchalas would be able to protect my son
in battle, I myself would have then protected him.
Ye were then on your cars, ye were shooting your shafts.
Alas, how then could Abhimanyu be slain by the foe,
causing a great carnage in your ranks? Alas,
ye have no manliness, nor have ye any prowess, since
in the very sight of you all was Abhimanyu slain.
Or, I should chide my own self, since knowing that
ye all are weak, cowardly, and irresolute, I went
away! Alas, are your coats of mail and weapons
of all kinds only ornaments for decking your persons,
and were words given to you only for speaking in assemblies,
that ye failed to protect my son (even though ye were
clad in mail, armed from head to foot, and even though
you had assured me in words of your competence)?—Having
said these words, Partha sat down, holding bow and
his excellent sword. Indeed, none could, at that
time, even look at Vibhatsu who then resembled the
Destroyer himself in wrath, repeatedly drawing deep
breaths. None of his friends or kinsmen could
venture to look at or speak unto Arjuna, as he sat
there exceedingly afflicted with grief on account
of his son, and with face bathed in tears. None!
Indeed could address him, save Vasudeva or Yudhishthira.
These two, under all circumstances, were acceptable
to Arjuna. And because they were highly reverenced
and dearly loved, therefore, could they alone address
him at such times. Then king Yudhishthira addressing
Partha, of eyes like lotus-petals, who was then filled
with rage and exceedingly afflicted with grief on account
of the death of his son, said these words.
SECTION LXXIII
“Yudhishthira said,—O mighty-armed
one, after thou hadst gone towards the army of the
Samsaptakas, the preceptor Drona made fierce endeavours
for seizing me. We succeeded, however, in resisting
Drona at the head of the array at all points, having
in that battle, disposed our vigorously contending
car-divisions in counter-array. Held in check
by a large number of warriors, and myself also having
been well protected, Drona began to smite us with
great activity, afflicting us with his whetted shafts.
Thus afflicted by him, we could not then even gaze
at his army, far less face it in battle. All
of us then, addressing thy son by Subhadra, who was
equal to thyself, O lord, in prowess said unto him,
[O son, pierce this array of Drona!]—That
valorous hero thus urged by us, then sought, like
a good horse, to take that burden on himself, however
unbearable it might have been for him. Endued
Page 959
as he was with thy energy, aided by that knowledge
of weapons which he derived from thee, that child
then penetrated unto that array, like Garuda penetrating
into the ocean. As regards ourselves, we followed
that hero, that son of Subhadra, desirous in that
battle, of penetrating (into the Dhritarashtra army)
by the same path by which Abhimanyu had entered it.
Then, O sire, the wretched king of the Sindhus, viz.,
Jayadratha, in consequence of the boon granted to
him by Rudra, checked all of us! Then Drona, Kripa
and Karna and Drona’s son, and the king of the
Kosalas, and Kritavarman, these six car-warriors surrounded
the son of Subhadra. Having surrounded that child
all those great car-warriors—too many for
him although he was contending to the utmost of his
power, deprived him of his car. After he had
been deprived of his car, Dussasana’s son, though
he himself had a hair-breadth escape, succeeded, as
chance would have it, in making Abhimanyu, meet with
his end. As regards Abhimanyu, he, having slain
many thousands of men and steeds and elephants, and
eight thousand cars, and once more nine hundred elephants,
two thousand princes, and a large number of heroic
warriors unknown to fame, and despatching in that battle
king Vrihadvala also to heaven, at last, through ill
luck, met with his own death. Thus hath occurred
this event that so enhances our grief! That tiger
among men hath even thus ascended to heaven! Hearing
these words uttered by king Yudhishthira, Arjuna,
saying—Oh son!—and breathing
a deep sigh, fell down on the earth in great pain.
Then all the warriors of the Pandavas, surrounding
Dhananjaya with cheerless faces began, filled with
grief, to look at one another with winkless eyes.
Recovering consciousness then, Vasava’s son
became furious with rage. He seemed to be in
a feverish tremor, and sighed frequently. Squeezing
his hands, drawing deep breaths, with eyes bathed
in tears, and casting his glances like a mad man,
he said these words.’
“Arjuna said,—–’Truly
do I swear that tomorrow I will slay Jayadratha!
If from fear of death, he doth not forsake the Dhritarashtras,
or implore our protection, or the protection of Krishna
that foremost of men or of thine, O king, I shall
assuredly slay him tomorrow! Forgetting his friendship
for me, engaged in doing what is agreeable to Dhritarashtra’s
son, that wretch is the cause of the child’s
slaughter! Tomorrow I will slay him! Whoever
they may be that will encounter me in battle tomorrow
for protecting him, be it Drona, or Kripa, O king,
I will cover them all with my arrow! Ye bulls
among men, if I do not achieve even this in (tomorrow’s)
battle, let me not attain the region., reserved for
the righteous, ye foremost of heroes! Those regions
that are for them that slay their mothers, or for
them that slay their fathers, or them that violate
their preceptor’s beds, or them that are vile
and wicked, or them that cherish envy against the
righteous, or them that speak ill of others or them
Page 960
that appropriate the wealth confidingly deposited with
them by others, or them that are betrayers of trusts,
or them that speak ill of wives enjoyed by them before,
or them that have slain Brahmanas, or them that have
killed kine, or them that eat sugared milk and rice,
or food prepared of barley, or pot-herbs, or dishes
prepared of milk, sesamum, and rice, or thin cakes
of powdered barley fried in clarified butter or other
kinds of cakes, or meat, without having dedicated the
same to the gods,—even those regions shall
speedily be mine if I do not slay Jayadratha!—Those
regions to which they go that offer insults to Brahmanas
devoted to the study of the Vedas, or otherwise worthy
of respect, or to those that are their preceptors,
(those regions shall speedily be mine if I do not
slay Jayadratha!) That end which becomes theirs who
touch Brahmanas or fire with the feet, that end which
becomes theirs who throw phlegm and excreta and eject
urine into water, even that miserable end shall be
mine, if I do not slay Jayadratha! That end which
is his who bathes (in water) in a state of nudity,
or his who does not hospitably entertain a guest,
that end which is theirs who receive bribes, speak
falsehood, and deceive and cheat others, that end which
is theirs who offend against their own souls, or who
falsely utter praises (of others), or of those low
wretches who eat sweetmeats in the sight of servants
and sons and wives and dependents without sharing the
same with those, that awful end shall be mine if I
do not slay Jayadratha! That end which overtakes
the wretch of ruthless soul who without supporting
a righteous and obedient protege casts him off, or
him who, without giving unto a deserving neighbour
the offerings in Sraddhas, giveth them away unto those
that deserve them not, that end which is his who drinks
wine, or his who insults those that are worthy of
respect, or his who is ungrateful, or his who speaketh
ill of his brothers, that end shall soon be mine if
I do not stay Jayadratha! The end of all those
sinful persons whom I have not mentioned, as also
of those whom I have mentioned, shall soon be attained
by me, if after this night passes away, I do not slay
Jayadratha tomorrow:
“—Listen now to another oath of mine!
If tomorrow’s sun set without my slaying that
wretch, then even here I shall enter the blazing fire!
Ye Asuras and gods and men. Ye birds and snakes,
ye Pitris and all wanderers of the night, ye regenerate
Rishis and celestial Rishis, ye mobile and immobile
creatures, ye all that I have not mentioned, ye will
not succeed in protecting my foe from me! If
he enters the abode of the nether region, or ascends
the firmament, or repairs to the celestials, or the
realms of the Daityas, I shall still, with a hundred
arrows, assuredly cut off, on the expiration of this
night, the head of Abhimanyu’s foe!—’
Page 961
“Sanjaya continued,—’Having
uttered these words, Arjuna began to stretch Gandiva
with both his arms. Transcending Arjuna’s
voice the sound of that bow rose and touched the very
heavens. After Arjuna had taken that oath, Janarddana,
filled with wrath, blew his conch, Panchajanya.
And Phalguna blew Devadatta. The great conch
Panchajanya, well filled with the wind from Krishna’s
mouth, produced a loud blare. And that blare made
the regents of the cardinal and the subsidiary points,
the nether regions, and the whole universe, to shake,
as it happens at the end of the Yuga. Indeed
after the high-souled Arjuna had taken the oath, the
sound of thousands of musical instruments and loud
leonine roars arose from the Pandava camp.
SECTION LXXIV
“Sanjaya said, ’When the spies (of Duryodhana),
having heard that loud uproar made by the Pandavas
desirous of victory, informed (their masters of the
cause), Jayadratha, overwhelmed with sorrow, and with
heart stupefied with grief, and like one sinking in
a fathomless ocean of distress, slowly rose up and
having reflected for a long while, proceeded to the
assembly of the kings. Reflecting for a while
in the presence of those gods among men, Jayadratha,
in fear of Abhimanyu’s father and covered with
shame, said these words—He who in Pandu’s
soil was begotten by Indra under the influence of
desire, that wicked wretch is thinking of despatching
me to the abode of Yama! Blessed be ye, I shall,
therefore go back to my home from desire of life!
Or, ye bulls among Kshatriyas, protect me by the force
of your weapons! Partha seeks to slay me, ye
heroes, render me fearless! Drona and Duryodhana
and Kripa, and Karna, and the ruler of the Madras,
and Valhika, and Dussasana and others, are capable
of protecting a person who is afflicted by Yama himself.
When however, I am threatened by Phalguna alone, will
not all these the lords of earth, will not all of
you, joined together, be able to protect me?
Having heard the shouts of joy of the Pandavas, great
hath been my fear. My limbs, ye lords of earth,
have become powerless like those of a person on the
point of death? Without doubt, the wielder of
Gandiva hath sworn for my death! It is for this
that the Pandavas are shouting in joy at a time when
they should weep! Let alone the rulers of men,
the very gods and Gandharvas, the Asuras, the Uragas,
and the Rakshasas, cannot venture to baffle a vow
of Arjuna. Therefore, ye bulls among men, blessed
be ye, give me permission (to leave the Kuru camp).
I want to make myself scarce. The Pandavas will
no longer be able to find me! While indulging
in such lamentations, with heart agitated by fear,
king Duryodhana, always looking upon the accomplishment
of his own business to be preferable to everything
else, said unto him these words-Do not fear, O tiger
among men! O bull among men, who will seek to
encounter thee in battle when thou will remain in
Page 962
the midst of these Kshatriya heroes! Myself,
Vikartana’s son, Karna, Chitrasena, Vivinsati,
Bhurisravas, Sala, Salya, the invincible Vrishasena,
Purumitra, Jaya, Bhoja, Sudakshina the ruler of the
Kamvojas, Satyavrata, the mighty-armed, Vikarna, Durmukha,
Dussasana, Subahu, the ruler of the Kalingas, with
his weapons upraised, Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti,
Drona, Drona’s son, and Suvala’s son (Sakuni),—these
and numerous other kings will, with their forces, face
the battle surrounding thee on all sides! Let
the fever of thy heart, therefore, be dispelled!
Thou art thyself one of the foremost of car-warriors!
O thou of immeasurable splendour, thou thyself art
a hero! Being what thou art how canst thou then
see any cause of fear, O king of the Sindhus!
The eleven Akshauhinis of troops I own will carefully
fight for protecting thee! Therefore, do not
fear, O king of the Sindhus! Let thy fears be
dispelled!’
’Sanjaya continued, ’Thus comforted, O
monarch, by thy son, the king of the Sindhus then,
accompanied by Duryodhana, repaired that very night
to Drona (the generalissimo of the Kuru army).
Then, O king, having touched Drona’s feet with
reverence, and taken his seat with humility, he asked
the preceptor these words—In hitting the
aim, in hitting it from it distance, in tightness
of hand, and in the force of the stroke, O illustrious
one, tell the difference between myself and Phalguna!
O preceptor, I wish to know accurately the difference
as regards proficiency (in the science of arms) between
myself and Arjuna! Say it unto me truly’
“Drona said, ’Of tutorial instruction,
both of you, i.e., thyself and Arjuna, have had
the same measure, O son! In consequence, however,
of yoga and the hard life led by Arjuna, he is superior
to thee! Thou shouldst not, however, for any
reason, cherish fear of Partha! Without doubt,
I will, O son, protect thee from this fear! The
very gods, cannot prevail over him who is protected
by my arms! I will form an array which Partha
will not succeed in piercing![127] Therefore contained
thou in battle, do not fear, observing the duties
of thy own order! O mighty car-warrior, tread
in the track of thy sires and grandsires! Having
duly studied the Vedas, thou hast poured libations,
according to the ordinance, into fire! Thou hast
also performed many sacrifices: Death cannot,
therefore, be an object of terror to thee! (For if
thou diest), attaining then to that great good fortune
which is unattainable by vile men, thou will acquire
all those excellent regions in heaven that are attainable
by the might of one’s arms! The Kaurvas,
the Pandavas, the Vrishnis, and other men, as also
myself with my son, are all mortal and short-lived!
Think of this. One after another, all of us, slain
by Time which is all powerful, shall go to the other
world, carrying with us only our respective deeds
I Those regions that ascetics acquire by undergoing
severe penances, those regions are acquired by heroic
Kshatriyas that are observant of the duties of their
order. Even thus was the ruler of the Sindhus
consoled by Bharadwaja’s son. Banishing
his fear of Partha, he set his heart on battle.
Then, O king thy troops also felt great delight, and
the loud sounds of musical instruments were heard,
mingled with leonine shouts.’”
Page 963
SECTION LXXV
“Sanjaya said, ’After Partha had vowed
the death of the ruler of the Sindhus, the mighty-armed
Vasudeva addressed Dhananjaya and said,—With
the consent of thy brothers (alone, but without consulting
me), thou hast sworn, saying—I will slay
the ruler of the Sindhus! This hath been an act
of great rashness (on thy part)! Without consulting
me, thou hast taken up a great weight (upon thy shoulders)!
Alas, how shall we escape the ridicule of all men?
I had sent some spies into the camp of Dhritarashtra’s
son. Those spies, quickly coming unto me, gave
me this information, viz., that after thou, O
lord, hadst vowed to slay the ruler of the Sindhus,
loud leonine shouts, mingled with the sounds of (our)
musical instruments, were heard by the Dhritarashtras.
In consequence of that uproar, the Dhritarashtras,
with their well-wishers, became terrified,—These
leonine shouts are not, causeless!—thought
they, and waited (for what would ensue). O thou
of mighty arms, an uproarious din then arose amongst
the Kauravas, of their elephants and steeds and infantry.
And a terrible rattle was also heard of their cars.—Having
heard of the death of Abhimanyu, Dhananjaya, deeply
afflicted will in wrath come out in the night for
battle!—Than king even thus, they waited
(ready for battle). While preparing themselves.
O thou of eyes like lotus-petals, they then learnt
truly the vow about the slaughter of the ruler of
the Sindhus, made by thee that art wedded to truth.[128]
Then all the counsellors of Suyodhana became heartless
and frightened like little animals. As regards
king Jayadratha, that ruler of the Sindhus and the
Sauviras, overwhelmed with grief and becoming thoroughly
cheerless he stood up and entered his own tent with
all his counsellors. Having consulted (with them)
about every remedy that could benefit him at a time
when he stood in need of consultation, he proceeded
to the assembly of the (allied) kings and there said
these words unto Suyodhana—Dhananjaya thinking
me to be the slayer of his son, will tomorrow encounter
me in battle! He hath, in the midst of his army,
vowed to stay me! That vow of Savyasachin the
very gods and Gandharvas and Asuras and Uragas and
Rakshasas cannot venture to frustrate! Protect
me, therefore, ye all in battle! Let not Dhananjaya,
placing his foot on your head, succeed in hitting
the mark! Let proper arrangements be made in respect
of this matter! Or, if, O delighter of the Kurus,
you think that you will not succeed in protecting
me in battle, grant me permission then, O king, so
that I may return home! Thus addressed (by Jayadratha),
Suyodhana became cheerless and sat, hanging down his
head. Ascertaining that Jayadratha was in a great
fright, Suyodhana began to reflect in silence.
Beholding the Kuru king to be greatly afflicted, king
Jayadratha, the ruler of the Sindhus, slowly said
these words having a beneficial reference to himself—I
Page 964
do not behold here that bowman of superior energy who
can baffle with his arms the weapons of Arjuna in
great battle! Who, even if it be Satakratu himself,
will stay in front of Arjuna having Vasudeva for his
ally, while wielding the bow Gandiva? It is heard
that lord Maheswara himself of supreme energy had
been encountered, before this, by Partha on foot,
on the mountains of Himvat! Urged by the chief
of the celestials, he slew on a single car, a thousand
Danavas dwelling in Hiranyapura! That son of
Kunti is now allied with Vasudeva of great intelligence.
I think that he is competent to destroy the three
worlds including the very gods. I wish that you
will either grant me permission (to leave the field
for my home) or that the high-souled and heroic Drona
with his son will protect me! Or, I would await
thy pleasure!—O Arjuna, (thus addressed
by Jayadratha) king Suyodhana humbly beseeched the
preceptor in this matter.[129] All remedial measures
have been adopted. Cars and steeds have been
arranged. Karna and Bhurisravas, and Drona’s
son, and the invincible Vrishasena, and Kripa, and
the ruler of the Madras, these six will be in (Jayadratha’s)
van. Drona will form an array half of which will
be a Sakata[130] and half a lotus. In the middle
of the leaves of that lotus will be a needle-mouthed
array. Jayadratha, that ruler of the Sindhus,
difficult of being conquered in battle, will take his
stand, by it, protected by heroes! In (the use
of) the bow, in weapons, in prowess, in strength,
and also in lineage, those six car-warriors, O Partha
are without doubt, exceedingly difficult of being
borne. Without first vanquishing those six car-warriors,
access to Jayadratha will not to be had. Think,
O Arjuna, of the prowess of each of those six, O tiger
among men, when united together, they are not capable
of being easily vanquished! We should, therefore,
once again, take counsel with well-wishing counsellors,
conversant with policy, for our benefit and for the
success of our object!’”
SECTION LXXVI
“Arjuna said, ’These six car-warriors
of the Dhritarashtra army whom thou regardest to be
so strong their (united) energy, I think is not equal
to even half of mine! Thou shalt see, O slayer
of Madhu, the weapons of all these cut off and baffled
by me when I go against them for slaying Jayadratha!
In the very sight of Drona and all his men, I will
fell the head of the ruler of the Sindhus, on the
earth, beholding which they will indulge in lamentations.
If the Siddhas, the Rudras, the Vasus, with the Aswins,
the Maruts with Indra: (at their head) the Viswadevas
with other gods, the Pitris, the Gandharvas, Garuda,
the Ocean, the mountains, the firmament, Heaven, Earth,
the point of the compass (cardinal and subsidiary),
and the regents of those points, all the creatures
that are domestic and all that are wild, in fact if
all the mobile and the immobile beings together, become
Page 965
the protectors of the ruler of the Sindhus, yet, O
slayer of Madhu, shalt thou behold Jayadratha slain
by me tomorrow in battle with my arrows! O Krishna,
I swear by Truth, I touch my weapons (and swear by
them), that I shall, O Kesava, at the very outset,
encounter that Drona, that mighty bowman, who hath
become the protector of that sinful wretch Jayadratha!
Suyodhana thinks that this game (of battle) resteth
on Drona! Therefore, piercing through the very
van commanded by Drona himself, I shall get at Jayadratha!
Thou shalt tomorrow behold the mightiest of bowmen
riven by me in battle by means of my shafts endued
with fierce energy, like summits of a hill riven by
the thunder, Blood shall flow (in torrents) from the
breasts of fallen men and elephants and steeds, split
open by whetted shafts failing fast upon them!
The shafts shot from Gandiva, fleet as the mind or
the wind, will deprive thousands of men and elephants
and steeds of life! Men will behold in tomorrow’s
battle those weapons which I have obtained from Yama
and Kaurva and Varuna and Indra and Rudra! Thou
shalt behold in tomorrow’s battle the weapons
of all those who come to protect the ruler of the
Sindhus, baffled by me with my Brahma weapon!
Thou shalt in tomorrow’s battle, O Kesava, behold
the earth strewn by me with the heads of kings cut
off by the force, of my shafts! (Tomorrow) I shall
gratify all cannibals, rout the foe, gladden my friends,
and crush the ruler of the Sindhus! A great offender,
one who hath not acted like a relative, born in a
sinful country, the ruler of the Sindhu, slain by me,
will sadden his own. Thou shalt behold that ruler
of the Sindhus, of sinful behaviour, and brought up
in every luxury, pierced by me with my shafts!
On the morrow, O Krishana, I shall do that which shall
make Suyodhana think that there is no other bowman
in the world who is equal to me! My Gandiva is
a celestial bow! I myself am the warrior.
O bull among men! Thou, O Hrishikesa, art the
charioteer! What is that I will not be able to
vanquish? Through thy grace, O holy one, what
is there unattainable by me in battle? Knowing
my prowess to be incapable of being resisted, why,
O Hrishikesa, dost thou, yet rebuke me? As Lakshmi
is ever present in Soma, as water is ever present
in the Ocean, know this, O Janarddana, that even so
is my vow ever accomplished! Do not think lightly
of my weapons! Do not think lightly of my tough
bow! Do not think lightly of the might of my
arms! Do not think lightly of Dhananjaya!
I shall go to battle in such a way that I shall truly
win and not lose! When I have vowed it, know
that Jayadratha hath already been slain in battle!
Verily, in the Brahmana is truth; verily, in the righteous
is humility; verily, in sacrifice is prosperity; verily,
in Narayana is victory!
“Sanjaya continued,—’Having
said these words unto Hrishikesa, the son of Vasudeva,
having himself said so unto his own self, Arjuna in
a deep voice, once more addressed lord Kesava, saying—Thou
shouldst O Krishna, so act that my car may be well
equipt as soon as this night dawns, since grave is
the task that is at hand!’”
Page 966
SECTION LXXVII
“Sanjaya said, ’Both Vasudeva and Dhananjaya,
afflicted with sorrow and grief and frequently sighing
like two snakes, got no sleep that night. Understanding
that both Nara and Narayana were in rage, the gods
with Vasava became very anxious thinking, ‘What
will come of it?’ Fierce winds, that were again
dry and foreboded danger, began to blow. And a
headless trunk and a mace appeared on the disc of the
sun. And although it was cloudless, frequent
thunders were heard, of loud report, mixed with flashes
of lightning. The earth with her mountains and
waters and forests, shook. The seas, those habitation
of Makaras, swelled O king, in agitation. The
rivers ran in directions opposite to their usual course.
The nether and upper lips of car-warriors and steeds
and men and elephants began to tremble. And as
if for gladdening the cannibals, on that occasion
foreboding a great accession of population to the domain
of Yama, the animals (on the field) began to eject
urine and excreta, and utter loud cries of woe.
Beholding these fierce omens that made the hair stand
on end, and hearing also of the fierce vow of the mighty
Arjuna, all thy warriors, O bull of Bharata’s
race became exceedingly agitated. Then the mighty-armed
son of Pakasasana said unto Krishna. ’Go,
and comfort thy sister Subhadra with her daughter-in-law.
And, O Madhava, let also that daughter-in-law, and
her companions, be comforted by thee; O lord, comfort
them with soothing words that are again fraught with
truth.’ Thus addressed, Vasudeva, with a
cheerless heart, wending to Arjuna’s abode,
began to comfort his sorrowing sister afflicted with
grief on account of the death of her son.’
“Vasudeva said, ’O lady of Vrishni’s
race, do not grieve, with thy daughter-in-law, for
thy son. G timid one, all creatures have but one
end ordained by Time. The end thy son hath met
with-that becometh a hero of proud lineage, especially
who is a Kshatriya. Do not, therefore, grieve.
By good luck it is that mighty car-warrior of great
wisdom, of prowess equal to that of his father, hath,
after the Kshatriya custom, met with an end that is
coveted by heroes. Having vanquished numberless
foes and despatched them unto Yama’s presence,
he hath himself repaired to those eternal regions,
that grant the fruition of every wish, and that are
for the righteous. Thy son hath attained that
end which the righteous attain by penance, by Brahmacharya,
by knowledge of the scriptures, and by wisdom.
The mother of a hero, the wife of a hero, the daughter
of a hero, and a kinsman of heroes, O amiable one,
grieve not thou for thy son who hath obtained the
supreme end. The wretched ruler of the Sindhus,
O beautiful lady, that murderer of a child, that perpetrator
of a sinful act, shall, with his friends and kinsmen,
obtain the fruit of this arrogance of his on the expiry
of this night. Even if he enters the abode of
Indra himself he will not escape from the hands of
Page 967
Partha. Tomorrow thou shalt hear that the head
of the Sindhus hath, in battle, been cut off from
his trunk to roll on the outskirts of Samantapanchaka!
Dispel thy sorrow, and do not grieve. Keeping
the duties of a Kshatriya before him, thy brave son
hath attained the end of the righteous, that end,
viz., which we here expect to obtain as also others
that bear arms as a profession. Of broad chest,
mighty arms, unreturning, a crusher of car-warriors,
thy son, O beautiful lady, hath gone to heaven.
Drive away this fever (of thy heart). Obedient
to his sires and maternal relations, that heroic and
mighty car-warriors of great prowess hath fallen a
prey to death, after having slain thousands of foes
comfort thy-daughter-in-law, O queen! Do not
grieve too much, O Kshatriya lady! Drive away
thy grief, O daughter, as thou shalt hear such agreeable
news on the morrow. That which Partha hath vowed
must be accomplished. It cannot be otherwise.
That which is sought to be done by thy husband can
never remain unaccomplished. Even if all human
beings and snakes and Pisachas and all the wanderers
of the night and birds, and all the gods and the Asuras,
help the ruler of the Sindhus on the field of battle;
he shall still, with them, cease to exist tomorrow.’”
SECTION LXXVIII
“Sanjaya said, ’Hearing these words of
the high-souled Kesava, Subhadra, afflicted with grief
on account of the death of her son, began to indulge
in these piteous lamentations: ’Oh, son
of my wretched self, O thou that wast in prowess equal
to thy father, O child, how couldst thou perish, going
to battle! Alas, how doth that face of thine which
resembleth the blue lotus and is graced with beautiful
teeth and excellent eyes, now seem, now that, O child,
it is covered with battle’s dust! Without
doubt, thee so brave and unreturning, thee fallen
on the field, with beautiful head and neck and arms,
with broad chest, low belly, thy limbs decked with
ornaments, thee that art endued with beautiful eyes,
thee that art mangled with weapon wounds, thee all
creatures are, without doubt, beholding as the rising
moon! Alas, thou whose bed used to be overlaid
with the whitest and costliest sheets, alas, deserving
as thou art of every luxury, how dost thou sleep today
on the bare earth, thy body pierced with arrows?
That hero of mighty arms who used of old to be waited
upon by the foremost of beautiful women, alas, how
can he, fallen on the field of battle, pass his time
now in the company of jackals! He who of old
was praised with hymns by singers and bards and panegyrists,
alas, he is today greeted by fierce and yelling cannibals
and beasts of prey. By whom, alas, hast thou
been helplessly slain when thou hadst the Pandavas,
O lord, and all the Panchalas, for thy protectors?
Oh son, O sinless one, I am not yet gratified with
looking at thee. Wretched as I am, it is evident
that I shall have to go to Yama’s abode.
Page 968
When again shall I cast my eyes on that face of thine,
adorned, with large eyes and beautiful locks that
smooth face without pimples, from which sweet words
and exquisite fragrance constantly issued? Fie
on the strength of Bhimasena, on the bowmanship of
Partha, on the prowess of the Vrishni heroes, and
the might of the Panchalas! Fie on the Kaikeyas,
the Chedis, the Matsyas, and the Srinjayas, they that
could not protect thee, O hero, while engaged in battle!
I behold the earth today to be vacant and cheerless.
Without seeing my Abhimanyu, my eyes are troubled with
affliction. Thou wast the sister’s son of
Vasudeva, the son of the wielder of Gandiva, and thyself,
a hero and an Atiratha. Alas, how shall I behold
the slain! Alas, O hero, thou hast been to me
like a treasure in a dream that is seen and lost.
Oh, every thing human is as transitory as a bubble
of water. This thy young wife is overwhelmed with
grief on account of the evil that hath befallen thee.
Alas, how shall I comfort her who is even like a cow
without her calf! Alas, O son, thou hast prematurely
fled from me at a time when thou wast about to bear
fruit of greatness, although I am longing for a sight
of thee. Without, doubt, the conduct of the Destroyer
cannot be understood even by the wise, since although
thou hast Kesava for thy protector, thou wast yet slain,
as if thou wast perfectly helpless. O son, let
that end be thine which is theirs that perform sacrifices
and theirs that are Brahmanas of purified soul, and
theirs that have practised Brahmacharya, and theirs
that have bathed in sacred waters, and theirs that
are grateful and charitable and devoted to the service
of their preceptors, and theirs that have made sacrificial
presents in profusion. That end which is theirs
that are brave and unretreating while engaged in battle,
or theirs that have fallen in battle, having slain
their foes, let that end be thine. That auspicious
end which is theirs that have given away a thousand
kine, or theirs that have given away in sacrifices,
or theirs that give away houses and mansions agreeable
to the recipients, that end which is theirs that give
away gems and jewels to deserving Brahmanas, or theirs
that are punishers of crime, O, let that end be thine.
That end which is attained by Munis of rigid vows
by Brahmacharya, or that which is attained by those
women that adhere to but one husband, O son, let that
end be thine. That eternal end which is attained
by kings by means of good behaviour, or by those persons
that have cleansed themselves by leading, one after
another, all the four modes of life, and through due
observance of their duties, that end which is theirs
that are compassionate to the poor and the distressed,
or theirs that equitably divide sweets amongst themselves
and their dependants, or theirs that are never addicted
to deceit and wickedness, O son, let that end be thine!
That end which is theirs that are observant of vows,
or theirs that are virtuous, or theirs that are devoted
Page 969
to the service of preceptors, or theirs that have never
sent away a guest unentertained, O son, let that end
be thine. That end which is theirs that succeed
in distress and the most difficult straits in preserving
the equanimity of their souls, however much scorched
they might be by the fire of grief, O son, let that
end be thine. O son, let that end be thine which
is theirs that are always devoted to the service of
their fathers and mothers, or theirs that are devoted
to their own wives only. O son, let that end
be thine which is attained by those wise men who,
restraining themselves from the wives of others, seek
the companionship of only their own wives in season.
O son, let that end be thine which is theirs that
look upon all creatures with an eye of peace, or theirs
that never give pain to others, or theirs that always
forgive. O son, let that end be thine which is
theirs that abstain from honey, meat, wine, pride
and untruth, or theirs that have refrained from giving
pain to others. Let that goal be thine which they
attain that are modest, acquainted with all the scriptures,
content with knowledge, and have their passions under
control.’
“And while cheerless Subhadra, afflicted with
grief, was indulging in such lamentations, the princess
of Panchala (Draupadi), accompanied by Virata’s
daughter (Uttara), came to her. All of them, in
great grief, wept copiously and indulged in heart-rending
lamentations. And like persons reft of reason
by sorrow, they fainted away and fell down on the
earth. Then Krishna, who stood, ready with water,
deeply afflicted, sprinkled it over his weeping, unconscious
and trembling sister, pierced in her very heart, and
comforting her, said what should be said on such an
occasion. And the lotus-eyed one said, ’Grieve
not, O Subhadra! O Panchali, console Uttara!
Abhimanyu, that bull among Kshatriyas, hath obtained
the most laudable goal. O thou of beautiful face,
let all the other men yet alive in our race obtain
that goal which Abhimanyu of great fame hath obtained.
Ourselves with all our friends, wish to achieve, in
this battle, that feat, the like of which, O lady,
thy son, that mighty car-warrior, hath achieved without
any assistance.’ Having consoled his sister
and Draupadi and Uttara thus, that chastiser of foes,
viz., the mighty-armed (Krishna), returned to
Partha’s side. Then Krishna, saluting the
kings, friends and Arjuna, entered the inner apartments
of the (latter’s) tent while those kings also
repaired to respective abodes.’”
SECTION LXXIX
“Sanjaya said, ’Then lord Kesava, of eyes
like lotus-petals, having entered the unrivalled mansion
of Arjuna, touched water, and spread (for Arjuna)
on the auspicious and even floor an excellent bed of
Kusa blades that were of the hue of the lapis lazuli.
And keeping excellent weapons around that bed, he
adorned it duly with garlands of flowers and fried
paddy, perfumes and other auspicious articles.
Page 970
And after Partha (also) had touched water, meek and
submissive attendants brought the usual nightly sacrifice
to the Three-eyed (Mahadeva). Then Partha, with
a cheerful soul, having smeared Madhava with perfumes
and adorned with floral garlands, presented unto Mahadeva
the nightly offering.[131] Then Govinda, with a faint
smile, addressed Partha, saying, ’Blessed be
thou, O Partha, lay thyself down, I leave thee.’
Placing door-keepers then, and also sentinels well-armed,
blessed Kesava, followed by (his charioteer) Daruka,
repaired to his own tent. He then laid himself
down on his white bed, and thought of diverse measures
to be adopted. And the illustrious one (Kesava)
of eyes like lotus petals, began for Partha’s
sake, to think of various means that would dispel
(Partha’s) grief and anxiety and enhance his
prowess and splendour. Of soul wrapt in yoga,
that Supreme Lord of all, viz., Vishnu of wide-spread
fame, who always did what was agreeable to Jishnu,
desirous of benefiting (Arjuna), lapsed into yoga,
and meditation. There was none in the Pandava
camp who slept that night. Wakefulness possessed
every one, O monarch. And everybody (in the Pandava
camp) thought of this, viz.,—The high-souled
wielder of Gandiva, burning with grief for the death
of his son, hath suddenly vowed the slaughter of the
Sindhus. How, indeed, will that slayer of hostile
heroes, that son of Vasava, that mighty-armed warrior,
accomplish his vow? The high-souled son of Pandu
hath, indeed made a most difficult resolve. King
Jayadratha is endued with mighty energy. Oh,
let Arjuna succeed in fulfilling his vow. Difficult
is that vow which he, afflicted with grief on account
of his son, hath made. Duryodhana’s brothers
are all possessed of great prowess. His forces
also are countless. The son of Dhritarashtra hath
assigned all these to Jayadratha (as his protectors).
Oh, let Dhananjaya come back (to the camp), having
slain the ruler of the Sindhus in battle. Vanquishing
his foes, let Arjuna accomplish his vow. If he
fails to slay the ruler of the Sindhus tomorrow, he
will certainly enter into blazing fire. Dhananjaya,
the son of Pritha, will not falsify his oath.
If Arjuna dies, how will the son of Dharma succeed
in recovering his kingdom? Indeed, (Yudhishthira)
the son of Pandu hath reposed (all his hopes of) victory
of Arjuna. If we have achieved any (religious)
merit, if we have ever poured libations of clarified
butter into fire, let Savyasachin, aided by the fruits
thereof, vanquish all his foes.’ Thus talking,
O lord, with one another about the victory (of the
morrow), that long night, O king, of theirs, at last,
passed away. In the middle of the night, Janardana,
having awaked, remembered Partha’s vow, and addressing
(his charioteer) Daruka, said, ’Arjuna, in grief
for the death of his son, hath vowed. O Daruka,
that before tomorrow’s sun goes down he will
slay Jayadratha. Hearing of this, Duryodhana will
assuredly take counsel with his counsellors, about
Page 971
how Partha may fail to achieve his object. His
several Akshauhinis of troops will protect Jayadratha.
Fully conversant with the ways of applying all weapons,
Drona also, with his son, will protect him. That
matchless hero, the Thousand-eyed (Indra himself),
that crusher of the pride of Daityas and Danavas cannot
venture to slay him in battle who is protected by
Drona. I, therefore, will do that tomorrow by
which Arjuna, the son of Kunti, may slay Jayadratha
before the sun sets. My wives, my kinsmen, my
relatives, non amongst these is dearer to me than
Arjuna. O Daruka, I shall not be able to cast
my eyes, even for a single moment, on the earth bereft
of Arjuna. I tell thee, the earth shall not be
reft to Arjuna. Myself vanquishing them all with
their steeds and elephants by putting forth my strength
for the sake of Arjuna, I will slay them with Karna
and Suyodhana. Let the three worlds tomorrow
behold my prowess in great battle, when I put forth
my valour, O Daruka, for Dhananjaya’s sake.
Tomorrow thousands of kings and hundreds of princes,
with their steeds and cars and elephants, will, O
Daruka, fly away from battle. Thou shalt tomorrow,
O Daruka, behold that army of kings overthrown and
crushed with my discus, by myself in wrath for the
sake of the son of Pandu. Tomorrow the (three)
worlds with the gods, the Gandharvas, the Pisachas,
the Snakes, and the Rakshasas, will know me as a (true)
friend of Savyasachin. He that hateth him, hateth
me. He that followeth him, followeth me.
Thou hast intelligence. Know that Arjuna is half
of myself. When morning comes after the expiry
of this night, thou, O Daruka, equipping my excellent
car according to the rules of military science, must
bring it and follow me with it carefully, placing
on it my celestial mace called Kaumodaki, my dart and
discus, bow and arrows, and every other thing necessary.
O Suta, making room on the terrace of my car for my
standard and for the heroic Garuda thereon, that adorns
my umbrella, and yoking thereto my foremost of steeds
named Valahaka and Meghapushpa and Saivya and Sugriva,
having cased them in golden mail of the splendour
of the sun and fire, and thyself putting on thy armour,
stay on it carefully. Upon hearing the loud and
terrible blast of my conch Panchajanya emitting the
shrill Rishava note,[132] thou wilt come quickly to
me. In course of a single day, O Daruka, I shall
dispel the wrath and the diverse woes of my cousin,
the son of my paternal aunt. By every means shall
I strive so that Vibhatsu in battle may slay Jayadratha
in the very sight of the Dhartarashtras. O charioteer,
I tell thee that Vibhatsu will certainly succeed in
slaying all these for whose slaughter he will strive.’
“Daruka said, ’He is certain to have victory
whose charioteership, O tiger among men, hath been
taken by thee. Whence, indeed, can defeat come
to him? As regards myself, I will do that which
thou hast commanded me to do. This night will
bring (on its train) the auspicious morn for Arjuna’s
victory.’”
Page 972
SECTION LXXX
“Sanjaya said, ’Kunti’s son, Dhananjaya,
of inconceivable prowess thinking of how to accomplish
his vow, recollected the mantras (given to him by
Vyasa). And soon he was lulled in the arms of
sleep. Unto that ape-bannered hero, burning with
grief and immersed in thought Kesava, having Garuda
on his banner, appeared in a dream. Dhananjaya
of righteous soul, inconsequence of his love and veneration
for Kesava, never omitted under any circumstances
to stand up and advance a few steps for receiving
Krishna. Rising up, therefore, now (in his dream),
he gave unto Govinda a seat. He himself, however,
at that time, did not set his heart upon taking his
seat. Then Krishna, of mighty energy, knowing
the resolution of Partha, said, while seated, unto
the son of Kunti, these words while the latter was
standing: ’Do not set thy heart, O Partha,
on grief. Time is unconquerable. Time forceth
all creatures into the inevitable course. O foremost
of men what for is this grief of thine? Grief
should not be indulged in, O foremost of learned persons!
Grief is an impediment to action. Accomplish
that act which should be accomplished. The grief
that maketh a person forgo all efforts is, indeed,
O Dhananjaya, an enemy of that person. A person,
by indulging in grief, gladdens his foes and saddens
his friends, while the person is himself weakened.
Therefore, it behoveth thee not to grieve.’
Thus addressed by Vasudeva, the unvanquished Vibhatsu
of great learning then said these words of grave import:
’Grave is the vow that I have made about the
slaughter of Jayadratha. Even tomorrow I shall
slay that wicked wretch, that slayer of my son.
Even this hath been my vow, O Kesava! For frustrating
my vow, Jayadratha, protected by all the mighty car-warriors,
will be kept in their rear by the Dhartarashtras.
Their force, number, consists, O Madhava, of remnant,
after slaughter, of eleven Akshauhinis of troops,
difficult of being vanquished. Surrounded in battle
as he will be by all of them and by all the great
car-warriors, how shall he obtain a sight, O Krishna,
of the wicked rule of the Sindhus? My vow will
not be accomplished, O Kesava! How can a person
like me live, having failed to accomplish his vow?
O hero, the non-accomplishment is evident of this (my
vow which to me is a) source of great grief. (At this
season of the year), I tell thee that the sun setteth
quickly.’ The bird-bannered Krishna hearing
this cause of Partha’s grief, touched water and
sat with face turned to the east. And then that
hero, of eyes like lotus leaves, and possessed of
great energy, said these words for the benefit of
Pandu’s son who had resolved upon the slaughter
of the ruler of the Sindhus, ’O Partha, there
is an indestructible, supreme weapon of the name of
Pasupata. With it the god Maheswara slew in battle
all the Daityas! If thou rememberest it now,
thou shalt then be able to slay Jayadratha tomorrow.
Page 973
If it is unknown to thee (now), adore within thy heart
the god having the bull for his mark. Thinking
of that god in thy mind, remember him, O Dhananjaya!
Thou art his devotee. Through his grace thou
shalt obtain that rich possession.’ Hearing
these words of Krishna, Dhananjaya, having touched
water, sat on the earth with concentrated mind and
thought of the god Bhava. After he had thus sat
with rapt mind at that hour called Brahma of auspicious
indications, Arjuna saw himself journeying through
the sky with Kesava. And Partha, possessed of
the speed of the mind, seemed to reach, with Kesava,
the sacred foot of Himavat and the Manimat mountain
abounding in many brilliant gems and frequented by
Siddhas and Charanas. And the lord Kesava seemed
to have caught hold of his left arm. And he seemed
to see many wonderful sights as he reached (those
place). And Arjuna of righteous soul then seemed
to arrive at the White mountain on the north.
And then he beheld, in the pleasure-gardens of Kuvera
the beautiful lake decked with lotuses. And he
also saw that foremost of rivers, viz., the Ganga
full of water. And then he arrived at the regions
about the Mandara mountains. Those regions were
covered with trees that always bore blossoms and fruits.
And they abounded with stones lying scattered about,
that were all transparent crystal. And they were
inhabited by lions and tigers and abounded with animals
of diverse kinds. And they were adorned with many
beautiful retreats of ascetics, echoing with the sweet
notes of delightful warblers. And they resounded
also with the songs of Kinnaras. Graced with
many golden and silver peaks, they were illumined with
diverse herbs and plants. And many Mandara trees
with their pretty loads of flowers, adorned them.
And then Arjuna reached the mountains called Kala that
looked like a mound of antimony. And then he reached
the summit called Brahmatunga, and then many rivers,
and then many inhabited provinces. And he arrived
at Satasinga, and the woods known by the name of Sharyati.
And then he beheld the sacred spot known as the Horse-head,
and then the region of Atharvana. And then he
beheld that prince of mountains called Vrishadansa,
and the great Mandara, abounding in Apsaras, and graced
with the presence of the Kinnaras. And roaming
on that mountain, Partha, with Krishna, beheld a spot
of earth adorned with excellent fountains, decked
with golden mineral, and possessed of the splendour
of the lunar rays, and having many cities and towns.
And he also beheld many seas of wonderful forms and
diverse mines of wealth. And thus going through
the sky and firmament and the earth, he reached the
spot called Vishnupada. And wandering, with Krishna
in his company, he came down with great velocity,
like a shaft shot (from a bow). And soon Partha
beheld a blazing mountain whose splendour equalled
that of the planets, the constellations, or fire.
And arrived at that mountain, he beheld on its top,
the high-souled god having the bull for his mark, and
Page 974
ever engaged in ascetic penances, like a thousand
suns collected together, and blazing with his own
effulgence. Trident in hand, matted locks on the
head, of snow-white colour, he was robed in bark and
skin. Endued with great energy, his body seemed
to be flaming with a thousand eyes. And he was
seated with Parvati and many creatures of brilliant
forms (around him). And his attendants were engaged
in singing and playing upon musical instruments, in
laughing and dancing, in moving and stretching their
hands, and In uttering loud shouts. And the place
was perfumed with fragrant odours, and Rishis that
worshipped Brahma adored with excellent hymns of unfading
glory, that God who was the protector of all creatures,
and wielded the (great) bow (called Pinaka). Beholding
him, Vasudeva of righteous soul, with Partha, touched
the earth with his head, uttering the eternal words
of the Veda. And Krishna adored, with speech,
mind, understanding, and acts, that God who is the
first source of the universe, himself uncreate, the
supreme lord of unfading glory: who is the highest
cause of the mind, who is space and the wind, who is
the cause of all the luminous bodies (in the firmament),
who is the creator of the rain, and the supreme, primordial
substance of the earth, who is the object of adoration,
with the gods, the Danavas, the Yakshas, and human
beings; who is the supreme Brahma that is seen by Yogins
and the refuge of those acquainted with Shastras,
who is the creator of all mobile and immobile creatures,
and their destroyer also; who is the Wrath that burns
everything at the end of the Yuga; who is the supreme
soul; who is the Sakra and Surya, and the origin of
all attributes. And Krishna sought the protection
of that Bhava, whom men of knowledge, desirous of
attaining to that which is called the subtle and the
spiritual, behold; that uncreate one is the soul of
all causes. And Arjuna repeatedly adored that
Deity, knowing that he was the origin of all creatures
and the cause of the past, the future, and the present.
Beholding those two, viz., Nara and Narayana
arrived, Bhava of cheerful soul, smilingly said unto
them, ’Welcome are ye, ye foremost of men!
Rise up and let the fatigue of your journey be over.
What, O heroes, is the desire in your heart? Let
it be uttered quickly. What is the business that
has brought you hither? I will accomplish it
and do what would benefit you. I will grant everything
ye may desire., Hearing those words of the god, they
both rose. And then with joined hands, the faultless
Vasudeva and Arjuna, both of great wisdom, began to
gratify that high-souled deity with an excellent hymn.
And Krishna and Arjuna said, ’We bow to Bhava,
to Sarva, to Rudra, to the boon-giving deity.
We bow to the lord of all creatures endued with life,
to the god who is always fierce, to him who is called
Kapardin! We bow to Mahadeva, to Bhima, to the
Three-eyed, to him who is peace and contentment.
We bow to Isana, to him who is the destroyer of (Daksha’s)
Page 975
sacrifice. Let salutations be to the slayer of
Andhaka, to the father of Kumara, to him who is of
blue throat, to him who is the creator.’
Let salutation be to the wielder of Pinaka, to one
worthy of the offer of libations of clarified butter,
to him who is truth, to him who is all-pervading.
To him who is unvanquished! To him who is always
of blue locks, to him who is armed with the trident,
to him who is of celestial vision! To him who
is Hotri, to him who protects all, to, him who is of
three eyes, to him who is disease, to him whose vital
seed fell on fire! To him who is inconceivable,
to him who is the lord of Amvika, to him who is adored
by all the gods! To him who hath the bull for
his mark, to him who is bold, to him who is of matted
lock, to him who is a Brahmacharin! To him who
standeth as an ascetic in the water, to him who is
devoted to Brahma, to him who hath never been conquered!
To him who is the soul of the universe, to him who
is the creator of the universe, to him who liveth
pervading the whole universe! We bow to thee that
art, the object of the reverence of all, to thee that
art the original cause of all creatures! To thee
that art called Brahmachakra, to thee that art called
Sarva, Sankara, and Siva! We bow to thee that
art the lord of all great beings! We bow to thee
that hast a thousand heads, to thee that hast a thousand
arms, to thee that art called Death! To thee that
hast a thousand eyes, a thousand legs? To thee
whose acts are innumerable! We bow to thee whose
complexion is that of gold, to thee that art cased
in golden mail, to thee that art ever compassionate
to thy devotees! O lord, let our wish be accomplished.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’Having adored Mahadeva
in these terms, Vasudeva with Arjuna then began to
gratify him for obtaining (the great) weapon (called
Pasupata).’”
SECTION LXXXI
“Sanjaya said, ’Then Partha, with a cheerful
soul and joined hands and eyes expanded (in wonder),
gazed at the god having the bull for his mark and
who was the receptacle of every energy. And he
beheld the offerings he made every night to Vasudeva
lying by the side of the Three-eyed deity. The
son of Pandu then, mentally worshipping both Krishna
and Sarva, said unto the latter, ‘I desire (to
obtain) the celestial weapon.’ Hearing
these words of Partha desiring the boon he sought,
god Siva smilingly said unto Vasudeva and Arjuna,
’Welcome to you, ye foremost of men! I
know the wish cherished by you, and the business for
which you have come here. I will give you what
you wish. There is a celestial lake full of Amrita,
not far from this place, ye slayers of foes! There
were kept some time back, that celestial bow and arrow
of mine. With them I slew in battle all the enemies
of the gods. Bring hither, ye Krishna, that excellent
bow with arrow fixed on it.’ Hearing these
words of Siva, Vasudava with Arjuna answered, ‘So
be it.’ And then accompanied by all the
Page 976
attendants of Siva, those two heroes set out for that
celestial lake which possessed hundreds of heavenly
wonders, that sacred lake, capable of granting every
object, which the god, having the bull for his mark,
had indicated to them, And unto that lake, the Rishis
Nara and Narayana (viz., Arjuna and Vasudeva) went
fearlessly. And having reached that lake, bright
as the disc of the sun, Arjuna and Achyuta beheld within
its waters a terrible snake. And they beheld
there another foremost of snakes, that had a thousand
heads. And possessed of the effulgence of fire,
that snake was vomiting fierce flames. Then Krishna
and Partha having touched water, joined their hands,
and approached those snakes, having bowed unto the
god having the bull for his mark. And as they
approached the snakes, conversant as they were with
the Vedas, they uttered the hundred stanzas of the
Veda, to the praise of Rudra, bowing the while with
their sincere souls unto Bhava of immeasurable power.
Then those two terrible snakes, in consequence of
the power of those adorations to Rudra, abandoned
their snake-forms and assumed the forms of a foe-killing
bow and arrow. Gratified (with what they saw),
Krishna and Arjuna then seized that bow and arrow
of great effulgence. And those high-souled heroes
then brought them away and gave them unto the illustrious
Mahadeva. Then from one of the sides of Siva’s
body there came out a Brahmacharin of tawny eyes.
And he seemed to be the refuge of asceticism.
Of blue throat and red locks, he was endued with great
might. Taking up that best of bows that Brahmacharin
stood placing (both the bow and his feet properly).
And fixing the arrow on the bowstring, he began to
stretch the latter duly. Beholding the manner
of his seizing the handle of the bow and drawing the
string and placing of his feet, and hearing also the
Mantras uttered by Bhava, the son of Pandu, of inconceivable
prowess, learnt everything duly. The mighty and
puissant Brahmacharin then sped that arrow to that
same lake. And he once more threw that bow also
in that self-same lake. Then Arjuna of good memory
knowing that Bhava was gratified with him, and remembering
also the boon the latter had given him in the forest,
and the sight also he gave him of his person, mentally
entertained the desire, ’Let all this become
productive of fruit!’ Understanding this to be
his wish, Bhava, gratified with him, gave him the
boon. And the god also granted him the terrible
Pasupata weapon and the accomplishment of his vow.
Then having thus once more obtained the Pasupata weapon
from the supreme god, the invincible Arjuna, with
hair standing on end, regarded his business to be already
achieved. Then Arjuna and Krishna filled with
joy, paid their adorations unto the great god by bowing
their heads. And permitted by Bhava both Arjuna
and Kesava, those two heroes, almost immediately came
back to their own camp, filled with transports of
delight. Indeed, their joy was as great as that
of Indra and Vishnu when those two gods, desirous of
slaying Jambha, obtained the permission of Bhava that
slayer of great Asuras.’”
Page 977
SECTION LXXXII
“Sanjaya said, ’While Krishna and Daruka
were thus conversing together, that night, O king,
passed away. (When morning dawned), king Yudhishthira
rose from his bed. Paniswanikas and Magadhas and
Madhuparkikas and Sutas, gratified that bull among
men (with songs and music). And dancers began
their dance, and sweet-voiced singers sang their sweet
songs fraught with the praises of the Kuru race.
And skilled musicians, well-trained (in their respective
instruments), played on Mridangas and Jharjharas and
Bheris, and Panavas, and Anakas, and Gomukhas, and
Adamvaras, and conchs, and Dundubhis of loud sound,
and diverse other instruments. That loud noise,
deep as the roar of the clouds, touched the very heavens.
And it awoke that foremost of kings, viz., Yudhishthira,
from his slumber. Having slept happily on his
excellent and costly bed, the king awoke.
And the monarch, rising from his bed, proceeded to
the bath-room for performing those acts that were
absolutely necessary. Then a hundred and eight
servants, attired in white, themselves washed, and
all young, approached the king with many golden jars
filled to the brim. Seated at his ease on a royal
seat, attired in a thin cloth, the king bathed in
several kinds of water fragrant with sandal-wood and
purified with Mantras. His body was rubbed by
strong and well-trained servants with water in which
diverse kinds of medicinal herbs had been soaked.
He then washed with adhivasha water rendered fragrant
by various odoriferous substances. Obtaining
then a long piece of cloth (for the head) that was
as white as the feathers of the swan, and that had
been kept loose before him, the king tied it round
his head for drying the water. Smearing his body
then with excellent sandal-paste, and wearing floral
garlands, and addressing himself in clean robes, the
mighty-armed monarch sat with face towards the cast,
and his hands joined together. Following the path
of the righteous, the son of Kunti then mentally said
his prayers. And then with great humility he
entered the chamber in which the blazing fire (for
worship) was kept. And having worshipped the fire
with faggots of sacred wood and with libations of
clarified butter sanctified with Mantras, he came
out of the chamber. Then that tiger among men,
entering a second chamber, beheld there many bulls
among Brahmanas well-acquainted with the Vedas.
And they were all self-restrained, purified by the
study of the Vedas and by vows. And all of them
had undergone the bath on the completion of sacrifices
performed by them. Worshippers of the Sun, they
numbered a thousand. And, besides them, there
were also eight thousand others of the same class.
And the mighty-armed son of Pandu, having caused them
to utter, in distinct voices, agreeable benedictions,
by making presents to them of honey and clarified
butter and auspicious fruits of the best kind, gave
unto each of them a nishka of gold, a hundred steeds
Page 978
decked with ornaments, and costly robes and such other
presents as were agreeable to them. And making
unto them presents also of kine yielding milk whenever
touched, with calves and having their horns decked
with gold and their hoofs with silver, the son of Pandu
circumambulated them. And then seeing and touching
Swastikas fraught with increase of good fortune, and
Nandyavartas made of gold, and floral garlands, water-pots
and blazing fire, and vessels full of sun-dried rice
and other auspicious articles, and the yellow pigment
prepared from the urine of the cow, and auspicious
and well-decked maidens, and curds and clarified butter
and honey, and auspicious birds and diverse other things
held sacred, the son of Kunti came into the outer chamber.
Then, O mighty-armed one, the attendants waiting in
that chamber brought an excellent and costly seat
of gold that was of a circular shape. Decked
with pearls and lapis lazuli, and overlaid with a very
costly carpet over which was spread another cloth
of fine texture, that scat was the handiwork of the
artificer himself. After the high-souled monarch
had taken his seat, the servants brought to him all
his costly and bright ornaments. The high-souled
son of Kunti put on those begemmed ornaments, whereupon
his beauty became such as to enhance the grief of his
foes. And when the servants began to fan him
with white yak-tails of the bright effulgence of the
moon and all furnished with handles of gold, the king
looked resplendent like a mass of clouds charged with
lightning. And bards began to sing his praises,
and panegyrists uttered his eulogies. And singers
began to sing unto that delighter of Kuru’s race,
and in a moment the voices of the panegyrists swelled
into a loud noise. And then was heard the clatter
of car-wheels, and the tread of horse-hoofs. And
in consequence of that noise mingling with the tinkle
of elephants’ bells and the blare of conchs
and the tread of men, the very earth seemed to tremble.
Then one of the orderlies in charge of the doors, cased
in mail, youthful in years, decked with ear-rings,
and his sword hanging by his side, entering the private
apartment, knelt down on the ground, and saluting
with (a bend of) his head the monarch who deserved
every adoration, represented unto that high-souled
and royal son of Dharma that Hrishikesa was waiting
to be introduced. Then that tiger among men,
having ordered his servants, ’Let an excellent
seat and an Arghya be kept ready for him,’ caused
him of Vrishni’s race to be introduced and seated
on a costly seat. And addressing Madhava with
the usual enquiries of welcome, king Yudhishthira
the just duly worshipped Kesava.’
SECTION LXXXIII
Page 979
“Sanjaya said, ’Then king Yudhishthira,
the son of Kunti, saluting Devaki’s son Janardana,
and cheerfully addressed him saying ’Hast thou
passed the night happily, O slayer of Madhu? Are
all thy perceptions clear, O thou of unfading glory?
Vasudeva also made similar enquiries of Yudhishthira.
Then the orderly came and represented that the other
Kshatriya warriors were waiting to be introduced.
Commanded by the king, the man introduced that concourse
of heroes, consisting of Virata and Bhimasena and
Dhrishtadyumna and Satyaki, and Dhrishtaketu, the ruler
of the Chedis, and the mighty car-warriors, Drupada,
and Sikhandin, and the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva),
and Chekitana, and the ruler of the Kalikayas, and
Yuyutsu, of Kuru’s race, and Uttamaujas of the
Panchalas, ’and Yudhamanyu, and Suvahu, and
the (five) sons of Draupadi. These and many other
Kshatriyas, approaching that high-souled bull among
the Kshatriyas, sat down on excellent seats.
Those mighty and high-souled heroes of great splendour
viz., Krishna and Yuyudhana, both sat on the
same seat. Then in the hearing of them all, Yudhishthira
addressing the lotus-eyed slayer of Madhu, and said
unto him these sweet words: ’Relying on
thee alone, we, like the celestial one, the deity of
a thousand eyes, seek, victory in battle and eternal
happiness. Thou art aware, O Krishna, of the
deprivation of our kingdom, our exile at the hands
of the foe, and all our diverse woes. O lord
of all, O thou that art compassionate unto those that
are devoted to thee, upon thee wholly rests the happiness
of us all and our very existence, O slayer of Madhu!
O thou of Vrishni’s race, do that by which my
heart may ever rest on thee! Do also that, O
Lord, by which the proposed vow of Arjuna may be realised.
O, rescue us today from this ocean of grief and rage.
O Madhava, become thou today a boat unto us that are
desirous of crossing (that ocean). The car-warriors
desirous of slaying the foe cannot, in battle, do that
(for the success of his object) which, O Krishna,
the car-driver can do, if he exerts himself carefully.
O Janardana, as thou always savest the Vrishnis in
all calamities, even so it behoveth thee to save us
from this distress, O mighty-armed one! O bearer
of the conch, discus, and mace, rescue the sons of
Pandu sunk in the fathomless and boatless Kuru-ocean,
by becoming a boat unto them. I bow to thee,
O God of the lord of the gods, O thou that art eternal,
O supreme Destroyer, O Vishnu, O Jishnu, O Hari, O
Krishna, O Vaikuntha, O best of mate beings! Narada
described thee as that ancient and best of Rishis
(called Narayana) that giveth boons, that beareth
the bow Saranga, and that is the foremost of all.
O Madhava, make those words true. Thus addressed
in the midst of that assembly by king Yudhishthira
the just, Kesava, that foremost of speakers, replied
unto Yudhishthira in a voice deep as that of clouds
charged with rain, saying, ’In all the worlds
including that of the celestials, there is no bowman
Page 980
equal to Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha! Possessed
of great energy. accomplished in weapons, of great
prowess and great strength, celebrated in battle,
ever wrathful, and of great energy, Arjuna is the foremost
of men. Youthful in years bull-necked, and of
long arms, he is endued with great strength.
Treading like a lion or a bull, and exceedingly beautiful
he will slay all thy foes. As regards myself,
I will do that by which Arjuna, the son of Kunti,
may be able to consume the troops of Dhritarashtra’s
son like a swelling conflagration. This very day,
Arjuna will, by his arrows despatch that vile wretch
of sinful deeds, that slayer of Subhadra’s son,
(viz., Jayadratha), to that road from which no traveller
comes back. Today vultures and hawks and furious
jackals and other carnivorous creatures will feed
on his flesh. O Yudhishthira, if even all the
gods with Indra become his protectors today, Jayadratha
will still, slain in the thick of battle, repair to
Yama’s capital. Having slain the ruler
of the Sindhus, Jishnu will come to thee (in the evening).
Dispel thy grief and the fever (of thy heart), O king,
and be thou graced with prosperity.’”
SECTION LXXXIV
“Sanjaya said, ’While Yudhishthira, Vasudeva,
and others were thus conversing, Dhananjaya came there,
desirous of beholding that foremost one of Bharata’s
race, viz., the king, as also his friends and
well-wishers. After he had entered that auspicious
chamber and having saluted him duly, had taken its
stand before the king, that bull among the Pandavas,
(viz., king Yudhishthira), rising up from his seat,
embraced Arjuna with great affection. Smelling
his head and embracing him with his arms, the king
blessed him heartily. And addressing him smilingly,
he said, ’It is evident, O Arjuna, that complete
victory certainly awaits thee in battle, judging from
thy countenance (bright and cheerful as it is), and
by the fact that Janardana is well-pleased with thee.
Then Jishnu related unto him that highly wonderful
incident, saying, ’Blessed be thou, O monarch,
I have, through Kesava’s grace, beheld something
exceedingly wonderful.’ Then Dhananjaya
related everything he had seen, about his meeting
with the Three-eyed god, for assuring his friends.
Then all the hearers, filled with wonder, bent their
heads to the ground. And bowing unto the god having
the bull for his mark, they said, ‘Excellent,
Excellent!’ Then all the friends and well-wishers
(of the Pandavas), commanded by the son of Dharma,
quickly and carefully proceeded to battle, their hearts
filled with rage (against the foe). Saluting
the king, Yuyudhana and Kesava and Arjuna, cheerfully
set out from Yudhishthira’s abode. And those
two invincible warriors, those two heroes, viz.,
Yuyudhana, and Janardana, together proceeded on the
same car to Arjuna’s pavilion. Arrived there,
Hrishikesa, like a charioteer (by profession), began
to equip that car bearing the mark of the prince of
Page 981
apes and belonging to that foremost of car-warriors
(viz., Arjuna). And that foremost of cars, of
the effulgence of heated gold, and of rattle resembling
the deep roar of the clouds, equipped (by Krishna),
shone brightly like the morning sun. Then that
tiger among men, (viz., Vasudeva), clad in mail informed
Partha, who had finished his morning prayers, of the
fact that ’his car had been properly equipped.
Then that foremost of men in this world, viz.,
the diadem-decked (Arjuna), clad in golden armour,
with his bow and arrows in hand, circumambulated that
car. And adored and blessed with benedictions
about victory by Brahmanas, old in ascetic penances
and knowledge and years, ever engaged in the performance
of religious rites and sacrifices, and having their
passions under control, Arjuna then ascended that
great car, that excellent vehicle, which had previously
been sanctified with mantras capable of giving victory
in battle, like Surya of blazing rays ascending the
eastern mountain. And that foremost of car-warriors
decked with gold, in consequence or those golden ornaments
of his, on his car like Surya of blazing splendour
on the breast of Meru. After Partha, Yuyudhana.
and Janardana mounted on that car, like the twin Aswins
riding the same car with Indra while coming to the
sacrifice of Saryati. Then Govinda, that foremost
of charioteers, took the reins (of the steeds), like
Matali taking the reins of Indra’s steeds, while
the latter went to battle for slaying Vritra.[133]
Mounted on that best of cars with those two friends,
that slayer of large bodies of foes, viz., Partha,
proceeded for achieving the slaughter of the ruler
of the Sindhus, like Soma rising (in the firmament)
with Budha and Sukra, for destroying the gloom of night,
or like Indra proceeding with Varuna and Surya to the
great battle (with the Asuras) occasioned by the abduction
of Taraka (the wife of Vrihaspati). The bards
and musicians gratified the heroic Arjuna, as he proceeded,
with the sound of musical instruments and auspicious
hymns of good omen. And the voices of the panegyrists
and the bards uttering benedictions of victory and
wishing good day, mingling with the sounds of musical
instruments, became gratifying to those heroes.
And an auspicious breeze, fraught with fragrance,
blew from behind Partha, gladdening him and sucking
up the energies of his foes. And at that hour,
O king, many auspicious omens of various kinds appeared
to view, indicating victory to the Pandavas and defeat
to thy warriors, O sire! Beholding those indications
of victory, Arjuna, addressing the great bowman Yuyudhana
on his right, said these words: O Yuyudhana!
in today’s battle my victory seems to be certain,
since O bull of Sini’s race, all these (auspicious)
omens are seen. I shall, therefore, go thither
where the ruler of the Sindhus waiteth for (the display
of) my energy and in expectation of repairing to the
regions of Yama. Indeed, as the slaughter of the
ruler of the Sindhus is one of my most imperative
Page 982
duties, even so is the protection of king Yudhishthira
the just another of my most imperative obligations.
O thou of mighty arms, be thou today the king’s
protector. Thou wilt protect him even as I myself
protect him. I do not behold the person in the
world who would be able to vanquish thee. Thou
art, in battle, equal to Vasudeva himself. The
chief of the celestials himself is unable to vanquish
thee. Reposing this burden on thee, or on that
mighty car-warrior Pradyumna, I can, O bull among
men, without anxiety slay the ruler of the Sindhus.
O thou of the Satwata race, no anxiety need be entertained
on my account. With thy whole heart must thou
protect the king. There where the mighty-armed
Vasudeva stayeth, and where I myself stay, without
doubt, the slightest danger to him or me can never
befall.’ Thus addressed by Partha, Satyaki,
that slayer of hostile heroes, replied saying, ‘So
be it.’ And then the latter proceeded to
the spot where king Yudhishthira was.’
SECTION LXXXV
(Jayadratha-Vadha Parva)
“Dhritarashtra said, ’After Abhimanyu’s
slaughter when the next day came, what did the Pandavas,
afflicted with grief and sorrow do? Who amongst
my warriors fought with them? Knowing, as they
did, the achievements of Savyasachin, O tell me, how
the Kauravas, could, having perpetrated such a wrong,
remain fearlessly. How could they in battle venture
even to gaze at that tiger among men (viz., Arjuna),
as he advanced like the all-destroying Death himself
in fury, burning with grief on account of the slaughter
of his son? Beholding that warrior having the
prince of apes on his banner, that hero grieved on
account of his son’s death shaking his gigantic
bow in battle, what did my warrior do? What, O
Sanjaya, hath befallen unto Duryodhana? A great
sorrow hath overtaken us today. I do not any
longer hear the sounds of joy. Those charming
sounds, highly agreeable to the ear, that were formerly
heard in the abode of the Sindhu king, alas those
sounds are no longer heard today. Alas, in the
camp of my sons, the sounds of countless bards and
panegyrists singing their praises, and of dances are
no longer heard. Formerly, such sounds used to
strike my ears incessantly. Alas, as they are
plunged into grief I do not any longer hear those
sounds uttered (in their camp). Formerly, O Sanjaya,
while sitting in the abode of Somadatta who was devoted
to truth, I used to hear such delightful sounds.
Alas, how destitute of (religious) merit I am, for
I observe the abode of my sons today to be echoing
with sounds of grief and lamentations and destitute
of every noise betokening life and energy. In
the houses of Vivinsati, Durmukha, Chitrasena, Vikarna,
and other sons of mine, I do not hear the sounds I
used to hear formerly. That great bowman, viz.,
the son of Drona, who was the refuge of my sons, upon
him Brahmanas and Kshatriyas and Vaisyas, and a large
number of disciples used to wait, who took pleasure
Page 983
day and night in controversial disputations, in talk,
in conversation, in the stirring music of diverse
instruments, and in various kinds of delightful songs,
who was worshipped by many persons among the Kurus,
the Pandavas, and the Satwatas, alas, O Suta, in the
abode of that son of Drona no sound can be heard as
formerly. Singers and dancers used, in a large
number, to wait closely upon that mighty bowman, viz.,
the son of Drona. Alas, their sounds can no longer
be heard in his abode. That loud noise which rose
in the camp of Vinda and Anuvinda every evening, alas,
that noise is no longer heard there. Not in the
camp of the Kaikeyas can that loud sound of song and
slapping of palms be heard today which their soldiers,
engaged in dance and revelry, used to make. Those
priests competent in the performance of sacrifices
who used to wait upon Somadatta’s son, that
refuge of scriptural rites, alas, their sounds can
no longer be heard. The twang of the bowstring,
the sounds of Vedic recitation, the whiz of lances
and swords, and rattle of car-wheels, used incessantly
to be heard in the abode of Drona. Alas, those
sounds can no longer be heard there. That swell
of songs of diverse realms, that loud noise of musical
instruments, which used to arise there, alas, those
can no longer be heard today. When Janardana
of unfading glory came from Upaplavya, desirous of
peace, from compassion for every creature, I then,
O Suta, said unto the wicked Duryodhana: Obtaining
Vasudeva as the means, make peace with the Pandavas,
O son! I think the time has come (for making
peace). Do not, O Duryodhana, transgress my command.
If thou settest Vasudeva aside, who now begs thee
for peace and addresses thee for my good, victory
thou wilt never have in battle. Duryodhana, however,
did set aside him of Dasarha’s race, that bull
among all bowmen, who then spoke what was for Duryodhana’s
good. By this, he embraced what was calamitous
to himself. Seized by Death himself, that wicked-souled
son of mine, rejecting my counsels, adopted those
of Duhsasana and Karna. I myself did not approve
of the game of dice. Vidura did not approve of
it. The ruler of the Sindhus did not, nor Bhishma;
nor Salya; nor Bhurisravas; nor Purumitra; nor Jaya;
nor Aswatthaman; nor Kripa; nor Drona, O Sanjaya!
If my son had conducted himself according to the counsels
of these persons, he would then, with his kinsmen and
friends have lived for ever in happiness and peace.
Of sweet and delightful speech ever saying what is
agreeable amid their kinsmen, high-born, loved by
all, and possessed of wisdom, the sons of Pandu are
sure to obtain happiness. The man who casteth
his eye on righteousness, always and everywhere obtaineth
happiness. Such a man after death, winneth benefit
and grace. Possessed of sufficient might, the
Pandavas deserve to enjoy half the earth. The
earth girt by the seas is as much their ancestral
possession (as of the Kurus). Possessed of sovereignty,
the Pandavas will never deviate from the track of
Page 984
righteousness. O child, I have kinsmen to whose
voice the Pandavas will ever listen, such, for instance,
as Salya, Somadatta, the high-souled Bhishma, Drona,
Vikarna, Valhika, Kripa, and others among the Bharatas
that are illustrious and reverend in years. If
they speak unto them on thy behalf the Pandavas will
certainly act according to those beneficial recommendations.
Or, who amongst these, thinkest thou, belongs to their
party that will speak to them otherwise? Krishna
will never abandon the path of righteousness.
The Pandavas are all obedient to him. Words of
righteousness spoken by myself also, those heroes
will never disobey, for the Pandavas are all of righteous
soul.’ Piteously lamenting, O Suta, I spoke
these and many such words unto my son. Foolish
as he is, he listened not to me! I think all this
to be the mischievous influence of Time! There
where Vrikodara and Arjuna are, and the Vrishni hero,
Satyaki, and Uttamaujas of the Panchalas, and the
invincible Yudhamanyu, and the irrepressible Dhrishtadyumna,
and the unvanquished Sikhandin, the Asmakas, the Kekayas,
and Kshatradharman of ’the Somakas, the ruler
of the Chedis, and Chekitana, and Vibhu, the son of
the ruler of the Kasi, the sons of Draupadi, and Virata
and the mighty car-warrior Drupada, and those tigers
among men viz., the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva),
and the stayer of Madhu to offer counsel, who is there
in this world that would fight these, expecting to
live? Who else, again, is there, save Duryodhana,
and Karna, and Sakuni, the son of Suvala, and Duhsasana
as their fourth, for I do not see the fifth that would
venture to resist my foes while the latter display
their celestial weapons? They who have Vishnu
himself on their car, clad in mail and reins in hand,
they who have Arjuna for their warrior, they can never
have defeat! Doth not Duryodhana now recollect
those lamentations of mine? The tiger among men,
Bhishma, thou hast said, has been slain. I think,
beholding the fruits of the words uttered by the far-seeing
Vidura, my sons are now indulging in lamentations!
I think, beholding his army overwhelmed by Sini’s
grandson and Arjuna, beholding the terraces of his
cars empty, my sons are indulging in lamentations.
As a swelling conflagration urged by the winds consumes
a heap of dry grass at the close of winter, even so
will Dhananjaya consume my troops. O Sanjaya,
thou art accomplished in narration. Tell me everything
that transpired after the doing of that great wrong
to Partha in the evening. When Abhimanyu was slain,
what became the state of your minds? Having,
O son, greatly offended the wielder of Gandiva, my
warriors are incapable of bearing in battle his achievements.
What measures were resolved upon by Duryodhana and
what by Karna? What also did Duhsasana and Suvala’s
son do? O Sanjaya, O son, that which has in battle
befallen all my children assembled together, is certainly
due to the evil acts of the wicked Duryodhana, who
followeth in the path of avarice, who is of wicked
understanding, whose judgment is perverted by wrath,
who coveteth sovereignty, who is foolish, and who is
deprived of reason by anger. Tell me, O Sanjaya,
what measures were then adopted by Duryodhana?
Were they ill-judged or well-judged?’”
Page 985
SECTION LXXXVI
“Sanjaya said, ’I will tell thee all,
for everything hath been witnessed by me with my own
eyes. Listen calmly. Great is thy fault.
Even as an embankment is useless after the waters
(of the field) have flowed away, even so, O king,
are these lamentations of thine useless! O bull
of Bharata’s race, do not grieve. Wonderful
as are the decrees of the Destroyer, they are incapable
of being transgressed. Do not grieve, O bull
of Bharata’s race, for this is not new.
If thou hadst formerly restrained Yudhishthira, the
son of Kunti, and thy sons also from the match at
dice, this calamity then would never have overtaken
thee. If, again, when time for battle came, hadst
thou restrained both the parties inflamed by wrath,
this calamity then would never have overtaken thee.
If, again, hadst thou formerly urged the Kurus to slay
the disobedient Duryodhana, then this calamity would
never have overtaken thee. (If thou hadst done any
of these acts), the Pandavas, the Panchalas, the Vrishnis,
and the other kings would then have never known thy
wrong-headedness. If, again, doing, thy duty
as a father, thou hadst, by placing Duryodhana in
the path of righteousness, caused him to tread along
it, then this calamity would never have overtaken
thee. Thou art the wisest man on earth.
Forsaking eternal virtue, how couldst thou follow the
counsels of Duryodhana and Karna and Sakuni?
These lamentations of thine, therefore, O king, that
I hear,—of thine that art wedded to (worldly)
wealth, seem to me to be honey mixed with poison.
O monarch, formerly Krishna did not respect king Yudhishthira,
the son of Pandu, or Drona, so much as he used to
respect thee. When, however, he came to know thee
as one fallen off from the duties of a king, since
then Krishna hath ceased to regard thee with respect.
Thy sons had addressed various harsh speeches towards
the sons of Pritha. Thou wast indifferent to
those speeches then, O thou that wieldest sovereignty,
unto thy sons. The consequence of that indifference
of thine hath now overtaken thee. O sinless one,
the ancestral sovereignty is now in danger. (If it
is not so), obtain now the whole earth subjugated
by the sons of Pritha.[134] The kingdom that the Kurus
enjoy, as also their fame had been acquired by the
Pandus. The virtuous sons of Pandu added to that
kingdom and that fame. Those achievements, however,
of theirs became (to them) barren of fruit as they
came in contact with thee, since they were deprived
of even their ancestral kingdom by the covetous self.
Now, O king, when the battle has begun, thou censurest
thy sons indicating diverse faults of theirs.
This is scarcely becoming. The Kshatriyas, while
fighting, do not take care of their very lives.
Indeed, those bulls among Kshatriyas fight, penetrating
into the array of the Parthas. Who else, indeed,
save the Kauravas, would venture to fight with that
force which is protected by Krishna and Arjuna, by
Page 986
Satyaki and Vrikodara? Them that have Arjuna for
their warrior, them that have Janardana for their
counsellor, them that have Satyaki and Vrikodara for
their protectors, what mortal bowman is there that
would dare fight with, save the Kauravas and those
that are following their lead? All that is capable
of being achieved by friendly kings endued with heroism
and observant of the duties of Kshatriyas, all that
is being done by the warriors on the Kauravas side.
Listen now, therefore, to everything that hath taken
place in the terrible battle between those tigers
among men viz., the Kurus and the Pandavas.’”
SECTION LXXXVII
“Sanjaya said, ’After that fight had passed
away, Drona, that foremost of all wielders of weapons,
began to array all his divisions for battle.
Diverse sounds were heard, O monarch of angry heroes
shouting in wrath and desirous of slaying one another.
And some stretched their bows, and some rubbed with
their hands their bow-strings. And drawing deep
breaths, many of them shouted, saying, Where is that
Dhananjaya? And some began to throw upwards (and
again seize) their naked swords, unyielding, well-tempered,
of the colour of the sky, possessed of great sharpness,
and furnished with beautiful hilts. And brave
warriors, desirous of battle, by thousands, were seen
to perform the evolutions of swordmen and of bowmen,
with skill acquired by practice. Some whirling
their maces decked with bells, smeared with sandal
paste, and adorned with gold and diamonds enquired
after the sons of Pandu. Some intoxicated with
the pride of strength, and possessed of massive arms,
obstructed the welkin with their spiked clubs that
resembled (a forest of flag) staff raised in honour
of Indra. Others, brave warriors all, adorned
with beautiful garlands of flowers, desirous of battle,
occupied diverse portions of the field, armed with
diverse weapons. ’Where is Arjuna?
Where is that Govinda? Where is proud Bhima?
Where also are those allies of their?’ Even
thus did they call upon them in battle. Then blowing
his conch and himself urging the horses to great speed,
Drona moved about with great celerity, arraying his
troops. After all those divisions that delight
in battle had taken up their stations, Bharadwaja’s
son, O king, said these words unto Jayadratha.
’Thyself, Somadatta’s son, the mighty car-warrior
Karna, Aswatthaman, Salya, Vrishasena and Kripa, with
a hundred thousand horse, sixty thousand cars, four
and ten thousand elephants with rent temples, one
and twenty thousand foot-soldiers clad in mail take
up your station behind me at the distance of twelve
miles. There the very gods with Vasava at their
head will not be able to attack thee, what need be
said, therefore, of the Pandavas? Take comfort,
O ruler of the Sindhus. Thus addressed (by Drona),
Jayadratha, the ruler of the Sindhus, became comforted.
And he proceeded to the spot indicated by Drona, accompanied
by many Gandhara warriors, and surrounded by those
great car-warriors, and with many foot-soldiers clad
in mail, prepared to fight vigorously and armed with
nooses. The steeds of Jayadratha, well-skilled
in bearing of drawing were all, O monarch, decked
with yalk-tails and ornaments of gold. And seven
thousand such steeds, and three thousand other steeds
of the Sindhu breed were with him.’
Page 987
“Thy son Durmarshana, desirous of doing battle,
stationed himself at the head of all the troops, accompanied
by a thousand and five hundred infuriated elephants
and awful size clad in mail and of fierce deeds, and
all ridden by well-trained elephant-riders. Thy
two other sons, viz., Duhsasana and Vikarna,
took up their position amid the advance-divisions
of the army, for the accomplishment of the objects
of Jayadratha. The array that Bharadwaja’s
son formed, part Sakata and part a circle, was full
forty-eight miles long and the width of its rear measured
twenty miles. Drona himself formed that array
with countless brave kings, stationed with it, and
countless cars and steeds and elephants and foot-soldiers.
In the rear of that array was another impenetrable
array of the form of lotus. And within that lotus
was another dense array called the needle. Having
formed his mighty array thus, Drona took up his station.
At the mouth of that needle, the great bowman Kritavarman
took up his stand. Next to Kritavarman, O sire,
stood the ruler of the Kamvojas and Jalasandha.
Next to these, stood Duryodhana and Karna. Behind
them hundreds and thousands of unreturning heroes were
stationed in that Sakata for protecting its head.
Behind them all, O monarch, and surrounded by a vast
force, was king Jayadratha stationed at one side of
that needle-shaped array. At the entrance of the
Sakata, O king, was Bharadwaja’s son. Behind
Drona was the chief of the Bhojas, who protected him.
Clad in white armour, with excellent head-gear, of
broad chest and mighty arms, Drona stood, stretching
his large bow, like the Destroyer himself in wrath.
Beholding Drona’s car which was graced with a
beautiful standard and had red sacrificial altar and
a black deer-skin, the Kauravas were filled with delight.
Seeing that array formed by Drona, which resembled
the ocean itself in agitation, the Siddhas and the
Charanas were filled with wonder. And all creatures
thought that array would devour the whole earth with
her mountains and seas and forests, and abounding
with diverse things. And king Duryodhana, beholding
that mighty array in the form of a Sakata, teeming
with carts and men and steeds and elephants, roaring
dreadful of wonderful form, and capable of riving the
hearts of foes, began to rejoice.’”
SECTION LXXXVIII
“Sanjaya said, ’After the divisions of
the Kuru army had been (thus) arrayed, and a loud
uproar, O sire, had, arisen; after drums and Mridangas
began to be beaten and played upon, after the din of
the warriors and the noise of musical instruments
had become audible; after conch began to be blown,
and an awful roar had arisen, making the hair stand
on end; after the field of battle had beer slowly covered
by the Bharata heroes desirous of fight; and after
the hour called Rudra had set in, Savyasachin made
his appearance. Many thousands of ravens and crows,
O Bharata, proceeded sporting on the front of Arjuna’s
Page 988
car. Various animals of terrible cries, and jackals
of inauspicious sight, began to yell and howl on our
right as we proceeded to battle. Thousands of
blazing meteors fell with great noise. The whole
earth trembled on that dreadful occasion. Dry
winds blew in all directions, accompanied by thunder,
and driving bard pebbles and gravel when Kunti’s
son came at the commencement of battle. Then
Nakula’s son, Satanika, and Dhrishtadyumna,
the son of Pritha, those two warriors possessed of
great wisdom, arrayed the several divisions of the
Pandavas. Then thy son Durmarshana, accompanied
by a thousand cars, a hundred elephants, three thousand
heroes, and ten thousand foot-soldiers, and covering
a piece of ground that measured the length of fifteen
hundred bows, took up his position at the very van
of all the troops, and said: ’Like the continent
resisting the surging sea, even I will today resist
the wielder of Gandiva, that scorcher of foes, that
warrior who is irresistible in battle. Let people
today behold the wrathful Dhananjaya collide with me,
like a mass of stone against another stony mass.
Ye car-warriors that are desirous of battle, stay
ye (as witness). Alone I will fight with all the
Pandavas assembled together, for enhancing my honour
and fame. That high-souled and noble son of thine,
that great bowman saying this, stood there surrounded
by many great bowmen. Then, like the Destroyer
himself in wrath, or Vasava himself armed with the
thunder, or Death’s irresistible self armed
with his club and urged on by Time, or Mahadeva armed
with the trident and incapable of being ruffled, or
Varuna bearing his noise, or the blazing fire at the
end of the Yuga risen for consuming the creation,
the slayer of the Nivatakavachas inflamed with rage
and swelling with might, the ever-victorious Jaya,
devoted to truth and desirous of achieving his great
vow, clad in mail and armed with sword, decked in
golden diadem, adorned with garlands of swords of white
flowers and attired in white robes, his arms decked
with beautiful Angadas and ears with excellent ear-rings,
mounted on his own foremost of cars, (the incarnate)
Nara, accompanied by Narayana, shaking his Gandiva
in battle, shone brilliantly like the risen sun.
And Dhananjaya of great prowess, placing his car,
O king, at the very van of his army, where densest
showers of arrows would fall, blew his conch.
Then Krishna also, O sire, fearlessly blew with great
force his foremost of conchs called Panchajanya as
Partha blew his. And in consequence of the blare
of the conchs, all the warriors in thy army, O monarch,
trembled and became lost heart. And their hair
stood on end at that sound. As an creatures are
oppressed with fright at the sound of the thunder,
even so did all thy warriors took fright at the blare
of those conchs. And all the animals ejected
urine and excreta. Thy whole army with its animals
became filled with anxiety, O king, and in consequence
of the blare of those (two) conchs, all men, O sire,
Page 989
lost their strength. And some amongst them, O
monarch, were inspired with dread, and some lost their
senses. And the ape on Arjuna’s banner,
opening his mouth wide, made an awful noise with the
other creatures on it, for terrifying thy troops.
Then conchs and horns and cymbals and Anakas were
once more blown and beat for cheering thy warriors.
And that noise mingled with the noise of diverse (other)
musical instruments, with the shouts of warriors and
the slaps of their arm-pits, and with their leonine
roars uttered by great car-warriors in summoning and
challenging (their antagonists). When that tumultuous
uproar rose there, an uproar that enhanced the fear
of the timid, the son of Pakasana, filled with great
delight, addressing him of Dasarha’s race, said
(these words).’
“Arjuna said, ’Urge the steeds, O Hrishikesa,
to where Durmarshana stayeth. Piercing through
that elephant division I will penetrate into the hostile
army.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’Thus addressed by
Savyasachin, the mighty-armed Kesava urged the steeds
to where Durmarshana was staying. Fierce and
awful was the encounter that commenced there between
one and the many, an encounter that proved very destructive
of cars and elephants and men. Then Partha, resembling
a pouring cloud, covered his foes with showers of
shafts, like a mass of clouds pouring rain on the mountain
breast.[135] The hostile of car-warriors also, displaying
great lightness of hand, quickly covered both Krishna
and Dhananjaya with clouds of arrows. The mighty-armed
Partha, then, thus opposed in battle by his foes, became
filled with wrath, and began to strike off with his
arrows the heads of car-warriors from their trunks.
And the earth became strewn with beautiful heads decked
with ear-rings and turbans, the nether lips bit by
the upper ones, and the faces adorned with eyes troubled
with wrath. Indeed, the scattered heads of the
warriors looked resplendent like an assemblage of
plucked off and crushed lotuses lying strewn about
the field. Golden coats of mail[136] dyed with
gore (lying thick over the field), looked like masses
of clouds charged with lightning. The sound, O
king, of severed heads dropping on the earth, resembled
that of falling palmyra fruits ripened in due time,
headless trunks arose, some with bow in hand, and
some with naked swords upraised in the act of striking.
Those brave warriors incapable of brooking Arjuna’s
feats and desirous of vanquishing him, had no distinct
perception as to when their heads were struck off
by Arjuna. The earth became strewn with heads
of horses, trunks of elephants, and the arms and legs
of heroic warriors. ’This is one Partha’,
‘Where is Partha? Here is Partha!’,
’Even thus, O king, the warriors, of thy army
became filled with the idea of Partha only. Deprived
of their senses by Time, they regarded the whole world
to be full of Partha only, and therefore, many of
them perished, striking one another, and some struck
even their own selves. Uttering yells of woe,
Page 990
many heroes, covered with blood, deprived of their
senses, and in great agony, laid themselves down,
calling upon their friends and kinsmen. Arms,
bearing short arrows, or lances, or darts, or swords,
or battle-axes, or pointed stakes, or scimitars, or
bows, or spears, or shafts, or maces, and cased in
armour and decked with Angadas and other ornaments,
and looking like large snakes, and resembling huge
clubs, cut off (from trunks) with mighty weapons,
were seen to jump about, jerk about, and move about,
with great force, as if in rage. Every one amongst
those that wrathfully advanced against Partha in that
battle, perished, pierced in his body with some fatal
shafts of that hero. While dancing on his car
as it moved, and drawing his bow, no one there could
detect the minutest opportunity for striking him.
The quickness with which he took his shafts, fixed
them on the bow, and let them off, filled all his
enemies with wonder. Indeed Phalguna, with his
shafts, pierced elephants and elephant-riders, horses
and horse-riders, car-warriors and drivers of cars.
There was none amongst his enemies, whether staying
before him or struggling in battle, or wheeling about,
whom the son of Pandu did not slay. As the sun
rising in the welkin destroyeth the thick gloom, even
so did Arjuna destroy that elephant-force by means
of his shafts winged with Kanka plumes. The field
occupied by thy troops, in consequence of riven elephants
fallen upon it, looked like the earth strewn with huge
hills at the hour of universal dissolution. As
the midday sun is incapable of being looked at by
all creatures, even so was Dhananjaya, excited with
wrath, incapable of being looked at, in battle, by
his enemies. The troops of thy son, O chastiser
of foes, afflicted (with the arrows of Dhananjaya),
broke and fled in fear. Like a mass of clouds
pierced and driven away by a mighty wind, that army
was pierced and routed by Partha. None indeed
could gaze at the hero while he was slaying the foe.
Urging their heroes to great speed by spurs, by the
horns of their bows, by deep growls, by encouraging
behests, by whips, by cuts on their flanks, and by
threatening speeches, thy men, viz., thy cavalry
and thy car-warriors, as also thy foot-soldiers, struck
by the shafts of Arjuna, fled away from the fields.
Others (that rode on elephants), fled away, urging
those huge beasts by pressing their flanks with their
hooks and many warriors struck by Partha’s arrows,
in flying, ran against Partha himself. Indeed,
thy warriors, then became all cheerless and their
understandings were all confused.
SECTION LXXXIX
“Dhritarashtra said, ’When the van of
my army thus slaughtered by the diadem-decked (Arjuna)
broke and fled, who were those heroes that advanced
against Arjuna? (Did any of them actually fight with
Arjuna, or) did all, abandoning their determination
enter the Sakata array, getting behind the fearless
Drona, resembling a solid wall?’
Page 991
“Sanjaya said, ’When Indra’s son
Arjuna, O sinless one, began, with his excellent arrows,
to break and incessantly slay that force of ours many
heroes were either slain, or becoming dispirited, fled
away. None in that battle, was capable of even
looking at Arjuna. Then, thy son Duhsasana,
O king, beholding that state of the troops, became
filled with wrath and rushed against Arjuna for battle.
That hero of fierce prowess, cased in a beautiful
coat of mail, made of gold, and his head covered with
a turban decked with gold, caused Arjuna to be surrounded
by a large elephant-force which seemed capable of
devouring the whole earth. With sound of the
elephants’ bells, the blare of conchs, the twang
of bow-strings, and the grunts of the tuskers, the
earth, the points of compass, and the welkin, seemed
to be entirely filled. That period of time became
fierce and awful. Beholding those huge beasts
with extended trunks filled with wrath and rushing
quickly towards him, like winged mountains urged on
with hooks, Dhananjaya, that lion among men, uttering
a leonine shout, began to pierce and slay that elephant-force
with his shafts. And like a Makara penetrating
into the vast deep, surging into mountain waves when
agitated by the tempest, the diadem-decked (Arjuna)
penetrated into that elephant-host. Indeed, Partha,
that subjugator of hostile cities, was then seen by
all on every side to resemble the scorching sun that
rises, transgressing the rule about direction and
hour, on the day of the universal destruction.
And in consequence of the sound of horses’ hoofs,
rattle of car-wheels, the shouts of combatants, the
twang of bow-strings, the noise of diverse musical
instruments, the blare of Panchajanya and Devadatta,
and roar of Gandiva, men and elephants were dispirited
and deprived of their senses. And men and elephants
were riven by Savyasachin with his shafts whose touch
resembled that of snakes of virulent poison.
And those elephants, in that battle, were pierced
all over their bodies with shafts, numbering thousands
upon thousands shot from Gandiva. While thus
mangled by the diadem-decked (Arjuna), they uttered
loud noises and incessantly fell down on the earth
like mountains shorn of their wings. Others struck
at the jaw, or frontal globes, or temples with long
shafts, uttered cries resembling those of cranes.
The diadem-decked (Arjuna) began to cut off, with his
straight arrows the heads of warriors standing on
the necks of elephants. Those heads decked with
ear-rings, constantly falling on the earth, resembled
a multitude of lotuses that Partha was calling for
an offer to his gods. And while the elephants
wandered on the field, many warriors were seen to
hang from their bodies, divested of armour, afflicted
with wounds, covered with blood, and looking like
painted pictures. In some instances, two or three
warriors, pierced by one arrow winged with beautiful
feathers and well-shot (from Gandiva), fell down on
the earth. Many elephants deeply pierced with
Page 992
long shafts, fell down, vomiting blood from their
mouths, with the riders on their backs, like hills
overgrown with forests tumbling down through some
convulsion of nature. Partha, by means of his
straight shafts, cut into fragments the bow-strings,
standards, bows, yokes, and shafts of the car-warriors
opposed to him. None could notice when Arjuna
took up his arrows, when he fixed them on the bow-string,
when he drew the string, and when he let them off.
All that could be seen was that Partha seemed to dance
on his car with his bow incessantly drawn to a circle.
Elephants, deeply pierced with long shafts and vomiting
blood from their mouths, fell down, as soon as they
were struck, on the earth. And in the midst of
that great carnage, O monarch, innumerable headless
trunks were seen to stand up. Arms, with bows
in grasp, or whose fingers were cased in leathern
gloves, holding swords, or decked with Angadas and
other ornaments of gold, cut off from trunks, were
seen lying about. And the field of battle was
strewn with innumerable Upashkaras and Adhishthanas,
and shafts, and crowns, crushed car-wheels, and broken
Akshas, and yokes, and warriors armed with shields
and bows, and floral garlands, and ornaments and robes
and fallen standards. And in consequence of those
slain elephants and steeds, and the fallen bodies
of Kshatriyas, the earth there assumed an awful aspect.
Duhsasana’s forces, thus slaughtered, O king,
by the diadem-decked (Arjuna), fled away. Their
leader himself was in great pain, for Duhsasana, greatly
afflicted by those shafts, overcome by fear entered
with his division the Sakata array, seeking Drona as
his deliverer.’”
SECTION XC
“Sanjaya said, ’Slaying the force of Duhsasana,
the mighty car-warrior, Savyasachin, desirous of getting
at the ruler of the Sindhus, proceeded against the
division of Drona, Having approached Drona who was
stationed at the entrance of the array, Partha, at
Krishna’s request joined his hands and said
these words unto Drona: ’Wish me well, O
Brahmana, and bless me, saying Swasti! Through
thy grace, I wish to penetrate into this impenetrable
array. Thou art to me even as my sire, or even
as king Yudhishthira the just, or even as Krishna!
I tell thee this truly. O sire, O sinless one!
Even as Aswatthaman deserves to be protected by thee,
I also deserve to be protected by thee, O foremost
of regenerate ones! Through thy grace, O foremost
of men, I desire to stay the ruler of the Sindhu in
battle. O lord, see that my vow is accomplished.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’Thus addressed by
him, the preceptor, smiling, replied unto him, saying,
’O Vibhatsu, without vanquishing me, thou shalt
not be able to vanquish Jayadratha. Telling him
this much, Drona, with a smile covered him with showers
of sharp arrows, as also his car and steeds and standard
and charioteer. Then, Arjuna baffling Drona’s
arrowy showers with his own arrows, rushed against
Page 993
Drona, shooting mightier and More awful shafts.
Observant of Kshatriya duties, Arjuna then pierced
Drona in that battle with nine arrows. Cutting
the shafts of Arjuna by his own shafts, Drona then
pierced both Krishna and Arjuna with many shafts that
resembled poison or fire, Then, while Arjuna was thinking
of cutting of Drona’s bow with his arrows, the
latter, endued with great valour, fearlessly and quickly
cut off, with shafts the bow-string of the illustrious
Phalguna. And he also pierced Phalguna’s
steeds and standard and charioteer. And the heroic
Drona covered Phalguna himself with many arrows, smiling
the while. Meantime, stringing his large bow anew,
Partha, that foremost of all persons conversant with
arms, getting the better of his preceptor, quickly
shot six hundred arrows as if he had taken and shot
only one arrow. And once more he shot seven hundred
other arrows, and then a thousand arrows incapable
of being resisted, and ten thousand other arrows.
All these slew many warriors of Drona’s array.
Deeply pierced with those weapons by the mighty and
accomplished Partha, acquainted with all modes of
warfare, many men and steeds and elephants fell down
deprived of life. And car-warriors, afflicted
by those shafts, fell down from their foremost of
cars, deprived of horses and standards and destitute
of weapons and life. And elephants fell down like
summits of hills, or masses of clouds, or large houses,
loosened, dispersed, or burnt down by the thunder,
or by the wind, or fire. Struck with Arjuna’s
shafts, thousands of steeds fell down like swans on
the breast of Himavat, struck down by the force of
watery current. Like the Sun, that rises at the
end of the Yuga, drying up with his rays, vast quantities
of water, the son of Pandu, by his showers of weapons
and arrows, slew a vast number of car-warriors and
steeds and elephants and foot-soldiers. Then
like the clouds covering the sun, the Drona-cloud,
with its arrowy showers, covered the Pandava-sun,
whose rays in the shape of thick showers of arrows
were scorching in the battle the foremost ones among
the Kurus. And then the preceptor struck Dhananjaya
at the breast with a long shaft shot with great force
and capable of drinking the life-blood of every foe.
Then Arjuna, deprived of strength, shook in all his
limbs, like a hill during an earthquake. Soon,
however, regaining for fortitude, Vibhatsu pierced
Drona with many winged arrows. Then Drona struck
Vasudeva with five arrows. And he struck Arjuna
with three and seventy arrows, and his standard with
three. Then, O king, the valorous Drona getting
the better of his disciple, within the twinkling of
an eye made Arjuna invisible by means of his arrowy
showers. We then beheld the shafts of Bharadwaja’s
son falling in continuous lines, and his bow also
was seen to present the wonderful aspect of being incessantly
drawn to a circle. And those shafts, countless
in number, and winged with the Kanka feathers, shot
by Drona in that battle, incessantly fell, O king,
Page 994
on Dhananjaya and Vasudeva. Beholding then that
battle between Drona and the son of Pandu, Vasudeva
of great intelligence began to reflect upon the accomplishment
of the (important) task. Then Vasudeva, addressing
Dhananjaya, said these words: ’O Partha,
O thou of mighty arms, we should not waste time.
We must go on, avoiding Drona, for a more important
task awaits us. In reply Partha said unto Krishna,
O Kesava, as thou pleasest! Then keeping the
mighty-armed Drona to their right, Arjuna proceeded
onwards. Turning his face round, Vibhatsu proceeded,
shooting his shafts. Then Drona, addressing Arjuna,
said, Whither dost thou proceed, O son of Pandu!
Is it not true that thou ceasest not (to fight) till
thou hast vanquished thy foe?’
“Arjuna answered, ’Thou art my preceptor
and not my foe. I am thy disciple and, therefore,
like to thy son. Nor is there the man in the
whole world who can vanquish thee in battle.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’Saying these words,
the mighty-armed Vibhatsu, desirous of slaying Jayadratha,
quickly proceeded against the (Kaurava) troops.
And while he penetrated into thy army, those high-souled
princes of Panchala, viz., Yudhamanyu, and Uttamaujas,
followed him as the protector of his wheels.
Then, O King, Jaya, and Kritavarman of the Satwata
race, and the ruler of the Kamvojas, and Srutayus,
began to oppose the progress of Dhananjaya. And
these had ten thousand car-warriors for their followers.
The Abhishahas, the Surasenas, the Sivis, the Vasatis,
the Mavellakas, the Lilithyas, the Kaikeyas, the Madrakas,
the Narayana Gopalas, and the various tribes of the
Kamvojas who had before been vanquished by Karna,
all of whom were regarded as very brave, placing Bharadwaja’s
son at their head, and becoming regardless of their
lives, rushed towards Arjuna, for resisting that angry
hero, burning with grief on account of the death of
his son, that warrior resembling all-destroying Death
himself, clad in mail, conversant with all modes of
warfare, prepared to throw away his life in thick of
battle,—that mighty bowman of great prowess,
that tiger among men,—who resembled an
infuriate leader of elephantine herd, and who seemed
ready to devour the whole hostile army. The battle
then that commenced was exceedingly fierce and made
the hair stand on end, between all those combatants
on the one side and Arjuna on the other. And all
of them, uniting together, began to resist that bull
among men, advancing for the slaughter of Jayadratha,
like medicines resisting a raging disease.’”
SECTION XCI
Page 995
“Sanjaya said, ’Held in check by them,
that foremost of car-warriors, viz., Partha of
great might and prowess, was quickly pursued by Drona
from behind. The son of Pandu, however, like diseases
scorching the body, blasted that army, scattering
his sharp shafts and resembling on that account the
sun himself scattering his countless rays of light.
And steeds were pierced, and cars with riders were
broken and mangled, and elephants were overthrown.
And umbrellas were cut off and displaced, and vehicles
were deprived of their wheels. And the combatants
fled on all sides, exceedingly afflicted with arrows.
Even thus progressed that fierce battle between those
warriors and Arjuna encountering each other.
Nothing could be distinguished. With his straight
shafts, Arjuna, O monarch, made the hostile army tremble
incessantly. Firmly devoted to truth, Arjuna
then, of white steeds desirous of accomplishing his
vow rushed against the foremost of car-warriors, viz.,
Drona of red steeds. Then the preceptor, Drona,
struck his disciple, viz., the mighty bowman
Arjuna, with five and twenty straight shafts capable
of reaching the very vitals. Thereupon, Vibhatsu,
that foremost of all wielders of weapons, quickly
rushed against Drona, shooting arrows capable of baffling
the force of counter arrows, shot at him. Invoking
into existence then the Brahma weapon, Arjuna, of
immeasurable soul, baffled with his straight shafts
those shot so speedily at him by Drona. The skill
we then beheld of Drona was exceedingly wonderful,
since Arjuna, though young, and though struggling
vigorously, could not pierce Drona with a single shaft.
Like a mass of clouds pouring torrents of rain, the
Drona cloud rained shower on the Partha-mountain.
Possessed of great energy, Arjuna received that arrowy
downpour, O king, by invoking the Brahma weapon, and
cut off all those arrows by arrows of his own.
Drona then afflicted Partha of white steeds with five
and twenty arrows. And he struck Vasudeva with
seventy arrows on the chest and arms. Partha then,
of great intelligence, smiling the while resisted
the preceptor in that battle who was incessantly shooting
sharp arrows. Then those two foremost of car-warriors,
while thus struck by Drona, avoided that invincible
warrior, who resembled the raging Yuga fire. Avoiding
those sharp shafts shot from Drona’s bow, the
diadem-decked son of Kunti, adorned with garlands
of flowers, began to slaughter the host of the Bhojas.
Indeed, avoiding the invincible Drona who stood immovable
like the Mainaka mountain, Arjuna took up his position
between Kritavarman and Sudakshina the ruler of the
Kamvojas. Then that tiger among men, viz.,
the ruler of the Bhojas, coolly pierced that invincible
and foremost descendant of Ruru with ten arrows winged
with Kanka feathers. Then Arjuna pierced him,
O monarch, in that battle with a hundred arrows.
And once more he pierced him with three other arrows,
stupefying that hero of the Satwata race. The
Page 996
ruler of the Bhojas then, laughing the while, pierced
Partha and Vasudeva each with five and twenty arrows.
Arjuna then, cutting off Kritavarman’s bow,
pierced him with one and twenty arrows resembling
blazing flames of fire or angry snakes of virulent
poison. Then Kritavarman, that mighty car-warrior,
taking up another bow, pierced Arjuna in the chest,
O Bharata, with five arrows. And once more he
pierced Partha with five sharp arrows. Then Partha
struck him in return in the centre of the chest with
nine arrows. Beholding the son of Kunti obstructed
before the car of Kritavarman, he of Vrishni’s
race thought that no time should be wasted. Then
Krishna addressing Partha, said, Do not show any mercy
to Kritavarman! Disregarding thy relationship
(with him), crush and slay him!’ Then Arjuna,
stupefying Kritavarman with his arrows, proceeded,
on his swift steeds, to the division of the Kamvojas.
Seeing Arjuna of white steeds penetrate into the Kamvoja
force, Kritavarman became filled with wrath.
Taking his bow with arrows fixed thereon, he then
encountered the two Panchala princes. Indeed,
Kritavarman, with his arrows resisted those two Panchala
princes as they advanced, following Arjuna for protecting
his wheels. Then Kritavarman, the ruler of the
Bhojas, pierced them both with sharp shafts, striking
Yudhamanyu with three, and Uttamaujas with four.
Those two princes in return each pierced him with
ten arrows. And once more, Yudhamanyu shooting
three arrows and Uttamaujas shooting three cut off
Kritavarman’s standard and bow. Then the
son of Hridika, taking up another bow, and becoming
infuriated with rage, deprived both those warriors
of their bows and covered them with arrows. Then
those two warriors, taking up and stringing two other
bows, began to pierce Kritavarman. Meanwhile Vibhatsu
penetrated into the hostile army. But those two
princes, resisted by Kritavarman, obtained no admittance
into the Dhritarashtra host, although those bulls
among men struggled vigorously. Then Arjuna of
white steeds quickly afflicted in that battle the
divisions opposed to him. That slayer of foes,
however, slew not Kritavarman although he had got him
within reach.. Beholding Partha thus proceeding,
the brave king Srutayudha, filled with wrath, rushed
at him, shaking his large bow. And he pierced
Partha with three arrows, and Janardana with seventy.
And he struck the standard of Partha with a very sharp
arrow having a razor-like head. Then Arjuna,
filled with wrath deeply pierced his antagonist with
ninety straight shafts, like (a rider) striking a mighty
elephant with the hook. Srutayudha, however,
could not, O king, brook that act of prowess on the
part of Pandu’s son. He pierced Arjuna in
return with seven and seventy shafts. Arjuna
then cut off Srutayudha’s bow and then his quiver,
and angrily struck him on the chest with seven straight
shafts. Then, king Srutayudha, deprived of his
senses by wrath, took up another bow and struck the
son of Vasava with nine arrows on the latter’s
Page 997
arms and chest. Then Arjuna, that chastiser of
foes laughing the while, O Bharata, afflicted Srutayudha
with many thousands of arrows. And that mighty
car-warrior quickly slew also the latter’s steeds
and charioteer. Endued with great strength the
son of Pandu then pierced his foe with seventy arrows.
Then the valiant king Srutayudha abandoning that steedless
car, rushed in that encounter against Partha, uplifting
his mace. The heroic king Srutayudha was the
son of Varuna, having for his mother that mighty river
of cool water called Parnasa. His mother, O king,
had for the sake of her son, begged Varuna saying,
’Let this my son become unslayable on earth.’
Varuna, gratified (with her), had said, ’I give
him a boon highly beneficial to him, viz., a celestial
weapon, by virtue of which this thy son will become
unslayable on earth by foes. No man can have
immortality. O foremost of rivers, every one who
hath taken birth must inevitably die. This child,
however, will always be invincible by foes in battle,
through the power of this weapon. Therefore, let
thy heart’s fever be dispelled.’
Having said these words, Varuna gave him, with mantras,
a mace. Obtaining that mace, Srutayudha became
invincible on earth. Unto him, however, illustrious
Lord of the waters again said, ’This mace should
not be hurled at one who is not engaged in fight.
If hurled at such a person, it will come back and
fall upon thyself. O illustrious child, (if so
hurled) it will then course in an opposite direction
and slay the person hurling it.’ It would
seem that when his hour came, Srutayudha disobeyed
that injunction. With that hero-slaying mace
he attacked Janardana, The valiant Krishna received
that mace on one of his well-formed and stout shoulders.
It failed to shake Sauri, like the wind failing to
shake the Vindhya mountain. That mace, returning
unto Srutayudha himself, struck that brave and wrathful
king staying on his car, like an ill-accomplished
act of sorcery injuring the performer himself, and
slaying that hero fell down on the earth. Beholding
the mace turn back and Srutayudha slain, loud cries
of Alas and Oh arose there among the troops, at the
sight of Srutayudha that chastiser of foes, slain
by a weapon of his own.[137] And because, O monarch,
Srutayudha had hurled that mace at Janardana who was
not engaged in fighting it slew him who had hurled
it. And Srutayudha perished on the field, even
in the manner that Varuna had indicated. Deprived
of life, he fell down on the earth before the eyes
of all the bowmen. While falling down, that dear
son of Parnasa shone resplendent like a tall banian
with spreading boughs broken by the wind. Then
all the troops and even all the principal warriors
fled away, beholding Srutayudha, that chastiser of
foes, slain. Then, the son of the ruler of the
Kamvojas, viz., the brave Sudakshina, rushed
on his swift steeds against Phalguna that slayer of
foes. Partha, then, O Bharata, sped seven shafts
Page 998
at him. Those shafts passing through the body
of that hero, entered the earth. Deeply pierced
those shafts sped in battle from Gandiva, Sudakshina
pierced Arjuna in return with ten shafts winged with
Kanka feathers. And piercing Vasudeva with three
shafts, he once more pierced Partha with five.
Then, O sire, Partha, cutting off Sudakshina’s
bow, lopped off the latter’s standard. And
the son of Pandu pierced his antagonist with a couple
of broad-headed arrows of great sharpness. Sudakshina,
however, piercing Partha once more with three arrows,
uttered a leonine shout. Then the brave Sudakshina,
filled with wrath, hurled at the wielder of Gandiva
a terrible dart made wholly of iron and decked with
bells. That dart blazing as a large meteor, and
emitting sparks of fire, approaching that mighty car-warrior
pierced him through and fell down on the earth.
Deeply struck by that dart and overcome with a swoon,
Arjuna soon enough recovered. Then that hero of
mighty energy, licking the corners of his mouth, that
son of Pandu, of inconceivable feats, pierced his
foe, along with his steeds, standard, bow, and charioteer,
with four and ten shafts winged with Kanka feathers.
With other arrows, countless in number, Partha then
cut Sudakshina’s car into fragments. And
then the son of Pandu pierced Sudakshina, the prince
of the Kamvojas, whose purpose and prowess had both
been baffled, with a sharp arrow in the chest.
Then the brave prince of the Kamvojas, his coat of
mail cut off, his limbs weakened, his diadem and Angadas
displaced, fell head downwards, like a pole of Indra
when hurled from an engine. Like a beautiful
Karnikara tree in the spring, gracefully growing on
a mountain summit with beautiful branches, lying on
the earth when uprooted by the wind, the prince of
the Kamvojas lay on the bare ground deprived of life,
though deserving of the costliest bed, decked with
costly ornaments. Handsome, possessed of eyes
that were of a coppery hue, and bearing on his head
a garland of gold, endued with the effulgence of fire,
the mighty-armed Sudakshina, the son of the ruler of
the Kamvojas, overthrown by Partha with his shafts,
and lying on the earth, reft of fife, looked resplendent
like a beautiful mountain with a level top. Then
all the troops of thy son fled away, beholding Srutayudha,
and Sudakshina the prince of the Kamvojas, slain.’”
SECTION XCII
“Sanjaya said, ’Upon the fall of Sudakshina
and of the heroic Srutayudha, O monarch, thy warriors,
filled with wrath, rushed with speed at Partha.
The Abhishahas, the Surasenas, the Sivis, the Vasatis
began, O king, to scatter their arrowy showers on
Dhananjaya. The son of Pandu then consumed by
means of his arrows six hundred of them at once.
Thereupon, those warriors, terrified, fled away like
smaller animals from a tiger. Rallying, they
once more surrounded Partha, who was slaying his foes
and vanquishing them in battle. Dhananjaya then,
Page 999
with shafts sped from Gandiva, speedily felled the
heads and arms of the combatants thus rushing upon
him. Not an inch of the field of battle was unstrewn
with fallen heads, and the flights of crows and vultures
and ravens that hovered over the field seemed to form
a cloudy canopy. Seeing their men thus exterminated,
Srutayus and Achyutayus were both filled with wrath.
And they continued to contend vigorously with Dhananjaya.
Endued with great might, proud, heroic, of noble lineage,
and possessed of strength of arms, those two bowmen,
O king, solicitous of winning great fame and desirous,
for the sake of thy son, to compass the destruction
of Arjuna, quickly showered upon the latter their
arrowy downpours at once from his right and left.
Those angry heroes, with a thousand straight shafts,
covered Arjuna like two masses of clouds filling a
lake. Then that foremost of car-warriors viz.,
Srutayus filled with wrath, struck Dhananjaya with
a well-tempered lance. That crusher of foes viz.,
Arjuna, then, deeply pierced by his mighty foe, swooned
away in that battle, stupefying Kesava also (by that
act). Meanwhile, the mighty car-warrior Achyutayus
forcibly struck the son of Pandu with a keen-pointed
spear. By the act he seemed to pour an acid upon
the wound of the high-souled son of Pandu. Deeply
pierced therewith, Partha supported himself by seizing
the flag-staff. Then a leonine shout was sent
forth by all the troops, O monarch, in the belief
that Dhananjaya was deprived of life. And Krishna
also was scorched with grief upon beholding Partha
senseless. Then Kesava comforted Dhananjaya with
soothing words.. Then those foremost of car-warriors,
(viz., Srutayus and Achyutayus), of true aim, pouring
their arrowy showers on all sides, in that battle,
made Dhananjaya and Vasudeva of Vrishni’s race
invisible with their car and car-wheels and Kuvaras,
their steeds and flagstaff and banner. And all
this seemed wonderful. Meanwhile, O Bharata,
Vibhatsu slowly regained his senses, like one come
back from the very abode of the king of the dead.
Beholding his car with Kesava overwhelmed with arrows
and seeing also those two antagonists of his staying
before him like two blazing fires, the mighty car-warriors
Partha then invoked into existence the weapon named
after Sakra. From that weapon flowed thousands
of straight shafts. And those shafts struck Srutayus
and Achyutayus, those mighty bowmen. And the arrows
shot by the latter, pierced by those of Partha, coursed
through the welkin. And the son of Pandu quickly
baffling those arrows by the force of his own arrows,
began to career over the field, encountering mighty
car-warriors. Meanwhile Srutayus and Achyutayus
were, by Arjuna’s arrowy showers, deprived of
their arms and heads. And they fell down on the
earth, like a couple of tall trees broken by the wind.
And the death of Srutayus and slaughter of Achyutayus
created surprise equal to what men would feel at the
sight of the ocean becoming dry. Then slaying
Page 1000
fifty car-warriors amongst the followers of those
two princes, Partha proceeded against the Bharata
army, slaying many foremost of warriors. Beholding
both Srutayus and Achyutayus slain, their sons, those
foremost of men, viz., Niyatayus and Dirghayus,
O Bharata, both filled with rage, rushed against the
son of Kunti, scattering shafts of diverse kinds,
and much pained by the calamity that had happened
to their sires. Arjuna, excited with rage, in
a moment despatched them both towards Yama’s
abode, by means of straight shafts. And those
bulls among Kshatriyas (that were in the Kuru army)
were unable to resist Partha who agitated the Dhartarashtra
ranks, like an elephant agitating the waters of a
lake filled with lotuses. Then thousands of trained
elephant-riders amongst the Angas, O monarch, filled
with rage, surrounded the son of Pandu with their elephant-force.
Urged by Duryodhana, many kings also of the west and
the south, and many others headed by the ruler of
the Kalingas, also surrounded Arjuna, with their elephants
huge as hills. Partha however, with shafts sped
from Gandiva, quickly cut off the heads and arms,
decked with ornaments, of those advancing combatants.
The field of battle, strewn with those heads and arms
decked with Angadas, looked like golden stones entwined
by snakes. And the arms of warriors cut off therewith,
while failing down, looked like birds dropping down
from trees. And the elephants, pierced with thousands
of arrows and shedding blood (from their wounds), looked
like hills in the season of rains with liquefied red
chalk streaming down their sides. Others, slain
by Partha with sharp shafts, lay prostrate on the
field. And many Mlecchas on the backs of elephants,
of diverse kinds of ugly forms, robed in diverse attires,
O king, and armed with diverse kinds of weapons, and
bathed in blood, looked resplendent as they lay on
the field, deprived of life by means of diverse kinds
of arrows. And thousands of elephants along with
their riders and those on foot that urged them forward,
struck with Partha’s shafts, vomited blood, or
uttered shrieks of agony, or fell down, or ran ungovernably
in all directions. And many, exceedingly frightened,
trod down and crushed their own men. And many
which were kept as reserves and which were fierce as
snakes of virulent poison, did the same. And many
terrible Yavanas and Paradas and Sakas and Valhikas,
and Mlecchas born of the cow (belonging to Vasishtha),
of fierce eyes, accomplished in smiting looking like
messengers of Death, and all conversant with the deceptive
powers of the Asuras and many Darvabhisaras and Daradas
and Pundras numbering by thousands, of bands, and
together forming a force that was countless, began
to shower their sharp shafts upon the son of Pandu.
Accomplished in various modes of warfare, those Mlecchas
covered Arjuna with their arrows. Upon them,
Dhananjaya also quickly poured his arrows. And
those arrows, shot from Gandiva, looked like flights
Page 1001
of locusts, as they coursed through the welkin.
Indeed. Dhananjaya, having by his arrows caused
a shade over the troops like that of the clouds, slew,
by the force of his weapons, all the Mlecchas, with
heads completely shaved or half-shaved or covered
with matted locks, impure in habits, and of crooked
faces. Those dwellers of hills, pierced with arrows,
those denizens of mountain-caves, fled away in fear.
And ravens and Kankas and wolves, with great glee,
drank the blood of those elephants and steeds and
their Mleccha-riders overthrown on the field by Partha
with his sharp shafts. Indeed, Arjuna caused
a fierce river to flow there whose current consisted
of blood. (Slain) foot-soldiers and steeds and cars
and elephants constituted its embankments. The
showers of shafts poured constituted its rafts and
the hairs of the combatants formed its moss and weeds.
And the fingers cut off from the arms of warriors,
formed its little fishes. And that river was
as awful as Death itself at the end of the Yuga.
And that river of blood flowed towards the region of
Yama, and the bodies of stain elephants floating on
it, obstructed its current. And the earth was
covered all over with the blood of Kshatriyas and of
elephants and steeds and their riders, and became one
bloody expanse like to what is seen when Indra showers
a heavy down-pour covering uplands and lowlands alike.
And that bull among Kshatriyas despatched six thousand
horsemen and again a thousand foremost of Kshatriyas
in that battle into the jaws of death. Thousands
of well-equipped elephants, pierced with arrows, lay
prostrate on the field, like hills struck down by thunder.
And Arjuna careered over the field, slaying steeds
and car-warriors and elephants, like an elephant of
rent temples crushing a forest a reeds. As a
conflagration, urged by the wind, consumes a dense
forest of trees and creepers and plants and dry wood
and grass, even so did that fire, viz., Pandu’s
son Dhananjaya, having shafts for its flames and urged
on by the Krishna-wind, angrily consume the forest
of thy warriors. Making the terraces of cars
empty, and causing the earth to be strewn, with human
bodies, Dhananjaya seemed to dance bow in hand, in
the midst of those vast masses of men. Deluging
the earth with blood by means of his shafts, endued
with the strength of the thunder, Dhananjaya, excited
with wrath, penetrated into the Bharata host.
While thus proceeding, Srutayus, the ruler of the
Amvashthas, resisted him. Arjuna then, O sire,
speedily felled with keen shafts equipped with Kanka
feathers, the steeds of Srutayus struggling in battle.
And cutting off with other shafts, the bow also of
his antagonist, Partha careered over the field.
The ruler of the Amvashthas, then with eyes troubled
in wrath, took up a mace and approached the mighty
car-warrior Partha and Kesava also in that battle.
Then that hero, uplifting his mace, stopped the (progress
of Arjuna’s) car by its strokes, and struck
Kesava also therewith. Then that slayer of hostile
Page 1002
heroes, viz., Arjuna, beholding Kesava struck
with that mace, became filled with wrath. And,
then, O Bharata, that hero, with his shafts, equipped
with wings of gold, covered the ruler of the Amvashthas,
that foremost or car-warriors, armed with mace, like
clouds covering the risen sun. With other shafts,
Partha then cut off the mace of that high-souled warrior
in fragments, reducing it almost to dust. And
all this seemed highly wonderful. Beholding that
mace of his cut off in fragments, the ruler of the
Amvashthas took up another huge mace, and repeatedly
struck both Arjuna and Kesava therewith. Then,
Arjuna with a couple of sharp broad-faced arrows,
cut off the uplifted arms of Srutayus which held the
mace, those arms that looked like a couple of Indra’s
standard, and with another winged arrow, he cut off
the head of that warrior. Thus slain, Srutayus
fell down, O king, filling the earth with a loud noise,
like a tall standard of Indra when the strings, tying
it to the engine on which it is set, are cut off.
Surrounded then on all sides by rounds of cars and
by hundreds upon hundreds of elephants and cars, Partha
became invisible like the sun covered with clouds.’”
SECTION XCIII
“Sanjaya said, ’After the son of Kunti,
impelled by the desire of slaying the ruler of the
Sindhus, had penetrated (into the Bharata host) having
pierced through the irresistible divisions of both
Drona and the Bhojas, after the heir of the ruler
of the Kamvojas, viz., prince Sudakshina, had
been slain, after Savyasachin had killed the valiant
Srutayudha also, after the (Kuru) ranks had fled away
and confusion had set in on all sides, thy son, beholding
his army broken, repaired to Drona. Quickly coming
on his car to Drona, Duryodhana said: ’That
tiger among men (viz., Arjuna), having crushed this
vast host hath already passed through it. Aided
by thy judgment, think now what should be done next
for the slaughter of Arjuna in view of awful carnage.
Blessed be thou, adopt such measures that that tiger
among men may not succeed in slaying Jayadratha.
Thou art our sole refuge. Like a raging conflagration
consuming heaps of dry grass and straw, Dhananjaya-fire,
urged by the wind of his wrath, is consuming the grass
and straw constituted by my troops. O scorcher
of foes, seeing the son of Kunti pass, having pierced
through this host, those warriors that are protecting
Jayadratha have become doubtful (of their ability
to resist Partha). O foremost of those acquainted
with Brahma, it was the settled conviction of the
kings that Dhananjaya would never, with life, succeed
in transgressing Drona. O thou of great splendour,
when, however, Partha has pierced through thy division
in the very sight, I regard my army to be very weak.
Indeed, I think that I have no troops. O thou
that art highly blessed, I know thou art devoted to
the welfare of the Pandavas. I lose my reason,
o regenerate one, in thinking what should be done.
Page 1003
To the best of my power, I also seek to gratify thee.
Thou, however, dost not bear all this in mind.
O thou of immeasurable prowess, although we are devoted
to thee, still thou never seekest our welfare.
Thou art always well-pleased with the Pandavas and
always engaged in doing us evil. Though deriving
thy livelihood from us, still thou art engaged in
doing evil to us. I was not aware that thou art
but a razor steeped in honey. If thou hadst not
granted me the boon about humiliating and checking
the Pandavas, I would never have prevented the ruler
of the Sindhus from returning to his own country.
Fool that I am, expecting protection from thee, I
assured the ruler of the Sindhus, and through my folly
offered him as a victim to death. A man may escape,
having entered the very jaws of death, but there is
no escape for Jayadratha, when once he comes within
reach of Dhananjaya’s arms. O thou that
ownest red steeds, do that by which the ruler of the
Sindhus may yet be saved. Do not give way to
wrath on hearing the delirious ravings of my afflicted
self, O, protect ye the ruler of the Sindhus.’
“Drona said, ’I do not find fault with
thy words. Thou art as dear to me as Aswatthaman
himself. I tell thee truly. Act, however,
now according to my words, O king! Of all drivers
of cars, Krishna is the foremost. His steeds
are also the foremost of their species. Obtaining
only a very small space, Dhananjaya can pass very
quickly through it. Seest thou not that the shafts
of the diadem-decked (Arjuna), countless in number,
shot from his bow, are falling full two miles behind
his car as he is proceeding? Burdened with the
weight of years, I am now incapable of going so fast.
The whole army of the Parthas, again, is now close
upon our van. Yudhishthira also should be seized
by me. Even so, O thou of mighty arms, hath been
the vow made by me in the Presence of all bowmen and
in the midst of all the Kshatriyas. O king! he
is now staying at the head of his troops, abandoned
by Dhananjaya. I shall not, therefore, abandoning
the gate of our array, fight with Phalguna. It
is meet that thyself, properly supported, shouldst
fight With that foe of thine, who is alone and who
is thy equal in lineage and feats. Do not fear.
Go and fight with him. Thou art the ruler of
the world. Thou art a king. Thou art a hero.
Possessed of fame, thou art accomplished in vanquishing
(thy foes). O brave subjugator of hostile towns,
go thyself to that spot where Dhananjaya the son of
Pritha is.’
“Duryodhana said, ’O preceptor, how is
it possible for me to resist Dhananjaya who has transgressed
even thee that art the foremost of all wielders of
arms? The very chief of celestials, armed with
the thunder, is capable of being vanquished in battle,
but Arjuna that subjugator of hostile towns, cannot
be vanquished in battle. He by whom Hridika’s
son (Kritavarman), the ruler of the Bhojas, and thyself
equal unto a celestial, have both been vanquished
Page 1004
by the power of his weapons, he by whom Srutayus hath
been slain, as also Sudakshina, and king Srutayus too,
he by whom both Srutayus and Achyutayus and myriads
of Mlecchas also have been slain, how can I contend
in battle with that invincible son of Pandu, that
accomplished master of weapons, who is even like an
all-consuming fire? How also dost thou think me
competent to fight with him today? I am dependent
on thee like a slave. Protect my fame.’
“Drona said, ’Thou sayest truly, O thou
of Kuru’s race, that Dhananjaya is irresistible.
I, however, will do that by which thou shalt be able
to bear him. Let all the bowmen in the world
behold today the wonderful feat of the son of Kunti
being held in check by thee in the very sight of Vasudeva.
This thy armour of gold, O king, I will tie on thy
body in such a way that no weapon used by man will
be able to strike thee in battle. If even the
three worlds with the Asuras and the celestials, the
Yakshas, the Uragas, and the Rakshasas, together with
all human beings, fight with thee today, thou needst
still entertain no fear. Neither Krishna, nor
the son of Kunti, nor any other wielder of weapons
in battle, will be able to pierce this armour of thine
with arrows. Cased in that coat of mail, quickly
go thou today against angry Arjuna in battle.
He will not be able to bear thee.’
“Sanjaya said, ’Having said these words,
Drona, that foremost of persons conversant with Brahma,
touching water, and duly uttering certain Mantras,
speedily tied that highly wonderful and bright armour
on Duryodhana’s body for the victory of thy
son in that dreadful battle and causing (by that act)
all persons there to be filled with amazement.
And Drona said, ’Let the Vedas, and Brahman,
and the Brahmanas, bless thee. Let all the higher
classes of reptiles be a source of blessings to thee,
O Bharata! Let Yayati and Nahusha, and Dhundhumara,
and Bhagiratha, and the other royal sages, all do
what is beneficial to thee. Let blessings be
to thee from creatures having but one leg, and from
those that have many legs. Let blessings be to
thee, in this great battle from creatures that have
no legs. Let Swaha, and Swadha, and Sachi, also,
all do what is beneficial to thee. O sinless
one, let Lakshmi and Arundhati too do what is beneficial
to thee. Let Asita, and Devala and Viswamitra,
and Angiras, and Vasishtha, and Kasyapa, O king, do
what is beneficial to thee. Let Dhatri, and the
lord of the worlds and the points of the compass and
the regents of those points, and the six-faced Karttikeya,
all give thee what is beneficial. Let the divine
Vivaswat benefit thee completely. Let the four
elephants, of the four quarters, the earth, the firmament,
the planets, and he who is underneath the earth and
holds her (on his head), O king, viz., Sesha,
that foremost of snakes, give thee what is for thy
benefit. O son of Gandhari, formerly the Asura
named Vritra, displaying his prowess in battle, had
Page 1005
defeated the best of celestials in battle. The
latter, numbering thousands upon thousands, with mangled
bodies, those denizens of heaven, with Indra at their
head, deprived of energy and might, all repaired to
Brahman and sought his protection, afraid of the great
Asura Vritra. And the gods said, ’O best
of gods, O foremost of celestials, be thou the refuge
of the gods now crushed by Vritra. Indeed, rescue
us from this great fear.’ Then Brahmana,
addressing Vishnu staying beside him as also those
best of celestials headed by Sakra, said unto them
that were all cheerless, these words fraught with truth:
Indeed, the gods with Indra at their head, and the
Brahmanas also, should ever be protected by me.
The energy of Tvashtri from which Vritra hath been
created is invincible. Having in days of yore
performed ascetic penances for a million of years,
Tvashtri, then, ye gods, created Vritra, obtaining
permission from Maheswara. That mighty foe of
yours hath succeeded in smiting you through the grace
of that god of gods. Without going to the place
where Sankara stayeth, ye cannot see the divine Hara.
Having seen that god, ye will be able to vanquish Vritra.
Therefore, go ye without delay to the mountains of
Mandara. There stayeth that origin of ascetic
penances, that destroyer of Daksha’s sacrifice,
that wielder of Pinaka, that lord of all creatures,
that slayer of the Asura called Bhaganetra.’
Thus addressed by Brahman, the gods proceeding to Mandara
with Brahman in their company, beheld there that heap
of energy, that Supreme god endued with the splendour
of a million suns. Seeing the gods Maheswara
welcomed them and enquired what he was to do for them.
’The sight of ray person can never be fruitless.
Let the fruition of your desires proceed from this.’
Thus addressed by him, the dwellers of heaven replied,
’We have been deprived of our energy by Vritra.
Be thou the refuge of the dwellers of heaven.
Behold, O lord, our bodies beaten and bruised by his
strokes. We seek thy protection. Be thou
our refuge, O Maheswara!’ The god of gods, called
Sarva, then said, ’Ye gods, it is well-known
to you how this action, fraught with great strength,
terrible and incapable of being resisted by persons
destitute of ascetic merit, originated, springing
from the energy of Tvashtri (the divine artificer).
As regards myself, it is certainly my duty to render
aid to the dwellers of heaven. O Sakra, take
this effulgent armour from off my body. And, O
chief of the celestials, put it on, mentally uttering
these mantras.’
“Drona continued, ’Having said these words,
the boon-giving (Siva) gave that armour with the mantras
(to be uttered by the wearer). Protected by that
armour, Sakra proceeded against the host of Vritra
in battle. And although diverse kinds of weapons
were hurled at him in that dreadful battle, yet the
joints of that armour could not be cut open. Then
the lord of the celestials slew Vritra, and afterwards
gave unto Angiras that armour, whose joints were made
up of mantras. And Angiras imparted those mantras
to his son Vrihaspati, having a knowledge of all mantras.
And Vrihaspati imparted that knowledge to Agnivesya
of great intelligence. And Agnivesya imparted
it to me, and it is with the aid of those mantras,
O best of kings, that I, for protecting thy body, tie
this armour on thy body.’
Page 1006
`Sanjaya continued, Having said these words Drona,
that bull among preceptors, once more addressed thy
son, of great splendour, saying, ’O king, I
put this armour on thy body, joining its pieces with
the aid of Brahma strings. In days of yore, Brahma
himself had thus put it on Vishnu in battle.
Even as Brahma himself had put this celestial armour
on Sakra in the battle caused by the abduction of
Taraka, I put it on thee.’ Having thus,
with mantras, donned that armour duly on Duryodhana,
the regenerate Drona sent the king to battle.
And the mighty-armed king, cased in armour by the
high-souled preceptor, and accomplished in smiting,
and a thousand infuriated elephants endued with great
prowess, and a hundred thousand horses, and many other
mighty car-warriors, proceeded towards the car of
Arjuna. And the mighty-armed king proceeded,
with the sound of diverse kinds of musical instruments,
against his foe, like Virochana’s son (Vali
in days of yore). Then, O Bharata, a loud uproar
arose among thy troops, beholding the Kuru king proceeding
like a fathomless ocean.’”
SECTION XCIV
“Sanjaya said, ’After that bull among
men, viz., Duryodhana, had set out from behind,
following Partha and him of Vrishni’s race, O
king, both of whom had penetrated into the Kaurava
army, the Pandavas accompanied by the Somakas, quickly
rushed against Drona with loud shouts. And then
commenced the battle (between them and Drona’s
troops). And the battle that took place between
the Kurus and the Pandavas at the gate of the array,
was fierce and awful, making the hair stand on end.
The sight filled the spectators with wonder.
O king, the sun was then in the meridian. That
encounter, O monarch, was truly such that we had never
seen or heard of its like before. The Parthas
headed by Dhrishtadyumna, all accomplished in smiting
and arrayed properly covered the troops of Drona with
showers of arrows. Ourselves also, placing Drona,
that foremost of all wielders of weapons, at our head,
covered the Parthas, gathered by Prishata’s
son, with our shafts. The two hosts, adorned with
cars and looking beautiful, then appeared like two
mighty masses of clouds in the summer sky, driven
towards each other by opposite winds. Encountering
each other, the two hosts increased their impetuosity,
like the rivers the Ganga and the Yamuna, swollen
with water during the season of the rains. Having
diverse kinds of weapons for the winds that ran before
them, teeming with elephants and steeds and cars charged
with lightning, constituted by the maces wielded by
the warriors, the fierce and mighty cloud formed by
the Kuru host, urged on by the Drona-tempest, and
pouring incessant shafts that constituted its torrents
of rain, sought to quench the scorching Pandava-fire.
Like an awful hurricane in summer agitating the ocean,
that best of Brahmanas, viz., Drona, agitating
the Pandava host. Exerting themselves with great
Page 1007
vigour, the Pandavas rushed towards Drona alone for
piercing his host, like a mighty torrent of water
towards a strong embankment, for sweeping it away.
Like an immovable hill resisting the fiercest current
of water, Drona, however, resisted in that battle
the enraged Pandavas and Panchalas and Kekayas.
Many other kings also, endued with great strength and
courage, attacking them from all sides, began to resist
the Pandavas. Then that tiger among men, viz.,
the son of Prishata, uniting with the Pandayas, began
repeatedly to strike Drona, for piercing the hostile
host. Indeed, as Drona showered his arrows on
Prishata’s son, even so did the latter shower
his on Drona. Having scimitars and swords for
the winds that blew before it, well-equipped with
darts and lances and sabres, with the bow-string constituting
its lightning, and the (twang of the) bow for its
roars, the Dhrishtadyumna-cloud poured on all sides
torrents of weapons, as its showers of stones.
Slaying the foremost of car-warriors and a large number
of steeds, the son of Prishata seemed to deluge the
hostile divisions (with his arrowy downpours).
And the son of Prishata, by his arrows, turned Drona
away from all those tracks amid the car-divisions of
the Pandavas, through which that hero attempted to
pass, striking the warriors there with his shafts.
And although Drona struggled vigorously in that battle,
yet his host, encountering Dhrishtadyumna, became divided
into three columns. One of these retreated towards
Kritavarman, the chief of the Bhojas; another towards
Jalasandha; and fiercely slaughtered the while by
the Pandavas, proceeded towards Drona himself.
Drona, that foremost of car-warriors, repeatedly united
his troops. The mighty warrior Dhrishtadyumna
as often smote and separated them. Indeed, the
Dhartarashtra force, divided into three bodies, was
slaughtered by the Pandavas and the Srinjayas fiercely,
like a herd of cattle in the woods by many beasts
of prey, when unprotected by herdsmen. And people
thought that in that dreadful battle, it was Death
himself who was swallowing the warriors first stupefied
by Dhrishtadyumna. As a kingdom of a bad king
is destroyed by famine and pestilence and robbers,
even so was thy host afflicted by the Pandavas.
And in consequence of the rays of the sun failing
upon the weapons and the warriors, and of the dust
raised by the soldiers, the eyes of all were painfully
afflicted. Upon the Kaurava host being divided
into three bodies during that dreadful carnage by the
Pandavas, Drona, filled with wrath, began to consume
the Panchalas with his shafts. And while engaged
in crushing those divisions and exterminating them
with his shafts, the form of Drona became like that
of the blazing Yuga-fire. That mighty car-warrior
pierced cars, elephants, and steeds, and foot-soldiers,
in that battle, each with only a single arrow, (and
never employing more than one in any case). There
then was no warrior in the Pandava army who was capable
Page 1008
of bearing, O lord, the arrows shot from the bow of
Drona. Scorched by the rays of the sun and blasted
by the shafts of Drona, the Pandava divisions there
began to reel about on the field. And thy host
also, similarly slaughtered by Prishata’s son,
seemed to blaze up at every point like a dry forest
on fire. And while both Drona and Dhrishtadyumna
were slaughtering the two hosts, the warriors of both
armies, in utter disregard of their lives, fought
everywhere to the utmost extent of their prowess.
Neither in thy host, nor in that of the enemy, O bull
of Bharata’s race, was there a single warrior
who fled away from the battle through fear. Those
uterine brothers, viz., Vivingsati and Chitrasena
and the mighty car-warrior Vikarna, surrounded Kunti’s
son Bhimasena on all sides. And Vinda and Anuvinda
of Avanti, and Kshemadhurti of great prowess supported
thy three sons (who contended against Bhimasena).
King Valhika of great energy and noble parentage,
with his own troops and counsellors, resisted the sons
of Draupadi. Saivya, the chief of the Govasanas,
with a thousand foremost warriors, faced the son,
of great prowess, of the king of the Kasis and resisted
him. King Salya, the ruler of the Madras, surrounded
royal Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, who resembled
a blazing fire. The brave and wrathful Duhsasana,
properly supported by his own divisions, angrily proceeded,
in that battle, against Satyaki, that foremost of
car-warriors. I myself, with my own troops, cased
in mail and equipped with weapons, and supported by
four hundred foremost of bowmen, resisted Chekitana.[138]
Sakuni with seven hundred Gandhara warriors armed with
bows, darts and swords, resisted the son of Madri (viz.,
Sahadeva). Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, those
two great bowmen, who had, for the sake of their friend
(Duryodhana), uplifted their weapons, disregarding
their lives, encountered Virata, the king of the Matsyas.
King Valhika, exerting himself vigorously, resisted
the mighty and unvanquished Sikhandin, the son of
Yajnasena, that hero capable of resisting all foes.
The chief of Avanti, with the Sauviras and the cruel
Prabhadrakas, resisted wrathful Dhrishtadyumna, the
prince of the Panchalas. Alamvusha quickly rushed
against the brave Rakshasa Ghatotkacha. of cruel deeds,
who was wrathfully advancing to battle. The mighty
car-warrior Kuntibhoja, accompanied by a large force,
resisted Alamvusha, that prince of Rakshasas, of fierce
mien. Thus, O Bharata, hundreds of separate encounters
between the warriors of thy army and theirs, took place.
“As regards the ruler of the Sindhus, he remained
in the rear of the whole army protected by many foremost
of bowmen and car-warriors numbering Kripa amongst
them. And the ruler of the Sindhus had for the
protectors of his wheels two of the foremost warriors,
viz., the son of Drona on his right, O king,
and the Suta’s son (Karna) on the left.
And for protecting his rear he had a number of warriors
headed by Somadatta’s son, viz., Kripa,
and Vrishasena, and Sala, and the invincible Salya,
who were conversant with policy and were mighty bowmen
accomplished in battle. And the Kuru warriors,
having made these arrangements for the protection
of the ruler of the Sindhus, fought (with the Pandavas).’”
Page 1009
SECTION XCV
“Sanjaya said, ’Listen, O king, to me
as I describe to thee the wonderful battle that then
took place between the Kurus and the Pandavas.
Approaching Bharadwaja’s son who was staying
at the gate of his array, the Parthas battled vigorously
for piercing through Drona’s division. And
Drona also, accompanied by his forces, desirous of
protecting his own array, battled with the Parthas,
seeking glory. Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti,
excited with wrath and desirous of benefiting thy son,
struck Virata with ten shafts. Virata also, O
king, approaching those two warriors of great prowess
staying in battle, fought with them and their followers.
The battle that took place between these was fierce
in the extreme, and blood ran in it like water.
And it resembled an encounter in the woods between
a lion and a couple of mighty elephants, with rent
temples. The mighty son of Yajnasena forcibly
struck king Valhika in that battle with fierce and
sharp shafts capable of penetrating into the very
vitals. Valhika also filled with wrath, deeply
pierced Yajnasena’s son with nine straight shafts
of golden wings and whetted on stone. And that
battle between those two warriors became exceedingly
fierce, characterised as it was by dense showers of
shafts and darts. And it enhanced the fears of
the timid and the joy of heroes. The arrows shot
by them entirely covered the welkin and all the points
of the compass, so that nothing could any longer be
discerned. And Saivya, the king of the Govasanas
on the head of the troops, fought in that battle with
the mighty car-warrior, the prince of the Kasis, like
an elephant battling with another. The king of
the Valhikas, excited with wrath, fighting, against
those (five) mighty car-warriors, viz., the son
of Draupadi, looked resplendent, like the mind contending
against the five senses. And those five princes
also, O foremost of embodied beings, fought with that
antagonist of theirs, shooting their arrows from all
sides, like the objects of the senses for ever battling
with the body. Thy son Duhsasana, struck Satyaki
of Vrishni’s race with nine straight shafts of
keen points. Deeply pierced by that strong and
great bowman, Satyaki of prowess incapable of being
baffled, was partially deprived of his senses.
Comforted soon, he, of Vrishni’s race, then quickly
pierced thy son, that mighty car-warrior, with ten
shafts winged with Kanka feathers. Piercing each
other deeply and afflicted with each other’s
shafts, they looked splendid, O king, like two Kinsukas
decked with flowers. Afflicted with the arrows
of Kuntibhoja, Alamvusha, filled with wrath looked
like a beautiful Kinsuka graced with its flowering
burthen. The Rakshasa then having pierced Kuntibhoja
with many arrows, uttered awful shouts at the head
of thy host. And as those heroes fought with each
other in that battle, they seemed to all the troops
to resemble Sakra and the Asura Jambha in days of
Page 1010
old. The two sons of Madri, filled with wrath,
fiercely ground with their shafts the Gandhara prince
Sakuni who had offended against them greatly.
The carnage, O monarch, that set in was awful.
Originated by thee, nurtured by Karna, and kept up
by thy sons, the fire of wrath (of the Pandavas) hath
swollen now, O monarch, and is ready to consume the
whole earth. Forced to turn his back on the field
by the two sons of Pandu with their shafts, Sakuni
unable to put forth his valour, knew not what to do.
Beholding him turn back, those mighty car-warriors,
viz., the two sons of Pandu, once more showered
their arrows on him like two masses of clouds pouring
torrents of rain on a mighty hill. Struck with
countless straight shafts, the son of Suvala fled towards
the division of Drona, borne by his swift steeds.
The brave Ghatotkacha rushed towards the Rakshasa
Alamvusha in that battle, with impetuosity much short
of what he was capable. The battle between those
two became fearful to behold, like that which in days
of yore had taken place between Rama and Ravana.
King Yudhishthira, having in that battle pierced the
ruler of the Madras with five hundred arrows, once
more pierced him with seven. Then commenced that
battle between them which was exceedingly wonderful,
O monarch, which resembled that, in days of yore, between
the Asura Samvara and the chief of the celestials.
The sons Vivinsati and Chitrasena and Vikarna, surrounded
by a large force, battled with Bhimasena.’”
SECTION XCVI
“Sanjaya said, ’When that fierce battle,
causing the hair to stand on end, commenced, the Pandavas
rushed against the Kauravas who had been divided into
three bodies. Bhimasena rushed against the mighty-armed
Jalasandha, and Yudhishthira, at the head of his troops
rushed, in that battle, against Kritavarman.
And Dhrishtadyumna, O king, scattering the shafts,
like the sun shooting his rays, rushed against Drona.
Then commenced that battle between all the bowmen,
eager for the encounter, of the Kurus and the Pandavas,
excited with wrath. And during the progress of
that terrible carnage, when all the warriors were battling
with one another fearlessly the mighty Drona fought
with the mighty prince of the Panchalas. And
the clouds of arrows he shot in that encounter filled
all spectators with wonder. And Drona and the
prince of the Panchalas, cutting off the heads of
men by thousands, scattered them on the field of battle,
making the latter resemble a forest of lotuses.
In every division, were soon strewn on the ground
robes and ornaments and weapons, and standards and
coats of mail. And golden coats of mail, dyed
with blood, looked like clouds charged with lightning.
Other mighty car-warriors, drawing their large bows
measuring full six cubits long, felled with their
shafts, elephants and steeds and men. In that
dreadful encounter of arms between brave and high-souled
warriors, swords and shields, bows and heads and coats
Page 1011
of mail were seen lying scattered about. Innumerable
headless trunks wore seen to rise up, O king, in the
midst of that fierce battle. And vultures and
Kankas and jackals and swarms of other carnivorous
animals, O sire, were seen there, eating the flesh
of fallen men and steeds and elephants, of drinking
their blood, or dragging them by the hair, or licking
or pecking, O king, at their marrow, or dragging their
bodies and severed limbs, or rolling their heads on
the ground. Warriors, skilled in battle, accomplished
in weapons, and firmly resolved in fight, struggled
vigorously in the combat, solicitous only of fame.
Many were the combatants that careered over the field,
performing the diverse evolutions, of swordsmen.
With sabres and darts and lances and spears and axes,
with maces and spiked clubs and other kinds of weapons,
and with even bare arms, men who had entered the arena
of battle, filled with rage, slew one another.
And car-warriors fought with car-warriors, and horsemen
with horsemen, and elephants with foremost of elephants,
and foot-soldiers with foot-soldiers. And many
infuriated elephants, as if perfectly mad, uttered
loud shrieks and slew one another, after the manner
they do in sporting arenas.
“During the progress, O king, of that battle
in which the combatants fought without any regard
for one another, Dhrishtadyumna caused his own steeds
to be mixed up with those of Drona. Those steeds
endued with the speed of the wind, that were white
as pigeons and red as blood, thus mixed with one another
in battle, looked exceedingly beautiful. Indeed,
they looked resplendent like clouds charged with lightning.
Then that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., heroic
Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Prishata, beholding Drona,
O Bharata, arrived so near, cast off his bow and took
up his sword and shield, for achieving a difficult
feat. Seizing the shaft of Drona’s car,
he entered into it. And he stayed sometimes on
the middle of the yoke, and sometimes on its joints
and sometimes behind the steeds. And while he
was moving, armed with swords, quickly upon the backs
of those red steeds of Drona, the latter could not
detect an opportunity for striking him.[139] All this
seemed wonderful to us. Indeed, like the sweep
of a hawk in the woods from desire of food, seemed
that sally of Dhrishtadyumna from his own car for the
destruction of Drona. Then Drona cut off, with
a hundred arrows, the shield, decked with a hundred
moons, of Drupada’s son, and then his sword,
with ten others. And mighty Drona then, with
four and sixty arrows, slew the steeds of his antagonist.
And with a couple of broad-headed shafts he cut off
the latter’s standard and umbrella also, and
then slew both his Parshni charioteers. And then
with great speed drawing his bow-string to his ear,
he shot at him a fatal shaft, like the wielder of the
thunder hurling the thunder (at a foe). But soon
Satyaki, with four and ten sharp shafts, cut off that
fatal arrow of Drona. And thus the Vrishni hero,
Page 1012
O sire, rescued Dhrishtadyumna, who had been seized
by that lion among men, the foremost of preceptors,
like a deer seized by the king of the forests.
Even thus did that bull amongst the Sinis, the prince
of the Panchalas. Beholding Satyaki to rescue
the prince of the Panchalas in the dreadful battle,
Drona quickly shot at him six and twenty arrows.
The grandson of Sini then, in return, pierced Drona
in the centre of the chest with six and twenty arrows,
while the latter was engaged in devouring the Srinjayas.
Then all the Panchala car-warriors, desirous of victory
upon the Satwata hero, proceeding against Drona, quickly
withdrew Dhrishtadyumna from the battle.’”
SECTION XCVII
“Dhritarashtra said, ’After that shafts
of Drona had been cut off and Dhrishtadyumna thus
rescued, O Sanjaya, by Yuyudhana, that foremost one
of the Vrishni race, what did that great bowman, that
foremost of all wielders of weapons, viz., Drona,
do in battle unto that tiger among men, viz.,
the grandson of Sini?’
“Sanjaya said, ’Then Drona, like a mighty
snake, having wrath for his poison, his stretched
bow for his wide-open mouth, his sharp shafts for
his teeth and whetted arrows for his fangs, with eyes
red as copper from rage, and breathing hard, that
mighty hero among men, perfectly fearless, borne on
his red steeds of great speed, that seemed to soar
into the skies or get at the top of a mountain, rushed
towards Yuyudhana, scattering his arrows equipped
with golden wings. Then that subjugator of hostile
cities, that hero of Sini’s race invincible in
battle, beholding that irresistible Drona cloud having
showers of arrows for its watery downpour, the rattle
of car-wheels for its roar, the out-stretched bow
for its volume, long shafts for its lightning-flashes,
darts and swords for its thunder, wrath for the winds
and urged on by those steeds that constituted the
hurricane (impelling it forwards), rushed towards him,
addressed his charioteer and smilingly said, O Suta,
proceed quickly and cheerfully, urging the steeds
to their greatest speed, against that heroic Brahmana,
fallen off from the duties of his order, that refuge
of Dhritarashtra’s son, that dispeller of the
(Kuru) king’s sorrows and fear, that preceptor
of all the princes, that warrior ever boastful of
his prowess.’ Then the excellent steeds
of silvery hue belonging to him of Madhu’s race,
endued with the speed of the wind, quickly proceeded
towards Drona. Then those two chastisers of foes,
viz., Drona and Sini’s grandson, fought
with each other, each striking the other with thousands
of shafts. Those two bulls among men filled the
welkin with their arrowy showers. Indeed, the
two heroes covered the ten points of the compass with
their shafts. And they poured on each other their
shafts like two clouds pouring their contents (on
the earth) on the expiration of summer. The sun
became invisible. The very wind ceased to blow.
Page 1013
And in consequence of those showers of shafts filling
the welkin, a continuous and thick gloom was caused
there that became unbearable to the other heroes.
And when the shafts of Drona and Sini’s grandson
had caused that gloom there, none beheld any cessation
in shooting in either of them. They were both
quick in the use of weapons, and they were both looked
upon as lions among men. The sound produced by
those torrents of arrows, shot by both striking against
each other was heard to resemble the sound of the
thunder hurled by Sakra. The forms of heroic warriors
pierced with long shafts looked like those of snakes,
O Bharata, hit by snakes of virulent poison.
Brave warriors incessantly heard the twangs of their
bows and the sounds of their palms to resemble the
sound of thunder falling upon summits of mountains.
The cars of both of those warriors, O king, their
steeds, and their charioteers pierced with shafts of
golden wings, became beautiful to behold. Fierce
was the downpour, O monarch, of shafts that were bright
and straight and that looked resplendent like snakes
of virulent poison freed from their sloughs. The
umbrellas of both were cut off, as also the standards
of both. And both of them were covered with blood,
and both were inspired with the hope of victory.
With blood trickling down every limb of theirs, they
resembled a couple of elephants with secretions trickling
down their bodies. And they continued to strike
each other with fatal shafts. The roars and shouts
and other cries of the soldiers, the blare of conchs
and the beat of drums ceased, O king, for none uttered
any sound. Indeed, all the divisions became silent,
and all the warriors stopped fighting. People,
filled with curiosity became spectators of that single
combat. Car-warriors and elephant riders and
horsemen and foot-soldiers, surrounding those two
bulls among men, witnessed their encounter with steadfast
eyes. And the elephant-divisions stood still
and so also the horse-divisions, and so also the car-divisions.
All stood still, disposed in array. Variegated
with pearls and corals, decked with gems and gold,
adorned with standards and ornaments, with coats of
mail made of gold, with triumphal banners with rich
caparisons of elephants, with fine blankets, with bright
and sharp weapons, with yak-tails, ornamented with
gold and silver, on the heads of steeds, with garlands,
round the frontal globes of elephants and rings round
their tusks, O Bharata, the Kuru and the Pandava hosts
then looked like a mass of clouds at the close of
summer, decked with rows of cranes and myriads of
fire-flies (under them) and adorned with rainbows
and flashes of lightning. Both our men and those
of Yudhishthira, beheld that battle between Yuyudhana
and high-souled Drona; the gods also, headed by Brahma
and Soma, and the Siddhas, and the Charanas, and the
Vidyadharas, and the great Snakes, saw it, stationed
on their foremost of sky-ranging cars. And beholding
the diverse motion, forward and backward, of those
Page 1014
lions among men, and their acts of striking each other,
the spectators were filled with wonder. And both
endued with great strength, Drona and Satyaki, displaying
their lightness of hand in the use of weapons, began
to pierce each other with shafts. Then he of Dasarha’s
race, with his mighty shafts, cut off those of the
illustrious Drona in that battle, and then, within
a moment, the latter’s bow also. Within,
however, the twinkling of an eye, the son of Bharadwaja
took up another bow and strung it. Even that
bow of his was cut off by Satyaki. Drona then,
with utmost quickness waited with another bow in hand.
As often, however, as Drona strung his bow, Satyaki
cut it off. And this he did full nine and seven
times. Beholding then that superhuman feat of
Yuyudhana in battle, Drona, O monarch, thought in his
mind, ’This force of weapons that I see in this
foremost one among the Satwatas exists in Rama and
Dhananjaya and was seen also in Kartavirya and that
tiger among men, viz., Bhishma. The son
of Bharadwaja, therefore, mentally applauded the prowess
of Satyaki. Beholding that lightness of hand equal
unto that of Vasava himself, that foremost of regenerate
ones, that first of all persons conversant with weapons,
was highly gratified with Madhava. And the gods
also, with Vasava at their head, were gratified with
it. The gods and the Gandharvas, O monarch, had
never before witnessed that lightness of hand of the
quickly moving Yuyudhana, although they and the Siddhas
and the Charanas had been acquainted with the feats
of which Drona was capable. Then Drona, that
foremost of persons acquainted with weapons, that
grinder of Kshatriyas, taking up another bow, aimed
some weapons. Satyaki, however, baffling those
weapons with the illusion of his own weapon struck
him with some sharp shafts. All this seemed highly
wonderful. Beholding that superhuman feat of his
in battle, that feat of which nobody else was capable,
and which displayed very great skill, those amongst
thy warriors that were judges of skill, applauded it.
Satyaki shot the same weapons that Drona shot.
Beholding this, that scorcher of foes, viz.,
the preceptor, fought with a little less boldness,
than usual. Then that master of military science,
O king, filled with wrath, invoked celestial weapons
for the destruction of Yuyudhana. Beholding that
terrible foe-slaughtering Agneya weapon, Satyaki,
that mighty bowman, invoked another celestial weapon,
viz., the Varuna. Seeing them both take
up celestial weapons, loud cries of Oh and Alas arose
there. The very creatures having the sky for their
element ceased to range through it. Then the
Varuna and the Agneya weapons which had thus been
grafted on their shafts coming against each other became
fruitless.[140] Just at that time, the sun passed down
in his course. Then king Yudhishthira and Bhimasena,
the son of Pandu, and Nakula, and Sahadeva, desirous
of protecting Satyaki, and the Matsyas, and the Salweya
Page 1015
troops, speedily proceeded towards Drona. Then
thousands of princes placing Duhsasana at their head,
hastily proceeded towards Drona (for protecting him)
who was surrounded by foes. Then, O king, commenced
a fierce battle between them and thy bowmen. The
earth was covered with dust and with showers of arrows
shot (by both sides). And everything being thus
covered, nothing could any longer be discerned.
Indeed, when the troops were thus overwhelmed with
dust, the battle proceeded in utter disregard (of
persons and rules).’”
SECTION XCVIII
“Sanjaya said, ’When the sun turned in
his downward course towards the summit of the Asta
hills, when the welkin was covered with dust, when
the heat of the solar rays abated, the day began to
fade fast. As regards the soldiers, some rested,
some fought on, some returned to the encounter, desirous
of victory. And while the troops, inspired with
hope of victory, were thus engaged, Arjuna and Vasudeva
proceeded towards the place where the ruler of the
Sindhus was. The son of Kunti, by means of his
shafts, made (through the hostile soldiers) a way
sufficiently wide for his car. And it was in
this way that Janardana proceeded, (guiding the car).
Thither where the car of the high-souled son of Pandu
proceeded, thither thy troops, O monarch, broke and
yielded a way. And he of Dasarha’s race,
endued with great energy, displayed his skill in driving
car by showing diverse kinds of circling motions.
And the shafts of Arjuna, engraved with his name,
well-tempered, resembling the Yuga-fire, tied round
with catgut, of straight joints, thick, far-reaching,
and mace either of (cleft) bamboo (or their branches)
or wholly of iron, taking the lives of diverse foes,
drank in that battle, with the birds (of prey assembled
there), the blood of living creatures. Standing
on his car, as Arjuna shot his shafts full two miles
ahead, those shafts pierced and despatched his foes
just as that car itself came up to the spot.[141] Hrishikesa
proceeded, borne by those yoke-bearing steeds endued
with the speed of Garuda or the wind, with such speed
that he caused the whole universe to wonder at it.
Indeed, O king, the car of Surya himself, or that of
Rudra or that of Vaisravana, never goeth so fast.
Nobody else’s car had ever before moved with
such speed in battle as Arjuna’s car, moving
with the celerity of a wish cherished in the mind.
Then Kesava, O king, that slayer of hostile heroes,
having taken the car of battle quickly urged the steeds,
O Bharata, through the (hostile) troops. Arrived
in the midst of that throng of cars, those excellent
steeds bore Arjuna’s car with difficulty, suffering
as they did from hunger, thirst, and toil, and mangled
as they had been with the weapons of many heroes delighting
in battle. They frequently, however, described
beautiful circles as they moved, proceeding over the
bodies of slain steeds and men, over broken cars,
and the bodies of dead elephants, looking like hills
by thousands.
Page 1016
“Meanwhile O king, the two heroic brothers of
Avanti, (viz., Vinda and Anuvinda), at the head of
their forces, beholding the steeds of Arjuna to be
tired, encountered him. Filled with joy, they
pierced Arjuna with four and sixty shafts, and Janardana
with seventy, and the four steeds (of Arjuna’s
car) with a hundred arrows. Then Arjuna, O king,
filled with wrath, and having a knowledge of the vital
parts of the body, struck them both in the battle,
with nine straight shafts, every one of which was
capable of penetrating into the very vitals. Thereupon,
the two brothers, filled with rage, covered Vibhatsu
and Kesava with showers of shafts and uttered leonine
roars. Then Partha of white steeds, with a couple
of broad-headed shafts, quickly cut off in that battle
the beautiful bows of the two brothers and then their
two standards, bright as gold. Vinda and Anuvinda
then, O king, taking up to other bows and becoming
infuriated with anger, began to grind the son of Pandu
with their arrows. Then Dhananjaya, the son of
Pandu, exceedingly enraged, once more, with a couple
of shafts quickly cut off those two bows also of his
foes. And with a few other arrows whetted on
stone and equipped with wings of gold, Arjuna then
slew their steeds, their charioteers, and the two combatants
that protected their rear, with those that followed
the latter. And with another broad-headed arrow,
sharp as a razor, he cut off the head of the eldest
brother, who fell down on the earth, deprived of life,
like a tree broken by the wind. The mighty Anuvinda
then endued with great prowess, beholding Vinda slain
left his steedless car, having taken up a mace.
Then that foremost of car-warriors, viz., the
brother of Vinda, apparently dancing as he advanced
with that mace in his arms, proceeded in that battle
for avenging the slaughter of his elder brother.
Filled with rage, Anuvinda struck Vasudeva on the
forehead with that mace. The latter, however,
trembled not, but stood still like the mountain Mainaka.
Then Arjuna with six arrows, cut off his neck and two
legs and two arms and head. Thus cut off (into
fragments, the limbs of) Anuvinda fell down like so
many hills. Beholding them both stain, their followers,
O king, filled with rage rushed (towards Arjuna),
scattering hundreds of arrows. Slaying them soon,
O bull of Bharata’s race, Arjuna looked resplendent
like a fire consuming a forest on the expiry of winter.
Passing over those troops with some difficulty, Dhananjaya
then shone brightly like the risen sun, transgressing
the clouds under which it was hid. Beholding
him, the Kauravas were filled with fright. But
recovering soon enough, they rejoiced once more and
rushed at him from all sides. O bull of Bharata’s
race! Understanding that he was tired and that
the ruler of the Sindhus was yet at a distance, they
surrounded him, uttering leonine roars. Beholding
them, tilled with wrath, Arjuna, that bull among men,
smilingly, addressed him of Dasarha’s race in
Page 1017
soft words, and said, ’Our steeds are afflicted
with arrows and tired. The ruler of the Sindhus
is still at a distance. What do you think to
be the best that should be done now? Tell me,
O Krishna, truly. Thou art always the wisest of
persons. The Pandavas having thee for their eyes,
will vanquish their foes in battle. That which
seems to me should be done next, truly shall I say
unto thee. Unyoking the steeds to their case,
pluck off their arrows, O Madhava!’ Thus addressed
by Partha, Kesava replied unto him, ’I am, also
O Partha, of the opinion which thou hast expressed.’
“Arjuna then said, ’I will hold in check
the whole army, O Kesava! Do thou properly perform
that which should be done next.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’Alighting then from
the terrace of his car, Dhananjaya, taking up his
bow, Gandiva, fearlessly stood there like an immovable
hill. Beholding Dhananjaya standing on the ground,
and regarding it a good opportunity, the Kshatriyas,
desirous of victory and uttering loud shouts, rushed
towards him. Him standing along, they surrounded
with a large throng of cars, all stretching their bows
and showering their shafts on him. Filled with
wrath, they displayed diverse kinds of weapons and
entirely shrouded Partha with their shafts like the
clouds shrouding the sun. And the great Kshatriya
warriors impetuously rushed against that bull among
Kshatriyas, that lion among men, like infuriated elephants
rushing towards a lion. The might then that we
beheld, of Partha’s arms was exceedingly great,
since, filled with rage, alone, he succeeded in resisting
those countless warriors. The puissant Partha,
baffling with his own weapons those of the foes, quickly
covered all of them with countless shafts. In
that part of the welkin, O monarch, in consequence
of the clash Of those dense showers of shafts, a fire
was generated emitting incessant sparks. There,
in consequence of hostile heroes, countless in number,
all filled with wrath, and all great bowmen united
together for a common Purpose, seeking victory in battle,
aided by steeds, covered with blood and breathing
hard, and by infuriated and foe-grinding elephants,
uttering loud shrieks, the atmosphere became exceedingly
hot. That uncrossable, wide, and limitless ocean
of cars, incapable of being agitated, had arrows for
its current, standards for its eddies, elephants for
its crocodiles, foot-soldiers for its countless fishes,
the blare of conchs and the beat of drums for its roar,
cars for its surging waves, head-gears of combatants
for its tortoises, umbrellas and banners for its froth,
and the bodies of slain elephants for its (submarine)
rocks: Partha resisted with his arrows, the approach
of the sea like a continent. Then, in course
of that battle, the mighty-armed Janardana, fearlessly
addressing that dear friend of his, that foremost
of men, viz., Arjuna, said unto him. ’There
is no well here in the field of battle, O Arjuna,
for the steeds to drink from. The steeds want
Page 1018
water for drink, but not for a bath.’ Thus
addressed by Vasudeva, Arjuna cheerfully said, ‘Here
it is!’ And so saying, he pierced the earth with
a weapon and made an excellent lake from which the
steeds could drink. And that lake abounded in
swans and ducks, and was adorned with Chakravakas.
And it was wide and full of transparent water, and
abounded in full-blown lotuses of the finest species.
And it teemed with diverse kinds of fish. And
fathomless in depth, it was the resort of many a Rishi.
And the celestial Rishi, Narada, came to have a look
at that lake created there in a moment. And Partha,
capable of achieving wonderful works like (the celestial
artificer) Tvashtri himself, also constructed there
an arrowy hall, having arrows for its beams and rafters,
arrows for its pillars, and arrows for its roof.
Then Govinda smiling in joy, said, ’Excellent,
Excellent,’ upon seeing the high-souled Partha
create that arrowy hall.’”
SECTION XCIX
“Sanjaya said, ’After the high-souled
son of Kunti had created that water, after he had
commenced to hold in cheek the hostile army, and after
he had built also that arrowy hall, Vasudeva of great
splendour, alighting from the car, unyoked the steeds
pierced and mangled with arrows. Beholding that
sight never seen before, loud uproars of applause
were heard there, uttered by the Siddhas and the Charanas
and by all the warriors. Mighty car-warriors
(assembled together) were unable to resist the son
of Kunti, even when he fought on foot. All this
seemed highly wonderful. Although throngs upon
throngs of cars, and myriads of elephants and steeds,
rushed towards him, yet Partha felt no fear but fought
on, prevailing upon all his foes. And the (hostile)
kings shot showers of shafts at the son of Pandu.
That slayer of hostile heroes, however, viz.,
the son of Vasava, of virtuous soul, felt no anxiety
whatever. Indeed, the valiant Partha received
hundreds of arrowy showers and maces and lances coming
towards him as the ocean receives hundreds upon hundreds
of rivers flowing towards it. With the impetuous
might of his own weapons and strength of his arms,
Partha received the foremost of shafts shot at him
by those foremost of kings. Although staying on
the ground, and alone, he succeeded yet in baffling
all those kings on their cars, like that one fault,
avarice, destroying a host of accomplishments.
The Kauravas, O king, applauded the highly wonderful
prowess of Partha as also of Vasudeva, saying, ’What
more wonderful incident hath ever taken place in this
world, or will ever take place than this, viz.,
that Partha and Govinda, in course of battle, have
unyoked their steeds? Displaying fierce energy
on the field of battle and the greatest assurance,
those best of men have inspired us with great thoughts.’
Then Hrishikesa, of eyes like lotus-petals, smiling
with the coolest assurance, as if, O Bharata, he was
in the midst of an assembly of women (and not armed
Page 1019
foes), after Arjuna had created in the field of battle
that hall, made of arrows, led the steeds into it,
in the very sight. O monarch, of all thy troops.
And Krishna, who was well-skilled in grooming horses,
then removed their fatigue, pain, froth, trembling
and wounds.[142] Then plucking out their arrows and
rubbing those steeds with his own hands, and making
them trot duly, he caused them to drink. Having
caused them to drink, and removed their fatigue and
pain, he once more carefully yoked them to that foremost
of cars. Then, that foremost one among all wielders
of weapons, viz., Sauri, of great energy, mounting
on that car with Arjuna, proceeded with great speed.
Beholding the car of that foremost of car-warriors
once more equipped with these steeds, whose thirst
had been slaked, the foremost ones among the Kuru
army once more became cheerless. They began to
sigh, O king, like snakes whose fangs had been pulled
out. And they said, ’Oh, fie, fie on us!
Both Partha and Krishna have gone, in the very sight
of all the Kshatriyas, riding on the same car, and
clad in mail, and slaughtering our troops with as
much ease as boys sporting with a toy. Indeed,
those scorchers of foes have gone away in the very
sight of all the kings displaying the prowess and
unimpeded by our shouting and struggling combatants.’
Seeing them gone away, other warriors said, ’Ye
Kauravas, speed ye for the slaughter of Krishna and
the diadem-decked (Arjuna). Yoking his steeds
unto his car in the very sight of all (our) bowmen,
he of Dasarha’s race is proceeding towards Jayadratha,
slaughtering us in battle.’ And some lords
of earth there, O king, amongst themselves, having
seen that highly wonderful incident in battle never
seen before said, ’Alas, through Duryodhana’s
fault, these warriors of king Dhritarashtra, the Kshatriyas,
and the whole earth, fallen into great distress, are
being destroyed. King Duryodhana understands it
not.’ Thus spoke many Kshatriyas.
Others, O Bharata, said, ’The ruler of the Sindhus
hath already been despatched to Yama’s abode.
Of narrow sight and unacquainted with means, let Duryodhana
now do what should be done for that king.[143] Meanwhile,
the son of Pandu, seeing the sun coursing towards
the Western hills, proceeded with greater speed towards
the ruler of the Sindhus, on his steeds, whose thirst
had been slaked. The (Kuru) warriors were unable
to resist that mighty-armed hero, that foremost of
all wielders of weapons, as he proceeded like the Destroyer
himself in wrath. That scorcher of foes, viz.,
the son of Pandu, routing the warriors (before him),
agitated that army, like a lion agitating a herd of
deer, as he proceeded for getting at Jayadratha.
Penetrating into the hostile army, he, of Dasarha’s
race, urged the steeds with great speeds, and blew
his conch, Panchajanya, which was of the hue of the
clouds. The shafts shot before by the son of
Kunti began to fall behind him, so swiftly did those
steeds, endued with the speed of the wind, drew that
Page 1020
car. Then many kings, filled with rage, and many
other Kshatriyas surrounded Dhananjaya who was desirous
of slaying Jayadratha. When the (Kuru) warriors
thus proceeded towards that bull, among men (viz.,
Arjuna) who had stopped for a moment, Duryodhana, proceeding
quickly, followed Partha in that great battle.
Many warriors, beholding the car whose rattle resembled
the roar of clouds, and which was equipped with that
terrible standard bearing the ape and whose banner
floated upon the wind, became exceedingly cheerless.
Then when the sun was almost completely shrouded by
the dust (raised by the combatants), the (Kuru) warriors,
afflicted with shafts, became incapable of even gazing,
in that battle, at the two Krishnas.’”
SECTION C
“Sanjaya said, ’O monarch! I beholding
Vasudeva and Dhananjaya penetrate into their host,
having already pierced through many divisions, the
kings of the army, fled away in fear. A little
while after, however, those high-souled ones, filled
with rage and shame, and urged on by their might,
became cool and collected, and proceeded towards Dhananjaya.
But those, O king, who filled with rage and vindictiveness,
proceeded against the son of Pandu in battle, returned
not, like rivers never returning from the ocean.
Seeing this, many ignoble Kshatriyas incurred sin and
hell by flying away from battle, like atheists turning
away from the Vedas.[144] Transgressing that throng
of cars those two bulls among men, at last, issued
out of it, and looked like the sun and the moon freed
from the jaws of Rahu. Indeed, the two Krishnas,
their fatigue dispelled, having pierced through that
vast host, looked like two fishes that had passed
through a strong net. Having forced through that
impenetrable division of Drona, the way through which
was obstructed by dense showers of weapons, those
two high-souled heroes looked like Yuga-suns risen
(on the welkin). Piercing through those dense
showers of weapons and freed from that imminent danger,
those high-souled heroes, themselves obstructing the
welkin with thick clouds of weapons, seemed like persons
escaped from a raging conflagration, or like two fishes
from the jaws of a makara. And they agitated
the (Kuru) host like a couple of makaras agitating
the ocean. Thy warriors and thy sons, while Partha
and Krishna were in the midst of Drona’s division,
had thought that those two would never be able to
issue out of it. Beholding, however, those two
heroes of great splendour issue out of Drona’s
division, they no longer, O monarch, hoped for Jayadratha’s
life. Hitherto they had strong hopes of Jayadratha’s
life, for they had thought, O king, that the two Krishnas
would never be able to escape from Drona and Hridika’s
son. Frustrating that hope, those two scorchers
of foes had, O monarch, crossed the division of Drona,
as also the almost uncrossable division of the Bhojas.
Beholding them, therefore, ford through those divisions
Page 1021
and look like two blazing fires, thy men became possessed
with despair and no longer hoped for Jayadratha’s
life. Then those two fearless heroes, viz.,
Krishna and Dhananjaya, those enhancers of the fears
of foes, began to converse between themselves about
the slaughter of Jayadratha. And Arjuna said,
’This Jayadratha hath been placed in their midst
by six of the foremost car-warriors among the Dhartarashtras.
The ruler of the Sindhus, however, shall not escape
me if once he is seen by me. If Sakra himself,
with all the celestials, become his protector in battle,
yet shall we slay him. Thus did the two Krishnas
talk. Even so, O mighty-armed one, did they converse
amongst themselves, while looking after the ruler of
the Sindhus. (Having heard what they said), thy sons
set up a loud wail. Those two chastisers of foes
then looked like a couple of thirsty elephants of
great quickness of motion, refreshed by drinking water,
after having passed through a desert. Beyond death
and above decrepitude, they then looked like two merchants
that have passed over a mountainous country abounding
with tigers and lions and elephants. Indeed, beholding
them freed (from Drona and Kritavarman), thy warriors
regarded the colour of Partha’s and Krishna’s
face to be dreadful; and thy men then, from all sides,
set up a loud wail. Freed from Drona who resembled
a snake of virulent poison or a blazing fire, as also
from the other lords of the earth, Partha and Krishna
looked like two blazing suns. Indeed, those two
chastisers of foes, freed from Drona’s division,
which resembled the very ocean, seemed to be filled
with joy like persons that have safely crossed the
vasty deep. Freed from those dense showers of
weapons, from those divisions protected by Drona and
Hridika’s son, Kesava and Arjuna looked like
Indra and Agni, or blazing effulgence. The two
Krishnas, pierced with sharp shafts of Bharadwaja’s
son, and with bodies dripping with bloods, looked
resplendent like two mountains decked with flowering
Karnikaras. Having forded that wide lake, of which
Drona constituted the alligator, darts formed the
fierce snakes, shafts, the Makaras, and Kshatriyas,
the deep waters, and having issued out of that cloud,
constituted by Drona’s weapons, whose thunders
were the twang of bows and the sound of palms, and
whose lightning flashes were constituted by maces
and swords, Partha and Krishna looked like the sun
and moon freed from darkness. Having crossed
the region obstructed by the weapons of Drona, all
creatures regarded those mighty and famous bowmen viz.,
the two Krishnas, as persons who had forded, with
the aid of their arms, the five rivers, (viz., the
Satadru, the Vipasa, the Ravi, the Chandrabhaga, and
the Vitasta) having the ocean for their sixth, when
full of water during the season of rains, and abounding
with alligators. Casting their eyes, from desire
of slaughter, on Jayadratha who was not far off from
them, the two heroes looked like two tigers waiting
Page 1022
from desire of falling upon a Ruru deer. Such
was then the colour of their faces, that thy warriors,
O monarch, regarded Jayadratha as one already slain.
Possessed of red eyes, O mighty-armed one, and staying
together, Krishna and the son of Pandu, at the sight
of Jayadratha were filled with joy and roared repeatedly.
Indeed, O monarch, the splendour then of Sauri, standing
with reins in hand, and of Partha armed with bow,
was like that of the sun or fire. Freed from
the division of Drona, their joy, at sight of the ruler
of the Sindhus, was like that of a couple of hawks
at the sight of a piece of flesh. Beholding the
ruler of the Sindhus not far off, they rushed in wrath
towards him like a couple of hawks swooping down towards
a piece of meat. Seeing Hrishikesa and Dhananjaya
transgress (the divisions of Drona), thy valiant son,
king Duryodhana, whose armour had been bound on his
person by Drona, and who was well-versed in grooming
and guiding horses, rushed, on a single car, O lord,
for the protection of the Sindhus. Leaving those
mighty bowmen, viz., Krishna and Partha, behind,
thy son, O king, turned back, facing Kesava of lotus-like
eyes. When thy son thus outran Dhananjaya, diverse
musical instruments were joyfully blown and beat among
all thy troops. And leonine roars were uttered
mingled with the blare of conchs, beholding Duryodhana
staying in the face of the two Krishnas. They
also, O king, resembling blazing fires, that stood
as the protectors of Jayadratha, were filled with joy
upon beholding thy son in battle. Seeing Duryodhana
transgress them with his followers, Krishna, O monarch,
said unto Arjuna these words suited to the occasion.’”
SECTION CI
“Vasudeva said, ’Behold, O Dhananjaya,
this Suyodhana who hath transgressed us! I regard
this as highly wonderful. There is no car-warrior
equal to him. His arrows are far-reaching.
He is a great bowman. Accomplished as he is in
weapons, it is exceedingly difficult to vanquish him
in battle. The mighty son of Dhritarashtra strikes
hard, and is conversant with all modes of warfare.
Brought up in great luxury, he is much regarded by
even the foremost of car-warriors. He is well-accomplished,
and, O Partha, he always hates the Pandavas. For
these reasons, O sinless one, I think, thou shouldst
now fight with him. Upon him resteth, as upon
a stake at dice, victory or the reverse. Upon
him, O Partha, vomit that poison of thy wrath which
thou hast cherished so long. This mighty car-warrior
is the root of all the wrongs on the Pandavas.
He is now within reach of thy shafts. Look after
thy success. Why hath king Duryodhana, desirous
as he is of kingdom, come to battle with thee?
By good luck, it is that he is now arrived within
reach of thy arrows. Do that, O Dhananjaya, by
which he may be deprived on his very life. Reft
of his senses through pride of affluence, he hath
never felt any distress. O bull among men, he
Page 1023
doth not know also thy prowess in battle. Indeed,
the three worlds with the celestials, the Asuras,
and human beings, cannot venture to vanquish thee
in battle. What need be said, therefore, of single
Duryodhana? By good luck it is, O Partha, that
he hath approached the vicinity of thy car. O
mighty-armed one, slay him as Purandara slew Vritra.
O sinless one, this Duryodhana hath endeavoured to
bring evil on you. By deceit he cheated king
Yudhishthira at dice. O giver of honours, sinless
though you all are, this prince of sinful soul has
always done various evil acts towards him. Nobly
resolved upon battle, O Partha, slay without any scruple
this wicked wight, who is ever wrathful and ever cruel,
and who is the very embodiment of avarice. Remembering
the deprivation of your kingdom by deceit, your exile
into the woods, and the wrongs of Krishna, put forth
thy prowess, O son of Pandu! By good luck, it
is that he stayeth within the range of the shafts.
By good luck, it is that staying before thee he endeavours
to resist thy purpose. By good luck, it is that
he knows today that he will have to fight with thee
in the battle. By good luck, it is that all your
purposes, even those that are not presently entertained
by you, will be crowned with fruition. Therefore,
Partha, slay this wretch of his race, viz., the
son of Dhritarashtra, in battle, as Indra had in days
of yore, slain the Asura Jambha in the battle between
the celestials and the Asuras. If he is slain
by thee, thou canst then pierce through this masterless
host. Cut the very root of these wicked-souled
wretches. Let the avabhritha[145] of this hostility
be now accomplished.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’Thus addressed, Partha
replied unto Kesava saying—’So be
it. Even this should be done by me. Disregarding
everything else, proceed thither where Duryodhana is.
Putting forth my prowess in battle, I will cut off
the head of that wretch who hath for such a long period
enjoyed our kingdom without a thorn on his side.
Shall I not succeed, O Kesava, in avenging myself
of the insult, in the shape of dragging her by the
hair, offered unto Draupadi, undeserving as she was
of that wrong.’ Thus conversing with each
other, the two Krishnas filled with joy, urged those
excellent white steeds of theirs, desirous of getting
at king Duryodhana. As regards thy son, O bull
of Bharata’s race, having approached the presence
of Partha and Krishna, he entertained no fear, although,
O sire, every circumstance was calculated to inspire
fear. And the Kshatriyas there, on thy side, highly
applauded him then, for he proceeded to face Arjuna
and Hrishikesa for resisting them. Indeed, beholding
the king in battle, a loud shout was heard there,
O monarch, uttered by the entire Kuru army. What
that terrible and awful shout arose there, thy son,
pressing his foe hard, opposed his progress.
Held in check by thy son armed with bow, the son of
Kunti became filled with rage, and that chastiser
Page 1024
of foes, Duryodhana, also became highly enraged with
Partha. Beholding both Duryodhana and Dhananjaya
enraged with each other, all the Kshatriyas, of fierce
forms, began to look at them from all sides.
Seeing Partha and Vasudeva both filled with rage,
thy son, O sire, desirous of battle, smilingly challenged
them, then he of Dasarha’s race became filled
with joy, and Dhananjaya also, the son of Pandu, became
cheerful. Uttering loud roars, they both blew
their foremost of conchs. Seeing them thus cheerful,
all the Kauravas became hopeless of thy son’s
life. Indeed, all the Kauravas, and many even
amongst the enemy, became possessed with grief, and
regarded thy son as a libation already poured into
the mouth of the (sacred) fire. Thy warriors,
seeing Krishna and the Pandava so cheerful I loudly
exclaimed, afflicted with fear, ‘The king is
slain.’ ‘The king is slain.’
Hearing that loud uproar of the warriors, Duryodhana
said, ’Let your fears be dispelled. I will
despatch the two Krishnas unto the region of death.’
Having told all his warriors these words, king Duryodhana.
then, expectant of success, addressed Partha angrily
and said these words: ’If, O Partha, thou
art begotten by Pandu apply upon me, without loss of
time, all the weapons, celestial and earthly, that
Kesava also hath of either, upon me. I wish to
see thy manliness. They speak of many feats achieved
by thee out of our view. Show me those feats that
have won the applause of many endued with great heroism!’”
SECTION CII
“Sanjaya said, ’Saying these words, king
Duryodhana pierced Arjuna with three shafts of great
impetuosity and capable of penetrating into the very
vitals. And with four others he pierced the four
steeds of his foe. And he pierced Vasudeva in
the centre of the chest with ten shafts, and cutting
off, with a broad-headed arrow, the whip in the latter’s
hands, he felled it on the ground. Then Partha,
coolly and without losing a moment, shot at him four
and ten shafts whetted on stone and equipped with
beautiful feathers. All those shafts, however,
were repelled by Duryodhana’s armour. Beholding
their fruitlessness, Partha once more sped at him
nine and five arrows of keen points. But these
too were repelled by Duryodhana’s armour.
Seeing eight and twenty arrows of his become abortive,
that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., Krishna said
unto Arjuna, these words: ’I see a sight
never before witnessed by me, like the movements of
the hills. Shafts sped by thee, O Partha, are
becoming abortive. O bull of Bharata’s
race, hath thy Gandiva decayed in power? Have
the might of thy grasp and the power of thy arms become
less than what they were. Is not this to be thy
last meeting with Duryodhana? Tell me, O Partha,
for I ask thee. Great hath been my amazement,
O Partha, upon seeing all these shafts of thine fall
towards Duryodhana’s car, without producing
the slightest effect. Alas, what misfortune is
this that these terrible shafts of thine that are
endued with the might of the thunder and that always
pierce the bodies of foes, fail in producing any effect.’
Page 1025
“Arjuna said, ’I think, O Krishna, that
this armour hath been put on Duryodhana’s body
by Drona. This armour, tied as it hath been, is
impenetrable to my weapons. In this armour, O
Krishna, inhereth the might of the three worlds.
Only Drona knoweth it, and from that best of men I
also have learnt. This armour is not capable of
being pierced by my weapons. Maghavat himself,
O Govinda, cannot pierce it with his thunder.
Knowing it all, O Krishna, why seekest thou to confound
me? That which occurred in the three worlds,
that which, O Kesava, exists now, and which is in
the womb of futurity, are all known to thee. Indeed,
O slayer of Madhu, no one else knoweth this better
than thou dost. This Duryodhana, O Krishna, cased
by Drona in this armours, is staying fearlessly in
battle, wearing this coat of mail. That however,
which one wearing such armour should do, is not known
to him, O Madhava! He weareth it only like a
woman. Behold now, O Janardana, the might of my
arms and that of my bow too. Though protected
by such a coat of mail, I will still vanquish the
Kuru prince. The chief of the celestials gave
this effulgent armour to Angiras. From the latter
it was obtained by Vrihaspati. And from Vrihaspati
it was got by Purandara. The Lord of the celestials
once more gave it to me with the mantras to be uttered
in wearing it. Even if this armour were divine,
if it were created by Brahma himself, still the wretch,
Duryodhana, struck with my arrows, shall not be protected
by it.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’Having said these
words, Arjuna inspired some arrows with mantras, and
began to draw them on the bow-string. And while
he was thus drawing them on the bow-string, the son
of Drona cut them off with a weapon that was capable
of baffling every weapon. Beholding those shafts
of his thus frustrated from a distance by that utterer
of Brahma (Aswatthaman), Arjuna, owning white steeds,
filled with amazement represented unto Kesava, saying,
’I cannot, Janardana, twice use this weapon,
for if do so, it will slay my own self and my own troops.
Meanwhile, Duryodhana, O king, pierced each of the
Krishnas in that battle with nine shafts resembling
snakes of virulent poison. And once more the
Kuru king showered his shafts on Krishna and the son
of Pandu. Beholding these showers of arrows (shot
by their king), thy warriors were filled with joy.
They beat their musical instrument and uttered leonine
roar. Then Partha, excited with rage in that battle,
licked the corners of his mouth. Casting his
eyes on his enemy’s body, he saw not any part
that was not well-covered with that impenetrable armour.
With some sharp-pointed shafts then, well-shot from
his bow, and each of which resembled Death himself,
Arjuna slew his antagonist’s steeds and then
his two Parshni charioteers. And soon also the
valiant Partha cut off Duryodhana’s bow and
the leathern fence of his fingers. Then, Savyasachin
commenced to cut off his enemy’s car in fragments.
Page 1026
And with a couple of keen arrows he made Duryodhana
carless. And then Arjuna pierced both the palms
of the Kuru king. Beholding that great bowman
afflicted with the shafts of Dhananjaya and fallen
into great distress, many warriors rushed to the spot,
desirous of rescuing him. These, with many thousands
of cars, well-equipped elephants and horses, as also
with large bodies of foot-soldiers, excited with wrath,
encompassed by large bodies of men, neither that car
of theirs nor of Arjuna and Govinda could any longer
be seen. Then Arjuna, by the might of his weapons,
began to slaughter that host. And car-warriors
and elephants, by hundreds, deprived of limbs, fell
fast on the field. Slain, or in the act of being
slain, those failed to reach the excellent car.
Indeed, the car on which Arjuna rode, stood motionless
full two miles from the besieging force on every side.
Then the Vrishni hero (Krishna), without taking any
time, said unto Arjuna these words: Draw thy
bow quickly and with great force, for I will blow
my conch.’ Thus addressed, Arjuna drawing
his bow Gandiva with great force, began to slaughter
the foe, shooting dense showers of shafts and making
a loud noise by stretching the bowstring with his fingers.
Kesava meanwhile forcibly and very loudly blew his
conch Panchajanya, his face covered with dust.
In consequence of the blare of that conch and of the
twang of Gandiva, the Kuru warriors, strong or weak,
all fell down on the ground. The car of Arjuna
then freed from that press, looked resplendent like
a cloud driven by the wind. (Beholding Arjuna) the
protectors of Jayadratha, with their followers, became
filled with rage. Indeed, those mighty bowmen,
the protectors of the ruler of Sindhus, suddenly beholding
Partha, uttered loud shouts, filling the earth with
that noise. The whiz of their arrows were mingled
with other fierce noises and the loud blare of their
conchs. Those high-souled warriors uttered leonine
shouts. Hearing that awful uproar raised by thy
troops, Vasudeva and Dhananjaya blew their conchs.
With their loud blare (of their conchs), the whole
earth, with her mountains and seas and islands and
the nether regions, O monarch, seemed to be filled.
Indeed, that blare, O best of Bharatas, filled all
the points of the compass, and was echoed back by both
the armies. Then thy car-warriors, beholding
Krishna and Dhananjaya, became very much frightened.
Soon, however, they recovered and put forth their
activity. Indeed, the great car-warriors of thy
host, beholding the two Krishnas, those highly blessed
persons, cased in mail rushed towards. The sight
thus presented became a wonderful one.’”
SECTION CIII
Page 1027
“Sanjaya said, ’Thy warriors, as soon
as they beheld those foremost of persons of the Vrishni-Andhaka
and the Kuru races, lost no time, each striving to
be first, in proceeding against them from a desire
of slaughtering them. And so Vijaya also rushed
against those foes of his. On their great cars,
decked with gold, cased in tiger-skins, producing
deep rattle, and resembling blazing fire, they rushed,
illumining the ten points of the compass, armed, O
king, with bows, the backs of whose staves were decked
with gold, and which in consequence of their splendour,
were incapable of being looked at, and uttering loud
cries, and drawn by angry steeds. Bhurisravas,
and Sala and Karna, and Vrishasena, and Jayadratha,
and Kripa. and the ruler of the Madras, and that foremost
of car-warriors, viz., the son of Drona. these
eight great car-warriors, as if devouring the skies
(as they proceeded) illuminated the ten points of
the compass with their splendid cars, cased in tiger-skins
and decked with golden moons. Clad in mail, filled
with wrath and mounted upon their cars the rattle
of which resembled the roar of masses of clouds, they
covered Arjuna on every side with a shower of sharp
shafts. Beautiful steeds of the best breed, endued
with great speed, bearing those great car-warriors,
looked resplendent as they illumined the points of
the compass. Their cars drawn by foremost steeds
of great fleetness were of diverse countries and of
diverse species, some bred in mountainous regions,
some in rivers, and some in the country of the Sindhus,
many foremost of car-warriors among the Kurus desirous,
O king, of rescuing thy son quickly rushed towards
Dhananjaya’s car from every side. Those
foremost of men, taking up their conchs blew them,
filling O king, the welkin and the earth with her seas
(with that blare). Then those foremost ones among
the gods, viz., Vasudeva and Dhananjaya, also
blew their foremost of conchs on earth. The son
of Kunti blew Devadatta, and Kesava blew Panchajanya.
The loud blast of Devadatta, sent forth by Dhananjaya,
filled the earth, the welkin, and ten points of the
compass. And so Panchajanya also blown by Vasudeva,
surpassing all sounds, filled the sky and the earth.
And while that awful and fierce noise continued, a
noise that inspired the timid with fear and the brave
with cheers, and while drums and Jharjharas, and cymbals
and Mridangas, O great king, were beat by thousands,
great car-warriors invited to the Kuru side and solicitous
of Dhananjaya’s welfare, those great bowmen,
filled with rage and unable to bear the loud blast
of Arjuna’s and Krishna’s conchs, those
kings from diverse realms supported by their respective
troops, in rage blew their great conchs, desiring to
answer with their own blasts the blasts of Kesava
and Arjuna. The Kuru army then, urged forward
by that blare of conchs, had its car-warriors, elephants,
and steeds filled with anxiety and fear. Indeed,
O lord, that host looked as if they that comprised
Page 1028
it were ill. The agitated Kuru host, echoing
with that blare of conchs blown by brave warriors,
seemed to be like the welkin resounding with the noise
of thunder and fallen down (through some convulsion
of nature).[146] That loud uproar, O monarch, resounded
through the ten points and frightened that host like
critical incidents at the end of the Yuga frightening
all living creatures. Then, Duryodhana and those
eight great car-warriors appointed for the protection
of Jayadratha all surrounded the son of Pandu.
The son of Drona struck Vasudeva with three and seventy
shafts, and Arjuna himself with three broad-headed
shafts, and his standard and (four) steeds with five
others. Beholding Janardana pierced, Arjuna, filled
with rage, struck Aswatthaman with hundred shafts.
Then piercing Karna with ten arrows and Vrishasena
with three, the valiant Dhananjaya cut off Salya’s
bow with arrows fixed on the string, at the handle.
Salya then, taking up another bow, pierced the son
of Pandu. And Bhurisravas pierced him with three
arrows whetted on stone, and equipped with golden wings.
And Karna pierced him with two and thirty arrows, and
Vrishasena with seven. And Jayadratha pierced
Arjuna with three and seventy shafts and Kripa pierced
him with ten. And the ruler of the Madras also
pierced Phalguna in that battle with ten arrows.
And the son of Drona pierced him with sixty arrows.
And he, once more, pierced Partha with five arrows,
and Vasudeva with twenty. Then the tiger among
men, viz., Arjuna owning white steeds and having
Krishna for his driver, pierced each of those warriors
in return, displaying the lightness of his hand.
Piercing Karna with a dozen shafts and Vrishasena
with three, Partha cut off Salya’s bow at the
handle. And piercing the son of Somadatta with
three arrows and Salya with ten, he pierced Kripa
with five and twenty arrows, and the ruler of the
Sindhus with a hundred, Partha struck Drona’s
son with seventy arrows. Then Bhurisravas filled
with rage, cut off the goad in Krishna’s hand,
and struck Arjuna with three and twenty shafts.
Then Dhananjaya, of white steeds, filled with rage,
mangled those enemies of his with hundreds upon hundreds
of arrows, like a mighty tempest tearing masses of
clouds.’”
SECTION CIV
“Dhritarashtra, said, ’Describe to me,
O Sanjaya, the diverse kinds of standards resplendent
with great beauty, of both the Partha and our warriors
(in that battle).’
“Sanjaya said, ’Hear, O king, of the diverse
kinds of standards of those high-souled warriors.
Listen to me as I describe their forms and names.
Indeed, O king, upon the cars of those foremost of
car-warriors were seen diverse kinds of standards
that shone like blazing flames of fire. Made
of gold, or decked with gold, or adorned with strings
of gold and each looking like the golden mountain
(Meru), diverse kinds of standards were there that
were highly beautiful. And those standards of
Page 1029
the warriors had attached all around them excellent
banners. Indeed, having banners of diverse hues
attached to them all around, those standards looked
exceedingly beautiful. Those banners, again, moved
by the wind, looked like fair ladies dancing in the
midst of a sporting arena. Endued with the splendour
of the rainbow, those banners, O bull of Bharata’s
race, of those car-warriors, floating in the breeze,
highly adorned their cars. The standard, bearing
the sign of the ape of fierce face and tail, like
that of the lion, belonging to Dhananjaya, seemed to
inspire fear in that battle. That standard, O
king of the wielder of Gandiva, bearing that foremost
of apes, and adorned with many banners, frightened
the Kuru host. Similarly, the lion-tail standard-top
of Drona’s son, O Bharata, we saw, was endued
with the effulgence of the rising sun Decked with gold,
floating in the breeze, possessed of the splendour
of the rainbow, the standard mark of Drona’s
son appeared on high, inspiring the foremost of Kuru
warriors with joy. The standard of Adhiratha’s
son bore the mark of an elephant-rope made of gold.
It seemed, O king, in battle to fill the whole welkin.
The banner, adorned with gold and garlands, attached
to the standard of Karna in battle, shaken by the
wind, seemed to dance upon his car. The preceptor
of the Pandavas, that Brahmana, given to ascetic penances,
viz., Kripa the son of Gotama, had for his mark
an excellent bovine bull. That high-souled one,
O king, with that bovine bull, looked as resplendent,
as the Destroyer of the three cities[147] looks resplendent
with his bull. Vrishasena has a peacock made of
gold and adorned with jewels and gems. And it
stood on his standard, as if in the act of crowing,
and always adorned the wan of the army. With that
peacock, the car of the high-souled Vrishasena shone,
like the car, O king, of Skanda (the celestial generalissimo)
shining ’with his peacock unrivalled and beautiful
ploughshare made of gold and looking like flame of
fire. That ploughshare, O sire, looked resplendent
on his car. Salya, the ruler of the Madras, we
saw, had on his standard-top an image like the presiding
goddess of corn, endued with beauty and producing every
seed. A silver boar adorned the standard-top of
the ruler of the Sindhus. Decked with golden
chains, it was of the splendour of a white crystal.[148]
With that silver mark on his barrier, the ruler of
the Sindhus looked as resplendent, as Surya in days
of yore in the battle between the celestials and the
Asuras. The standard of Somadatta’s son,
devoted to sacrifices, bore the sign of the sacrificial
stake. It was seen to shine like the sun or the
moon. That sacrificial stake made of gold, O
king of Somadatta’s son, looked resplendent like
the tall stake erected in the foremost of sacrifices
called the Rajasuya. The standard of Salya, O
monarch, bearing a huge silver-elephant was adorned,
on all sides, with peacocks made of gold. The
standard, O bull of Bharata’s race, adorned
Page 1030
thy troops like the huge white elephant adorning the
host of the celestial king. On the standard decked
with gold, of king Duryodhana, was an elephant adorned
with gems. Tinkling with the sound of a hundred
bells, O king, that standard stood upon the excellent
car of that hero. And, O king, thy son, that
bull among the Kurus, looked resplendent, O monarch,
with that tall standard in battle. These nine
excellent standards stood erect among thy divisions.
The tenth standard seen there was of Arjuna, decked
with that huge ape. And with that standard Arjuna
looked highly resplendent, like Himavat with a blazing
fire (on its top). Then many mighty car-warriors,
all chastisers of foes, quickly took up their beautiful,
bright and large bows for the sake of (resisting)
Arjuna. Similarly, Partha also, that achiever
of celestial feats, took up his foe-destroying bow
Gandiva, in consequence, O king, of thy evil policy.
Many royal warriors, O king, were then slain in that
battle owing to thy fault. Rulers of men came
from different realms invited (by thy sons).
And with them perished many steeds and many elephants.
Then those mighty car-warriors headed by Duryodhana
(on one side) and that bull amongst the Pandavas on
the other, uttered loud roars and began the encounter.
And the feat that Kunti’s son, having Krishna
for his charioteer, achieved there, was highly wonderful,
inasmuch as, alone, he encountered fearlessly all
those warriors united together. And that mighty-armed
hero looked resplendent as he stretched his bow Gandiva,
desirous of vanquishing all those tigers among men
for slaying the ruler of the Sindhus. With his
shafts shot in thousands, that tiger among men, viz.,
Arjuna, that scorcher of foes, made all those warriors
invisible (by means of his arrowy showers). On
their side, those tigers among men, those mighty car-warriors,
also made Partha invisible by means of their clouds
of shafts shot from all sides. Beholding Arjuna,
that bull of Kuru’s race covered by those lions
among men with their shafts, loud was the uproar made
by thy troops.’
Section CV
“Dhritarashtra said, ’After Arjuna had
got the ruler of the Sindhus within sight, what, O
Sanjaya, did the Panchalas, attacked by Bharadwaja’s
son, do, encountering the Kurus?’
“Sanjaya said, In the afternoon of that day,
O monarch, in the battle that took place between the
Panchalas and the Kurus, Drona became, as it were,
the stake (for which each fought on to win or lose).
The Panchalas, O sire, desirous of slaying Drona,
cheerfully uttered loud roars and shot dense showers
of arrows. Indeed, that encounter between the
Panchalas and the Kurus, fierce, awful, and highly
wonderful as it was, resembled that in days of yore
between the gods and the Asuras. Indeed, all the
Panchalas with the Pandavas, obtaining Drona’s
car (within reach) used many mighty weapons, desirous
of piercing through his array. Car-warriors stationed
on their cars, causing the earth to shake under them,
Page 1031
and showering their arrowy downpours, rushed towards
Drona’s car, without much speed. Then that
mighty car-warrior among the Kaikeyas, viz.,
Vrihatkshatra, incessantly scattering keen shafts that
resembled the thunder in force, proceeded towards
Drona. Then Kshemadhurti of great fame quickly
rushed against Vrihatkshatra, shooting keen arrows
by thousands. Beholding this, that bull among
the Chedis, viz., Dhrishtaketu, endued with great
might, quickly proceeded against Kshemadhurti, like
Mahendra proceeding against the Asura Samvara.
Seeing him rush with great impetuosity, like the Destroyer
himself with wide-open mouth, that mighty bowman viz.,
Viradhanwan, proceeded against him with great speed.
King Yudhishthira staying there at the head of his
division from desire of victory, was resisted by valiant
Drona himself. Thy son Vikarna, O lord, endued
with great prowess, proceeded against the rushing
Nakula of great prowess, that warrior accomplished
in battle. That scorcher of foes, viz.,
Durmukha, covered the advancing Sahadeva with many
thousands of swiftly-coursing shafts. The heroic
Vyughradatta resisted that tiger among men, viz.,
Satyaki making him repeatedly tremble by means of
his sharp and keen-pointed shafts. The son of
Somadatta resisted the (five) sons of Draupadi, those
tigers among men, those great car-warriors, wrathfully
shooting mighty shafts. That mighty car-warrior,
viz., Rishyasringa’s fierce son (the Rakshasa
Alamvusha), of awful mien, resisted the advancing
Bhimasena filled with wrath. The encounter that
then took place between that man and Rakshasa resembled,
O king, the battle in days of yore between Rama, and
Ravana. Then, O Bharata, Yudhishthira, that chief
of the Bharatas, struck Drona with ninety straight
shafts in all his vital parts. Enraged by the
famous son of Kunti, Drona struck him in return, O
chief of the Bharatas, in the centre of the chest
with five and twenty shafts. And once more, in
the very sight of all the bowmen, Drona struck him,
with his steeds, charioteer, and standard, with twenty
shafts. Pandu’s son, of virtuous soul,
displaying great lightness of hand, baffled with his
own arrowy showers those arrows shot by Drona, Then
that great bowman Drona, filled with rage, cut off
the bow of the high souled king Yudhishthira the just.
Then that great car-warrior (viz., the son of Bharadwaja)
speedily covered the bowless Yudhishthira with many
thousands of shafts. Beholding the king made
invisible by the shafts of Bharadwaja’s son,
all thought that Yudhishthira was dead, and some thought
that the king had fled before Drona. And many
cried out, O king, saying, ’Alas the king hath
been slain by the high-souled Brahmana.’
Then, king Yudhishthira the just, fallen into great
distress, having laid aside that bow cut off by Bharadwaja’s
son in battle took up another excellent, bright and
tougher bow. And that hero then cut off in that
encounter all those shafts shot in thousands by Drona.
Page 1032
All this seemed exceedingly wonderful. Having
cut off those shafts, O king, Yudhishthira, with eyes
red in wrath, took up in that battle a dart, capable
of riving even a mountain. Equipped with a golden
staff, of awful mien, having eight bells attached to
it, and exceedingly terrible, the mighty Yudhishthira,
taking it up, uttered a loud roar. And with that
roar, O Bharata, the son of Pandu inspired all creatures
with fear. Beholding that dart upraised by king
Yudhishthira the just, all creatures, as if with one
accord, said, ‘Good be to Drona!’ Hurled
from the king’s arms, that dart resembling a
snake just freed from its slough, coursed towards
Drona, illumining the welkin and all the directions
cardinal and subsidiary, like a she-snake with fiery
mouth, Beholding it coursing towards him impetuously,
O king, Drona, that foremost of all persons acquainted
with weapons invoked into existence the weapon called
Brahma. That weapon, reducing that dart of terrible
mien into dust, coursed towards the car of the illustrious
son of Pandu. Then, O sire, king Yudhishthira
of’ great wisdom baffled that weapon of Drona,
thus coursing towards him by himself invoking the Brahma
weapon. And then piercing Drona himself in that
battle with five straight shafts, he cut off, with
a sharp razor-faced shaft, the large bow of Drona.
Then Drona, that grinder of Kshatriyas, throwing aside
that broken bow, hurled with great force, O sire,
a mace at the son of Dharma. Beholding that mace
impetuously coursing towards him, Yudhishthira, O chastiser
of foes, filled with rage, took up a mace. Then
those two maces, both hurled with great force, encountering
each other in mid-air, produced by their collision
sparks of fire and then fell down on the earth.
Then Drona, filled with fury, slew, O sire, the steeds
of Yudhishthira, with four excellent shafts of keen
points. And with another broad-headed shaft he
cut off he king’s bow resembling a pole erected
to the honour of Indra. And with another shaft
he cut off the standard of Yudhishthira, and with
three he afflicted the Pandava himself. Then king
Yudhishthira, speedily jumping down from that steedless
car, stood weaponless and with arms upraised, O bull
of Bharata’s race! Beholding him carless,
and especially weaponless, Drona, O lord, stupefied
his foes, rather the whole army. Firmly adhering
to his vow, and endued with great lightness of hands,
Drona shot showers of sharp shafts and rushed towards
the king, like a furious lion towards a deer.
Beholding Drona, that slayer of foes, rush towards
him, cries of Oh and Alas suddenly rose from the Pandava
army.’ And many cried out, saying, ‘The
king is slain by Bharadwaja’s son.’
Loud wails of this kind were heard, O Bharata, among
the Pandava troops. Meanwhile, king Yudhishthira,
the son of Kunti, getting up on the car of Sahadeva,
retreated from the field, borne away by swift steeds.’”
SECTION CVI
Page 1033
“Sanjaya said, ’Kshemadhurti, O monarch,
pierced the advancing Vrihatkshatra of great valour,
that prince of the Kaikeyas, with many arrows in the
chest. King Vrihatkshatra then, O monarch, desirous
of piercing through Drona’s division, quickly
struck his antagonist with ninety straight shafts.
Kshemadhurti, however, filled with rage, cut off,
with a sharp well-tempered, and broad-headed shaft,
the bow of that high-souled prince of the Kaikeyas.
Having cut off his bow, Kshemadhurti then, with a
keen and straight shaft, quickly pierced in that encounter
that foremost of all bowmen. Then Vrihatkshatra,
taking up another bow and smiling (at his foe), soon
made the mighty car-warrior Kshemadhurti steedless
and driverless and carless. And with another broad-headed
shaft that was well-tempered and sharp, he cut off,
from the trunk of his royal antagonist his head blazing
with (a pair of) ear-rings. That head, graced
with only locks and a diadem, suddenly cut off, fell
down on the earth and looked resplendent like a luminary
fallen from the firmament. Having slain his foe,
the mighty car-warrior Vrihatkshatra became filled
with joy and fell with great force upon thy troops
for the sake of the Parthas. The great bowman
Viradhanwan, O Bharata, endued with great prowess,
resisted Dhrishtaketu who was advancing against Drona.
Encountering each other, those two heroes having arrows
for their fangs, and both endued with great activity,
struck each other with many thousands of arrows.
Indeed, those two tigers among men fought with each
other, like two leaders of elephantine herds in the
deep woods with fury. Both endued with great
energy, they fought, each desirous of slaying the
other, like two enraged tigers in a mountain-cave.
That combat, O monarch, became exceedingly fierce.
Deserving to be witnessed, it became highly wonderful.
The very Siddhas and the Charanas, in large numbers,
witnessed it with wonder-waiting eyes. Then Viradhanwan,
O Bharata, with a laugh, cut off in rage Dhrishtaketu’s
bow in twain by means of broad-headed arrows.
Abandoning that broken bow, the ruler of the Chedis,
that mighty car-warrior took up a fierce dart made
of iron and equipped with a golden staff. Bending
with his hands, O Bharata, that dart of fierce energy
towards the car of Viradhanwan, Dhrishtaketu hurled
it carefully and with great force. Struck with
great force by that hero-slaying dart, and his heart
pierced by it through, Viradhanwan, quickly fell down
on the earth from his car. Upon the fall of that
hero, that mighty car-warrior among the Trigartas,
thy army, O lord, was broken by the Pandavas. (Thy
son) Durmukha sped sixty shafts at Sahadeva, and uttered
a loud shout in that battle, challenging that son of
Pandu. The son of Madri, then., filled with rage,
pierced Durmukha with many keen arrows, smiling the
while, the brother striking the brother. Be. holding
the mighty Durmukha fighting furiously, Sahadeva, then,
O Bharata, once more struck him with nine shafts.
Page 1034
Endued with great strength, Sahadeva then cut off
Durmukha’s standard with a broad-headed arrow
and struck down his four steeds with four other arrows.
And then with another broad. headed arrow, well-tempered
and sharp, he cut off, from his trunk, the head of
Durmukha’s charioteer that shone with a pair
of ear-rings. And cutting off Durmukha’s
large bow with a razor-faced arrow, Sahadeva pierced
Durmukha himself in that battle with five arrows.
Durmukha fearlessly jumping down from that steedless
car, mounted the car, O Bharata, of Niramitra.
Then that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., Sahadeva,
filled with rage slew in that great battle Niramitra
in the midst of his division with a broad-headed arrow.
Thereupon, prince Niramitra, the son of the ruler
of the Trigartas, fell down from his car, afflicting
thy army with great grief. Slaying him, the mighty-armed
Sahadeva looked resplendent like Rama, the son of Dasaratha,
after slaying the mighty (Rakshasa) Khara. Beholding
that mighty car-warrior, viz., prince Niramitra
slain, loud cries of Oh and Alas arose, O monarch,
among the Trigarta warriors. Nakula, O king, in
a moment vanquished thy son Vikarna of large eyes.
This seemed highly wonderful. Vyaghradatta, by
means of his straight shafts, made Satyaki invisible
with his steeds and driver and standard in the midst
of his division. The brave grandson of Sini,
baffling those shafts with great lightness of hand,
felled Vyaghradatta by means of his arrows, with his
steeds and driver and standard. Upon the fall,
O lord, of that prince of the Magadhas, the latter,
struggling vigorously, rushed against Yuyudhana from
all sides. Scattering their shafts and lances
by thousands, and sharp arrows and spears and mallets
and thick clubs, those brave warriors fought in that
battle with that invincible hero of the Satwata race.
Endued with great might, invincible Satyaki, that
bull among men, with the greatest ease and laughing
the while, vanquished them all. The Magadhas were
nearly exterminated. A small remnant flew from
the field. Beholding this, thy army, already
afflicted with the arrows of Yuyudhana, broke, O lord!
Then that foremost one of Madhu’s race, having
slaughtered ill battle thy troops, that illustrious
hero, looked resplendent as he shook his bow.
The army, O king, was thus routed by that high-souled
one of the Satwata race. Indeed, frightened by
that hero of long arms, none approached him for fight.
Then Drona filled with rage and rolling his eyes, himself
rushed impetuously towards Satyaki, of feats incapable
of being baffled.’”
SECTION CVII
Page 1035
“Sanjaya said, ’The illustrious son of
Somadatta pierced each of the sons of Draupadi, those
great bowmen, with five arrows, and once more with
seven arrows. Much afflicted, O lord, by that
fierce warrior, they were stupefied and knew not for
some time what to do. Then that crusher of foes,
Satanika, the son of Nakula, piercing Somadatta’s
son, that bull among men, with a couple of arrows,
uttered in joy a loud roar. The other brothers
then, struggling vigorously, quickly pierced the wrathful
son of Somadatta, each with three straight shafts.
Then the illustrious son of Somadatta, O monarch,
sped at them five shafts, piercing each of them in
the chest with one shaft. Then those five brothers,
thus pierced by that high-souled warrior with his
shafts, surrounded that hero on every side and began
to pierce him deeply with their shafts. Then the
son of Arjuna, filled with rage, despatched with keen
shafts, the four steeds of Saumadatti to the region
of Yama. And the son of Bhimasena, cutting off
the bow of the illustrious son of Somadatta, uttered
a loud shout and pierced his foe with many sharp arrows.
The son of Yudhishthira then, cutting off Saumadatti’s
standard, felled it en the earth, while the son of
Nakula felled the enemy’s charioteer from his
niche in the car. Then the son of Sahadeva, ascertaining
the foe to be on the point of leaving the field in
consequence of the brothers, cut off, with a razor-faced
arrow, the head of that illustrious warrior. That
head, decked with ear-rings of gold, fell on the earth
and adorned the field like the sun of brilliant effulgence
that rises at the end of the Yuga. Beholding the
head of the high-souled son of Somadatta thus fallen
on the ground, thy troops, O king, overcome with fear,
fled in all directions.
“The Rakshasa Alamvusha in that battle, filled
with rage, fought with the mighty Bhimasena, like
Ravana’s son (Indrajit) with (Rama’s brother)
Lakshmana. Beholding that Rakshasa and that human
warrior engaged in fight, all creatures experienced
both joy and wonder. Then Bhima, O king, laughing
the while, pierced that wrathful prince of Rakshasa,
viz., Rishyasringa’s son (Alamvusha), with
nine keen shafts. Then that Rakshasa, thus pierced
in battle, uttered a loud and awful sound, and rushed,
with all his followers, against Bhima. Piercing
Bhima then with five straight shafts, he quickly destroyed
in that battle, thirty cars supporting Bhima.
And once more destroying four hundred cars of Bhimasena,
the Rakshasa pierced Bhimasena himself with winged
arrows. Then the mighty Bhima deeply pierced
by the Rakshasa, sat down on the terrace of his car,
overcome by a swoon. The son of the Wind-god then,
recovering his senses, became filled with rage.
Drawing his excellent and terrible bow that was capable
of bearing a great strain, he afflicted Alamvusha,
in every part of his body, with keen shafts. Thereupon,
the Rakshasa who resembled a huge mass of antimony,
looked resplendent O king, like a flowering Kinsuka.
Page 1036
Whilst being struck in that battle with those shafts
sped from the bow of Bhima, the Rakshasa recollected
the slaughter of his brother (Vaka) by the illustrious
Pandava. Assuming then an awful form, he addressed
Bhima, saying, ’Wait a little in this battle,
O Partha! Behold today my prowess. O thou
of wicked understanding, that foremost of Rakshasas,
viz., the mighty Vaka, was my brother. It
is true he was slain by thee. But that took place
out of my sight.’ Having said these words
unto Bhima, Alamvusha made himself invisible, and began
to cover Bhimasena with a dense shower of arrows.
Upon the disappearance of the Rakshasa, Bhima, O monarch,
covered the welkin with straight shafts. Thus
afflicted by Bhima, Alamvusha soon returned to his
car. And soon again, he entered into the bowels
of the earth and once more becoming little he suddenly
soared into the sky. Alamvusha, assumed countless
forms. Now becoming subtle and now huge and gross,
he began to roar like the clouds. And he uttered
diverse kinds of words and speeches all around.
And from the welkin there fell thousands of arrowy
torrents, as also darts, and Kunapas, and lances,
and spiked maces, and short arrows, and scimitars,
and swords, and thunders also. That awful downpour
of arrows caused by the Rakshasa, slew the troops
of Pandu’s son on the field of battle.
And in consequence of that arrowy downpour, many elephants
also of the Pandava army were slain, and many steeds
also, O king, and many foot-soldiers. And a river
was caused there, whose waters were blood and whose
eddies were constituted by cars. And it abounded
with elephants that constituted its alligators.
And the umbrellas of car-warriors constituted its
swans, and the flesh and marrow of animals, its mire.
And it teemed with the (cut off) arms of human beings
that constituted its snakes. And it was haunted
by many Rakshasas and other cannibals. And it
wafted away, O king, countless Chedis and Panchalas
and Srinjayas. Beholding him, O monarch, careering
so fearlessly in that battle and seeing his prowess,
the Pandavas became filled with anxiety; and joy filled
the hearts of thy troops then. And amongst the
latter, loud and terrible sounds of musical instruments,
making the hair stand on end, arose. Hearing
that loud uproar made by thy troops, the son of Pandu
could not bear it, as a snake cannot bear the clap
of human palms. With eyes red as copper in rage,
with glances that like fire consumed every thing,
the son of the Wind-god, like Tvashtri himself, aimed
the weapon known by the name of Tvashtri. From
that weapon were produced thousands of arrows on all
sides. And in consequence of those arrows, a universal
rout was seen among thy troops.’ That weapon,
shot in battle by Bhimasena, destroying the effective
illusion produced by the Rakshasa, greatly afflicted
the Rakshasa himself. Struck in every part of
his body by Bhimasena, the Rakshasa, then abandoning
Bhimasena, fled towards the division of Drona.
Upon the defeat of that prince of Rakshasa by the
high-souled Bhima, the Pandavas caused every point
of the compass to resound with their leonine roars.
And filled with joy, they worshipped the mighty son
of Marut, like the Maruts worshipping Sakra after the
defeat in battle of Prahlada.’”
Page 1037
SECTION CVIII
“Sanjaya said, ’Having fled away from
Bhima, Alamvusha, in another part of the field, careered
fearlessly in battle. And while he was thus fearlessly
careering in battle, the son of Hidimva rushed impetuously
at him and pierced him with keen shafts. The
battle between those two lions among Rakshasas became
terrible. Both of them invoked into existence
illusions like Sakra and Samvara (in days of old).
Alamvusha, excited with rage, attacked Ghatotkacha.
Indeed, that encounter between those two foremost
of Rakshasas resembled that of old between Rama and
Ravana, O lord! Then Ghatotkacha having pierced
Alamvusha, in the centre of the chest with twenty
long shafts, repeatedly roared like a lion. Smilingly,
O king, Alamvusha also, repeatedly piercing the invincible
son of Hidimva, uttered loud roars in joy, filling
the entire welkin. Then, those two foremost of
Rakshasas, endued with great might, became filled
with rage. They fought with each other, displaying
their powers of illusion, but without any of them
getting any advantage over the other. Each, creating
a hundred illusions, stupefied the other. Both
accomplished in producing’ illusions, O king,
that Ghatotkacha displayed in battle, were all destroyed,
O monarch, by Alamvusha, producing similar illusions
of his own. Beholding that prince of Rakshasas,
viz., Alamvusha, who was accomplished in producing
illusions, fight in that manner, the Pandavas became
filled with anxiety, they then caused him to be surrounded
by many foremost of car-warriors. Bhimasena and
others, O monarch, all rushed in rage against him.
Hemming him, O sire, on all sides by means of numberless
cars, they shrouded him from every side with shafts,
like men in a forest encompassing an elephant with
blazing brands. Baffling that shower of weapons
by means of the illusion of his own weapons, freed
himself from that press of cars like an elephant from
a forest conflagration. Then drawing his terrible
bow whose twang resembled the thunder of Indra, he
pierced the son of the Wind-god with five and twenty
shafts, and Bhimasena’s son with five, and Yudhishthira
with three, and Sahadeva with seven, and Nakula with
three and seventy, and each of the five sons of Draupadi
with five shafts, and uttered a loud roar. Then
Bhimasena pierced him in return with nine shafts, and
Sahadeva with five. And Yudhishthira pierced the
Rakshasa with a hundred shafts. And Nakula pierced
him with three shafts. The son of Hidimva having
pierced him with five hundred shafts, Alamvusha once
more pierced him with seventy, and that mighty warrior
uttered a loud roar. With that loud roar of Ghatotkacha
the earth shook, O king, with her mountains and forests
and with her trees and waters. Deeply pierced
on all sides by those great bowmen and mighty car-warriors,
Alamvusha pierced each of them in return with five
arrows. Then that Rakshasa, O chief of the Bharatas,
Page 1038
viz., the son of Hidimva, filled with rage, pierced
that other angry Rakshasa in battle with many shafts.
Then that mighty prince of Rakshasas, viz., Alamvusha,
deeply pierced, quickly shot countless shafts equipped
with wings of gold and whetted on stone. Those
shafts, perfectly straight, all entered the body of
Ghatotkacha, like angry snakes of great strength entering
a mountain summit. Then the Pandavas, O king,
filled with anxiety, and Hidimva’s son Ghatotkacha,
also sped at their foe from every side clouds of keen
shafts. Thus struck in battle by the Pandavas,
desirous of victory, Alamvusha mortal as he was, did
not know what to do. Then that delighter in battle,
viz., the mighty son of Bhimasena, beholding
that state of Alamvusha, set his heart upon his destruction.
He rushed with great impetuosity towards the car of
the prince of Rakshasas, that car which resembled
a burnt mountain summit or a broken heap of antimony.
The son of Hidimva, inflamed with wrath, flew from
his own car to that of Alamvusha, and seized the latter.
He then took him up from the car, like Garuda taking
up a snake. Thus dragging him up with his arms,
he began to whirl him repeatedly, and then crushed
him into pieces, hurling him down on the earth, like
a man crushing an earthen pot into fragments by hurling
it against a rock. Endued with strength and activity,
possessed of great prowess, the son of Bhimasena, inflamed
with wrath in battle, inspired all the troops with
fear. All the limbs broken and bones reduced
to fragments, the frightful Rakshasa Alamvusha, thus
slain by the heroic Ghatotkacha, resembled a tall Sala
uprooted and broken by the wind. Upon the slaughter
of that wanderer of the night, the Parthas became
very cheerful. And they uttered leonine roars
and waved their garments. Thy brave warriors,
however, beholding that mighty prince or Rakshasas,
viz., Alamvusha, slain and lying like a crushed
mountain, uttered cries, O monarch, of Oh and Alas.
And people, possessed with curiosity, went to view
that Rakshasa lying helplessly on the earth like a
piece of charcoal (no longer capable of burning).
The Rakshasa Ghatotkacha, then, that foremost of mighty
beings, having thus slain his foe, uttered a loud
shout, like Vasava after slaying (the Asura) Vala.
Having achieved that exceedingly difficult feat, Ghatotkacha,
was much applauded by his sires as also by his relatives.
Indeed, having felled Alamvusha, like an Alamvusha
fruit, he rejoiced exceedingly with his friends.
There arose then a loud uproar (in the Pandava army)
of conchs and of diverse kinds of arrows. Hearing
that noise the Kauravas uttered loud shouts in reply,
filling the whole earth with its echoes.’”
SECTION CIX
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Tell me, O Sanjaya,
how Yuyudhana rushed against the son of Bharadwaja
in battle. I feel a great curiosity to hear it.’
Page 1039
“Sanjaya said, ’Listen, O thou of great
wisdom, to the account of that battle, that makes
the hair stand on end, between Drona and the Pandayas
headed by Yuyudhana. Beholding the (Kuru) army
slaughtered, O sire, by Yuyudhana, Drona himself rushed
towards that warrior of unbaffled prowess, called
also by the name of Satyaki. Satyaki pierced that
mighty car-warrior, viz., the son of Bharadwaja,
thus advancing against him, with five and twenty small
arrows. Drona also, possessed of great prowess
in battle, with deliberate aim, quickly pierced Yuyudhana,
with five whetted arrows, equipped with wings of gold.
Those arrows, piercing the hard mount of the foe and
drinking his life-blood, entered the earth, O king,
like hissing snakes. The long-armed Satyaki then,
inflamed with rage like an elephant struck with the
hook, pierced Drona with fifty long arrows that resembled
flames of fire. Then Bharadwaja’s son, thus
quickly pierced in battle by Yuyudhana, pierced carefully
exerting Satyaki in return with many arrows.
Then that great bowman, endued with great might, and
filled with rage, once more afflicted that hero of
the Satwata race with many straight shafts. Thus
struck in that battle by the son of Bharadwaja, Satyaki,
O monarch, knew not what to do. Then, O king,
Yuyudhana’s face became cheerless, seeing the
son of Bharadwaja shoot countless keen arrows.
Beholding Satyaki thus situated, thy sons and troops,
O king, becoming exceedingly cheerful, repeatedly uttered
leonine roars. Hearing that terrible uproar and
beholding that hero of Madhu’s race thus afflicted,
king Yudhishthira, O monarch, addressing all his soldiers,
said, ’That foremost one among the Vrishnis,
viz., the brave Satyaki, of prowess incapable
of being baffled, is about to be devoured by the heroic
Drona, like the sun by Rahu. Go and rush ye to
the spot where Satyaki is battling.’ The
king, addressing Dhrishtadyumna. of the Panchala race,
said, Rush thou with speed at Drona. Why dost
thou tarry, O son of Prishata! Seest thou not
the great danger to ourselves that has already arisen
from Drona? Drona is a great bowman. He is
sporting with Yuyudhana, in battle, like a boy with
a bird bound in a string. Let all of you, headed
by Bhimasena, and accompanied by others proceed thither
where Satyaki’s car is. Behind you I will
follow with my troops. Rescue Satyaki today who
is already within the jaws of the Destroyer.’
Having said these words, O Bharata, king Yudhishthira
with all his troops rushed towards Drona for the sake
of Yuyudhana. Blessed be thou, great was the
uproar made there by the Pandavas and the Srinjayas
all fighting with Drona only. Together approaching,
O tiger among men, that mighty car-warrior, viz.,
the son of Bharadwaja, they covered with showers of
keen arrows equipped with the feathers of Kankas and
peacocks. Drona, however, received all those
heroes smilingly, like a householder receiving guests
arrived of their own will, with seats and water.
Page 1040
With the shafts of Bharadwaja’s bow-wielding
son, those heroes were well-gratified like guest,
O king, with the hospitality they receive in the houses
(of good hosts). And none of them, O lord, could
even gaze at the son of Bharadwaja who then resembled
the thousand-rayed sun at midday. Indeed, Drona,
that foremost of all wielders of weapons, scorched
all those great bowmen with showers of arrows like
the sun scorching (everything below) with his burning
rays. Thus struck, O king, by Drona, the Pandavas
and the Srinjayas beheld no protector, like elephants
sunk in a morass. The mighty arrows of Drona,
as they coursed (through the welkin), looked like
the rays of the sun blasting everything around.
In that encounter, five and twenty warriors among
the Panchalas were slain by Drona, who were all regarded
as Maharathas and all approved (as such) by Dhrishtadyumna.
And amongst all the troops of the Pandavas and the
Panchalas, men quietly beheld brave Drona slaying the
foremost of warriors in succession. Having slain
a hundred warriors amongst the Kekayas and routing
them on all sides, Drona stood, O monarch, like the
Destroyer himself with wide-open mouth. The mighty-armed
Drona vanquished the Panchalas, the Srinjayas, the
Matsyas and the Kekayas, O monarch, by hundreds and
thousands. Pierced by the arrows of Drona, the
clamour made by them resembled that made in the woods
by the denizens of the forest when encompassed by
a conflagration. The gods, Gandharvas, and the
Pitris, said, ’Behold, the Panchalas, and the
Pandavas, with all their troops, are flying away.’
Indeed, when Drona was thus engaged in slaughtering
the Somakas in battle, none ventured to advance against
him and none succeeded in piercing him. And while
that dreadful encounter, so destructive of great heroes,
continued, Pritha’s son (Yudhishthira) suddenly
heard the blare of Panchajanya. Blown by Vasudeva,
that best of conchs gave loud blasts. Indeed,
while the heroic protectors of the ruler of the Sindhus
were fighting, and while the Dhartarashtras were roaring
in front of Arjuna’s car, the twang of Gandiva
could not be heard. The royal son of Pandu repeatedly
swooned, and thought, ’Without doubt, all is
not well with Partha, since that prince of conchs (Panchajanya)
is yielding such blasts and since the Kauravas also,
filled with joy, are incessantly uttering such shouts.’
Thinking in this way, with an anxious heart, Ajatasatru,
the son of Kunti, said unto him of the Satwata race
(viz., Satyaki) these words in a voice choked with
tears. Though repeatedly stupefied, king Yudhishthira,
however, did not lose sight of what was to be done
next. Addressing Sini’s grandson, that bull
of his clan, (Yudhishthira said), ’O grandson
of Sini, the time for that eternal duty which the
righteous ones of old have indicated (for friends)
towards friends in seasons of distress, hath now come.
O bull amongst the Sinis, reflecting within myself,
I do not, O Satyaki, see amongst all my warriors one
Page 1041
who is a greater well wisher to us than thou art.
He who is always well-affected, he who is always obedient,
I think, he should be appointed to a grave commission
in times of distress. As Kesava is ever the refuge
of the Pandavas even, so art thou, O thou of Vrishni’s
race, who art like Kesava in prowess. I will,
therefore, lay a burthen on thee. It behoveth
thee not to frustrate my purpose. Arjuna is thy
brother, friend, and preceptor, O bull among men,
in this battle render him aid in time of distress.
Thou art devoted to truth. Thou art a hero.
Thou art the dispeller of the fears of friends.
Thou art celebrated in the world, in consequence of
thy acts, O hero, as one that is truthful in speech.
He, O grandson of Sini, who casteth away his body while
fighting in battle for friends, is equal to him who
giveth away to Brahmanas the whole earth. We
have heard of various kings gone to heaven, having
given away the whole of this earth unto Brahmanas
with due rites. O thou of virtuous soul, I beg
of thee, with joined hands, even this viz., that,
O lord, attain thou the fruit of giving away (unto
Brahmanas) the whole earth, or something higher than
that by incurring danger to thy life itself for helping
Arjuna. There is one, viz., Krishna, that
dispeller of the fears of friends, who is ever willing
to cast away his life in battle (for the sake of friends).
Thou, O Satyaki, art the second. None but a hero
can render aid unto a hero, exerting valorously in
battle, from desire of fame. An ordinary person
cannot do so. In this matter, here is none else
but thee who can protect Arjuna. On one occasion,
while applauding thy numerous feats, Arjuna, giving
me great pleasure repeatedly recited them. He
said of thee that thou art endued with extreme lightness
of hand, that thou art conversant with all modes of
warfare, that thou art possessed of great activity
and great prowess. He said, ’Satyaki is
endued with great wisdom, is acquainted with every
weapon, is a hero, and is never stupefied in battle.
Of broad neck and broad chest, of mighty arms and
broad cheeks, or great strength and great prowess,
Satyaki is a high-souled Maharatha. He is my disciple
and friend; I am dear to him and he is dear to me.
Becoming my ally, Yuyudhana will crush the Kauravas.
Even if Kesava and Rama, and Aniruddha, and the mighty
car-warrior Pradyumna, and Gada, and Sarana, and Samva,
with all the Vrishnis, case themselves in mail for
assisting us, O king, in the field of battle, I shall
yet appoint that tiger among men viz., Satyaki
of unbaffled prowess, for our aid, since there is none
equal to him.’ Even this is what Dhananjaya
told me in the Dwaita woods, in thy absence, while
truly describing thy merits in an assembly of righteous
persons. It behoveth thee not, O thou of the Vrishni
race, to falsify that expectation of Dhananjaya, and
also of myself and Bhima! When, returning from
various tirthas, I proceeded to Dwaraka; there I witnessed
Page 1042
thy reverence for Arjuna. While we were at Upaplavya
I did not mark anybody else, O grandson of Sini, who
showed us such affection as thou didst. Thou
art of noble lineage and feelest reverence for us.
For showing kindness, therefore, to one who is thy
friend and preceptor, it behoveth thee, O thou of
mighty arms, to act in a way deserving, O great bowman,
of thy friendship and prowess and noble parentage and
truthfulness. O thou of Madhu’s race!
Suyodhana, cased in armour by Drona himself, hath
suddenly gone, following Arjuna! The other great
car-warriors of Kauravas have, before that followed
Arjuna. Loud uproars are being heard against
Arjuna’s car. O grandson of Sini, it behoveth
thee, O giver of honours, to go thither quickly.
Bhimasena and ourselves, well-equipped and with all
our forces, will resist Drona if he advances against
thee. Behold, O Grandson of Sini, the Bharata
troops are flying away in battle, and as they are
flying away, they are tittering loud wails. Like
the very ocean at full tide agitated by a mighty tempest,
the Dhartarashtra host, O sire, is agitated by Savyasachin.
Behold, in consequence of countless cars and men and
steeds moving quickly, the earthly dust raised is
gradually spreading (over the field). See, that
slayer of hostile hosts, Phalguna, is encompassed by
the Sindhu-Sauviras, armed with spikes and lances
and adorned with many horses in their ranks.
Without vanquishing this force it will not be possible
to vanquish Jayadratha. These warriors are prepared
to lay down their lives for the sake of the ruler
of the Sindhus. Behold the invincible Dhartarashtra
force, stationed there, that bristles with arrows and
darts and tall standards, and that teems with steeds
and elephants. Hear the beat of their drums and
the loud blare of their conchs, the tremendous leonine
shouts uttered by them, and the rattle of their car-wheels.
Hear the grunt of their elephants, the heavy tread
of their foot-soldiers, and the stamping of their
rushing cavalry which all seem to shake the very earth
itself. Before him is the division of Jayadratha,
and behind is that of Drona. So great is the
number of the foes that he is capable of afflicting
the chief of the celestials himself. Sunk in the
midst of the fathomless host, Arjuna may lose his
life. If he be slain in battle, how can one like
me live? Is this calamity to befall me when thou
art alive? Dark-blue in colour, young in years,
of curled locks and exceedingly handsome is that son
of Pandu. Active in the use of weapons, and conversant
with every mode of warfare, the mighty-armed Arjuna
hath, O sire, penetrated into the Bharata host at
sunrise. The day is about to end. O thou
of Vrishni’s race, I do not know whether he liveth
or not. The vast Kuru host is like ocean.
O sire, Vibhatsu hath penetrated into it all alone.
That army is incapable of being resisted by the very
gods in battle. In today’s battle, I fail
to keep my judgment clear. Drona also is, with
Page 1043
great might, afflicting my forces! Thou seest,
O mighty-armed one, how that regenerate one is careering
in battle. When several tasks present themselves
together, thou art well-skilled in selecting that
which would be first attended to. It behoveth
thee, O giver of honours, to accomplish with activity
that task which is the gravest of all. Amongst
all these tasks, I myself think, that this (aiding
Arjuna) is the first that demands our attention.
The rescue of Arjuna in battle should be first undertaken.
I do not grieve for him of Dasarha’s race.
He is the Protector and the Lord of the Universe.
I tell thee truly that tiger among men, O sire, is
able to vanquish in battle the three worlds assembled
together. What need I say, therefore, of this
weak Dhritarashtra host? Arjuna, however, O thou
of Vrishni’s race, is being afflicted by countless
odds in battle. He may yield up his life.
It is for this that I am so cheerless. O thou
then go in his track, since persons like thee should
follow a person like him, at such a season, urged
on by one like me. Amongst the foremost ones of
the Vrishni race, two are regarded as Atirathas.
They are mighty-armed Pradyumna and thyself, O Satwata,
that are so famous. In weapons, thou art equal
to Narayana himself, and in strength to Sankarshana.
In bravery, thou art equal to Dhananjaya, O tiger
among men, and surpassest Bhishma and Drona and every
one accomplished in battle. O tiger among men,
the wise speak of thee, saying. O Madhava, ‘There
is nothing unachievable by Satyaki.’ O
thou of great strength, do thou, therefore, that which
I say unto thee, viz., obey the wishes of all
here, of myself and of Arjuna. It behoveth thee
not, O mighty-armed one, to frustrate that wish.
Reckless of thy very life, career thou in battle like
a hero. O grandson of Sini, the scions of Dasarha’s
race never care to protect their lives in battle.
Avoiding battle, or fighting from behind breast-works,
or flying away from battle,—those practices
of cowards and wretches are never practised by the
Dasarhas. The virtuous-souled Arjuna is thy superior,
O bull among the Sinis! Vasudeva is the superior
of both thyself and intelligent Arjuna, Casting my
eyes on these two reasons, I say unto thee these words.
Do not discard my words, I am the superior of thy superiors.
That which I am saying unto thee is approved as also
by Arjuna. I tell thee this truly. Go then
to the spot where Dhananjaya is. Attending to
these words of mine, O thou of prowess incapable of
being baffled, penetrate in this host of the wicked
son of Dhritarashtra. Having penetrated into it
duly, encounter the great car-warriors, and display,
O Satwata, such feats as are worthy of thyself!’”
SECTION CX
Page 1044
“Sanjaya said, ’That bull amongst the
Sinis, viz., Satyaki, hearing these words o,
full affection, agreeable, fraught with sweet sounds,
opportune, delightful, and equitable that were uttered
by king Yudhishthira the just, replied unto him, O
chief of the Bharatas, saying, ’O thou of unfading
glory, I have heard all the words thou hast said, words
fraught with justice, delightful, and conducive to
fame for the sake of Phalguna. At such a time,
indeed, beholding one devoted (to thee) like me, it
behoveth thee, O king of kings, to command him as much,
as thou canst command Partha himself. As regards
myself, I am prepared to cast away my life for the
sake of Dhananjaya. Commanded, again, by thee,
what is there I would not do in great battle?
What need I say of this weak (Dhritarashtra) force?
Urged by thee, I am prepared, O best of men, to battle
with three worlds including the gods, the Asuras, and
men. Today I will fight with the entire army
of Suyodhana and vanquish it in battle. Truly
do I say this unto thee, O king! Safely shall
I reach Dhananjaya himself in safety, and after Jayadratha
is slain, I shall, O king, come back into thy presence.
I must, however, O king, inform thee of the words
of Vasudeva as also those of the intelligent Arjuna.
I was strongly and repeatedly solicited by Arjuna
in the midst of all our warriors and in the hearing
also of Vasudeva (in these words), Today, O Madhava,
nobly resolved in battle, protect thou the king carefully,
till I slay Jayadratha! Making over the monarch
to thee, O mighty-armed one, or to that great car-warrior
Pradyumna, I can go with an easy heart towards Jayadratha.
Thou knowest Drona in battle, that warrior who is regarded
as the foremost one among the Kurus. Thou knowest
also the vow made by him in the presence of all, O
lord! The son of Bharadwaja is always eager to
seize the king. He is competent also in afflicting
king Yudhishthira in battle. Charging thee with
the protection of that best of men, viz., king
Yudhishthira the just, I will proceed today for the
destruction of the ruler of the Sindhus. Slaying
Jayadratha, I shall soon come back, O Madhava!
See that Drona may not succeed in forcibly seizing
king Yudhishthira the just in battle. If Yudhishthira
be seized by Bharadwaja’s son, O Madhava, I
shall not succeed in slaying Jayadratha, and great
will be my grief. If that best of men, the truthful
son of Pandu, be seized, it is evident that we shall
have again to go into woods. My success, therefore,
over Jayadratha, it is plain, will be productive of
no benefit, if Drona, inflamed with rage, succeeds
in seizing Yudhishthira in battle. O mighty-armed
one, for doing what is agreeable to me, therefore,
O Madhava, as also for the sake of my success and
fame, protect the king in battle.’ Thou
seest, therefore, O king, thou hast been made over
to me as a trust by Savyasachin, O lord, in consequence
of his constant fear of Bharadwaja’s son.
O mighty-armed one, I myself daily see, O lord, that
Page 1045
there is none, save Rukmini’s son (Pradyumna),
who can be a match for Drona in battle. I also
am regarded to be a match for the intelligent son
of Bharadwaja in battle. It is plain, therefore,
I cannot dare falsify that reputation which I have,
or disregard the commands of my preceptor (Arjuna),
or leave thee, O king! The preceptor (Drona),
cased as he is in impenetrable mail, in consequence
of his lightness of arms, obtaining thee in battle,
will sport with thee as a child with a little bird.
If Krishna’s son, bearing the Makara on his
banner, were here, I could then have made over to him,
for he would have protected thee as Arjuna himself.
Thou shouldst protect thyself. When I am gone,
who will protect thee, who that is, that will advance
against Drona while I proceed towards Arjuna?
O king, let no fear be thine today on Arjuna’s
account. He never becomes cheerless under any
burden howsoever heavy. Those warriors that are
opposed to him, viz., the Sauvirakas, the Sindhava-Pauravas,
they from the north, they from the south, and they,
O king, headed by Karna, that are regarded as foremost
of car-warriors, do not together come up to a sixteenth
part of Arjuna. The whole earth rising against
him, with the gods, the Asuras, and men, with all
the tribes of Rakshasas, O king, with the Kinnaras,
the great snakes, and in fact, all the mobile and
the immobile creatures assembled together, is no match
for Arjuna in battle. Knowing this, O king, let
thy fear on Dhananjaya’s account be dispelled.
There where those two heroes and great bowmen, viz.,
the two Krishnas, of prowess incapable of being baffled,
are, there the slightest obstacle cannot happen to
their purpose. Think of the celestial puissance,
the accomplishment in weapons, the resourcefulness,
the wrath in battle, the gratefulness, and the compassion
of thy brother. Think also, O king, of the wonderful
knowledge of weapons that Drona will display in battle
when I leave this place for going to Arjuna.
The preceptor, O monarch, is eagerly solicitous of
seizing thee. He is eagerly desirous also, O king,
of making good his vow, O Bharata! Be attentive,
O king, to thy own protection. Who will protect
thee when I am gone, who is he that is, confiding on
whom I may go towards Pritha’s son, Phalguna?
I tell thee truly, O great king, that without making
thee over to somebody in this great battle, I will
not surely go towards Arjuna, O thou of Kuru’s
race! Reflecting on this, from every point of
view, with the aid of thy intelligence, O foremost
of all intelligent persons, and ascertaining with
thy intelligence what is for thy highest good, command
me, O king!’
Page 1046
“Yudhishthira hearing these words said, ’It
is even so, O mighty-armed one, as thou sayest, O
Madhava! For all that, however, O sire, my heart
doth not become easy on Arjuna’s account.
I shall take the greatest precaution in protecting
myself. Commanded by me, go thou thither where
Dhananjaya hath gone. Weighing, with my judgment,
my own protection in battle with the necessity of
your going towards Arjuna, the latter seems to me
preferable, Make thyself ready, therefore, to go thither
whither Dhananjaya hath gone. The mighty Bhima
will protect me. Prishata’s son, with all
his uterine brothers, and all the mighty kings, and
the sons of Draupadi, will without doubt, protect
me. The five Kekaya brothers, and the Rakshasa
Ghatotkacha, and Virata, and Drupada, and the mighty
car-warrior Sikhandin and Dhrishtaketu of great strength,
and Kuntibhoja, O sire, Nakula, and Sahadeva, and
the Panchalas, and the Srinjayas,—all these,
O sire, will without doubt, very carefully protect
me. Drona at the head of his troops, and Kritavarman
also, in battle, will not succeed in beating us or
afflicting me. That scorcher of foes, viz.,
Dhrishtadyumna, displaying his prowess, will resist
the angry Drona, like the continent resisting the
sea. There where Prishata’s son, that slayer
of hostile heroes, will remain, there Drona will never
be able to forcibly transgress our troops. This
Dhristadyumna sprang from the fire, for the destruction
of Drona, clad in mail, armed with bow and arrows and
sword, and decked with costly ornaments. Go, O
grandson of Sini, with an easy heart, do not be anxious
on my account. Dhrishtadyumna will resist angry
Drona in battle.’”
SECTION CXI
“Sanjaya said, ’Hearing these words of
the king Yudhishthira the just, that bull among the
Sinis feared the censure of Arjuna if he left the
king. Seeing, however, the certainty of an imputation
of cowardice by the people (if he disobeyed Yudhishthira),
he said to himself, ’Let not people say that
I am afraid of proceeding towards Arjuna.’
Reflecting repeatedly on this, Satyaki, that hero
invincible in battle, that bull among men, said these
words unto king Yudhishthira the just, ’If thou
thinkest that these arrangements will suffice for thy
protection, O monarch, I will then do thy bidding
and follow Vibhatsu. I tell thee truly, O king,
that there is none in the three worlds who is dearer
to me than Phalguna. I will follow in his track
at the command, O giver of honours. There is
nothing that I will not do for thy sake. O best
of men, the commands of my preceptor are always of
weight with me. But thy commands are still weightier
with me, O lord! Thy brothers, viz., Krishna
and Dhananjaya, are always engaged in doing what is
agreeable to thee. Taking thy command on my head
for the sake of Arjuna, O lord, I will proceed, O
bull among men, piercing through this impenetrable
host. Darting wrathfully through this force of
Page 1047
Drona, like a fish through the sea, I will go thither,
O monarch, where king Jayadratha, depending upon his
troops, stayeth, in fear of the son of Pandu, protected
by those foremost of car-warriors, viz., Drona’s
son Karna and Kripa! The distance from here,
O king, is three Yojanas. I think, of that spot
where Partha stayeth, ready to slay Jayadratha!
But though Partha is three Yojanas distant I shall
yet follow in his track with a stout heart, and stay
with him, O king, till Jayadratha’s slaughter.
What man is there that goes to battle without the
commands of his superiors? And when one is commanded,
O king, as I have been by thee, who is there like me
that would not fight? I know that place whither
I shall have to go, O lord! Teeming as this ocean-like
host doth with ploughshare and darts and maces and
shields and scimitars and swords and lances and foremost
of shafts, I will today agitate this ocean. This
elephant division, consisting of a thousand elephants,
that thou seest, all belonging to the breed known by
the name of Anjana and all endued with great prowess,
which are all mounted by a large number of Mlecchas,
delighting in battle and accomplished in smiting,—these
elephants, O king, that are shedding their juicy secretions
like rain-pouring clouds,—these never retreat
if urged forward by those upon their backs. They
cannot be vanquished, O king, unless they are slaughtered.
Then again, those car-warriors numbering thousands.,
that thou seest, are all of royal lineage and are
all Maharathas. They are called Rukmarathas.[149]
They are accomplished in weapons and battling from
cars, as also in fighting from the backs of elephants.
O monarch! Thorough masters of the science of
weapons, they are accomplished in fighting with their
fists. Skilled in battling with maces, masters
also of the art of close fight, they are equally clever
in striking with scimitars and in falling upon the
foe with sword and shield. They are brave and
learned, and animated by a spirit of rivalry.
Every day, O king, they vanquish a vast number of men
in battle. They are commanded by Karna and devoted
to Duhsasana. Even Vasudeva applauds them as
great car-warriors. Always solicitous of Karna’s
welfare, they are obedient to him. It is at Karna’s
command, O king, that returning from their pursuit
of Arjuna and, therefore, unfatigued and unworn, those
brave warriors, cased in impenetrable armour and armed
with strong bows, are certainly waiting for me, ordered
by Duryodhana also. Crushing them in battle for
thy good, O Katirava, I shall then follow in the track
of Savyasachin. Those other elephants, O king,
seven hundred in number, that thou seest, all cased
in armour and ridden by Kiratas, and decked with ornaments,
the king of the Kiratas, desirous of his life, had
formerly presented to Savyasachin together with many
servants in their train. These, O king, were
formerly employed in doing thy business. Behold
the vicissitudes that time brings about, for these
Page 1048
are now battling against thee. Those elephants
are ridden by Kiratas difficult of defeat in battle.
They are accomplished in fighting from elephants, and
are all sprung from the race of Agni. Formerly,
they were all vanquished in battle by Savyasachin.
They are now waiting for me carefully, under the orders
of Duryodhana. Slaying with my shafts, O king,
these Kiratas difficult of defeat in battle, I shall
follow in the track of Arjuna who is intent on the
slaughter of the ruler of the Sindhus. Those (other)
huge elephants, sprung from the race of Arjuna, of
impenetrable hides, well-trained, and adorned, and
from whose mouths the juicy secretions are trickling
down, and which are well-adorned with armour made wholly
of gold are very formidable in battle and resemble
Airavata himself. They have come from the northern
hills, and are ridden by fierce robbers that are of
strong limbs, that are all foremost of warriors, and
that are cased in steel coats of mail. There,
amongst them, are persons born of the cow, or the
ape, or of diverse other creatures, including those
born of men. That division of the assembled Mlecchas
that are all sinful and that come from the fastnesses
of Himavat, seem at a distance to be of smoky colour.
Obtaining these, and countless Kshatriyas, as also
Kripa and that foremost of car-warriors, viz.,
Drona and the ruler of the Sindhus, and the Karna,
he thinks lightly of the Pandavas. Impelled by
fate, he regards himself crowned with success.
Those I have named will, however, today be within
reach of my arrows. They shall not escape me,
O son of Kunti, even if they be endued with the speed
of the mind. Much regarded always by Duryodhana,
that prince who dependeth upon the prowess of others,
those warriors, afflicted with my clouds of shafts,
will meet with destruction. Those other car-warriors,
O king, whom thou seest, and who have golden standards
and are difficult of being resisted, are called Kamvojas.
They are brave and accomplished, and firmly devoted
to the science of weapons. Desiring one another’s
welfare they are all firmly united. They constitute
a full Akshauhini of wrathful warriors, O Bharata,
and are staying carefully for my sake, well-protected
by the Kuru heroes. They are on the alert, O
king, with their eyes on me. I shall certainly
destroy them all, like fire destroying a heap of straw.
Therefore, O king, let those that equip cars, place
quivers and all necessaries on my car in proper places.
Indeed, in such a dreadful battle, diverse kinds of
weapons ought to be taken. Let the car be equipped
(with necessaries) five times more than what professors
of military science direct, for I shall have to encounter
the Kamvojas who resemble fierce snakes of virulent
poison. I shall have also to encounter the Kiratas
who are armed with diverse weapons of warfare, who
resemble virulent poison, who are accomplished in
smiting, who have always been well-treated by Duryodhana,
and who on that account are always intent on Duryodhana’s
Page 1049
welfare. I shall also have to encounter the Sakas
endued with prowess equal to that of Sakra himself,
who are fierce as tire, and difficult to put out like
a blazing conflagration. Indeed, O king, I shall
have to encounter in battle many warriors difficult
of being resisted. For this let well-known steeds
of best breed and graced with auspicious marks be
yoked to my car, after causing their thirst to be
slaked and after grooming them duly!’
“Sanjaya continued, ’After this, Yudhishthira
caused quivers full of shafts, and diverse kinds o
weapons, and, indeed, all necessaries, to be placed
on Satyaki’s car. Then, people caused his
four well-harnessed and excellent steeds to drink
and walk, bathe and eat, and having adorned them with
golden chains and plucked out their arrows, those animals,
that had (for these operations) been freed from the
yoke, and that were of the hue of gold and well-trained
and endued with great speed and cheerful and exceedingly
docile, were duly yoked again unto his car. And
upon that car was set up a tall standard bearing a
lion of golden maces. And that standard had attached
round it banners of the hue of white clouds and decked
with gold was also placed upon that vehicle bearing
a heavy weight of weapons. After those steeds,
adorned with trappings of gold, had been yoked to
that car, the younger brother of Daruka, who was the
charioteer and the dear friend of Satyaki, came and
represented unto the latter that the car had been
duly equipped, like Matali representing the equipment
of the car unto Vasava himself. Satyaki then,
having taken a bath and purified himself and undergone
every auspicious ceremony, gave nishkas of gold unto
a thousand Snataka Brahmanas who uttered benedictions
upon him. Blessed with those benedictions Satyaki
that foremost of handsome men, that hero worthy of
worship, having drunk kairata, honey, shone resplendent,
with reddened eyes rolling in intoxication. Having
touched a brazen mirror and filled with great joy,
his energy became doubled, and himself looked like
a blazing fire. Taking upon his shoulders his
bow with arrows, that foremost of car-warriors, eased
in armour and decked in ornaments, had the regenerate
ones perform for him the rites of propitiation.
And fair maidens honoured him by showering upon him
fried paddy and perfumes and floral garlands.
And the hero then, with joined hands, worshipped the
feet of Yudhishthira, and the latter smelt his head.
And having undergone all these rites, he then mounted
his foremost of cars. Then those steeds, cheerful
and strong and fleet as the wind, and invincible,
and belonging to the Sindhu breed, bore him on that
triumphant car. Similarly, Bhimasena also, honoured
by king Yudhishthira the just, and reverentially saluting
the monarch, set out with Satyaki. Beholding
those two chastisers of foes on the point of penetrating
thy host, their enemies, viz., thy troops, all
stood still with Drona at their head. Then Satyaki,
Page 1050
seeing Bhima cased in mail and following him, saluted
that hero and spoke unto him these delightful words.
Indeed, heroic Satyaki, with every limb filled with
joy, said unto Bhima, ’Do thou, O Bhima, protect
the king. Even this is thy duty above all things.
Piercing through this host whose hour hath come.
I will proceed. Whether now or hence, the protection
of the king is thy highest duty. Thou knowest
my prowess, thou desirest my good, return, O Bhima!’
Thus addressed by Satyaki, Bhima replied, Go then,
for the success of thy object. O best of men,
I will protect the king.’ Thus addressed,
he of Madhu’s race answered Bhima, saying, ’Go
back, O son of Pritha! My success is certain,
since won over by my merits, thus, O Bhima, art today
obedient to my wishes. Indeed, O Bhima, as these
auspicious omens tell me, my victory is assured.
After the sinful ruler of the Sindhus has been slain
by the high-souled son of Pandu, I shall embrace king
Yudhishthira of virtuous soul.’ Having
said these words unto Bhima and dismissing him with
an embrace that illustrious warrior eyed thy troops,
like a tiger eyeing a herd of deer. Beholding
him thus looking at thy army, O king, thy troops become
once more stupefied and began to tremble violently.
Then, O king, Satyaki desirous of seeing Arjuna at
the command of king Yudhishthira the just, suddenly
dashed against thy troops.’”
SECTION CXII
“Sanjaya said, ’O king, when Yuyudhana,
from desire of battle proceeded against thy troops,
king Yudhishthira, surrounded by his forces, followed
Yuyudhana for reaching the car of Drona. Then
the son of the king of the Panchalas, viz., the
invincible warrior Dhrishtadyumna, the king Vasudana,
both loudly exclaimed with the Pandava host, ’Come,
smite quickly, and rush against the foe, so that Satyaki,
that warrior invincible battle, in might pass easily
(through the Kaurava host). Many mighty car-warriors
will struggle for vanquishing him.’ The
great car-warriors (of the Pandava army). saying this,
fell impetuously upon their foes. Indeed, they
all rushed, saying, ’We will vanquish those that
will endeavour to vanquish Satyaki.’ Then
a loud uproar was heard about the car of Satyaki.
Thy son’s host, however, covered with Satyaki’s
shafts, fled away. Indeed, O king that host was
broken into a hundred struggling bodies by him of
the Satwata race. And while that force was breaking,
that mighty car-warrior, viz., the (grandson)
of Sini, crushed seven heroic and great bowmen in
the front rank of the foe. And, O monarch, with
his shafts that resembled blazing flames of fire, he
despatched many other heroes, kings of diverse realms,
unto the region of Yama. He sometimes pierced
a hundred warriors with one shaft, and sometimes one
warrior with a hundred shafts. Like the great
Rudra destroying creatures, he slew elephant-riders
and car-warriors with steeds and drivers. None
amongst thy troops ventured to advance against Satyaki
Page 1051
who was displaying such lightness of hand and who showered
such clouds of shafts. Struck with panic and
crushed grounded thus by that hero of long arms, those
brave warriors all left the field at the sight of
that proud hero. Although alone, they saw him
multiplied manifold, and were stupefied by his energy.
And the earth looked exceedingly beautiful with crushed
cars and broken nidas,[150] O sire, and wheels and
fallen umbrellas and standards and anukarshas, and
banners, and headgears decked with gold, and human
arms smeared with sandal-paste and adorned with Angadas,
O king, and human thighs, resembling trunks of elephants
or the tapering bodies of snakes, and faces, beautiful
as the moon and decked with ear-rings, of large-eyed
warriors lying all about the field. And the ground
there looked exceedingly beautiful with the huge bodies
of fallen elephants, cut off in diverse ways, like
a large plain strewn with hills. Crushed by that
hero of long arms, steeds, deprived of life and fallen
down on the ground, looked beautiful in their traces
made of burnished gold and decked with rows of pearls,
and in their carcasses of handsome make and design.
Having slain diverse kinds of thy troops, he of the
Satwata race entered into thy host, agitating and routing
thy army. Then Satyaki desired to go by that
very track by which Dhananjaya had gone before him.
Then Drona came and resisted him. Encountering
the son of Bharadwaja, Yuyudhana., filled with rage,
stopped not like a vast expanse of water upon encountering
on embankment. Drona, however, checking in that
battle the mighty car-warrior Yuyudhana, pierced him
with five keen shafts, capable of penetrating into
the very vitals. Satyaki, however, O king, in
that battle pierced Drona with seven shafts whetted
on stone, equipped with golden wings and the feathers
of the Kanka and the peacock. Then Drona, afflicted
Satyaki, his steeds and the drivers, with six shafts.
The mighty car-warrior Yuyudhana could not brook that
feat of Drona. Uttering a leonine shout, he then
pierced Drona with ten shafts, and then with six,
and then with eight others. And once more Yuyudhana
pierced Drona with ten shafts, his charioteer with
one and his four steeds with four. And with another
shaft, O sire, Satyaki struck Drona’s standard.
Then, Drona speedily covered Satyaki, his car, steeds,
driver, and standard, with swiftly coursing shafts,
countless in number like a flight of locusts.
Similarly, Yuyudhana fearlessly covered Drona with
countless shafts of great speed. Then Drona, addressing
Yuyudhana, said, ’Thy preceptor (Arjuna) hath,
like a coward, gone away, leaving the battle, avoiding
me who was fighting with him, proceeding by my flank.
O thou of Madhu’s race, if like thy preceptor,
thou too dost not quickly avoid me in this battle,
thou shalt not escape me with life today, engaged
as I am in battle with thee.
“Satyaki, hearing these words, answered, ’At
the command of king Yudhishthira the just, I shall
follow in the track of Dhananjaya. Blessed be
thou, O Brahmana, I would lose time (if I fight with
thee). A disciple should always tread in the
way trod by his preceptor. I shall, therefore
follow in the track that has been trod by my preceptor.’
Page 1052
“Sanjaya continued, ’Having said this
much, the grandson of Sini avoided the preceptor and
suddenly proceeded onwards, O king! And addressing
his charioteer, he said, ’Drona will, by every
means, endeavour to check my progress. Proceed
carefully, O Suta, in battle and listen to these grave
words of mine. Yonder is seen the host of great
splendour of Avantis. Next to them, is the mighty
host of the Southerners. And next to it, is the
great host of the Valhikas. By the side of the
Valhikas, stands resolved for fight the mighty host
commanded by Karna. O charioteer, all these hosts
are different from one another, but relying upon one
another, they protect one another on the field of
battle. Arrived at the space left open between
these divisions cheerfully urge thou the steed.
Indeed, O charioteer, bear me thither, making the
steeds adopt a tolerable speed,—thither,
that is, where are seen the Valhikas with diverse
weapons uplifted in their arms, and the countless Southerners
headed by the Suta’s son and whose division
is seen to present a serried array of elephants and
steeds and cars and in which stand foot-soldiers from
various realm.’ Having said this much unto
his driver, avoiding the Brahmana (Drona), he proceeded,
telling his charioteer, Pass through the open space
between those two divisions towards the fierce and
mighty host of Karna.’ Drona, however,
excited with wrath, pursued him from behind, shooting
at him countless shafts. Indeed, the preceptor
closely followed highly blessed Yuyudhana who advanced
without any desire of turning back. Smiting the
great host of Karna with whetted arrows, Satyaki penetrated
into the vast and limitless army of the Bharatas.
When Yuyudhana, however, entered the army, the troops
(opposed to him) fled away. At this, wrathful
Kritavarman came forward to resist Satyaki. The
valiant Satyaki striking the advancing Kritavarman
with six shafts, quickly slew his four steeds with
four other shafts. And once again, he pierced
Kritavarman in the centre of the chest with four other
shafts. And once again, he pierced Kritavarman
in the centre of the chest with sixteen straight shafts
of great speed. Thus encountered; O monarch; with
many shafts of fierce energy by him of the Satwata
race, Kritavarman was unable to brook it. Aiming
then a calf-toothed shaft resembling a shake of virulent
poison and endued With the speed of the wind, and drawing
the bow-string, O monarch, to his ear, he pierced
Satyaki in the chest. That shaft, equipped with
beautiful feathers, penetrating through his armour
and body, and dyed in blood, entered the earth.
Then, O king, Kritavarman, that warrior equipped with
the highest weapons, shooting many shafts, cut off
the bow of Satyaki with arrows fixed thereon.
And excited with rage, he then, in that battle, O
king, pierced Satyaki of unbaffled prowess in the
centre of the chest with ten shafts of great keenness.
Upon his bow being broken, the foremost of mighty men,
viz., Satyaki, hurled a dart at the right arm
Page 1053
of Kritavarman. And taking up and drawing a tougher
bow, Yuyudhana quickly shot at his foe, shafts by
hundreds and thousands and entirely shrouded Kritavarman
and his car with that arrowy downpour. Having
thus shrouded the son of Hridika, O monarch, in that
battle, Satyaki cut of, with a broad-headed arrow,
the head of his foe’s charioteer from his trunk.
The charioteer of Hridika’s son then, thus slain,
fell down from that great car. At this, the steeds
of Kritavarman, deprived of a driver, ran away with
great speed. The ruler of the Bhojas, then, in
great agitation, himself checked those steeds.
That heroic warrior then, bow in hand, stood upon his
car (ready for battle). Beholding this feat,
his troops applauded it highly. Resting for a
short space of time, Kritavarman then urged those good
steeds of his. Himself devoid of fear, he inspired
his foes with great fear. Satyaki, however, had
by that time, left him behind, while Kritavarman himself
now rushed against Bhimasena without pursuing Satyaki.
Thus issuing out of the division of the Bhojas, Satyaki
proceeded with great speed towards the mighty division
of the Kamvojas. Resisted there by many brave
and mighty car-warriors, Yuyudhana, of prowess incapable
of being thwarted, could not then, O monarch, proceed
a step. Meanwhile, Drona, having placed his troops
in a proper position and made over the burthen of their
protection to the ruler of the Bhojas, firmly resolved,
proceeded with great speed towards Yuyudhana from
desire of battle. Then the foremost warriors
of the Pandava host, beholding Drona thus pursuing
Yuyudhana from behind, cheerfully began to resist
him. The Panchalas, however, who were headed
by Bhimasena, having approached the son of Hridika,
that foremost of car-warriors, all became cheerless.
The heroic Kritavarman, O king, displaying his prowess,
resisted all those warriors who, although they had
become a little heartless, struggled yet with great
vigour. Fearlessly he weakened, by means of his
arrowy showers, the animals of his foes. The
brave warriors, however, (of the Pandava army), though
thus afflicted by the ruler of the Bhojas, stood,
like high-born soldiers that they were, resolved to
fight with the division of the Bhojas itself, from
a desire of great renown.’”
SECTION CXIII
“Dhritarashtra said, Our army is equally possessed
of many excellences. It is equally regarded as
superior. It is equally arrayed according to
the rules of science, and it is equally numerous, O
Sanjaya![151] It is always well-treated by us, and
is always devoted to us. It is vast in numerical
strength, and presents a wonderful aspect. Its
prowess had before been tested. The soldiers
are neither very old nor very young. They are
neither lean nor corpulent. Of active habits,
of well-developed and strong frames, they are free
from disease. They are cased in mail and well-equipped
with arms. They are devoted to all kinds of armed
Page 1054
exercises. They are adepts in mounting upon and
descending from the backs of elephants, in moving
forward and stepping back, in smiting effectually,
and in marching and retreating. Oftentimes have
they been tested in the management of elephants and
steeds and cars. Having been examined duly, they
have been entertained on pay and not for the sake of
lineage, nor from favour, nor from relationship.
They are not a rabble come of their own accord, nor
have they been admitted into my army without pay.
My army consists of well-born and respectable men,
who are, again, contented, well-fed, and submissive.
They are sufficiently rewarded. They are all
famous and endued with great intelligence. They
are, again, O son, protected by many of our foremost
counsellors and others of righteous deeds, all of
whom are best of men, resembling the very Regents
of the world. Innumerable rulers of earth, seeking
to do what is agreeable to us, and who have of their
own well sided with us with their forces and followers,
also protect them. Indeed, our army is like the
vast ocean filled with the waters of innumerable rivers
running from all directions. It abounds in steeds
and cars which, though destitute of wings, still resemble
the winged tenants of the air. It seems also
with elephants adorned whose cheeks flow with juicy
secretions. What can it, therefore, be but Destiny
that even such an army should be slain? (Ocean-like
it is) vast number of combatants constitute its interminable
waters, and the steeds and other animals constitute
its terrible waves. Innumerable swords and maces
and darts and arrows and lances constitute the oars
(plied on that ocean).[152] Abounding in standards
and ornaments, the pearls and gems (of the warriors)
constitute the lotuses that deck it. The rushing
steeds and elephants constitute the winds that agitate
it into fury. Drona constitutes the fathomless
cave of that ocean, Kritavarman its vast vortex.
Jalasandha its mighty alligator, and Karna the rise
of the moon that makes it swell with energy and pride.
When that bull amongst the Pandavas, on his single
car, hath speedily gone, piercing through that army
of mine vast (though it be) like the ocean, and when
Yuyudhana also hath followed him, I do not, O Sanjaya,
see the prospect of even a remnant of my troops being
left alive by Savyasachin, and that foremost of car-warriors
belonging to the Satwata race. Beholding those
two exceedingly active heroes pierce through (the
divisions placed in the van), and seeing the ruler
of the Sindhus also within reach of the shafts from
Gandiva, what, indeed, was the measure adopted by
the Kaurava impelled by fate? At that time, when
all were fighting intently, what became of them?
O sire, I regard the assembled Kurus to be overtaken
by Death himself. Indeed, their prowess also in
battle is no longer seen to be what it once was.
Krishna and the son of Pandu have both entered the
(Kuru) host unwounded. There is none in that
host, O Sanjaya, capable of resisting them. Many
Page 1055
combatants that are great car-warriors were admitted
by us after examination. They are all honoured
(by us) with pay as each deserves, and others with
agreeable speeches. There is none, O son, amongst
my troops who is not honoured with good offices (done
to him). Each receives his assigned pay and rations
according to the character of his services. In
my army, O Sanjaya, there is none who is unskilled
in battle, none who receives pay less than what he
deserves, or none who does not receive any pay.
The soldiers are adored by me, according to the best
of my powers, with gifts and honours and seats.
The same conduct is followed towards them by my sons,
my kinsmen, and my friends. Yet on the very approach
of Savyasachin, have they been vanquished by him and
by the grandson of Sini. What can it be but Destiny?
They who are protecting them, all follow the same
road, the protected with the protectors! Beholding
Arjuna arrived at the front of Jayadratha, what measure
was adopted by my foolish son? Beholding Satyaki
also entering the host, what step did Duryodhana think
suitable to that occasion? Indeed, beholding those
two foremost of car-warriors who are beyond the touch
of all weapons, enter my host, what resolution was
formed by my warriors in battle? I think, beholding
Krishna of Dasarha’s race and that bull of Sini’s
race also both engaged for Arjuna’s sake my
sons are filled with grief. I think, seeing both
Satwata and Arjuna pass through my army and the Kurus
flying away, my sons are filled with grief. I
think, seeing their car-warriors retreat in despair
of subjugating the foe and set their hearts upon flying
away from the field, my sons are filled with grief.
Their steeds and elephants and cars and heroic combatants
by thousands flying away from the field in anxiety,
my sons are filled with grief I think, seeing many
huge elephants fly away, afflicted with the shafts
of Arjuna, and others fallen and falling, my sons
are filled with grief. I think, seeing steeds
deprived of riders and warriors deprived of cars by
Satyaki and Partha, my sons are filled with grief.
I think, large bodies of steeds slain or routed by
Madhava and Partha, my sons are filled with grief.
I think, seeing large bodies of foot-soldiers flying
away in all directions, my sons, despairing of success,
are filled with grief. I think, seeing those
two heroes pass through Drona’s division unvanquished
within a moment, my sons are filled with grief.
Stupefied am I, O son, upon hearing that Krishna and
Dhananjaya, those two heroes of unfading glory, have
both, with Satwata, penetrated into my host. After
that foremost of car-warriors among the Sinis, had
entered my host, and after he had passed through the
division of the Bhojas, what did the Kauravas do?
Tell me also, O Sanjaya, how did the battle take place
there where Drona afflicted the Pandavas on the field.
Drona is endued with great might, is the foremost
of all persons, is accomplished in weapons, and is
incapable of being defeated in battle. How could
the Panchalas pierce that great bowman in the fight?
Desirous of Dhananjaya’s victory, the Panchalas
are inveterate foes of Drona. The mighty car-warrior
Drona also is an inveterate foe of theirs. Thou
art skilled in a narration, O Sanjaya! Tell me,
therefore, everything about what Arjuna did for compassing
the slaughter of the ruler of the Sindhus.’
Page 1056
“Sanjaya said, ’O bull of Bharata’s
race, overtaken by a calamity that is the direct result
of thy own fault, thou shouldst not, O hero, indulge
in such lamentations like an ordinary person.
Formerly, many of thy wise well-wishers, numbering
Vidura amongst them, had told thee, ’Do not,
O king, abandon the sons of Pandu.’ Thou
didst not then heed those words. The man that
heedeth not the counsels of well-wishing friends, weepeth,
falling into great distress, like thyself. He
of Dasarha’s race, O king, had formerly begged
thee for peace. For all that, Krishna of world-wide
fame, obtained not his prayer. Ascertaining thy
worthlessness, and thy jealousy towards the Pandavas,
and understanding also thy crooked intentions towards
the sons of Pandu, and hearing thy delirious lamentations,
O best of kings, that puissant Lord of all the worlds,
that Being, acquainted with the truth of everything
in all the worlds, viz., Vasudeva, then caused
the flame of war to blaze forth among the Kurus.
This great and wholesale destruction hath come upon
thee, brought about by thy own fault. O giver
of honours, it behoveth thee not to impute the fault
to Duryodhana. In the development of these incidents
no merit of thine is to be seen in the beginning,
in the middle, or at the end. This defeat is
entirely owing to thee. Therefore, knowing as
thou dost the truth about this world, be quiet and
hear how this fierce battle, resembling that between
the gods and the Asuras, took place. After the
grandson of Sini, that warrior of prowess incapable
of being baffled, had entered into thy host, the Parthas
headed by Bhimasena also rushed against thy troops.
The mighty car-warrior Kritavarman, however, alone,
resisted, in that battle the Pandavas thus rushing
in fury and wrath with their followers against thy
host. As the continent resists the surgings,
even so did the son of Hridika resist the troops of
the Pandavas in that battle. The prowess that
we then beheld of the son of Hridika was wonderful,
inasmuch as the united Parthas succeeded not in transgressing
his single self. Then the mighty-armed Bhima,
piercing Kritavarman with three shafts, blew his conch,
gladdening all the Pandavas. Then Sahadeva pierced
the son of Hridika with twenty shafts, and Yudhishthira
the just pierced him with five and Nakula pierced
him with a hundred. And the sons of Draupadi
pierced him with three and seventy shafts, Ghatotkacha
pierced him with seven. And Virata and Drupada
and Drupada’s son (Dhrishtadyumna) each Pierced
him with five shafts, and Sikhandin, having once pierced
him with five, again pierced him smilingly with five
and twenty shafts. Then Kritavarman, O king,
pierced every one of those great car-warriors with
five shafts, and Bhima again with seven. And the
son of Hridika felled both the bow and the standard
of Bhima from the latter’s car. Then that
mighty car-warrior, with great speed, wrathfully struck
Bhima, whose bow had been cut off with seventy keen
Page 1057
shafts in the chest. Then mighty Bhima, deeply
pierced with those excellent shafts of Hridika’s
son, trembled on his car like a mountain during an
earthquake. Beholding Bhimasena in that condition,
the Parthas headed by king Yudhishthira the just afflicted
Kritavarman, O king, shooting at him many shafts.
Encompassing that warrior there with throngs of cars,
O sire, they cheerfully began to pierce him with their
shafts, desiring to protect the Wind-god’s son
in that battle. Then mighty Bhimasena recovering
consciousness, took up in that battle a dart made of
steel and equipped with a golden staff, and hurled
it with great speed from his own car at the car of
Kritavarman. That dart resembling a snake freed
from its slough, hurled from Bhima’s hands,
fierce-looking, blazed forth as it proceeded towards
Kritavarman. Beholding that dart endued with the
splendour of the Yuga-fire coursing towards him, the
son of Hridika cut it in twain with two shafts.
Thereupon, that dart decked with gold, thus cut off,
fell down on the earth, illumining the ten points of
the compass, O king, like a large meteor falling from
the firmament. Seeing his dart baffled, Bhima
blazed forth in wrath. Then taking tip another
bow which was tougher and whose twang was louder, Bhimasena,
filled with wrath, attacked the son of Hridika in
that battle. Then O king, Bhima, of terrible
might, struck Kritavarman, in the centre of the chest
with five shafts, in consequence of thy evil policy,
O monarch! The ruler of the Bhoja then, mangled
in every limb, O sire, by Bhimasena, shone resplendent
in the field like a red Asoka covered with flowers.
Then that mighty bowman, viz., Kritavarman, filled
with rage, smilingly struck Bhimasena with three shafts,
and having struck him forcibly, pierced in return
every one of those great car-warriors struggling vigorously
in battle, with three shafts. Each of the latter
then pierced him in return with seven shafts.
Then that mighty car-warrior of the Satwata race,
filled with rage, cut off, smiling in that battle,
with a razor-faced shaft the bow of Sikhandin.
Sikhandin then, seeing his bow cut off, quickly took
up a sword and a bright shield decked with a hundred
moons. Whirling his large shield, decked with
gold, Sikhandin sent that sword towards the car of
Kritavarman. That large sword, cutting off, O
king, Kritavarman’s bow with arrow fixed thereon,
fell down on the earth, like. O monarch, a bright
luminary loosened from the firmament. Meanwhile,
those mighty car-warriors quickly and deeply pierced
Kritavarman with their shafts in that battle.
Then that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the
son of Hridika, casting off, that broken bow, and taking
up another, pierced each of the Pandavas with three
straight shafts. And he pierced Sikhandin at
first with three, and then with five shafts. Then
the illustrious Sikhandin, taking up another bow,
checked the son of Hridika with many swift-flying
shafts, furnished with heads like tortoise nails.
Page 1058
Then, O king, the son of Hridika, inflamed with rage
in that battle, rushed impetuously at that mighty
car-warrior, viz., the son of Yajnasena, that
warrior, O monarch, who was the cause of the illustrious
Bhishma’s fall in battle. Indeed, the heroic
Kritavarman rushed at Sikhandin, displaying his might,
like a tiger at an elephant. Then those two chastisers
of foes, who resembled a couple of huge elephants or
two blazing fires, encountered each other with clouds
of shafts. And they took their best of bows and
aimed their arrows, and shot them in hundreds like
a couple of suns shedding their rays. And those
two mighty car-warriors scorched each other with their
keen shafts, and shone resplendent like two Suns appearing
at the end of the Yuga. And Kritavarman in that
battle pierced that mighty car-warrior viz.,
Yajnasena’s son, with three and seventy shafts
and once more with seven. Deeply pierced therewith,
Sikhandin sat down in pain on the terrace of his car,
throwing aside his bow and arrows, and was overtaken
by a swoon. Beholding that hero in a swoon, thy
troops, O bull among men, worshipped the son of Hridika,
and waved their garments in the air. Seeing Sikhandin
thus afflicted with the shafts of Hridika’s son
his charioteer quickly bore that mighty car-warrior
away from the battle. The Parthas, beholding
Sikhandin lying senseless on the terrace of his car,
soon encompassed Kritavarman in that battle with crowds
of cars. The mighty car-warrior, Kritavarman,
then achieved a most wonderful feat there, inasmuch
as, alone, he held in check all the Parthas with their
followers. Having thus vanquished the Parthas,
that mighty car-warrior then vanquished the Chedis,
the Panchalas, the Srinjayas, and the Kekayas, all
of whom are endued with great prowess. The forces
of the Pandavas then, thus slaughtered by the son
of Hridika began to run in all directions, unable
to stay coolly in battle. Having vanquished the
sons of Pandu headed by Bhimasena himself, the son
of Hridika stayed in battle like a blazing fire.
Those mighty car-warriors, afflicted with torrents
of shafts and routed by Hridika’s son in battle,
ventured not to face him.’”
SECTION CXIV
“Sanjaya said, ’Listen with undivided
attention, O king. After the rout of that force
by the high-souled son of Hridika, and upon the Parthas
being humiliated with shame and thy troops elated with
joy, he that became protector of the Pandavas who
were solicitous of protection while sinking in that
fathomless sea of distress, that hero, viz., the
grandson of Sini, hearing that fierce uproar, of thy
army in that terrible fight, quickly turned back and
proceeded against Kritavarman. Hridika’s
son, Kritavarman, then excited with wrath, covered
the grandson of Sini with clouds of sharp shafts.
At this, Satyaki also became filled with rage.
The grandson of Sini then quickly sped at Kritavarman
a sharp and broad-headed arrow in the encounter and
Page 1059
then four other arrows. These tour arrows slew
the steeds of Kritavarman, and the other cut off Kritavarman’s
bow. Then Satyaki pierced the charioteer of his
foe and those that protected the latter’s rear,
with many keen shafts, to afflict his antagonist’s
forces. The hostile division then, afflicted with
Satyaki’s arrows, broke down. Thereupon,
Satyaki of prowess incapable of being baffled, quickly
proceeded on his way. Hear now, O king, what that
hero of great valour then did unto thy troops.
Having, O monarch, forded the ocean constituted by
Drona’s division, and filled with joy at having
vanquished Kritavarman in battle, that hero then addressed
his charioteer, saying, ‘Proceed slowly without
fear.’ Beholding, however, that army of
thine that abounded with cars, steeds, elephants and
foot-soldiers, Satyaki once more told his charioteer,
’That large division which thou seest on left
of Drona’s host, and which looks dark as the
clouds, consists of the elephants (of the foe).
Rukmaratha is its leader. Those elephants are
many, O charioteer, and are difficult of being resisted
in battle. Urged by Duryodhana, they wait for
me, prepared to cast away their lives. All those
combatants are of princely birth, and great bowmen,
and capable of displaying great prowess in battle,
belonging to the country of the Trigartas, they are
all illustrious car-warriors, owning standards decked
with gold. Those brave warriors are waiting,
desirous of battle with me. Urge the steeds quickly,
O charioteer and take me thither. I shall fight
with the Trigartas in the very sight of Bharadwaja’s
son.’ Thus addressed, the charioteer, obedient
to Satwata’s will, proceeded slowly. Upon
that bright car of solar effulgence, equipped with
standard, those excellent steeds harnessed thereto
and perfectly obedient to the driver, endued with speed
of the wind, white as the Kunda flower, or the moon,
or silver, bore him (to that spot). As he advanced
to battle, drawn by those excellent steeds of the
hue of a conch, those brave warriors encompassed him
on all sides with their elephants, scattering diverse
kinds of keen arrows capable of easily piercing everything.
Satwata also fought with that elephant division, shooting
his keen shafts, like a mighty cloud at the end of
summer pouring torrents of rain on a mountain breast.
Those elephants slaughtered with those shafts, whose
touch resembled thunder sped by that foremost one
among the Sinis began to fly away from the field, their
tusks broken, bodies covered with blood, heads and
frontal globes split open, ears and faces and trunks
cut off, and themselves deprived of riders, and standards
cut down, riders slain, and blankets loosened, ran
away, O king, in all directions. Many amongst
them, O monarch, mangled by Satwata with long shafts
and calf-tooth-headed arrows and broad-headed arrows
and Anjalikas and razor-faced arrows and crescent-shaped
ones fled away, with blood flowing down their bodies,
and themselves ejecting urine and excreta and uttering
Page 1060
loud and diverse cries, deep as the roar of clouds.
And some amongst the others wandered, and some limped,
and some fell down, and some became pale and cheerless.
Thus afflicted by Yuyudhana, with shafts that resembled
the sun or fire, that elephant division fled away
in all directions. After that elephant division
was exterminated, the mighty Jalasandha, exerting
himself coolly, led his elephant before Yuyudhana’s
car drawn by white steeds. Cased in golden Angadas,
with ear-rings and diadem, armed with sword, smeared
with red sandal-paste, his head encircled with a blazing
chain of gold, his breast covered with a cuirass,
his neck adorned with a bright chain (of gold), that
hero of sinless soul, stationed on the heads of his
elephant, shaking his bow decked with gold, looked
resplendent, O king, like a cloud charged with lightning.
Like the continent resisting the surging sea, Satyaki
checked that excellent elephant of the ruler of the
Magadhas that approached him with such fury.
Beholding the elephant checked by the excellent shafts
of Yuyudhana, the mighty Jalasandha became filled with
rage. Then, O king, the enraged Jalasandha, pierced
Sini’s grandson on his broad chest with some
shafts of great force. With another sharp and
well tempered broad-headed arrow, he cut off the bow
of the Vrishni hero while the latter was drawing it.
And then, O Bharata, smiling the while, the heroic
ruler of the Magadhas pierced the bowless Satyaki with
five keen shafts. The valiant and mighty-armed
Satyaki, however, though pierced with many shafts
by Jalasandha, trembled not in the least. All
this seemed exceedingly wonderful. Then mighty
Yuyudhana without any fear, thought of the shafts
(he should use). Taking up another bow, addressed
Jalasandha, saying, ‘Wait, Wait!’ Saying
this much, the grandson of Sini deeply pierced Jalasandha
on his broad breast with sixty arrows, smiling the
while. And with another razor-faced arrow of great
sharpness he cut off Jalasandha’s bow at the
handle, and with three more shafts he pierced Jalasandha
himself. Then Jalasandha, casting aside that
bow of his with an arrow fixed thereon, hurled a lance,
O sire, at Satyaki. That terrible lance, passing
through the left arm of Madhava in fierce battle,
entered the earth, like a hissing snake of gigantic
proportion. And his left arm had thus been pierced.
Satyaki, of prowess incapable of being baffled, struck
Jalasandha with thirty keen shafts. Then mighty
Jalasandha taking up his scimitar and large shield
made of bull’s hide and decked with a hundred
moons whirled the former for a while and hurled it
at Satwata. Cutting off the bow of Sini’s
grandson, that scimitar fell down on the earth, and
looked resplendent like a circle of fire, as it lay
on the earth. Then Yuyudhana took up another
bow capable of piercing everybody, large as a Sala-offshoot,
and of twang resembling the roar of Indra’s
thunder, and filled with rage, stretched in and then
pierced Jalasandha with a single shaft. And then
Page 1061
Satyaki, that foremost one of Madhu’s race,
smiling the while, cut off, with a pair of razor-faced
arrows, the two arms, decked with ornaments, of Jalasandha.
Thereupon, those two arms, looking like a couple of
spiked maces, fell down from that foremost of elephants,
like a couple of five-headed snakes falling down from
a Mountain. And then, with a third razor-headed
arrow, Satyaki cut off his antagonist’s large
head endued with beautiful teeth and adorned with
a pair of beautiful ear-rings. The headless and
armless trunk, of fearful aspect, dyed Jalasandha’s
elephant with blood. Having slain Jalasandha,
in battle, Satwata quickly felled the wooden structure,
O king, from that elephant’s back. Bathed
in blood, the elephant of Jalasandha bore that costly
seat, hanging down from his back. And afflicted
with the arrows of Satwata, the huge beast crushed
friendly ranks as it ran wildly, uttering fierce cries
of pain. Then, O sire, wails of woe arose among
thy troops, at the sight of Jalasandha slain by that
bull among the Vrishnis. Thy warriors then, turning
their faces, fled away in all directions. Indeed,
despairing of success over the foe, they set their
hearts on flight. Mean. while, O king, Drona,
that foremost of all wielders of bows, approached the
mighty car-warrior Yuyudhana, borne by his swift coursers.
Many bulls among the Kurus, beholding Sini’s
grandson swelling (with rage-and pride), rushed at
him with fury, accompanied by Drona. Then commenced
a battle, O king, between the Kurus and Drona (on
one side) and Yuyudhana (on the other), that resembled
the awful battle of old between the gods and the Asuras.’”
SECTION CXV
“Sanjaya said, ’Shooting clouds of arrows,
all those warriors, accomplished in smiting, carefully,
O monarch, encountered Yuyudhana. Drona struck
him with seven and seventy shafts of great keenness.
And Durmarshana struck him with a dozen, Duhsasana,
struck him with ten shafts. And Vikarna also
pierced him on the left side as also on the centre
of the chest with thirty keen shafts equipped with
Kanka feathers. And Durmukha struck him with
ten shafts, and Duhsasana with eight, Chitrasena,
O sire, pierced him with a couple of shafts. And
Duryodhana, O king, and many other heroes, afflicted
that mighty car-warrior with dense showers of shafts
in that battle. Though checked on all sides by
those mighty car-warriors, viz., thy sons, Yuyudhana
of Vrishni’s race pierced each of them separately
with his straight shafts. Indeed, he pierced
the son of Bharadwaja with three shafts, and Duhsasana
with nine, and Vikarna with five and twenty, and Chitrasena
with seven, and Durmarshana with a dozen, and Vivinsati
with eight, and Satyavrata with nine, and Vijaya with
ten shafts. And having pierced Rukmangada also
that mighty car-warrior, viz., Satyaki, shaking
his bow, speedily proceeded against thy son (Duryodhana).
And Yuyudhana, in the sight of all men, deeply pierced
Page 1062
with his arrows the king, that greatest of car-warriors
in the whole world. Then commenced a battle between
those two. Both shooting keen arrows and both
aiming countless shafts, each of those mighty car-warriors
made the other invisible in that battle. And Satyaki,
pierced by the Kuru king, looked exceedingly resplendent
as blood copiously ran adown his body, like a sandal
tree shedding its juicy secretions. Thy son also
pierced by Satwata with clouds of shafts, looked beautiful
like a stake set up (at a sacrifice) decked all over
with gold. Then Madhava, O king, in that battle,
cut off with razor-faced arrow, smiling the while,
the bow of the Kuru king. And then he pierced
the bowless king with countless arrows. Pierced
with arrows by that foe of great activity, the king
could not brook this indication of the enemy’s
success. Duryodhana then, taking up another formidable
bow, the back of whose staff was decked with gold,
speedily pierced Satyaki with a hundred arrows.
Deeply pierced by thy mighty son armed with the bow,
Yuyudhana became inflamed with wrath and began to
afflict thy son. Beholding the king thus afflicted,
thy sons, those mighty car-warriors, shrouded Satyaki
with dense showers of arrows, shot with great force.
Whilst being thus shrouded by those mighty car-warriors,
viz., thy multitude of sons, Yuyudhana pierced
each of them with five arrows, and once more with
seven. And soon he pierced Duryodhana with eight
swift arrows and, smiling the while, cut off the latter’s
bow that frightened all foes. And with a few
arrows he also felled the king’s standard adorned
with a jewelled elephant. And slaying then the
four steeds of Duryodhana with four arrows, the illustrious
Satyaki felled the king’s charioteer with a
razor-faced shaft. Meanwhile, Yuyudhana, filled
with joy, pierced the mighty car-warrior, viz.,
the Kuru king, with many arrows capable of penetrating
into the very vitals. Then, O king, thy son Duryodhana,
while being thus struck in that battle with those
excellent arrows of Sini’s grandson, suddenly
fled away. And the king, quickly mounted the car
of Chitrasena, armed with the bow. Beholding
the king thus attacked by Satyaki in battle, and reduced
to the position of Soma in the firmament while seized
by Rahu, cries of woe arose from every section of the
Kuru host. Hearing that uproar, the mighty car-warrior
Kritavarman quickly proceeded to that spot where the
puissant Madhava. was battling. And Kritavarman
proceeded, shaking his bow, and urging his steeds,
and urging his charioteer with the words, ‘Go
with speed, Go with speed!’ Beholding Kritavarman
rushing towards him like the Destroyer himself with
wide-open mouth, Yuyudhana, O king, addressed his
driver, saying, ’That Kritavarman, armed with
arrows, is rushing in his car towards me with speed.
Then, with his steeds urged to their greatest speed,
and on his car duly equipped, Satyaki came upon the
ruler of the Bhojas, the foremost of all bowmen.
Page 1063
Then those two tigers among men, both inflamed with
rage, and both resembling fire encountered each other
like two tigers endued with great activity. Kritavarman
pierced Sini’s grandson with six and twenty
whetted arrows of keen points, and the latter’s
driver with five arrows. And skilled in battle,
the son of Hridika pierced, with four mighty shafts,
the four excellent and well-broken steeds of Satyaki
that were of the Sindhu breed. Owning a standard
decked with gold, and adorned with golden mail, Kritavarman,
shaking his formidable bow, whose staff was decked
with gold, thus checked, Yuyudhana with shafts equipped
with golden wings. Then the grandson of Sini,
desirous of seeing Dhananjaya, sped with great activity
eight arrows at Kritavarman. That scorcher of
foes, then, deeply pierced by that mighty foe,—that
invincible warrior,—began to tremble like
a hill during an earthquake. After this, Satyaki,
of prowess incapable of being baffled, speedily pierced
Kritavarman’s four steeds with three and sixty
keen arrows, and his driver also with seven.
Indeed, Satyaki, then aiming another arrow of golden
wings, that emitted blazing flames and resembled an
angry snake, or the rod of the Destroyer himself, pierced
Kritavarman. That terrible arrow, penetrating
through his antagonist’s effulgent armour decked
with gold, entered the earth, dyed with blood.
Afflicted with the shafts of Satwata, and bathed in
blood in that battle, Kritavarman throwing aside his
bow with arrow, fell upon his car. That lion-toothed
hero of immeasurable prowess, that bull among men,
afflicted by Satyaki with his arrows, fell on his
knees upon the terrace of his car. Having thus
resisted Kritavarman who resembled the thousand-armed
Arjuna of old, or Ocean himself of immeasurable might,
Satyaki proceeded onwards. Passing through Kritavarman’s
division bristling with swords and darts and bows,
and abounding in elephants and steeds and cars, and
out of the ground rendered awful in consequence of
the blood shed by foremost Kshatriyas numbering by
hundreds, that bull among the Sinis proceeded onwards
in the very sight of all the troops, like the slayer
of Vritra through the Asura array. Meanwhile,
the mighty son of Hridika, taking up another huge
bow, stayed where he was, resisting Pandavas in battle.’”
SECTION CXVI
“Sanjaya said, ’While the (Kuru) host
was shaken by the grandson of Sini in these places
(through which he proceeded), the son of Bharadwaja
covered him with a dense shower of arrows. The
encounter that then took place between Drona and Satwata
in the very sight of all the troops was extremely
fierce, like that between Vali and Vasava (in days
of old). Then Drona pierced the grandson of Sini
on the forehead with three beautiful arrows made entirely
of iron and resembling’ snakes of virulent poison.
Thus pierced on the forehead with those straight shafts,
Yuyudhana, O king, looked beautiful like a mountain
Page 1064
with three summits. The son of Bharadwaja always
on the alert for an opportunity, then sped in that
battle many other arrows of Satyaki which resembled
the roar of Indra’s thunder. Then he of
Dasarha’s race, acquainted with the highest
weapons, cut off all those arrows shot from Drona’s
bow, with two beautifully winged arrows of his.
Beholding that lightness of hand (in Satyaki), Drona,
O king, smiling the while, suddenly pierced that bull
among the Sinis with thirty arrows. Surpassing
by his own lightness the lightness of Yuyudhana, Drona,
once more, pierced the latter with fifty arrows and
then with a hundred. Indeed, those mangling arrows,
O king, issued from Drona’s car, like vigorous
snakes in wrath issuing through an ant-hill.
Similarly, blood-drinking arrows shot by Yuyudhana
in hundreds and thousands covered the car of Drona.
We did not mark any difference, however, between the
lightness of hand displayed by that foremost of regenerate
ones and that displayed by him of the Satwata race.
Indeed, in this respect, both those bulls among men
were equal. Then Satyaki, inflamed with wrath,
struck Drona with nine straight arrows. And he
struck Drona’s standard also with many sharp
shafts. And in the sight of Bharadwaja’s
son, he pierced the latter’s driver also with
a hundred arrows. Beholding the lightness of
hand displayed by Yuyudhana, the mighty car-warrior
Drona piercing Yuyudhana’s driver with seventy
shafts, and each of his (four) steeds with three,
cut off with a single arrow the standard that stood
on Madhava’s car. With another broad-headed
arrow, equipped with feathers and with wings of gold,
he cut off in that battle the bow of that illustrious
hero of Madhu’s race. Thereupon, the mighty
car-warrior Satyaki, excited with wrath, laid aside
that, taking up a huge mace, hurled it at the son
of Bharadwaja. Drona, however, with many arrows
of diverse forms, resisted that mace, made of iron
and twined round with strings, as it coursed impetuously
towards him. Then Satyaki, of prowess incapable
of being baffled, took up another bow and pierced
the heroic son of Bharadwaja with many arrows whetted
on stone. Piercing Drona thereby in that battle,
Yuyudhana uttered a leonine shout. Drona, however,
that foremost of all wielders of weapons, was unable
to brook that roar. Taking up a dart made of
iron and equipped with golden staff Drona sped it
quickly at the car of Madhava. That dart, however,
fatal as Death, without touching the grandson of Sini,
pierced through the latter’s car and entered
the earth with a fierce noise. The grandson of
Sini then, O king, pierced Drona with many winged arrows.
Indeed, striking him on the right arm, Satyaki, O
bull of Bharata’s race, afflicted him greatly.
Drona also, in that battle, O king, cut off the huge
bow of Madhava with a crescent-shaped arrow and smote
the latter’s driver with a dart. Struck
with that dart, Yuyudhana’s driver swooned away
and for a while lay motionless on the terrace of the
Page 1065
car. Then, O Monarch, Satyaki, acting as his
own driver, achieved a superhuman feat, inasmuch as
he continued to fight with Drona and hold the reins
himself. Then the mighty car-warrior Yuyudhana
struck that Brahmana with a hundred arrows in that
battle, and rejoiced exceedingly, O monarch, at the
feat he had achieved. Then Drona, O Bharata,
sped at Satyaki five arrows. Those fierce arrows,
piercing Satyaki’s armour, drank his blood in
that battle. Thus pierced with those frightful
arrows, Satyaki became inflamed with wrath. In
return, that hero shot many shafts at him of the golden
car. Then felling on the earth with a single shaft,
the driver of Drona, he caused next, with his arrows,
those driverless steeds of his antagonist to fly away.
Thereupon that car was dragged to a distance.
Indeed, the bright chariot of Drona, O king, began
to trace a thousand circles in the field of battle
like a sun in motion. Then all the kings and
princes (of the Kaurava host) made a loud uproar, exclaiming,
’Run, Rush, Seize the steeds of Drona.’
Quickly abandoning Satyaki in that battle, O monarch,
all those mighty car-warriors rushed to the place
where Drona was. Beholding those car-warriors
run away afflicted with the arrows of Satyaki, thy
troops once more broke down and became exceedingly
cheerless. Meanwhile, Drona, once more proceeding
to the gate of the array, took up his station there,
borne away (from Satyaki’s presence) by those
steeds, fleet as the wind, that had been, afflicted
with the shafts of the Vrishni hero. The valiant
son of Bharadwaja, beholding the array broken (in
his absence) by the Pandavas and the Panchalas, made
no endeavour to follow the grandson of Sini, but employed
himself in protecting his (broken) array. Checking
the Pandavas and the Panchalas then, the Drona fire,
blazing up in wrath stayed there, consuming everything,
like the sun that rises at the end of the Yuga.’”
SECTION CXVII
“Sanjaya said, ’Having vanquished Drona
and other warriors of thy army, headed by the son
of Haridika, that foremost of men, viz., that
bull amongst the Sinis, O foremost one of the Kurus,
laughing said unto his charioteer, ’Our foes,
O Suta, had already been consumed by Kesava and Phalguna.
In vanquishing them (again), we have only been the
(ostensible) means. Already slain by that bull
among men, viz., the son of the celestial chief,
we have but slain the dead.’ Saying these
words unto his charioteer, that bull amongst the Sinis,
that foremost of bowmen, that slayer of hostile heroes,
that mighty warrior, scattering with great force his
arrows all around in that dreadful battle, proceeded
like a hawk in search of prey. The Kuru warriors,
although they attacked him from all sides, succeeded
not in resisting that foremost of car-warriors, resembling
the sun himself of a thousand rays, that foremost of
men, who, having pierced the Kaurava ranks, was proceeding,
Page 1066
borne by those excellent steeds of his that were white
as the moon or a conch. Indeed, O Bharata, none
amongst those that fought on thy side could resist
Yuyudhana of irresistible prowess, of might incapable
of impairment, of valour equal to that Of him of a
thousand eyes, and looking like the autumnal sun in
the firmament. Then that foremost of kings, viz.,
Sudarsana, conversant with all modes of warfare, clad
in golden coat of mail, armed with bow and arrows
and filled with rage, advanced against the rushing
Satyaki and endeavoured to check his course. Then
the encounter that took place between them was fierce
in the extreme. And both thy warriors and the
Somakas, O king highly applauded the encounter as
between Vritra and Vasava. Sudarsana endeavoured
to pierce that foremost one of the Satwata’s
in that battle with hundreds of keen shafts before
they could reach him. Similarly, Sudarsana, stationed
on his foremost of cars, cut off, by means of his
own excellent shafts in two or three fragments all
the shafts that Satyaki, resembling Indra himself,
sped at him. Beholding his shafts baffled by the
force of Satyaki’s shafts, Sudarsana of fierce
energy, as if to consume (his foe), wrathfully shot
beautiful arrows winged with gold. And once more
he pierced his enemy with three beautiful arrows resembling
fire itself and equipped with wings of gold, shot
from his bow-string drawn to the ear. Those piercing
through Satyaki’s armour, penetrated into the
latter’s body. Similarly, that (prince,
viz., Sudarsana), aiming four other blazing arrows,
smote therewith the four steeds of Satyaki that were
white as silver in hue. Thus afflicted by him
the grandson of Sini, endued with great activity and
possessed of prowess equal to that of Indra himself
speedily slew with his keen shafts the steeds of Sudarsana
and uttered a loud roar. Then cutting off with
a broad-headed arrow endued with the force of Sakra’s
thunder, the head of Sudarsana’s driver, the
foremost one amongst the Sinis. with a razor-faced
arrow resembling the Yuga-fire, cut off from Sudarsana’s
trunk his head graced with ear-rings, resembling the
moon at full, and decked with an exceedingly radiant
face, like the wielder of the thunder, O king, in days
of old, forcibly cutting off the head of the mighty
Vala in battle. That high-souled bull among the
Yadus then, endued with great activity thus slaying
that grandson of a prince, became filled with delight
and shone resplendent, O monarch, like the chief of
the celestials himself. Yuyudhana, then, that
hero among men, proceeded along the track by which
Arjuna had passed before him, checking (as he went)
by means of clouds of shafts, all thy troops, and
riding on that same car of his, O king, unto which
were yoked those excellent steeds and filling everybody
with amazement. All the foremost of warriors
there, assembled together, applauded that foremost
of amazing feats achieved by him, for he consumed
all foes that came within reach of his arrows, like
a conflagration consuming everything in its way.’”
Page 1067
SECTION CXVIII
“Sanjaya said, ’Then that bull of Vrishni’s
race, viz., the high-souled Satyaki of great
intelligence, having slain Sudarsana, once more addressed
his driver, saying, Having forded through the almost
unfordable ocean of Drona’s division, teeming
with cars and steeds and elephants, whose waves are
constituted by arrows and darts, fishes by swords and
scimitars and alligators by maces, which roar with
the whiz of shafts and the clash of diverse weapons,—an
ocean that is fierce and destructive of life, and
resounds with the noise of diverse musical instruments,
whose touch is unpleasant and unbearable to warriors
of victory, and whose margin is infested with fierce
cannibals represented by the force of Jalasandha.—I
think, the portion of the array that remains may easily
be forded like a poor stream of shallow water.
Urge thou the steeds, therefore, without fear.
I think, I am very near to Savyasachin. Having
vanquished in battle the invincible Drona with his
followers, and that foremost of warriors, viz.,
the son of Hridika, I think, I cannot be distant from
Dhananjaya. Fear never comes to my heart even
if I behold countless foes before me. These to
me are like a heap of straw and grass to a blazing
conflagration in the woods. Behold, the track
by which the diadem-decked (Arjuna), that foremost
one among the Pandavas, hath gone, is rendered uneven
with large bodies of foot-soldiers and steeds and
car-warriors and elephants lying slain on the ground.
Behold, routed by that high-souled warrior, the Kaurava
army is flying away. Behold, O charioteer, a
dark brown dust is raised by those retreating cars
and elephants and steeds. I think, I am very
near to Arjuna of white steeds having Krishna for
his charioteer. Hark, the well-known twang of
Gandiva of immeasurable energy is being heard.
From the character of the omens that appear to my
view, I am sure that Arjuna will slay the ruler of
the Sindhus before the sun sets. Without causing
their strength to be spent, urge the steeds slowly
to where those hostile ranks are staying, that is,
to where yonder warriors headed by Duryodhana, their
hands cased in leathern fences, and yonder Kamvojas
of fierce deeds, clad in mail and difficult of being
defeated in battle, and those Yavanas armed with bow
and arrows and skilled in smiting, and under Sakas
and Daradas and Barbaras and Tamraliptakas, and other
countless Mlecchas, armed with diverse weapons, are,—to
the spot (I repeat) where, indeed, yonder warriors
headed by Duryodhana, their hands cased in leathern
fences,—are waiting with their faces turned
towards me and inspired with the resolution of battling
with me. Regard me to have already passed through
this fierce fastness, O Suta, having slain in battle
all these combatants with cars and elephants and steeds
and foot-soldiers that are amongst them.’
Page 1068
“The charioteer, thus addressed, said, ’O
thou of Vrishni’s race, fear I have none, O
thou of prowess that cannot be baffled! If thou
hast before the Jamadagni’s son himself in wrath,
or Drona, that foremost of car-warriors, or the ruler
of the Madras himself, even then fear doth not enter
my heart, O thou of mighty arms, as long as I am under
the shadow Of thy protection, O slayer of foes, countless
Kamvojas, clad in mail, of fierce deeds, and difficult
to defeat in battle, have already been vanquished
by thee, as also many Yavanas armed with bow and arrows
and accomplished in smiting, including Sakas and Daradas
and Tamraliptakas, and many other Mlecchas armed with
various weapons. Never before did I experience
fear in any battle. Why shall I, therefore, O
thou of great courage, experience any fear in this
miserable fray? O thou that art blessed with
length of days, by which way shall I take thee to where
Dhananjaya is? With whom hast thou been angry,
O thou of Vrishni’s race? Who are they
that will fly away from battle, beholding thee endued
with such a prowess, resembling the Destroyer himself
as he appears at the end of the Yuga, and putting
forth that prowess of thine (against thy foes)?
O thou of mighty arms, who are they of whom king Vaivaswata
is thinking today?’
“Satyaki said, ’Like Vasava destroying
the Danavas, I shall slay these warriors with shaved
heads. By slaying these Kamvojas I will fulfil
my vow. Bear me thither. Causing a great
carnage amongst these, I shall today repair to the
dear son of Pandu. The Kauravas, with Suyodhana
at their head, will today behold my prowess, when
this division of Mlecchas, of shaved heads, will have
been exterminated and the whole Kaurava army put to
the greatest distress. Hearing the loud wails
of the Kaurava host, today, mangled and broken by
me in battle Suyodhana will be inspired with grief.
Today, I shall show unto my preceptor, the high-souled
Pandava, of white steeds, the skill in weapons acquired
by me from him. Beholding today thousands of
foremost warriors slain with my arrows, king Duryodhana
will be plunged into great grief. The Kauravas
will today behold the bow in my hands to resemble
a circle of fire when, light-handed, I will stretch
the bowstring for shooting my host of shafts.
Beholding the incessant slaughter of his troops today,
their bodies covered with blood and pierced all over
with my shafts, Suyodhana will be filled with grief.
While I shall slay in wrath the foremost of Kuru warriors,
Suyodhana will today behold to count two Arjunas.
Beholding thousands of kings slain by me in battle,
king Duryodhana will be filled with grief in today’s
great battle. Slaying thousands of kings today,
I will show my love and devotion to those high-souled
ones, viz., the royal sons of Pandu. The
Kauravas will know today the measure of my might and
energy, and my gratefulness (to the Pandavas).’
Page 1069
“Sanjaya continued, ’Thus addressed, the
charioteer urged to their utmost speed those well-trained
coursers of delightful pace and of the hue of the
moon. Those excellent animals, endued with the
speed of the wind or thought, proceeded, devouring
the very skies, and bore Yuyudhana to the spot where
those Yavanas were. Thereupon, the Yavanas, many
in number and endued with lightness of hands, approaching
unretreating Satyaki, covered him with showers of
arrows. The rushing Satyaki, however, O king,
cut off by means of his own straight arrows, all those
shafts and weapons of the Yavanas. Inflamed with
wrath, Yuyudhana. then, with his straight shafts of
great sharpness, winged with gold and vulture’s
feathers, cut off the heads and arms of those Yavanas.
Many of those arrows, again, piercing through their
coats of mail, made of iron and brass, entered the
earth. Struck by the brave Satyaki in that battle,
the Mlecchas began to fall down on the earth in hundreds,
deprived of life. With his arrows shot in continuous
lines from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch, that
hero began to slay five, six, seven, or eight Yavanas
at a time. Thousands of Kamvojas, and Sakas,
and Barbaras, were similarly slain by Satyaki.
Indeed, the grandson of Sini, causing a great carnage
among thy troops, made the earth impassable and miry
with flesh and blood. The field of battle was
strewn with the head-gears of those robbers and their
shaved heads too that looked, in consequence of their
long beards, like featherless birds. Indeed,
the field of battle covered with headless trunks dyed
all over with blood, looked beautiful like the welkin
covered with coppery clouds. Slain by Satwata
by means of his straight shafts whose touch resembled
that of Indra’s thunder, the Yavanas covered
the surface of the earth. The small remnant of
those mail-clad troops vanquished in battle, O king,
by Satwata, becoming cheerless, their lives on the
point of being taken, broke and urging their steeds
with goads and whips to their utmost speed, fled from
fear in all directions. Routing the invincible
Kamvoja host in battle, O Bharata, as also that host
of the Yavanas and that large force of the Sakas,
that tiger among men who had penetrated into thy army,
viz., Satyaki, of prowess incapable of being
baffled, crowned with victory, urged his charioteer,
saying, ‘Proceed!’ Beholding that feat
of his in battle, never before achieved by any one
else, the Charanas and the Gandharvas applauded him
highly. Indeed, O king, the Charanas, as also
thy warriors, beholding Yuyudhana thus proceeded for
aiding Arjuna, became filled with delight (at his
heroism).’
SECTION CXIX
Page 1070
“Sanjaya said, Having the vanquished the Yavanas
and the Kamvojas that foremost of car-warriors, viz.,
Yuyudhana, proceeded towards Arjuna, right through
the midst of thy troops. Like a hunter slaying
deer, that tiger among men, (Satyaki), endued with
beautiful teeth, clad in excellent armour, and owning
a beautiful standard, slew the Kaurava troops and
inspired them with fear. Proceeding on his car,
he shook his bow with great force, that bow, the back
of whose staff was decked with gold, whose toughness
was great, and which was adorned with many golden
moons. His arms decked with golden Angadas, his
head-gear adorned with gold; his body clad in golden
mail, his standard and bow also was so embellished
with gold, that he shone like the summit of Meru.
Himself shedding such effulgence, and bearing that
circular bow in his hand, he looked like a second
sun in autumn, That bull among men, possessing the
shoulders and the tread and eyes of a bull, looked
in the midst of thy troops, like a bull in a cow-pen.
Thy warriors approached him from desire of slaughter
like a tiger approaching the leader, with rent temples,
of an elephant-herd, standing proudly in the midst
of his herd, resembling as he did and possessed as
he was of the tread of an infuriated elephant.
Indeed, after he had passed through Drona’s division,
and the unfordable division of the Bhojas, after he
had forded through the sea of Jalasandha’s troops
as also the host of the Kamvojas, after he had escaped
the alligator constituted by Hridika’s son, after
he had traversed those ocean-like host, many car-warriors
of thy army, excited with wrath, surrounded Satyaki.
And Duryodhana and Chitrasena and Duhsasana and Vivinsati,
and Sakuni and Duhsaha, and the youthful Durdharshana,
and Kratha, and many other brave warriors well-conversant
with weapons and difficult of defeat, wrathfully followed
Satyaki from behind as he proceeded onwards.
Then, O sire, loud was the uproar that arose among
thy troops, resembling that of the ocean itself at
full tide when lashed into fury by the tempest.
Beholding all those warriors rushing at him, that
bull among the Sinis smilingly addressed his charioteer,
saying, ’Proceed slowly. The Dhartarashtra
force, swelling (with rage and pride), and teeming
with elephants and steeds and cars and foot-soldiers,
that is rushing with speed towards me, filling the
ten points of the compass with deep roar of its cars,
O charioteer, and causing the earth, the welkin, and
the very seas, to tremble, therewith,—this
sea of troops, O driver, I will resist in great battle,
like the continent resisting the ocean swelling to
its utmost height at full moon. Behold, O charioteer,
my prowess which is equal to that of Indra himself
in great battle. I will consume this hostile force
by means of my whetted arrows. Behold these foot-soldiers
and horsemen and car-warriors, and elephants slain
by me in thousands, their bodies pierced with my fiery
arrows.’ While saying these words (unto
Page 1071
his charioteer), those combatants from desire of battle,
speedily came before Satyaki of immeasurable prowess.
They made a loud noise, saying as they came, ‘Slay,
Rush, Wait, See, See!’ Of those brave warriors
that said these words, Satyaki, by means of his sharp
arrows, slew three hundred horsemen and four hundred
elephants. The passage at arms between those
united bowmen (on the one side) and Satyaki (on the
other) was exceedingly fierce, resembling that between
the gods and the Asuras (in days of old). An
awful carnage set in. The grandson of Sini received
with his shafts resembling snakes of virulent poison
that force, O sire, of thy son which looked like a
mass of clouds. Shrouding every side, in that
battle with his arrowy downpours, that valiant hero,
O monarch, fearlessly slew a large number of thy troops.
Exceedingly wonderful, O king, was the sight that
I witnessed there, viz., that not an arrow even,
O lord, of Satyaki failed in effect. That sea
of troops, abounding in cars and elephants and steeds,
and full of waves constituted by foot-soldiers, stood
still as soon as it came in contact with the Satyaki
continent. That host consisting of panic-stricken
combatants and elephants and steeds, slaughtered on
all sides by Satyaki with his shafts repeatedly turned
round, and wandered hither and thither as if afflicted
with the chilling blasts of winter. We saw not
foot-soldiers or car-warriors or elephants or horsemen
or steeds that were not struck with Yuyudhana’s
arrows. Not even Phalguna, O king, had caused
such a carnage there as Satyaki, O monarch, then caused
among those troops. That bull among men, viz.,
the dauntless grandson of Sini, endued with great
lightness of hand and displaying the utmost skill,
fighteth, surpassing Arjuna himself. Then king
Duryodhana pierced the charioteer of Satwata with
three keen shafts and his four steeds with four shafts.
And he pierced Satyaki himself with three arrows and
once again with eight. And Duhsasana pierced
that bull among the Sinis with sixteen arrows.
And Sakuni pierced him with five and twenty arrows
and Chitrasena with five. And Duhsasana pierced
Satyaki in the chest with five and ten arrows.
That tiger amongst the Vrishnis then, thus struck
with their arrows, proudly pierced every one of them,
O monarch, with three arrows. Deeply piercing
all his foes with shafts endued with great energy,
the grandson of Sini, possessed of great activity
and prowess, careered on the field with the celerity
of a hawk. Cutting off the bow of Suvala’s
son and the leathern fence that cased his hand.
Yuyudhana pierced Duryodhana in the centre of the
chest with three shafts. And he pierced Chitrasena
with a hundred arrows, and Duhsaha with ten.
And that bull of Sini’s race then pierced Duhsasana
with twenty arrows. Thy brother-in-law (Sakuni)
then, O king, taking up another bow, pierced Satyaki
with eight arrows and once more with five. And
Duhsasana pierced him with three. And Durmukha,
Page 1072
O king, pierced Satyaki with a dozen shafts.
And Duryodhana, having pierced Madhava with three
and seventy arrows, then pierced his charioteer with
three keen shafts. Then Satyaki pierced each of
those brave and mighty car-warriors vigorously contending
in battle together with five shafts in return.
Then the foremost of car-warriors, (viz., Yuyudhana)
speedily struck thy son’s charioteer with a
broad-headed shaft; whereupon, the latter deprived
of life, fell down on the earth. Upon the fall
of the charioteer, O lord, thy son’s car was
taken away from the battle by the steeds yoked thereto,
with the speed of the wind. Then thy sons, O king,
and the other warriors, O monarch, setting their eyes,
on the king’s car fled away in hundreds.
Beholding that host fly away, O Bharata, Satyaki covered
it with showers of keen shafts whetted on stone and
equipped with wings of gold. Routing all thy
combatants counting by thousands, Satyaki, O king,
proceeded towards the car of Arjuna. Indeed, thy
troops worshipped Yuyudhana, beholding him shooting
arrows and protecting his charioteer and himself as
he fought in battle.’”
SECTION CXX
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Beholding the grandson
of Sini proceeding towards Arjuna, grinding as he
went that large force, what, indeed, O Sanjaya, did
those shameless sons of mine do? When Yuyudhana
who ’is equal to Savyasachin himself was before
them, how, indeed, could those wretches, that were
at the point of death, set their hearts upon battle?
What also did all those Kshatriyas, vanquished in
battle, then, do? How, indeed, could Satyaki
of world-wide renown pass through them in battle?
How also, O Sanjaya, when my sons were alive, could
the grandson of Sini go to battle? Tell me all
this. This is exceedingly wonderful, O sire, that
I have heard from thee, viz., this encounter
between one and the many, the latter, again, being
all mighty car-warriors. O Suta, I think, Destiny
is now unpropitious to my sons, since so many mighty
car-warriors have been slain by that one warrior of
the Satwata race, Alas, O Sanjaya, my army is no match
for even one warrior, viz., Yuyudhana inflamed
with wrath. Let all the Pandavas hang up these
weapons. Vanquishing in battle Drona himself
who skilled in weapons and conversant with all modes
of warfare, Satyaki will slay my sons, like a lion
slaying smaller animals. Numerous heroes, of
whom Kritavarman is the first, contending vigorously
in battle, could not slay Yuyudhana. The latter,
without doubt, will slay my sons. Phalguna himself
fought not in the manner in which the renowned grandson
of Sini has fought.’
Page 1073
“Sanjaya said, ’All this, O king, has
been brought about by thy evil counsels and the acts
of Duryodhana. Listen attentively to what, O
Bharata, I say unto thee. At the command of thy
son, the Samsaptakas, rallying, all resolved upon
fighting fiercely. Three thousand bowmen headed
by Duryodhana, with a number of Sakas and Kamvojas
and Valhikas and Yavanas and Paradas, and Kalingas
and Tanganas and Amvashtas and Pisachas and Barbaras
and mountaineers, O monarch, inflamed with rage and
armed with stone, all rushed against the grandson of
Sini like insects against a blazing fire. Five
hundred other warriors, O king, similarly rushed against
Satyaki. And another mighty body consisting of
a thousand cars, a hundred great car-warriors, a thousand
elephants, two thousand heroes, and countless foot-soldiers,
also rushed against the grandson of Sini. Duhsasana,
O Bharata, urging all those warriors, saying, ’Slay
him, surrounded Satyaki therewith. Grand and
wonderful was the conduct that we then beheld of Sini’s
grandson, inasmuch as alone he fought fearlessly with
those innumerable foes. And he slew that entire
body of car-warriors and that elephant force, and
all those horsemen and that entire body of robbers.
Like the autumnal firmament bespangled with stars,
the field of battle there became strewn with car-wheels
broken and crushed by means of his mighty weapons
with innumerable Akshas and beautiful cart-shafts
reduced to fragments, with crushed elephants and fallen
standards, with coats of mail and shields scattered
all about, with garlands and ornaments and robes and
Anuskarshas, O sire! Many foremost of elephants,
huge as hills, and born of the race of Anjana or Vamana,
O Bharata, or of other races, many foremost of tuskers,
O king, lay there on the ground, deprived of life.
And Satyaki slew, O monarch, many foremost of steeds
of the Vanayu, the mountain, the Kamvoja and the Valhika
breeds. And the grandson of Sini also slew foot-soldiers
there, in hundreds and thousands, born in various
realms and belonging to various nations. Whilst
those soldiers were being thus slaughtered, Duhsasana,
addressing the robbers said, ’Ye warriors unacquainted
with morality, fight! Why do you retreat?’
Beholding them run away without paying any heed to
his words, thy soil Duhsasana urged on the brave mountaineers,
skilled in fighting with stones, saying, ’Ye
are accomplished in battling with stones. Satyaki
is ignorant of this mode of warfare. Stay ye,
therefore, that warrior who, though desirous of battle,
is ignorant of your mode of fight. The Kauravas
also are all unacquainted with this mode of battle.
Rush ye at Satyaki. Do not fear. Satyaki
will not be able to approach you.’ Thus
urged, those Kshatriyas dwelling on the mountains,
all acquainted with the method of fighting with stones,
rushed towards the grandson of Sini like ministers
towards a king. Those denizens of the mountain
then, with stones huge as elephants’ heads uplifted
in their hands, stood before Yuyudhana in that battle.
Page 1074
Others, urged by thy son, and desirous of slaying
Satwata, encompassed the latter on all sides, armed
with missiles. Then, Satyaki, aiming at those
warriors rushing at him from desire of fighting with
stones, sped at them showers of keen shafts.
That bull amongst the Sinis, with those shafts looking
like snakes, cut into fragments that dense shower
of stones thrown by the mountaineers. The fragments
of those stones, looking like a swarm of blazing fire-flies,
slew many combatants there, whereupon, O sire, cries
of oh and alas arose on the field. Then, again,
five hundred brave warriors with huge stones uplifted
in their hands, fell down, O king, on the ground,
their arms cut off. And once more a full thousand,
and again a hundred thousand, amongst others, fell
down without being able to approach Satyaki, their
arms with stones still in grasp cut off by him.
Indeed, Satyaki slew many thousands of those warriors
fighting with stones. All this seemed exceedingly
wonderful. Then many of them, returning to the
fight, hurled at Satyaki showers of stones, And armed
with swords and lances many Daradas and Tanganas and
Khasas and Lampakas and Pulindas, hurled their weapons
at him. Satyaki however, well-conversant with
the application of weapons, cut off those stones and
weapons by means of his shafts. Those stones while
being pierced, broken in the welkin by Satyaki’s
whetted shafts, produced a fierce noise, at which
many car-warriors and steeds and elephants fled away
from battle. And struck with the fragments of
those stones, men and elephants and steeds, became
incapable of staying in battle, for they felt as if
they were bit by wasps. The small remnant of
the elephants (that had attacked Satyaki), covered
with blood, their heads, and frontal globes split open,
then fled away from, Yuyudhana’s car. Then
there arose among thy troops, O sire, while they were
being thus ground by Madhava a noise like that of
the ocean at full tide. Hearing that great uproar,
Drona, addressing his charioteer, said, ’O Suta,
that great car-warrior of the Satwata race, excited
with wrath, is tearing our army into diverse fragments,
and careering in battle like the Destroyer himself.
Take thou the car to that spot whence this furious
uproar is coming. Without doubt, Yuyudhana is
engaged with the mountaineers who battle with stones,
Our car-warriors are seen also to be borne away by
their wildly running steeds. Many amongst them,
weaponless and armourless and wounded, are falling
down. The charioteers are unable to check their
steeds as these are rushing wildly.’ Hearing
these words of Bharadwaja’s son, the charioteer
said unto Drona, that foremost of wielders of weapons,
’Thou blest with length of days, the Katirava
troops are flying away. Behold, our warriors,
routed (by the foe), are flying in all directions.
There, again, those heroes, viz., the Panchalas,
and the Pandavas, united together, are rushing from
all sides from desire of slaughtering thee, O chastiser
Page 1075
of foes, do thou determine which of these tasks should
first demand attention. Should we stay here (to
meet the advancing Pandava), or should we proceed
(towards Satyaki)? As regards Satyaki, he is now
far ahead of us.’ While the charioteer,
O sire, was speaking thus unto Bharadwaja’s
son, the grandson of Sini suddenly appeared to the
view, engaged in slaughtering a large number of car-warriors.
Those troops of thine, while being thus slaughtered
by Yuyudhana, in battle, fled away from Yuyudhana’s
car towards where Drona’s division was.
Those (other) car-warriors also with whom Duhsasana
had proceeded, all struck with panic, similarly rushed
to the spot where Drona’s car was seen.
SECTION CXXI
“Sanjaya said, ’Beholding Duhsasana’s
car staying near his, the son of Bharadwaja, addressing
Duhsasana, said these words, ’Why, O Duhsasana,
are all these cars flying away? Is the king well?
Is the ruler of the Sindhus yet alive? Thou art
a prince. Thou art a brother of the king.
Thou art a mighty car-warrior. Why dost thou fly
away from battle? (Securing the throne to thy
brother), become thou that Prince-Regent. Thou
hadst formerly said unto Draupadi, ’Thou art
our slave, having been won by us at dice. Without
being confined to thy husbands, cast aside thy chastity.
Be thou a bearer of robes to the king, my eldest brother.
Thy husbands are all dead. They are as worthless
as grains of sesamum without kernel.’ Having
said these words then, why, O Duhsasana, dost thou
fly from battle now? Having thyself provoked
such fierce hostilities with the Panchalas and the
Pandavas, why art thou afraid in battle in the presence
of Satyaki alone? Taking up the dice on the occasion
of the gambling match, couldst thou not divine that
those dice then handled by thee would soon transform
themselves into fierce shafts resembling snakes of
virulent poison? It was thou that hadst formerly
applied diverse abusive epithets towards the Pandavas.
The woes of Draupadi have thee for their root.
Where now is that pride, that insolence, that brag
of thine? Why dost thou fly, having angered the
Pandavas, those terrible snakes of virulent poison?
When thou that art a brave brother of Suyodhana, are
intent on flight, without doubt, O hero, thou shouldst
today protect, relying on the energy of thy own arms,
this routed and panic-stricken Kaurava host.
Without doing this, thou, however, forsakest the battle
in fear and enhancest the joy of thy foes. O
slayer of foes, when thou that art the leader of thy
host, fliest away thus, who else will stay in battle?
When thou, its refuge, art frightened, who is there
that will not be frightened? Fighting with a
single warrior of the Satwata race, thy heart is inclined
towards flight from battle. What, however, O Kaurava,
wilt thou do when thou wilt see the wielder of Gandiva
in battle, or Bhimasena, or the twins (Nakula and
Sahadeva)? The shafts of Satyaki, frightened
Page 1076
by which thou seekest safety in flight, are scarcely
equal to those of Phalguna in battle that resemble
the sun or fire in splendour. If thy heart is
firmly bent on flight, let the sovereignty of the earth
then, upon the conclusion of peace, be given to king
Yudhishthira the Just. Before the shafts of Phalguna,
resembling snakes freed from their sloughs, enter
thy body, make peace with the Pandavas. Before
the high-souled Parthas, slaying thy hundred brothers
in battle, wrest the earth by force, make peace with
the Pandavas. Before king Yudhishthira is enraged,
and Krishna also, that delighter in battle, makes peace
with the Pandavas. Before the mighty-armed Bhima,
penetrating into this vast host, seizes thy brothers,
make peace with the Pandavas. Bhishma formerly
told thy brother Suyodhana, ’The Pandavas are
unconquerable in battle. O amiable one, make
peace with them.’ Thy wicked brother Suyodhana
however, did not do it. Therefore, setting thy
heart firmly on battle, fight vigorously with the
Pandavas. Go quickly on thy car to the spot where
Satyaki is. Without thee, O Bharata, this host
will fly away. For the sake of thy own self,
fight in battle with Satyaki, of prowess incapable
of being baffled.’ Thus addressed (by Drona),
thy son said not a word in reply. Feigning not
to have heard the words (of Bharadwaja’s son),
Duhsasana proceeded to the place where Satyaki was.
Accompanied by a large force of unretreating Mlecchas,
and coming upon Satyaki in battle, Duhsasana fought
vigorously with that hero. Drona also, that foremost
of car-warriors, excited with wrath, rushed against
the Panchalas and the Pandavas, with moderate speed.
Penetrating into the midst of the Pandava host in
that battle, Drona began to crush their warriors by
hundreds and thousands. And Drona, O king, proclaiming
his name in that battle, caused a great carnage among
the Pandavas, the Panchalas, and the Matsyas.
The illustrious Viraketu, the son of the ruler of
the Panchalas, rushed against the son of Bharadwaja
who thus engaged in vanquishing the Pandava ranks.
Piercing Drona with five straight shafts, that prince
then pierced Drona’s standard with one shaft,
and then his charioteer with seven. The sight
that I then beheld, O monarch, in that battle, was
exceedingly wonderful, inasmuch as Drona, though exerting
himself vigorously could not approach the prince of
the Panchalas. Then, O sire, the Panchalas, beholding
Drona checked in battle, surrounded the latter on all
sides, O king, from desire of king Yudhishthira’s
victory. And those warriors then covered Drona
along with showers of fiery shafts and strong lances
and various other kinds of weapons, O king! Baffling
then those dense showers of weapons by means of his
own numerous shafts like the wind driving away from
the welkin masses of clouds, Drona looked exceedingly
resplendent. Then that slayer of hostile heroes
(the son of Bharadwaja), aimed a fierce shaft endued
with the effulgence of the sun or the fire, at the
Page 1077
car of Viraketu. The shaft, O monarch, piercing
through the prince of Panchala, quickly entered the
earth, bathed in blood and blazing like a flame of
fire. Then the prince of the Panchalas quickly
fell down from his car, like a Champaka tree uprooted
by the wind, falling down from a mountain summit.
Upon the fall of that great bowman, that prince endued
with great might, the Panchalas speedily encompassed
Drona on every side. Then Chitraketu, and Sudhanwan,
and Chitravarman, O Bharata, and Chitraratha also,
all afflicted with grief on account of their (slain)
brother, together rushed against the son of Bharadwaja,
desirous of battling with him, and shooting shafts
(at him) like the clouds (pouring) at the end of summer.
Struck from all sides by those mighty car-warriors
of royal lineage, that bull among Brahmanas mustered
all his energy and wrath for their destruction.
Then Drona, shot showers of shafts at them. Struck
with those shafts of Drona shot from his bow to its
fullest stretch those princess. O best of monarchs,
became confounded and know not what to do. The
angry Drona, O Bharata, beholding those princes stupefied,
smilingly deprived them of their steeds and charioteers
and cars in that battle. Then the illustrious
son of Bharadwaja, by means of his sharp arrows and
broad-headed shafts, cut off their heads, like a person
plucking flowers from a tree. Deprived of life,
those princes there, O king of great splendour, fell
down from their cars on the earth, like the (slain)
Daityas and Danavas in the battle between the gods
and the Asuras in days of old. Having slain them
in battle, O king, the valiant son of Bharadwaja shook
his invincible bow, the back of whose staff was decked
with gold. Beholding those mighty car-warriors,
resembling the very celestials among the Panchalas
slain, Dhrishtadyumna inflamed with rage, shed tears
in that battle. Excited with wrath, he rushed,
in that encounter, against Drona’s car.
Then, O king, cries of woe suddenly arose there at
the sight of Drona covered with arrows by the prince
of Panchala. Completely shrouded by the high-souled
son of Prishata, Drona, however, suffered no pain.
On the other hand, he continued to fight, smiling
the while. The prince of the Panchalas then,
furious with rage, struck Drona in the chest with many
straight shafts. Deeply pierced by that mighty
warrior, the illustrious son Of Bharadwaja sat down
on the terrace of his car and fell into a swoon.
Beholding him in that condition, Dhrishtadyumna endued
with great Prowess and energy, laid aside his bow
and quickly took up a sword. That mighty car-warrior
then, speedily jumping down from his own car, Mounted
that of Bharadwaja, O ’sire, in no time, his
eyes red in wrath and impelled by the desire of cutting
Drona’s head from off his trunk. Meanwhile,
the valiant Drona, regaining his senses, took up his
bow and seeing Dhrishtadyumna arrived so near him
from desire of slaughter, began to pierce that mighty
car-warrior with shafts measuring a span only in length
Page 1078
and therefore, fit to be used in close fight.
Those arrows of the measure of a span and fit to be
used in close fight, were known to Drona, O king!
And with them he succeeded in weakening Dhrishtadyumna.
The mighty Dhrishtadyumna, struck with a large number
of those arrows, quickly jumped down from Drona’s
car. Then, that hero of great prowess, his impetuosity
baffled, mounted upon his own car and once more took
up his large bow. And the mighty car-warrior
Dhrishtadyumna once more began to pierce Drona in that
battle. And Drona also, O monarch, began to pierce
the son of Prishata with his arrows. There. upon,
the battle that took place between Drona and the prince
of the Panchalas was wonderful in the extreme, like
that between Indra and Prahlada, both desirous of
the sovereignty of the three worlds. Both conversant
with the ways of battle, they careered over the field,
displaying diverse motions of their cars and mangling
each other with their shafts, And Drona and Prishata’s
son, stupefying the mind of the warriors, shot showers
of shafts like two mighty clouds (pouring torrents
of rain) in the rainy season. And those illustrious
warriors shrouded with their shafts the welkin, the
points of the compass, and the earth. And all
creatures, viz., the Kshatriyas, O king, and all
the other combatants there, highly applauded that
battle between them. And the Panchalas, O king,
loudly exclaimed, ’Without doubt, Drona, having
encountered Dhrishtadyumna in battle, will succumb
to us. Then Drona, in that battle, quickly cut
off the head of Dhristadyumna’s charioteer like
a person plucking a ripe fruit from a tree. Then
the steeds, O king, of the high-souled Dhrishtadyumna
ran away and after those steeds had carried away Dhrishtadyumna
from the field, Drona, endued with great prowess,
began to rout the Panchalas and the Srinjayas in that
battle. Having vanquished the Pandus and the
Panchalas, Bharadwaja’s son of great prowess,
that chastiser of foes, once more took up his station
in the midst of his own array. And the Pandavas,
O lord, ventured not to vanquish him in battle.’
SECTION CXXII
“Sanjaya said, ’Meanwhile, O king, Duhsasana
rushed against the grandson of Sini, scattering thousands
of shafts like a mighty cloud pouring torrents of
rain. Having pierced Satyaki with sixty arrows
and once more with sixteen, he failed to make that
hero tremble, for the latter stood it, battle, immovable
as the Mainaka mountain. Accompanied by a large
throng of cars hailing from diverse realms, that foremost
one of Bharata’s race shot numberless arrows,
and filled all the points of the compass with roars
deep as those of the clouds. Beholding the Kaurava
coming to battle, Satyaki of mighty arms rushed towards
him and shrouded him with his shafts. They that
were at the van of Duhsasana, thus covered with those
arrowy showers, all fled away in fear, in the very
sight of thy son. After they had fled away, O
Page 1079
monarch, thy son Duhsasana, O king, remained fearlessly
in battle and began to afflict Satyaki with arrows.
And piercing the four steeds of Satyaki with four arrows,
his charioteer with three, and Satyaki himself with
a hundred in that battle, Duhsasana uttered a loud
roar, Then, O monarch, Madhava, inflamed with rage,
soon made Duhsasana’s car and driver and standard
and Duhsasana himself invisible by means of his straight
arrows. Indeed, Satyaki entirely shrouded the
brave Duhsasana with arrows. Like a spider entangling
a gnat within reach by means of its threads, that
vanquisher of foes quickly covered Duhsasana with
his shafts. Then King Duryodhana, seeing Duhsasana
thus covered with arrows, urged a body of Trigartas
towards the car of Yuyudhana. Those Trigarta
car-warriors, of fierce deeds, accomplished in battle,
and numbering three thousand, proceeded towards Yuyudhana.
Firmly resolved upon battle and swearing not to retreat,
all of them encompassed Yuyudhana with a large throng
of cars, Soon, however, Yuyudhana struck down five
hundred of their foremost warriors stationed in the
van of the force as it advanced towards him in battle,
shooting showers of arrows at him. Speedily slain
by that foremost one amongst the Sinis with his shafts,
these fell down, like tall trees from mountain-tops
uprooted by a tempest. And the field of battle,
strewn with mangled elephants, O monarch, and fallen
standards, and bodies of steeds decked in trappings
of gold, and torn and lacerated with the shafts of
Sini’s grandson and weltering in blood, looked
beautiful, O king, like a plain overgrown with flowering
Kinsukas. Those soldiers of thine, thus slaughtered
by Yuyudhana, failed to find a protector like elephants
sunk in a morass. Then all of them turned towards
the spot where Drona’s car was, like mighty
snakes making towards holes from fear of the prince
of birds. Having slain those five hundred brave
warriors by in means of his shafts, resembling snakes
of virulent poison, that hero slowly proceeded towards
the place where Dhananjaya was. And as that foremost
of men was thus proceeding thy son Duhsasana quickly
pierced him with nine straight arrows. That mighty
bowman then (Yuyudhana), pierced Duhsasana, in return,
with five straight and sharp arrows equipped with golden
wings and vulturine feather. Then Duhsasana,
O Bharata, smiling the while, pierced Satyaki, O monarch,
with three arrows, and once more with five. The
grandson of Sini, then, striking thy Son with five
arrows and Cutting off his bow proceeded smilingly
towards Arjuna. Then Duhsasana, inflamed with
wrath and desirous of slaying the Vrishni hero, hurled
at him, as he proceeded, a dart made wholly of iron.
Satyaki, however, O king, cut off, with his shafts,
equipped with Kanka feathers, that fierce dart Of thy
son. Then, O ruler of men, then, thy son, taking
up another bow, pierced Satyaki with some arrows and
uttered a loud roar. Then Satyaki excited with
wrath, stupefying thy son in that battle, struck him
Page 1080
in the centre of the chest with some shafts that resembled
flames of fire. And once more, he pierced Duhsasana
with eight shafts made wholly of iron and having very
keen points. Duhsasana, however, pierced Satyaki
in return with twenty arrows. Then, the highly-blessed
Satyaki, O monarch, pierced Duhsasana in the centre
of the chest with three straight arrows. And the
mighty car-warrior Yuyudhana, with some straight shafts
slew the steeds of Duhsasana; inflamed with wrath
he slew, with some straight arrows, that the latter’s
charioteer also. With one broad-headed arrow he
then cut off thy son’s bow, and with five arrows
he cut the leathern fence that encased his hand.
Acquainted as he was with highest weapons, Satyaki,
then, with a couple of broad-headed shafts, cut off
Duhsasana’s standard and the wooden shafts of
his car. And then with a number of keen arrows
he slew both the Parshni charioteers of thy son.
The latter, then, bowless and carless and steedless
and driverless, was taken up by the leader of the
Trigarta warriors on his car. The grandson of
Sini, then, O Bharata, pursuing him a moment, restrained
himself and slew him not, for the mighty-armed hero
recollected the words of Bhimasena. Indeed, Bhimasena,
O Bharata, vowed in the midst of the assembly the destruction
of all thy sons in battle. Then, O lord, Satyaki,
having thus vanquished Duhsasana, quickly proceeded,
O king, along the track by which Dhananjaya had gone
before him.’”
SECTION CXXII
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Were there, O Sanjaya,
no mighty car-warriors in that army of mine who could
slay or resist that Satyaki while he proceeded (towards
Arjuna)? Of prowess incapable of being baffled,
and endued with might equal to that of Sakra himself,
alone he achieved feats in battle like the great Indra
amidst the Danavas! Or, perhaps, the track by
which Satyaki proceeded was empty? Alas, possessed
of true prowess, alone he hath crushed numberless
warriors! Tell me, O Sanjaya, how the grandson
of Sini, alone as he was, passed through that vast
force struggling with him in battle?’
“Sanjaya said, ’O king, the fierce exertions
and the uproar made by thy host which abounded with
cars and elephants and steeds and foot-soldiers, resembled
what is seen at the end of the yuga. O giver of
honours, when thy assembled host was (daily) mustered,
it seemed to me that another assemblage like that
of thy army had never been on earth. The gods
and the Charanas, who came there said, ’This
muster will be the last of its kind on earth.’
Indeed, O king, never had such an array been formed
before as that which was formed by Drona on the day
of Jayadratha’s slaughter. The uproar made
by those vast bodies of soldiers rushing at one another
in battle resembled that of the ocean itself lashed
into fury by the tempest. In that host of thine,
as also in that of the Pandavas, there were hundreds
and thousands of kings, O best of men. The noise
Page 1081
made by those angry heroes of fierce deeds while engaged
in battle was tremendous and made the hair-stand on
end. Then Bhimasena and Dhrishtadyumna, O sire,
and Nakula and Sahadeva and king Yudhishthira the
Just, loudly shouted, ’Come, Strike, Rush!
The brave Madhava and Arjuna have entered the hostile
army! Do that quickly by which they may easily
go to where Jayadratha’s car is.’
Saying this, they urged their soldiers. And they
continued, ’If Satyaki and Arjuna be slain, Kurus
will have achieved their objects, and ourselves shall
be defeated. All of you, therefore, uniting together,
quickly agitate this ocean-like army (of the foe)
like impetuous winds agitating the deep.’
The warriors, O king, thus urged by Bhimasena and
the prince of the Panchalas, smothered the Kauravas,
becoming reckless of their very lives. Endued
with great energy, all of them, desiring death in
battle, at the point or the edge of weapons in expectation
of heaven, showed not the least regard for their lives
in fighting for their friends. Similarly, thy
warriors, O king, desirous of great renown, and nobly
resolved upon battle, stood on the field, determined
to fight. In that fierce and terrible battle,
Satyaki having vanquished all the combatants proceeded
towards Arjuna. The rays of the sun being reflected
from the bright armour of the warriors, the combatants
were obliged to withdraw their eyes from those.
Duryodhana also, O king, penetrated the mighty host
of the high-souled Pandavas vigorously struggling
in battle. The encounter that took place between
him on the one side and them on the other, was exceedingly
fierce, and great was the carnage that occurred there
on the occasion.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’When the Pandava
host was thus proceeding to battle, Duryodhana, in
penetrating it, must have been placed in great distress.
I hope, he did not turn his back upon the field, O
Suta! That encounter between one and the many
in dreadful battle, the one, again, being a king,
seems to me to have been very unequal. Besides,
Duryodhana hath been brought up in great luxury, in
wealth and possessions, he is a king of men.
Alone encountering many, I hope he did not turn back
from fight.’
“Sanjaya said, ’Listen to me, O king,
as I describe, O Bharata, that wonderful battle fought
by thy son, that encounter between one and the many.
Indeed, the Pandava army was agitated by Duryodhana
in that battle, like an assemblage of lotus-stalks
in a lake by an elephant. Seeing then that army
thus smitten by thy son, O king, the Panchalas headed
by Bhimasena rushed at them. Then Duryodhana
pierced Bhimasena with ten arrows and each of the
twins with three and king Yudhishthira with seven.
And he pierced Virata and Drupada with six arrows,
and Sikhandin with a hundred. And piercing Dhrishtadyumna
with twenty arrows, he struck each of the five sons
of Draupadi with three arrows. With his fierce
shafts he cut off hundreds of other combatants in
that battle, including elephants and car-warriors,
Page 1082
like the Destroyer himself in wrath exterminating
creatures. In consequence of his skill cultured
by practice and of the power of his weapons, he seemed,
as he was engaged in striking down his foes, to bend
his bow incessantly drawn to a circle whether when
aiming or letting off his shafts. Indeed, that
formidable bow of his, the back of whose staff was
decked with gold, was seen by people to be drawn into
a perpetual circle as he was employed in slaying his
enemies. Then king Yudhishthira, with a couple
of broad-headed shafts, cut off the bow of thy son,
O thou of Kuru’s race, as the latter struggled
in fight. And Yudhishthira also pierced him deeply
with ten excellent and foremost of shafts. Those
arrows, however, touching the armour of Duryodhana,
quickly broke into pieces. Then the Parthas,
filled with delight surrounded Yudhishthira, like
the celestials and great Rishis in days of old surrounding
Sakra on the occasion of the slaughter of Vritra.
Thy valiant son then, taking up another bow, addressed
king Yudhishthira, the son of Pandu, saying, ‘Wait,
Wait,’ and rushed against him. Beholding
thy son thus advancing in great battle, the Panchalas,
cheerfully and with hopes of victory, advanced to
receive him. Then Drona, desirous of rescuing
the (Kuru) king, received the rushing Panchalas, like
a mountain receiving masses of rain-charged clouds
driven by tempest. The battle then, O king, that
took place there was exceedingly fierce, making the
hair stand on end, between the Pandavas, O thou of
mighty arms, and thy warriors. Dreadful was the
carnage of all creatures that then took place, resembling
the sport of Rudra himself (at the end of the Yuga).
Then there arose a loud uproar at the place where
Dhananjaya was. And that uproar, O lord, making
the hair stand on end, rose above all other sounds.
Thus, O mighty-armed one, progressed the battle between
Arjuna and thy bowmen. Thus progressed the battle
between Satyaki and thy men in the midst of thy army.
And thus continued the fight between Drona and his
enemies at the gate of the array. Thus, indeed,
O lord of the earth, continued that carnage on the
earth, when Arjuna and Drona and the mighty car-warrior
Satyaki were all excited with wrath.’”
SECTION CXXIV
“Sanjaya said, ’In the afternoon of that
day, O king, a dreadful battle, characterised by roars,
deep as those of the clouds, once more occurred between
Drona and the Somakas. That foremost of men, Drona,
mounted on his car of red steeds, and intent on battle
rushed against the Pandavas, with moderate speed.
The valiant son of Bharadwaja, that great bowman endued
with mighty strength, that hero born in an excellent
pot, engaged in doing what was agreeable to thee,
O king, and striking down, O Bharata, many foremost
of warriors with his whetted arrows, equipped with
beautiful wings, seemed to sport in that battle.
Then that mighty car-warrior of the Kaikeyas, Vrihatkshatra,
Page 1083
irresistible in battle, and the eldest of five brothers,
rushed against him. Shooting many keen shafts,
he greatly afflicted the preceptor, like a mighty mass
of clouds pouring torrents of rain on the mountain
of Gandhamadana. Then Drona, O king, excited
with wrath sped at him five and ten shafts whetted
on stone and equipped with wings of gold. The
prince of the Kekayas, however, cheerfully cut off
every one of those shafts shot by Drona, and which
resembled angry snakes of virulent poison, with five
shafts of his own. Beholding that lightness of
hand displayed by him that bull among Brahmanas, then,
sped at him eight straight shafts. Seeing those
shafts shot from Drona’s bow, swiftly coursing
towards him, Vrihatkshatra in that battle resisted
them with as many sharp shafts of his. Beholding
that exceedingly difficult feat achieved by Vrihatkshatra,
thy troops, O king, were filled with amazement.
Then Drona, O monarch, applauding Vrihatkshatra, invoked
into existence the irresistible and celestial weapon
called Brahma in that battle. The prince of the
Kekayas, seeing it shot by Drona in battle, baffled
that Brahma weapon, O monarch, by a Brahma weapon
of his own. After that weapon had been thus baffled,
Vrihatkshatra, O Bharata, pierced the Brahmana with
sixty shafts whetted on stone and equipped with wings
of gold. Then Drona, that foremost of men, pierced
the prince of the Kekayas with a powerful shaft which,
penetrating through the latter’s armour, (passed
through his body and) entered the earth. As a
black cobra, O best of kings, pierces through an ant-hill,
even so did that shafts enter the earth, having pierced
through the body of the Kekaya prince in that battle.
Deeply pierced, O monarch, with the shafts of Drona,
the prince of the Kekayas, filled with rage, and rolling
his beautiful eyes, pierced Drona with seventy arrows
whetted on stone and equipped with wings of gold.
And with another arrow he greatly afflicted Drona’s
charioteer in this very vitals. Pierced by Vrihatkshatra,
O sire, with arrows, Drona shot showers of keen shafts
at the car of the Prince of the Kekayas. Depriving
the mighty car-warrior, Vrihatkshatra, of his coolness,
Drona then, with four-winged arrows, slew the four
steeds of the former. With another arrow he felled
Vrihatkshatra’s charioteer from his niche in
the car. And felling on the earth, with two other
arrows, his enemy’s standard and umbrella, that
bull among Brahmanas, with a third shaft well-shot
from his bow, pierced Vrihatkshatra himself in the
chest. Thereupon, the latter, thus struck in
the chest, fell down from his car.
“Upon the slaughter, O king, of Vrihatkshatra,
that mighty car-warrior among the Kaikeyas, the son
of Sisupala, filled with rage, addressed his charioteer,
saying, ’O charioteer, proceed to the spot where
Drona stayeth, clad in armour and engaged in slaying
the Kaikeya and the Panchala hosts.’ Hearing
these words of his, the charioteer soon took that
foremost of car-warriors unto Drona, by means of those
Page 1084
fleet steeds of the Kamvoja breed. Then Dhrishtaketu,
that bull among the Chedis, swelling with might, rushed
towards Drona for his own destruction like an insect
upon a blazing fire. Soon he pierced Drona and
his steeds and car and standard with sixty shafts.
And once more he struck him with many other keen shafts
like a man rousing a sleeping tiger. Then Drona,
with a sharp razor-faced arrow winged with vulturine
feathers, cut off the middle of the bow of that mighty
warrior struggling in battle. Then that powerful
car-warrior, viz., the son of Sisupala, taking
up another bow, pierced Drona with many shafts winged
with the feathers of Kankas and peacocks. Drona
then, slaying with four shafts the four steeds of
Dhrishtaketu, smilingly cut off the head of the latter’s
charioteer from his trunk. And then he pierced
Dhrishtaketu himself with five and twenty arrows.
The prince of the Chedis then, quickly jumping down
from his car, took up a mace, and hurled it at the
son of Bharadwaja like an angry snake. Beholding
that heavy mace, endued with the strength of adamant
and decked with gold, coursing towards him like Death,
the son of Bharadwaja cut it off with many thousands
of whetted arrows. That mace, cut off by Bharadwaja’s
son, O sire, with many shafts, fell down, O Kaurava,
making the earth echo with its noise. Beholding
his mace baffled, the wrathful and brave Dhrishtaketu
hurled a lance and then a dart decked with gold.
Cutting off that lance with five shafts, Drona cut
off that dart also with five arrows. Both those
missiles, thus cut off, fell down on the earth, like
a couple of snakes mangled and torn by Garuda.
The valiant son of Bharadwaja then, in that battle,
sped for his destruction a keen shaft at Dhrishtaketu
who was battling for the destruction of Bharadwaja
himself. That shaft, piercing through the armour
and breast of Dhrishtaketu of immeasurable energy,
entered the earth, like a swan diving into a lake
overgrown with lotuses. As a hungry jay seizes
and devours a little insect, even so did the heroic
Drona swallows up Dhrishtaketu in that great battle.
Upon the slaughter of the ruler of the Chedis, his
son who was conversant with the highest weapons, excited
with wrath, sought to bear the burthen of his sire.
Him also, Drona, smiling, despatched to the abode
of Yama by means of his shafts, like a huge and mighty
tiger in the deep woods slaying an infant deer.
“While the Pandavas, O Bharata, were thus being
thinned, the heroic, son of Jarasandha rushed towards
Drona. Like the clouds shrouding the sun, he
quickly made the mighty-armed Drona invisible in that
battle by means of his arrowy showers. Beholding
that lightness of hand in him, Drona, that grinder
of Kshatriyas, quickly shot his shafts by hundreds
and thousands. Covering (with his arrows) in
that battle that foremost of car-warriors stationed
on his car, Drona speedily slew the son Of Jarasandha
in the very sight of all bowmen. Indeed, Drona,
Page 1085
resembling the Destroyer himself, swallowing up every
one who approached him then, like the Destroyer himself,
swallowing up creatures when their hour arrives.
Then Drona, O monarch, proclaiming his name in that
battle, covered the Pandavas with many thousands of
shafts. Those shafts shot by Drona, whetted on
stone and engraved with his name, slew in that battle
men and elephants and steeds by hundreds. Thus
slaughtered by Drona, like the Asuras by Sakra, the
Panchalas began to tremble like a herd of kine afflicted
with cold. Indeed, O bull of Bharata’s race,
when the Pandava army was thus being slaughtered by
Drona, there arose an awful wail of woe from it.
Scorched by the sun and slaughtered by means of those
arrows, the Panchalas then became filled with anxiety.
Stupefied by Bharadwaja’s son with his arrowy
showers in that battle the mighty car-warriors among
the Panchalas felt like persons whose thighs had been
seized by alligators. Then, O king, the Chedis,
the Srinjayas, the Kasis, and the Kosalas, rushed
cheerfully against the son of Bharadwaja from desire
of battle. And the Chedis, the Panchalas, and
the Srinjayas addressed one another, saying, ‘Drona
is slain! Drona is slain!’ Saying these
words, they rushed at that hero. Indeed, all these
tigers among men fell with their utmost might upon
the illustrious Drona, desirous of despatching him
to the abode of Yama. Then the son of Bharadwaja,
by means of his shafts, despatched those brave warriors
struggling vigorously in battle, especially those
forest ones among the Chedis, into the presence of
the King of the dead. After those foremost ones
among the Chedis had been exterminated, the Panchalas,
afflicted with the shafts of Drona, began to tremble.
Beholding, O sire, those feats of Drona, they loudly
called after Bhimasena and Dhrishtadyumna, O Bharata,
and said, ’This Brahmana hath, without doubt,
practised the austerest of penances and acquired great
ascetic merit. Inflamed with rage in battle, he
consumeth the foremost of Kshatriyas. A Kshatriya’s
duty is battle; a Brahmana’s, the highest asceticism.
A Brahmana endued with ascetic merit and learning,
is capable of burning everything by his glances only.
Many foremost of Kshatriyas, having approached the
uncrossable and fierce fire of Drona’s weapons,
have, O Bharata, been blasted and consumed. The
illustrious Drona, to the measure of his might, courage,
and perseverance, stupefies all creatures and slays
our troops!’ Hearing these words of theirs,
the mighty Kshatradharman, rightly observant of the
duties of a Kshatriya, wrathfully cut off with a crescent-shaped
arrow the bow of Drona with arrow fixed thereon.
Then Drona, that grinder of Kshatriyas, becoming more
angry still, took up another bright bow, tougher than
the one he had laid aside. Fixing on it a keen
arrow, destructive of hostile ranks, the preceptor,
endued with great strength, sped it at the prince,
drawing the bowstring to his ear. That arrow,
slaying Kshatradharman entered the earth. His
Page 1086
breast pierced through, he fell down from his vehicle
on the earth. Upon the slaughter of Dhrishtadyumna’s
son, the (Pandava) troops began to tremble. Then
the mighty Chekitana fell upon Drona, Piercing Drona
with ten arrows, he once more pierced him with a shaft
in the centre of his chest. And he pierced Drona’s
charioteer with four arrows and his four steeds also
with four. The Preceptor then pierced the right
arm of Chekitana with sixteen arrows, and his standard
with sixteen, and his charioteer with seven.
Upon the charioteer being slain, Chekitana’s
steeds fled away, dragging the car after them.
Beholding the steeds of Chekitana pierced with the
arrows of Bharadwaja’s son, and his car also
deprived of driver, the Panchalas and the Pandavas
were filled with great fear. Drona then, O sire,
routing on all sides the Panchalas and the Srinjayas
united together in battle looked exceedingly resplendent.
The venerable Drona, full five and eighty years of
age, dark in hue and with white locks descending to
his cars, careered in battle like a youth of sixteen.
Indeed, O king, enemies regarded the foe-slaying Drona,
as he fearlessly careered in battle, to be none else
than Indra himself armed with the thunder. Then,
O monarch, the mighty-armed Drupada of great intelligence
said, ’This one (Drona) is slaying the Kshatriyas
like a hungry tiger slaying smaller animals.
The sinful Duryodhana of wicked soul will assuredly
obtain the most miserable regions (in the next world).
It is through his covetousness that many foremost
of the Kshatriyas, slain in battle, lay prostrate
on the field, like mangled bulls, weltering in blood
and becoming the food of dogs and jackals.’
Saying these words, O monarch, Drupada, that master
of an Akshauhini of troops, placing the Parthas at
his head, rushed with speed towards Drona.’”
SECTION CXXV
“Sanjaya said, ’When the army of the Pandavas
was thus agitated on all sides, the Parthas and the
Panchalas and the Somakas, retreated to a great distance.
During the progress of that fierce battle, making the
hair stand on end, and that universal carnage like
to what happens, O Bharata, at that end of the Yuga,
when, indeed, Drona of great prowess was repeatedly
uttering leonine shouts, and when the Panchalas were
being weakened and the Pandavas slaughtered, king
Yudhishthira the Just, failing in that battle to find
any refuge in that distress, began, O king, to think
how the matter would end. Casting his eyes around
in expectation of seeing Savyasachin, Yudhishthira,
however, saw neither that son of Pritha nor Madhava.
Not seeing that tiger among men viz., the ape-bannered
Arjuna, and not hearing also the twang of Gandiva,
the monarch became filled with anxiety, not seeing
Satyaki also, that foremost of car-warriors among
the Vrishnis, king Yudhishthira the Just became equally
anxious. Indeed, not seeing those two foremost
of men, Yudhishthira knew no peace. The high-souled
Page 1087
king Yudhishthira the Just, of mighty arms, fearing
the evil opinion of the world, began to think of Satyaki’s
car. Sini’s grandson Satyaki, of true prowess,
that dispeller of the fears of friends, hath been
sent by me in the track of Phalguna. I had only
one source of anxiety before, but now I have two.
I should have tidings of both Satyaki and Dhananjaya,
the son of Pandu. Having despatched Satyaki to
follow in the track of Arjuna, whom shall I now send
in the track of Satyaki? If by every means I endeavour
to obtain intelligence of my brother only, without
enquiring after Yuyudhana, the world will reproach
me. They will say that, ’Yudhishthira, the
son of Dharma, having enquired after his brother,
leaves Satyaki of Vrishni’s race, that hero
of unfailing prowess, to his fate!’ Fearing,
as I do, the reproach of the world, I should therefore,
send Vrikodara, the son of Pritha, in the track of
the high-souled Madhava. The love I bear to the
Vrishni hero, to that invincible warrior of the Satwata
race, (viz., Satyaki), is not less than the love I
bear to Arjuna, that slayer of foes. The delighter
of the Sinis hath again, been set by me to a very
heavy task. That mighty warrior, however, hath,
either for the sake of a friend’s request or
for that of honour, penetrated into the Bharata army
like a Makara into the ocean. Loud is the noise
I hear of unretreating heroes, fighting together against
that Vrishni hero of great intelligence. Without
doubt, they are too many for him. The time, therefore,
is come when I should think of his rescue. It
seems to me that armed with the bow, Bhimasena, the
son of Pandu, should go there where those two mighty
car-warriors are. There is nothing on earth that
Bhima cannot bear. If he struggles with resolution,
he is a match in battle for all the bowmen in the
world. Depending on the might of his own arms,
he can stand against all foes. Relying on the
strength of arms of that high-souled warrior, we have
been able to come back from our exile in the woods
and we have never been vanquished in battle. If
Bhimasena, the son of Pandu, proceedeth hence to Satyaki,
both Satyaki and Phalguna will derive real aid.
Without doubt, I should not feel any anxiety for Satyaki
and Phalguna. Both of them are accomplished in
weapons, and Vasudeva himself is protecting them.
(For all that, I feel anxious on their account), I
should certainly seek to remove my anxiety. I
shall, therefore, set Bhima to follow in the wake
of Satyaki. Having done this, I should regard
my arrangements complete for the rescue of Satyaki.’
Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, having settled this
in his mind, addressed his charioteer and said, ‘Take
me to Bhima.’ Hearing the command of king
Yudhishthira the Just, the charioteer who was versed
in horse-lore, took that car decked with gold to where
Bhima was. Arrived at the presence of Bhima,
the king, remembering the occasion, became unmanned
by grief, and pressed Bhima with diverse solicitations.
Page 1088
Indeed, overwhelmed with grief, the monarch addressed
Bhima. And these were the words, O king, that
Yudhishthira the son of Kunti then said unto him, ’O
Bhima, I do not behold the standard of that Arjuna,
who on a single car had vanquished all the gods, the
Gandharvas and Asuras!’ Then Bhimasena, addressing
king Yudhishthira the Just who was in that plight,
said, ’Never before did I see, or hear thy ’Words
afflicted with such cheerlessness. Indeed, formerly,
when we were smitten with grief, it was thou who hadst
been our comforter. Rise, Rise, O king of kings,
say what I am to do for thee. O giver of honours,
there is nothing that I cannot do. Tell me what
your commands are, O foremost one of Kuru’s race!
Do not set your heart on grief.’ Unto Bhimasena
then, the king with a sorrowful face and with eyes
bathed in tears, said, sighing the while like a black
cobra, ’The blasts of the conch Panchajanya,
wrathfully blown by Vasudeva of world-wide renown,
are being heard. It seems, from this, that thy
brother Dhananjaya lieth today on the field, deprived
of life. Without doubt, Arjuna having been slain,
Janardana is fighting. That hero of great might,
relying on whose prowess the Pandavas are alive, he
to whom we always turn in times of fear like the celestials
towards their chief of a thousand eyes, that hero
hath, in search after the ruler of Sindhus, penetrated
into the Bharata host. I know this, O Bhima, viz.,
that he hath gone, but he hath not yet returned.
Dark in complexion, youthful in years, of curly locks,
exceedingly handsome mighty car-warrior, of broad
chest and long arms, possessed of the tread of an infuriated
elephant, of eyes of the colour of burnished copper
and like those a chakra, that brother of thine enhances
the fears of foes. Blessed be thou, even this
is the cause of my grief, O chastiser of foes!
For Arjuna’s sake, O thou of mighty arms, as
also for the sake of Satwata, my grief increaseth like
a blazing fire fed with libations of clarified butter.
I do not see his standard. For this am I stupefied
with sorrow. Without doubt, he hath been slain,
and Krishna, skilled in battle, is fighting. Know
also that the tiger among men, that mighty car-warrior,
Satwata is slain. Alas! Satyaki hath followed
in the wake of that other mighty car-warrior, with
thy brother. Without seeing Satyaki also, I am
stupefied by grief. Therefore, O son of Kunti,
go thither, where Dhananjaya is and Satyaki also of
mighty energy, if, of course, thou thinkest it thy
duty to obey my words, O thou that art acquainted
with duty.’ Remember that I am thy eldest
brother. Thou shouldst think Satyaki to be dearer
to thee than Arjuna himself. O son of Pritha,
Satyaki hath gone, from desire of doing good to me,
in the track of Arjuna, a track that is incapable of
being trod by persons of vile souls. Beholding
the two Krishnas and Satyaki also of the Satwata race
sound and whole, send me a message, O son of Pandu,
by uttering a leonine roar.’”
Page 1089
SECTION CXXVI
“Bhima said, That car which formerly bore Brahma
and Isana and Indra and Varuna (to battle), mounting
upon that car, have two Krishnas gone. They can
have no fear of danger, Taking, however, thy command
on my head, lo, I am going. Do not grieve.
Meeting with those tigers among men, I shall send
thee intelligence.’
“Sanjaya said, ’Having said those words,
the mighty Bhima began to prepare for setting out,
repeatedly making over Yudhishthira to Dhrishtadyumna
and the other friends (of the Pandava cause).
Indeed, Bhimasena of mighty strength addressing Dhrishtadyumna,
said, ’It is known to thee, O thou of mighty
arms, how the mighty car-warrior Drona is always on
the alert to seize king Yudhishthira the Just by all
means in his power. Indeed, O son of Prishata,
I should never place my going (to Arjuna and Satyaki)
above my duty of protecting the king. King Yudhishthira,
however, hath commanded me to go, I dare not contradict
him. I shall go thither where the ruler of the
Sindhus stayeth, at the point of death. I should,
in complete truthfulness, act according to the words
of my brother (Arjuna) and of Satyaki endued with great
intelligence. Thou shouldst, therefore, vigorously
resolved on fight, protect Yudhishthira the son of
Pritha today. Of all tasks, this is thy highest
duty in battle.’ Thus addressed by Vrikodara,
O monarch, Dhrishtadyumna replied, ’I shall
do what thou wishest. Go, O son of Pritha, without
any anxiety of the kind. Without slaying Dhrishtadyumna
in battle, Drona will never be able to humiliate king
Yudhishthira in the fight.’ Thus making
the royal son of Pandu over to Dhrishtadyumna, and
saluting his elder brother, Bhimasena, proceeded towards
the spot where Phalguna was. Before dismissing
him, however, king Yudhishthira the Just, O Bharata,
embraced Bhimasena and smelt his head and pronounced
auspicious blessings upon him. After circumambulating
a number of Brahmanas, gratified with worship and
presents, and touching the eight kinds of auspicious
articles, and quaffing Kairataka honey, that hero,
the corners of whose eyes had become red in intoxication,
felt his might to be doubled. The Brahmanas performed
propitiatory ceremonies for him. Various omens,
indicative of success, greeted him. Beholding
them, he felt the delight of anticipated victory.
Favourable winds began to blow and indicate his success.
Then the mighty-armed Bhimasena, the foremost of car-warriors,
clad in mail, decked with earrings and Angadas, and
his hands cased in leathern fences, mounted on his
own excellent car. His costly coat of mail, made
of black steel and decked with gold, looked like a
cloud charged with lightning. His body Was beautifully
covered with yellow and red and black and white robes.
Wearing a coloured cuirass that protected also his
neck, Bhimasena looked resplendent like a cloud decked
with a rainbow.
Page 1090
“While Bhimasena was on the point of setting
out against thy troops from desire of battle, the
fierce blasts of Panchajanya were once more heard.
Hearing those loud and terrible blasts, capable of
filling the three Worlds with fear, the son of Dharma
once more addressed Bhimasena, saying, ’There,
the Vrishni hero is fiercely blowing his conch.
Indeed, that Prince of conchs is filling the earth
and the welkin with its sound. Without doubt,
Savyasachin having fallen into great distress, the
bearer of the discus and the mace is battling with
all the Kurus. Without doubt, the venerable Kunti,
and Draupadi, and Subhadra, are all, with their relatives
and friends, beholding today exceedingly inauspicious
omens. Therefore, O Bhima, go thither with speed
where Dhananjaya is. All the points of the compass,
O Partha, seem empty to my eyes in consequence of
my (unsatisfied) desire to see Dhananjaya and owing
also to Satwata., Repeatedly urged by his superior
to go, the valiant son of Pandu, viz., Bhimasena,
O king, casing his hands in leathern fence, took up
his bow. Urged by his eldest brother, that brother,
Bhimasena, who was devoted to his brother’s
good, caused drums to be beat. And Bhima forcibly
blew his conch also and uttering leonine roars, began
to twang his bow. Damping the hearts of hostile
heroes by those leonine roars, and assuming a dreadful
form, he rushed against his foes. Swift and well-broken
steeds of the foremost breed neighing furiously, bore
him. Endued with the speed of the wind or thought,
their reins were held by Visoka. Then the son
of Pritha, drawing the bowstring with great force,
began to crush the head of the hostile array, mangling
and piercing the combatants there. And as that
mighty-armed hero proceeded, the brave Panchalas and
the Somakas followed him behind, like the celestials
following Maghavat. Then the brothers Duhsasana
and Chitrasena. and Kundabhedin and Vivinsati, and
Durmukha and Duhsaha and Sala, and Vinda and Anuvinda
and Sumukha and Dirghavahu and Sudarsana, and Suhasta
and Sushena. and Dirghalochana, and Abhaya and Raudrakarman
and Suvarman and Durvimochana, approaching, encompassed
Bhimasena. These foremost of car-warriors, these
heroes, all looking resplendent, with their troops
and followers, firmly resolved upon battle, rushed
against Bhimasena. That heroic and mighty car-warrior,
viz., Kunti’s son Bhimasena of great prowess,
thus encompassed, cast his eyes on them, and rushed
against them with the impetuosity of a lion against
smaller animals. Those heroes, displaying celestial
and mighty weapons, covered Bhima with shafts, like
clouds shrouding the risen sun. Transgressing
all those warriors with impetuosity, Bhimasena rushed
against Drona’s division, and covered the elephant-force
before him with showers of arrows. The son of
the Wind-god, mangling with his shafts almost in no
time that elephant division dispersed it in all directions.
Indeed, like animals terrified in the forest at the
Page 1091
roar of a Sarabha, those elephants all fled away,
uttering frightful cries. Passing over that ground
with speed, he then approached the division of Drona.
Then the preceptor checked his course, like the continent
resisting the surging sea. Smilingly, he struck
the son of Pandu in his forehead with a shaft.
Thereupon, the son of Pandu looked resplendent like
the sun with upward rays. The preceptor thought
that Bhima would show him reverence as Phalguna had
done before. Addressing Vrikodara, therefore,
he said, ’O Bhimasena, it is beyond thy power
to enter into the hostile host, without vanquishing
me, thy foe, in battle, O thou of mighty strength!
Although Krishna with thy younger brother hath penetrated
this host with my permission, thyself, however, will
never succeed in doing so.’ Hearing these
words of the preceptor, the dauntless Bhima, excited
with wrath, and his eyes red as blood or burnished
copper, quickly replied unto Drona, saying, ’O
wretch of a Brahmana, it cannot be that Arjuna hath
entered this host with thy permission. He is
invisible. He would penetrate into the host commanded
by Sakra himself. If he offered thee reverential
worship, it was only for honouring thee. But
know, O Drona, that myself, I am not compassionate
like Arjuna. On the other hand, I am Bhimasena,
thy foe. We regard thee as our father, preceptor,
and friend. Ourselves we look upon as thy sons.
Thinking so we always humble ourselves to thee.
When, however, thou usest such words towards us today,
it seems that all that is altered. If thou regardest
thyself as our foe, let it be as thou thinkest.
Being none else than Bhima, I will presently act towards
thee as I should towards a foe.’ Saying
this, Bhima whirling a mace, like the Destroyer himself
whirling his fatal rod, hurled it, O king, at Drona.
Drona, however, had quickly jumped down from his car,
(and that proved his safety). For that mace pressed
down into the earth the car of Drona, with its steeds,
driver, and standard. Then Bhima crushed numerous
warriors like the tempest crushing trees with its
force. Then those sons of thine once more encompassed
that foremost of car-warriors. Meanwhile, Drona,
that foremost of smiters mounting another chariot,
proceeded to the gate of the array and stayed there
for battle. Then, O king, the angry Bhima of
great prowess, covered the car-division in his front
with showers of shafts. Then those mighty car-warriors,
viz., thy sons, thus struck in battle, endued
as they were with great strength fought with Bhima
from desire of victory. Then Duhsasana, excited
with wrath, hurled at Bhimasena a keen dart made entirely
of iron, wishing to slay the son of Pandu. Bhima
however, cut in twain that fierce dart hurled by thy
son, as it coursed towards him. This feat seemed
exceedingly wonderful. The mighty son of Pandu,
then, with three other keen shafts, slew the three
brothers Kundabhedin and Sushena and Dirghanetra.
And, again, amongst those heroic sons of thine battling
Page 1092
with him, Bhima slew heroic Vrindaraka, that enhancer
of the fame of the Kurus. And again, with three
other shafts, Bhima slew three other sons of thine,
viz., Abhaya and Raudrakarman and Durvimochana.
Thus slaughtered, O king, by that mighty warrior,
thy sons surrounded, Bhima, that foremost of smiters
on all sides. They then showered their arrows
upon that son of Pandu, of terrible deeds, like the
cloud at the end of summer pouring torrents of rain
on the mountain-breast. That slayer of hosts,
the heir of Pandu, received that arrowy shower, like
a mountain receiving a shower of stones. Indeed,
the heroic Bhima felt no pain. Then the son of
Kunti, smiling the while, despatched by means of his
shafts thy son Vinda and Anuvinda and Suvarman to
the abode of Yama. Then the son of Pandu, O bull
of Bharata’s race, quickly pierced in that battle
thy heroic son Sudarsan. The latter, thereupon,
fell down and expired. Within a very short time,
the son of Pandu, casting his glances on that car-force
caused it by his shafts to fly away in all directions.
Then like a herd of deer frightened at the clatter
of car-wheels, or a loud shout, thy sons, in that
battle, O king, afflicted with the fear of Bhimasena,
suddenly broke and fled. The son of Kunti, however,
pursued that large force of thy sons, and began, O
king, to pierce the Kauravas from every side.
Thy soldiers, O monarch, thus slaughtered by Bhimasena,
fled away from battle, avoiding the son of Pandu and
urging their own excellent steeds to their greatest
speed. The mighty Bhimasena then, having vanquished
them in battle, uttered leonine roars and made a great
noise by slapping his armpits. And the mighty
Bhima, having made also a fierce noise with his palms,
and thereby frightened that car-force and the foremost
of warriors that were in it, passed towards the division
of Drona, transgressing that car-force (which he had
vanquished.)’
SECTION CXXVII
“Sanjaya said, ’After the son of Pandu
had crossed that car-force, the preceptor Drona, smiling
the while, covered him with showers of arrows, desirous
of checking his course. Stupefying thy force then
with his powers of illusion, and drinking, as it were,
those shafts shot from the bow of Drona, Bhimasena
rushed against those brothers (viz., thy sons).
Then many kings, that were all great bowmen, urged
by thy sons, rushing impetuously, began to surround
him. Encompassed by them, O Bharata, Bhima smiling
the while and uttering a leonine roar, took up and
hurled at them with great force a fierce mace destructive
of hostile ranks. That mace of adamantine strength,
hurled like Indra’s thunder by Indra himself,
crushed, O king, thy soldiers in battle. And it
seemed to fill, O king, the whole earth with loud
noise. And blazing forth in splendour, that fierce
mace inspired thy sons with fear. Beholding that
mace of impetuous course and endued with lightning
flashes, coursing towards them, thy warriors fled
Page 1093
away, uttering frightful cries. And at the unbearable
sound, O sire, of that fierce mace, many men fell down
where they stood, and many car-warriors also fell
down from their cars. Slaughtered by Bhimasena
armed with the mace, thy warriors fled away in fear
from battle, like the deer attacked by a tiger.
The son of Kunti, routing in battle those valorous
foes of his, impetuously crossed that force like Garuda
of beautiful feathers.
“While Bhimasena, that leader of leaders of
car-divisions, was engaged in such carnage, Bharadwaja’s
son, O king, rushed at him. And Drona, checking
Bhima by means of his arrowy showers, suddenly uttered
a leonine roar that inspired the Pandavas with fear.
The battle that took place between Drona and the high-souled
Bhima was, O king, furious and terrible and resembled
the encounter between the gods and the Asuras of old.
Heroic warriors by hundreds and thousands in that battle
slain by the keen shafts shot from the bow of Drona.
The son of Pandu then, jumping down from his car shut
his eyes, O king, and rushed on foot with great speed
towards the car of Drona. Indeed, as a bovine
bull easily bears a heavy shower of rain, even so
that tiger among men, viz., Bhima, bore that
arrowy downpour from Drona’s bow. Struck
in that battle, o sire, by Drona, the mighty Bhima,
seizing Drona’s car by the shaft, threw it down
with great force. Thus thrown down in battle,
O king, Drona, however, quickly mounting another car,
proceeded towards the gate of the array, his driver
urging his steeds at that time with great speed.
That feat, O thou of Kuru’s race, achieved by
Bhimasena, seemed exceedingly wonderful. The
mighty Bhima, then, mounting upon his own car, rushed
impetuously towards the army of thy son. And
he crushed the Kshatriyas in battle, like a tempest
crushing rows of trees. Indeed, Bhima proceeded,
resisting the hostile warriors like the mountain resisting
the surging sea. Coming then upon the Bhoja-troops
that were protected by the son of Hridika, Bhimasena,
O king, ground it greatly, and passed through it.
Frightening the hostile soldiers with the sound of
his palms, O sire, Bhima vanquished them all like
a tiger vanquishing a herd of bovine bulls. Passing
through the Bhoja division and that of the Kamvojas
also, and countless tribes of Mlecchas too, who were
all accomplished in fight, and beholding that mighty
car-warriors, Satyaki, engaged in fight, Bhimasena,
the son of Kunti, O monarch proceeded resolutely and
with great speed, desirous of having a sight of Dhananjaya.
Transgressing all thy warriors in that battle, the
son of Pandu then sighted the mighty car-warrior Arjuna
engaged in the fight. The valiant Bhima, that
tiger among men, beholding Arjuna putting forth his
prowess for the slaughter of the ruler of the Sindhus,
uttered a loud shout, like, O monarch, the clouds roaring
in the season of rains. Those terrible shouts
of the roaring Bhimasena were, O thou of Kuru’s
race, heard by both Arjuna and Vasudeva in the midst
Page 1094
of the battle. Both those heroes, simultaneously
hearing that shout of the mighty Bhima, repeatedly
shouted from desire of beholding Vrikodara Then Arjuna
uttering loud roar, and Madhava also doing the same,
careered in battle like a couple of roaring bulls.
Hearing then that roar of Bhimasena, as also that
of Phalguna armed with the bow, Yudhishthira, the
son of Dharma, O king, became highly gratified.
And king Yudhishthira, hearing those sounds of Bhima
and Arjuna, had his grief dispelled. And the
lord Yudhishthira repeatedly wished success to Dhananjaya
in battle.
“While the fierce Bhima was thus roaring, the
mighty-armed Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, that
foremost of virtuous men, smilingly reflected a while
and thus worded the thoughts that inspired his heart,
’O Bhima, thou hast truly sent me the message.
Thou hast truly obeyed the commands of thy superior.
They, O son of Pandu, can never have victory that have
thee for their foe. By good luck it is that Dhananjaya,
capable of shooting the bow with (even) his left hand,
still liveth. By good luck, the heroic Satyaki
also, of prowess incapable of being baffled, is safe
and sound. By good luck, it is that I hear both
Vasudeva and Dhananjaya uttering these roars.
He who having vanquished Sakra himself in battle,
had gratified the bearer of sacrificial libations,
that slayer of foes, viz., Phalguna, by good
luck, still liveth in this battle. He, relying
upon the might of whose arms all of us are alive, that
slayer of hostile armies, Phalguna, by good luck,
liveth still. He by whom with the aid of a single
bow the Nivatakavachas were vanquished, those Danavas,
that is, that were incapable of being defeated by
the very gods, he, viz., Partha, by good luck,
liveth still. He who had vanquished in Matsya’s
city all the Kauravas assembled together for seizing
Virata’s kine, that Partha, by good luck, liveth
still. He who, by the might of his arms, slew
fourteen thousands of Kalakeyas, that Partha, by good
luck, liveth still. He who, for Duryodhana’s
sake, had vanquished, by the energy of his weapons,
the mighty king of the Gandharvas, that Partha, by
good luck, liveth still. Decked with diadem and
garlands (of gold), endued with great strength, having
white steeds (yoked to his car) and Krishna himself
for his charioteer, that Phalguna, always dear to me,
by good luck, liveth still. Burning with grief
on account of the death of his son, endeavouring to
achieve a most difficult feat, and even now seeking
to slaughter Jayadratha, alas, he that hath made that
vow, viz., Dhananjaya, will he succeed in slaying
the ruler of the Sindhus in battle? After he,
protected by Vasudeva, will have accomplished that
vow of his, shall I behold that Arjuna again, before
the sun sets? Shall the ruler of the Sindhus
who is devoted to Duryodhana’s welfare, slain
by Phalguna, gladden his foes? Shall king Duryodhana,
beholding the ruler of the Sindhus slain in battle
make peace with us? Beholding his brother slain
Page 1095
in battle by Bhimasena shall the wicked Duryodhana
make peace with us? Beholding other great warriors
lying prostrate on the surface of the earth, shall
wicked Duryodhana give way to remorse? Shall not
our hostilities cease with the single sacrifice of
Bhishma? Shall that Suyodhana, make peace with
us for saving the remnant (of what is still left to
him and us)? Diverse reflections of this kind
passed through the mind of king Yudhishthira who was
overwhelmed with compassion. Meanwhile, the battle
(between the Pandavas and the Kauravas) raged furiously.’”
SECTION CXXVIII
“Dhritarashtra said, ’While mighty Bhimasena
was uttering those loud shouts deep as the roar of
the clouds or peals of thunder, what heroes (of our
side) surrounded him? I do not behold that warrior,
O Sanjaya, in the three worlds, who is capable of
staying before the enraged Bhimasena in battle.
I do not, O son, behold him that can stay on the field
of battle before Bhimasena armed with mace and resembling
Death himself. Who will stand before that Bhima,
not excepting Sakra himself, that destroys a car with
a car and an elephant with an elephant?[153] Who, amongst
those devoted to Duryodhana’s welfare stood in
battle before Bhimasena excited with rage and engaged
in slaughtering my sons? Who were those men that
stood in battle in front of Bhimasena, engaged in consuming
my sons like a forest conflagration consuming dry
leaves and straw? Who were they that surrounded
Bhima in battle, beholding my sons slain by him one
after another like Death himself cutting off all creatures?
I do not fear Arjuna so much, or Krishna so much,
or Satyaki so much, or him (viz., Dhrishtadyumna)
so much who was born of the sacrificial fire, as I
fear Bhima. Tell me, O Sanjaya, who were those
heroes that rushed against that blazing fire, represented
by Bhima, which so consumed my sons?’
“Sanjaya, said, ’While the mighty car-warriors
Bhimasena was uttering those roars, mighty Karna,
unable to bear them, rushed at him with a loud shout,
stretching his bow with great force. Indeed, the
mighty Karna, desirous of battle, displayed his strength
and checked Bhima’s course like a tall tree
withstanding tempest. The heroic Bhima also, beholding
Vikartana’s son before him, suddenly blazed up
in wrath and sped at him with great force many shafts
whetted on stone. Karna received all those shafts
and sped many in return. At that encounter between
Bhima and Karna, hearing the sounds of their palms,
the limbs of all the struggling combatants, car-warriors,
and horsemen, began to tremble. Indeed, hearing
the terrible roars of Bhimasena on the field of battle,
even all the foremost of Kshatriyas regarded the whole
earth and the welkin to be filled with that noise.
And at the fierce peals uttered by the high-souled
son of Pandu, the bows of all warriors in that battle
dropped on the earth. And steeds and elephants,
O king, dispirited, ejected urine and excreta.
Page 1096
Various frightful omens of evil then made their appearance.
The welkin was covered with flights of vultures and
Kankas during that terrific encounter between Bhima
and Karna. Then Karna struck Bhima with twenty
arrows, and quickly pierced the latter’s charioteer
also with five. Smiling the while, the mighty
and active Bhima then, in that battle, quickly sped
at Karna four and sixty arrows. Then Karna, O
king, sped four shafts at him. Bhima, by means
of his straight shafts, cut them into many fragments,
O king, displaying his lightness of hand. Then
Karna covered him with dense showers of arrows.
Thus covered by Karna, the mighty son of Pandu, however,
cut off Karna’s bow at the handle and then pierced
Karna with ten straight arrows. The Suta’s
son then, that mighty car-warrior of terrible deeds,
taking up another bow and stringing it quickly, pierced
Bhima in that battle (with many shafts). Then
Bhima, excited with rage, struck the Suta’s
son with great force on the chest with three straight
shafts. With those arrows sticking at his breast,
Karna looked beautiful, O bull of Bharata’s race,
like a mountain with three tall summits. Thus
pierced with mighty shafts, blood began to flow from
his wounds, like torrents of liquid red-chalk down
the breast of a mountain. Afflicted with those
shafts shot with great force, Karna became agitated
a little. Fixing an arrow then on his bow, he
pierced Bhima, again, O sire! And once more he
began to shoot arrows by hundreds and thousands.
Suddenly shrouded with shafts by that firm bowman,
viz., Karna, the son of Pandu, smiling the while,
cut off Karna’s bow-string. And then with
a broad-headed arrow, he despatched Karna’s charioteer
to the abode of Yama. And that mighty car-warrior,
viz., Bhima, deprived the four steeds also of
Karna of their lives. The mighty car-warrior Karna
then speedily jumping down, O king, from his steedless
car, mounted the car of Vrishasena. The valiant
Bhimasena then, having vanquished Karna in battle,
uttered a loud shout deep as the roar of the clouds.
Hearing that roar, O Bharata, Yudhishthira became
highly gratified, knowing that Karna had been vanquished
by Bhimasena. And the combatants of the Pandava
army blew their conchs from every side, Their enemies,
viz., thy warriors, hearing that noise, roared
loudly. Arjuna stretched Gandiva, and Krishna
blew Panchajanya. Drowning, however, all those
sounds, the noise made by the roaring Bhima, was,
O king, heard by all the combatants, O sire! Then
those two warriors, viz., Karna, and Bhima, each
struck the other with straight shafts. The son
of Radha, however, shot shafts mildly, but the son
of Pandu shot his with great force.’”
SECTION CXXIX
Page 1097
-Sanjaya said, ’After that army had (thus) been
routed, and Arjuna and Bhimasena had all gone after
the ruler of the Sindhus, thy son (Duryodhana) proceeded
towards Drona. And Duryodhana went to the preceptor,
on his single car, thinking, by the way, of diverse
duties. That car of thy son, endued with the
speed of the wind or thought, proceeded with great
celerity towards Drona. With eyes red in wrath,
thy son addressed the preceptor and said, ’O
grinder of foes, Arjuna and Bhimasena, and unvanquished
Satyaki, and many mighty car-warriors, defeating all
our troops, have succeeded in approaching the ruler
of the Sindhus. Indeed, those mighty car-warriors,
who vanquished all the troops, themselves unvanquished,
are fighting even there. O giver of honours,
how hast thou been transgressed by both Satyaki and
Bhima? O foremost of Brahmanas, this thy defeat
at the hands of Satwata, of Arjuna, and of Bhimasena,
is like the drying of the ocean, exceedingly wonderful
in this world. People are loudly asking, ’How,
indeed, could Drona, that master of the science of
arms, be vanquished?’ Even thus all the warriors
are speaking in depreciation of thee. Destruction
is certain for my luckless self in battle, when three
car-warriors, O tiger among men, have if, succession
transgressed thee. When, however, all this hath
happened, tell us what thou hast to say on the business
that awaits us. What hath happened, is past.
O giver of honours, think now of what is remaining.
Say quickly what should next be done for the ruler
of the Sindhus on the present occasion, and let what
thou sayest be quickly and properly carried out.’
“Drona said, ’Listen, O great king, to
what I, having reflected much, say unto thee about
what should now be done. As yet only three great
car-warriors among the Pandavas have transgressed us.
We have as much to fear behind those three as we have
to dread before them.[154] There, however, where Krishna
and Dhananjaya are, our fear must be greater.
The Bharata army hath been attacked both on the front
and from behind. In this pass, I think, the protection
of the ruler of the Sindhus is our first duty.
Jayadratha, afraid of Dhananjaya, deserves of everything
else to be protected by us. The heroic Yuyudhana
and Vrikodara have both gone against the ruler of
the Sindhus. All this that hath come is the fruit
of that match at dice conceived by Sakuni’s
intellect. Neither victory nor defeat took place
in the (gaming) assembly. Now that we are engaged
in this sport, there will be victory or defeat.
Those innocent things with which Sakuni had formerly
played in the Kuru assembly and which he regarded
as dice, were, in reality, invincible shafts.
Truly, there where, O sire, the Kauravas were congregated,
they were not dice but terrible arrows capable of
mangling your bodies. At present, however, O
king, know the combatants for players, these shafts
for dice, and the ruler of the Sindhus, without doubt,
O monarch, as the stake, in this game of battle.
Page 1098
Indeed, Jayadratha is the great stake about which we
are playing today with the enemy. Under the circumstances,
therefore, O monarch, all of us becoming reckless
of our very lives, should make due arrangements for
the protection of the ruler of the Sindhus in battle.
Engaged as we are in our present sport, it is here
that we shall have victory or defeat, here, that is,
where those great bowmen are protecting the ruler
of the Sindhus. Go thither, therefore, with speed,
and protect those protectors (of Jayadratha).
As regards myself, I will stay here, for despatching
others (to the presence of Jayadratha) and checking
the Panchalas, the Pandus and the Srinjayas united
together. Thus commanded by the preceptor, Duryodhana
quickly proceeded (to the place indicated) with his
followers, resolutely setting himself to (the accomplishment
of) a fierce task. The two protectors of the
wheels of Arjuna’s car, viz., the Panchala
princes, Yudhamanyu and Uttamaujas, were at that time
proceeding towards Savyasachin by the skirts of the
Kuru array. Thou mayest remember, O king, that
formerly while Arjuna penetrated thy host from desire
of battle, those two princes, O monarch, had been checked
in their progress by Kritavarman. Now, the Kuru
king beheld them proceeding by the skirts of his host.
The mighty Duryodhana of Bharata’s race lost
no time in engaging in a fierce battle with those two
brothers thus rushing furiously. Those two foremost
of Kshatriyas, reputed as mighty car-warriors, then
rushed in that battle at Duryodhana, with outstretched
bows. Yudhamanyu pierced Duryodhana with twenty,
and his four steeds with four shafts. Duryodhana,
however, with a single shaft, cut off Yudhamanyu’s
standard. And thy son then cut off the former’s
bow also with another shaft. And then with a
broad-headed arrow, the Kuru king felled Yudhamanyu’s
charioteer from his niche in the car. And then
he pierced the four steeds of the latter with four
shafts. Then Yudhamanyu, excited with wrath,
quickly sped, in that battle, thirty shafts at the
centre of thy son’s chest. Then Uttamaujas
also, excited with wrath, pierced Duryodhana’s
charioteer with shafts decked with gold, and despatched
him to Yama’s abode. Duryodhana also, O
monarch, then slew the four steeds as also the two
Parshni charioteers of Uttamaujas, the prince of Panchalas.
Then Uttamaujas, in that battle, becoming steedless
and driverless, quickly ascended the car of his brother,
Yudhamanyu. Ascending on the car of his brother,
he struck Duryodhana’s steeds with many shafts.
Slain therewith, those steeds fell down on the earth.
Upon the fall of his steeds, the valiant Yudhamanyu
then, by a mighty weapon, quickly cut off Duryodhana’s
bow and then (with another shaft), his leathern fence.
That bull among men then, viz., thy son, jumping
down from that steedless and driverless car, took
up a mace and proceeded against the two princes of
Panchala. Beholding that subjugator of hostile
Page 1099
town, thus advancing in wrath, both Yudhamanyu and
Uttamaujas jumped down from the terrace of their car.
Then Duryodhana armed as he was with a mace, pressed
down into the earth with that mace that foremost of
cars furnished with gold, with steeds and driver and
standard. Thy son then, that scorcher of foes,
having thus crushed that car, steedless and driverless
as he himself was, quickly ascended the car of the
king of the Madras. Meanwhile, those two mighty
car-warriors, viz., those two foremost Panchala
princes, ascending on two other cars, proceeded towards
Arjuna.’”
SECTION CXXX
“Sanjaya said, ’During the progress, O
monarch, of that battle, making the hair stand on
end, and when all the combatants were filled with
anxiety and greatly afflicted, the son of Radha.
O bull of Bharata’s race, proceeded against
Bhima for battle, like an infuriated elephant in the
forest proceeding against another infuriated elephant.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’How raged that battle,
in the neighbourhood of Arjuna’s car, between
those two mighty car-warriors, viz., Bhima and
Karna, both of whom are endued with great strength?
Once before Karna had been vanquished by Bhimasena
in battle. How, therefore, could the mighty car-warrior
Karna again proceed against Bhima? How also could
Bhima proceed against the Suta’s son, that mighty
warrior who is reckoned as the greatest of car-warriors
on earth? Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, having
prevailed over Bhishma and Drona, did not fear anybody
else so much as the bowman Karna. Indeed, thinking
of the mighty car-warrior Karna, he passeth his nights
sleeplessly from fear. How, then, could Bhima
encounter that Suta’s son in battle? Indeed,
O Sanjaya, how could Bhima fight with Karna, that
foremost of warriors, that hero devoted to the Brahmanas
endued with energy and never retreating from battle?
How, indeed, did those two heroes, viz., the
Suta’s son and Vrikodara, fight with each other
in that encounter which took place in the vicinity
of Arjuna’s car? Informed before of his
brotherhood (with the Pandavas), the Suta’s
son is again, compassionate. Remembering also
his words to Kunti, how could he fight with Bhima?
As regards Bhima also, remembering all the wrongs
formerly inflicted on him by the Suta’s son,
how did that hero fight with Karna in battle?
My son Duryodhana, O Suta, hopeth that Karna will
vanquish all the Pandavas in battle. Upon whom
my wretched son resteth his hope of victory in battle,
how did he fight with Bhimasena of terrible deeds?
That Suta’s son, relying upon whom my sons chose
hostilities with those mighty car-warriors (viz., the
sons of Pandu), how did Bhima fight with him?
Indeed, remembering the diverse wrongs and injuries
done by him, how did Bhima fight with that son of Suta?
How indeed, could Bhima fight with that son of a Suta,
who, endued with great valour, had formerly subjugated
the whole earth on a single car? How did Bhima
fight with that son of a Suta, who was born with a
(natural) pair of ear-rings? Thou art skilled
in narration, O Sanjaya! Tell me, therefore,
in detail how the battle took place between those two,
and who amongst them obtained the victory?’
Page 1100
“Sanjaya said, ’Leaving Radha’s
son, that foremost of car-warriors Bhimasena, desired
to proceed to the place where those two heroes, viz.,
Krishna and Dhananjaya were. The son of Radha,
however, rushing towards him as he proceeded, covered
him, O king, with dense showers of arrows, like a
cloud pouring, torrents of rain on a mountain.
The mighty son of Adhiratha, his face beautiful as
a full-blown lotus, lighted up with a smile, challenged
Bhimasena to battle, as the latter was proceeding.
And Karna said, ’O Bhima, I dreamt not that
thou knowest how to fight. Why then dost thou
show me thy back from desire of meeting with Arjuna?
O delighter of the Pandavas, this is scarcely fit
for a son of Kunti. Staying, therefore, where
thou art, cover me with thy arrows.’ Bhimasena,
hearing that challenge of Karna, brooked it not, but
wheeling his car a little, began to fight with the
Suta’s son. The illustrious Bhimasena showered
clouds of straight shafts. Desiring also to arrive
at the end of those hostilities by slaying Karna,
Bhima began to weaken that hero conversant with every
weapon and clad in mail, and staying before him for
engaging in a single combat. Then mighty Bhima,
that scorcher of foes, that wrathful son of Pandu,
having slain numerous Kauravas, shot diverse showers
of fierce shafts at Karna, O sire! The Suta’s
son, endued with great strength, swallowed, by means
of the power of his own weapons, all those showers
of arrows shot by that hero, possessed of the tread
of an infuriated elephant. Duly favoured by knowledge,
that great bowman, viz., Karna, began in that
battle, O monarch, to career like a preceptor (Of
Military science). The wrathful son of Radha,
smiling the while, seemed to mock Bhimasena as the
latter was battling with great fury. The son of
Kunti brooked not that smile of Karna in the midst
of many brave warriors witnessing from all sides that
fight of theirs. Like a driver striking a huge
elephant with a hook, the mighty Bhima, excited with
rage, pierced Karna whom he had obtained within reach,
with many calf-toothed shafts in the centre of the
chest. And once more, Bhimasena pierced the Suta’s
son of variegated armour with three and seventy well-shot
and keen arrows equipped with beautiful wings and
eased in golden armour, each with five shafts.
And soon, within the twinkling of the eye, was seen
a network of shafts about Bhima’s car caused
by Karna. Indeed, O monarch, those shafts shot
from Karna’s bow completely shrouded that car
with its standard and driver and the Pandava himself.
Then Karna pierced the impenetrable armour of Bhima
with four and sixty arrows. And excited with rage
he then pierced Partha himself with many straight
shafts capable of penetrating into the very vitals.
The mighty-armed Vrikodara, however, disregarding
those shafts shot from Karna’s bow fearlessly
struck the Suta’s son. Pierced with those
shafts, resembling snakes of virulent poison, shot
from Karna’s bow, Bhima, O monarch, felt no pain
Page 1101
in that battle. The valiant Bhima then, in that
encounter, pierced Karna with two and thirty broad-headed
shafts of keen points and fierce energy, Karna, however,
with the greatest indifference, covered, in return,
with his arrows, the mighty-armed Bhimasena who was
desirous of Jayadratha’s slaughter. Indeed,
the son of Radha, in that encounter, fought mildly
with Bhima, while Bhima, remembering his former wrongs,
fought with him furiously. The wrathful Bhimasena
could not brook that disregard by Karna. Indeed,
that slayer of foes quickly shot showers of arrows
at Radha’s son. Those arrows, sped in that
encounter by Bhimasena, fell on every limb of Karna
like cooing birds. Those arrows equipped with
golden wings and keen points, shot from Bhimasena’s
bow, covered the son of Radha like a flight of insects
covering a blazing fire. Karna, however, O king,
shot showers of fierce shafts in return, O Bharata.
Then Vrikodara cut off, with Many broad-headed arrows,
those shafts resembling thunderbolts, shot by that
ornament of battle, before they could come at him.
That chastiser of foes, viz., Karna, the son
of Vikartana, once more, O Bharata, covered Bhimasena
with his arrowy showers. We then, O Bharata, beheld
Bhima so pierced in that encounter with arrows as
to resemble a porcupine with its quilts erect on its
body.[155] Like the sun holding his own rays, the
heroic Bhima held in that battle all those shafts,
whetted on stone and equipped with wings of gold,
that were shot from Karna’s bow. All his
limbs bathed in blood, Bhimasena looked resplendent
like an Asoka tree in spring adorned with its flowery
burthen. The mighty-armed Bhima could not brook
that conduct, in battle, of the mighty-armed Karna.
Rolling his eyes ill wrath, he pierced Karna with
five and twenty long shafts. Thereupon, Karna
looked like a white mountain with many snakes of virulent
poison (hanging from its sides). And once more,
Bhimasena, endued with the prowess of a celestial,
pierced the Suta’s son who was prepared to lay
down his life in battle, with six and then with eight
arrows. And, again, with another arrow, the valiant
Bhimasena quickly cut off Karna’s bow, smiling
the while. And he slew also with his shafts the
four steeds of Karna and then his charioteer, and then
pierced Karna himself in the chest with a number of
long shafts endued with the effulgence of the sun.
Those winged shafts, piercing through Karna’s
body, entered the earth, like the rays of the sun piercing
through the clouds. Afflicted with arrows and
his bow cut off, Karna, though proud of his manliness,
felt great pain and proceeded to another car.’”
SECTION CXXXI
“Dhritarashtra said, ’What, indeed, O
Sanjaya, did Duryodhana say when he saw that Karna
turning away from the field upon whom my sons had reposed
all their hopes of victory? How, indeed, did the
mighty Bhima, proud of his energy, fight? What
also, O son, did Karna do after this, beholding Bhimasena
in that battle resemble a blazing fire?’
Page 1102
“Sanjaya said, ’Mounting upon another
car that was duly equipped Karna once more proceeded
against the son of Pandu, with the fury of the Ocean
tossed by the tempest. Beholding Adhiratha’s
son excited with rage, thy sons, O king, regarded
Bhimasena to be already poured as a libation on the
(Karna) fire. With furious twang of bowstring
and terrible sounds Of his palms, the son of Radha
shot dense showers of shafts towards Bhimasena’s
car. And once more, O monarch, a terrible encounter
took Place between the heroic Karna and the high-souled
Bhima. Both excited with wrath, both endued with
mighty arms, each desirous of slaying the other, those
two warriors looked at each other, as if resolved to
burn each O her with their (wrathful) glances.
The eyes of both were red in rage, and both breathed
fiercely, like a couple of snakes. Endued with
great heroism, those two chastisers of foes approached
and mangled each other. Indeed, they fought with
each other like two hawks endued with great activity,
or like two Sarabhas excited with wrath. Then
that chastiser of foes, viz., Bhima recollecting
all the woes suffered by him on the occasion of the
match at dice, and during his exile in the woods and
residence in Virata’s city, and bearing in mind
the robbing of their kingdom swelling with prosperity
and gems, by thy sons, and the numerous other wrongs
inflicted on the Pandavas by thee and the Suta’s
son and remembering also the fact that thou hadst
conspired to burn innocent Kunti with her sons, and
calling to his memory the sufferings of Krishna in
the midst of the assembly at the hands of those wretches,
as also the seizure of her tresses by Duhsasana, and
the harsh speeches uttered, O Bharata, by Karna, to
the effect, ’Take thou another husband, for all
thy husbands are dead: the sons of Pritha have
sunk into hell and are like sesamum seeds without
kernel,’—remembering also those other
words, O son of Kuru, that the Kauravas uttered in
thy presence, add the fact also that thy sons had
been desirous of enjoying Krishna as a slave, and those
harsh words that Karna spoke to the sons of Pandu when
the latter, attired in deer-skins were about to be
banished to the woods, and the joy in which thy wrathful
and foolish son, himself in prosperity, indulged,
thinking the distressed sons of Pritha as veritable
straw, the virtuous Bhima that slayer of foes, remembering
these and all the woes he had suffered since his childhood,
became reckless of his very life. Stretching
his invincible and formidable bow, the back of whose
staff was decked with gold, Vrikodara, that tiger
of Bharata’s race, utterly reckless of his life,
rushed against Karna. Shooting dense showers of
bright arrows whetted on stone, Bhima shrouded the
very light of the sun. Adhiratha’s son,
however, smiling the while, quickly baffled, by means
of his own winged arrows whetted on stone, that arrowy
downpour of Bhimasena. Endued with great strength
and mighty arms, that mighty car-warrior, the son
Page 1103
of Adhiratha, then pierced Bhima with nine keen arrows.
Struck with those arrows, like an elephant struck with
the hook. Vrikodara fearlessly rushed against
the Suta’s son. Karna, however, rushed
against that bull among the Pandavas who was thus rushing
towards him with great impetuosity and might, like
an infuriated elephant against an infuriated compeer.
Blowing his conch then, whose blast resembled the
sound of a hundred trumpets, Karna cheerfully agitated
the force that supported Bhima, like the raging sea.
Beholding that force of his consisting of elephants
and steeds and cars and foot-soldiers, thus agitated
by Karna, Bhima, approaching the former, covered him
with arrows. Then Karna caused his own steeds
of the hue of swans to be mingled with those of Bhimasena’s
of the hue of bears, and shrouded the son of Pandu
with his shafts. Beholding those steeds of the
hue of bears and fleet as the wind, mingled with those
of the hue of swans, cries of oh and alas arose from
among the troops of thy sons. Those steeds, fleet
as the wind, thus mingled together, looked exceedingly
beautiful like white and black clouds, O monarch,
mingled together in the firmament. Beholding
Karna and Vrikodara to be both excited with wrath,
great car-warriors of thy army began to tremble with
fear. The field of battle where they fought soon
became awful like the domain of Yama. Indeed,
O best of Bharatas, it became as frightful to behold
as the city of the dead. The great car, warriors
of thy army, looking upon that scene, as if they were
spectators of a sport in an arena, beheld not any of
the two to gain any advantage over the other in that
dreadful encounter. They only beheld, O king,
that mingling and clash of the mighty weapons of those
two warriors, as a result, O monarch, of the evil policy
of thyself and thy son. Those two slayers of
foes-continued to cover each other with their keen
shafts. Both endued with wonderful prowess, they
filled the welkin with their arrowy downpours.
Those two mighty car-warriors shooting at each other
keen shafts from desire of taking each other’s
life, became exceedingly beautiful to behold like two
clouds pouring torrents of rain. Those two chastisers
of foes, shooting gold-decked arrows, made the welkin
look bright, O king, as if with blazing meteors.
Shafts equipped with vulturine feathers, shot by those
two heroes, looked like rows of excited cranes in
the autumn sky. Meanwhile, Krishna and Dhananjaya,
those chastisers of foes, engaged in battle with the
Suta’s son, thought the burthen too great for
Bhima to bear. As Karna and Bhima for baffling
each other’s shafts, shot these arrows at each
other, many elephants and steeds and men deeply struck
therewith, fell down deprived of life. And in
consequence of those falling and fallen creatures
deprived of life counting by thousands, a great carnage,
O king, took place in the army of thy sons. And
soon, O bull of Bharata’s race, the field of
battle became covered with the bodies of men and steeds
and elephants deprived of life.’”
Page 1104
SECTION CXXXII
“Dhritarashtra said, ’I regard Bhimasena’s
prowess to be exceedingly wonderful, inasmuch as he
succeeded in battling with Karna of singular activity
and energy. Indeed, O Sanjaya, tell me why that
Karna, who is capable of resisting in battle the very
celestials with the Yakshas and Asuras and men, armed
with all kinds of weapons, could not vanquish in battle
Pandu’s son Bhima blazing with resplendence?
O tell me, how that battle took place between them
in which each staked his very life. I think that
in an encounter between the two, success is within
reach of both as, indeed, both are liable to defeat.[156]
O Suta, obtaining Karna in battle, my son Suyodhana
always ventures to vanquish the sons of Pritha with
Govinda and the Satwatas. Hearing, however, of
the repeated defeat in battle of Karna by Bhimasena
of terrible deeds, a swoon seems to come upon me,
I think, the Kauravas to be already slain, in consequence
of evil policy of my son. Karna will never succeed,
O Sanjaya, in vanquishing those mighty bowmen, viz.,
the sons of Pritha. In all the battles that Karna
has fought with the sons of Pandu, the latter have
invariably defeated him on the field. Indeed,
O son, the Pandavas are incapable of being vanquished
by the very gods with Vasava at their head. Alas,
my wicked son Duryodhana knoweth it not. Having
robbed Pritha’s son, who is like the Lord of
the treasures himself, of his wealth, my son of little
intelligence seeth not the fall like a searcher of
honey (in the mountains). Conversant with deceit,
he regardeth it to be irrevocably his and always insulteth
the Pandavas. Myself also, of unrefined soul,
overcome with affection for my children, scrupled not
to despise the high-souled sons of Pandu that are
observant of morality. Yudhishthira, the son
of Pritha, of great foresight, always showed himself
desirous of peace. My sons, however, regarding
him incapable, despised him. Bearing in mind
all those woes and all the wrongs (sustained by the
Pandavas), the mighty-armed Bhimasena battled with
the Suta’s son. Tell me, therefore, O Sanjaya,
how Bhima and Karna, those two foremost of warriors,
fought with each other, desirous of taking each other’s
life!’
`Sanjaya said, ’Hear, O king, how the battle
took place between Karna and Bhima which resembled
an encounter between two elephants in the forest,
desirous of slaying each other. The son of Vikartana,
O king, excited with rage and putting forth his prowess,
pierced that chastiser of foes, viz., the angry
Bhima of great prowess with thirty shafts. Indeed,
O chief of Bharata’s race, Vikartana’s
son struck Bhima with many arrows of keen points,
decked with gold, and endued with great impetuosity.
Bhima, however, with three sharp shafts cut off the
bow of Karna, as the latter was engaged in striking
him. And with a broad-headed arrow, the son of
Pandu then felled on the earth Karna’s charioteer
Page 1105
from his niche in the car. The son of Vikartana,
then desirous of slaying Bhimasena, seized a dart
whose shaft was adorned with gold and stones of lapis
lazuli. Grasping that fierce dart, which resembled
a second dart of death, and uplifting and aiming it,
the mighty son of Radha hurled it at Bhimasena with
a force sufficient to take away Bhima’s life.
Hurling that dart, like Purandara hurling the thunderbolt,
Radha’s son of great strength uttered a loud
roar. Hearing that roar thy sons became filled
with delight. Bhima, however, with seven swift
arrows, cut off in the welkin that dart endued with
the effulgence of the sun or fire, hurled from the
hands of Karna. Cutting off that dart, resembling
a snake just freed from its slough, Bhima, O sire,
as if on the lookout for taking the life-breath of
the Suta’s son, sped, in great wrath, many shafts
in that battle that were equipped with peacock-feathers
and golden wings and each of which, whetted of’
stone, resembled the rod of Yama. Karna also of
great energy, taking up another formidable bow, the
back of whose staff was adorned with gold, and drawing
it with force, shot many shafts. The son of Pandu,
however, cut off all those arrows with nine straight
arrows of his own. Having cut off, O ruler of
men those mighty shafts shot by Vasushena, Bhima,
O monarch, uttered a loud roar like that of a lion.
Roaring at each other like two mighty bulls for the
sake of a cow in season, or like two tigers for the
sake of the same piece of meat, they endeavoured to
strike each other, each being desirous of finding the
other’s laches. At times they looked at
each other with angry eyes, like two mighty bulls
in a cow-pen. Then like two huge elephants striking
each other with the points of their tusks, they encountered
each other with shafts shot from their bows drawn
to the fullest stretch. Scorching each other,
O king, with their arrowy showers, they put forth their
prowess upon each other, eyeing each other in great
wrath. Sometimes laughing at each other, and
sometimes rebuking each other, and sometimes blowing
their conchs, they continued to fight with each other.
Then Bhima once more cut Karna’s bow at the
handle, O sire, and despatched by means of his shafts
the latter’s steeds, white as conchs, to the
abode of Yama, and the son of Pandu also felled his
enemy’s charioteer from his niche in the car.
Then Karna, the son of Vikartana, made steedless and
driverless, and covered in that battle (with shafts),
became plunged into great anxiety. Stupefied
by Bhima with his arrowy showers, he knew not what
to do. Beholding Karna placed in the distressful
plight, king Duryodhana, trembling with wrath, commended
(his brother) Durjaya, saying, ’Go, O Durjaya!
There the son of Pandu is about to devour the son of
Radha! Slay that beardless Bhima soon, and infuse
strength into Karna!’ Thus addressed, the son
Durjaya, saying unto Duryodhana, ‘So be it’,
rushed towards Bhimasena engaged (with Karna) and
covered him with arrows. And Durjaya struck Bhima
Page 1106
with nine shafts, his steeds with eight, his driver
with six, his standard with three, and once more Bhima
himself with seven. Then Bhimasena, excited with
wrath, piercing with his shafts the very vitals of
Durjaya, and his steeds and driver, despatched them
of Yama’s abode. Then Karna, weeping in
grief, circumambulated that son of thine, who, adorned
with ornaments, lay on the earth, writhing like a
snake. Bhima then, having made that deadly foe
of his, viz., Karna, carless, smiling by covered
him with shafts and made him look like a Sataghni
with numberless spikes on it. The Atiratha Karna,
however, that chastiser of foes, though thus pierced
with arrows, did not yet avoid the enraged Bhima in
battle.’”
SECTION CXXXIII
“Sanjaya said, ’Then the carless Karna,
thus once more completely defeated by Bhima, mounted
another car and speedily began to pierce the son of
Pandu. Like two huge elephants encountering each
other with the points of their tusks, they struck
each other with shafts, shot from their bows drawn
to the fullest stretch. Then Karna, striking Bhimasena
with showers of shafts, uttered a loud roar, and once
more pierced him in the chest. Bhima, however,
in return, pierced Karna with ten straight arrows
and once more with twenty straight arrows. Then
Karna, piercing Bhima, O king, with nine arrows in
the centre of the chest, struck the latter’s
standard with a sharp shaft. The son of Pritha
then pierced Karna in return with three and sixty
arrows, like a driver striking a mighty elephant with
the hook, or a rider striking a steed with a whip.
Deeply pierced, O king, by the illustrious son of Pandu,
the heroic Karna began to lick with his tongue the
corners of his mouth, and his eyes became red in rage.
Then, O monarch, Karna, sped at Bhimasena, for his
destruction, a shaft capable of piercing everybody,
like Indra hurling his thunderbolt. That shaft
equipped with beautiful feathers sped from the bow
of the Suta’s son, piercing Partha in that battle,
sank deep into the earth. Then the mighty-armed
Bhima, with eyes red in wrath, hurled without a moment’s
reflection, at the Suta’s son, a heavy six-sided
mace, adorned with gold measuring full four cubits
in length, and resembling the bolt of Indra in force.
Indeed, like Indra slaying the Asuras with his thunderbolt,
that hero of Bharata’s race, excited with wrath,
slew with that mace the well-trained steeds of the
foremost breed, of Adhiratha’s son. Then,
O bull of Bharata’s race, the mighty-armed Bhima,
with a couple of razor-faced arrows, cut off the standard
of Karna. And then he slew, with a number of
shafts his enemy’s charioteer. Abandoning
that steedless and driverless and standardless car,
Karna. O Bharata, cheerlessly stood on the earth,
drawing his bow. The prowess that we then beheld
of Radha’s son was extremely wonderful, inasmuch
as that foremost of car-warriors, though deprived
of car, continued to resist his foe. Beholding
Page 1107
that foremost of men, viz., the son of Adhiratha,
deprived of his car, Duryodhana, O monarch, said unto
(his brother) Durmukha, ’There, O Durmukha,
the son of Radha hath been deprived of his car by Bhimasena.
Furnish that foremost of men, that mighty car-warrior
with a car.’ Hearing these words of Duryodhana,
thy son Durmukha, O Bharata, quickly proceeded towards
Karna and covered Bhima with his shafts. Beholding
Durmukha desirous of supporting the Suta’s son
in that battle, the son of the Wind god was filled
with delight and began to lick the corners of his
mouth. Then resisting Karna the while with his
shafts, the son of Pandu quickly drove his car towards
Durmukha. And in that moment, O king, with nine
straight arrows of keen points, Bhima despatched Durmukha
to Yama’s abode, Upon Durmukha’s slaughter,
the son of Adhiratha mounted upon the car of that
prince and looked resplendent, O king, like the blazing
sun. Beholding Durmukha lying prostrate on the
field, his very vital pierced (with shafts) and his
body bathed in blood, Karna with tearful eyes abstained
for a moment from the fight. Circumambulating
the fallen prince and leaving him there, the heroic
Karna began to breathe long and hot breaths and knew
not what to do. Seizing that opportunity, O king,
Bhimasena shot at the Suta’s son four and ten
long shafts equipped with vulturine feathers.
Those blood-drinking shafts of golden wings, endued
with great force illuminating the ten points as they
coursed through the welkin, pierced the armour of
the Suta’s son, and drank his life-blood, O
king, and passing through his body, sank into the earth
and looked resplendent like angry snakes, O monarch,
urged on by Death himself, with half their bodies
inserted within their holes. Then the son of Radha,
without reflecting a moment, pierced Bhima in return
with four and ten fierce shafts adorned with gold.
Those fierce-winged arrows, piercing through Bhima’s
right arms, entered the earth like birds entering a
grove of trees. Striking against the earth, those
arrows looked resplendent, like the blazing rays of
the sun while proceeding towards the Asta hills.
Pierced in that battle with those all-piercing arrows,
Bhima began to shed copious streams of blood, like
a mountain ejecting streams of water. Then Bhima
pierced the Suta’s son in return with three shafts
endued with the impetuosity of Garuda and he pierced
the latter’s charioteer also with seven.
Then, O king, Karna thus afflicted by Bhima’s
might, became exceedingly distressed. And that
illustrious warrior then fled, forsaking the battle,
borne away by his fleet steeds. The Atiratha Bhimasena,
however, drawing his bow adorned with gold, stayed
in battle, looking resplendent like a blazing fire.’”
SECTION CXXXIV
Page 1108
“Dhritarashtra said, ’I think, Destiny
is supreme. Fie on exertion which is useless,
inasmuch as the son of Adhiratha, though fighting resolutely,
could not vanquish the son of Pandu. Karna boasts
of his competency to vanquish in battle all the Parthas
with Govinda amongst them. I do not see in the
world, another warrior like Karna! I often heard
Duryodhana speak in this strain. Indeed, O Suta,
the wretched Duryodhana used to tell me formerly,
’Karna is a mighty hero, a firm bowman, above
all fatigue. If I have that Vasushena for my
ally, the very gods will not be a match for me, what
need be said, therefore, O monarch, of the sons of
Pandu that are weak and heartless?’ Tell me therefore,
O Sanjaya, what Duryodhana said, beholding that Karna
defeated and looking like a snake deprived of its
poison and flying away from battle. Alas, deprived
of his senses, Duryodhana despatched the unsupported
Durmukha, unacquainted though he was with battle,
into that fiery encounter, like an insect into the
blazing fire. O Sanjaya, even Aswatthaman and
the ruler of the Madras and Kripa, united together,
could not stand before Bhimasena. Even these
know the terrible might, equal to that of ten thousand
elephants, of Bhima, endued with the energy of Marut
himself, as also his cruel intents. Why did they
provoke the fire in battle, of that hero of cruel
deeds, that warrior resembling Yama himself as the
latter becomes at the end of the Yuga? It seems
that Suta’s son, the mighty armed Karna alone,
relying on the prowess of his own arms, fought in battle
with Bhimasena, disregarding the latter. That
son of Pandu who vanquished Karna in battle like Purandara
vanquishing an Asura, is capable of being vanquished
by anybody in fight. Who is there that would,
hopeful of life, approach that Bhima who, in Arjuna’s
quest, alone entered my host, having ground Drona
himself? Who, indeed, is there, O Sanjaya, that
would dare stay in the face of Bhima? Who is
there among the Asuras that would venture to stay
before the great Indra with the thunderbolt uplifted
in his hand?[157] A man may return having entered
the abode of the dead, but none, however, can return
having encountered Bhimasena! Those men of weak
prowess, who senselessly rushed against the angry
Bhimasena were like insects falling upon a blazing
fire. Without doubt, reflecting upon what the
angry and fierce Bhima had said in the assembly in
the hearing of the Kurus about the slaughter of my
sons, and beholding the defeat of Karna, Duhsasana
and his brothers ceased to encounter Bhima from fear.
That wicked son also of mine, O Sanjaya, who repeatedly
said in the assembly (these words, viz.,) Karna
and Duhsasana and I myself will vanquish the Pandavas
in battle,’—without doubt, beholding
Karna defeated and deprived of his car by Bhima, is
consumed with grief in consequence of his rejection
of Krishna’s suit![158] Beholding his mail-clad
brothers slain in battle by Bhimasena, in consequence
of his own fault, without doubt, my son is burning
Page 1109
with grief. Who that is desirous of life will
make a hostile advance against Pandu’s son,
Bhima, excited with wrath armed with terrible weapons
and standing in battle like Death himself? A man
may escape from the very jaws of the Vadava fire.
But it is my belief that no one can escape from before
Bhima’s face. Indeed, neither Partha, nor
the Panchalas, nor Kesava, nor Satyaki, when excited
with wrath in battle, shows the least regard for (his)
life. Alas, O Suta, the very lives of my sons
are in danger.’
“Sanjaya said, ’Thou, O Kaurava, that
art thus grieving in view of the present carnage,
thou, without doubt, art the root of this destruction
of the world! Obedient to the counsels of thy
sons, thou hast thyself provoked this fierce hostility.
Though urged (by well-wishers) thou acceptest not
the proper medicine like a man fated to die. O
monarch, O best of men, having thyself drunk the fiercest
and the most indigestible poison, take thou all its
consequences now. The combatants are fighting
to the best of their might, still thou speakest ill
of them. Listen, however, to me as I describe
to thee how the battle raged on.
“Beholding Karna defeated by Bhimasena, five
of thy sons, those uterine brothers that were great
bowmen, could not, O sire, brook it. They were
Durmarshana and Duhsaha and Durmada and Durdhara and
Jaya. Clad in beautiful mail, all of them rushed
against the son of Pandu. Encompassing the mighty-armed
Vrikodara, on all sides, they shrouded all the points
of the compass with their shafts looking like flights
of locusts. Bhimasena, however, in the battle,
smilingly received those princes of celestial beauty
thus rushing suddenly against him. Beholding thy
sons advancing against Bhimasena, Radha’s son,
Karna rushed against that mighty warrior, shooting
arrows of keen points that were equipped with golden
wings and whetted on stone. Bhima, however, quickly
rushed against Karna, though resisted by thy sons.
Then the Kurus, surrounding Karna, covered Bhimasena
with showers of straight shafts. With five and
twenty arrows, O king, Bhima, armed with his formidable
bow, despatched all those bulls among men to Yama’s
abode with their steeds and charioteers. Falling
down from their cars along with their charioteers,
their lifeless forms looked like large trees with
their weight of variegated flowers uprooted by the
tempest. The prowess that we then beheld of Bhimasena
was exceedingly wonderful, inasmuch as, resisting
Adhiratha’s son the while, he slew those sons
of thine. Resisted by Bhima with whetted arrows
on all sides, the Suta’s son, O king, only looked
at Bhima. Bhimasena also, with eyes red in wrath,
began to cast angry glances on Karna, stretching his
formidable bow the while.’”
SECTION CXXXV
Page 1110
“Sanjaya said, ’Beholding thy sons lying
(on the field), Karna of great prowess filled with
great wrath, became hopeless about his life. And
Adhiratha’s son regarded himself guilty, seeing
thy sons slain before his eyes in battle by Bhima.
Then Bhimasena, recollecting the wrongs formerly inflicted
by Karna, became filled with rage and began with deliberate
care to pierce Karna with many keen arrows. Then
Karna, piercing Bhima with five arrows, smiling the
while, once more pierced him with seventy arrows,
equipped with golden wings and whetted on stone.
Disregarding these shafts shot by Karna, Vrikodara
pierced the son of Radha in that battle with a hundred
straight shafts. And once more, piercing him in
his vitals with five keen arrows, Bhima, O sire, cut
off with a broad-headed arrow the bow of the Suta’s
son. The cheerless Karna then, O Bharata, taking
up another bow shrouded Bhimasena on all sides with
his arrows. Then Bhima, slaying Karna’s
steeds and charioteer, laughed a laugh, having thus
counteracted Karna’s feats. Then that bull
amongst men, viz., Bhima, cut off with his arrows
the bow of Karna. That bow, O king, of loud twang,
and the back of whose staff was decked with gold, fell
down (from his hand). Then the mighty car-warrior
Karna alighted from his car and taking up a mace in
that battle wrathfully hurled it at Bhima. Beholding
that mace, O king, impetuously coursing towards him,
Vrikodara resisted it with his arrows in the sight
of all thy troops. Then the son of Pandu, gifted
with great prowess and exerting himself with great
activity, shot a thousand arrows at the Suta’s
son, desirous of taking the latter’s life.
Karna, however, in the dreadful battle, resisting all
those shafts with his own, cut off Bhima’s armour
also with his arrows. And then he pierced Bhima
with five and twenty small shafts in the sight of
all the troops. All this seemed exceedingly wonderful.
Then, O monarch, Bhima, excited with rage, sped nine
straight shafts at the Suta’s son. Those
keen shafts, piercing through Karna’s coat of
mail and right arm, entered the earth like snakes
into an ant-hill. Shrouded with showers of shafts
shot from Bhimasena’s bow, Karna once more turned
his back upon Bhimasena. Beholding the Suta’s
son turn back and flying away on foot, covered all
over with the arrows of Kunti’s son, Duryodhana
said, ‘Go ye quickly from all sides towards the
car of Radha’s son.’ ’Then,
O king, thy sons, hearing these words of their brother
that were to them a surprise, rushed towards the son
of Pandu for battle, shooting showers of shafts.
They were Chitra, and Upachitra, and Charuchitra, and
Sarasan, and Chitrayudha, and Chitravarman. All
of them were well-versed in every mode of warfare.
The mighty car-warrior, Bhimasena, however, felled
each of those sons of thine thus rushing against him,
with a single arrow. Deprived of life, they fell
down on the earth like trees uprooted by a tempest.
Beholding those sons of thine, all mighty car-warriors,
Page 1111
O king, thus slain, Karna, with tearful face, recollected
the word of Vidura. Mounting upon another car
that was duly equipped, Karna, endued with great prowess,
quickly proceeded against the son of Pandu in battle.
Piercing each other with whetted arrows, equipped with
wings of gold, the two warriors looked resplendent
like two masses of clouds penetrated by the rays of
the sun. Then the son of Pandu, excited with
rage, cut off the armour of Suta’s son with six
and thirty broad-headed arrows of great sharpness
and fierce energy. The mighty-armed Suta’s
son also, O bull of Bharata’s race, pierced the
son of Kunti with fifty straight arrows. The
two warriors then, smeared with red sandal-paste with
many a wound caused by each other’s arrows, and
covered also with gore, looked resplendent like the
risen sun and the moon. Their coats of mail cut
off by means of arrows, and their bodies covered with
blood, Karna and Bhima then looked like a couple of
snakes just freed from their sloughs. Indeed,
those two tigers among men mangled each other with
their arrows, like two tigers mangling each other with
their teeth. The two heroes incessantly showered
their shafts, like two masses of clouds pouring torrents
of rain. Those two chastisers of foes tore each
other’s body with their arrows, like two elephants
tearing each other with the points of their tusks.
Roaring at each other and showering their arrows upon
each other, causing their cars to trace beautiful
circles. They resembled a couple of mighty bulls
roaring at each other in the presence of a cow in
her season. Indeed, those two lions among men
then looked like a couple of mighty lions endued with
eyes red in wrath, these two warriors endued with
great energy fought on like Sakra and Virochana’s
son (Prahlada). Then, O king, the mighty-armed
Bhima, as he stretched his bow with his two hands,
looked like a cloud charged with lightning. Then
mighty Bhima-cloud, having the twang of the bow for
its thunder and incessant showers of arrows for its
rainy downpour, covered, O king, the Karna-mountain.
And once more Pandu’s son, Bhima of terrible
prowess, O Bharata, shrouded Karna with a thousand
shafts shot from his bow. And as he shrouded
Karna with his winged shafts, equipped with Kanka
feathers, thy sons witnessed his extra ordinary prowess.
Gladdening Partha himself and the illustrious Kesava,
Satyaki and the two protectors of (two) wheels (of
Arjuna’s car), Bhima fought even thus with Karna.
Beholding the perseverance of Bhima who knew his own
self, thy sons, O monarch, all became cheerless.’”
SECTION CXXXVI
Page 1112
“Sanjaya said, ’Hearing the twang of Bhimasena’s
bow and the sound of his palms, the son of Radha could
not brook it, like an infuriated elephant incapable
of brooking the roars of an infuriated rival.
Returning for a moment from before Bhimasena, Karna
cast his eyes upon those sons of thine that had been
slain by Bhimasena, Beholding them, O best of men,
Karna became cheerless and plunged in grief. Breathing
hot and long sighs, he, once more, proceeded against
the son of Pandu. With eyes red as copper, and
sighing in wrath like a mighty snake, Karna then, as
he shot his arrows, looked resplendent like the sun
scattering his rays.[159] Indeed, O bull of Bharata’s
race, Vrikodara was then covered with the arrows,
resembling the spreading rays of the sun that were
shot from Karna’s bow. The beautiful shafts,
equipped with peacock-feathers, shot from Karna’s
bow, penetrated into every part of Bhima’s body,
like birds into a tree for roosting there. Indeed,
the arrows, equipped with wings of gold, shot from
Karna’s bow falling incessantly, resembled continuous
rows of cranes. So numerous were the shafts shot
by Adhiratha’s son that, these seemed to issue
not from his bow alone but from his standard, his
umbrella, and the shaft and yoke and bottom of his
car also. Indeed, Adhiratha’s son shot his
sky-ranging shafts of impetuous energy, decked with
gold and equipped with vulturine feathers, in such
a way as to fill the entire welkin with them.
Beholding him (thus) excited with fury and rushing
towards him like the Destroyer himself, Vrikodara,
becoming utterly reckless of his life and prevailing
over his foe, pierced him with nine shafts.[160] Beholding
the irresistible impetuosity of Karna as also that
dense shower of arrows, Bhima, endued as he was with
great prowess, quailed not in fear. The son of
Pandu then counteracting that arrowy downpour of Adhiratha’s
son, pierced Karna himself with twenty other sharp
shafts. Indeed, as Pritha’s son himself
had before been shrouded by the Suta’s son, even
so was the latter now shrouded by the former in that
battle. Beholding the prowess of Bhimasena in
battle, thy warriors, as also the Gharanas, filled
with joy; applauded him. Bhurisravas, and Kripa,
and Drona’s son, and the ruler of the Madras,
and Uttamaujas and Yudhamanyu, and Kesava, and Arjuna,—these
great car-warriors: O king, among both the Kurus
and the Pandavas,—loudly cheered Bhima,
saying, ‘Excellent, Excellent,’ and uttered
leonine roars. When that fierce uproar, making
the hair stand on end rose, thy son Duryodhana, O
king, quickly said unto all the kings and princes
and particularly his uterine brothers, these words,
’Blessed be ye, proceed towards Karna for rescuing
him from Vrikodara, else the shafts shot from Bhima’s
bow will slay the son of Radha. Ye mighty bowmen,
strive ye to protect the Suta’s son.’
Thus commanded by Duryodhana, seven of his uterine
brothers, O sire, rushing in wrath towards Bhimasena,
encompassed him on all sides. Approaching the
Page 1113
son of Kunti they covered him with showers of arrows,
like clouds pouring torrents of rain on the mountain-breast
in the season of rains. Excited with wrath, those
seven great car-warriors began to afflict Bhimasena,
O king, like the seven planets afflicting the moon
at the hour of the universal dissolution. The
son of Kunti, then, O monarch, drawing his beautiful
bow with great force and firm grasp, and knowing that
his foes were but men, aimed seven shafts. And
lord Bhima in great rage sped at them those shafts,
effulgent as solar rays. Indeed, Bhimasena recollecting
his former wrongs, shot those shafts as if for extracting
the life from out of the bodies of those sons of thine.
Those arrows, O Bharata, whetted on stone and equipped
with wings of gold, shot by Bhimasena, piercing through
the bodies of those Bharata princes, flew into the
sky. Indeed, those arrows winged with gold, piercing
through the hearts of thy sons, looked beautiful,
O monarch, as they passed into the sky, like birds
of excellent plumage. Decked with gold and covered
all over with blood, those arrows, O king, drinking
the blood of thy sons passed out of their body.
Pierced in their vital limbs by means of those arrows,
they fell down on the earth from their cars, like tall
trees growing on mountain precipices, broken by an
elephant. The seven sons of thine that were thus
slain were Satrunjaya, and Satrusaha, and Chitra,
and Chitrayudha, and Dridha, and Chitrasena and Vikarna.
Amongst all thy sons thus slain, Vrikodara, the son
of Pandu, grieved bitterly from sorrow for Vikarna
who was dear to him. And Bhima said, ’Even
thus was the vow made by me, viz., that all of
you should be slain by me in battle. It is for
that, O Vikarna, that thou hast been slain. My
vow hath been accomplished. O hero, thou camest
to battle, bearing in mind the duties of a Kshatriya.
Thou wert ever engaged in our good, and especially
in that of the king (our eldest brother). It is
scarcely proper, therefore, for me to grieve for thy
illustrious self.’ Having slain those princes,
O king, in the very sight of Radha’s son, the
son of Pandu uttered a terrible leonine roar.
That loud shout of the heroic Bhima, O Bharata, informed
king Yudhishthira the Just that the victory in that
battle was his. Indeed, hearing that tremendous
shout of Bhima armed with the bow, king Yudhishthira
felt great joy in the midst of that battle. The
gladdened son of Pandu, then, O king, received that
leonine shout of his brother with sounds and other
musical instruments. And after Vrikodara, had
sent him that message by the sign agreed upon, Yudhishthira,
that foremost of persons acquainted with weapons, filled
with joy, rushed against Drona in battle. On the
other hand, O king, beholding one and thirty of thy
sons slain, Duryodhana recollected the words of Vidura.-Those
beneficial words spoken by Vidura are now realised!
Thinking even so, king Duryodhana was unable to do
what he should. All that, during the match at
Page 1114
dice, thy foolish and wicked son, with Karna (on his
side), said unto the princes of Panchala causing her
to be brought into the assembly, all the harsh words,
again, that Karna said unto Krishna, in the same place,
before thyself, O king, and the sons of Pandu, in
thy hearing and that of all the Kurus, viz., O
Krishna, the Pandavas are lost and have sunk into
eternal hell, therefore, choose thou other husbands,—alas,
the fruit of all that is now manifesting itself.
Then, again, O thou of Kuru’s race, diverse harsh
speeches, such as sesamum seeds without kernel, etc.,
were applied by the wrathful sons to those high-souled
ones, viz., the sons of Pandu. Bhimasena,
vomiting forth the fire of wrath (which these enraged)
and which he had restrained for thirteen years, is
now compassing the destruction of thy sons. Indulging
in copious lamentations, Viduara failed to persuade
thee towards peace. O chief of the Bharatas,
suffer the fruit of all that with thy sons. Thou
art old, patient, and capable of foreseeing the consequences
of all acts. Being so, when thou didst yet refuse
to follow the counsels of thy well-wishers, it seems
that all this is the result of destiny. Do not
grieve, O tiger among men! All this is thy great
fault. In my opinion, thou art thyself the cause
of the destruction of thy sons. O monarch, Vikarna
hath fallen, and Chitrasena also of great prowess.
Many other mighty car-warriors and foremost ones among
thy sons have also fallen. Others, again, among
thy sons whom Bhima saw come within the range of his
vision, O mighty-armed one, he slew in a trice.
It is for thee only that I had to see our array scorched
in thousands by means of the arrows shot by Pandu’s
son, Bhima and Vrisha (Karna)!’”
Section CXXXVII
“Dhritarashtra said, ’O Suta, O Sanjaya,
this grievous result that has now overtaken us is,
I think, certainly due to my evil policy. I had
hitherto thought that what is past. But, O Sanjaya,
what measures should I now adopt? I am now once
more calm, O Sanjaya, therefore, tell me how this
slaughter of heroes is going on, having my evil policy
for its cause.’
“Sanjaya said, ’Indeed, O king, Karna
and Bhima, both endued with great prowess, continued
in that battle to pour their arrowy showers like two
rain-charged clouds. The arrows, winged with gold
and whetted on stone and marked with Bhima’s
name, approaching Karna, penetrated into his body,
as if piercing into his very life. Similarly,
Bhima also, in that battle was shrouded with the shafts
of Karna in hundreds and thousands, resembling snakes
of virulent poison. With their arrows, O king,
failing on all sides, an agitation was produced among
the troops resembling that of the very ocean.
Many were the combatants, O chastiser of foes, in thy
host that were deprived of life by arrows, resembling
snakes of virulent poison shot from Bhima’s
bow. Strewn with fallen elephants and steeds
mixed with the bodies of men, the field of battle looked
Page 1115
like one covered with trees broken by a tempest.
Slaughtered in battle with the arrows from Bhima’s
bow, thy warriors fled away, ‘saying, What is
this?’ Indeed, that host of the Sindhus, the
Sauviras, and the Kauravas, afflicted with the impetuous
shafts of both Karna and Bhima, was removed to a great
distance. The remnant of those brave soldiers,
with their steeds and elephants killed, leaving the
vicinity of both Karna and Bhima, fled away in all
directions. (And they cried out), ’Verily, for
the sake of the Parthas, the gods are stupefying us,
since those arrows shot by both Bhima and Karna are
slaying our forces. Saying those words, these
troops of thine afflicted with fear avoiding the range
of (Karna’s and Bhima’s) arrows, stood
at a distance for witnessing that combat. Then,
on the field of battle there began to flow a terrible
river enhancing the joy of the heroes and the fears
of the timid. And it was caused by the blood of
elephants and steeds and men. And covered with
the lifeless forms of men and elephants and steeds,
with flagstaffs and the bottoms of cars, with the
adornments of cars and elephants and steeds with broken
cars and wheels and Akshas and Kuveras, with loud-twanged
bows decked with gold, and gold-winged arrows and
shafts in thousands, shot by Karna and Bhima, resembling
snakes just freed from their sloughs, with countless
lances and spears and scimitars and battleaxes, with
maces and clubs and axes, all adorned with gold, with
standards of diverse shapes, and darts and spiked
clubs, and with beautiful Sataghnis, the earth, O Bharata,
looked resplendent. And strewn all over with
earrings and necklaces of gold and bracelets loosened
(from wrists), and rings, and precious gems worn on
diadems and crowns, and head-gears, and golden ornaments
of diverse kinds, O sire, and coats of mail, and leathern
fences, and elephants’ ropes, and umbrellas
displaced (from their places) and Yak-tails, and fans
with the pierced bodies of elephants and steeds and
men, with blood-dyed arrows, and with diverse other
objects, lying about and loosened from their places,
the field of battle looked resplendent like the firmament
bespangled with stars. Beholding the wonderful,
inconceivable, and superhuman feats of those two warriors,
the Charanas and the Siddhas were exceedingly amazed.
As a blazing conflagration, having the wind for its
ally, courses through an (extended) heap of dry grass,
even so, Adhiratha’s son, engaged with Bhima,
coursed fiercely in that battle.[161] Both of them
felled countless standards and cars and slew steeds
and men and elephants, like a pair of elephants crushing
a forest of reeds while engaged in battle with other.
Thy host looked like a mass of clouds, O king, of
men, and great was the carnage caused in that battle
by Karna and Bhima.’"[162]
SECTION CXXXVIII
Page 1116
“Sanjaya said, ’Then Karna, O king, piercing
Bhima with three arrows, poured countless beautiful
arrows upon him. The mighty-armed Bhimasena,
the son of Pandu, though thus struck by the Suta’s
son, showed no signs of pain but stood immovable like
a hill pierced (with arrows). In return, O sire,
in that battle, he deeply pierced Karna in the ear
with a barbed arrow, rubbed with oil, of great keenness,
and of excellent temper. (With that arrow) he felled
on the earth the large and beautiful ear-ring of Karna.
And it felled down, O monarch, like a blazing luminary
of great effulgence from the firmament. Excited
with wrath, Vrikodara, then, smiling the while, deeply
pierced the Suta’s son in the centre of the
chest with another broad-headed arrow. And once
again, O Bharata, the mighty-armed Bhima quickly shot
in that battle ten long shafts that looked like snakes
of virulent poison just freed from their sloughs.
Shot by Bhima, those shafts, O sire, striking Karna’s
forehead, entered it like snakes entering an ant-hill.
With those shafts sticking to his forehead, the Suta’s
son looked beautiful, as he did before, while his
brow had been encircled with a chaplet of blue lotuses.
Deeply pierced by the active son of Pandu, Karna,
supporting himself on the Kuxara of his car, closed
his eyes. Soon, however, regaining consciousness,
Karna, that scorcher of foes, with his body bathed
in blood, became mad with rage.[163] Infuriated with
rage in consequence of his being thus afflicted by
that firm bowman Karna, endued with great impetuosity,
rushed fiercely towards Bhimasena’s car.
Then, O king, the mighty and wrathful Karna, maddened
with rage, shot at Bhimasena, O Bharata, a hundred
shafts winged with vulturine feathers. The son
of Pandu, however, disregarding his foe and setting
at nought his energy, began to shoot showers of fierce
arrows at him. Then Karna, O king, excited with
rage, O scorcher of foes, struck the son of Pandu,
that embodiment of wrath with nine arrows in the chest.
Then both those tigers among men (armed with arrows
and, therefore), resembling a couple of tigers with
fierce teeth, poured upon each other, in that battle,
their arrowy showers, like two mighty masses of clouds.
They sought to frighten each other in that battle,
with sounds of their palms and with showers of arrows
of diverse kinds. Excited with rage, each sought
in that battle to counteract the other’s feat.
Then that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the
mighty-armed Bhima, O Bharata, cutting off, with a
razor-faced arrow, the bow of the Suta’s son,
uttered a loud shout. Casting off that broken
bow, the Suta’s son, that mighty car-warrior,
took up another bow that was stronger and tougher.
Beholding that slaughter of the Kuru, the Sauvira,
and the Sindhu heroes, and marking that the earth
was covered with coats of mail and standards and weapons
lying about, and also seeing the lifeless forms of
elephants, foot-soldiers and horsemen and car-warriors
Page 1117
on all sides, the body of the Suta’s son, from
wrath, blazed up with effulgence. Stretching
his formidable bow, decked with gold, Radha’s
son, O king, eyed Bhima with wrathful glances.
Infuriated with rage, the Suta’s son, while
shooting his arrows, looked resplendent, like the autumnal
sun of dazzling rays at mid-day. While employed
with his hands in taking up an arrow, fixing it on
the bow-string, stretching the string and letting it
off, none could notice any interval between those acts.
And while Karna was thus engaged in shooting his arrows
right and left, his bow incessantly drawn to a circle,
like a terrible circle of fire. The keen pointed
arrows, equipped with wings of gold, shot from Karna’s
bow, covered, O king, all the points of the compass,
darkening the very light of the sun. Countless
flights were seen, in the welkin, of those shafts
equipped with wings of gold, shot from Karna’s
bow. Indeed, the shafts shot from the bow of
Adhiratha’s son, looked like rows of cranes in
the sky. The arrows that Adhiratha’s son
shot were all equipped with vulturine feathers, whetted
on stone, decked with gold, endued with great impetuosity,
and furnished with blazing points. Impelled by
the force of his bow, those arrows urged by Karna,
while coursing in thousands through the welkin looked
beautiful like successive flights of locusts.
The arrows shot from the bow of Adhiratha’s
son, as they coursed through the welkin, looked like
one long continuously drawn arrow in the sky.
Like a cloud covering a mountain with torrents of
rain, Karna in rage, covered Bhima with showers of
arrows. Then thy sons, O Bharata, with their
troops, beheld the might, energy, prowess and perseverance
of Bhima, for the latter, disregarding that arrowy
downpour, resembling the raging sea, rushed in wrath
against Karna, Bhima, O monarch, was armed with a
formidable bow, the back of whose staff was decked
with gold. He stretched it so quickly that it
seemed, like a second bow of Indra, incessantly drawn
to a circle. Shafts issued continuously from it
seemed to fill the welkin. With those straight
arrows, equipped with wings of gold, shot by Bhima,
a continuous line was made in the sky that looked
effulgent like a garland of gold. Then those showers
of (Karna’s) arrows spread in the welkin, struck
by Bhimasena with his shafts, were scattered in portions
and fell down on the earth. Then the sky was covered
with those showers of gold-winged and swiftly-coursing
arrows, of both Karna and Bhimasena, that produced
sparks of fire as they clashed against each other.
The very sun was then shrouded, and the very wind ceased
to blow. Indeed, when the welkin was thus covered
with those arrowy showers, nothing could be seen.
Then the Suta’s son, disregarding the energy
of the high-souled Bhima, completely shrouded Bhima
with other arrows and endeavoured to prevail over
him. Then, O sire, those arrowy showers shot
by both of them, seemed to clash against each other
like two opposite currents of wind. And in consequence
Page 1118
of that clash of the arrowy showers of those two lions
among men, a conflagration, O chief of the Bharatas,
seemed to be generated in the sky. Then Karna,
desirous of slaying Bhima, shot at him in rage many
whetted arrows equipped with wings of gold and polished
by the hands of the smith. Bhima, however, cut
off with his own shafts every one of those arrows
into three fragments, and prevailing over the Suta’s
son, he cried out, ‘Wait, Wait.’ And
the wrathful and mighty son of Pandu, like an all-consuming
conflagration, once more shot in rage showers of fierce
shafts. And then in consequence of their leathern
fences striking against their bow-strings, loud sounds
were generated. And loud also became the sound
of their palms, and terrible their leonine shouts,
and fierce the rattle of their car-wheels and the
twang of their bow-strings. And all the combatants,
O king, ceased to fight, desirous of beholding the
prowess of Karna and of the son of Pandu, each of
whom was desirous of slaying the other. And the
celestial Rishis and Siddhas and Gandharvas, applauded
them, saying, “Excellent, Excellent!’
And the tribes of Vidyadharas rained flowery showers
upon them. Then the wrathful and mighty-armed
Bhima of fierce prowess, baffling with his own weapons
the weapons of his foe, pierced the Suta’s son
with many shafts. Karna also, endued with great
might, baffling the shafts of Bhimasena, sped at him
nine long shafts in that battle. Bhima, however,
with as many arrows, cut off those shafts of Suta’s
son in the welkin and addressed him, saying, ‘Wait,
Wait!’ Then the mighty-armed and heroic Bhima,
excited with rage, shot at Adhiratha’s son an
arrow resembling the rod of Yama or Death himself.
Radha’s son, however, smiling, cut off that
arrow, O king, of Pandu’s son, however, of great
Prowess, with three arrows of his, as it coursed towards
him through the welkin. The son of Pandu then
once more shot showers of fierce shafts. Karna,
however, fearlessly received all those arrows of Bhima.
Then excited with rage, the Suta’s son, Karna,
by the power of his weapons, with his straight arrows,
cut off in that encounter the couple of quivers and
the bow-string of fighting Bhima, as also the traces
of his steeds. And then slaying his steeds also,
Karna pierced Bhima’s charioteer with five shafts.
The charioteer, quickly running away, proceeded to
Yudhamanyu’s car. Excited with rage, the
son of Radha then, whose splendour resembled that
of the Yuga-fire, smiling the while, cut off the flag-staff
of Bhima and felled his banner. Deprived of his
bow, the mighty-armed Bhima then seized a dart, such
as car-warriors may use. Excited with wrath,
he whirled it in his hand and then hurled it with
great force at Karna’s car. The son of Adhiratha
then, with ten shafts, cut off, as it coursed towards
him with the effulgence of a large meteor, the gold-decked
dart thus hurled (by Bhima).[164] Thereupon, that dart
fell down, cut off into ten fragments by those sharp
Page 1119
shafts of the Suta’s son, Karna, that warrior
conversant with every mode of warfare, then battling
for the sake of his friends. Then, the son of
Kunti took up a shield decked with gold and a sword,
desirous of obtaining either death or victory, Karna,
however, O Bharata, smiling the while, cut off that
bright shield of Bhima with many fierce shafts.
Then, car-less, Bhima, O king, deprived of his shield,
became mad with rage. Quickly, then, he hurled
his formidable sword at Karna’s car. That
large sword, cutting off the stringed bow of the Suta’s
son, fell down on the earth, O king, like an angry
snake from the sky. Then Adhiratha’s son,
excited with rage in that battle, smilingly took up
another bow destructive of foes, having a stronger
string, and tougher than the one he had lost.
Desirous of slaying the son of Kunti, Karna then began
to shoot thousands of arrows, O king, equipped with
wings of gold and endued with great energy. Struck
by those shafts shot from Karna’s bow, the mighty
Bhima leaped into the sky, filling Karna’s heart
with anguish. Beholding the conduct of Bhima,
in battle desirous of victory, the son of Radha beguiled
him by concealing himself in his car. Seeing
Karna concealing himself with an agitated heart on
the terrace of his car, Bhima catching hold of Karna’s
flagstaff, waited on the earth. All the Kurus
and the Charanas highly applauded that attempt of
Bhima of snatching Karna away from his car, like Garuda
snatching away a snake. His bow cut off, himself
deprived of his car, Bhima, observant of the duties
of his order, stood still for battle, keeping his
(broken) car behind him. The son of Radha, then,
from rage, in that encounter, proceeded against the
son of Pandu who was waiting for battle. Then
those two mighty warriors, O king, challenging as
they approached each other, those two bulls among men,
roared at each other, like clouds at the close of
summer. And the passage-at-arms that then took
place between those two engaged lions among men that
could not brook each other in battle resembled that
of old between the gods and the Danavas. The
son of Kunti, however, whose stock of weapons was exhausted,
was (obliged to turn back) pursued by Karna. Beholding
the elephants, huge as hills that had been slain by
Arjuna, lying (near), unarmed Bhimasena entered into
their midst, for impeding the progress of Karna’s
car. Approaching that multitude of elephants and
getting into the midst of that fastness which was
inaccessible to a car, the son of Pandu, desirous
of saving his life, refrained from striking the son
of Radha. Desirous of shelter, that subjugator
of hostile cities viz., the son of Pritha, uplifting
an elephant that had been slain by Dhananjaya with
his shafts, waited there, like Hanumat uplifting the
peak of Gandhamadana.[165] Karna, however, with his
shafts, cut off that elephant held by Bhima.
The son of Pandu, thereupon, hurled at Karna the fragments
of that elephant’s body as also car-wheels and
Page 1120
steeds. In fact, all objects that he saw lying
there on the field, the son of Pandu, excited with
rage, took up and hurled at Karna. Karna, however,
with his sharp arrows, cut off every one of those
objects thus thrown at him. Bhima also, raising
his fierce fists that were endued with the force of
the thunder, desired to slay the Suta’s son.
Soon, however, he recollected Arjuna’s vow.
The son of Pandu, therefore, though competent, spared
the life of Karna, from desire of not falsifying the
vow that Savyasachin had made. The Suta’s
son, however, with his sharp shafts, repeatedly caused
the distressed Bhima, to lose the sense. But Karna,
recollecting the words of Kunti, took not the life
of the unarmed Bhima. Approaching quickly Karna
touched him with the horn of his bow. As soon,
however, as Bhimasena was touched with the bow, excited
with rage and sighing like a snake, he snatched the
bow from Karna and struck him with it on the head.
Struck by Bhimasena, the son of Radha, with eyes red
in wrath, smiling the while, said unto him repeatedly
these words, viz., ’Beardless eunuch, ignorant
fool and glutton.’ And Karna said, ’Without
skin in weapons, do not fight with me. Thou art
but a child, a laggard in battle! There, son
of Pandu, where occurs a profusion of eatables and
drink, there, O wretch, shouldst thou be but never
in battle. Subsisting on roots, flowers, and
observant of vows and austerities, thou, O Bhima, shouldst
pass thy days in the woods for thou art unskilled in
battle. Great is the difference between battle
and the austere mode of a Muni’s life.
Therefore, O Vrikodara, retire into the woods.
O child, thou art not fit for being engaged in battle.
Thou hast an aptitude for a life in the woods.
Urging cooks and servants and slaves in the house to
speed, thou art fit only for reproving them in wrath
for the sake of thy dinner, O Vrikodara! O Bhima,
O thou of a foolish understanding, betaking thyself
to a Muni’s mode of life, gather thou fruits
(for thy food). Go to the woods, O son of Kunti,
for thou art not skilled in battle. Employed in
cutting fruits and roots or in waiting upon guests,
thou art unfit, I think, to take a part, O Vrikodara,
in any passage-at-arms.’ And, O monarch,
all the wrongs done to him in his younger years, were
also reminded by Karna in harsh words. And as
he stood there in weakness, Karna once more touched
him with the bow. And laughing loudly, Vrisha
once more told Bhima those words, ’Thou shouldst
fight with others, O sire, but never with one like
me. They that fight with persons like us have
to undergo this and else! Go thither where the
two Krishnas are! They will protect thee in battle.
Or, O son of Kunti, go home, for, a child as thou
art, what business hast thou with battle?’ Hearing
those harsh words of Karna, Bhimasena laughed aloud
and addressing Karna said unto him these words in
the hearing of all, ’O wicked wight, repeatedly
hast thou been vanquished by me. How canst thou
Page 1121
indulge, then, in such idle boast? In this world
the ancients witnessed the victory and defeat of the
great Indra himself. O thou of ignoble parentage,
engage thyself with me in an athletic encounter with
bare arms. Even as I slew the mighty Kichaka
of gigantic frame, I would then slay thee in the very
sight of all kings.’ Understanding the motives
of Bhima, Karna, that foremost of intelligent men,
abstained from that combat in the very sight of all
the bowmen. Indeed, having made Bhima carless,
Karna, O king, reproved him in such boastful language
in the sight of that lion among the Vrishnis (viz.,
Krishna) and of the high-souled Partha. Then the
ape-bannered (Arjuna), urged by Kesava, shot at the
Suta’s son, O king, many shafts whetted on stone.
Those arrows adorned with gold, shot by Partha’s
arms and issuing out of Gandiva, entered Karna’s
body, like cranes into the Krauncha mountains.
With those arrows shot from Gandiva which entered
Karna’s body like so many snakes, Dhananjaya
drove the Suta’s son from Bhimasena’s
vicinity. His bow cut off by Bhima, and himself
afflicted with the arrows of Dhananjaya, Karna quickly
fled away from Bhima on his great car. Bhimasena
also, O bull among men, mounting upon Satyaki’s
car, proceeded in that battle in the wake of his brother
Savyasachin, the son of Pandu. Then Dhananjaya,
with eyes red in wrath, aiming at Karna, quickly sped
a shaft like the Destroyer urging forward Death’s
self. That shaft shot from Gandiva, like Garuda
in the welkin in quest of a mighty snake, quickly
coursed towards Karna. The son of Drona, however,
that mighty car-warrior, with a winged arrow of his,
cut it off in mid-air, desirous of rescuing Karna
from fear of Dhananjaya. Then Arjuna, excited
with wrath, pierced the son of Drona with four and
sixty arrows, O king, and addressing him, said, ’Do
not fly away, O Aswathaman, but wait a moment.’
Drona’s son, however, afflicted with the shafts
of Dhananjaya, quickly entered a division of the Kaurava
army that abounded with infuriated elephants and teemed
with cars. The mighty son of Kunti, then, with
the twang of Gandiva, drowned the noise made in that
battle by all other twangings of bows, of shafts decked
with gold. Then, the mighty Dhananjaya followed
from behind the son of Drona who had not retreated
to a great distance, frightening him all the way with
his shafts. Piercing with his shafts, winged
with the feathers of Kankas and peacocks, the bodies
of men and elephants and steeds, Arjuna began to grind
that force. Indeed, O chief of the Bharatas,
Partha, the son of Indra, began to exterminate that
host teeming with steeds and elephants and men.’”
SECTION CXXXIX
Page 1122
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Day by day, O Sanjaya,
my blazing fame is being darkened. A great many
warriors of mine have fallen. I think, all this
is due to the reverse brought about by time.
Dhananjaya, excited with rage, hath penetrated into
my host which is protected by Drona’s son, and
Karna and which, therefore, is incapable of being
penetrated by the very gods. United with those
two of blazing energy viz., Krishna and Bhima,
as also with that bull among the Sinis, his prowess
hath been increased. Since I have heard of Dhananjaya’s
entry, grief is consuming my heart, like fire consuming
a heap of dry grass, I see that all the kings of the
earth with the ruler of the Sindhus amongst them,
are affected by evil destiny. Having done a great
wrong to the diadem-decked (Arjuna), how can the ruler
of the Sindhus, if he falls within Arjuna’s sight,
save his life? From circumstantial inference,
I see, O Sanjaya, how can the ruler of the Sindhus,
if he falls within Arjuna’s sight, save his life?
From circumstantial inference, I see, O Sanjaya, that
the ruler of the Sindhus is already dead. Tell
me, however, truly how the battle raged. Thou
art skilled in narration, O Sanjaya, tell me truly
how the Vrishni hero Satyaki fought, who striving
resolutely for Dhananjaya’s sake, alone entered
in rage the vast force, disturbing and agitating it
repeatedly, like an elephant plunging into a lake
overgrown with lotuses.’
“Sanjaya said, ’Beholding that foremost
of men, viz., Bhima, to proceed, afflicted with
Karna’s shafts in the midst, O king, or many
heroes, that foremost warrior amongst the Sinis followed
him on his car. Roaring like the clouds at the
close of summer, and blazing like the autumnal sun,
he began to slaughter with his formidable bow the
host of thy son, causing it to tremble repeatedly.
And as the foremost one of Madhu’s race, O Bharata,
thus proceeded along the field on his car, drawn by
steeds of the hue of silver and himself roaring terribly,
none amongst thy warriors could check his progress.
Then that foremost of kings, viz., Alamvusha,
full of rage, never retreating from battle, armed with
bow, and clad in a golden coat of mail rushing quickly,
impeded the progress of Satyaki, that foremost warrior
of Madhu’s race. The encounter, then, O
Bharata, that took place between them was such that
its like had never been. All thy warriors and
the enemy, abstaining from the fight, became spectators
of that engagement between those two ornaments of battle.
Then that foremost of kings, viz., Alamvusha
forcibly pierced Satyaki with ten arrows. That
bull of Sini’s race, however, with shafts, cut
all those arrows before they could reach him.
And once more, Alamvusha struck Satyaki with three
sharp arrows equipped with beautiful wings, blazing
as fire, and shot from his bow drawn to the ear.
Those piercing through Satyaki’s coat of mail,
penetrated into his body. Having pierced Satyaki’s
body with those sharp and blazing arrows, endued with
Page 1123
the force of fire or the wind, Alamvusha forcibly
struck the four steeds of Satyaki, white as silver,
with four other arrows. The grandson of Sini,
endued with great activity and prowess like that of
(Kesava himself), the bearer of the discus, thus struck
by him, slew with four shafts of great impetuosity
the four steeds of Alamvusha. Having then cut
off the head, beautiful as the full moon and decked
with excellent car-rings with a broad-headed arrow,
fierce as the Yuga-fire. Having slain that descendant
of many kings in battle, that bull among the Yadus,
that hero capable of grinding hostile hosts, proceeded
towards Arjuna, O king, resisting, as he went, the
enemy’s troops. Indeed, O king, thus careering
in the midst of the foe, the Vrishni hero, while proceeding
in the wake (of Arjuna), was seen repeatedly to destroy
with his shafts the Kuru host, like the hurricane
dispersing gathering masses of clouds. Whithersoever
that lion among men desired to go, thither he was
borne by those excellent steeds of his, of the Sindhu
breed, well-broken, docile, white as milk of the Kunda
flower or the moon or snow, and adorned with trappings
of warriors, viz., Duhsasana,—their
commander. Those leaders of divisions, encompassing
the grandson of Sini on all sides in that battle, began
to strike him. That foremost one among the Satwatas,
that hero, viz., Satyaki also, resisted them
all with showers of arrows. Quickly checking
all of them by means of his fiery shafts, that slayer
of foes, viz., the grandson of Sini, forcibly
uplifting his bow, O Ajamida, slew the steeds of Duhsasana.
Then, Arjuna and Krishna, beholding that foremost of
men, (viz., Satyaki) in that battle, became filled
with joy."’
SECTION CXL
“Sanjaya said, ’Then the great bowmen
of the Trigarta country owning standards, adorned
with gold, encompassed on all sides the mighty-armed
Satyaki, that warrior who accomplished with great activity
everything that demanded accomplishment and who, having
penetrated into that host, unlimited as the sea, was
rushing against Duhsasana’s car from desire of
Dhananjaya’s success. Checking his course
with a large throng of cars on all sides, those great
bowmen, excited with rage, covered him with showers
of arrows. Having penetrated into the midst of
the Bharata army which resembled a shoreless sea,
and which, filled with the sound of palms abounded
with swords and darts and maces, Satyaki, of prowess
incapable of being baffled, alone vanquished his foes,
those fifty (Trigarta) princes shining brilliantly
in that battle. On that occasion we saw that
the conduct of Sini’s grandson in battle was
extremely wonderful. So great was the lightness
(of his movements) that having seen him on the west,
we immediately saw him in the east. North, south,
east, west, and in the other subsidiary directions,
that hero seemed to career dancingly, as if he constituted
a hundred warriors in his single self. Beholding
Page 1124
that conduct of Satyaki, endued with the sportive tread
of the lion, the Trigarta warriors, unable to bear
his prowess fled away towards (the division of) their
own (countrymen). Then the brave warriors of the
Surasenas endeavoured to check Satyaki, striking him
with showers of shafts, like a driver striking an
infuriated elephant with the hook. The high-souled
Satyaki struggled with them for a short space of time
and then that hero of inconceivable prowess began
to fight with the Kalingas. Transgressing that
division of the Kalingas which was incapable of being
crossed, the mighty-armed Satyaki approached the presence
of Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha. Like a tired
swimmer in water when he reaches the land, Yuyudhana
became comforted on obtaining the sight of Dhananjaya,
that tiger among men. Beholding him approach,
Kesava, addressing Partha, said, ’Yonder cometh
the grandson of Sini, O Partha, following in thy wake.
O thou of prowess incapable of being baffled, he is
thy disciple and friend. That bull among men,
regarding all the warriors as straw, hath vanquished
them. Inflicting terrible injuries upon the Kaurava
warriors, Satyaki, who is dear to thee as life, cometh
towards thee, O Kiritin! Having with his shafts
crushed Drona himself and Kritavarman of the Bhoja
race, this Satyaki cometh to thee, O Phalguna!
Intent on Yudhishthira’s good, having slain
many foremost of warriors, the brave Satyaki, skilled
in weapons, is coming to thee, O Phalguna! Having
achieved the most difficult feat in the midst of the
(Kaurava) troops, the mighty Satyaki, desirous of
obtaining thy sight cometh to thee, O son of Pandu!
Having on a single car fought in battle many mighty
car-warriors with the preceptor (Drona) on their head,
Satyaki cometh to thee, O Partha! Despatched
by Dharma’s son, this Satyaki cometh to thee,
O Partha, having pierced through the Kaurava army,
relying on the might of his own arms. Invincible
in battle, that Satyaki, who hath no warrior amongst
the Kauravas equal to him, is coming to thee, O son
of Kunti! Having slain, countless warriors, this
Satyaki cometh to thee, O Partha, freed from amid
the Kaurva troops, like a lion from amid a herd of
kine. Having strewn the earth with the faces,
beautiful as the lotus, of thousands of kings, this
Satyaki is coming to thee, O Partha! Having vanquished
in battle Duryodhana himself with his brothers, and
having slain Jalasandha, Satyaki is coming quickly.
Having caused a river of blood for its mire, and regarding
the Kauravas as straw, Satyaki cometh towards thee.’
The son of Kunti, without being cheerful, said these
words unto Kesava, ’The arrival of Satyaki,
O mighty-armed one, is scarcely agreeable to me.
I do not, O Kesava, know how king Yudhishthira the
Just is. Now that he is separated from Satwata,
I doubt whether he is alive; O mighty-armed one, this
Satyaki should have protected the king. Why then,
O Krishna, hath this one, leaving Yudhishthira followed
in my wake? The king, therefore, hath been abandoned
Page 1125
to Drona. The ruler of the Sindhus hath not yet
been slain. There, Bhurisravas is proceeding against
Satyaki in battle. A heavier burthen hath been
cast upon me on account of Jayadratha. I should
know how the ling is and I should also protect Satyaki.
I should also slay Jayadratha. The sun hangeth
low. As regards the mighty-armed Satyaki, he
is tired; his weapons also have been exhausted.
His steeds as also their driver, are tired, O Madhava!
Bhurisravas, on the other hand, is not tired, he hath
supporters behind him, O Kesava! Will success
be Satyaki’s in this encounter? Having
crossed the very ocean, will Satyaki of unbaffled prowess,
will that bull amongst the Sinis, of great energy,
succumb, obtaining (before him) the vestige of a cow’s
foot?[166] Encountering that foremost one amongst the
Kurus, viz., the high-souled Bhurisravas, skilled
in weapons, will Satyaki have good fortune? I
regard this, O Kesava, to have been an error of judgment
on the part of king Yudhishthira the Just. Casting
of all fear of the preceptor, he hath despatched Satyaki
(from away his side). Like a sky-ranging hawk
after a peace of meat, Drona always endeavoureth after
the seizure of king Yudhishthira the Just. Will
the king be free from all danger?’
SECTION CXLI
“Sanjaya said, ’Beholding Satwata, invincible
in battle coming (towards Arjuna), Bhurisravas, in
rage, O king, suddenly advanced towards him. He
of Kuru’s race, then, O king, addressing that
bull of Sini’s race, said, ’By luck it,
is thou that hast today come within the range of my
vision. Today in this; battle, I obtain the wish
I had always cherished. If thou dost not flee
away from battle, thou wilt not escape me with life.
Slaying thee today in fight, thou that art ever proud
of thy heroism, I will, O thou of Dasarha’s
race, gladden the Kuru king Suyodhana. Those
heroes, viz., Kesava and Arjuna, will today together
behold thee lying on the field of battle, scorched
with my arrows. Hearing that thou hast been slain
by me, the royal son of Dharma, who caused thee to
penetrate into this host, will today be covered with
shame. Pritha’s son, Dhananjaya, will today
behold my prowess when he sees thee slain and lying
on the earth, covered with gore. This encounter
with thee hath always been desired by me, like the
encounter of Sakra with Vali in the battle between
the gods and the Asuras in days of old. Today
I will give thee dreadful battle, O Satwata!
Thou shalt thence truly understand (the measure of)
my energy, might, and manliness. Slain by me in
battle, thou shalt today proceed to the abode of Yama,
like Ravana’s son (Indrajit) slain by Lakshmana,
the younger brother of Rama. Today, Krishna and
Partha and king Yudhishthira the Just, O thou of Madhu’s
race, witnessing thy slaughter will, without doubt,
be overcome with despondency and will give up battle.
Causing thy death today, O Madhava, with keen shafts,
Page 1126
I will gladden the wives of all those that have been
slain by thee in battle. Having come within the
scope of my vision, thou shalt not escape, like a
small deer from within the range of a lion’s
vision.’ Hearing these words of his, Yuyudhana,
O king, answered him with a laugh, saying, ’O
thou of Kuru’s race, I am never inspired with
fear in battle. Thou shalt not succeed in terrifying
me with thy words only. He will slay me in battle
who will succeed in disarming me. He that will
slay me in battle will slay (foes) for all time to
come.[167] What is the use of such idle and long-winded
boast in words? Accomplish in deed what thou
sayest. Thy words seem to be as fruitless as the
roar of autumnal clouds. Hearing, O hero, these
roars of thine, I cannot restrain my laughter.
Let that encounter, O thou of Kuru’s race, which
has been desired by thee so long, take place today.
My heart, O sire, inspired as it is with the desire
of an encounter with thee, cannot brook any delay.
Before slaying thee, I shall not abstain from the
fight, O wretch.’ Rebuking each other in
such words, those two bulls among men, both excited
with great wrath, struck each other in battle, each
being desirous of taking the other’s life.
Those great bowmen both endued with great might, encountered
each other in battle, each challenging the other,
like two wrathful elephants in rut for the sake of
a she-elephant in her season. And those two chastisers
of foes, viz., Bhurisravas and Satyaki, poured
upon each other dense showers of arrows like two masses
of clouds. Then Somadatta’s son, having
shrouded the grandson of Sini with swift coursing shafts,
once more pierced the latter, O chief of the Bharatas,
with many keen shafts, from desire of slaying him.
Having pierced Satyaki with ten shafts, Somadatta’s
son sped many other keen shafts at that bull amongst
the Sinis, from a desire of compassing his destruction.
Satyaki, however, O lord, cut off, with the power
of his weapons, all those keen shafts of Bhurisravas,
O king, in the welkin, before, in fact, any of them
could reach him. Those two heroes, those two
warriors that enhanced the fame of the Kurus and the
Vrishnis respectively, both of noble lineage, thus
poured upon each other their arrowy showers. Like
two tigers fighting with their claws or two huge elephants
with their tusks they mangled each other with shafts
and darts, such as car-warriors may use. Mangling
each other’s limbs, and with blood issuing out
of their wounds, those two warriors engaged in a gambling
match in which their lives were at the stake, checked
and confounded each other. Those heroes of excellent
feats, those enhancers of the fame of the Kurus and
the Vrishnis, thus fought with each other, like two
leaders of elephantine herds. Indeed, those warriors,
both coveting the highest region, both cherishing the
desire of very soon attaining the region of Brahman,
thus roared at each other. Indeed, Satyaki and
Somadatta’s son continued to cover each other
Page 1127
with their arrowy showers in the sight of the Dhartarashtras
filled with joy. And the people there witnessed
that encounter between those two foremost of warriors
who were fighting like two leaders of elephantine
herds for the sake of a she-elephant in her season.
Then each slaying the other’s steeds and cutting
off the other’s bow, those car-less combatants
encountered each other with swords in a dreadful fight.
Taking up two beautiful and large and bright shields
made of bull’s hide, and two naked swords, they
careered on the field. Stalking in circles and
in diverse other kinds of courses duly, those grinders
of foes excited with rage, frequently struck each
other. Armed with swords, clad in bright armour,
decked with cuirass and Angadas, those two famous warriors
showed diverse kinds of motion. They wheeled
about on high and made side-thrusts, and ran about,
and rushed forward and rushed upwards. And those
chastisers of foes began to strike each other with
their swords. And each of them looked eagerly
for the dereliction of the other. And both of
those heroes leapt beautifully and both showed their
skill in that battle, began also to make skilful passes
at each other, and having struck each other, O king,
those heroes took rest for a moment in the sight of
all the troops. Having with their swords cut
in pieces each other’s beautiful shield, O king,
decked with a hundred moons, those tigers among men,
engaged themselves in a wrestling encounter.
Both having broad chests, both having long arms, both
well-skilled in wrestling, they encountered each other
with their arms of iron that resembled spiked maces.
And they struck each other with their arms, and seized
each other’s arms, and each seized with his
arms the other’s neck. And the skill they
had acquired by exercise, contributed to the joy of
all the warriors that stood as spectators of the encounter.
And as those heroes fought with each other, O king,
in that battle, loud and terrible were the sounds produced
by them, resembling the fall of the thunder upon the
mountain breast. Like two elephants encountering
each other with the end of their tusks, or like two
bulls with their horns, those two illustrious and foremost
warriors of the Kuru and the Satwata races, fought
with each other, sometimes binding each other with
their arms, sometimes striking each other with their
heads, sometimes intertwining each other’s legs,
sometimes slapping their armpits, sometimes pinching
each other with their nails, sometimes clasping each
other tightly, sometimes twining their legs round
each other’s loins, sometimes rolling on the
ground, sometimes advancing, sometimes receding, sometimes
rising up, and sometimes leaping up. Indeed,
those two and thirty kinds of separate manoeuvres
that characterise encounters of that kind.
Page 1128
“When Satwata’s weapons were exhausted
during his engagement with Bhurisravas, Vasudeva said
unto Arjuna, ’Behold that foremost of all bowmen,
viz., Satyaki, engaged in battle, deprived of
car. He hath entered the Bharata host, having
pierced through it, following in thy wake, O son of
Pandu! He hath fought with all the Bharata warriors
of great energy. The giver of large sacrificial
presents, viz., Bhurisravas, hath encountered
that foremost of warriors while tired with fatigue.
Desirous of battle, Bhurisravas is about to encounter.
Then that warrior invincible in battle, viz.,
Bhurisravas, excited with wrath, vigorously struck
Satyaki, O king, like an infuriated elephant striking
an infuriated compeer. Those two foremost of
warriors, both upon their cars, and both excited with
wrath, fought on, king, Kesava, and Arjuna witnessing
their encounter. Then the mighty-armed Krishna,
addressing Arjuna, said, ’Behold, that tiger
among the Vrishnis and the Andhakas has succumbed
to Somadatta’s son. Having achieved the
most difficult feats, exhausted with exertion, he
hath been deprived of his car. O Arjuna, protect
Satyaki, thy heroic disciple. See that foremost
of men may not, for thy sake, O tiger among men, succumb
to Bhurisravas, devoted to sacrifices. O puissant
one, speedily do what is needed.’ Dhananjaya,
with a cheerful heart addressing Vasudeva, said, ’Behold,
that bull amongst the Rurus and that foremost one
among the Vrishnis are sporting with each other, like
a huge elephant mad with rage sporting with a mighty
lion in the forest. While Dhananjaya the son
of Pandu was thus speaking, loud cries of oh and alas
arose among the troops, O bull of Bharata’s race,
since the mighty-armed Bhurisravas, exerting vigorously
struck Satyaki and brought him down upon the ground.
And like a lion dragging an elephant, that foremost
one of Kuru’s race, viz., Bhurisravas, that
giver of profuse presents at sacrifices, dragging
that foremost one amongst the Satwatas, looked resplendent
in that battle. Then Bhurisravas in that encounter,
drawing his sword from the scabbard, seized Satyaki
by the hair of his head and struck him at the chest
with his feet. Bhurisravas then was about to
cut off from Satyaki’s trunk his head decked
with ear-rings. For sometime, the Satwata hero
rapidly whirled his head with the arm of Bhurisravas
that held it by the hair, like a potter’s wheel
whirled round with the staff. Beholding Satwata
thus dragged in battle by Bhurisravas. Vasudeva
once more, O king, addressed Arjuna and said, ’Behold,
that tiger among the Vrishnis and the Andhakas, that
disciple of thine, O mighty-armed one, not inferior
to thee in bowmanship, hath succumbed to Somadatta’s
son. O Partha, since Bhurisravas is thus prevailing
over the Vrishni hero, Satyaki, of prowess incapable
of being baffled, the very name of the latter is about
to be falsified.[168] Thus addressed by Vasudeva the
mighty-armed son of Pandu, mentally worshipped Bhurisravas
Page 1129
in that battle, saying, ’I am glad that, Bhurisravas,
that enhancer of the fame of the Kurus, is dragging
Satyaki in battle, as if in sport. Without slaying
Satyaki that foremost one among the heroes of the
Vrishni race, the Kuru warrior is only dragging him
like a mighty lion in the forest dragging a huge elephant.’
Mentally applauding the Kuru warrior thus, O king,
the mighty-armed Arjuna, the son of Pritha, replied
unto Vasudeva, saying, ’My eyes having rested
upon of the Sindhus, I could not, O Madhava, see Satyaki.
I shall, however, for the sake of that Yadava warrior,
achieve a most difficult feat.’ Having said
these words, in obedience to Vasudeva, the son of Pandu,
fixed on Gandiva a sharp razor-headed arrow.
That arrow, shot by Partha’s hand and resembling
a meteor flashing down from the firmament, cut off
the Kuru warrior’s arm with the sword in the
grasp and decked with Angada.’”
SECTION CXLII
“Sanjaya said, ’That arm (of Bhurisravas)
decked with Angada and the sword in its grasp (thus
cut off), fell down on the earth to the great grief
of all living creatures. Indeed, that arm, which
was to have cut off Satyaki’s head itself, cut
off by the unseen Arjuna, quickly dropped down on
the earth, like a snake of five heads. The Kuru
warrior, beholding himself incapacitated by Partha
abandoned his hold on Satyaki and wrathfully reproved
the son of Pandu.’
“Bhurisravas said, ’Thou hast, O son of
Kunti, done a cruel and heartless deed, since without
being engaged with me, thou hast, unseen by me, cut
off my arm. Shalt thou not have to say unto Yudhishthira,
the royal son of Dharma, even this, viz., ’Bhurisravas,
while otherwise engaged, was slain by me in battle?’
Wert thou taught this use of weapons by the high-souled
Indra or by Rudra, O Partha, or by Drona, or by Kripa?
Thou art, in this world, better acquainted with the
rules about the use of weapons than all others.
Why then hast thou cut off in battle the arm of a
warrior who was not engaged with thee? The righteous
never strike him that is heedless, or him that is
terrified, or him that is made carless, or him that
beggeth for life or protection, of him that hath fallen
into distress. Why, then, O Partha, hast thou
perpetrated such an extremely unworthy deed that is
sinful, that is worthy only of a low wretch, and that
is practised by only a wicked bloke! A respectable
person, O Dhananjaya, can easily accomplish a deed
that is respectable. A deed, however, that is
disrespectable becomes difficult of accomplishment
by a person that is respectable. A man quickly
catches the behaviour of those with whom and amongst
whom he moves. This is seen in thee, O Partha!
Being of royal lineage and born, especially, in Kuru’s
race, how hast thou fallen off from the duties of
a Kshatriya, although thou wert of good behaviour
and observant of excellent vows. This mean act
that thou hast perpetrated for the sake of the Vrishni
Page 1130
warrior, is without doubt, conformable to Vasudeva’s
counsels. Such an act does not suit one like
thee. Who else, unless he were a friend of Krishna’s,
would inflict such a wrong upon lone that is heedlessly
engaged with another in battle? The Vrishnis
and the Andhakas are bad Kshatriyas, ever engaged in
sinful deeds, and are, by nature, addicted to disreputable
behaviour. Why, O Partha, hast thou taken them
as model? Thus addressed in battle, Partha replied
unto Bhurisravas, saying, ’It is evident that
with the decrepitude of the body one’s intellect
also becomes decrepit, since, O lord, all those senseless
words have been uttered by thee. Although thou
knowest Hrishikesa and myself well, how is it that
thou rebukest us thus? Knowing as I do the rules
of battle and conversant as I am with the meaning
of all the scriptures, I would never do an act that
is sinful. Knowing this well, thou rebukest me
yet. The Kshatriyas fight with their foes, surrounded
by their own followers, their brothers, sires, sons,
relatives, kinsmen, companions, and friends. These
also fight, relying on the (strength of) arms of those
they follow. Why, then, should I not protect
Satyaki, my disciple and dear kinsman, who is fighting
for our sake in this battle, regardless of life itself,
that is so difficult of being laid down.[169] Invincible
in fight, Satyaki, O king, is my right arm in battle.
One should not protect one’s own self only, when
one goes to battle, he, O king, who is engaged in
the business of another should be protected (by that
other). Such men being protected, the king is
protected in press of battle. If I had calmly
beheld Satyaki on the point of being slain in great
battle (and had not interfered for saying him), sin
would, then, owing to Satyaki’s death, have been
mine, for such negligence! Why then dost thou
become angry with me for my having protected Satyaki?
Thou rebukest me, O king, saying, ’Though engaged
with another, I have yet been maimed by thee.’
In that matter, I answer, I judged wrongly. Sometimes
shaking my armour; sometimes riding on my car, sometimes
drawing the bow-string, I was fighting with my enemies
in the midst of a host resembling the vast deep, teeming
with cars and elephants and abounding with steeds
and foot-soldiers and echoing with fierce leonine
shouts. Amongst friends and foes engaged with
one another, how could it be possible that the Satwata
warrior was engaged with only one person in battle?
Having fought with many and vanquished many mighty
car-warriors, Satyaki had been tired. He himself,
afflicted with weapons, had become cheerless.
Having, under such circumstances, vanquished the mighty
car-warrior, Satyaki, and brought him under thy control,
thou soughtest to display thy superiority. Thou.
hadst desired to cut off, with thy sword, the head
of Satyaki in battle. I could not possibly behold
with indifference Satyaki reduced to that strait.[170]
Thou shouldst rather rebuke thy own self, since thou
didst not take care of thyself (when seeking to injure
another). Indeed, O hero, how wouldst thou have
behaved towards one who is thy dependant?’
Page 1131
“Sanjaya continued, ’Thus addressed (by
Arjuna), the mighty-armed and illustrious Bhurisravas,
bearing the device of the sacrificial stake on his
banner, abandoning Yuyudhana, desired to die according
to the vow of Praya.[171] Distinguished by many righteous
deeds, he spread with his left hand a bed of arrows,
and desirous of proceeding to the region of Brahman,
committed his senses to the care of the deities presiding
over them. Fixing his gaze on the sun, and setting
his cleansed heart on the moon, and thinking of (the
mantras in) the great Upanishad, Bhurisravas, betaking
himself to Yoga, ceased to speak. Then all the
persons in the entire army began to speak ill of Krishna
and Dhananjaya and applauded Bhurisravas, that bull
among men. Though censured, the two Krishnas,
however, spoke not a word disagreeable (to the dying
hero). The stake-bannered Bhurisravas also, though
thus applauded, felt no joy. Then Pandu’s
son Dhanajaya, called also Phalguna, incapable of bearing
thy sons speaking in that strain, as also of putting
up with their words and the words of Bhurisravas,
O Bharata, in grief and without an angry heart, and
as if for reminding them all, said these words, ’All
the kings are acquainted with my great vow, viz.,
that no one shall succeed in slaying anybody that
belongs to our side, as long as the latter is within
the range of my shafts. Remembering this, O stake-bannered
one, it behoveth thee not to censure me. Without
knowing rules of morality, it is not proper for one
to censure others. That I have cut off thy arm
while thou, well-armed in battle, wert on the point
of slaying (the unarmed) Satyaki, is not all contrary
to morality. But what righteous man is there,
O sire, that would applaud the slaughter of Abhimanyu,
a mere child, without arms, deprived of car, and his
armour fallen off?’ Thus addressed by Partha,
Bhurisravas touched the ground with his left arm the
right one (that had been lopped off). The stake-bannered
Bhurisravas, O king of dazzling effulgence, having
heard those words of Partha, remained silent, with
his head hanging down. Then Arjuna said, ’O
eldest brother of Sala, equal to what I bear to king
Yudhishthira the Just, or Bhima, that foremost of
all mighty persons, or Nakula, or Sahadeva, is the
love I bear to thee. Commanded by me as also
by the illustrious Krishna, repair thou to the region
of the righteous, even where Sivi, the son of Usinara,
is.’
“Vasudeva also said, ’Thou hast constantly
performed sacrifices and Agnihotras. Go thou
then, without delay, into those pure, regions of mine
that incessantly blaze forth with splendour and that
are desired by the foremost of deities with Brahma
as their head, and becoming equal to myself, be thou
borne on the back to Garuda.’
Page 1132
“Sanjaya continued, ’Set free by Somadatta’s
son, the grandson of Sini, rising up, drew his sword
and desired to cut off the head of the high-souled
Bhurisravas. Indeed, Satyaki desired to slay the
sinless Bhurisravas, the eldest brother of Sala, that
giver of plenty in sacrifices who was staying with
his, senses withdrawn from battle, who had already
been almost slain by the son of Pandu, who was sitting
with his arm lopped off and who resembled on that
account a trunkless elephant. All the warriors
loudly censured him (for his intention). But
deprived of reason, and forbidden by Krishna and the
high-souled Partha, Bhima, and the two protectors
of the two wheels (of Arjuna’s car, viz.,
Yudhamanyu and Uttamaujas), and Aswatthaman, and Kripa
and Karna, and Vrishasena, and the ruler of the Sindhus
also, and while the soldiers were yet uttering shouts
of disapproval, Satyaki stew Bhurisravas while in
the observance of his vow. Indeed, Satyaki, with
his sword, cut off the head of the Kuru warrior who
had been deprived of his arm by Partha and who was
then sitting in Praya for freeing his soul from the
body. The warriors did not applaud Satyaki for
that act of his in slaying that perpetuator of Kuru’s
race who had before been almost slain by Partha.
The Siddhas, the Charanas, and the men there present,
as also the gods, beholding the Sakra-like Bhurisravas
slain in that battle, through sitting in the observance
of that Praya vow, began to applaud him, amazed at
the acts, accomplished by him. Thy soldiers also
argued the matter, ’It is no fault of the Vrishni
hero. That which was pre-ordained has happened.
Therefore, we should not give way to wrath. Anger
is the cause of men’s sorrow. It was ordained
that Bhurisravas would be slain by the Vrishni hero.
There is no use of judging of its propriety or otherwise.
The Creator had ordained Satyaki to be the cause of
Bhurisrava’s death in battle.’
“Satyaki said, ’Ye sinful Kauravas, wearing
the outward garment of righteousness, ye tell me,
in words of virtue, that Bhurisravas should not be
slain. Where, however, did this righteousness
of yours go when ye slew in battle that child, viz.,
the son of Subhadra, while destitute of arms?
I had in a certain fit of haughtiness vowed that he
who would, throwing me down alive in battle, strike
me with his foot in rage, he would be slain by me
even though that foe should adopt the vow of asceticism.
Struggling in the encounter, with my arms and eyes
hale and sound, ye had yet regarded me as dead.
This was an act of folly on our part. Ye bulls
among the Kurus, the slaughter of Bhurisravas, accomplished
by me, hath been very proper! Partha, however,
by cutting off this one’s arm with sword in
grasp for fulfilling, from his affection for me, his
own vow (about protecting all on his side), hath simply
robbed me of glory. That which is ordained must
happen. It is destiny that works. Bhurisravas
hath been slain in press of battle. What sin have
I perpetrated? In days of yore, Valmiki sang this
verse on earth, viz., ’Thou sayest, O ape,
that women should not be slain. In all ages,
however, men should always, with resolute care, accomplish
that which gives pain to enemies.’
Page 1133
“Sanjaya continued, After Satyaki had said these
words, none amongst the Pandavas and the Kauravas,
O king, said anything. On the other hand, they
mentally applauded Bhurisravas. No one there applauded
the slaughter of Somadatta’s illustrious son
who resembled an ascetic living in the woods, or one
sanctified with mantras in a great sacrifice, and who
had given away thousands of gold coins. The head
of that hero, graced with beautiful blue locks and
eyes, red as those of pigeons, looked like the head
of a horse cut off in a Horse-sacrifice and placed
on the sacrificial altar.[172] Sanctified by his prowess
and the death he obtained at the edge of the weapon,
the boon-giving Bhurisravas, worthy of every boon,
casting off his body in great battle, repaired to regions
on high, filling the welkin with his high virtues.’”
SECTION CXLIII
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Unvanquished by
Drona, and Radha’s son and Vikarna and Kritavarman,
how could the heroic Satyaki, never before checked
in battle, having after his promise to Yudhishthira
crossed the ocean of the Kaurava troops, being humiliated
by the Kuru warrior Bhurisravas and forcibly thrown
on the ground?’
“Sanjaya said, ’Hear, O king, about the
origin, in the past times, of Sini’s grandson,
and of how Bhurisravas also came to be descended.
This will clear thy doubts. Atri had for son
Soma. Soma’s son was called Vudha.
Vudha had one son, of the splendour of the great Indra,
called Pururavas. Pururavas had a son called
Ayus. Ayus had for his son Nahusha. Nahusha
had for his son Yayati who was a royal sage equal to
a celestial. Yayati had by Devayani Yadu for
his eldest son. In Yadu’s race was born
a son of the name of Devamidha of Yadu’s race
had a son named Sura, applauded in the three worlds.
Sura had for his son that foremost of men, viz.,
the celebrated Vasudeva. Foremost in bowmanship,
Sura was equal to Kartavirya in battle. In Sura’s
race and equal unto Sura in energy was, born Sini,
O king! About this time, O king, occurred the
Swayamvara. of the high-souled Devaka’s daughter,
in which all the Kshatriyas were present. In
that self-choice, Sini vanquishing all the kings, quickly
took up on his car the princess Devaki for the sake
of Vasudeva. Beholding the princess Devaki on
Sini’s car, that bull among men, viz.,
the brave Somadatta of mighty energy could not brook
the sight. A battle, O king, ensued between the
two which lasted for half a day and was beautiful
and wonderful to behold. The battle that took
place between those two mighty men was a wrestling
encounter. That bull among men, viz., Somadatta,
was forcibly thrown down on the earth by Sini.
Uplifting his sword and seizing him by the hair, Sini
struck his foe with his foot, in the midst of many
thousands of kings who stood as spectators all around.
At last, from compassion, he let him off, saying, ‘Live!’
Reduced to that plight by Sini, Somadatta, O sire,
Page 1134
under the influence of wrath began to pay his adorations
to Mahadeva for inducing the latter to bless him.
That great lord of all boon-giving deities viz.,
Mahadeva, became gratified with him and asked him
to solicit the boon he desired. The royal Somadatta
then solicited the following boon, ’I desire
a soon, O divine lord, who will strike Sini’s
son in the midst of thousands of kings and who will
in battle strike him with his foot.’ Hearing
these words, O king, of Somadatta, the god saying,
‘So be it,’ disappeared then and there.
It was in consequence of the gift of that boon that
Somadatta subsequently obtained the highly charitable
Bhurisravas for son, and it was for this, Somadatta’s
son threw down Sini’s descendant in battle and
struck him, before the eyes of the whole army, with
his foot. I have now told thee, O king, what
thou hadst asked me. Indeed, the Satwata hero
is incapable of being vanquished in battle by even
the foremost of men. The Vrishni heroes are all
of sure aim in battle, and are conversant with all
modes of warfare. They are vanquishers of the
very gods, the Danavas and the Gandharvas. They
are never confounded. They always fight, relying
upon their own energy. They are never dependent
on others. None, O lord, are seen in this world
to be equal to the Vrishni’s. None, O bull
of Bharata’s race, have been, are, or will be
equal in might to the Vrishni’s. They never
show disrespect to their kinsmen. They are always
obedient to the commands of those that are reverend
in years. The very gods and Asuras and Gandharvas,
the Yakshas, the Uragas and the Rakshasas cannot vanquish
the Vrishni heroes, what need be said of men, therefore,
in battle? They never covet also the possessions
of those that ever render them aid on any occasion
of distress. Devoted to the Brahmanas and truthful
in speech, they never display any pride although they
are wealthy. The Vrishnis regard even the strong
as weak and rescue them from distress. Always
devoted to the gods, the Vrishnis are self-restrained,
charitable, and free from pride. It is for this
that the prowess,[173] of the Vrishnis is never baffled.
A person may remove the mountains of Meru or swim
across the ocean but cannot defeat the Vrishnis.
I have told thee everything about which thou hadst
thy doubts. All this, however, O king of the
Kurus, that is happening is due to thy evil policy,
O best of men!’”
SECTION CXLIV
“Dhritarashtra said, ’After the Kuru warrior
Bhurisravas had been slain under those circumstances,
tell me, O Sanjaya, how proceeded the battle.’
Page 1135
“Sanjaya said, ’After Bhurisravas had
proceeded to the other world, O Bharata, the mighty-armed
Arjuna urged Vasudeva, saying, “Urge the steeds,
O Krishna, to greater speed for taking me to the spot
where king Jayadratha is. O sinless one, the
sun is quickly proceeding towards the Asta hills.
O tiger among men, this great task should be achieved
by me. The ruler of the Sindhus is, again, protected
by many mighty car-warriors among the Kuru army.
Urge thou the steeds, therefore, O Krishna, in such
a way that I may, by slaying Jayadratha before the
sun sets, make my vow true.’ Then the mighty-armed
Krishna conversant with horse-lore, urged those steeds
of silvery hue towards the car of Jayadratha.
Then, O king, many leaders of the Kuru army, such
as Duryodhana and Karna and Vrishasena and the ruler
of the Sindhus himself, rushed with speed, O king,
against Arjuna whose shafts were never baffled and
who was proceeding, on his car drawn by steeds of
great fleetness. Vibhatsu, however, getting at
the ruler of the Sindhus who was staying before him,
and casting his glances upon him, seemed to scorch
him with his eyes blazing with wrath. Then, king
Duryodhana, quickly addressed the son of Radha.
Indeed, O monarch, thy son Suyodhana said unto Karna,
’O son of Vikartana, that time of battle hath
come at last. O high-souled one, exhibit now
thy might. O Karna, act in such a way that Jayadratha
may not be slain by Arjuna! O foremost of men,
the day is about to expire, strike now the foe with
clouds of shafts! If the day expire, O foremost
of men, victory, O Karna, will certainly be ours!
If the ruler of the Sindhus can be protected till
the setting of the sun, then Partha, his vow being
falsified, will enter into blazing fire. O giver
of honours, the brothers, then, of Arjuna, with all
their followers, will not be able to live for even
a moment in a world that is destitute of Arjuna!
Upon the death of the sons of Pandu, the whole of
the earth, O Karna, with her mountains and waters
and forests, we will enjoy without a thorn on our
side! O giver of honours, it seems that Partha,
who without ascertaining what is practicable and what
is impracticable, made this vow in battle, was afflicted
by destiny itself, his judgment having taken a misdirected
course! Without doubt, O Karna, the diadem-decked
son of Pandu must have made this vow about the slaughter
of Jayadratha for his own destruction! How, O
son of Radha, when thou art alive will Phalguna succeed
in slaying the ruler of the Sindhus before the sun
goes to the Asta hills? How will Dhananjaya slay
Jayadratha in battle when the latter is protected by
the king of the Madras and by the illustrious Kripa?
How will Vibhatsu, who seems to have been urged on
by Fate, get at the ruler of the Sindhus when the
latter if protected by Drona’s son, by myself,
and Duhsasana? Many are the heroes engaged in
fight. The sun is hanging low in the sky.
Partha will not even get at Jayadratha in battle, O
Page 1136
giver of honours. Do thou therefore, O Karna,
with myself and other brave and mighty car-warriors,
with Drona’s son and the ruler of the Madras
and Kripa fight with Partha in battle, exerting thyself
with the greatest firmness and resolution.’
Thus addressed by thy son, O sire, the son of Radha
replied unto Duryodhana, that foremost one among the
Kurus, in these words, ’Deeply hath my body
been pierced in battle by the brave bowman Bhimasena,
capable of striking vigorously with repeated showers
of arrows. O giver of honours, that I am yet
present in battle is because that one like me should
be present here. Scorched with the powerful shafts
of Bhimasena, every limb of mine is suffering from
torturing pain I shall, however, for all that, fight
to the best of my powers. My life itself is for
thee. I shall strive my best so that this foremost
one of the sons of Pandu may not succeed in slaying
the ruler of the Sindhus. As long as I shall
fight, shooting my whetted shafts, the heroic Dhananjaya,
capable of drawing the bow with even his left hand,
will not succeed in getting at the ruler of the Sindhus.
All that a person, bearing love and affection to thee
and always solicitous of thy good, may do, shall be
done by me, O thou of Kuru’s race! As regards
victory, that depends on destiny. I shall in
battle today exert myself to my utmost for the sake
of the ruler of the Sindhus, and for achieving thy
good. O king, victory, however, is dependent
on destiny. Relying on my manliness, I shall fight
with Arjuna today for thy sake, O tiger among men!
Victory, however, is dependent on destiny. O
chief of the Kurus, let all the troops behold today
the fierce battle, making the very hair stand on end,
that takes place between myself and Arjuna.’
While Karna and the Kuru king were thus talking to
each other in battle, Arjuna began, with his keen arrows,
to slaughter thy host. With his broad-headed
arrows of great sharpness he began to cut off in that
battle the arms, looking like spiked clubs or the
trunks of elephants, of unreturning heroes. And
the mighty-armed hero also cut off their heads with
whetted shafts. And Vibhatsu also cut off the
trunks of elephants and the necks of steeds and the
Akshas of cars all around, as also blood-dyed horsemen,
armed with spears and lances, with razor-faced arrows
into two or three fragments. And steeds and foremost
of elephants and standards and umbrellas and bows and
Yalk-tails and heads fell fast on all sides.
Consuming thy host like a blazing fire consuming a
heap of dry grass, Partha soon caused the earth to
be covered with blood. And the mighty and invincible
Partha, of prowess incapable of being baffled, causing
an immense slaughter in that army of thine, soon reached
the ruler of the Sindhus. Protected by Bhimasena
and by Satwata, Vibhatsu, O chief of the Bharatas,
looked resplendent like a blazing fire. Beholding
Phalguna in that state, the mighty bowmen of thy army,
those bulls among men, endued with wealth of energy,
Page 1137
could not brook him. Then Duryodhana and Karna
and Vrishasena and the ruler of the Madras, and Aswatthaman
and Kripa and the ruler of the Sindhus himself, excited
with wrath and fighting for the sake of the Sindhu
king, encompassed the diadem-decked Arjuna on all
sides. All those warriors, skilled in battle,
placing the ruler of the Sindhus at their back, and
desirous of slaying Arjuna and Krishna, surrounded
Partha, that hero conversant with battle, who was
then dancing along the track of his car, producing
fierce sounds with the bowstring and his palms and
resembling the Destroyer himself with wide-opened
mouth. The sun then had assumed a red hue in the
sky. Desirous of his (speedy) setting, the Kaurava
warriors, bending their bows with arms, resembling
the (tapering) bodies of snake sped their shafts in
hundreds towards Phalguna, resembling the rays of the
sun. Cutting off those shafts thus sped towards
him, into two, three, or eight fragments the diadem-decked
Arjuna, invincible in battle, pierced them all in
that encounter. Then Aswatthaman, bearing on his
banner the mark of a lion’s tail, displaying
his might, began, O king, to resist Arjuna. Indeed,
the son of Saradwata’s daughter piercing Partha
with ten shafts and Vasudeva with seven, stayed in
the track of Arjuna’s car, protecting the ruler
of the Sindhus. Then, many foremost ones among
the Kurus, great car-warriors, all encompassed Arjuna,
on all sides with a large throng of cars. Stretching
their bows and shooting countless shafts, they began
to protect the ruler of the Sindhus, at the command
of thy son. We then beheld the prowess of the
brave Partha as also the inexhaustible character of
his shafts, and the might, too, of his bow Gandiva.
Baffling with his own weapons those of Drona’s
son and Kripa, he pierced every one of those warriors
with nine shafts. Then, Drona’s son pierced
him with five and twenty arrows, and Vrishasena with
seven, and Duryodhana pierced him with twenty, and
Karma and Salya each with three. And all of them
roared at him and continued to pierce him frequently,
and shaking their bows, they surrounded him on all
sides. And soon they caused their cars to be
drawn up in a serried line around Arjuna. Desirous
of the (speedy) setting of the sun, those mighty car-warriors
of the Kaurava army, endued with great activity, began
to roar at Arjuna, and shaking their bows, covered
him with showers of keen arrows like cloud pouring
rain on a mountain. Those brave warriors, with
arms resembling heavy clubs, also discharged on that
occasion, O king, on Dhananjaya’s body celestial
weapons. Having caused an immense slaughter in
thy army, the mighty and invincible Dhananjaya, of
prowess incapable of being baffled came upon the ruler
of the Sindhus. Karna, however, O king, with his
arrows, resisted him in that battle in the very sight,
O Bharata, of Bhimasena and Satwata. The mighty-armed
Partha, in the very sight of all the troops, pierced
the Suta’s son, in return, with ten arrows, on
Page 1138
the field of battle. Then Satwata, O sire, pierced
Karna with three arrows. And Bhimasena pierced
him with three arrows, and Partha himself, once more,
with seven. The mighty car-warrior, Karna, then
pierced each of those three warriors with sixty arrows.
And thus, O king, raged that battle between Karna
alone (on one side) and the many (on the other).
The prowess, O sire, that we then beheld of the Suta’s
son was wonderful in the extreme, since, excited with
wrath in battle, he singly resisted those three great
car-warriors. Then the mighty-armed Phalguna,
in that battle, pierced Karna, the son of Vikartana,
in all his limbs with a hundred arrows. All his
limbs bathed in blood, the Suta’s son of great
prowess and bravery, pierced Phalguna in return with
fifty arrows. Beholding that lightness of hand
displayed by him in battle, Arjuna brooked it not.
Cutting off his bow, that hero, viz., Dhananjaya,
the son of Pritha, quickly pierced Karna in the centre
of the chest with nine arrows, Then Dhananjaya, with
great speed at a time, when speed was necessary shot
in that battle a shaft of solar effulgence for the
destruction of Karna. Drona’s son, however,
with a crescent-shaped arrow, cut off that shaft as
it coursed impetuously (towards Karna). Thus cut
off by Aswatthaman, that shaft fell down on the earth.
Endued with great prowess, the Suta’s son, then,
O king, took up another bow, and covered the son of
Pandu with several thousands of arrows. Partha,
however, like the wind dispersing flight of locusts,
dispelled with his own arrows that extraordinary shower
of arrows issuing out of Karna’s bow. Then
Arjuna, displaying his lightness of hands, covered
Karna, in that battle, with his arrows, in the very
sight of all thy troops. Karna also, that slayer
of hosts, desirous of counteracting Arjuna’s
feat, covered Arjuna with several thousands of arrows.
Roaring at each other like two bulls, those lions
among men, those mighty car-warriors, shrouded the
welkin with clouds of straight shafts. Each rendered
invisible by the other’s arrowy showers, they
continued to strike each other. And they roared
at each other and pierced each other with their wordy
darts, saying, ’I am Partha, wait’—or,
‘I am Karna, wait’, O Phalguna! Indeed
these two heroes fought with each other wonderfully,
displaying great activity and skill. And the
sight they presented was such that other warriors became
witnesses of that battle. And applauded by Siddhas,
Charnas and Pannagas, they fought with each other,
O king, each desirous of slaying the other. Then
Duryodhana, O king addressing thy warriors, said, ’Carefully
protect the son of Radha! Without slaying Arjuna
he would not abstain from battle. Even this is
what Vrisha told me.’ Meanwhile, O monarch,
beholding the prowess of Karna, Arjuna, of white steeds,
with four shafts shot from the bow-string drawn to
the ear, despatched the four steeds of Karna to Yama’s
domain. And he also felled with a broad-headed
Page 1139
arrow, Karna’s charioteer from his niche in
the car. And he covered Karna himself with clouds
of shafts in the very sight of thy son. Thus shrouded
with arrows the steedless and driverless Karna, stupefied
by that arrowy shower, knew not what to do. Beholding
him made carless, Aswatthaman, O king, caused him
to ride on his car, and continued to fight with Arjuna.
Then the ruler of the Madras pierced the son of Kunti
with thirty arrows. Saradwata’s son pierced
Vasudeva with twenty arrows. And he struck Dhananjaya
also with a dozen shafts. And the ruler of the
Sindhus pierced each with four arrows, and Vrishasena
also pierced each of them, O king, with seven arrows.
Kunti’s son, Dhananjaya, pierced all of them
in return. Indeed, piercing Drona’s son
with four and sixty shafts, and the ruler of the Madras
with a hundred, and the Sindhu king with ten broad-headed
arrows, and Vrishasena with three arrows and Saradwata’s
son with twenty, Partha uttered a loud shout.
Desirous of baffling the vow of Savyasachin, thy warriors,
excited with wrath, quickly rushed at Dhananjaya from
all sides. Then Arjuna, frightening the Dhartarashtras,
invoked into existence the Varuna weapon on all sides.
The Kauravas, however, on their costly cars, pouring
showers of arrows, advanced against the son of Pandu.
But, O Bharata, in course of that stupefying and fierce
engagement, fraught with the greatest confusion, that
price, viz., Arjuna, decked with diadem and gold
chain never lost his senses. On the other hand,
he continued to pour showers of arrows. Desirous
of recovering the kingdom and recollecting all the
wrongs he had suffered for twelve years in consequence
of the Kurus, the high-souled and immeasurable Arjuna
darkened all the points of the compass with shafts
from Gandiva. The welkin seemed ablaze with meteors.
Innumerable crows, alighting from the sky, perched
on the bodies (of dead combatants). Meanwhile,
Arjuna continued to slay the foe with his Gandiva,
like Mahadeva slaying the Asuras with his Pinaka equipped
with tawny string.[174] Then the illustrious Kiritin,
that subjugator of (hostile) ranks, dispersing the
shafts of the foe by means of his own formidable bow,
slaughtered with his arrows many foremost ones among
the Kurus, mounted on their foremost of steeds and
elephants. Then many kings, taking up heavy maces
and clubs of iron and swords and darts and diverse
other kinds of powerful weapons, assuming terrible
forms, rushed suddenly against Partha in that battle.
Then Arjuna, bending with his arms his formidable
bow Gandiva which resembled the bow of Indra himself
and whose twang was as loud as the roar of the clouds
congregating at the end of the Yuga, and laughing
the while, went on consuming thy troops and increasing
the population of Yama’s kingdom. Indeed,
that hero caused those enraged warriors with their
cars and elephants and with the foot-soldiers and
bowmen supporting them, to be deprived of their arms
and lives and thus to swell the population of Yama’s
domain.’”
Page 1140
SECTION CXLV
“Sanjaya said, ’Hearing the twang, resembling
the loud call of Death himself or the frightful peal
of Indra’s thunder, of Dhananjaya’s bow,
while he stretched it, that host of thine, O king,
anxious with fear and exceedingly agitated, became
like the waters of the sea with fishes and makaras
within them, ruffled into mountain-like waves and lashed
into fury by the hurricane that arises at the end
of the Yuga. Then Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha,
careered in battle in such a way that he was seen
at the same time to be present in all directions, displaying
his wonderful weapons. Indeed, so light-handed
was the son of Pandu that we could not mark when he
took out his shafts, O king, when he fixed them on
the bow-string, when he stretched the bow, and when
he let them off. Then the mighty-armed one, O
king, excited with wrath, invoked into existence the
invincible Aindra weapon, frightening all the Bharatas.
Hundreds and thousands of blazing shafts of fiery
mouths, inspired by mantras with the force of celestial
weapons, flowed from it. With those shafts resembling
fire or the rays of the sun, coursing with fierce impetuosity,
the welkin became incapable of being gazed at, as
if filled with flashing meteors. Then that darkness
which had been caused by the Katirava with their arrows,
which was incapable of being dispersed even in imagination
by others, the son of Pandu, careering around and
displaying his prowess, destroyed by means of those
shafts of his that were inspired by means of mantras
with the force of celestial weapons, like the sun himself
speedily dispersing at dawn of day the darkness of
night by means of his rays. Then the puissant
Arjuna, with those blazing shafts of his, sucked the
lives of thy warriors like the summer sun sucking with
his hot rays the waters of tanks and lakes. Indeed,
showers of shafts endued with the force of celestial
weapons, (shot by Arjuna) covered the hostile army
like the rays of the sun covering the earth. Other
arrows of fierce energy, sped (by Dhananjaya), quickly
entered the hearts of (hostile) heroes, like dear
friends. Indeed, those brave warriors that came
in that battle before Arjuna, all perished like insects
approaching a blazing fire. Thus crushing the
lives of his foes and their fame, Partha careered
in that battle like Death in embodied form. Heads
decked with diadems, massive arms, adorned with Angadas,
and ears with ear-rings of the foes, Partha, cut off
with his shafts. The arms, with spears, of elephant-riders;
those, with lances, of horsemen; those, with shields,
of foot-soldiers; those with bows, of car-warriors;
and those, with whips and goads, of charioteers the
son of Pandu cut off. Indeed, Dhananjaya looked
resplendent with his shafts of blazing points that
seemed to constitute his rays, like a blazing fire
with incessant sparks and rising flames. The
hostile kings, mustering all their resolution, could
Page 1141
not even gaze at Dhananjaya, that foremost of all
bearers of arms, that hero equal to the chief of the
gods himself, that bull among men, seen at the same
time in all directions on his car, scattering his mighty
weapons, dancing in the tract of his car, and producing
deafening sounds with his bowstring and palms, and
resembling the midday sun of scorching rays in the
firmament. Bearing his shafts of blazing points,
the diadem-decked Arjuna looked beautiful like a mighty
mass of rain-charged clouds in the season of rains
decked with a rainbow. When that perfect flood
of mighty weapons was set in motion by Jishnu, many
bulls among warriors sank in that frightful and unfordable
flood. Strewn with infuriated elephants whose
trunks or tusks had been cut off, with steeds deprived
of hoofs or necks, with cars reduced to pieces, with
warriors having their entrails drawn out and others
with legs or other limbs cut off, with bodies lying
in hundreds and thousands that were either perfectly
still or moving unconsciously, we beheld the vast
field, on which Partha battled, resembled the coveted
arena of Death, O king, enhancing the terrors of the
timid, or like the sporting ground of Rudra when he
destroyed creatures in days of old. Portions
of the field, strewn with the trunks of elephants
cut off with razor-headed arrows, looked as if strewn
with snakes. Portions, again, covered with the
cut-off heads of warriors, looked as if strewn with
garlands of lotuses. Variegated with beautiful
head-gear and crowns, Keyuras and Angadas and car-rings
with coats of mail decked with gold, and with the
trappings and other ornaments of elephants and steeds,
and scattered over with hundreds of diadems, lying
here and there, and the earth looked exceedingly beautiful
like a new bride. Dhananjaya then caused a fierce
and terrible river full of fearful objects and enhancing
the fear of the timid, to flow resembling the Vaitarani
itself. The marrow and fat (of men and animals)
formed its mire. Blood formed its current.
Full of limbs and bones, it was fathomless in depth.
The hairs of creatures formed its moss and weeds.
Heads and arms formed the stones on its shores.
It was decked with standards and banners that variegated
its aspect. Umbrellas and bows formed the waves.
And it abounded with bodies of huge elephants deprived
of life, and it teemed with cars that formed hundreds
of rafts floating on its surface. And the carcases
of countless steeds formed its banks. And it
was difficult to cross in consequence of wheels and
yokes and shafts and Akshas and Kuveras of cars, and
spears and swords and darts and battle-axes and shafts
looking like snakes. And ravens and kankas formed
its alligators. And jackals, forming its Makaras,
made in terrible. And fierce vultures formed
its sharks. And it became frightful in consequence
of the howls of jackals. And it abounded with
capering ghosts and Pisachas and thousands of other
kinds of spirits. And on it floated countless
Page 1142
bodies of warriors destitute of life. Beholding
that prowess of Arjuna whose visage then resembled
that of the Destroyer himself, a panic, such as had
never occurred before, possessed the Kurus on the
field of battle. The son of Pandu, then, baffling
with his weapons those of the hostile heroes, and
engaged in achieving fierce feats, gave all to understand
that he was a warrior of fierce feats. Then Arjuna
transgressed all those foremost of car-warriors, like
the midday sun of scorching rays in the firmament,
no one amongst the creatures there could even look
at him. The shafts issuing out of the bow Gandiva
of that illustrious hero in that battle, seemed to
us to resemble a row of cranes in the welkin.
Baffling with his own the weapons of all those heroes,
and showing by the terrible achievements in which
he was engaged that he was a warrior of fierce feats.
Arjuna, desirous of slaying Jayadratha, transgressed
all those foremost of car-warriors, stupefying them
all by means of his shafts. Shooting his shafts
on all sides, Dhananjaya, having Krishna for his charioteer,
presented a beautiful sight by careering with great
speed on the field of battle. The shafts in the
welkin, by hundreds and thousands, of that illustrious
hero, seemed to course incessantly through the sky.
We never could notice when that mighty bowman took
out his shafts, when indeed, that son of Pandu aimed
them, and when he let them off. Then, O king,
filling all the points of the compass with his shafts
and afflicting all the car-warriors in battle, the
son of Kunti proceeded towards Jayadratha and pierced
him with four and sixty straight arrows. Then
the Kuru warriors, beholding the son of Pandu proceeded
towards Jayadratha, all abstained from battle.
In fact, those heroes became hopeless of Jayadratha’s
life. Every one amongst thy warriors that rushed
in that fierce battle against the son of Pandu, had
his body deeply pierced, O lord, with a shaft of Arjuna.
The mighty car-warrior Arjuna, that foremost of victorious
persons, with his shafts blazing as fire made thy
army teem with headless trunks.[175] Indeed, O king,
thus creating a perfect confusion in thy host consisting
of four kinds of forces, the son of Kunti proceeded
towards Jayadratha, And he pierced the son of Drona.
with fifty shafts and Vrishasena with three. And
the son of Kunti mildly struck Kripa with nine arrows,
and he struck Salya with sixteen arrows and Karna
with two and thirty. And piercing the ruler of
the Sindhus then with four and sixty arrows, he uttered
a leonine shout. The ruler of the Sindhus, however,
thus pierced by the wielder of Gandiva with his arrows,
became filled with rage and unable to brook it, like
an elephant when pierced with the hook. Bearing
the device of the boar on his banner, he quickly sped
towards Phalguna’s car many straight shafts
equipped with vulturine feathers, resembling angry
snakes of virulent poison, well-polished by the hands
of the smith, and shot from his bow drawn to the fullest
Page 1143
stretch. Then piercing Govinda with three shafts,
he struck Arjuna with six. And then he pierced
the steeds of Arjuna with eight arrows and his standard
also with one. Then Arjuna, baffling the keen
arrows sped by the ruler of the Sindhus, cut off at
the same time, with a pair of shafts, the head of
Jayadratha’s driver and the well-decked standard
also of Jayadratha. Its stay cut off and itself
pierced and struck with arrows, that standard fell
down like a flame of fire. Meanwhile, the sun
was going down quickly. Janardana then quickly
addressed the son of Pandu and said, ’Behold,
O Partha, the ruler of the Sindhus hath, by six mighty
and heroic car-warriors, been placed in their-midst!
Jayadratha also, O mighty-armed one, is waiting there
in fear! Without vanquishing those six car-warriors
in battle, O bull among men, thou wilt never be able
to slay the ruler of the Sindhus even if thou exertest
thyself without intermission. I shall, therefore,
resort to Yoga for shrouding the sun. Then the
ruler of the Sindhus will (in consequence) behold
the sun to have set. Desirous of life, O lord,
through joy that wicked wight will no longer, for his
destruction, conceal himself. Availing yourself
of that opportunity, thou shouldst then, O best of
the Kurus, strike him. Thou shouldst not give
up the enterprise, thinking the sun to have really
set.’ Hearing these words, Vibhatsu replied
unto Kesava, saying, ‘Let it be so.’
Then Krishna otherwise called Hari, possessed of ascetic
powers, that lord of all ascetics, having taken recourse
to Yoga, created that darkness. Thy warriors,
O king, thinking the sun to have set were filled with
delight at the prospect of Partha’s laying down
his life. Indeed, thy warriors, not seeing the
sun, were filled with gladness. All of them stood,
with heads thrown backwards. King Jayadratha
also was in the same attitude. And while the
ruler of the Sindhus was thus beholding the sun, Krishna,
once more addressing Dhananjaya said these words, ’Behold,
the heroic ruler of the Sindhus is now looking at
the sun, casting off his fear of thee, O foremost
one among the Bharatas! This is the hour, O mighty-armed
one, for the slaughter of that wicked-souled wretch.
Speedily cut off the head and make thy vow true.’
Thus addressed by Kesava the valiant son of Pandu
began to slaughter thy host with his arrows resembling
the sun or fire in splendour. And he pierced
Kripa with twenty arrows and Karna with fifty.
And he struck Salya and Duryodhana each with six.
And he pierced Vrishasena with eight arrows and the
ruler of the Sindhus himself with sixty. And
the mighty-armed son of Pandu, O king, deeply piercing
with his arrows the other warriors of thy host, rushed
against Jayadratha. Beholding him in their presence
like a swelling fire with its tongue of flame outstretched,
the protectors of Jayadratha were sorely puzzled.
Then all the warriors, O king, desirous of victory
bathed the son of Indra in that battle with torrents
Page 1144
of arrows. Shrouded with incessant showers of
arrows, the son of Kunti, that mighty-armed and unvanquished
descendant of Kuru, became filled with rage. Then
that tiger among men, viz., the son of Indra,
desirous of slaughtering thy host, created a thick
net of arrows. Then those warriors of thine, O
king, thus slaughtered in battle by that hero, abandoned
the ruler of the Sindhus in fear and fled away.
And they fled away in such a manner that no two persons
could be seen flying together. The prowess that
we then beheld of Kunti’s son was extremely
wonderful. Indeed, the like of what that illustrious
warrior then did had never been nor will ever be.
Like Rudra himself slaughtering creatures, Dhananjaya
slaughtered elephants and elephant-riders, horses
and horse-riders, and (car-warriors and) car-drivers.
I did not in that battle, O king, see a single elephant
or steed or human warrior that was not struck with
Partha’s shafts. Their vision blurred by
dust and darkness, thy warriors became perfectly cheerless
and unable to distinguish one another. Urged on
by fate and with their vital limbs cut open and mangled
with shafts, they began to wander or, limp, or fall
down. And some amongst them, O Bharata, became
paralysed and some became deathly pale. During
that terrible carnage resembling the slaughter of
creatures at the end of the Yuga, in that deadly and
fierce battle from which few could escape with life,
the earth became drenched with gore and the earthy
dust that had arisen disappeared in consequence of
the showers of blood that fell and the swift currents
of wind that blew over the field. So deep was
that rain of blood that the wheels of cars sank to
their naves. Thousands of infuriated elephants
endued with great speed, O king, of thy army, their
riders slain and limbs mangled, fled away, uttering
cries of pain and crushing friendly ranks with their
tread. Steeds destitute of riders and foot-soldiers
also, O king, fled away, O monarch, from fear, struck
with the shafts of Dhananjaya. Indeed, thy soldiers,
with dishevelled hair and deprived of their coats
of mail, with blood streaming out of their wounds,
fled away in terror, leaving the field of battle.
And some, deprived of the power of motion as if their
lower limbs had been seized by alligators, remained
on the field. And others concealed themselves
behind and under the bodies of slain elephants Routing
thy host thus, O king, Dhananjaya began to strike
with terrible shafts the protectors of the ruler of
the Sindhus with his arrowy showers, Karna and Drona’s
son and Kripa and Salya and Vrishasena and Duryodhana.
So quick was he in the use of weapons that no one
could mark when Arjuna took out his arrows, when he
fixed them on the bowstring, when he stretched—–the
bow and let them off. Indeed, while striking
the foe, his bow was seen incessantly drawn to a circle.
His arrows also were seen incessantly issuing out
of his bow and scattered in all directions. Then
cutting off Karna’s bow as also of Vrishasena’s,
Page 1145
Arjuna felled Salya’s driver from his niche in
the car, with a broad-headed arrow. With many
arrows that foremost of victors, viz., Dhananjaya,
then deeply pierced in that battle Kripa and Aswatthaman,
related as uncle and nephew to each other. Sorely
afflicting those mighty car-warriors of thy army thus,
the son of Pandu took up a terrible arrow of fiery
splendour. Looking like the thunderbolt of Indra,
and inspired with divine mantras, that formidable
arrow was capable of bearing any strain. And
it had been always worshipped with incense and garlands
of flowers. Duly inspiring it (by mantras) with
the force of the thunderbolt, that descendant, of
Kuru, viz., the mighty-armed Arjuna, fixed it
on Gandiva. When that arrow of fiery effulgence
was fixed on the bowstring, loud shouts, O king, were
heard in the welkin. Then Janardana, once more
addressing Arjuna, quickly said, ’O Dhananjaya,
quickly cut off the head of the wicked-souled ruler
of the Sindhus! The sun is about to get at the
mountain of Asta. Listen, however, to the words
I say about the slaughter of Jayadratha. The
father of Jayadratha is Vriddhakshatra known all over
the world. It was after a long time that he got
Jayadratha, that slayer of foes, for his son. (At the
birth of the son) an incorporeal and invisible voice,
deep as that of the clouds or of the drum, said unto
king Vriddhakshatra. ’This thy son, O lord,
amongst men in this world will become worthy of the
two races (viz., the Solar and the Lunar) in respect
of blood, behaviour, self-restraint and the other
attributes. He will become one of the foremost
of Kshatriyas, and will always be worshipped by heroes.
But while struggling in battle, some bull among the
Kshatriyas, some conspicuous person in the world, excited
with wrath, will cut off this one’s head.’
That chastiser of foes, viz., the (old) ruler
of the Sindhus, hearing these words, reflected for
sometime. Overwhelmed with affection for his
son, he summoned all his kinsmen and said, ’That
man who will cause the head of my son to fall on the
earth while the latter, struggling in battle, will
be bearing a great burthen, I say that the head of
that man will certainly crack into a hundred pieces.’
Having spoken these words and installed Jayadratha
on the throne, Vriddhakshatra, repairing to the woods,
devoted himself to ascetic austerities. Endued
with great energy, he is still engaged in the observance
of the austerest of penances outside this very Samantapanchaka,
O ape-bannered one! Therefore, cutting off Jayadratha’s
head in this dreadful battle, thou, O slayer of foes,
shouldst, O Bharata, by thy fierce celestial weapon
of wonderful feats, quickly throw that head decked
with car-rings upon the lap of Vriddhakshatra himself,
O younger brother of the son of the Wind-god!
If thou fellest Jayadratha’s head on the earth,
thy own head, then, without doubt, will crack into
a hundred fragments. Aided by thy celestial weapon,
do thee deed in such a way that the lord of earth
Page 1146
viz., the old Sindhu king, may not know that
it is done. Truly, O Arjuna, there is nothing
in the three worlds which thou canst not achieve or
do, O son of Vasava!’ Hearing these words (of
Krishna), Dhananjaya, licking the corners of his mouth,
quickly shot that arrow which he had taken up for
Jayadratha’s slaughter, that arrow, viz.,
whose touch resembled that of Indra’s thunder,
which was inspired with mantras and converted into
a celestial weapon, which was capable of bearing any
strain, and which had always been worshipped with incense
and garlands. That shaft, sped from Gandiva,
coursing swiftly, snatched Jayadratha’s head
away, like a hawk snatching away a smaller bird from
the top of a tree. Dhananjaya, then, with his
shafts, sent that head along in the welkin (without
allowing it to fall down). For grieving his foes
and gladdening his friends, the son of Pandu, by shooting
his shafts repeatedly at it, sent that head outside
the limits of Samantapanchaka. Meanwhile, king
Vriddhakshatra, the father of thy son-in-law, endued
with great energy, was, O sire, engaged in his evening
prayers. Decked with black locks and adorned
with ear-rings, that head of Jayadratha was thrown
upon Vriddhakshatra’s lap, as the latter was
saying his prayers in a sitting posture. Thus
thrown on his lap, that head decked with car-rings,
O chastiser of foes, was not seen by king Vriddhakshatra.
As the latter, however, stood up after finishing his
prayers it suddenly fell down on the earth. And
as the head of Jayadratha fell down on the earth,
the head of Vriddhakshatra, O chastiser of foes, cracked
into a hundred pieces. At the sight of this,
all creatures were filled with wonder. And all
of them applauded Vasudeva and the mighty Vibhatsu.
“After, O king, the ruler of the Sindhus had
been slain by the diadem-decked Arjuna, that darkness,
O bull of Bharata’s race, was withdrawn by Vasudeva.
Thy sons with their followers, O king, thus, came
to know subsequently that the darkness, they had seen,
had all been an illusion produced by Vasudeva.
Even thus, O king, was thy son-in-law, the ruler of
the Sindhus, having caused eight Akshauhinis to be
slaughtered, himself slain by Partha of inconceivable
energy. Beholding Jayadratha, the ruler of the
Sindhus slain, tears of sorrow fell from the eyes of
thy sons. After Jayadratha, O king, had been
slain by Partha, Kesava blew his conch and that scorcher
of foes, viz., the mighty-armed Arjuna also blew
his; Bhimasena also, in that battle, as if for sending
a message to Yudhishthira, filled the welkin with
a tremendous leonine shout. Yudhishthira, the
son of Dharma, bearing that tremendous shout understood
that the ruler of the Sindhus had been slain by the
high-souled Phalguna. With sounds of drums and
other instruments he gladdened the warriors of his
own army, and proceeded against the son of Bharadwaja
from desire of battle. Then commenced, O king,
after the sun had set, a fierce battle between Drona
Page 1147
and the Somakas, that made the very hair stand on end.
Desirous of slaying him, those mighty car-warriors
after the fall of Jayadratha, fought with the son
of Bharadwaja, exerting themselves to their utmost.
Indeed, the Pandavas, having got the victory by slaying
the ruler of the Sindhus fought with Drona, intoxicated
with success. Arjuna, also, O king, having slain
king Jayadratha, fought with many mighty car-warriors
of thy army. Indeed, that hero decked with diadem
and garlands, having accomplished his former vow,
began to destroy his foes like the chief of the celestials
destroying the Danavas, or the sun destroying darkness.’
SECTION CXLVI
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Tell me, O Sanjaya,
what did my warriors do after the heroic ruler of
the Sindhus had been slain, by Arjuna.’
“Sanjaya said, ’Beholding the ruler of
the Sindhus, O sire, slain in battle by Partha, Kripa,
the son of Saradwat, under the influence of wrath,
covered the son of Pandu with a dense shower of arrows.
Drona’s son also, on his car, rushed against
Phalguna, the son of Pritha. Those two foremost
of car-warriors began from their cars to shower from
opposite directions upon the son of Pandu their keen
arrows. That foremost of car-warriors, viz.,
the mighty-armed Arjuna, afflicted by those arrowy
showers of (Kripa and Drona’s son) felt great
pain. Without desiring, however, to slay his
preceptor (Kripa) as also the son of (his other preceptor)
Drona, Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, began to act like
a preceptor in arms. Baffling with his own weapons
those of both Aswatthaman and Kripa, he sped at them,
without desiring to slay them, shafts that coursed
mildly. Those shafts, however (though mildly),
shot by Jaya struck the two with great force, and
in consequence of their number, caused great pain
to Kripa and his nephew. Then Saradwat’s
son, O king, thus afflicted with the arrows of Arjuna,
lost all strength and swooned away on the terrace
of his car. Understanding his master afflicted
with shafts to be deprived of his senses, and believing
him to be dead, the driver of Kripa’s car bore
Kripa away from the fight. And after Kripa, the
son of Saradwat, had thus been borne away from the
battle, Aswatthaman also, from fear, fled away from
the son of Pandu. Then the mighty bowman, Partha,
beholding the son of Saradwat afflicted with shafts
and in a swoon, began to indulge, on his car, in piteous
lamentations. With a tearful face and in great
dejection of heart, he uttered these words: Beholding
all this (in his mental vision), Vidura of great wisdom
had, on the birth of the wretched Suyodhana, that
exterminator of his race, said unto Dhritarashtra,
’Let this wretch of his race be soon killed.
Owing to him, a great calamity will overtake the foremost
ones of Kuru’s race.` Alas, these words of the
truth-telling Vidura have come to be true. It
is for him that I behold my preceptor today lying
Page 1148
on a bed of arrows. Fie on the practices of Kshatriya!
Fie on my might and prowess! Who else like me
would fight with a Brahmana that is, besides his preceptor?
Kripa is the son of a Rishi; he is, again, my preceptor;
he is also the dear friend of Drona. Alas, he
lieth stretched on the terrace of his car, afflicted
with my arrows. Though not wishing it, I have
still been the means of crushing him with my shafts.
Lying senseless on the terrace of his car, he paineth
my heart exceedingly. Even though he afflicted
me with shafts, I should still have only looked at
that warrior of dazzling splendour (without striking
him in return). Struck with numerous shafts of
mine, he hath gone the way of all creatures.
By that he hath pained me more than even the slaughter
of my own son. Behold, O Krishna, to what plight
he hath been reduced, thus lying miserably and in
a senseless state on his own car. Those bulls
among men that give desirable objects unto their preceptors
after obtaining knowledge from them, attain to godhead.
Those lowest of mortals on the other hand, who, after
obtaining knowledge from their preceptors strike the
latter, those wicked men, go to hell. Without
doubt, this act that I have done will lead me to hell.
I have deeply pierced my preceptor on his car with
showers of arrows. While studying the science
of arms at his feet, Kripa told me in those days,
’Do not, O thou of Kuru’s race, ever strike
thy preceptor. That command of my righteous and
high-souled preceptor I have not obeyed, for I have
struck, the very Kripa himself with my shafts.
I bow to that worshipful son of Gotama, to that unretreating
hero. Fie on me, O thou of Vrishni’s race,
since I have struck even him.’ While Savyasachin
was thus lamenting for Kripa, the son of Radha, beholding
the ruler of the Sindhu slain, rushed towards him.
Seeing the son of Radha thus rushing towards Arjuna
the two Panchala princes and Satyaki suddenly rushed
towards him. The mighty car-warrior, Partha,
beholding the son of Radha advancing, smilingly addressed
the son of Devaki and said, ’Yonder cometh the
son of Adhiratha against the car of Satyaki.
Without doubt, he is unable to bear the slaughter of
Bhurisravas in battle. Urge my steeds, O Janardana,
towards the spot whither Karna cometh. Let not
Vrisha (Karna) cause the Satwata hero to follow in
the wake of Bhurisravas.’ Thus addressed
by Savyasachin, the mighty-armed Kesava, endued with
great energy, replied in these opportune words, ’The
mighty-armed Satyaki is singly a match for Karna, O
son of Pandu! How much superior then will this
bull among the Satwatas be when he is united with
the two sons of Drupada! For the present, O Partha,
it is not proper for thee to fight with Karna.
The latter hath with him the blazing dart, like a
fierce meteor, that Vasava gave him. O slayer
of hostile heroes, he hath kept it for thy sake, worshipping
it with reverence. Let Karna then freely proceed
against the Satwata hero. I know, O son of Kunti,
this wicked wight’s hour, when, indeed, thou
wilt, with keen shafts, throw him down from his car.’
Page 1149
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Tell me, O Sanjaya,
how the battle took place between the heroic Karna
and Satyaki of the Vrishni race, after the fall of
Bhurisravas and of the ruler of the Sindhus. Satyaki
had been carless, upon what car then was he mounted?
And how also did the two protectors of the wheels
(of Arjuna’s car), viz., the two Panchala
princes, fight?’
“Sanjaya said, ’I will describe to thee
all that happened in that dreadful battle. Listen
patiently to (the consequences of) thy own evil conduct.
Before even the encounter, Krishna knew it in his heart
that the heroic Satyaki would be vanquished by the
stake-bannered (Bhurisravas). Janardana, O king,
knoweth both the past and the future. For this,
summoning his charioteer, Daruka, he had commanded
him, saying, ’Let my car be kept equipped tomorrow.’
Even this had been the command of that mighty one.
Neither the gods, nor the Gandharvas, nor the Yakshas,
nor the Uragas, nor the Rakshasas, nor human beings,
are capable of conquering the two Krishnas. The
gods with the Grandsire at their head, as also the
Siddhas, know the incomparable prowess of those two.
Listen, however, now to the battle as it happened.
Beholding Satyaki carless and Karna ready for battle
Madhava blew his conch of loud blare in the Rishabha
note.[176] Daruka, hearing the blare of (Kesava’s)
conch, understood the meaning, and soon took that
car, equipped with a lofty standard of gold, to where
Kesava was. With Kesava’s permission, upon
that car guided by Daruka, and which resembled the
blazing fire or the sun in effulgence, ascended the
grandson of Sini. Ascending upon the car which
resembled a celestial vehicle and unto which were yoked
those foremost of steeds, capable of going everywhere
at will, viz., Saivya and Sugriva and Meghapushya
and Valahaka, and which were adorned with trappings
of gold, Satyaki rushed against the son of Radha, scattering
countless shafts. The two protectors of (Arjuna’s)
car-wheels, viz., Yudhamanyu and Uttamaujas,
abandoning Dhananjaya’s car, proceeded against
the son of Radha. Radha’s son also, O king,
shooting showers of shafts, angrily rushed, in that
battle, against the invincible grandson of Sini.
The battle that took place between them was such that
its like had never been heard to have taken place
on earth or in heaven between gods, Gandharvas, Asuras,
Uragas, or Rakshasas. The entire host consisting
of cars, steeds, men, and elephants, abstained from
the fight, Beholding, O monarch, the stunning feats
of two warriors. All became silent spectators
of that superhuman battle between those two human heroes,
O king, and of the skill of Daruka in guiding the
car. Indeed, beholding the skill of the charioteer
Daruka standing on the car, as he guided the vehicle
forwards, backwards, sidelong, now wheeling in circles
and now stopping outright, all were amazed. The
gods, the Gandharvas, and the Danavas, in the welkin,
intently watched that battle between Karna and the
Page 1150
grandson of Sini. Both of them endued with great
might, each challenging the other, those two warriors
put forth their prowess for the sake of their friends.
Karna who looked like a celestial, and Yuyudhana, O
king, rained upon each other showers of shafts.
Indeed, Karna ground the grandson of Sini with his
arrowy downpours, unable to put up with the slaughter
(by Satyaki) of the Kuru hero, Jalasandha. Filled
with grief and sighing like a mighty snake, Karna,
casting angry glances on the grandson of Sini in that
battle, and as if burning him therewith, rushed at
him furiously again and again, O Chastiser of foes!
Beholding him filled with rage, Satyaki pierced him
in return, shooting dense showers of arrows, like an
elephant piercing (with his tusks) a rival elephant.
Those two tigers among men, endued with the activity
of tigers and possessed of incomparable prowess, mangled
each other furiously in that battle. The grandson
of Sini, then, with shafts made entirely of iron, repeatedly
pierced Karna, that chastiser of foes, in all his limbs.
And he also felled, with a broad-headed arrow, the
charioteer of Karna from his niche in the car.
And with his keen shafts, he slew the four steeds,
white in hue, of Adhiratha’s son. And then
cutting into a hundred fragments the standard of Karna
with a hundred arrows, that bull among men made Karna
carless in the very sight of thy son. Then all
thy warriors, O king, became cheerless. Then
Vrishasena, the son of Karna, and Salya, the ruler
of the Madras, and Drona’s son, encompassed the
grandson of Sini from all sides. Then a confusion
set in, and nothing could be seen. Indeed, when
the heroic Karna was made carless by Satyaki, cries
of Oh and Alas arose, among all thy troops. Karna
also, O king, pierced by Satwata with his arrows and
exceedingly weakened ascended the car of Duryodhana,
sighing deeply, remembering his friendship for thy
son from his childhood and having striven to realise
the promise he had made about the bestowal of sovereignty
on Duryodhana. After Karna hath been made carless,
thy brave sons, headed by Duhsasana, O king, were
not slain by the self-restrained Satyaki because the
latter wished not to falsify the vow made by Bhimasena.
Desirous also of not falsifying the vow formerly made
by Partha (about the slaughter of Karna), Satyaki
simply made those warriors carless and weakened them
exceedingly, but did not deprive them of life.
It is Bhima that hath vowed the slaughter of thy sons,
and it is Partha that, at the time of the second match
at dice, vowed the slaughter of Karna. Although
all those warriors headed by Karna made strong efforts
for slaying Satyaki, yet those foremost of car-warriors,
failed to slay him. Drona’s son and Kritavarman
and other mighty car-warriors, as also hundreds of
foremost Kshatriyas, were all vanquished by Satyaki
with only one bow. That hero fought, desirous
of benefiting king Yudhishthira the Just, and of attaining
to heaven. Indeed, Satyaki, that crusher of foes,
is equal to either of the two Krishnas in energy.
Smiling the while, he vanquished all thy troops, O
best of men! In this world, there are only three
mighty bowmen, viz., Krishna, Partha, and Satyaki.
There is no fourth to be seen.’
Page 1151
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Ascending on the
invincible car of Vasudeva that had Daruka for its
driver, Satyaki, proud of the might of his arms and
equal in battle unto Vasudeva himself, made Karna carless.
Did Satyaki ride any other car (after his encounter
with Karna was over)? I am desirous of hearing
this, O Sanjaya! Thou art skilled in narration.
I regard Satyaki to be endued with unbearable prowess.
Tell me all, O Sanjaya!’
“Sanjaya said, ’Hear, O king, how it had
happened. The intelligent younger brother of
Daruka soon brought unto Satyaki another car, duly
equipped with all necessaries. With shafts attached
to it by chains of iron and gold and bands of silk,
decked with a thousand stars, decked with banners
and with the figure of a lion on his standard, with
horses, fleet as the wind and adorned with trappings
of gold, yoked unto it, and with rattle deep as the
roar of the clouds, that car was brought unto him.
Ascending upon it, the grandson of Sini rushed against
thy troops. Daruka, meanwhile, went as he listed
to Kesava’s side. A new cat was brought
for Karna also, O king, unto which were yoked four
steeds of the best breed that were decked in trappings
of gold and white as conchs or milk. Its kaksha
and standard were made of gold. Furnished with
banners and machines, that foremost of cars had an
excellent driver. And it was furnished with a
profusion of weapons of every kind. Mounting on
that car, Karna also rushed against his foes.
I have now told thee all that thou hadst asked me.
Once more, however, O king, learn the (extent of the)
destruction caused by the evil policy. Thirty
one of thy sons have been slain by Bhimasena.
Having Durmukha for their foremost, they were conversant
with all modes of warfare. Satyaki and Arjuna
also have slain hundreds of heroes with Bhimasena
as their foremost, and Bhagadatta also, O sire!
Even thus, O king, hath the destruction commenced,
caused by thy evil counsels.’
SECTION CXLVII
“Dhritarashtra said, When such was the condition
of battle, between those heroes of their side and
mine, what did Bhima then do? Tell me all, O
Sanjaya!’
“Sanjaya said, ’After Bhimasena had been
made carless, that hero, afflicted with the wordy
darts of Karna and filled with rage, addressed Phalguna
and said, ’In thy very sight, O Dhananjaya, Karna
hath repeatedly said to me, ’Eunuch, fool, glutton,
unskilled in weapons, do not fight, child, unable
to bear the burden of battle!’ He that would
tell me so would be slain by me. Karna hath told
me those words, O Bharata! O mighty-armed one,
thou knowest the vow which I have made jointly with
thee. Remember the words that were then spoken
by me. O foremost of men, act in such a way that
that vow of mine, O son of Kunti, as also thy own
vow, may not be falsified. O Dhananjaya, do that
by which that vow of mine may be made true.’
Hearing these words of Bhima, Arjuna of immeasurable
Page 1152
prowess, getting near Karna in that battle, told him,
’O Karna, thou art of false fight. O son
of a Suta, thou applaudest thy own self. Of wicked
understanding, listen now to what I tell thee.
Heroes meet with either of these two things in battle,
viz., victory or defeat. Both of these are
uncertain, O son of Radha! The case is not otherwise
when Indra himself is engaged in battle. Made
carless by Yuyudhana, with thy senses no longer under
thy control, thou wert almost at the point of death.
Remembering, however, that I had vowed to slay thee,
that hero dismissed thee without taking thy life.
It is true thou hadst succeeded in depriving Bhimasena
of his car. Thy abuse, however, O son of Radha,
of that hero was sinful. Those bulls among men
that are truly righteous and brave, having vanquished
a foe, never boast, nor speak ill of anybody.
Thy knowledge, however, is little. It is for this,
O son of a Suta, that thou indulged in such speeches.
Then, again the abusive epithets thou didst apply
to the battling Bhimasena, endued with great prowess
and heroism and devoted to the practices of the righteous,
were not consistent with truth. In the very sight
of all the troops, of Kesava, as also of myself, thou
wert many a time made carless by Bhimasena in battle.
That son of Pandu, however, did not call thee a single
harsh word. Since, however, thou hast addressed
Vrikodara in many harsh speeches, and since thou with
others hast slain the son of Subhadra out of my sight,
therefore, this very day obtain the fruit of those
offences of thine. It was for thy own destruction,
O wicked wight, that thou didst then cut off Abhimanyu’s
bow; for that, O thou of little understanding, thou
shalt be slain by me, with all thy followers, forces,
and animals. Accomplish now all those acts which
thou shouldst do, for a great calamity is impending
over thee. I will slay Vrishasena in thy very
sight in battle. All those other kings, again,
that will fully advance against me, I will despatch
unto Yama’s abode. I say this truly, laying
my hand on my weapon. A fool as thou art, without
wisdom and full of vanity, I say that beholding thee
lying on the field of battle the wicked Duryodhana
will indulge in bitter lamentations.’ After
Arjuna had vowed the slaughter of Karna’s son,
a loud and tremendous uproar arose amongst the car-warriors.
At that frightful time when confusion was everywhere,
the thousand-rayed sun, dimming his rays, entered the
Asta hill. Then, O king, Hrishikesa, stationed
in the van of battle embracing Arjuna who had accomplished
his vow, told him these words, By good luck, O Jishnu,
thy great vow hath been accomplished. By good
luck, that Vriddhakshatra hath been slain along with
his son. The celestial generalissimo himself,
O -Bharata, encountering the Dhartarashtra force,
would, in battle, O Jishnu, lose his senses.
There is no doubt of this. Except thee, O tiger
among men, I do not even in thought see the person
in the three worlds that could fight with this host.
Page 1153
Many royal warriors endued with great prowess, equal
to thee or superior have been united together at Duryodhana’s
command. Clad in mail, they could not approach
thee, encountering thy angry self in battle.
Thy energy and might are equal to that of Rudra or
the Destroyer himself. None else is capable of
putting forth such prowess in battle as thou, O scorcher
of foes, alone and unsupported, didst today put forth.
Thus shall I applaud thee again after Karna of wicked
soul has been slain along with his followers.
Thus shall I glorify thee when that foe of thine shall
have been vanquished and slain.’ Unto him
Arjuna replied, ’Through thy grace, O Madhava,
this vow that even the gods could with difficulty
accomplish, hath been accomplished by me. Their
victory is not at all a matter of wonder that have
thee, O Kesava, for their lord. Through thy grace,
Yudhishthira will obtain the whole earth. All
this is due to thy power, O thou of Vrishni’s
race! This is thy victory, O lord! Our prosperity
is thy victory, O lord! Our prosperity is thy
care and we are thy servants, O slayer of Madhu!’
Thus addressed, Krishna smiled softly, and slowly urged
the steeds. And he showed unto Partha, as they
came, the field of battle abounding with cruel sights.
“Then Krishna said, ’Desirous of victory
in battle or world-wide fame many heroic kings are
lying on the earth, struck with thy shafts. Their
weapons and ornaments lay scattered, and their steeds,
cars, and elephants are mangled and broken. With
their coats of mail pierced or cut open, they have
come to the greatest grief. Some of them are yet
alive, and some of them are dead. Those, however,
that are dead, still seem to be alive in consequence
of the splendour with which they are endued.
Behold the earth covered with their shafts equipped
with golden wings, with their numerous other weapons
of attack and defence, and with their animals (deprived
of life). Indeed, the earth looks resplendent
with coats of mail and necklaces of gems, with their
heads decked with earrings, and headgears and diadems,
and floral wreaths and jewels worn on crowns, and
Kanthasutras and Angadas, and collars of gold, and
with diverse other beautiful ornaments. Strewn
with Anuskaras and quivers, with standards and banners,
with Upaskaras and Adhishthanas, with shafts and crests
of cars, with broken wheels and beautiful Akshas in
profusion, with yokes and trappings of steeds, with
belts and bows and arrows, with elephants, housings,
with spiked maces and hooks of iron, with darts and
short arrows, with spears and pikes, with Kundas and
clubs, with Sataghnis and Bhushandis, with scimitars
and axes, with short and heavy clubs and mallets,
with maces and Kunapas, with whips decked with gold,
O bull of Bharata’s race, with the bells and
diverse other ornaments of mighty elephants, with
floral garlands and various kinds of decorations,
and with costly robes all loosened from the bodies
of men and animals, the earth shines brilliantly,
Page 1154
like the autumnal firmament with planets and stars.
The lords of the earth, slain for the sake of earth,
are slumbering on the earth clasping with their limbs
the earth like a dear wife. Like mountains shedding
through their caves and fissures streams of liquid
chalk, these elephants, resembling Airavata himself
and huge as mountains, are shedding profuse streams
of blood through the openings in their bodies caused
by weapons. Behold, O hero, those huge creatures
afflicted with shafts lying on the ground in convulsions.
Behold, those steeds also, lying on the ground, adorned
with trappings of gold. Behold also, O Partha,
those riderless and driverless cars that had at one
time resembled celestial vehicles or the vapoury forms
in the evening sky, now lying on the ground, with
standards and banners and Akshas and yokes cut into
pieces, and with broken shafts and crests, O lord.
Foot-soldiers also, O hero, bearing bows and shields
and slain in hundreds and thousands are lying on the
ground, bathed in blood and clasping the earth with
every limb and their locks smeared with dust.
Behold, O mighty-armed one, those warriors with bodies
mangled with thy weapons. Behold the earth, strewn
with Yak-tails and fans, and umbrellas and standards,
and steeds and cars and elephants, and with diverse
kinds of blankets, and reins of steeds, and beautiful
robes and costly Varuthas (of cars), look, as if overspread
with embroidered tapestry. Many warriors fallen
from the backs of well-equipped elephants along with
those creatures themselves that they had ridden, are
looking like lions fallen from mountain summits struck
down by thunder. Mingled with the steeds (they
had ridden) and the bows (they had held), horsemen
and foot-soldiers in large numbers, are lying on the
field, covered with blood. Behold, O foremost
of men, the surface of the earth is frightful to look
at, covered as it is with large number of slain elephants
and steeds and car-warriors, and miry with blood,
fat, and rotten flesh in profusion, and on which dogs
and wolves and Pisachas and diverse wanderers of the
night are cantering with joy! This fame-enhancing
and mighty feat on the field of battle is capable of
being achieved by thee only, O puissant one, or by
that chief of the gods, viz., Indra himself,
who in great battle slayeth the Daityas and the Danavas.’
“Sanjaya continued, “Thus showing the
field of battle unto the diadem-decked Arjuna, Krishna
blew his conch Panchajanya with the gleeful soldiers
of the Pandava army (blowing their respective conchs).
Having shown the field of battle unto the diadem-decked
hero, that slayer of foes viz., Janardana quickly
proceeded towards Ajatasatru, the son of Pandu, and
informed him of the slaying of Jayadratha.’"[177]
SECTION CXLVIII
Page 1155
“Sanjaya said, ’After the ruler of the
Sindhus had been slain by Partha, Krishna, repairing
unto the king, viz., Yudhishthira, the son of
Dharma, worshipped the latter with a gladdened heart.
And he said, ’By good luck, O king of kings,
thy prosperity increaseth. O best of men, thy
foe hath been slain. By good luck, thy younger
brother hath accomplished his vow.’ Thus
addressed by Krishna, that subjugator of hostile towns,
viz., king Yudhishthira, filled with joy, came
down from his car, O Bharata! His eyes filled
with tears of joy, he embraced the two Krishnas and
wiping his bright and lotus-like face, said these
words unto Vasudeva, and Dhananjaya, the son of Pandu,
’Ye mighty car-warriors, by good luck, I behold
both of you after ye have accomplished your task.
By good luck, that sinful wretch, viz., the ruler
of the Sindhus, hath been slain. Ye Krishnas,
by good luck, ye have done that which hath filled me
with great happiness. By good luck, our foes
have been plunged into an ocean of grief. Thou
art the sovereign lord of all the worlds, O slayer
of Madhu! In the three worlds they that have
thee for their preceptor can have no object incapable
of accomplishment. Through thy grace, O Govinda,
we will conquer our foes, like Indra conquering the
Danavas in days of old. Be it the conquest of
the world, or be it the conquest of the three worlds,
everything is certain, O thou of the Vrishni race,
in their case with whom thou art gratified, O giver
of honours! They can have no sin, nor can they
meet with defeat in battle with whom thou, O lord of
the celestials, art gratified, O giver of honours!
It is through thy grace, O Hrishikesa, that Sakra
hath become the chief of the celestials. It is
through thy grace, that blessed personage obtained
on the field of battle the sovereignty of the three
worlds! It is through thy grace, O lord of the
celestials, that the latter obtained immortality, O
Krishna, and enjoy eternal regions (of bliss).
Having slain thousands of Daityas, with prowess having
its origin in thy grace, O slayer of foes, Sakra obtained
the lordship of the celestials. Through thy grace,
O Hrishikesa, the mobile and immobile universe, without
swerving from its (ordained) course, O hero, is engaged
in prayers and homa![178] In the beginning, this universe,
enveloped in darkness, had been one vast expanse of
water. Through thy grace, O mighty-armed one,
the universe became manifest, O best of men!
Thou art the creator of all the worlds, thou art the
Supreme Soul, and thou art immutable! They that
behold thee, O Hrishikesa, are never confounded.
Thou art the Supreme God, thou art the God of gods,
and thou art Eternal. They that seek refuge with
thee, O lord of the gods, are never confounded.
Without beginning and without death, thou art Divine,
the Creator of all the worlds, and immutable.
They that are devoted to thee, O Hrishikesa, always
tide over every difficulty. Thou art Supreme,
the Ancient one, the Divine-Being, and that which is
Page 1156
the Highest of the high. He that attaineth to
that viz., thy Supreme Self hath ordained for
him the highest prosperity. Thou art sung in the
four Vedas. The four Vedas sing of thee.
Be seeking thy shelter, O high-souled one, I shall
enjoy unrivalled prosperity. Thou art the Supreme
God, thou art the God of the highest gods, thou art
the lord of Winged creatures, and the lord of all
human beings. Thou art the Supremest Lord of
everything. I bow to thee, O best of beings!
Thou art the Lord, the Lord of lords O puissant one!
Prosperity to thee, O Madhava! O thou of large
eyes, O Universal soul, Thou art the origin of all
things. He, again, that is a friend of Dhananjaya
or is engaged in Dhananjaya’s good, obtaineth
thee that art the preceptor of Dhananjaya and attaineth
to happiness.’ Thus addressed by him those
high-souled ones, viz., Kesava and Arjuna, cheerfully
said unto the king, that lord of the earth, ’The
sinful king Jayadratha, hath been consumed by the fire
of thy wrath. O puissant one, although the Dhartarashtra
host is vast and swelleth with pride, yet, O Bharata,
struck and slain, it is being exterminated. O
slayer of foes, it is in consequence of thy wrath that
the Kauravas are being destroyed. Having, O hero,
angered thee that canst slay with thy eyes alone,
the wicked-minded Suyodhana, with his friends and kinsmen,
will have to lay down his life in battle. Slain
before in consequence of thy ire, and struck down
also by the gods themselves, the invincible Bhishma,
the grandsire of the Kurus, lieth now on a bed of arrows.
O slayer of foes, victory in battle is unattainable
by them, and death also waiteth for them, that have
thee, O son of Pandu, for their foe. Kingdom,
life, dear ones, children, and diverse kinds of bliss,
will soon be lost by him with whom thou, O scorcher
of foes, hast been angry. I regard the Kauravas
to be lost with their sons, and kinsmen, when thou,
O scorcher of foes, that art observant of the duties
of a king, hast been angry with them.’
Then Bhima, O king, and the mighty car-warrior Satyaki,
both mangled with shafts, saluted their senior.
And those two mighty bowmen sat down on the ground,
surrounded by the Panchalas, Beholding those two heroes
filled with joy and arrived and waiting with joined
hands, the son of Kunti congratulated them both, saying,
’By good luck, it is that I see you both, ye
heroes, escaped with lire from that sea of (hostile)
troops, that sea in which Drona acted the part of
an invincible alligator, and the son of Hridika that
of a fierce shark. By good luck, all the kings
of the earth have been vanquished (by you two).[179]
By good luck, I see both of you victorious in battle.
By good luck, Drona hath been vanquished in battle,
and that mighty car-warrior also viz., the son
of Hridika. By good luck, Karna hath been vanquished
in battle with barbed shafts. By good luck, Salya
also was obliged to turn away from the field by you
both, ye bulls among men. By good luck, I behold
Page 1157
you both come back from battle safe and sound, ye
that are foremost of car-warriors and well-skilled
in battle! By good luck, I behold again, ye heroes,
that have forded that sea of troops in obedience to
my command, ye that went to battle impelled by the
desire of honouring me! Ye are heroes delighting
in battle. Ye are to me as life. By good
luck, I see you both.’ Having said this,
the son of Pandu, O king, embraced both Yuyudhana
and Vrikodara, those tigers among men, and shed tears
of joy. Then, O monarch, the entire host of the
Pandavas became cheerful and filled with joy.
And all of them once more set their hearts on battle.’”
SECTION CXLIX
“Sanjaya said, Upon the fall, O king, of the
ruler of the Sindhus, thy son Suyodhana, his face
bedewed with tears, and himself filled with grief
and breathing hot sighs like a snake whose fangs have
been broken, that offender against the whole world,
viz., thy son, experienced bitter affliction.
Beholding that great terrible slaughter of his troops
caused by Jishnu and Bhimasena and Satwata in battle,
he became pale, dejected and melancholy, and his eyes
became filled with tears. And he came to think
no warrior existed on the earth that could be compared
with Arjuna. Neither Drona, nor the son of Radha,
nor Aswatthaman, nor Kripa, O sire, is competent to
stand before Arjuna when the latter is excited with
wrath, And Suyodhana, said unto himself, ’Having
vanquished in battle all the mighty car-warriors of
my army, Partha slew the ruler of the Sindhus.
None could resist him. This my vast host hath
almost been exterminated by the Pandavas. I think,
there is no one that can protect my army, no, not
even Purandara himself. He, relying upon whom
I have been engaged in this passage-at-arms in battle,
alas, that Karna hath been defeated in battle and
Jayadratha slain. That Karna relying upon whose
energy I regarded Krishna as straw who came to sue
me for peace, alas, that Karna hath been vanquished
in battle.’ Grieving so within his heart,
that offender against the whole world, O king, went
to Drona, O bull of Bharata’s race, for seeing
him. Repairing unto him, he informed Drona of
that immense slaughter of the Kurus, the victory of
his foes, and the dire calamity of the Dhartarashtras.[180]
And Suyodhana said, ’Behold, O preceptor, this
immense slaughter of kings.[181] I came to battle,
placing that grandsire of mine, viz., the heroic
Bhishma, at our head. Having slain him, Sikhandin,
his aspiration fulfilled, stayeth at the very van of
all the troops, surrounded by all the Panchalas, covetous
of another triumph.[182] Another disciple of thine,
viz., the invincible Savyasachin, having slain
seven. Akshauhinis of troops hath despatched
king Jayadratha to Yama’s abode. How, O
preceptor, shall I be freed from the debt I owe to
those allies of mine who, desirous of victory to me
and ever engaged in my good, have gone to Yama’s
Page 1158
abode? Those lords of earth who had desired the
sovereignty of the earth, are now lying on the earth,
abandoning all their earthly prosperity. Truly,
I am a coward. Having caused such a slaughter
of friends, I dare not think that I shall be sanctified
by performing even a hundred horse-sacrifices.
I am covetous and sinful and a transgressor against
righteousness. Through my acts alone, these lords
of earth, in their desire for victory, have gone to
Yama’s abode. Why, in presence of those
kings, does not the earth yield me a hole (through
which to sink), since I am so sinful in behaviour and
such a fomenter of internecine dissensions![183] Alas,
what will the grandsire with blood-red eyes, that
invincible hero who hath conquered the other world,
tell me in the midst of the kings when he meets me?[184]
Behold that mighty bowman, Jalasandha, slain by Satyaki.
That great car-warrior, that hero, came proudly to
battle for my sake, prepared to lay down his life.
Beholding the ruler of the Kamvojas slain, as also
Alamvusha and many other allies of mine, what object
can I have for preserving my life? Those unretreating
heroes who, fighting for my sake and struggling to
the utmost of their powers to vanquish my foes, have
laid down their lives. I shall today, O scorcher
of foes, exerting the utmost measure of my might,
free myself from the debt that I owe them and gratify
them with oblations of water by repairing to the Yamuna.
O foremost of all bearers of arms, I tell thee truly
and swear by the good acts I have performed, by the
prowess I possess and by my sons, that slaying all
the Panchalas with the Pandavas, I shall obtain peace
of mind, or slain by them in battle I shall repair
to those regions whither those allies of mine have
gone. I shall certainly proceed thither whither
those bulls among men, slain, while engaged in battle
for my sake, by Arjuna have gone! Our allies,
seeing that they are not well-protected by us, no
longer desire to stand by us. O thou of mighty
arms, they now regard the Pandavas to be preferable
to ourselves. Thyself, of sure aim, hast ordained
our extermination in battle, for thou treatest Arjuna
leniently, since he is thy disciple. It is for
this that all those have been slain who had endeavoured
to secure victory to us. It seems that only Karna
now wishes us victory. The man of weak understanding
who without duly examining another, accepteth him
for a friend and engageth him in concerns that require
friends for their accomplishment, is certain to suffer
injury even so hath this affair of mine been managed
by my best friend![185] I am exceedingly covetous,
sinful, crooked-hearted, and characterised by avarice!
Alas, king Jayadratha hath been slain, and Somadatta’s
son also of great energy, and the Abhishahas, the Surasenas,
the Sivis, and the Vasatis! I shall go thither
today whither those bulls among men, slain, while
engaged in battle for my sake, by Arjuna, have gone.
In the absence of those bulls among men, I have no
need for life. O preceptor of the sons of Pandu,
let me have thy permission in this.
Page 1159
SECTION CI
“Dhritarashtra said, ’After the ruler
of the Sindhus had been slain in battle by Savyasachin
and after the fall of Bhurisravas, what became the
state of your mind? After Drona also had been
thus addressed by Duryodhana in the midst of the Kurus,
what did the preceptor say unto him then? Tell
me all this, O Sanjaya!’
“Sanjaya said, ’Loud wails arose among
thy coops, O Bharata, after the slaughter of Bhurisravas
and the ruler of the Sindhus. All of them disregarded
the counsels of thy son, those counsels in consequence
of which leaders of men, by hundreds, were slain,
As regards Drona, hearing those words of thy son,
he became filled with grief. Reflecting for a
short while, O monarch, he said these words in great
affliction.
“Drona said, O Duryodhana, why dost thou pierce
me thus with wordy shafts? I told thee before
that Arjuna is incapable of defeat in battle.
Protected by the diadem-decked Arjuna, Sikhandin slew
Bhishma. By that feat, O thou of Kuru’s
race, the prowess of Arjuna in battle hath been well-tested.
Beholding Bhisma who was incapable of being defeated
by the gods and the Danavas, actually slain in battle,
even then I knew that this Bharata host is doomed.
Upon the fall of him whom of all persons in the three
worlds, we had regarded to be the very foremost of
heroes, who else is there upon whom we are to rely?
Those dice, O sire, with which Sakuni formerly played
in the Kuru assembly, were not dice but keen arrows
capable of slaying foes. Even those arrows, O
sire, sped by Jaya, are now slaying us. Though
Vidura characterised them to be such, thou didst not
yet understand them to be so. Those words, again,
that the wise and high-souled Vidura, with tears in
his eyes had then said unto thee, those auspicious
words recommending peace, thou didst not then hear.
That calamity which foretold hath now come. That
frightful carnage, O Duryodhana, hath now come as
the result of that disobedience by thee of Vidura’s
words. That man of foolish understanding who,
disregarding the salutary words of trusted friends,
followeth his own opinion, soon falls into a pitiable
plight. O son of Gandhari, this great evil, viz.,
that dragging in our very sight to the Kuru assembly
of Krishna who never deserved such treatment, who
hath been born in a noble race, and who practiseth
every virtue. Know that all this is but little,
for in the next world dire consequences yet will be
thine. Vanquishing the Pandavas at dice by deceit,
thou hadst sent them, into the woods, attired in deer-skins.
What other Brahmana, except myself, in this world,
would seek to injure those princes that are ever engaged
in the practice of virtue and that are to me even
as my own sons” With the approval of Dhritarashtra,
in the midst of the Kuru assembly, thou hadst, with
Sakuni as thy help-mate, provoked the ire of the Pandavas.
United with Duhsasana, Karna then fanned that wrath.
Page 1160
Disregarding the words of Vidura, thou hast repeatedly
fanned it thyself. With resolute care, all of
you had surrounded Arjuna, resolved to stand by the
ruler of the Sindhus. Why then have all of you
been vanquished and why also has Jayadratha been slain?
Why, when thou art alive, and Karna, and Kripa, and
Salya, and Aswatthaman, O Kauravya, hath the ruler
of the Sindhus been slain? For rescuing the ruler
of the Sindhus, the kings (on thy side) had put forth
all their fierce energy. Why, then, hath Jayadratha
been slain in their midst? Relying upon me, king
Jayadratha had expected his rescue from the hands
of Arjuna. He, however, obtained not the rescue
he had expected. I do not also see my safety for
my own self. Until I succeed in slaying the Panchalas
with Sikhandin, I feel like one sinking in the Dhristadyumna-mire.
Having failed, O Bharata, in rescuing the ruler of
the Sindhus, why dost thou pierce me thus with thy
wordy shafts, seeing that I too am burning with grief?
Thou seest not any longer on the field the gold standards
of Bhishma of sure aim, that warrior who was never
tired in battle. How, then, canst thou hope for
success? When the ruler of the Sindhus and Bhurisravas
also have been slain in the very midst of so many
mighty car-warriors, what do you think, will the end
be? Kripa, difficult of being vanquished, is
still alive, O king! That he hath not followed
in the track of Jayadratha, I applaud him highly for
this! When I saw Bhishma himself, that achiever
of the most difficult feats (in battle), that warrior
who was incapable of being slain in battle by the
gods with Vasava at their head, slain in thy sight,
O Kaurava, as also of thy younger brother Duhsasana,
I thought then, O king, that the Earth hath abandoned
thee. Yonder the troops of the Pandavas and the
Srinjayas, united together, are now rushing against
me. For achieving thy good in battle, O son of
Dhritarashtra, I will not without slaying all the
Panchalas, put off my armour. O king, go and tell
my son Aswatthaman who is present in battle that even
at the risk of his life he should not let the Somakas
alone.[186] Thou shouldst also tell him, ’Observe
all the instructions thou hast received from thy father.
Be firm in acts of humility, in self-restraint, in
truth and righteousness. Observant of religion,
profit, and pleasure, without neglecting religion
and profit, thou shouldst always accomplish those acts
in which religion predominates. The Brahmanas
should always be gratified with presents. All
of them deserve thy worship. Thou shouldst never
do anything that is injurious to them. They are
like flames of fire. As regards myself, I will
penetrate the hostile host, O slayer of foes, for doing
great battle, pierced as I am by thee with thy wordy
shafts. If thou canst, O Duryodhana, go and protect
those troops. Both the Kurus and the Srinjayas
have been angry. They will fight even during the
night.’ Having said these words, Drona
proceeded against the Pandavas and set himself to
over-ride the energy of the Kshatriyas like the sun
overshadowing the light of the stars.’”
Page 1161
Section CLI
“Sanjaya said, ’Thus urged by Drona, king
Duryodhana, filled with rage set his heart on battle.
And thy son, Duryodhana, then said unto Karna, ’Behold,
the diadem-decked son of Pandu, with Krishna alone
for helpmate, penetrated into the array formed by
the preceptor, an array that the gods themselves could
not pierce, and in the very sight of the illustrious
Drona struggling in battle and of many other foremost
of warriors, slew the ruler of the Sindhus. Behold,
O son of Radha, many foremost of kings lying on the
earth, slain in battle. Partha unaided by any
one, in the very sight of the illustrious Drona and
myself, vigorously exerting ourselves like a host
of inferior animals-slain by a lion. The son of
Sakra hath reduced my host to a small remnant of what
it was. How, indeed, could Phalguna, in spite
of the resistance offered by Drona in battle, accomplish
his vow by slaying the ruler of the Sindhus? If
Drona had not himself willed it, O hero, how could
the son of Pandu, in battle, have pierced that impenetrable
array, overcoming his struggling preceptor? Truly,
Phalguna is exceedingly dear to the illustrious preceptor!
For this, the latter gave him admittance, without having
fought with him. Behold my misfortune! Having
in the first instance promised protection unto the
ruler of the Sindhus, Drona, that scorcher of foes,
gave unto the diadem-decked Arjuna admittance into
the array! If he had in the beginning granted
permission to the ruler of the Sindhus for his return
home, without doubt, such an awful carnage would then
have never occurred. Alas! Jayadratha, in
hopes of saving his life, had desired to return home.
Having obtained from Drona a promise of protection
in battle, it was I, a fool that I was, who prevented
him from going. Alas, today my brothers having
Chitrasena for their head, have all perished in the
very sight of our wretched selves.’[187]
“Karna said, ’Do not blame the preceptor.
That Brahmana is fighting according to the measure
of his power and courage and regardless of his very
life. If Arjuna, of white steeds, having transgressed
him, penetrated into our array, the slightest fault
does not, for that, attach to the preceptor.
Phalguna is accomplished in weapons, possessed of great
activity, endued with youth; he is a hero who has mastered
all arms; he is distinguished for the celerity of
his movements. Armed with celestial weapons and
mounted on his ape-bannered car, the reins of whose
steeds again were in the hands of Krishna, cased in
impenetrable armour, and taking his celestial bow
Gandiva of unfading might, the valiant Arjuna, scattering
keen arrows, and proud of the strength of his arms,
transgressed Drona. There is nothing to wonder
at this. The preceptor, on the other hand is,
O king, old and incapable of proceeding quickly.
He is also, O king, incapable of exercising his arms
long. It was for this that Phalguna, of white
steeds and having Krishna for his charioteer, succeeded
Page 1162
in transgressing the preceptor. For this reason
also, I do not see any fault in Drona. For all
that, when Arjuna, of white steeds, penetrated into
our array, having transgressed the preceptor it seems
that the latter, however skilled in weapons, is incapable
of vanquishing the Pandavas in battle. I think
that which is ordained by Fate never occurs otherwise.
And since, O Suyodhana, in spite of ourselves fighting
to the utmost extent of our powers, the ruler of the
Sindhus has been slain in battle, it seems that Fate
is all-powerful. With thyself we had all been
exerting to the utmost of our might on the field of
battle. Fate, however, baffling our exertions,
did not smile on us. We have always exerted to
injure the Pandavas, relying both on deceit and prowess.
Whatever act, O king, a person afflicted by Fate does,
is frustrated by Fate, however, much the person himself
may strive to achieve it. Whatever, indeed, a
man endued with perseverance should do, ought to be
done fearlessly. Success depends on Fate!
By deceit the sons of Pritha were beguiled as also
by the administration of poison, O Bharata! Burnt
they were in the palace of lac, vanquished they were
at dice. In accordance with the dictates of statecraft,
they were exited into the woods. All these, though
done by us with care, have been baffled by Fate.
Fight with resolution, O king, setting Fate at nought.
Between thee and them, both striving to the best of
your prowess even Fate may prove auspicious to that
party which excels the other.[188] No wise measures
have been adopted by the Pandavas with the aid of superior
intelligence. Nor, O hero, do we see, O perpetuator
of Kuru’s race, that thou hast done anything
unwise from want of intelligence! It is Fate that
decides the result of acts, wise or unwise; Fate, ever
intent on its own purposes is awake when all else
sleeps. Vast was thy host, and thy warriors are
many. Even thus the battle began. With their
small force, much greater and consisting of men capable
of smiting effectually, hath been much reduced.
I fear, it is the work of Fate, that has frustrated
our exertions.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’While they were discoursing
thus, O king, the Pandava divisions appeared for battle.
Then occurred a fierce battle between thy warriors
and theirs, in which cars and elephants encountered
one another. All this, however, O king, was due
to thy evil policy!’”
SECTION CLII
(Ghatotkacha-badha Parva)
“Sanjaya said, ’That elephant force of
thine, O king, swelling with might, fought everywhere,
prevailing over the Pandava force. Resolved to
go to the other world, the Panchalas and the Kauravas
fought with one another for admission into the swelling
domains of Yama. Brave warriors, encountering
brave rivals, pierced one another with arrows and lances
and darts, and quickly despatched one another unto
Yama’s abode. Dreadful was the battle that
Page 1163
took place between car-warriors and car-warriors who
struck one another and caused a fierce flow of blood.
Infuriated elephants, encountering infuriated compeers,
afflicted one another with their tusks. Horsemen,
solicitous of glory, pierced and cut down horsemen
in that terrific melee with spears and darts and battle-axes.
Foot-soldiers also O mighty-armed one, in hundreds,
armed with weapons, repeatedly rushed against one
another with resolute courage, O scorcher of foes!
So great was the confusion that the Panchalas and the
Kurus could only be distinguished from each other
by the tribal, the family, and the personal names
we heard them utter. The warriors, despatching
one another to the other world with arrows and darts
and axes, careered fearlessly on the field. With
thousands of arrows, however, O king, shot by the
combatants the ten points were no longer illuminated
as before in consequence of the Sun having set.
While the Pandavas were thus fighting, O Bharata,
Duryodhana, O king, penetrated into the midst of their
host. Filled with great wrath at the slaughter
of the ruler of Sindhus, and resolved to lay down
his life, he penetrated into the hostile army.
Filling the earth with the rattle of his car-wheels
and causing her to tremble therewith, thy son approached
the Pandava host. Terrific was the clash that
took place between him and them, O Bharata, causing
a tremendous carnage of troops. Like the sun
himself at midday scorching everything with his rays,
thy son scorched the hostile host with his arrowy
showers.[189] The Pandavas became incapable of even
looking at their brother (Duryodhana). Despairing
of vanquishing their foes, they set their hearts on
flying away from the field. Slaughtered by thy
illustrious son, armed with the bow, by means of his
gold-winged arrows of blazing points, the Panchalas
ran away in all directions. Afflicted with those
keen shafts, the Pandava troops began to fall down
on the ground. Indeed, the Pandavas had never
succeeded in achieving such a feat in battle as was
then achieved by thy royal son, O monarch! The
Pandava host was crushed and ground by an elephant.[190]
As, again, an assemblage of lotuses becomes shorn
of its beauty when the water (over which it grows)
is dried up by the sun and the wind, even so became
the Pandava host being dried up by thy son, O Bharata,
the Panchalas, with Bhimasena then with ten shafts,
and each of the sons of Madri with three, and Virata
and Drupada each with six, and Sikhandin with a hundred,
and Dhrishtadyumna with seventy, and Yudhishthira
with seven, and the Kaikeyas and the Chedis with innumerable
keen shafts, and Satwata with five, and each of the
(five) sons of Draupadi with three, and Ghatotkacha
also with a few, he uttered a leonine shout. Cutting
off hundreds of other warriors and the bodies of elephants
and steeds in that great battle by means of his fierce
shafts, he behaved like the Destroyer himself in rage
slaying created beings.[191] While engaged, however,
Page 1164
in thus slaughtering his foes, his bow, the back of
whose staff was ornamented with gold, Yudhishthira,
the son of Pandu, O sire, cut off into three parts
with a pair of broad-headed shafts. And Yudhishthira
pierced Duryodhana himself with ten keen arrows shot
with great force. Piercing through Duryodhana’s
vital limbs, those passed out and entered the earth
in a continuous line. The troops that stood around
then encompassed Yudhishthira, like the celestials
encompassing Purandara for the slaughter of Vritra.
Then king Yudhishthira, O sire, who is incapable of
being easily defeated, shot at thy son in that battle
a fierce shaft. Deeply pierced therewith, Duryodhana
sat down on his excellent car. Then a loud noise
arose from among the Panchala troops. Even this,
O monarch, was that tremendous uproar, viz.,
‘The king is slain!’ The fierce whizz
of arrows also was heard there, O Bharata. Then
Drona quickly showed himself there in that battle.
Meanwhile, Duryodhana recovering his senses, had firmly
grasped the bow. He then rushed towards the royal
son of Pandu saying, ‘Wait, Wait.’
Then the Panchalas also solicitous of victory, began
to advance with speed. Desirous of rescuing the
Kuru prince, Drona received them all. And the
preceptor began to destroy them like the bright-rayed
maker of day destroying tempest-tossed clouds.
Then, O king, there occurred a fierce battle, fraught
with immense carnage, between thine and theirs encountering
one another from desire of fight.’”
SECTION CLIII
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Having said all
those words unto my son, Duryodhana, who is ever disobedient
to my commands, when that mighty bowman endued with
great strength, viz., the preceptor Drona, penetrated
in wrath into the Pandava host, and when that hero,
stationed on his car, careered over the field, how
did the Pandavas check his course? Who protected
the right wheel of the preceptor’s car in that
dreadful battle? Who also protected his left
when he fiercely slaughtered the foe? Who were
those brave warriors that followed that fighting hero
at his back? Who were those, then, that stood
in front of that car-warrior? When that unvanquished
and great bowman, that foremost of all bearers of weapons,
dancing along the track of his car, entered the Pandavas
host, I think, his foes felt an excessive and unseasonable
cold. I think, they trembled like kine exposed
to wintry blasts. How did that bull among car-warriors,
who consumed all the troops of the Panchalas like a
raging conflagration, meet with his death?’
Page 1165
“Sanjaya said, ’Having slain the ruler
of the Sindhus in the evening, Partha, after his meeting
with Yudhishthira and the great bowman, viz.,
Satyaki, both proceeded towards Drona. Then Yudhishthira,
and Bhimasena, the son of Pandu, each with a separate
division of the army, quickly proceeded against Drona.
Similarly, the intelligent Nakula, and the invincible
Sahadeva, and Dhrishtadyumna with his own division,
and Virata, and the ruler of the Salwas, with a large
force, proceeded against Drona in battle. Similarly,
king Drupada, the father of Dhrishtadyumna, protected
by the Panchalas proceeded, O king, against Drona.
And the sons of Draupadi, and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha,
accompanied by their forces, proceeded against Drona
of great splendour. The Prabhadraka-Panchalas
also six thousand strong, and all effectual smiters,
proceeded against Drona placing Sikhandin at their
head. Other foremost of men and mighty car-warriors
among the Pandavas, uniting together, O bull among
men, proceeded against Drona. When those heroic
warriors, O bull among the Bharatas, proceeded to battle,
the night became pitch dark, enhancing the terrors
of the timid. And during that hour of darkness,
O king, many were the warriors that laid down their
lives. And that night also proved the death of
many elephants and steeds and foot-soldiers.
On that night of pitch darkness, yelling jackals everywhere
inspired great fear with their blazing mouths.
Fierce owls, perching on the standards of Kauravas
and hooting therefrom, foreboded fears. Then,
O king, a fierce uproar arose among the troops.
Mingling with the loud beat of drums and cymbals,
grunts of elephants, neighings of steeds, and stampings
of horse-hoofs, that uproar spread everywhere.
Then, in that hour of evening, fierce was the battle
that took place between Drona, O king, and all of
the Srinjayas. The world having been enveloped
in darkness, nothing could be noticed. The welkin
was covered with the dust raised by the combatants.
Blood of man and horse and elephant mingled together.
The earthy dust then disappeared. All of us became
perfectly cheerless. During that night, like the
sounds of a burning forest of bamboos on a mountain,
frightful sounds were heard of clashing weapons.
With the sounds of Mridangas and Anakas and Vallakis
and Patahas,[192] with the shouts (of human beings)
and the neigh (of steeds), a dreadful confusion set
in everywhere, O lord! When the field of battle
was enveloped in darkness, friends, O king, could not
be distinguished from foes. All were possessed
with a madness in that night. The earthen dust
that had arisen, O king, was soon allayed with showers
of blood. Then, in consequence of golden coats
of mail and the bright ornaments of the warriors,
that darkness was dispelled. The Bharata host
then, adorned with gems and gold (and abounding with
darts and standards), looked like the firmament in
the night, O bull of Bharata’s race, bespangled
with stars. The field of battle then resounded
Page 1166
with the yells of jackals and the cawings of crows,
with the grunts of elephants, and the shouts and cries
of the warriors. Those sounds, mingling together,
produced a loud uproar, making the hair stand on end.
That uproar filled all the points of the compass like
the report of Indra’s thunder. At dead
of night, the Bharata host seemed illuminated with
the Angadas, the ear-rings, the cuirasses, and the
weapons of combatants. There elephants and cars,
adorned with gold, looked in that night like clouds
charged with lightning. Swords and darts and maces
and scimitars and clubs and lances and axes, as they
fell, looked like dazzling flashes of fire. Duryodhana
was the gust of wind that was the precursor (of that
tempest-like host). Cars and elephants constituted
its dry clouds. The loud noise of drums and other
instruments formed the peal of its thunders.
Abounding with standards, bows formed to lightning
flashes. Drona and the Pandavas formed its pouring
clouds. Scimitars and darts and maces constituted
its thunders. Shafts formed its downpour, and
weapons (of other kinds) its incessant gusts of wind.
And the winds that blew were both exceedingly hot
and exceedingly cold. Terrible, stunning and
fierce, it was destructive of life. There was
nothing that could afford shelter from it.[193] Combatants,
desirous of battle entered into that frightful host
on that dreadful night resounding with terrible noises,
enhancing the fears of the timid and the delight of
heroes. And during the progress of that fierce
and dreadful battle in the night, the Pandus and the
Srinjayas, united together, rushed in wrath against
Drona. All these, however, O king, that advanced
right against the illustrious Drona, were either obliged
to turn back or despatched to the abode of Yama.
Indeed, on that night, Drona alone pierced with his
shafts, elephants in thousands and cars in tens of
thousands and millions of millions of foot-soldiers
and steeds.’”
SECTION CLIV
“Dhritarashtra said, “When the invincible
Drona, of immeasurable energy, unable to bear (the
slaughter of Jayadratha), Wrathfully entered into the
midst of the Srinjayas, what did all of you think?
When that warrior of immeasurable soul, having said
those words unto my disobedient son, Duryodhana, so
entered (the hostile ranks), what steps did Partha
take? When after the fall of the heroic Jayadratha
and of Bhurisravas, that unvanquished warrior of great
energy, that scorcher of foes, viz., the unconquerable
Drona, proceeded against the Panchalas, what did Arjuna
think? What also did Duryodhana think as the most
seasonable step that he could adopt? Who were
they that followed that boon-giving hero, that foremost
of regenerated ones? Who were those heroes, O
Suta, that stood behind that hero while engaged in
’battle? Who fought in his van, while he
was employed in slaughter? I think, all the Pandavas,
afflicted with the arrows of Bharadwaja’s son,
Page 1167
were, O Suta, like lean kine trembling under a wintry
sky. Having penetrated into the midst of the Panchalas
how did that great bowman, that scorcher of foes,
that tiger among men, meet with his death?[194] When
on that night all the troops, united together, and
all the great car-warriors combined were being separately
ground (by Drona), who were those intelligent men
amongst you that were present there? Thou sayest
that my troops were slain or huddled together, or
vanquished, and that my car-warriors were made carless
in those encounters. While those combatants became
cheerless and were being ground by the Pandavas, what
did they think when they sank in such affliction on
that dark night? Thou sayest that the Pandavas
were hearty and exceedingly hopeful, and that mine
were melancholy and heartless and panic-stricken.
How, O Sanjaya, couldst thou mark the distinction on
that night between the Kurus and the unretreating
Parthas?’
“Sanjaya said, ’During the progress, O
king, of that fierce night-battle, the Pandavas along
with the Somakas all rushed against Drona. Then
Drona, with his swift-going shafts, despatched all
the Kaikeyas and the sons of Dhrishtadyumna into the
world of spirits. Indeed, all those mighty car-warriors,
O king, that advanced right against Drona, all those
lords of the earth, were despatched (by him) into
the region of the dead. Then king Sivi, of great
prowess, filled with rage, proceeded against that
mighty car-warrior, viz., the heroic son of Bharadwaja,
while the latter was thus employed in grinding (the
hostile combatants). Beholding that great car-warrior
of the Pandavas advancing, Drona pierced him with ten
shafts made entirely of iron. Sivi, however, pierced
Drona in return with thirty shafts, winged with Kanka
feathers. And smiling the while, he also, with
a broad-headed shaft felled the driver of Drona’s
car. Drona then, slaying the steeds of the illustrious
Sivi as also the driver of his car, cut off from his
trunk Sivi’s head with head-gear on it.
Then Duryodhana quickly sent unto Drona a driver for
his car. The reins of his steeds having been
taken up by the new man, Drona once more rushed against
his foes. The sort of the ruler of the Kalingas,
supported by the Kalinga troops, rushed against Bhimasena,
filled with rage at the slaughter of his sire by the
latter, Having pierced Bhima with five shafts he once
more pierced him with seven. And he struck Visoka
(the driver of Bhima’s car) with three shafts
and the latter’s standard with one. The
Vrikodara, filled with rage, leaping from his own car
to that of his foe, slew with only his fists that
angry hero of the Kalingas. The bones of that
prince thus slain in battle by the mighty son of Pandu
with only his fists, fell down on the earth separated
from one another, Karna and the brother of the slain
prince, (and others), could not brook that act of
Bhima. All of them began to strike Bhimasena with
keen shafts resembling snakes of virulent poison.
Page 1168
Abandoning then that car of the foe (upon which he
stood), Bhima proceeded to the car of Dhruva,[195]
and crushed, by a blow of his fist, that prince who
had been striking him incessantly. Thus struck
by the mighty son of Pandu. Dhruva fell down.
Having slain him, O king, Bhimasena of great strength,
proceeding to the car of Jayarata, began to roar repeatedly
like a lion. Dragging Jayarata then with his
left arm, while, employed in roaring, he slew that
warrior with a slap of his palm in the very sight
of Karna. Then Karna hurled at the son of Pandu,
a dart decked with gold. The Pandava, however,
smiling the while, seized with his hand that dart.
And the invincible Vrikodara in that battle hurled
that very dart back at Karna. Then Sakuni, with
a shaft that had drunk oil, cut off that dart as it
coursed towards Karna. Having achieved these
mighty feats in battle, Bhima, of wonderful prowess,
came back to his own car and rushed against thy troops.
And while Bhima was thus advancing, slaughtering (thy
troops) like the Destroyer himself in rage, thy sons,
O monarch, attempted to resist that mighty-armed hero.
Indeed, those mighty car-warriors covered him with
a dense shower of arrows. Then Bhima, smiling
the while, despatched in that battle, with his shafts,
the driver and the steeds of Durmada unto the abode
of Yama. Durmada, at this, quickly mounted upon
the car of Dushkarna. Then those scorchers of
foes, viz., the two brothers, riding oh the same
car, both rushed against Bhima in the front rank of
battle, like the Regent of the waters and Surya rushing
against Taraka, that foremost of Daityas. Then
thy sons, Durmada and Dushkarna, mounting on the same
car, pierced Bhima with shafts. Then in the very
sight of Karna, of Aswatthaman, of Duryodhana, of
Kripa, of Somadatta, and of Valhika, the son of Pandu,
that chastiser of foes, by a stamp of his foot, caused
that car of the heroic Durmada and Dushkarna to sink
into the earth. Filled with rage, Bhima struck
with his fists those mighty and brave sons of thine,
viz., Durmada and Dushkarna, and crushed them
therewith and roared aloud. Then cries of Oh
and Alas arose among the troops. And the kings,
beholding Bhima said, ’That is Rudra who is fighting
in Bhima’s form among the Dhartarashtras.’
Saying these words, O Bharata, all the kings fled
away, deprived of their senses and urging the animals
they rode to their greatest speed. Indeed, no
two of them could be seen running together. Then,
when on that night a great carnage had been caused
among the (Kaurava) army, the mighty Vrikodara, with
eyes beautiful as the full-blown lotus, highly applauded
by many bulls among kings, repairing unto Yudhishthira,
paid his regards unto him. Then the twins (Nakula
and Sahadeva), and Drupada and Virata, and the Kaikeyas,
and Yudhishthira also, felt great joy. And all
of them paid their adorations unto Vrikodara even
as the celestials did unto Mahadeva after Andhaka
had been slain. Then thy sons, all equal unto
the sons of Varuna, filled with rage and accompanied
by the illustrious Preceptor and a large number of
cars, foot-soldiers, and elephants encompassed Vrikodara
on all sides from desire of fight. Then, O best
of kings, on that terrible night, when everything
was enveloped in darkness, as thick as a cloud, a
dreadful battle took place between those illustrious
warriors, delightful to wolves and crows and vultures.’”
Page 1169
SECTION CLV
“Sanjaya said, ’After his son (Bhurisravas)
had been slain by Satyaki while the former was sitting
in Praya, Somadatta, filled with rage, said unto Satyaki
these words, ’Why, O Satwata, ’having abandoned
those Kshatriya duties ordained by the high-souled
gods, hast thou betaken thyself to the practices of
robbers? Why would one that is observant of Kshatriya
duties and possessed of wisdom, strike in battle a
person that is turning away from the fight, or one
that has become helpless, or one that has laid aside
his weapons, or one that beggeth for quarters?
Two persons, indeed, among the Vrishnis are reputed
to be the foremost of great car-warriors, viz.,
Pradyumna of mighty energy and thou also, O Satyaki!
Why then didst thou behave so cruelly and sinfully
towards one that had sat on Praya and that had his
arms cut off by Partha?[196] Take now in battle the
consequence of that act of thine, O thou of wicked
behaviour! I shall today, O wretch, putting forth
my prowess, cut off thy. head with a winged arrow.
I swear, O Satwata, by my two sons, by what is dear
to me, and by all my meritorious acts, that, if before
this night passes away, I do not slay thee, that art
so proud of thy heroism, with thy sons and younger
brothers, provided Jishnu, the son of Pritha, does
not protect thee, then let me sink into terrible hell,
O wretch of Vrishni’s race!’ Having said
these words, the mighty Somadatta, filled with rage,
blew his conch loudly and uttered a leonine roar.
Then Satyaki, of eyes like lotus-petals and teeth
like those of a lion, possessed of great strength,
and filled with rage, said these words unto Somadatta,
’O thou of Kuru’s race, whether battling
with thee or with others, I do not in my heart ever
experience the slightest fear. If, protected
by all the troops, thou fightest with me, I would not,
even then experience on thy account, any pain, O thou
of Kuru’s race! I am ever observant of
Kshatriya practices. Thou canst not, therefore,
frighten me with only words smacking of battle or with
speeches that insult the good. If, O king, thou
wishest to fight with me today, be cruel and strike
me with keen shafts and I will also strike thee.
Thy son, the mighty car-warrior Bhurisravas, O king,
had been slain. Sala also, and Vrishasena, have
been crushed by me. Thee also today I shall slay,
with thy soils and kinsmen. Stay with resolution
in battle, for thou, O Katirava, art endued with great
strength. Thou art already slain in consequence
of the energy of that drum-bannered king Yudhishthira
in whom are always charity, and self-restraint, and
purity of heart, compassion, and modesty, and intelligence,
and forgiveness, and all else that is indestructible.
Thou shalt meet with destruction along with Karna
and Suvala’s son. I swear by Krishna’s
feet and by all my good acts that, filled with rage,
I shall, with my shafts, slay thee with thy sons in
battle. If thou fliest away from battle, then
Page 1170
mayst thou have safety.’ Having thus addressed
each other, with eyes red in wrath, those foremost
of men began to shoot their shafts at each other.
Then with a thousand cars and ten thousand horses,
Duryodhana took his station, encompassing Somadatta,
Sakuni also, filled with rage, and armed with every
weapon and surrounded by his sons and grandsons as
also by his brothers, that were equal to Indra himself
in prowess (did the same). Thy brother-in-law,
O king, young in years and of body hard as the thunder-bolt
and possessed of wisdom, had a hundred thousand horses
of the foremost valour with him. With these he
encompassed the mighty bowman Somadatta. Protected
by those mighty warriors, Somadatta covered Satyaki
(with clouds of shafts). Beholding Satyaki thus
covered with clouds of straight shafts, Dhrishtadyumna
proceeded towards him in rage and accompanied by a
mighty force. Then, O king, the sound that arose
there of those two large hosts striking each other,
resembled that of many oceans lashed into fury by
frightful hurricanes. Then Somadatta pierced Satyaki,
with nine arrows. Satyaki, in return, struck
that foremost of Kuru warriors with nine arrows.
Deeply pierced in that battle by the mighty and firm
bowman (Satyaki), Somadatta sat down on the terrace
of his car and lost his senses in a swoon, Beholding
him deprived of his senses, his driver, with great
speed, bore away from the battle that great car-warrior,
viz., the heroic Somadatta. Seeing that
Somadatta, afflicted with Yuyudhana’s shafts,
had lost his senses Drona rushed with speed, desiring
to slay the Yadu hero. Beholding the Preceptor
advance, many Pandava warriors headed by Yudhishthira
surrounded that illustrious perpetuator of Yadu’s
race from desire of rescuing him. Then commenced
a battle between Drona and the Pandavas, resembling
that between Vali and the celestials for acquiring
sovereignty oft the three worlds. Then Bharadwaja’s
son of great energy shrouded the Pandava host with
clouds of arrows and pierced Yudhishthira also.
And Drona pierced Satyaki with ten arrows, and the
son of Prishata with twenty. And he pierced Bhimasena
with nine arrows and Nakula with five, and Sahadeva
with eight, and Sikhandin with a hundred. And
the mighty-armed hero pierced each of the (five) sons
of Draupadi with five arrows. And he pierced
Virata with eight arrows and Drupada with ten.
And he pierced Yudhamanyu with three arrows and Uttamaujas
with six in that encounter. And piercing many
other combatants, he rushed towards Yudhishthira.
The troops of Pandu’s son, slaughtered by Drona,
ran away in all directions, from fear, O king, with
loud wails. Beholding that host slaughtered by
Drona. Phalguna, the son of Pritha, with wrath
excited a little, quickly proceeded towards the preceptor.
Beholding then that Drona was also proceeding towards
Arjuna in that battle, that host of Yudhishthira,
O king, once more rallied. Then once more occurred
a battle between Drona and the Pandavas. Drona,
Page 1171
surrounded, O king, on all sides, by thy sons, began
to consume the Pandava host, like fire consuming a
heap of cotton. Beholding him radiant like the
sun and endued with the splendour of a blazing fire,
and fiercely and continually, O king, emitting his
ray-like arrows, with bow incessantly drawn to a circle
and scorching everything around like the sun himself,
and consuming his foes, there was none in that army
that could check him. The shafts of Drona cutting
off the head of all those that ventured to approach
him in the face, penetrated into the earth. Thus
slaughtered by that illustrious warrior, the Pandava
host, once more fled away in fear in the very sight
of Arjuna. Beholding that force, O Bharata, thus
routed on that night by Drona, Jishnu asked Govinda
to proceed towards Drona’s car. Then he
of Dasarha’s race urged those steeds, white as
silver or milk or the Kunda flower, or the moon, towards
the car of Drona. Bhimasena also, beholding Phalguna
proceed towards Drona, commanded his own charioteer,
saying, ‘Bear me towards Drona’s division.’
Hearing those words of Bhima, his driver Visoka urged
his steeds, following in the wake, O chief of the
Bharatas, of Jishnu, of sure aim. Beholding the
two brothers resolutely proceeding towards Drona’s
division, the mighty car-warriors among the Panchalas,
the Srinjayas, the Matsyas, the Chedis, the Karushas,
the Kosalas, and the Kaikeyas, O king, all followed
them. Then, O monarch, took place a terrible
battle that made the hair stand on end. With
two mighty throngs of cars, Vibhatsu and Vrikodara
attacked thy host; the former on the right and the
latter in the front. Seeing those tigers among
men, viz., Bhimasena and Dhananjaya (thus engaged),
Dhrishtadyumna, O monarch, and Satyaki of great strength,
rushed behind. Then, O king, an uproar arose
there in consequence of the two hosts striking each
other, that resembled the noise made by many seas lashed
into fury by a tempest. Beholding Satyaki in battle,
Aswatthaman, filled with rage at the slaughter of
Somadatta’s son, rushed furiously against that
Satwata hero at the van of battle. Seeing him
rush in that battle against the car of Sini’s
grandson, Bhimasena’s son, the gigantic Rakshasa,
Ghatotkacha, endued with great strength, rushed at
him, riding on a huge and terrible car made of black
iron covered with bear-skins. Both the height
and the width of that large car measured thirty nalwas.[197]
Equipped with machines set in proper places it was;
its rattle resembled that of a mighty mass of clouds.
No steeds or elephants were yoked unto it, but, instead,
beings that looked like elephants.[198] On its tall
standard perched a prince of vultures with outstretched
wings and feet, with eyes wide-expanded, and shrieking
awfully. And it was equipped with red flags and
decked with the entrails of various animals.
And that huge vehicle was furnished with eight wheels.
Riding on it, Ghatotkacha was surrounded by a full
Akshauhini of fierce-looking Rakshasas armed with
Page 1172
lances and heavy clubs and rocks and trees. Seeing
him advance with uplifted bow, resembling the mace-armed
Destroyer himself in the hour of universal dissolution,
the hostile kings were struck with fear. At sight
of that prince of Rakshasas, viz., Ghatotkacha,
looking like a mountain summit of terrible aspect,
frightful, possessed of terrible teeth and fierce face,
with arrow-like ears and high cheek-bones, with stiff
hair rising upwards, awful eyes, sunken belly, blazing
mouth, wide as a chasm, and diadem on his head, capable
of striking every creature with fear, possessing jaws
wide-open like those of the Destroyer, endued with
great splendour and capable of agitating all foes,
advancing towards them, thy son’s host, afflicted
with fear, became highly agitated like the current
of the Ganga agitated into fierce eddies by (the action
of) the wind. Terrified by the leonine roar uttered
by Ghatotkacha, elephants began to eject urine and
the kings began to tremble. Then, thrown by the
Rakshasas who had become more powerful in consequence
of the night, there began to fall on the field of
battle a thick shower of stones. And a ceaseless
shower of iron wheels and Bhundis and darts and lances
and spears and Sataghnis and axes also fell there.
Beholding that fierce and awful battle, the kings,
thy sons, and Karna, also exceedingly pained, fled
away. Only the proud son of Drona, ever boastful
of his might in arms, stood fearlessly. And he
soon dispelled that illusion that had been created
by Ghatotkacha. Upon the destruction of his illusion,
Ghatotkacha in rage sped fierce shafts (Aswatthaman).
These pierced the son of Drona, like angry snakes speedily
piercing through an ant-hill. Those arrows, having
pierced through the body of Aswatthaman, dyed with
blood and quickly entered the earth like snakes into
an ant-hill. The light-handed Aswatthaman, however,
of great prowess, filled with wrath, pierced Ghatotkacha
with ten arrows. Ghatotkacha, deeply pierced
in his vital parts by Drona’s son, and feeling
great pain, took up a wheel having a thousand spokes.
Its edge was sharp as a razor, and it was resplendent
as the rising sun. And it was decked with diverse
gems and diamonds. Desirous of slaying him, the
son of Bhimasena hurled that wheel at Aswatthaman.
And as that wheel coursed swiftly towards Drona’s
son, the latter cut it into fragments by means of
his shafts. Baffled, it fell down on the earth,
like the hope cherished by an unfortunate man.
Beholding his wheel baffled, Ghatotkacha quickly covered
the son of Drona with his shafts, like Rahu swallowing
the sun. Meanwhile, Ghatotkacha’s son endued
with great splendour and looking like a mass of antimony,
checked the advancing son of Drona like the king of
mountain (Meru) checking the (course of the) wind.
Afflicted with showers of shafts by Bhimasena’s
grandson, viz., the brave Anjanaparvan, Aswatthaman
looked like the mountain Meru bearing a torrent of
rain from a mighty cloud. Then Aswatthaman, equal
Page 1173
unto Rudra or Upendra in prowess, became filled with
rage. With one shaft he cut off the standard
of Anjanaparvan. With two others, his two drivers,
and with three others, his Trivenuka. And he
cut off the Rakshasa’s bow with one arrow, and
his four steeds with four other arrows, Made carless,
Anjanaparvan took up a scimitar. With another
keen shaft, Aswatthaman cut off in two fragments that
scimitar, decked with golden stars, in the Rakshasa’s
hand. The grandson of Hidimva then, O king, whirling
a gold adorned mace, quickly hurled it at Aswatthaman.
Drona’s son, however, striking it with his shafts,
caused it to fall down on the earth. Soaring
up then into the sky, Anjanaparvan began to roar like
a cloud. And from the welkin he showered trees
upon his foe. Like the sun piercing a mass of
clouds with his rays, Aswatthaman then began to pierce
with his shafts the son of Ghatotkacha, that receptacle
of illusions, in the welkin. Gifted with great
energy, the Rakshasa once more came down on his gold
decked car. He then looked like a high and beautiful
hill of antimony on the surface of the earth.
The son of Drona then slew that son of Bhima’s
son, viz., Anjanaparvan, cased in an iron coat
of mail, even as Mahadeva had slain in days of yore
the Asura Andhaka. Beholding his mighty son slain
by Aswatthaman, Ghatotkacha, coming unto the son of
Drona, fearlessly addressed the heroic son of Saradwata’s
daughter, who was then consuming the Pandava troops
like a raging forest-conflagration, in these words:
“Ghatotkacha said, ’Wait, Wait, O son
of Drona! Thou shalt not escape me with life!
I shall slay thee today like Agni’s son slaying
Krauncha.’
“Aswatthaman said, ’Go, O son, and fight
with others, O thou that hast the prowess of a celestial.
It is not proper, O son of Hidimva, that sire should
battle with son.[199] I do not cherish any grudge against
thee, O son of Hidimva! When, however, one’s
ire is excited, one may kill one’s own self.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’Having heard these
words, Ghatotkacha, filled with grief on account of
the fall of his son, and with eyes red as copper in
wrath, approached Aswatthaman and said, ’Am I
a dastard in battle, O son of Drona, like a vulgar
person, that thou dost frighten me thus with words?
Thy words are improper. Verily, I have been begotten
by Bhima in the celebrated race of the Kurus.
I am a son of the Pandavas, those heroes that never
retreat from battle. I am the king of the Rakshasas,
equal to the Ten-necked (Ravana) in might. Wait,
wait, O son of Drona! Thou shalt not escape me
with life. I shall today, on the field of battle,
dispel thy desire for fight.’ Having thus
replied unto Aswatthaman, that mighty Rakshasa with
eyes red as copper in rage, rushed furiously against
the son of Drona, like a lion against a prince of
elephants. And Ghatotkacha began to shower upon
that bull among car-warriors, viz., Drona’s
son, shafts of the measure of Aksha of battle car,
Page 1174
like a cloud pouring torrents of rain. Drona’s
son however, with his own shafts, checked that arrowy
shower before it could reach him. At that time,
it seemed that another encounter was taking place in
the welkin between shafts (as the combatants).
The welkin, then, during the night, shone resplendent
with the sparks caused by the clash of those weapons,
as if with (myriads of) flies. Observing that
his illusion was dispelled by Drona’s son, proud
of his prowess in battle, Ghatotkacha, once more making
himself invisible, created an illusion. He assumed
the form of a high mountain, crowded with cliffs and
trees, and possessing fountains from which ceaselessly
flowed spears and lances and swords and heavy clubs.
Beholding that mountain-like mass of antimony, with
countless weapons falling from it, Drona’s son
was not at all moved. The latter invoked into
existence the Vajra weapon.[200] The prince of mountains,
then, struck with that weapon, was quickly destroyed.
Then the Rakshasa, becoming a mass of blue clouds
in the firmament, decked with rainbow, began furiously
to shower upon Drona’s son in that battle a downpour
of stones and rocks. Then that foremost of all
persons acquainted with weapons, viz., Aswatthaman,
aiming the Vayavya weapon, destroyed that blue cloud
which had risen on the firmament. Drona’s
son, that foremost of men, covering then all the points
of the compass with his shafts, slew a hundred thousand
car-warriors. He then beheld Ghatotkacha fearlessly
coming towards him with bent bow and accompanied by
a large number of Rakshasas that resembled lions or
infuriated elephants of great strength, some riding
on elephants, some on cars, and some on steeds.
The son of Hidimva was accompanied by those fierce
followers of his, with frightful faces and heads and
necks. Those Rakshasas consisted of both Paulastyas
and Yatudhanas.[201] Their prowess was equal to that
of Indra himself. They were armed with diverse
kinds of weapons and were cased in diverse kinds of
armour. Of terrible visage, they swelled with
rage. Ghatotkacha came to battle, accompanied
by those Rakshasas, who were, indeed, incapable of
being easily defeated in battle. Beholding them,
thy son, Duryodhana, became exceedingly cheerless.
Unto him the son of Drona said, ’Wait, O Duryodhana!
Thou needst have no fear. Stand aside with these
thy heroic brothers and these lords of earth, endued
with the prowess of Indra. I will slay thy foes.
Defeat thou shalt not have. I tell thee truly.
Meanwhile, assure thy troops.’
“Duryodhana said, ’I do not regard what
thou sayest to be at all wonderful, since thy heart
is large. O son of Gautama’s daughter, thy
regard for us is great.’
Page 1175
“Sanjaya continued, Having said those words
unto Aswatthaman, he then addressed the son of Suvala,
saying, ’Dhananjaya is engaged in battle surrounded
by a hundred thousand car-warriors of great valour.
Go thou against him, with sixty thousand cars.
Karna also, and Vrishasena and Kripa, and Nila, and
the Northerners, and Kritavarman, and the sons of
Purumitra, and Duhsasana, and Nikumbha, and Kundabhedin,
and Puranjaya and Dridharatha, and Hemakampana, and
Salya, and Aruni, and Indrasena, and Sanjaya, and
Vijaya, and Jaya, and Purakrathin, and Jayavarman,
and Sudarsana, these will follow thee, with sixty
thousand foot-soldiers. O uncle, slay Bhima and
the twins and king Yudhishthira the Just, like the
chief of the celestials slaying the Asuras. My
hope of victory is in thee. Already pierced by
Drona’s son with shafts, all their limbs have
been exceedingly mangled. Slay the sons of Kunti,
O uncle, like Kartikeya slaying the Asuras.’
Thus addressed by thy son, Sakuni proceeded quickly
to destroy the Pandavas, filling thy son’s heart,
O king, with delight.
“Meanwhile, O king, the battle that took place
between the Rakshasas and the son of Drona on that
night was exceedingly terrible like that between Sakra
and Prahlada (in days of old). Ghatotkacha, filled
with rage, struck Drona’s son in the chest with
ten powerful shafts fierce as poison or fire.
Deeply pierced with those shafts by the son of Bhimasena,
Aswatthaman trembled on the terrace of his car like
a tall tree shaken by the tempest. Once more
Ghatotkacha, with a broad-headed shaft, quickly cut
off the bright bow that was in the hands of Drona’s
son. The latter, then, taking up another bow
capable of bearing of great strain, showered keen
arrows (upon his foe) like a cloud pouring torrents
of rain. Then the son of Saradwat’s daughter,
O Bharata, sped many sky-ranging and foe-slaying arrows,
winged with gold, towards the sky-ranging Rakshasa.
Afflicted with those shafts of Aswatthaman, that vast
force of broad-chested Rakshasas looked like a herd
of infuriated elephants afflicted by lions. Consuming
with his arrows those Rakshasas with their steeds,
drivers, and elephants, he blazed forth like the adorable
Agni while consuming creatures at the end of the Yuga.
Having burnt with his shafts a full Akshauhini of
Rakshasa troops, Aswatthaman shone resplendent like
the divine Maheswara in heaven after the burning of
the triple city.[202] That foremost of victors, viz.,
Drona’s son, having burnt thy foes, shone brilliantly
like the blazing Yuga-fire after having burnt all
creatures at the end of the Yuga. Then Ghatotkacha,
filled with rage, urged that vast Rakshasa force on,
saying, ‘Slay the son of Drona!’ That
command of Ghatotkacha was obeyed by those terrible
Rakshasa of bright teeth, large faces, frightful aspects,
gaping mouths, long tongues and eyes blazing with
wrath. Causing the earth to be filled with their
loud leonine roars, and armed with diverse kinds of
Page 1176
weapons, they rushed against the son of Drona for
slaying him. Endued with fierce prowess, those
Rakshasas, with eyes red in wrath, fearlessly hurled
at Aswatthaman’s head hundreds and thousands
of darts, and Sataghnis, and spiked maces, and Asanis
and long lances, and axes, and scimitars, and maces,
and short arrows and heavy clubs, and battle-axes,
and spears, and swords, and lances, and polished Kampanas
and Kunapas, and Hulas, and rockets, and stones, and
vessels of (hot) treacle, and thunas made of black
iron, and mallets, all of terrible forms and capable
of destroying foes. Beholding that thick shower
of weapons falling upon the head of Drona’s
son, thy warriors were much pained. The son of
Drona, however, fearlessly destroyed with his whetted
shafts endued with the force of the thunder that frightful
shower of weapons looking like a risen cloud.
Then the high-souled son of Drona, with other weapons,
equipped with golden wings and inspired with mantras
speedily slew many Rakshasas. Afflicted with
those shafts, that vast force of broad-chested Rakshasas
looked like a herd of infuriated elephants afflicted
by lions. Then those mighty Rakshasas, thus afflicted
Drona’s son, became filled with fury and rushed
against the former. The prowess that the son of
Drona then showed was exceedingly wonderful, for the
feat he achieved is incapable of being achieved by
any other being among living creatures, since, alone
and unsupported, that warrior acquainted with high
and mighty weapons burnt that Rakshasa force with
his blazing shafts in the very sight of that prince
of Rakshasas. Whilst consuming that Rakshasa force,
Drona’s son in that battle shone resplendent
like the Samvartaka fire, while burning all creatures
at the end of the Yuga. Indeed, amongst those
thousands of kings and those Pandavas, O Bharata,
there was none, except that mighty prince of the Rakshasa,
viz., the heroic Ghatotkacha, capable of even
looking at the son of Drona in that battle, who was
thus employed in consuming their ranks with his shafts,
resembling snakes of virulent poison. The Rakshasa,
O chief of the Bharatas, with eyes rolling in wrath,
striking his palms, and biting his (nether) lip, addressed
his own driver, saying, ‘Bear me towards the
son of Drona.’ Riding on that formidable
car equipped with triumphal banners, that slayer of
foes once more proceeded against Drona’s son,
desirous of a single combat with the latter.
Endued with terrible prowess, the Rakshasa, uttering
a loud leonine roar, hurled in that encounter at Drona’s
son, having whirled it (previously), a terrible Asani
of celestial workmanship, and equipped with eight
bells.[203] Drona’s son, however, jumping down
from his car, having left his bow thereon, seized
it and hurled it back at Ghatotkacha himself.
Ghatotkacha, meanwhile, had quickly alighted from his
car. That formidable Asani, of dazzling effulgence,
having reduced to ashes the Rakshasa’s vehicle
with steeds and drivers and standard, entered the
Page 1177
earth, having pierced her through. Beholding that
feat of Drona’s son, viz., his having jumped
down and seized that terrible Asani of celestial workmanship,
all creatures applauded it. Proceeding then, O
king, to Dhrishtadyumna’s car, Bhimasena’s
son, taking up a terrible bow that resembled the large
bow of Indra himself, once more shot many keen shafts
at the illustrious son of Drona. Dhrishtadyumna
also fearlessly shot at Aswatthaman’s chest
many foremost of shafts, equipped with wings of gold
and resembling snakes of virulent poison. Then
Drona’s son shot arrows and long shafts by thousands.
These two heroes, however, viz., Ghatotkacha
and Dhrishtadyumna, struck and baffled Aswatthaman’s
shafts by means of their own shafts whose touch resembled
that of fire. The battle then that took place
between those two lions among men (Ghatotkacha on
the one side) and the son of Drona (on the other) became
fierce in the extreme and gladdened all the combatants,
O bull of Bharata’s race! Then, accompanied
by a thousand cars, three hundred elephants, and six
thousand horses, Bhimasena arrived at that spot.
The virtuous son of Drona, however, endued as he was
with prowess that knew no fatigue, continued to fight
with the heroic son of Bhima and with Dhrishtadyumna
supported by his followers.[204] The prowess then that
Drona’s son displayed on that occasion was exceedingly
wonderful, in as much as, O Bharata, none else amongst
all creatures is capable of accomplishing such feats.
Within the twinkling of an eye, he destroyed, by means
of his sharp shafts, a full Akshauhini of Rakshasa
troops with steeds, drivers, cars, and elephants,
in the very sight of Bhimasena and Hidimva’s
son and Prishata’s son and the twins and Dharma’s
son and Vijaya and Achyuta.[205] Deeply struck with
the straight-going shafts (of Aswatthaman), elephants
fell down on elephants on the earth like crestless
mountains. Strewn all around with the lopped off
trunks of elephants, that moved still in convulsions,
the earth looked as if overspread with moving snakes.
And the earth looked resplendent with golden staves
and royal umbrellas, like the firmament at the end
of the Yuga, bespangled with planets and stars and
many moons and suns. And Drona’s son caused
a bloody river of impetuous current to flow there.
The blood of elephants and steeds and combatants formed
its water; tall standards its frogs; drums formed
its large tortoises; umbrellas, its rows of swans,
yak-tails in profusion, Kankas and vultures, its crocodiles;
weapons its fishes; large elephants the stones and
rocks on its banks; elephants and steeds, its sharks;
cars, its unstable and broad banks; and banners, its
beautiful rows of trees. Having shafts for its
(smaller) fishes, that frightful river had lances and
darts and swords for snakes; marrow and flesh for
its mire, and trunkless bodies floating on it for
its rafts. And it was choked with the hair (of
men and animals) for its moss. And it inspired
Page 1178
the timid with cheerlessness and fear. And bloody
waves were seen on its surface. Rendered frightful
by means of the foot-soldiers with which it teemed,
Yama’s abode, was the ocean towards which it
flowed. Having slain the Rakshasas, Drona’s
son then began to afflict the son of Hidimva with
arrows. Filled once more with rage, the puissant
son of Drona having pierced those mighty car-warriors,
viz., the Parthas including Vrikodara and the
sons of Prishata, slew Suratha, one of the sons of
Drupada. Then he slew in that battle Suratha’s
younger brother named Satrunjaya. And then he
slew Valanika and Jayanika, and Jaya. And once
more, with a keen shaft, Drona’s son’ uttering
a leonine roar, slew Prishdhra, and then proud Chandrasena.
And then he slew with ten arrows the ten sons of Kuntibhoja.
Then, O king, Drona’s son despatched Srutayus
to the abode of Yama. With three other keen shafts,
equipped with beautiful wings and red eyes, he despatched
the mighty Satrunjaya to the region of Sakra.[206]
Then Aswatthaman, filled with rage, fixed on his bowstring
a fierce and straight arrow. Drawing the string
to his ear, he quickly shot that fierce and excellent
arrow resembling the rod of Death himself, aiming
at Ghatotkacha. That mighty shaft, equipped with
beautiful wings, passing through the chest of that
Rakshasa, O lord of the earth, entered the earth, piercing
through it, Ghatotkacha thereupon fell down on the
car. Beholding him fallen down and believing
him to be dead, the mighty car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna
took him away from the presence of Drona’s son
and caused him to be placed upon another car.
Thus, O king, that car-force of Yudhishthira turned
away from the fight. The heroic son of Drona
having vanquished his foes, uttered a loud roar.
And he was worshipped by all men and all thy sons,
O sire.’[207] The earth, strewn all around with
the fallen bodies of dead Rakshasas, pierced and mangled
with hundreds of arrows, became fierce looking and
impassable, as if strewn with mountain summits.
The Siddhas and Gandharvas and Pisachas, and Nagas,
and birds, and Pitris and ravens and large numbers
of cannibals and ghosts, and Apsaras and celestials,
all combined in highly applauding the son of Drona.’”
SECTION CLVI
“Sanjaya said, ’Beholding the sons of
Drupada, as also those of Kuntibhoja, and Rakshasas
too in thousands, slain by the son of Drona, Yudhishthira
and Bhimasena, and Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Prishata,
and Yuyudhana, uniting together, set their hearts
firmly on battle. Then Somadatta, once more filled
with rage upon beholding Satyaki in that battle, covered
the latter, O Bharata, with a dense shower of arrows.
Then took place a battle, fierce and exceedingly wonderful
to behold, between thy warriors and those of the foe,
both parties being solicitous of victory. Fighting
on behalf of Satyaki, Bhima pierced the Katirava.
hero with ten shafts. Somadatta, however, in return,
Page 1179
pierced that hero with a hundred arrows. Then
Satwata, filled with rage, pierced with ten keen shafts,
endued with the force of the thunder, that old warrior
afflicted with grief on account of the death of his
son, and who was, besides, endued with every estimable
virtue like Yayati, the son of Nahusha. Having
pierced him with great force, he struck him once more
with seven arrows. Then, fighting for the sake
of Satyaki, Bhimasena hurled at the head of Somadatta
a new, hard and terrible Parigha. Satyaki also
filled with rage, shot at Somadatta’s chest,
in that battle, an excellent shaft, keen and equipped
with goodly wings and resembling fire itself in splendour.
The Parigha and the shaft, both terrible, fell simultaneously
upon the body of the heroic Somadatta. That mighty
car-warrior, thereupon, fell down. Beholding his
son (Somadatta) thus fallen into a swoon, Valhika
rushed at Satyaki scattering showers of arrows like
a cloud in season. Then Bhima, for Satyaki’s
sake, afflicted the illustrious Valhika with nine
shafts and pierced him therewith at the van of battle.
Then the mighty-armed son of Pratipa, Valhika, filled
with great fury, hurled a dart at the chest of Bhima,
like Purandara himself hurling the thunder. Struck
therewith, Bhima trembled (on his car) and swooned
away. The mighty warrior then, recovering his
senses, hurled a mace at his opponent. Hurled
by the son of Pandu, that mace snatched away the head
of Valhika, who, thereupon, fell down lifeless on the
earth, like a tree struck down by lightning.
Upon the slaughter of that bull among men, viz.,
the heroic Valhika, ten of thy sons, each of whom was
equal unto Rama, the son of Dasaratha, in prowess,
began to afflict Bhima. They were Nagadatta,
and Dridharatha, and Viravahu, and Ayobhuja, and Dridha,
and Suhasta, and Viragas and Pramatha, and Ugrayayin.
Beholding them Bhimasena became filled with rage.
He then took up a number of arrows, each capable of
bearing a great strain. Aiming at each of them
one after another, he sped those arrows at them, striking
each in his vital part. Pierced therewith, they
fell down from their cars, deprived of energy and
life, like tall trees from mountain cliffs broken
by a tempest. Having with those ten shafts slain
those ten sons of thine, Bhima shrouded the favourite
son of Karna with showers of arrows. Then the
celebrated Vrikaratha, brother of Karna, pierced Bhima
with many arrows. The mighty Pandava, however,
soon disposed of him effectually. Slaying next,
O Bharata, seven car-warriors among thy brother-in-law,
with his shafts, the heroic Bhima pressed Satachandra
down into the earth. Unable to bear the slaughter
of the mighty car-warrior Satachandra, Sakuni’s
brothers, viz., the heroic Gavaksha and Sarabha
and Bibhu, and Subhaga, and Bhanudatta, those five
mighty car-warriors, rushing towards Bhimasena, attacked
him with their keen shafts. Thus attacked with
those shafts, like a mountain with torrents of rain.’[208]
Bhima slew those five mighty kings with five shafts
of his. Beholding those heroes slain many great
kings began to waver.
Page 1180
“Then Yudhishthira, filled with wrath, began
to destroy thy ranks, in the sight, O sinless one,
of the Pot-born (Drona) and of thy sons. Indeed,
with his shafts, Yudhishthira began to despatch to
the regions of Yama the Amvashthas, the Malavas, the
brave Trigartas and the Sivis. And cutting off
the Abhishahas, the Surasenas, the Valhikas, and the
Vasatis, he caused the earth to be miry with flesh
and blood. And he also despatched within a trice,
by means of many shafts, to Yama’s domains,
the Yaudheyas, the Malavas, and large numbers, O king,
of the Madrakas. Then a loud uproar arose in
the vicinity of Yudhishthira’s car, amid which
was heard, ‘Slay’, Seize’, ‘Capture’,
Pierce’, Cut into pieces’! Beholding
him thus slaying and routing thy troops, Drona, urged
on by thy son, shrouded Yudhishthira with showers
of shafts. Drona filled with great wrath, struck
Yudhishthira with the Vayavya weapon. The son
of Pandu, however, baffled that celestial weapon with
a similar weapon of his own. Seeing his weapon
baffled, the son of Bharadwaja, filled with great
wrath and desirous of slaying the son of Pandu, sped
at Yudhishthira diverse celestial weapons such as
the Varuna, the Yamya, the Agneya, the Tvashtra, and
the Savitra. The mighty-armed Pandava, however,
conversant with morality, fearlessly baffled all those
weapons of the Pot-born that were hurled or in course
of being hurled at him. Then the Pot-born, striving
to accomplish his vow and desirous also for thy son’s
good, to slay the son of Dharma, invoked into existence,
O Bharata, the Aindra and the Prajapatya weapons.
Then that foremost one of Kuru’s race, Yudhishthira,
of the gait of the elephant or the lion, of broad chest
and large and red eyes, and endued with energy scarcely
inferior (to that of Drona) invoked into existence
the Mahendra weapon. With that he baffled the
weapon of Drona. Seeing all his weapons baffled,
Drona, filled with wrath and desirous of accomplishing
the destruction of Yudhishthira, invoked into existence
the Brahma weapon. Enveloped as we then were by
a thick gloom, we could not observe what passed.
All creatures also, O monarch, were filled with great
fright. Beholding the Brahma weapon uplifted,
Kunti’s son, Yudhishthira, O king, baffled it
with a Brahma weapon of his own. Then, all the
foremost warriors applauded those two bulls among
men, viz., Drona and Yudhishthira, those great
bowmen acquainted with every mode of warfare.
Abandoning Yudhishthira, Drona then, with eyes red
as copper in rage, began to consume the division of
Drupada with the Vayavya weapon. Oppressed by
Drona, the Panchalas fled away from fear, in the very
sight of Bhimasena and of the illustrious Partha.
Then the diadem-decked (Arjuna) and Bhimasena, checking
that flight of their troops, suddenly encountered
that hostile force with two large throngs of cars.
Vibhatsu, attacking the right and Vrikodara the left,
Bharadwaja’s son was encountered, with two mighty
showers of shafts. Then the Kaikeyas, the Srinjayas,
and the Panchalas of great energy followed the two
brothers, O king, accompanied by the Matsyas and the
Satwatas. Then the Bharata host, slaughtered by
the diadem-decked (Arjuna) and overcome with sleep
and darkness, began to break. Drona, and thy
son himself, endeavoured to rally them. The combatants,
however, O king, were incapable of being then checked
in their flight.’”
Page 1181
SECTION CLVII
“Sanjaya said, ’Beholding that vast host
of the Pandavas swelling with rage and regarding it
to be incapable of being resisted, thy son Duryodhana.
addressing Karna, said these words, ’O thou that
art devoted to friends, that hour hath now come in
respect of thy friends (when thy help is most needed).
O Karna, save in battle all my warriors. Our
combatants are now encompassed on all sides by the
Panchalas, the Kaikeyas, the Matsyas, and the mighty
car-warriors of the Pandavas, all filled, with rage
and resembling hissing snakes. Yonder the Pandavas,
solicitous of victory, are roaring in joy. The
vast car-force of the Panchalas is possessed of the
prowess of Sakra himself.’
“Karna replied, ’If Purandara himself
were to come hither for saving Partha, quickly vanquishing
even him, I would slay that son or Pandu. I tell
thee truly. Be cheered, O Bharata! I will
slay the son of Pandu and all the assembled Panchalas,
I will give thee victory, like Pavaka’s son
giving victory unto Vasava. I shall do what is
agreeable to thee in this battle that has begun.
Amongst all the Parthas, Phalguna is the strongest.
At him I will hurl the fatal dart of Sakra’s
workmanship. Upon the death of that great bowman,
his brothers, O giver of honour, will either surrender
themselves unto thee or once more retire into the
forest. When I am alive, O Kauravya, never indulge
in any grief. I will vanquish in battle all the
Pandavas united together and all the Panchalas, the
Kaikeyas, and the Vrishnis assembled together.
Making porcupines of them by means of my arrowy showers,
I will give thee the earth.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’While Karna was uttering
those words, Kripa, the mighty armed son of Saradwat,
smiling the while, addressed the Suta’s son
in these words, ’Thy speech is fair, O Karna!
If words alone could lead to success, then with thee,
O son of Radha, as his protector, this bull among
the Kurus would be considered to have the amplest measure
of protection. Thou boastest much, O Karna, in
the presence of the Kuru chief, but thy prowess is
seldom witnessed, nor, indeed, any result (of thy
boastful speeches). Many a time have we seen thee
encounter the sons of Pandu in battle. On every
one of those occasions, O Suta’s son, thou hast
been vanquished by the Pandavas. While Dhritarashtra’s
son was being taken away (as a captive) by the Gandharvas,
all the troops fought on that occasion except thy
single self, who was the first to fly away. In
Virata’s city also, all the Kauravas, united
together, including thyself and thy younger brother
were vanquished by Partha in battle. Thou art
not a match for even one of the sons of Pandu, viz.,
Phalguna, on the field of battle. How then canst
thou venture to vanquish all the sons of Pandu with
Krishna at their head? Thou indulgest in too much
brag, O Suta’s son! Engage thyself in battle
without saying anything. To Put forth prowess
Page 1182
without indulging in brag is the duty of good men.
Ever roaring aloud, O Suta’s son like the dry
clouds of autumn, thou showest thyself, O Karna to
be without substance. The king, however, does
not understand it. Thou roarest, O son of Radha,
as long as thou seest not the son of Pritha.
These thy roars disappear when thou seest Partha near.
Indeed, thou roarest as long as thou art out of the
range of Phalguna’s shafts. Those roars
of thine disappear when thou art pierced with Partha’s
shafts. Kshatriyas evince their eminence by means
of their arms; Brahmanas, by means of speech; Arjuna
evinces his by means of the bow; but Karna, by the
castles he builds in the air. Who is there that
will resist that Partha who gratified Rudra himself
(in battle)?’ Thus railed at by Saradwat’s
son, Karna, that foremost of smiters, answered Kripa
in the following strain, ’Heroes always roar
like clouds in the season of rains, and like steeds
put in the soil, quickly yield fruits. I do not
see any fault in heroes that take great burdens on
their shoulders, indulging in boastful speeches on
the field of battle. When a person mentally resolves
to bear a burden, Destiny itself aids him in the execution.
Wishing in my heart bear a great burden, I always summon
sufficient resolution. If, slaying the sons of
Pandu with Krishna and Satwatas in battle, I indulge
in such roars, what is it to thee, O Brahmana?
They that are heroes never roar fruitlessly like autumnal
clouds. Conscious of their own might, the wise
indulge in roars! In my heart I am determined
to vanquish in battle today Krishna and Partha united
together and fighting with resolution! It is for
this that I roar, O son of Gotama! Behold the
fruit of these my roars, O Brahmana! Slaying
the son of Pandu in battle, with all their followers,
Krishna and Satwatas, I will bestow on Duryodhana
the whole earth without a thorn in it.’
“Kripa said, ’Little do I reckon, O Suta’s
son, these delirious saying of thine discovering thy
thoughts, not deeds. Thou always speakest in
depreciation of the two Krishnas and king Yudhishthira
the just. He, O Karna, is certain, to have the
victory who hath on his side those two heroes skilled
in battle. Indeed, Krishna and Arjuna are incapable
of being defeated by the celestials, the Gandharvas,
the Yakshas, human beings, the Nagas, and the birds,
all clad in mail. Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma
is devoted to the Brahmanas. He is truthful in
speech and self-restrained. He reverences the
Pitris and the deities. He is devoted to the
practice of truth and righteousness. He is, again,
skilled in weapons. Possessed of great intelligence,
he is also grateful. His brothers are all endued
with great might and well-practised in all weapons.
They are devoted to the service of their seniors.
Possessed of wisdom and fame, they are also righteous
in their practices. Their kinsmen and relatives
are all endued with the prowess of Indra. Effectual
smiters, they are all exceedingly devoted to the Pandavas.
Page 1183
Dhrishtadyumna, and Sikhandin and Janamejaya, the son
of Durmuksha and Chandrasen, and Madrasen, and Kritavarman,
Dhruva, and Dhara and Vasuchandra, and Sutejana, the
sons of Drupada, and Drupada himself, conversant with
high and mighty weapons, and the king of the Matsyas
also, with his younger brothers, all resolutely struggling
for their sake, and Gajanika, and Virabhadra, and
Sudarsana, and Srutadhwaja, and Valanika, and Jayanika,
and Jayaprya, and Vijaya and Labhalaksha, and Jayaswa,
and Kamaratha, and the handsome brothers of Virata,
and the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva), and the (five)
sons of Draupadi, and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha, are
all fighting for the Pandavas. The sons of Pandu,
therefore, will not meet with destruction. These
and many other hosts (of heroes) are for the sons
of Pandu. Without doubt, the entire universe,
with the celestials, Asuras, and human beings, with
all the tribes of Yaksha and Rakshas and with all
the elephants and snakes and other creatures, can
be annihilated by Bhima and Phalguna by the prowess
of their weapons. As regards Yudhishthira also,
he can, with angry eyes only, consume the whole world.
How, O Karna, canst thou venture to vanquish those
foes in battle for whom Sauri of immeasurable might
hath clad himself in mail? This, O Suta’s
son, is a great folly on thy part, since thou always
venturest to contend with Sauri himself in battle.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’Thus addressed (by
Kripa), Karna the son of Radha, O bull of Bharata’s
race, smiling the while, said these words unto the
preceptor Kripa, the son of Saradwat, ’The words
thou hast spoken about the Pandavas, O Brahmana, are
all true. These and many other virtues are to
be seen in the sons of Pandu. It is true also
that the Parthas are incapable of being vanquished
by the very gods with Vasava at their head, and the
Daityas, the Yakshas, and the Rakshasas. For all
that I will vanquish the Parthas with the help of
the dart given me by Vasava. Thou knowest, O
Brahmana, that the dart given by Sakra is incapable
of being baffled. With that I will slay Savyasachin
in battle. Upon Arjuna’s fall, Krishna
and the uterine brothers of Arjuna will never be able
to enjoy the (sovereignty of the) earth without Arjuna
(to aid them). All of them, therefore, will perish.
This earth then, with her seas, will remain subject
to the chief of the Kurus, O Gautama, without costing
him any efforts. In this world everything, without
doubt, becomes attainable by policy. Knowing
this, I indulge in these roars, O Gautama! As
regards thyself, thou art old, a Brahmana by birth,
and unskilled in battle. Thou bearest much love
for the Pandavas. It is for this thou insultest
me thus. If, O Brahmana, thou tellest me again
such words as these, I shall, then, drawing out my
scimitar, cut off thy tongue, O wretch! Thou
desirest, O Brahmana, to applaud the Pandavas, for
frightening all the troops and the Kauravas, O thou
of wretched understanding! As regards this also,
Page 1184
O Gautama, listen to what I say. Duryodhana, and
Drona, and Sakuni, and Durmukha, and Jaya, and Duhsasana,
and Vrishasena, and the ruler of the Madras, and thyself
too and Somadatta and Drona’s son, and Vivinsati,—all
these heroes skilled in battle,—are here,
clad in mail. What foe is there, endued with
even the prowess of Sakra, that would vanquish these
in battle? All those I have named a-e heroes,
skilled in weapons, endued with great might, solicitous
of admission into heaven, conversant with morality,
and skilled in battle. They would stay the very
gods in fight. These will take their places on
the field for slaying the Pandavas, clad in mail on
behalf of Duryodhana desirous of victory. I regard
victory to be dependent on destiny, even in the case
of the foremost of mighty men. When the mighty-armed
Bhishma himself lieth pierced with a hundred arrows,
as also Vikarna, and Jayadratha, and Bhurisravas,
and Jaya, and Jalasandha, and Sudakshina, and Sala;
that foremost of car-warriors, and Bhagadatta of great
energy, I say, when these and many others, incapable
of being easily vanquished by the very gods, heroes
all and mightier (than the Pandavas), lie on the field
of battle, slain by the Pandavas, what dost thou think,
O wretch among men, but that all this is the result
of destiny? As regards them also, viz.,
the foes of Duryodhana, whom thou adorest, O Brahmana,
brave warriors of theirs, in hundreds and thousands,
have been slain. The armies of both the Kurus
and the Pandavas are diminishing in numbers; I do not,
in this, behold the prowess of the Pandavas!
With them, O lowest of men, whom thou always regardest
to be so mighty, I shall strive, to the utmost extent
of my might, to contend in battle, for Duryodhana’s
good. As regards victory, that depends on destiny.’”
SECTION CLVIII
“Sanjaya said, ’Seeding his uncle thus
addressed in harsh and insulting words by the Suta’s
son, Aswatthaman, uplifting his scimitar, furiously
rushed towards the latter. Filled with fury, Drona’s
son rushed towards Karna, in the very sight of the
Kuru king, like a lion at an infuriated elephant.
“And Aswatthaman said, ’O lowest of men,
Kripa was speaking of the virtues truly possessed
by Arjuna. Of wicked understanding as thou art,
thou rebukest, however, my brave uncle from malice.
Possessed with pride and insolence, thou braggest
today of thy prowess, not regarding any of the world’s
bowmen in battle![209] Where was thy prowess and where
were thy weapons when vanquishing thee in battle the
wielder of Gandiva slew Jayadratha in thy very sight?
Vainly, O wretch of a Suta, dost thou indulge in thy
mind the hope of vanquishing him who formerly contended
in battle with Mahadeva himself. The very gods
with the Asuras united together and with Indra at
their head had failed to vanquish Arjuna, that foremost
of all wielders of weapons, having Krishna only for
his ally. How then, O Suta, hopest thou, aided
by these kings, to vanquish that foremost of heroes
in the world, viz., the unvanquished Arjuna, in
battle? Behold, O Karna of wicked soul, (what
I do to thee) today! O lowest of men, O thou
of wretched understanding, I shall presently sever
thy head from thy trunk.’
Page 1185
“Sanjaya continued, ’Thus saying, Aswatthaman
made a furious rush at Karna. The king himself,
of great energy, and Kripa, that foremost of men,
held him fast. Then Karna said, ’Of wicked
understanding, this wretch of a Brahmana thinks himself
brave and boasts of his prowess in battle. Set
him at liberty, O chief of the Kurus. Let him
come in contact with my might.’
“Aswatthaman said, ’O son of a Suta, O
thou of wicked understanding, this (thy fault) is
pardoned by us. Phalguna, however, will quell
this risen pride of thine.’
“Duryodhana said, ’O Aswatthaman, quell
thy wrath. It behoveth thee, O giver of honours,
to forgive. Thou shouldst not, O sinless one,
be angry with the Suta’s son. Upon thee
and Karna and Kripa and Drona and the ruler of the
Madras and Suvala’s son resteth a great burthen.
Drive away thy wrath, O best of Brahmanas! Yonder,
all the Pandava troops are approaching from desire
of fight with Radha’s son. Indeed, O Brahmana,
yonder they come, challenging us all.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’Thus pacified by
the king, the high-souled son of Drona, O monarch,
whose ire had been excited, suppressed his wrath and
forgave (Karna). Then the preceptor Kripa, of
noble heart, who is of a quite disposition, O monarch,
and mild temper, therefore, returned soon unto him,
said these words.’
“Kripa, said, ’O Suta’s son of wicked
heart, this (thy fault) is pardoned by us. Phalguna,
however, will quell this thy risen pride.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’Then the Pandavas,
O king, and the Panchalas, celebrated for their prowess,
uniting together approached in thousands, uttering
loud shouts; Karna also, that foremost of car-warriors,
endued with great energy, surrounded by many foremost
ones among the Kuru warriors and resembling Sakra
in the midst of the celestials, waited, drawing his
bow and relying on the might of his own arms.
Then commenced a battle between Karna and the Pandavas.
O king, that was exceedingly dreadful and characterised
by loud leonine roars. Then Pandavas, O monarch,
and the Panchalas, celebrated for their prowess, beholding
the mighty-armed Karna, loudly shouted, saying, ‘There
is Karna,’ ’Where is Karna in this fierce
battle.’—’O thou of wicked understanding,
O lowest of men, fight with us!’—Others,
beholding the son of Radha said, with eyes expanded
In wrath, ’Let this arrogant wretch of little
understanding, this son of a Suta, be slain by the
allied kings. He hath no need to live. This
sinful man is always very hostile to the Parthas.
Obedient to the counsels of Duryodhana, this one is
the root of these evils. Slay him.’
Uttering such words, great Kshatriya car-warriors,
urged by Pandu’s son, rushed towards him, covering
him with a dense shower of arrows, for slaying him.
Beholding all those mighty Pandavas thus (advancing),
the Suta’s son, trembled not, nor experienced
any fear. Indeed, seeing that wonderful sea of
troops, resembling Death himself, that benefactor
Page 1186
of thy sons, viz., the mighty and fight-handed
Karna, never vanquished in battle, O bull of Bharata’s
race, began, with clouds of shafts, to resist that
force on all sides. The Pandavas also fought
with the foe, shooting showers of shafts. Shaking
their hundreds and thousands of bows they fought with
Radha’s son, like the Daityas of old fighting
with Sakra. The mighty Karna, however, with a
dense arrowy shower of his own dispelled that downpour
of arrows caused by those lords of earth on all sides.
The battle that took place between them, and in which
each party counteracted the feats of the other,’
resembled the encounter between Sakra and the Danavas
in the great battle fought of yore between the gods
and the Asuras. The lightness of arm that we then
behold of the Suta’s son was wonderful in the
extreme, inasmuch as, all his foes, fighting resolutely,
could not strike him in that battle. Checking
the clouds of arrows shot by the (hostile) king, that
mighty car-warrior, viz., Radha’s son,
sped terrible arrows marked with his own name at the
yokes, the shafts, the umbrellas, the cars, and the
steeds (of his foes). Then those kings, afflicted
by Karna and losing their coolness, began to wander
on the field like a herd of kine afflicted with cold.
Struck by Karna, large numbers of steeds and elephants
and car-warriors were seen there to drop down deprived
of life. The whole field, O king, became strewn
with the fallen heads and arms of unreturning heroes.
With the dead, the dying, and the wailing warriors,
the field of battle, O monarch, assumed the aspect
of Yama’s domain. Then Duryodhana, O king,
witnessing the prowess of Karna, repaired to Aswatthaman
and addressing him, said, ’Behold, Karna, clad
in mail, is engaged with all the (hostile) kings.
Behold, the hostile army, afflicted with the arrows
of Karna, is being routed like the Asura army overwhelmed
with the energy of Kartikeya. Seeing his army
vanquished in battle by that intelligent Karna, yonder
cometh Vibhatsu from desire of slaying the Suta’s
son. Let such steps, therefore, be taken as may
prevent the son of Pandu from slaying that mighty
car-warrior viz., Suta’s son, in the very
sight of us all.’ (Thus addressed), Drona’s
son, and Kripa, and Salya, and that great car-warrior,
viz., the son of Hridika, beholding the son of
Kunti coming (towards them) like Sakra himself towards
the Daitya host, all advanced against Partha for rescuing
the Suta’s son. Meanwhile, Vibhatsu, O
monarch, surrounded by the Panchala I advanced against
Karna, like Purandara proceeding against the Asura
Vritra.’[210]
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Beholding Phalguna
excited with fury and looking like the Destroyer himself,
as he appears at the end of the Yuga what, O Suta,
did Vikartana’s son Karna do next? Indeed,
the mighty car-warrior Karna, the son of Vikartana,
had always challenged Partha. Indeed, he had
always said that he was competent to vanquish the terrible
Vibhatsu. What then, O Suta, did that warrior
do when he thus suddenly met his ever deadly foe?’[211]
Page 1187
“Sanjaya continued, ’Beholding the son
of Pandu rushing towards him like an elephant towards
a rival elephant, Karna fearlessly proceeded against
Dhananjaya. Partha, however, soon covered Karna
who was thus advancing with great impetuosity, with
showers of straight shafts, equipped with wings of
gold. Karna also covered Vijaya with his shafts.
The son of Pandu then once more shrouded Karna with
clouds of arrows. Then Karna, filled with rage,
pierced Arjuna with three shafts. The mighty
car-warrior, Arjuna, beholding Karna’s lightness
of hand, could not brook it. That scorcher of
foes shot at the Suta’s son thirty straight shafts,
whetted on stone and equipped with blazing points.
Endued with great might and energy, he also pierced
him, in rage, with another long arrow on the wrist
of his left arm, smiling the while. Karna’s
bow then dropped from that arm of his, which had thus
been pierced with great force. Then the mighty
Karna, taking up that bow within the twinkling of an
eye, once more covered Phalguna with clouds of shafts,
displaying great lightness of hard. Dhananjaya
then, O Bharata, smiling the while, baffled with his
own shafts, that arrowy shower shot by the Suta’s
son. Approaching each other, those two great
bowmen, desirous of counteracting each other’s
feats, continued to cover each other with showers of
shafts. The battle that took place between them,
viz., Karna and the son of Pandu, became exceedingly
wonderful, like that between the two wild elephants
for the sake of a she-elephant in her season.
Then the mighty bowman Partha, beholding Karna’s
prowess, quickly cut of the latter’s bow at the
handle. And he also despatched the four steeds
of the Suta’s son to Yama’s abode with
a number of broad-headed shafts. And that scorcher
of foes also cut off from the trunk the head of Karna’s
driver. Then, the son of Pandu and Pritha pierced
the bowless, the steedless, and the driverless Karna
with four shafts. Then that bull among men Karna,
afflicted with those shafts, specially jumping down
from that steedless car, mounted upon that of Kripa.
Beholding the son of Radha vanquished, thy, warriors,
O bull of Bharata’s race, fled away in all directions.
Seeing them fly away, king Duryodhana himself checked
them and said these words, ’Ye heroes, do not
fly away. Ye bulls among Kshatriyas, stay in battle.
I myself will now advance for slaying Partha in battle.
I myself will slay Partha with the assembled Panchalas.
While I shall fight with the wielder of Gandiva today,
Partha will behold my prowess to resemble that of the
Destroyer himself at the end of the Yuga. Today
the Parthas shall behold my shafts shot in thousands
to resemble flights of locusts. The combatants
shall behold me today shooting, bow in hand, dense
showers of shafts, like torrents of rain poured by
the clouds at the end of the summer season. I
shall today vanquish Partha with my straight shafts.
Stay, ye heroes, in battle, and remove your fear or
Page 1188
Phalguna. Encountering my prowess, Phalguna shall
never be able to bear it, like the ocean, the abode
of makaras, unable to overcome the continents.’
Thus saying, the king proceeded in rage, his eyes
red in wrath, surrounded by a large host, towards
Phalguna. Beholding the mighty-armed Duryodhana
thus proceeding, Saradwat’s son, approaching
Aswatthaman, said these words, ’Yonder, the
mighty-armed Duryodhana, deprived of his senses by
wrath, desireth to fight with Phalguna, like an insect
desiring to rush into a blazing fire. Before
this foremost of kings layeth down his life, in our
very sight, in this battle with Partha, prevent him
(from rushing into the encounter). The brave
Kuru king can remain alive in battle as long only as
he doth not place himself within the range of Partha’s
shafts. Let the king be stopped before he is
consumed into ashes by the terrible shafts of Partha,
that resemble snakes just freed from their sloughs.
When we are here, O giver of honours, it seems to
be highly improper that the king should himself go
to battle to fight, as if he had none to fight for
him. The life of this descendant of Kuru will
be in great danger if he engages in battle with the
diademdecked (Arjuna), like that of an elephant contending
with a tiger.’ Thus addressed by his maternal
uncle, Drona’s son, that foremost of all wielders
of weapons, quickly repaired unto Duryodhana and addressing
him, said these words, ’When I am alive, O son
of Gandhari, it behoveth thee not to engage thyself
in battle, disregarding me, O descendant of Kuru,
that am ever desirous of thy good. Thou needst
not be at all anxious about vanquishing Partha.
I will check Partha! Stand here, O Suyodhana.’
“Duryodhana said, ’The preceptor (Drona)
always protecteth the sons of Pandu, as if they are
his own sons. Thou also always never interferest
with those my foes. Or, it may be due to my misfortune,
that thy prowess never becometh fierce in battle.
This may be due also to thy affection for Yudhishthira
or Draupadi. I myself am ignorant of the true
reason. Fie on my covetous self, for whose sake
all friends, desirous of making me happy, are themselves
vanquished and plunged into grief. Except thee,
O son of Gotama’s daughter, what foremost of
all wielders of weapons of there, what warrior, indeed,
equal to Mahadeva himself in battle, that would not,
though competent, destroy the foe? O Aswatthaman;
be pleased with me and destroy my enemies. Neither
the gods nor the Danavas are capable of staying within
the range of thy weapons, O son of Drona, slay the
Panchalas and the Somakas with all their followers.
As regards the rest, we will slay them, Protected
by thee. Yonder, O Brahmana, the Somakas and
the Panchalas, possessed of great fame, are careering
amid my troops like a forest-conflagration. O
mighty-armed one, check them as also the Kailkeyas,
O best of men, else, protected by the diadem-decked
(Arjuna), they will annihilate us all. O Aswatthaman,
Page 1189
O chastiser of foes, go thither with speed. Whether
thou accomplishest it now or afterwards, that feat,
O sire, should be accomplished by thee. Thou hast
been born, O mighty-armed one, for the destruction
of the Panchalas. Putting forth thy prowess,
thou shalt make the world destitute of Panchalas.
Even thus the reverend ones crowned with (ascetic)
success, have said. It will be as they have said.
Therefore, O tiger among men, slay the Panchalas with
all their followers. The very gods with Vasava
at their head are incapable of staying within the
range of thy weapons, what need be said then of the
Parthas and the Panchalas? These words of mine
are true. I tell thee truly, O hero, that the
Pandavas united with the Somakas are no match for
thee in battle! Go, O mighty-armed one! Let
there be no delay. Behold, our army, afflicted
with Partha’s shafts, is breaking and flying
away. Thou art competent, O mighty-armed one,
aided by thy own celestial energy, to afflict, O giver
of honours, the Pandavas and the Panchalas.’”
SECTION CLIX
“Sanjaya said, ’Thus addressed by Duryodhana,
Drona’s son, that warrior difficult of defeat
in battle, set his heart upon destroying the foe,
like Indra bent upon destroying the Daityas. The
mighty-armed Aswatthaman answered thy son, saying,
’It is even so as thou sayest, O descendant of
Kuru! The Pandavas are always dear to both myself
and my father. So also, are we both dear unto
them. Not so, however, in battle. We will,
according to the measure of our might, fearlessly contend
in battle, reckless of our lives. Myself, Karna,
Salya, Kripa, and Hridika’s son, could, O best
of kings, destroy the Pandava host within the twinkling
of an eye. The Pandavas also, O best of the Kurus,
could within the twinkling of an eye, destroy the
Kaurava host, if, O mighty-armed one, we were not
present in battle. We are fighting with the Pandavas
to the best of our might, and they also are fighting
with us to the best of their might. Energy, encountering
energy, is being neutralised, O Bharata! The
Pandava army is incapable of being vanquished as long
as the sons of Pandu are alive. This that I tell
thee is true. The sons of Pandu are endued with
great might. They are, again, fighting for their
own sake. Why should not they, O Bharata, be
able to slay thy troops. Thou, however, O king,
art exceedingly covetous. Thou, O Kaurava, art
deceitful. Thou art vainglorious and suspicious
of everything. For this, thou suspectest even
us. I think, O king, thou art wicked, of sinful
soul, and an embodiment of sin. Mean and of sinful
thoughts, thou doubtest us and others. As regards
myself, fighting with resolution for thy sake, I am
prepared to lay down my life. I will presently
go to battle for thy sake, O chief of the Kurus.
I will fight with the foe and slay a large number
of the enemy. I will fight with the Panchalas,
the Somakas, the Kaikeyas, and the Pandayas also,
Page 1190
in battle, for doing what is agreeable to thee, O
chastiser of foes. Scorched with my arrows today,
the Chedis, the Panchalas, and the Somakas, will fly
away on all sides like a herd of kine afflicted by
a lion. Today, the royal son of Dharma with all
the Somakas, beholding my prowess, will regard the
whole world to be filled with Aswatthamans. Dharma’s
son, Yudhishthira, will become exceedingly cheerless,
beholding the Panchalas and Somakas slain (by me)
in battle. I will, O Bharata, slay all those that
will approach me in battle. Afflicted with the
might of my arms, none of them, O hero, will escape
me today with life.’ Having said so unto
thy son, Duryodhana, the mighty-armed (Aswatthaman)
proceeded to battle, and afflicted all bowmen.
That foremost of all living beings thus sought to achieve
what was agreeable to thy sons. The son of Gotama’s
daughter, then addressing the Panchalas and the Kaikeyas,
said unto them, ’Ye mighty car-warriors, strike
ye all at my body. Displaying your lightness in
the use of arms, fight ye with me coolly.’
Thus addressed by him, all those combatants, O king,
poured showers of weapons upon Drona’s son like
clouds pouring torrents of rain. Baffling that
shower, Drona’s son in that battle, slew ten
brave warriors amongst them, in the very sight, O lord,
of Dhrishtadyumna and the sons of Pandu. The
Panchalas and the Somakas then, thus worked in battle,
abandoned the son of Drona and fled away in all directions.
Beholding those brave warriors, viz., the Panchalas
and the Somakas, flying away, Dhrishtadyumna, O king,
rushed against Drona’s son in that battle.
Surrounded then by a hundred brave and unreturning
car-warriors mounted upon cars, decked with gold, and
the rattle of whose wheels resembled the roar or rain-charged
clouds, the mighty car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna, the
son of the Panchala king, beholding his warriors slain,
addressed Drona’s son and said these words, ’O
foolish son of the preceptor, what is the use of slaying
vulgar combatants. If thou art a hero, fight
then with me in battle. I will slay thee.
Wait for a moment without flying away.’
Saying thus, Dhrishtadyumna of great prowess struck
the preceptor’s son with many keen and terrible
arrows capable of piercing the very vitals. Those
swiftly-coursing shafts, equipped with golden wings
and keen points, and capable of piercing the body of
every foe proceeding in a continuous line, penetrated
into Aswatthaman’s body, like freely-roaming
bees in search of honey entering a flowering tree.
Deeply pierced and swelling with rage, like a trodden
snake, the proud and fearless son of Drona, arrow
in hand, addressed his foe, saying, ’O Dhrishtadyumna,
wait for moment, without leaving my presence.’
Soon shall I despatch thee to Yama’s abode with
my keen shafts.’ Having said these words,
that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the son of
Drona, displaying great lightness of hands, covered
the son of Prishata from every side with clouds of
Page 1191
arrows. Thus covered in that encounter (with arrows)
by Drona’s son, the Panchala prince, difficult
to defeat in battle, said ’Thou knowest not
of my origin, O Brahmana, or of my vow. O thou
of wicked understanding, having first slain Drona
himself, I will not, therefore, slay thee today when
Drona himself is still alive. O thou of wicked
understanding, after this night passeth away and bringeth
in the fair dawn, I shall first slay thy sire in battle
and then despatch thee also to the region of Spirits.
Even this is the wish entertained by me. Standing
before me, display, therefore, till then, the hatred
thou bearest towards the Parthas, and the devotion
thou cherishest for the Kurus. Thou shalt not
escape from me with life. That, Brahmana who,
abandoning the practices of a Brahmana, devoteth himself
to the practices of a Kshatriya, becomes slayable
by all Kshatriyas even as thou, O lowest of men.’
Thus addressed by Prishata’s son in language
so harsh and insulting that best of Brahmanas Aswatthaman
mustered all his rage and answered, saying, ‘Wait,
Wait!’ And he gazed at Prishata’s son apparently
burning him with his eyes. Sighing (in rage) like
a snake, the preceptor’s son, then, covered
Dhrishtadyumna in that battle (with a shower of arrows).
The mighty-armed son of Prishata, however, that best
of car-warriors, surrounded by all the Panchala troops,
though thus struck with arrows in that encounter by
Drona’s son, did not tremble, relying as he
did on his own energy. In return, he sped many
arrows at Aswatthaman. Both engaged in a gambling
match in which the stake was life itself, those heroes,
unable to brook each other, resisted each other and
checked each other’s arrowy showers. And
those great bowmen shot dense showers of shafts all
around. Beholding that fierce battle, inspiring
terror, between Drona’s and Prishata’s
son, the Siddhas and Charanas and other sky-ranging
beings applauded them highly. Filling the welkin
and all the points of the compass with clouds of shafts,
and creating a thick gloom therewith, those two warriors
continued to fight with each other, unseen (by any
of us). As if dancing in that battle, with their
bows drawn to circles, resolutely aspiring to slay
each other, those mighty-armed warriors, inspiring
fear in every heart, fought wonderfully and with remarkable
activity and skill. Applauded by thousands of
foremost warriors in that battle, and thus resolutely
engaged in fight like two wild elephants in the forest,
both the armies, beholding them, became filled with
delight. And leonine shouts were heard there,
and all the combatants blew their conchs. And
hundreds and thousands of musical instruments began
to be sounded. That fierce fight, enhancing the
terror of the timid, seemed only for a short time
to be waged equally. Then Drona’s son,
O king, making a rush, cut off the bow, and standard,
and umbrella, and the two Parshni drivers, and the
principal driver, and the four steeds, of the high-souled
Page 1192
son of Prishata. And that warrior of immeasurable
soul then caused the Panchalas in hundreds and thousands,
by means of his straight shafts, to fly away.
Beholding those feats of Drona’s son, resembling
those of Vasava himself in battle, the Pandava host,
O bull of Bharata race, began to tremble in fear.
Slaying a hundred Panchalas with a hundred arrows,
and three foremost of men with three keen arrows,
in the very sight of Drupada’s son and of Phalguna,
that mighty car-warrior, viz., the son of Drona,
slew a very large number of Panchalas that stayed
before him. The Panchalas then, as also the Srinjayas,
thus disconcerted in battle, fled away leaving Drona’s
son, with their banners torn. Then that mighty
car-warrior, viz., the son of Drona, having vanquished
his foes in battle, uttered a loud roar like that
of a mass of clouds at the end of summer. Having
slain a large number of foes, Aswatthaman looked resplendent
like the blazing fire at the end of the Yuga, after
having consumed all creatures. Applauded by all
the Kauravas after having defeated thousands of foes
in battle, the valiant son of Drona beamed forth in
beauty, like the chief of the celestials himself after
vanquishing his foes’.”
SECTION CLX
“Sanjaya said, ’Then king Yudhishthira,
and Bhimasena, the son of Pandu, O monarch, encompassed
Drona’s son on all sides. Seeing this, king
Duryodhana, aided by Bharadwaja’s son, rushed
against the Pandavas in that encounter. Then
commenced a battle that was fierce and terrific, enhancing
the fears of the timid. Yudhishthira, in wrath
began to despatch vast numbers of Amvashthas, Malavas,
Vangas, Sivis, and Trigartas, to the domain of the
dead. Bhima also, mangling the Abhishahas, the
Surasenas, and other Kshatriyas difficult to defeat
in battle, made the earth miry with blood. The
diademdecked (Arjuna) of white steeds despatched,
O king, the Yaudheyas, the Mountaineers, the Madrakas,
and the Malavas also, to the regions of the dead.
Forcibly struck with swiftly-coursing shafts, elephants
began to fall down on the earth like double-crested
hills. Strewn with the lopped-off trunks elephants
that still moved in convulsions, the earth seemed as
if covered with moving snakes. Covered with the
fallen umbrellas of kings that were adorned with gold,
the field of battle looked resplendent like the firmament
at the end of the Yuga bespangled with suns, moons
and stars. About this time a fierce uproar arose
near Drona’s car, in the midst of which could
be heard the words, ‘Slay’, ‘Strike
fearlessly’, ‘Pierce’, ‘cut
in pieces’. Drona, however, filled with
rage, began to destroy by means of the Vayavya weapon
the foes about him, like a mighty tempest destroying
gathering masses of clouds. Thus treated by Drona,
the Panchalas fled away, from fear, in the very sight
to Bhimasena and the high-souled Partha. Then
the diadem-decked (Arjuna) and Bhimasena soon checked
Page 1193
the flight of their troops and accompanied by a large
car-force attacked the vast force of Drona. Vibhatsu
attacking the right and Vrikodara the left, they both
poured on Bharadwaja’s son two dense showers
of arrows. The mighty car-warriors among the Srinjayas
and the Panchalas, with the Matsyas and the Somakas,
O king, followed the two brothers thus engaged (in
that encounter with Drona). Similarly, many foremost
of car-warriors, skilled in smiting, belonging to thy
son, accompanied by a large force, proceeded towards
Drona’s car (for supporting the latter).
Then the Bharata host, slaughtered by the diadem-decked
(Arjuna) and overcome with and afflicted by the darkness,
began to break. Thy son himself, and Drona, both
endevoured to rally them. Thy troops, however,
O king, could not be checked in their flight.
Indeed, that vast host, slaughtered by the shafts of
Pandu’s son, began to fly away in all directions
in that hour when the world was enveloped with gloom.
Many kings, abandoning the animals and vehicles they
rode, fled away on all sides, O monarch, overwhelmed
with fear’.”
SECTION CLXI
“Sanjaya said ’Beholding Somadatta shaking
his large bow, Satyaki, addressing his driver, said,
’Bear me towards Somadatta. I tell thee
truely, O Suta, that I shall not return from battle
today without having slain that foe, viz., that
worst of the Kurus, the son of Valhika’.
Thus addressed, the charioteer then urged to battle
those fleet steeds of the Sindhu breed, white as conch
and capable of bearing every weapon. Those steeds
endued with the speed of the wind or the mind, bore
Yuyudhana to battle like the steeds of Indra, O king,
bearing the latter in days of yore when he proceeded
to quell the Danavas. Beholding the Satwata hero
thus advancing quickly in battle Somadatta, O king,
fearlessly turned towards him. Scattering showers
of shafts like the clouds pouring torrents of rain,
he covered the grandson of Sini like the clouds covering
the sun. Satyaki also, O bull of Bharata’s
race, in that encounter fearlessly covered that bull
amongst the Kurus with showers of shafts. Then
Somadatta pierced that hero of Madhu’s race with
sixty shafts in the chest. Satyaki, in turn,
O king, pierced Somadatta with many whetted arrows.
Mangled by each other with each-other’s shafts,
those two warriors looked resplendent like a couple
of flowering Kinsukas in the season of spring.
Dyed all over with blood, those illustrious warriors
of the Kuru and the Vrishni races looked at each other
with their glances. Riding on their cars that
coursed in circles, those grinders of foes, of terrible
countenances, resembled two clouds pouring torrents
of rain. Their bodies mangled and pierced all
over with arrows, they looked, O king, like two porcupines.
Pierced with countless shafts, equipped with wings
of gold, the two warriors looked resplendent, O monarch,
like a couple of tall trees covered with fire-flies.
Page 1194
Their bodies looking bright with the blazing arrows
sticking to them, those two mighty car-warriors looked
in that battle like two angry elephants decked with
burning torches. Then, O monarch, the mighty car-warrior,
Somadatta, in that battle, cut off with a crescent-shaped
arrow the large bow of Madhava. With great speed
also, at a time when speed was of the utmost consequence,
the Kuru hero then pierced Satyaki with five and twenty
shafts, and once again with ten. Then Satyaki,
taking up a tougher bow, quickly pierced Somadatta
with five shafts. With another broad-headed arrow,
Satyaki also, O king, smiling the while, cut off the
golden standard of Valhika’s son. Somadatta,
however, beholding his standard cut down, fearlessly
pierced the grandson of Sini with five and twenty
arrows. Satwata also, excited with rage, cut off
with a razor-faced arrow the bow of Somadatta, in
that encounter. And he also pierced Somadatta
who then resembled a snake without fangs, with a hundred
straight arrows, equipped with wings of gold.
The mighty car-warrior Somadatta, then, who was endued
with great strength taking up another bow, began to
cover Satyaki (with showers of shafts). Satyaki
too, inflamed with rage, pierced Somadatta with many
shafts. Somadatta, in return, afflicted Satyaki
with his arrowy showers. Then Bhima coming to
the encounter, and fighting on behalf of Satyaki,
struck Valhika’s son with ten shafts. Somadatta,
however, fearlessly struck Bhimasena with many whetted
arrows. Then Satyaki, inflamed with rage, aiming
at Somadatta’s chest, shot a new and terrible
Parigha equipped with a golden staff and hard as the
thunder. The Kuru warrior, however, smiling the
while, cut off that terrible Parigha advancing with
speed against him in two parts. That formidable
Parigha of iron, then, thus cut off into two fragments,
fell down like so many crests of a mountain riven
by thunder. Then Satyaki, O king, with a broad-headed
arrow, cut off in that encounter Somadatta’s
bow, and then with five arrows, the leathern fence
that cased his fingers. Then, O Bharata, with
four other shafts he speedily despatched the four
excellent steeds of the Kuru warrior to Yama’s
presence. And then that tiger among car-warriors
with another straight shaft, smiling the while, cut
off from his trunk the head of Somadatta’s driver.
Then he sought at Somadatta himself a terrible shaft
of fiery effulgence, whetted on stone, steeped in
oil, and equipped with wings of gold. That excellent
and fierce shaft, shot by the mighty grandson of Sini,
quickly fell like a hawk, O Lord, upon the chest of
Somadatta. Deeply pierced by the mighty Satwata,
the great car-warrior Somadatta, O monarch, fell down
(from his car) and expired. Beholding the great
car-warrior Somadatta slain there, thy warriors with
a large throng of cars rushed against Yuyudhana.
Meanwhile, the Pandava also, O king, with all the Prabhadrakas
and accompanied by a large force, rushed against Drona’s
army. Then Yudhishthira, excited with wrath,
Page 1195
began, with his shafts, to strike and rout the troops
of Bharadwaja’s son at the very sight of the
latter. Beholding Yudhishthira thus agitating
his troops, Drona, with eyes red in wrath, furiously
rushed against him. The preceptor, then pierced
the son of Pritha with seven keen arrows. Yudhishthira,
in return, excited with wrath, pierced the preceptor
with five arrows. Deeply pierced by the son of
Pandu, the mighty bowman (Drona), licking the corners
of his mouth for a moment, cut off both the standard
and the bow of Yudhishthira. With great speed,
at a time when speed was of the utmost consequence,
that best of kings, whose bow had been cut off, took
up another bow that was sufficiently tough and hard.
The son of Pandu then pierced Drona with his steeds,
driver, standard, and car, with a thousand arrows.
All this seemed exceedingly wonderful. Afflicted
with the strokes of those arrows and feeling great
pain, Drona, that bull among Brahmanas, sat down for
a while on the terrace of his car. Recovering
his senses, sighing like a snake, and filled with
great rage, the preceptor invoked into existence the
Vayavya weapon. The valiant son of Pritha, bow
in hand, fearlessly baffled that weapon with a similar
weapon of his in that encounter. And the son
of Pandu also cut in two fragments the large bow of
the Brahmana. Then Drona, that grinder of Kshatriyas,
took up another bow. That bull of Kuru’s
race, Yudhishthira, cut off that bow also, with many
keen shafts. Then Vasudeva, addressing Yudhishthira.
the son of Kunti, said, ’Listen, O mighty-armed
Yudhishthira, to what I say. Cease, O best of
the Bharatas, to fight with Drona. Drona always
striveth to seize thee in battle. I do not think
it fit that thou shouldst fight with him. He who
hath been created for Drona’s destruction will,
without doubt, slay him. Leaving the preceptor,
go where king Suyodhana is. Kings should fight
with kings, they should not desire to fight with such
as are not kings. Surrounded, therefore, by elephants
and steeds and cars, repair thou thither, O son of
Kunti, where Dhananjaya with myself, aided by a small
force, and Bhima also, that tiger among men, are fighting
with the Kurus’. Hearing these words of
Vasudeva, king Yudhishthira the just, reflecting for
a moment, proceeded to that part of the field where
that slayer of foes, viz., Bhima, engaged in
fierce battle, was slaughtering thy troops like the
Destroyer himself with wide-open mouth. Making
the earth resound with the loud rattle of his car,
which resembled the roar of the clouds at the end
of summer, king Yudhishthira the just, the (eldest)
son of Pandu, took up the flank of Bhima, engaged in
the slaughter of the foe. Drona also on that
night, began to consume his foes, the Panchalas’”
SECTION CLXII
Page 1196
“Sanjaya said, ’During the progress of
that fierce and terrible battle, when the world was
enveloped with darkness and dust, O king, the combatants,
as they stood on the field, could not see one another.
Those foremost of Kshatriyas fought with each other,
guided by conjectures and the personal and other names
(they uttered). And during the progress, O lord,
of that terrible carnage of car-warriors and elephants
and steeds and foot-soldiers[212], those heroes, viz.,
Drona and Karna and Kripa, and Bhima and Prishata’s
son and Satwata, afflicted one another and the troops
of either party, O bull of Bharata’s race.
The combatants of both armies, oppressed all around
by those foremost of car-warriors, during the hour
of darkness, fled away on all sides. Indeed, the
warriors, broke and fled away in all directions with
hearts perfectly cheerless. And as they fled
away in all directions, they underwent a great carnage.
Thousands of foremost car-warriors also, O king, slaughtered
one another in that battle. Unable to see anything
in the dark, the combatants became deprived of their
senses. All this was the result of the evil counsels
of thy son. Indeed, at that hour when the world
was enveloped in darkness, all creatures, O Bharata,
including even the foremost of warriors, overcome
with panic, were deprived of their senses in that battle.’[213]
“Dhritarashtra said, ’What became the
state of your mind then when, afflicted by that darkness,
ye all were deprived of your energy and furiously
agitated by the Pandavas! How also, O Sanjaya,
when everything was enveloped in darkness, did the
Pandava troops as also mine once more became visible?’
“Sanjaya continued, ’Then the remnant
of the army (of the Katirava), under the orders of
their leaders, were once more disposed in (compact)
array. Drona placed himself at the van, and Salya
at the rear. And Drona’s son and Sakuni,
the son of Suvala, placed themselves on the right
and the left flanks. And king Duryodhana himself,
O monarch, on that night, busied himself in protecting
all the troops. Cheering all the foot-soldiers,
O king, Duryodhana said unto them, ’Laying aside
your great weapons, take ye all blazing lamps in your
hands.’ Thus commanded by that best of
kings, the foot-soldiers joyfully took up burning lamps.
The gods and Rishis, Gandharvas and celestial Rishis,
and the diverse tribes of Vidyadharas and Apsaras,
and Nagas and Yakshas and Uragas and Kinnaras, stationed
on the welkin also joyfully took up blazing lamps.
Many lamps, filled with sweet-scented oil, were seen
to fall from the Regents of the cardinal and the subsidiary
points of the compass. For Duryodhana’s
sake, many such were seen to come from Narada and Parvata
in especial, lighting up that darkness. The (Kaurava)
army then, disposed in compact array, looked resplendent,
on that night with the light of those lamps, the costly
ornaments (on the persons of combatants), and the
blazing celestial weapons as those were shot or hurled
Page 1197
by it. On each car were placed five lamps, and
on each infuriated elephant three.[214] And upon each
horse was placed a large lamp. Thus was that host
lighted up by the Kuru warriors.[215] Set in their
places within a short time, those lamps speedily lighted
up thy army. Indeed, all the troops, thus made
radiant by the foot-soldiers with oil-fed lamps in
their hands, looked beautiful like clouds in the nocturnal
sky illumined by flashes of lightning. When the
Kuru host had thus been illuminated, Drona, endued
with the effulgence of fire, scorching everything around,
looked radiant, O king, in his golden armour, like
the midday sun of blazing ray. The light of those
lamps began to be reflected from the golden ornaments,
the bright cuirasses and bows, and the well-tempered
weapons of the combatants. And maces twined with
strings, and bright Parighas, and cars and shafts
and darts, as they coursed along, repeatedly created,
O Ajamidha, by their reflection myriads of lamps.
And umbrellas and yak-tails and scimitars and blazing
brands, O king, and necklaces of gold, as these were
whirled or moved, reflecting that light, looked exceedingly
beautiful. Illuminated by the light of those lamps
and irradiated by the reflection from weapons and
ornaments, that host, O king, blazed up with splendour.
Well-tempered and beautiful weapons, red with blood,
and whirled by heroes, created a blazing effulgence
there, like flashes of lightning in the sky at the
end of summer. The faces of warriors, impetuously
pursuing foes for striking them down and themselves
trembling in the ardour of the rush, looked beautiful
like masses of clouds urged on by the wind. As
the splendour of the sun becomes fierce on the occasion
of the conflagration of a forest full of trees, even
so on that terrible night became the splendour of
that fierce and illuminated host. Beholding that
host of ours illumined, the Parthas also, with great
speed, stirring up the foot-soldiers throughout their
army, acted like ourselves. On each elephant,
they placed seven lamps; on each car, ten; and on
the back of each steed they placed two lamps; and
on the flanks and rear (of their cars) and on their
standard also, they placed many lamps. And on
the flanks of their host, and on the rear and the
van, and all around and within, many other lamps were
lighted. The Kurus having done the same, both
the armies were thus lighted. Throughout the
host, the foot-soldiers became mingled with elephants
and cars and cavalry. And the army of Pandu’s
son was also illuminated by others (than foot-soldiers)
standing with blazing torches in their hands.[216]
With those lamps that host became fiercely effulgent,
like a blazing fire made doubly resplendent by the
dazzling rays of the maker of day. The splendour
of both the armies, over-spreading the earth, the welkin,
and all the points of the compass, seemed to increase.
With that light, thy army as also theirs became distinctly
visible. Awakened by that light which reached
Page 1198
the skies, the gods, the Gandharvas, the Yakshas, the
Rishis and other crowned with (ascetic) success, and
the Apsaras, all came there. Crowded then with
gods and Gandharvas, and Yakshas, and Rishis crowned
with (ascetic) success, and Apsaras, and the spirits
of slain warriors about to enter the celestial regions,
the field of battle looked like a second heaven.
Teeming with cars and steeds and elephants, brilliantly
illumined with lamps, with angry combatants and horses
slain or wandering wildly, that vast force of arrayed
warriors and steeds and elephants looked like the
arrays of the celestials and the Asuras in days of
old. The rush of darts formed the fierce winds;
great cars, the cloud; the neigh and grunt of steeds
and elephants, the roars; shafts, the showers; and
the blood of warriors and animals, the flood, of that
tempest like nocturnal encounter between those god-like
men. In the midst of that battle, that foremost
of Brahmanas, viz., the high-souled Aswatthaman,
scorching the Pandavas, O ruler of men, resembled the
midday sun at the end of the season of rains, scorching
everything with his fierce ray.’"[217]
SECTION CLXIII
“Sanjaya said, ’When the field of battle
which had before been enveloped in darkness and dust
had thus become illuminated, heroic warriors encountered
one another, desirous of taking one another’s
life.[218] Encountering one another in battle, O king,
those combatants, armed with lances and swords and
other weapons, gazed at one another under the influence
of rage. With thousands of lamps blazing all around
and with the more blazing lamps of the gods and the
Gandharvas, set upon golden stands decked with jewels,
and fed with fragrant oil, the field of battle, O
Bharata, looked resplendent like the firmament bespangled
with stars. With hundreds upon hundreds of blazing
brands, the earth looked exceedingly beautiful.
Indeed, the earth seemed to be in a conflagration,
like what happens at the universal destruction.[219]
All the points of the compass blazed up with those
lamps all around and looked like trees covered by
fire-flies at an evening in the season of rains.
Heroic combatants, then, O king, engaged in battle
with heroic rivals. Elephants engaged with elephants,
and horsemen with horsemen, and car-warriors with
car-warriors, filled with joy, on that fierce night
at the command of thy son. The clash of the two
armies both consisting of four kinds of forces, became
terrible. Then Arjuna, O monarch, began, with
great speed, to destroy the Kaurava ranks, weakening
all the kings.’
Page 1199
“Dhritarashtra said, ’When the invincible
Arjuna, excited with wrath and unable to brook (the
feats of the Kurus), penetrated into the army of my
son, what became the state of your minds? Indeed,
when that scorcher of foes entered into their midst,
what did the soldiers think? What steps also
did Duryodhana think fit to be adopted then? Who
were those chastisers of foes that proceeded in that
battle against that hero? Indeed, when Arjuna,
of white steeds, entered (our army), who were they
that protected Drona? Who guarded the right wheel
and who the left wheel of Drona’s car?
Who were those heroes that protected the rear of that
battling hero? Indeed, when Bharadwaja’s
son proceeded, slaying the foe (along his route),
who were they that proceeded in his van? That
mighty and invincible bowman who penetrated into the
midst of the Panchalas, that tiger among men endued
with great valour, who proceeded, as if dancing, along
the track of his car, and consumed large throngs of
Panchala cars by means of his shafts like a raging
conflagration; alas, how did that Drona meet with
his death? Thou always speakest of my foes as
cool and unvanquished and cheerful and swelling with
might in battle. Thou dost not, however, speak
of mine in such words. On the other hand, thou
describest them to be slain, pale, and routed, and
thou speakest of my car-warriors, as always deprived
of their cars in all the battles they fight!’
“Sanjaya continued, ’Understanding the
wishes of Drona who was bent on battle, Duryodhana,
on that night, O king, addressing his obedient brothers,
viz., Vikarna and Chitrasena and Suparsva and
Durdharsha and Dirghavahu, and all those that followed
them, said those words, ’Ye heroes of great
valour, struggling with resolution, all of you protect
Drona from the rear. The son of Hridika will protect
his right and Sala his left.’ Saying this,
thy son then urged forward placing them at the van,
the remnant of the brave and mighty Trigarta car-warriors,
saying, ’The preceptor is merciful. The
Pandavas are fighting with great resolution..
While engaged in slaughtering the foe in battle, protect
him well, uniting together. Drona is mighty in
battle; is endued with great lightness of hand and
great valour. He can vanquish the very gods in
battle,—what need then be said of the Pandavas
and the Somakas? All of you, however, united
together and struggling with great resolution in this
terrible battle, protect the invincible Drona from
that mighty car-warrior, viz., Dhrishtadyumna.
Except Dhrishtadyumna, I do not see the man amongst
all the warriors of the Pandavas that can vanquish
Drona in battle. I, therefore, think that we
should, with our whole soul, protect the son of Bharadwaja.
Protected (by us), he is sure to slay the Somakas
and the Srinjayas, one after another. Upon the
slaughter of all the Srinjayas at the head of the
(Pandava) army, Drona’s son without doubt, will
slay Dhrishtadyumna in battle. Similarly, the
Page 1200
mighty car-warrior Karna will vanquish Arjuna in battle.
As regards Bhimasena and others clad in mail, I will
subjugate them all in fight. The rest of the
Pandavas deprived of energy, will be easily defeated
by the warriors. It is evident, my success then
will last for ever. For these reasons, protect
the mighty car-warrior Drona in battle.’
Having said these words, O chief of the Bharatas,
thy son Duryodhana, urged his troops on that night
of terrible darkness. Then commenced a battle,
O chief of the Bharatas, between the two hosts.
O Monarch, both actuated by the desire of victory.
Arjuna began to afflict the Kauravas, and the Kauravas
began to afflict Arjuna, with diverse kinds of weapons.
Drona’s son covered the, ruler of the Panchalas,
and Drona himself covered the Srinjaya, with showers
of straight shafts in that battle. And as the
Pandava and the Panchala troops (on the one side)
and the Kaurava troops (on the other), O Bharata,
were engaged in slaughtering each other, there arose
a furious uproar on the field. The battle that
took place on that night was so terrible and fierce
that its like had never been previously witnessed by
ourselves or those gone before us.’”
SECTION CLXIV
“Sanjaya said, ’During the progress of
that terrible nocturnal engagement, O king, which
was fraught with an indiscriminate carnage, Dharma’s
son Yudhishthira, addressed the Pandavas, the Panchalas,
and the Somakas. Indeed, O king, for the destruction
of men, cars, and elephants, king Yudhisthira commanded
his own troops, saying, ’Proceed ye against
Drona only, for slaying him!’[220] At the command
of the king, O monarch, the Panchalas and the Somakas
rushed against Drona alone, uttering terrible shouts.
Ourselves excited with rage, and loudly roaring in
return, rushed against them, to the best of our prowess,
courage, and might, in battle. Kritavarman, the
son of Hridika, rushed against Yudhishthira, as the
latter was advancing against Drona, like an infuriated
elephant against an infuriated compeer. Against
Sini’s grandson who advanced scattering arrowy
showers all around, rushed, O king, the Kuru warrior
Bhuri, that grinder (of foes) in battle. Karna,
the son of Vikartana, O king, resisted that mighty
car-warrior, viz., Pandu’s son, Sahadeva,
as the letter advanced for getting at Drona. King
Duryodhana, in that battle, himself rushed against
that foremost of car-warriors, viz., Bhimasena,
advancing on his car like the Destroyer. Sakuni,
the son of Suvala, O king, proceeding quickly, resisted
that foremost of warriors, viz., Nakula, who
was conversant with every kind of battle. Kripa,
the son of Saradwat, O king, resisted Sikhandin in
that battle, that foremost of car-warrior, as the
latter advanced on his car. Duhsasana, O king,
contending vigorously, resisted Prativindhya as the
letter advanced with resolution (on his car), drawn
by steeds looking like peacocks. Aswatthaman,
Page 1201
O monarch, resisted Bhimasena’s son, viz.,
Rakshasa (Ghatotkacha) acquainted with a hundred kinds
of illusion, as the latter advanced. Vrishasena.
in that battle resisted the mighty Drupada with his
troops and followers as the latter advanced for getting
at Drona. The ruler of the Madras, O king, excited
with wrath resisted Virata, O Bharata, as the latter
quickly advanced for the slaughter of Drona; Chitrasena,
in that battle, resisted, with great force and shooting
many shafts, Nakula’s son, Satanika, as the latter
advanced for slaying Drona. The prince of the
Rakshasas, viz., Alambhusha, O king, resisted
Arjuna, that foremost of car-warriors, as the latter
advanced. Dhrishtadyumna, the prince of the Panchalas,
cheerfully resisted the great bowman Drona as the
latter was engaged in slaughtering the foe. As
regards the mighty car-warriors of the Pandavas, that
advanced (against Drona), other car-warriors of thy
army, O king, resisted them with great force.
Elephant riders speedily encountering elephant riders
in that dreadful battle, began to fight, with each
other and grind each other by thousands. At dead
of night, O monarch, as the steeds rushed against each
other with impetuosity, they looked like winged hills.
Horsemen, O monarch, encountered horsemen, armed with
lances and darts and swords, and uttering loud shouts.
Large numbers of men slaughtered one another in heaps,
with maces and short clubs and diverse other weapons.
Kritavarman, the son of Hridika, excited with wrath,
resisted Dharma’s son, Yudhishthira, like continents
resisting the swelling sea. Yudhishthira, however,
piercing Hridika’s son with five arrows, once
more pierced him with twenty, and addressing him,
said, Wait, Wait.’ Then Kritavarman, O
sire, excited with wrath, cut off with a broad-headed
shaft, the bow of king Yudhishthira the just and pierced
the latter with seven arrows. Taking up another
bow, that mighty car-warrior, viz., Dharma’s
son, pierced the son of Hridika in the arms and chest
with ten arrows. Then that warrior of Madhu’s
race, thus pierced, O sire, by Dharma’s son in
that battle, trembled with rage and afflicted Yudhishthira
with seven shafts. Then Pritha’s son cutting
off his enemy’s bow as also the leathern fence
that cased his hands, sped at him five keen shafts
whetted on stone. Those fierce shafts, piercing
through the latter’s costly armour, decked with
gold, entered the earth like snakes into an ant-hill.
With the twinkling of an eye, Kritavarman, taking up
another bow, pierced the son of Pandu with sixty arrows
and once more with ten. Of immeasurable soul,
the son of Pandu, then placing his large bow on his
car, sped at Kritavarman a dart resembling a snake.
That dart decked with gold, shot by the son of Pandu,
piercing through Kritavarman’s right arm, entered
the earth. Meanwhile, Pritha’s son, taking
up his formidable bow, shrouded the son of Hridika
with showers of straight shafts. Then brave Kritavarman,
Page 1202
that great car-warrior among the Vrishnis, within less
than the twinkling of an eye, made Yudhishthira steedless
and driverless and carless. Thereupon, the eldest
son of Pandu took up a sword and a shield. Then
he, of Madhu’s race, cut off both those weapons
in that battle. Yudhishthira then, taking up
a fierce lance, equipped with a gold-decked staff,
quickly sped it, in that battle, at the illustrious
son of Hridika. Hridika’s son, however,
smiling the while, and displaying great lightness
of hand, cut off into two fragments that lance hurled
from the arms of Yudhishthira, as it coursed impetuously
towards him. He then covered the son of Dharma
with a hundred arrows in that encounter. Excited
with wrath, he then cut off the latter’s coat
of mail with showers of shafts. Yudhishthira’s
armour, decked with gold, cut off by Hridika’s
son with his shafts, dropped down from his body, O
king, like a cluster of stars dropping down from the
firmament. His armour cut off, himself deprived
of car and afflicted with the shafts of Kritavarman,
Dharma’s son, Yudhishthira, quickly retreated
from battle. The mighty car-warrior Kritavarman,
then, having vanquished Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma,
once more began to protect the wheel of Drona’s
car.’”
SECTION CLXV
“Sanjaya said, ’Bhuri, O king, in that
battle, resisted that foremost of car-warriors, viz.,
the grandson of Sini, who advanced like an elephant
towards a lake full of water. The Satyaki, excited
with wrath, pierced his foe in chest with five keen
shafts. At this, the latter’s blood began
to flow. The Kuru warrior in that encounter similarly
pierced with great speed the grandson of Sini, that
hero difficult of defeat in battle, with ten shafts
in the chest. Those warriors, drawing their bows
to their fullest stretch, and with eyes red in wrath,
began, O king, to mangle each other in that combat.
The arrowy downpours of those two warriors, both,
excited with rage and resembling Death himself or the
sun scattering his rays, were exceedingly terrible.
Shrouding each other with shafts, each stayed before
the other in that battle. For a short while that
battle proceeded equally. Then, O king, the grandson
of Sini, excited with rage and smiling the while,
cut off the bow of the illustrious Kuru warrior in
that battle. Having cut off his bow, Satyaki
quickly pierced him in the chest with nine keen arrows
and addressing him, said, ‘Wait! Wait!’
That scorcher of foes deeply pierced his mighty foe,
quickly took up another bow and pierced the Satwata
warrior in return. Having pierced the Satwata
hero with three shafts, O monarch, Bhuri, then, smiling
the while, cut off his foe’s bow with a sharp
and broad-headed shaft. His bow being cut off,
Satyaki, O king, maddened with rage, hurled an impetuous
dart at the broad chest of Bhuri. Pierced with
that dart, Bhuri fell down from his excellent car,
covered with blood, like the sun dropping down from
Page 1203
the firmament. Beholding him thus slain, the
mighty car-warrior Aswatthaman, O Bharata, rushed impetuously
against grandson of Sini. Having addressed Satyaki,
O king, saying, ‘Wait, Wait,’ he shrouded
him with showers of shafts, like the clouds pouring
torrents of rain on the crest of Merit. Beholding
him rushing towards the car of Sini’s grandson,
the mighty car-warrior Ghatotkacha, O king, uttering
a loud roar, addressed saying, Wait, Wait, O son of
Drona! Thou shalt not escape from me with life.
I will presently slay thee like the six-faced (Karttikeya)
slaying (the Asura) Mahisha. I shall today, on
the field, purge thy heart of all desire of battle.’
Having said these words, that slayer of hostile heroes,
viz., the Rakshasa (Ghatotkacha), with eyes red
like copper in wrath, rushed furiously against the
son of Drona, like a lion rushing against a prince
of elephants. And Ghatotkacha sped at his foe
shafts of the measure of the Aksha of a car, and covered
that bull among car-warriors therewith, like clouds
pouring torrents of rain. With his own shafts
resembling snakes of virulent poison, Drona’s
son, however, in that battle, quickly dispelled that
arrowy shower before it could reach him. He then
pierced that chastiser of foes, viz., Ghatotkacha,
that prince of the Rakshasas, with hundreds of keen
and swift-coursing arrows, all capable of penetrating
into the very vitals. Thus pierced with those
shafts by Aswatthaman, that Rakshasas, on the field
of battle, looked beautiful, O monarch, like a porcupine
with quills erect on its body. Then the valiant
son of Bhimasena, filled with rage, mangled the son
of Drona with many fierce arrows, whizzing through
the air with the roar of thunder. And he rained
on Aswatthaman a perfect shower of arrows of diverse
kinds; some, equipped with heads like razors; some,
shaped as the crescent; some, only pointed; some, frog-faced;
some, with heads resembling the boar’s ear;
some, barbed; and some of other species.[221] Like
the wind dispersing mighty masses of clouds, Drona’s
son, O king, without his senses being agitated, destroyed
with his own terrible arrows, inspired by mantras
with the force of celestial weapons, that fierce,
unbearable and unrivalled shower of weapons, whose
sound resembled the roar of thunder, and which fell
incessantly upon him. It seemed then that another
encounter was taking place in the welkin between weapons
(as the combatants), which was terrible, and which,
O king, filled the warriors with awe. With the
sparks all around, generated by the clash of the weapons,
shot by those two warriors, the welkin looked beautiful
as illumined by myriads of fire-flies in the evening.
Drona’s son then, filling all the points of
the compass with his shafts, shrouded the Rakshasa
himself, for doing what was agreeable to thy sons.
Then commenced a battle once more between Drona’s
son and the Rakshasa on that night of thick darkness,
which resembled the encounter between Sakra and Prahlada.
Page 1204
Then Ghatotkacha, filled with rage, struck Drona’s
son, in that battle, on the chest with ten shafts,
each resembling the Yuga-fire, Deeply pierced the
Rakshasa, the mighty son of Drona began to tremble
in that battle like a tall tree shaken by the wind.
Supporting himself by holding the flagstaff, he swooned
away. Then all thy troops, O king, uttered cries
of Oh and Alas. Indeed, O monarch, all thy warriors
then regarded Drona’s son as slain. Beholding
Aswatthaman in that plight, the Panchalas and the
Srinjayas in that battle uttered leonine roars.
Then that crusher of foes, viz., the mighty car-warrior
Aswatthaman, recovering his senses, forcibly drawing
the bow with his left hand, stretching the bowstring
to his ear, quickly shot a terrible shaft resembling
the rod of Yama himself, aiming at Ghatotkacha.
That excellent shafts, fierce and equipped with golden
wings, piercing through the chest of the Rakshasa,
entered the earth, O king. Deeply pierced, O monarch,
by Drona’s son who was proud of his prowess
in battle, that prince of Rakshasas, endued with great
strength, sat down on the terrace of his car.
Beholding Hidimva’s son deprived of his senses,
his charioteer, inspired with fear, speedily removed
him from the field, bearing him away from the presence
of Drona’s son. Having pierced that prince
of Rakshasas, viz., Ghatotkacha, in that encounter
thus, Drona’s son, that mighty car-warrior,
uttered a loud roar. Worshipped by thy sons as
also by all thy warriors, O Bharata, Aswatthaman’s
body blazed up like the midday sun.
“As regards Bhimasena who was battling in from
of Drona’s cal king Duryodhana himself pierced
him with many whetted shafts. Bhimasena, however,
O Bharata, pierced him in return with nine arrows.
Duryodhana, then, pierced Bhimasena with twenty arrows.
Covered with each other’s arrows on the field
of battle, those two warriors looked like the sun and
the moon covered with clouds in the firmament.
Then king Duryodhana, O chief of Bharatas, pierced
Bhima with five winged arrows and said, ’Wait!
Wait!’ Bhima then, cutting off his bow as also
his standard with keen shafts, pierced the Kuru king
himself with ninety straight arrows. Then, Duryodhana
filled with rage, taking up a more formidable bow,
O chief of the Bharatas, afflicted Bhimasena, at the
van of battle, with many whetted shafts, in the very
sight of all the bowmen. Baffling those shafts
shot from Duryodhana’s bow, Bhima pierced the
Kuru king with five and twenty short arrows.
Duryodhana then, O sire, excited with wrath, cut off
Bhimasena’s bow with a razor-faced arrow and
pierced Bhima himself with ten shafts in return.
Then the mighty Bhimasena, taking up another bow,
quickly pierced the king with seven keen shafts.
Displaying great lightness of hand, Duryodhana cut
off even that bow of Bhima. The second, the third,
the fourth, and the fifth, bow that Bhima took up were
similarly cut off. Indeed, O king, thy son, proud
of his prowess and desirous of victory, cut off Bhima’s
Page 1205
bow as soon as the latter took up one. Seeing
his bows repeatedly cut off, Bhima then hurled, in
that battle, a dart made wholly of iron and hard as
the thunder. That dart blazing as a flame of
fire, resembled the sister of Death. The Kuru
king, however, in the very sight of all the warriors
and before the eyes of Bhima himself, cut in three
fragments that dart, which coursed towards him through
the welkin with the splendour of fire and dividing
it, as it were by a straight line such as is visible
on the head of a woman parting her tresses. Then
Bhima, O king, whirling his heavy and blazing mace,
hurled it with great force at the car of Duryodhana.
That heavy mace speedily crushed the steeds, the driver,
and the car also, of thy son in that encounter.
Thy son, then, O monarch, afraid of Bhima and shrinking
within the narrowest compass, ascended another car,
viz., that of the illustrious Nandaka. Then
Bhima, regarding Suyodhana to have been slain amid
the darkness of that night, uttered a loud leonine
roar challenging the Kauravas. Thy warriors regarded
the king to be slain. All of them uttered loud
cries of Oh and Alas. Hearing the wails of the
affrighted warriors and the roars of the high souled
Bhima, O king, king Yudhishthira also regarded Suyodhana
to have been slain. And the eldest son of Pandu,
thereupon, rushed quickly to the spot where Vrikodara,
the son of Pritha, was. And the Panchalas, the
Srinjayas, the Matsyas, the Kaikeyas, and the Chedis,
speedily advanced, with all their might against Drona
from desire of slaying him. There also occurred
a dreadful battle between Drona and the enemy.
And the combatants of both sides were enveloped in
thick gloom and struck and slew one another’.”
SECTION CLXVI
’Sanjaya said, ’Karna, the son of Vikartana,[222]
O king, resisted the mighty car-warrior Sahadeva in
that battle, who advanced from desire of getting at
Drona. Piercing the son of Radha with nine shafts,
Sahadeva once more pierced that warrior with nine
straight arrows. Karna then pierced Sahadeva
in return with a hundred straight shafts, and displaying
great lightness in hand, cut off the latter’s
stringed bow. Then the valiant son of Madri,
taking up another bow, pierced Karna with twenty arrows.
This feat of his seemed exceedingly wonderful.
Then Karna, slaying Sahadeva’s steeds with many
straight shafts, speedily despatched the latter’s
driver with a broad-headed shaft, to Yama’s abode.
This carless Sahadeva then took up a sword and a shield.
Even those weapons were cut off by Karna smiling the
while. Then the mighty Sahadeva, in that encounter,
sped towards the car of Vikartana’s son, a heavy
and terrible mace decked with gold. Karna, then
with his shafts, quickly cut off that mace which hurled
by Sahadeva, coursed towards him impetuously, and
caused it to fall down on the earth. Beholding
his mace cut off, Sahadeva quickly hurled a dart at
Page 1206
Karna. That dart also was cut off by Karna.
The son of Madri, then, quickly jumping down from his
excellent car, and blazing with wrath upon beholding
Karna stationed before him, took up a car-wheel and
hurled it at the son of Adhiratha. The Suta’s
son, however, with many thousands of arrows, cut off
that wheel coursing towards him like the uplifted
wheel of Death. When that wheel had been cut
off, Sahadeva, O sire, aiming at Karna, hurled at him
the shafts of his car, the traces of his steeds, the
yokes of his cars, the limbs of elephants and steeds
and dead human bodies. Karna cut off all these
with his shafts. Seeing himself deprived of all
weapons, Madri’s son, Sahadeva, struck by Karna
with many shafts, left the battle. Pursuing him
for a while, the son of Radha, O bull of Bharata’s
race, smilingly addressed Sahadeva and said these
cruel words, ’Do not, O hero, fight in battle
with those that are superior to thee. Fight with
thy equals, O son of Madri! Do not mistrust my
words.’ Then touching him with the horn
of his bow, he once more said, ’Yonder, Arjuna
is fighting resolutely with the Kurus in battle.
Go there, O son of Madri, or return home if thou likest.’
Having said those words, Karna, that foremost of car-warriors,
smilingly proceeded on his car against the troops of
the king of the Panchalas. The slayer of foes,
that mighty car-warrior, devoted to truth, slew not
the son of Madri although he had got the opportunity,
recollecting the words of Kunti. Sahadeva, then,
heartless and afflicted with arrows, and pierced with
the wordy darts of Karna, no longer cherished any
love for life. That mighty car-warrior then quickly
ascended the car of Janamejaya, the illustrious prince
of the Panchalas.’”
SECTION CLXVII
“Sanjaya said, ’The ruler of the Madras
shrouded on all sides, with clouds of shafts, Virata
with his troops, who was proceeding quickly for getting
at Drona. The battle that took place between those
two great bowmen resembled, O king, that between Vala
and Vasava in days of yore. The ruler of the
Madras, O monarch, with great activity, struck Virata,
that commander of a large division, with a hundred
straight shafts. King Virata, in return, pierced
the ruler of the Madras with nine keen arrows, and
once more with three and seventy, and once again with
a hundred. The ruler of the Madras, then, slaying
the four steeds yoked unto Virata’s car, cut
down with a couple of shafts, the latter’s umbrella
and standard. Quickly jumping down from that
steedless car, the king stood, drawing his bow and
shooting keen shafts. Beholding his brother deprived
of his steeds, Satanika quickly approached him on his
car in the very sight of all the troops. The
ruler of the Madras, however, piercing the advancing
Satanika with many shafts, despatched him to the abode
of Yama. Upon the fall of the heroic Satanika,
Virata, that commander of a large division, ascended
Page 1207
the fallen hero’s car, decked with standard and
garlands.[223] opening his eyes wide, and with prowess
doubled by wrath, Virata quickly covered the car of
the ruler of the Madras with winged arrows. The
ruler of the Madras then, excited with rage, deeply
pierced Virata, that commander of a large division,
in the chest, with a hundred straight shafts.
Deeply pierced by the mighty ruler of the Madras, that
great car-warrior, viz., Virata, sat down on the
terrace of his car and swooned away. His driver,
then, beholding him mangled with shafts in that encounter,
bore him away. Then that vast force, O Bharata,
fled away on that night, oppressed by hundreds of
arrows of Salya, that ornament of battle. Beholding
the troops flying away, Vasudeva and Dhananjaya quickly
advanced to that spot, O monarch, where Salya was stationed.
Then that prince of the Rakshasas, viz., Alamvusha,
O king, riding upon a foremost car, harnessed with
eight steeds, having terrible-looking Pisachas of
equine faces yoked unto it, furnished with blood-red
banners, decked with floral garlands made of black
iron, covered with bear-skins, and possessing a tall
standard over which perched a terrible, fierce-looking,
and incessantly shrieking vulture, of spotted wings
and wide-open eyes, proceeded against those advancing
heroes. That Rakshasa, O king, looked beautiful
like a loose heap of antimony, and he withstood the
advancing Arjuna, like Meru withstanding a tempest,
scattering showers of arrows, O monarch, upon Arjuna’s
head. The battle then that commenced between the
Rakshasa and that human warrior, was exceedingly fierce.
And it filled all the spectators there, O Bharata,
with wonder. And it conduced to the joy also
of vultures and crows, of ravens and owls and Kanakas
and jackals. Arjuna struck Alamvusha with six
shafts and then cut off his standard with ten sharp
arrows. With a few other arrows, he cut off his
driver, and with some others his Trivenu, and with
one more, his bow, and with four others his four steeds.
Alamvusha strung another bow, but that also Arjuna
cut off in two fragments. Then, O bull of Bharata’s
race, Partha pierced that prince of the Rakshasas
with four keen arrows. Thus pierced, the Rakshasas
fled away in fear. Having vanquished him, Arjuna
quickly proceeded towards the spot where Drona was,
shooting as he went, many shafts, O king, at men,
elephants, and steeds. Slaughtered O monarch,
by the illustrious son of Pandu, the combatants fell
down on the ground, like trees laid low by a tempest.
Thus treated by the illustrious son of Pandu, all
of them fled like a frightened herd of deer.’”
SECTION CLXVIII
Page 1208
“Sanjaya said, ’Thy son, Chitrasena, O
Bharata, resisted (Nakula’s son) Satanika who
was engaged in scorching thy host with his keen shafts.
Nakula’s son pierced Chitrasena with five arrows.
The letter then pierced the former in return with
ten whetted shafts. And once more Chitrasena,
O monarch, in that battle, pierced Satanika in the
chest with nine keen shafts. Then the son of
Nakula with many straight shafts cut Chitrasena’s
armour from off his body. This feat of his seemed
exceedingly wonderful. Divested of his armour,
thy son, O king, looked exceedingly beautiful, like
a snake, O monarch, having cast off his slough at the
proper season. Then Nakula’s son, with
many keen shafts, cut off the struggling Chitrasena’s
standard, and then his bow, O monarch, in that encounter.
His bow cut off in that combat, and deprived also of
his armour, that mighty car-warrior, then, O king,
took up another bow capable of piercing every foe.
Then Chitrasena, that mighty car-warrior amongst the
Bharata’s, quickly pierced the son of Nakula
with many straight arrows. Then mighty Satanika,
excited with rage, O Bharata, slew the four steeds
of Chitrasena and then his driver. The illustrious
Chitrasena, endued with great strength, jumping down
from that car, afflicted the son of Nakula with five
and twenty arrows. Then Nakula’s son with
a crescent-shaped arrow, cut off in that combat the
gold-decked bow of Chitrasena while the latter was
engaged in thus striking him. Bowless and carless
and steedless and driverless, Chitrasena then quickly
ascended the car of the illustrious son Hridika.
“Vrishasena, O king, rushed with great speed,
scattering shafts in hundreds, against the mighty
car-warrior Drupada, advancing at the head of his
troops against Drona.[224] Yajnasena, in that encounter
pierced that mighty car-warrior, viz., the son
of Karna in the arms and the chest, O lord, with sixty
arrows. Vrishasena, then, excited with rage,
quickly pierced Yajnasena, standing on his car, with
many shafts in the centre of the chest. Those
two warriors mangled by arrows, and with shafts sticking
to their bodies, looked beautiful like a couple of
porcupines with their quills erect. Bathed in
blood in consequence of the wounds caused by those
straight arrows of keen points and golden wings, they
looked exceedingly beautiful in that dreadful encounter.
Indeed, the spectacle they presented was that of a
couple of beautiful and radiant Kalpa trees or of
a couple of Kinsukas rich with their flowery burthens.
Then Vrishasena, O king, having pierced Drupada with
nine arrows, once more pierced him with seventy, and
then again with three other arrows. Then shooting
thousands of arrows, Karna’s son, O monarch,
looked beautiful in that battle, like a cloud pouring
torrents of rain. Then Drupada, inflamed with
wrath, cut off Vrishasena’s bow into two fragments,
with a broad-headed arrow, sharp and well-tempered.
Taking, then, another gold-decked bow that was new
Page 1209
and strong, and drawing out of his quiver a strong,
whetted, well-tempered, sharp and broad-headed arrow,
and fixing it on his string, and carefully aiming it-at
Drupada, he let it off with great force, inspiring
all the Somakas with fear. That arrow, piercing
through the breast of Drupada, fell on the surface
of the earth. The king (of the Panchalas), then,
thus pierced through with Vrishasena’s arrow,
swooned away. His driver, then, recollecting his
own duty, bore him away from the field. After
the retreat, O monarch, of that mighty car-warrior
of the Panchalas, the (Kaurava) army, on that terrible
night, rushed furiously against Drupada’s troops
whose coats of mail had been cut off by means of the
arrows of the foe. In consequence of the blazing
lamps dropped by the combatants all around, the earth,
O king, looked beautiful like the cloudless firmament
bespangled with planets and stars. With the fallen
Angadas of the combatants, the earth looked resplendent,
O king, like a mass of clouds in the rainy season with
flashes of lightning. Afflicted with the fear
of Karna’s son, the Panchalas fled away on all
sides, like the Danavas from fear of Indra in the
great battle of yore between the gods and the Asuras.
Thus afflicted in battle by Vrishasena, the Panchalas
and the Somakas, O monarch, illumined by lamps, looked
exceedingly beautiful.[225] Having vanquished them
in battle, Karna’s son looked beautiful like
the son, O Bharata, when he reaches the meridian.
Amongst all those thousands of kings of thy side and
their the valiant Vrishasena then seemed to be the
only resplendent luminary. Having defeated in
battle many heroes and all the mighty car-warriors
among the Somakas, he quickly proceeded, O king, to
the spot where king Yudhishthira was stationed.
“Thy son Duhsasana proceeded against that mighty
car-warrior, viz., Prativindhya, who was advancing
(against Drona), scorching his foes in battle.
The encounter that took place between them, O king,
looked beautiful, like that of Mercury and Venus in
the cloudless firmament. Duhsasana pierced Prativindhya,
who was accomplishing fierce feats in battle, with
three arrows on the forehead. Deeply pierced by
that mighty bowman, thy son, Prativindhya, O monarch,
looked beautiful like a crested hill. The mighty
car-warrior Prativindhya, then, piercing Duhsasana
with three arrows, once more pierced him with seven,
Thy son, then, O Bharata, achieved there an exceedingly
difficult feat, for he felled Prativindhya’s
steeds with many arrows. With another broad-headed
arrow he also felled the latter’s driver, and
then his standard. And then he cut off, O king,
into a thousand fragments the car of Prativindhya,
armed with the bow. Excited with rage, O lord,
thy son also cut off, with his straight shafts, into
numberless fragments the banner, the quivers, the
strings, and the traces (of his antagonist’s
car). Deprived of his car, the virtuous Prativindhya
stood, bow in hand, and contended with thy son scattering
Page 1210
numberless arrows. Then Duhsasana, displaying
great lightness of hand, cut off Prativindhya’s
bow. And then he afflicted his bowless antagonist
with ten shafts. Beholding their brother, (Prativindhya)
in that plight, his brothers, all mighty car-warriors,
rushed impetuously to that spot with a large force.
He then ascended the resplendent of Sutasoma.
Taking up another bow, he continued, O king, to pierce
thy son. Then many warriors on thy side, accompanied
by a large force, rushed impetuously and surrounded
thy son (for rescuing him). Then commenced a
fierce battle between thy troops and theirs, O Bharata,
at that dreadful hour of midnight, increasing the
population of Yama’s kingdom.’”
SECTION CLXIX
“Sanjaya said, ’Against Nakula who was
engaged in smiting thy host, Suvala’s son (Sakuni)
in wrath, rushed with great impetuosity and addressing
him, said, ‘Wait! Wait!’ Each enraged
with the other and each desirous of slaying the other,
those two heroes struck each other with shafts sped
from their bows drawn to their fullest stretch.
Suvala’s son in that encounter displayed the
same measure of skill that Nakula displayed, O king,
in shooting showers of arrows. Both pierced with
arrows, O king, in that battle, they looked beautiful
like a couple of porcupines with quills erect on their
bodies. The armour of each cut off by means of
shafts with straight points and golden wings, and each
bathed in blood, those two warriors looked resplendent
in that dreadful battle like two beautiful and brilliant
Kalpa trees, or like two flowering Kinsukas on the
field of battle. Indeed, O king, those two heroes
in that encounter, both pierced with arrows, looked
beautiful like a couple of Salmali trees with prickly
thorns on them. Casting oblique glances at each
other, with eyes expanded in rage, whose corners had
become red, they seemed to scorch each other by those
glances. Then thy brother-in-law, excited with
wrath, and smiling the while, pierced Madri’s
son in the chest with a barbed arrow of keen point.
Deeply pierced by that great bowman, viz., thy
brother-in-law, Nakula sat down on the terrace of
his car and swooned away. Beholding his proud
foe, that mortal enemy of his in that plight, Sakuni
uttered a roar loud as that of the clouds at the end
of summer. Recovering consciousness, Nakula, the
son of Pandu, once more rushed against Suvala’s
son, like the Destroyer himself of wide-open mouth.
Inflamed with rage, O bull of Bharata’s race,
he pierced Sakuni with sixty arrows, and more with
a hundred long shafts at the centre of his chest.
He then cut off Sakuni’s bow with arrow fixed
thereon, into two fragments, at the handle. And
then cutting off in a trice Sakuni’s standard,
he caused it to fall down on the earth. Piercing
next Sakuni’s thigh with keen, sharp, and well-tempered
shafts, Nakula, the son of Pandu, caused him to fall
down on the terrace of his car, clasping his flag-staff,
Page 1211
like an amorous man clasping his mistress. Beholding
that brother-in-law of thine laid low and deprived
of consciousness, O sinless one, his driver quickly
bore him away from the van of battle. The Parthas,
then, and all their followers, uttered a loud roar.
Having vanquished his foes, Nakula, that scorcher of
foes, addressing his driver, said, ‘Beat me
to the host commanded by Drona.’ Hearing
these words of Madri’s son, his driver proceeded
to the spot, O king, where Drona was stationed.[226]
Against mighty Sikhandin proceeding towards Drona,
Kripa resolutely advanced with great impetuosity.
That chastiser of foes, viz., Sikhandin, then,
smiling the while, pierced with nine arrows the son
of Gotama thus advancing against him towards the vicinity
of Drona. Then the preceptor, Kripa, that benefactor
of thy sons, piercing Sikhandin first with five arrows,
once more pierced him with twenty. The combat
that took place, O monarch, between them, was exceedingly
dreadful, like that between Samvara and the chief of
the celestials in the battle between the gods and
the Asuras. Those heroic and mighty car-warriors,
both invincible in battle, covered the welkin with
their arrows, like clouds covering the welkin on the
expiry or summer. Terrible of itself, that night,
O chief of the Bharatas, became more terrible still
to the heroic combatants engaged in battle. Indeed,
of terrible aspects and inspiring all sorts of fear,
that night became, as it were, death-night (of all
creatures). Then Sikhandin, O king, cut off,
with a crescent-shaped arrow, the large bow of Gotama’s
son and shot at the latter many whetted shafts.
Inflamed with wrath, O monarch, Kripa then sped at
his antagonist a fierce dart, equipped with a golden
shaft and keen point, and polished by the hands of
the smith. Sikhandin, however, cut it off with
ten shafts as it coursed towards him. That dart,
then, decked with gold (thus cut off), fell down on
the earth. Then Gautama, foremost of men, taking
up another bow, O king, covered Sikhandin with a large
number of whetted shafts. Thus covered in that
battle by the illustrious son of Gotama, Sikhandin,
that foremost of car-warriors sank on the terrace
of his car. Beholding him thus weakened, Kripa
in that encounter, struck him with many arrows, from
desire of slaying him, O Bharata! (Sikhandin then
was borne away by his driver). Beholding that
mighty car-warrior, viz., the son of Yajnasena
retreating from battle, the Panchalas and the Somakas
surrounded him on all sides (for rescuing him).
Similarly, thy sons also surrounded that foremost of
Brahmans, Kripa, with a large force. Then commenced
a battle once more, between car-warriors, O king,
that struck one another. The uproar that rose
became loud as the roaring of clouds, O Bharata, caused
by rushing horsemen and elephants, O monarch, smiting
one another down. Then, O king, the field of
battle looked exceedingly fierce. With the tread
of rushing infantry the earth began to tremble, O
Page 1212
monarch, like a lady shaken with fear. Car-warriors,
mounting on their cars, rushed impetuously, attacking
compeers by their thousands, O king, like crows seizing
winged insects (in the air). Similarly, mighty
elephants with winy exudation down their bodies, pursuing
similar elephants, encountered them, O Bharata, furiously.
So also, horsemen, coming upon horsemen, and foot-soldiers
angrily encountered one another in that battle.
At dead of night, the sound of retreating and the
rushing of troops and of those coming again to the
encounter became deafening. The blazing lamps
also, placed on cars and elephants and steeds, seemed,
O king, large meteors falling from the firmament.
That night, O chief of the Bharatas, lightened up
by those lamps looked like day, O king, on the field
of battle. As the sun, encountering the thick
gloom, destroys it completely, even so the thick gloom
of the battle was destroyed by those blazing lamps.
Indeed, the welkin, the earth, the cardinal and the
subsidiary points of the compass, enveloped by dust
and darkness, became once more illuminated by that
light. The splendour of weapons and coats of mail,
and of the jewels of illustrious heroes, became overshadowed,
by the light of those blazing lamps. During the
progress of that fierce battle at night, none of the
combatants, O Bharata, could know the warriors of
his own side. Sire, O chief of the Bharatas, slew
son, and son, from ignorance, slew sire, and friend
slew friend. And relatives slew relatives, and
maternal uncles slew sisters’ sons, and warriors
slew warriors of their own side, and foes slew their
own men, in that battle, O Bharata. In that dreadful
nocturnal encounter, O king, all fought furiously,
ceasing to have any regard for one another.’”
SECTION CLXX
“Sanjaya said, ’In that fierce and terrible
battle, Dhrishtadyumna, O king, proceeded against
Drona. Holding his formidable bow and repeatedly
stretching his bowstring, the Panchala prince rushed
towards Drona’s car decked with gold. And
as Dhrishtadyumna proceeded for accomplishing the
destruction of Drona, the Panchalas and the Pandavas,
O king, surrounded him. Beholding Drona, that
foremost of preceptors, thus assailed, thy son, resolutely
contending in battle, protected Drona on all sides.
Then those two oceans of troops encountered each other
on that night, looked like two terrible oceans lashed
into fury by tempest, with all living creatures within
them exceedingly agitated. Then the prince of
the Panchalas, O king, quickly pierced Drona in the
chest with five arrows and uttered a leonine roar.
Drona, however, O Bharata, piercing his foe in return
with five and twenty arrows in that battle, cut off,
with another broad-headed arrow, his bright bow.
Forcibly pierced by Drona, O bull of Bharata’s
race, Dhrishtadyumna, quickly casting aside his bow,
bit his (nether) lip in rage. Indeed, O monarch,
the valiant Dhrishtadyumna, excited with wrath, took
Page 1213
up another formidable bow for accomplishing the destruction
of Drona. That slayer of hostile heroes, that
warrior endued with great beauty, stretching that formidable
bow to his ear, shot a terrible shaft capable of taking
Drona’s life. That shaft, thus sped by
the mighty prince in that fierce and dreadful battle,
illumined the whole army like the risen sun. Beholding
that terrible shaft, the gods, the Gandharvas, and
the Danavas. said these words, O king, viz.,
‘Prosperity to Drona!’ Karna, however,
O king, displaying great lightness of hand cut off
into dozen fragments that shaft as it coursed towards
the preceptor’s car. Thus cut off into many
fragments, O king, that shaft of Dhrishtadyumna, O
sire, quickly fell down on the earth like a snake
without poison. Having cut off with his own straight
shafts those of Dhrishtadyumna in that battle, Karna
then pierced Dhrishtadyumna himself with many sharp
arrows. And Drona’s son pierced him with
five, and Drona himself with five, and Salya pierced
him with nine, and Duhsasana with three. And
Duryodhana pierced him with twenty arrows and Sakuni
with five. Indeed, all those mighty car-warriors
quickly pierced the prince of the Panchalas. Thus
was he pierced by these seven heroes in that battle
exerting themselves for the rescue of Drona.
The prince of the Panchalas, however, pierced every
one of these heroes with three arrows. Indeed,
O king, Dhrishtadyumna, in that dreadful battle, quickly
pierced Drona himself, and Karna, and Drona’s
son, and thy son. Thus pierced by that bowman,
those warriors, fighting together, pierced Dhrishtadyumna
again in that encounter, uttering loud roars the while.
Then Drumasena, excited with wrath, O king, pierced
the Panchala prince with a winged arrow, and once
again quickly with three other arrows. And addressing
the prince, he said, ‘Wait! Wait!’
Dhrishtadyumna then pierced Drumasena in return with
three straight arrows, in the encounter, which were
equipped with wings of gold, steeped in oil, and capable
of taking the life of him at whom they are sped.
With another broad-headed shaft, the prince of the
Panchalas then, in that battle, cut off from Drumasena’s
trunk the latter’s head decked with bright ear-rings
of gold. That head, with (the lower) lip bit (in
rage), fell on the ground like a ripe palmyra fruit
separated from the stalk by the action of a strong
wind. Once again, piercing all those warriors
with keen shafts, that hero, with some broad-headed
shafts, cut off the bow of Radha’s son, that
warrior conversant with all modes of warfare.
Karna could not book that cutting off of his bow,
like a fierce lion incapable of brooking the cutting
off of his tail. Taking up another bow, Karna,
with eyes red in rage, and breathing hard, covered
mighty Dhrishtadyumna with clouds of arrows.
Beholding Karna excited with rage, those heroes, viz.,
those six bulls among car-warriors, quickly encompassed
the prince of the Panchalas from desire of slaying
Page 1214
him. Seeing the latter in front of those six
foremost warriors of thy side, all thy troops, O lord,
regarded him to be already within the jaws of the Destroyer.
Meanwhile, Satyaki, of the Dasarha race, scattering
his shafts as he proceeded, reached the spot where,
the valiant Dhrishtadyumna was battling. Beholding
that invincible warrior of the Satwata race advancing,
Radha’s son pierced him in that battle with
ten arrows. Satyaki, then, O king, pierced Karna
with ten shafts in the very sight of all those heroes,
and addressing him, said, ‘Do not fly away but
stay before me.’ The encounter then, that
took place between mighty Satyaki and the industrious
Karna, resembled, O king, that between Vali and Vasava
(in the days of yore). That bull among Kshatriyas,
viz., Satyaki, terrifying all the Kshatriyas
with the rattle of his car, pierced the lotus-eyed
Karna in return (with many arrows). Making the
earth tremble with the twang of his bow, the mighty
son of the Suta, O monarch, contended with Satyaki.
Indeed, Karna pierced the grandson of Sini in return
with hundreds of long, and barbed, and pointed, and
tall-toothed, and razor-headed arrows and diverse other
shafts. Similarly, that foremost one of Vrishni’s
race, Yuyudhana, in that battle, shrouded Karna with
his arrows. For a time that battle proceeded
equally. Then thy son, O monarch, placing Karna
at their head, all pierced Satyaki from every side
with keen arrows. Resisting with his own weapons
those of them all and of Karna also, O lord, Satyaki
quickly pierced Vrishasena in the centre of the chest.
Pierced with that arrow, the valiant Vrishasena, of
great splendour, quickly fell down on his car, casting
aside his bow. Then Karna, believing that mighty
car-warrior, viz., Vrishasena, slain, became
scorched with grief on account of the death of his
son and began to afflict Satyaki with great force.
Thus afflicted by Karna, the mighty car-warrior Yuyudhana,
with great speed, repeatedly pierced Karna with many
shafts. Once more piercing Karna with ten arrows,
and Vrishasena with five, the Satwata hero cut off
the leathern fences and the bows of both sire and
son. Then those two warriors, stringing two other
bows, capable of inspiring enemies with terror, began
to pierce Yuyudhana from every side with keen shafts.
During the progress of that fierce conflict that was
so destructive of heroes the loud twang of Gandiva,
O king, was heard over every other sound. Hearing
then the rattle of Arjuna’s car as also that
twang of Gandiva, the Suta’s son, O king, said
these words unto Duryodhana, ’Slaughtering our
entire army and the foremost of heroic warriors and
many mighty bowmen among the Kauravas, Arjuna is loudly
twanging his bow. The rattle also of his car
is heard, resembling the roar of the thunder.
It’s evident, the son of Pandu is achieving feats
worthy of his own self This son of Pritha, O monarch,
will grind our large host. Many of our troops
are already breaking. No one stays in battle.
Page 1215
Indeed, our army is being dispersed like a risen mass
of clouds dispersed by the wind. Encountering
Arjuna, our host breaks like a boat on the ocean.
The loud wails, O king, of the foremost of warriors,
O monarch, flying away from the field, or falling
down in consequence of the arrows sped from Gandiva,
are being heard. Hear, O tiger among car-warriors,
the sound of drums and cymbals near Arjuna’s
car at dead of night, resembling the deep roll of
thunder in the welkin. Hear also the loud wails
(of afflicted combatants) and the tremendous leonine
shouts, and diverse other noises in the vicinity of
Arjuna’s car. Here, however, this Satyaki,
this foremost one of the Satwata race, stayeth amid
us. If this object of our aim can be struck down,
we can then vanquish all our foes. Similarly,
the son of the Panchala king is engaged with Drona.
He is encompassed on all sides by many heroic and
foremost of car-warriors. If we can slay Satyaki
and Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Prishata without doubt,
O king, victory will be ours. Surrounding these
two heroes, these two mighty car-warriors, as we did
the son of Subhadra we will strive, O king, to slay
them, viz., this son of Vrishni’s race and
this son of Prishata. Savyasachin, O Bharata,
is before us, coming towards this division of Drona,
knowing that Satyaki is engaged here with many chief
among the Kurus. Let a large number of our foremost
of car-warriors proceed thither, so that Partha may
not be able to come to the rescue of Satyaki, now
encompassed by many. Let these great heroes speedily
shoot clouds of shafts with great force, so that Satyaki
of Madhu’s race may by speedily despatched to
Yama’s abode.’ Ascertaining this to
be the opinion of Karna, thy son, addressing Suvala’s
son in the battle, like the illustrious Indra addressing
Vishnu, said these words, Surrounded by ten thousand
unretreating elephants and ten thousand cars also,
proceed against Dhananjaya! Duhsasana and Durvishaha
and Suvahu and Dushpradharshana—these will
follow thee, surrounded by a large number of foot-soldiers.
O uncle, slay those great bowmen, viz., the two
Krishnas, and Yudhishtira, and Nakula, and Sahadeva,
and Bhima, the son of Pandu My hope of victory resteth
on thee, like that of the gods on their chief Indra.
O uncle, slay the son of Kunti, like (Kartikeya) slaying
the Asuras.’ Thus addressed and urged by
thy son, Sakuni, clad in mail, proceeded against the
Parthas, accompanied by a large force as also by thy
sons, in order to consume the sons of Pandu. Then
commenced a great battle between the warriors of thy
army and the foe. When Suvala’s son, O
king, (thus) proceeded against the Pandavas, the Suta’s
son, accompanied by a large force, quickly advanced
against Satyaki, shooting many hundreds of shafts.
Indeed, thy warriors, combining together, encompassed
Satyaki. Then Bharadwaja’s son, proceeding
against the car of Dhrishtadyumna, fought a wonderful
and fierce battle at dead of night, O bull of Bharata’s
race, with the brave Dhrishtadyumna and the Panchalas.’”
Page 1216
SECTION CLXXI
“Sanjaya said, ’Then all those kings of
thy army, incapable of being easily defeated in battle,
angrily proceeded against Yuyudhana’s car, unable
to brook (his feats). Mounting on their well-equipped
cars, O king, that were decked with gold and jewels,
and accompanied also by cavalry and elephants, they
encompassed the Satwata hero. Hemming him on
all sides those mighty car-warriors, challenging that
hero, uttered loud leonine roars. Those great
heroes, desirous of slaying him of Madhu’s race,
poured their keen arrows on Satyaki of invincible prowess.
Beholding them thus advancing with speed towards him,
that slayer of hostile hosts, viz., the mighty-armed
grandson of Sini, took up and shot many shafts.
The heroic and great bowman Satyaki, invincible in
battle, cut off many heads with his fierce and straight
arrows. And he of Madhu’s race also cut
off the trunks of many elephants, the necks of many
seeds, and arms decked with Angadas of many warriors,
by means of razor-faced arrows. With the fallen
yak-tails and white umbrellas, O Bharata, the field
of battle became almost full, and resembled the firmament,
O lord, with stars. The wails of the host thus
slaughtered in battle, O Bharata, by Yuyudhana, became
as loud as those of shrieking ghosts (in hell).
With that loud uproar the earth became filled, and
the night became fiercer and more terrible. Beholding
his host, afflicted with Yuyudhana’s arrows
breaking, and hearing that tremendous uproar at dead
of night making the hair stand on end, thy son, that
mighty car-warrior, addressing his driver, repeatedly
said, ’Urge the steeds to that spot whence this
uproar cometh.’ Then king Duryodhana, that
firm bowman, above all modes of warfare, rushed against
Yuyudhana. Madhava pierced Duryodhana with a
dozen blood-drinking shafts, sped from his bow drawn
to its fullest stretch. Thus afflicted with arrows
by Yuyudhana first, Duryodhana, excited with rage,
pierced the grandson of Sini in return with ten arrows.
Meanwhile, the battle that raged between the Panchalas
and all thy troops presented an exceedingly wonderful
sight. Then the grandson of Sini, excited with
rage in that battle, pierced thy son, that mighty
car-warrior, with eighty shafts, in the chest.
He then, with other shafts, despatched Duryodhana’s
steeds to Yama’s abode. And that slayer
of foes then quickly felled his antagonist’s
driver from the car. Thy son, O monarch, staying
on that steedless car, shot many keen arrows towards
Satyaki’s car. The grandson of Sini, however,
displaying great lightness of hand, O king, cut off
those fifty shafts sped in that battle by thy son.
Then Madhava, with a broad-headed shafts suddenly cut
off in that encounter the formidable bow of thy son
in the handle, Deprived of both his car and bow, that
puissant ruler of men then mounted quickly upon the
bright car of Kritavarman. Upon Duryodhana’s
retreat, the grandson of Sini, O monarch, afflicted
and routed thy army at dead of night.
Page 1217
“Sakuni, meanwhile, O king, encompassing Arjuna
on all sides with many thousands of cars and several
thousands of elephants, and many thousands of steeds,
began to fight desperately. Many of them hurled
towards Arjuna celestial weapons of great power.
Indeed, those Kshatriyas fought with Arjuna, incurring
the certitude of death. Arjuna, however, excited
with rage, checked those thousands of cars and elephants
and steeds, and ultimately caused those foes to turn
back. Then Suvala’s son, with eyes red
as copper with rage, deeply pierced Arjuna, that slayer
of foes, with twenty shafts. And once more shooting
a hundred shafts, he checked the progress of Partha’s
great car. Then Arjuna, O Bharata, pierced Sakuni
with twenty arrows in that battle. And he pierced
each of the great bowmen with three arrows. Checking
all of them with his arrows, O king, Dhananjaya slew
those warriors of thy army with excellent shafts, endued
with the force of thunder.[227] Strewn with lopped
off arrows, O monarch, and (dead) bodies by thousands,
the earth looked as if covered with flowers.
Indeed, strewn with the heads of Kshatriyas, heads
that were decked with diadems and handsome noses and
beautiful ear-rings and (nether) lips bit in rage
and wide open eyes,—heads that were graced
with collars and crowned also with gems, and which,
while life was in them, spoke sweet words,—the
earth looked resplendent as if strewn with hillocks
overspread with Champaka flowers. Having achieved
that fierce feat, and pierced Sakuni once more, struck
Uluka with an arrow in that battle. Piercing
Uluka thus in the sight of his sire, viz., Suvala’s
son, Arjuna uttered a loud roar, filling the earth
therewith. Then the son of Indra cut off Sakuni’s
bow. And then he despatched his four steeds to
Yama’s abode. Then Suvala’s son, O
bull of Bharata’s race, jumping down from his
car, quickly ascended the car of Uluka. Then those
two mighty car-warriors, viz., sire and son,
both riding on the same car, showered their arrows
on Partha like two risen clouds pouring torrents of
rain on a mountain. The son of Pandu then piercing
both those warriors with keen shafts, afflicted and
caused thy troops to fly away in hundreds and thousands.
Like a mighty mass of clouds dispersed on all sides
by the wind, that army of thine, O monarch, was dispersed
on all sides. Indeed, that host, O chief of the
Bharatas, thus slaughtered on the night, fled away
in all directions, afflicted with fear and in the very
sight (of their leaders). Many abandoning the
animals they rode, other urging their animals to their
greatest speed, turned back from the battle, inspired
with fear, during that fierce hour of darkness.
Having vanquished thy warriors thus, O bull of Bharata’s
race, Vasudeva and Dhananjaya cheerfully blew their
conchs.
Page 1218
“Dhrishtadyumna, O monarch, piercing Drona with
three arrows, quickly cut off the latter’s bowstring
with a sharp arrow. Throwing down that bow on
the earth, heroic Drona, that grinder of Kshatriyas,
took up another that was exceedingly tough and strong.
Piercing Dhrishtadyumna then with five arrows, Drona
pierced his driver also, O bull of Bharata’s
race, with five arrows. Checking Drona with his
arrows, the mighty car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna began
to destroy the Kaurava host, like Maghavat destroying
the Asura army. During the slaughter of thy son’s
army, O sire, a terrible river, having blood for its
current, began to flow. And it ran between the
two hosts, bearing away men and steeds and elephants
along its current. And it resembled, O king, the
Vaitarani that flows, O lord, towards the domains
of Yama. Agitating and routing thy army, the
valiant Dhrishtadyumna, endued with great energy, blazed
forth like Sakra in the midst of the celestials.
Then Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin blew their large
conchs, as also the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva), and
Vrikodara, the son of Pandu. Thus those fierce
warriors, vanquished thousands of kings; on thy side
that were endued with great energy, at the sight of
thy Son and of Karna and the heroic Drona and Drona’s
son, O monarch!’”
SECTION CLXXII
“Sanjaya said, ’Beholding his own army
routed while being slaughtered by those illustrious
heroes, thy son, well-acquainted with words, O monarch,
quickly repairing unto Karna and Drona, that foremost
of all victors in battle, wrathfully said these words,
’This battle has been set on foot by you two
in rage, having seen the ruler of the Sindhus slain
by Savyasachin. You are beholding with indifference
the slaughter of my army by the forces of the Pandavas,
although you two are fully competent to vanquish those
forces. If you two now abandon me, you should
have, in the beginning, told me of it, ’We two
shall vanquish the sons of Pandu in battle.’
Even these were the words, ye givers of honours, that
ye then said unto me. Hearing these words of
yours, I sanctioned these proceedings. I would
never have provoked these hostilities with the Parthas,—hostilities
that are so destructive of heroic combatants (if ye
had told me otherwise). If I do not deserve to
be abandoned by you two, ye bulls among men, then
fight according to the true measure of your prowess,
ye heroes endued with great prowess.’ Thus
pierced by the goad of speech of thy son, those two
heroes once more engaged in battle, like two snakes
vexed with sticks. Then those two foremost of
car-warriors, those two bowmen above all bowmen in
the world, rushed with speed against the Parthas headed
by the grandson of Sini and by others. Similarly,
the Parthas uniting together, and accompanied by all
their troops, advanced against those two heroes, who
were roaring repeatedly. Then the great bowman,
Drona, that foremost of all wielders of weapons, excited
Page 1219
with rage, quickly pierced (Satyaki), that bull amongst
the Sinis, with ten arrows. And Karna pierced
him with ten arrows, and thy son with seven, and Vrishasena
pierced him with ten, and Suvala’s son with seven.
In that impervious wall of Kauravas around the grandson
of Sini, these also stationed themselves, encompassing
him. Beholding Drona slaughtering the Pandava
army in that battle, the Somakas quickly pierced him
from every side with showers of arrows. Then
Drona began to take the lives of Kshatriyas, O monarch,
like the sun destroying darkness around him by his
rays. We then heard, O monarch, a loud uproar
amongst the Panchalas, who called upon one another,
while they were being slaughtered by Drona. Some
abandoning sons, some sires, some brothers, some uncles,
some their sister’s sons, some their relatives
and kinsmen, fled away with speed, for saving their
own lives. Some, again, deprived of their senses,
ran against Drona himself. Indeed, many were
the combatants of the Pandava army that were then
despatched to the other world. Thus afflicted
by that illustrious hero, the Pandava host, that night,
O king, fled away, throwing down their blazing torches
all around, in the very sight of Bhimasena and Arjuna
and Krishna and the twins and Yudhishthira and Prishata’s
son. The world being enveloped in darkness, nothing
could be seen. In consequence of the light that
was amongst the Katirava troops, the flight of the
foe could be ascertained. Those mighty car-warriors,
viz., Drona and Karna, O king, pursued the flying
host, scattering numerous shafts. Seeing the
Panchalas slaughtered and routed, Janardana becoming
cheerless, said these words unto Phalguna, ’Dhrishtadyumna
and Satyaki, accompanied by the Panchalas, had proceeded
against those great bowmen, viz., Drona and Karna,
shooting many shafts. This large host of ours
hath been broken and routed (by them) with showers
of arrows. Though their flight is sought to be
checked, they are still incapable of being rallied,
O son of Kunti!—Beholding the host fly away,
through fear, ye Pandava warriors, cast away your
fears! Accompanied by all the forces and arraying
then, in good order, both of us, with uplifted weapons,
are even now proceeding against Drona and the Suta’s
son for withstanding them.’ Then Janardana
beholding Vrikodara advancing, once more addressed
Arjuna, the son of Pandu, as if for gladdening him,
in these words, ’Yonder Bhima, who taketh delight
in battle, surrounded by the Somakas and the Pandavas,
is coming against those mighty car-warriors, viz.,
Drona and Karna. Supported by him, as also by
the many mighty car-warriors among the Pandavas, fight
now, O son of Pandu, for assuring all your troops.’[228]
Then those two tigers among men, viz., the son
of Pandu and he of Madhu’s race, approaching
Drona and Karna, took up their station at the head
of battle.’
Page 1220
“Sanjaya continued, ’Then that vast force
of Yudhishthira once more returned to battle, proceeding
to the place where Drona and Karna were grinding their
foes in battle. At dead of night, a fierce encounter
took place, resembling that of two oceans swelling
at moon-rise. Then the warriors of thy army,
throwing away from their hands the blazing lamps held
by them, fought with the Pandavas fearlessly and madly.
On that terrible night when the world was enveloped
with gloom and dust, the combatants fought with one
another, guided only by the names they uttered.
The names uttered by the kings contending in battle,
were heard, O monarch, there, like what happens, O
king, at a Swayamvara or self-choice. Suddenly,
a silence overspread the field of battle, and lasted
for a moment. Then, again, a loud uproar was heard
made by the angry combatants, victors and vanquished.
Thither where blazing lamps were seen, O bull of Kuru’s
race, thither rushed those heroes like insects (towards
a blazing fire). And as the Pandavas, O king,
and the Kauravas, contended with each other in battle,
the darkness of night thickened around them.’”
SECTION CLXXIII
“Sanjaya said, ’Then Karna, that slayer
of hostile heroes, beholding Prishata’s son
in battle, struck him on the chest with ten shafts
capable of penetrating into the very vitals.
Dhrishtadyumna quickly pierced Karna in return in
that great battle, with five shafts, and addressing
him, said, Wait! Wait!’ Shrouding each
other in that dreadful combat with showers of arrows,
O king, they once more pierced each other with keen
shafts, sped from bows drawn to their fullest stretch.
Then Karna, in that battle, despatched to Yama’s
abode the driver and the four steeds or Dhrishtadyumna,
that foremost warrior among the Panchalas. He
then cut off his enemy’s foremost bow with keen
arrows, and felled, with a broad-headed shaft the
latter’s driver from his niche in the car.
Then the valiant Dhrishtadyumna, deprived of car,
steeds, and driver, quickly jumped down from his car
and took up a mace. Though struck all the while
with straight shafts by Karna, the Panchala prince,
approaching Karna, slew the four steeds of the latter.
Turning back with great speed, that slayer of hosts,
viz., the son of Prishata, quickly ascended the
car of Dhananjaya. Mounting upon that car, the
mighty car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna desired to proceed
towards Karna. Dharma’s son (Yudhishthira),
however, bade him desist. Then Karna endued with
great energy, mingling his leonine shouts with it
twanged his bow loudly and blew his conch with great
force. Beholding Prishata’s son vanquished
in battle, those mighty car-warriors, viz., the
Panchalas and the Somakas, excited with rage, and
taking up all kinds of weapons, proceeded, making death
itself their goal, towards Karna, from desire of slaughtering
him. Meanwhile, Karna’s driver had yoked
other steeds unto his master’s car, that were
Page 1221
white as conchs, endued with great speed, of the Sindhu
breed, and well-broken. Then Karna of sure aim,
contending with vigour, afflicted those mighty car-warriors
among the Panchalas with his shafts like a cloud pouring
torrents of rain upon a mountain. The Panchala
host, thus afflicted by Karna, fled away in fear,
like a doe frightened by a lion. Horsemen were
seen falling from their horses, and elephant-riders
from their elephants, O monarch, and car-warriors
from cars, all around. In that dreadful battle,
Karna cut off with razor-faced arrows the arms of flying
combatants and heads decked with car-rings. And
he cut off, O king, the thighs of others that were
on elephants or on the back of steeds, or on the earth,
O sire! Many mighty car-warriors, as they fled
away, felt not their loss of limbs or the injury in
their animals, in that battle. Slaughtered by
terrible shafts, the Panchalas and the Srinjayas took
the motion of even a straw for Karna (so great was
their fright). Deprived of their senses, the
warriors took their flying friends for Karna and fled
away from these in fear. Karna pursued the broken
and retreating host, O Bharata, shooting his shafts
on all sides. Indeed, in that battle, the retreating
warriors, deprived of their senses, were slaughtered
with mighty weapons by that illustrious hero, Karna.
Others, only looked at by Drona, fled away on all
sides. Then king Yudhishthira, beholding his army
flying away, and regarding retreat to be advisable,
addressed Phalguna and said, ’Behold that mighty
bowman, Karna stationed there like Rudra himself armed
with his bow. Behold him scorching everything
around like the blazing sun himself, at this fierce
hour, this dead of night. These wails are being
incessantly heard, O Partha, of thy helpless friends
who are uttering them, mangled by the shafts of Karna.
The manner in which Karna is aiming and letting off
his shafts is such that no interval can be noticed
between the two acts. He will, O Partha, annihilate
all our friends. Do that now, Dhananjaya, about
the slaughter of Karna, which, according to thy judgment,
should next be done and the time for which may have
come.’ Thus addressed (by Yudhishthira),
Partha said unto Krishna, ’The royal son of
Dharma is frightened today by the prowess of Karna.
When Karna’s division is thus acting (towards
us) repeatedly, do thou speedily adopt that course
which should now be adopted. Our army is flying
away, O slayer of Madhu, our troops, broken and mangled
with Drona’s shafts and frightened by Karna,
are unable to make a stand. I see Karna careering
fearlessly. Our foremost of car-warriors are flying
away. Karna is scattering his keen shafts.
I cannot, like a snake incapable of putting up with
the tread of a human being upon its body, bear to see
him thus careering at the head of battle, before my
eyes, O tiger of Vrishni’s race. Proceed,
therefore, to that spot where the mighty car-warrior
Karna is. I will either kill him, O slayer of
Madhu, or let him slay me.’[229]
Page 1222
“Vasudeva said, ’I behold Karna, O son
of Kunti, that tiger among men, that warrior of superhuman
prowess, careering in battle like the chief of the
celestials himself. O Dhananjaya, there is none
else capable of advancing against him in battle, save
thee, O tiger among men, and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha.
I do not, however, O sinless one, regard the time
to have come, O mighty-armed one, for thee to encounter
the Suta’s son in battle. The blazing dart,
resembling a mighty meteor, given him by Vasava, is
still with him, O thou of mighty arms, kept for thee
with care, by the Suta’s son. He keepeth
that dart by him, and hath now assumed a terrible
form. As regards Ghatotkacha, he is always devoted
to you and desirous of your good. Let the mighty
Ghatotkacha proceed against the son of Radha.
Endued with the prowess of a celestial, he has been
begotten by the mighty Bhima. With him are celestial
weapons as also those used by Rakshasa. The latter
soon came before him, clad in mail, and armed, O king,
with sword arrow, and bow. Saluting Krishna and
also Dhananjaya, the son of Pandu, he proudly said,
‘Here I am, command me.’ Then he
of Dasarha’s race, addressed Hidimva’s
son, that Rakshasa of blazing mouth and fiery eyes
and body of the hue of clouds, and said these words,
’Listen, O Ghatotkacha, attend to what I say.
The time is come for the display of thy prowess, and
not of anybody else. Be thou the raft in this
battle to the sinking Pandavas. Thou hast diverse
weapons, and many kinds of Rakshasa illusion.
Behold, O son of Hidimva, the army of the Pandavas
is being beaten by Karna on the field of battle, like
a herd of kine by the herdsman. Yonder, the mighty
bowman Karna, endued with great intelligence and steady
prowess, is scorching the foremost of Kshatriyas among
the divisions of the Pandava host. Afflicted by
his fiery arrows, the Pandava warriors are incapable
of standing in front of that firm bowman who is shooting
showers of mighty shafts. Afflicted at dead of
night by the Suta’s son with his arrowy showers,
the Panchalas are flying away like a herd of deer
afflicted by a loin. Except thee, O thou of terrible
prowess, there is none else that can withstand the
Suta’s son who is thus engaged in battle.
Aided by thy energy and might, do thou, O mighty-armed
one, accomplish that which is worthy of thy own self,
of thy maternal race, and of thy sires. It is
even for this, O son of Hidimva, that men desire children,
viz., for being rescued from difficulties.
Do thou now rescue thy kinsmen. O Ghatotkacha,
sires desire sons for achieving their own objects.
Children, those sources of good, are expected to rescue
their sires both here and hereafter. Illustrious
thou art, and thy might in battle is terrible and unrivalled,
while contending in battle, there is none equal to
thee. O scorcher of foes, be thou the means by
which the Pandavas who are routed by Karna with his
shafts this night, and who are now sinking in the Dhartarashtra
ocean, may safely reach the shore. At night,
Rakshasas, again, become endued with unlimited prowess,
great might, and great courage. They become (at
such an hour) warriors of great valour and incapable
of defeat. Slay Karna in battle, at this dead
of night, aided by thy illusions. The Parthas,
with Dhrishtadyumna, will dispose of Drona.’
Page 1223
“Sanjaya continued, ’Hearing those words
of Kesava, Vibhatsu also, O Kauravya, said these words
unto that chastiser of foes, viz., the Rakshasa
Ghatotkacha, ’O Ghatotkacha, thyself, the long-armed
Satyaki, and Bhimasena, the son of Pandu, these three,
in my judgment, are the foremost ones among all our
warriors. Go and encounter Karna in single combat
this night. The mighty car-warrior Satyaki will
protect thy rear. Assisted by Satwata hero, slay
brave Karna in battle, as Indra in days of old had
slain (the Asura) Taraka, aided by (the celestial generalissimo)
Skanda.’
“Ghatotkacha said, ’I am match for Karna,
as also for Drona, O Bharata, or for any illustrious
Kshatriya accomplished in weapons. This night
I shall fight such a battle with the Suta’s
son as will form the subject of talk as long as the
world lasts. Tonight, I will spare neither the
brave nor the timid nor those that will, with joined
hands, pray for quarter. Following the Rakshasa
usage, I shall slay all.’
“Sanjaya continued, Having said these words,
that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the son
of Hidimva, rushed against Karna in that dreadful
fight frightening thy troops. The Suta’s
son, that tiger among men, smilingly received that
angry warrior of blazing mouth and blazing locks.
The battle then that took place between Karna and that
Rakshasa, both roaring against each other, O tiger
among kings, resembled that between Indra and Prahlada
(in days of yore).’
SECTION CLXXIV
“Sanjaya said, ’Beholding the mighty-armed
Ghatotkacha, O king, proceeding towards the car of
Suta’s son, Karna for slaughtering him in battle,
thy son Duryodhana addressing Duhsasana, said these
words, ’The Rakshasa, seeing the prowess of
Karna in battle, is speedily advancing against him.
Resist that mighty car-warrior. Surrounded by
a mighty force proceed to that spot where the mighty
Karna, the son of Vikartana, is contending with the
Rakshasa in battle. O giver of honours, surrounded
by troops and exerting thyself vigorously, protect
Karna in battle. Let not the terrible Rakshasa
slay Karna in consequence of our carelessness.
Meanwhile, O king, Jatasura’s mighty son, that
foremost of smiters, approaching Duryodhana, said
unto him, ’O Duryodhana, commanded by thee,
I desire to slay, with their followers, thy foes of
celebrity, viz., the Pandavas, those warriors
incapable of being easily defeated in battle.
My father was mighty Jatasura, that foremost of Rakshasa.
Formerly, having performed some Rakshasa slaying incantations,
the despicable sons of Pritha slew him. I desire
to worship my dead sire by offering him the blood
of his foes, and their flesh, O monarch! it behoveth
thee to grant me permission.’ The king,
thus addressed, became exceedingly delighted and said
unto him repeatedly, ’Aided by Drona and Karna
and others, I am quite competent to vanquish my foes.
Commanded, however, by me, O Rakshasa, go thou to
Page 1224
battle and slay Ghatotkacha in the fight—that
Rakshasa of fierce deeds, born of man, ever devoted
to the welfare of the Pandavas, and always slaying
our elephants and steeds and car-warriors in battle,
himself all the while staying in the welkin, O, despatch
him to Yama’s abode.’ Saying, ‘so
be it,’ and summoning Ghatotkacha to the fight,
Jatasura’s son shrouded the son of Bhimasena
with diverse kinds of weapons. The son of Hidimva,
however, alone and unsupported began, to grind Alamvusha
and Karna and the vast Kuru host, like the tempest
crushing a mass of clouds. Seeing then the power
of (Ghatotkacha’s) illusion, the Rakshasa Alamvusha
covered Ghatotkacha with showers of diverse kinds
of arrows. Having pierced Bhimasena’s son
with many shafts, Alamvusha, without losing any time,
began to afflict the Pandava host with his arrows.
Thus afflicted by him, O Bharata, the Pandava troops,
at dead of night, broke and fled away like clouds
dispersed by a tempest. Similarly, thy host also,
mingled with the shafts of Ghatotkacha, fled away
at dead of night, O king, in thousands, throwing down
their torches. Alamvusha then, excited with great
wrath, struck Bhimasena’s son in that dreadful
battle with many shafts, like a driver striking an
elephant. Then Ghatotkacha cut off into minute
fragments the car, the driver, and all the weapons
of his foe and laughed frightfully. Then, like
the clouds pouring torrents of rain on the mountains
of Meru, Ghatotkacha poured showers of arrows on Karna,
Alamvusha and all the Kurus. Afflicted by the
Rakshasa, the Kuru host became exceedingly agitated.
The four kinds of forces, of which thy army consisted,
began to press and crush one another. Then Jatasura’s
son, carless and driverless, wrathfully struck Ghatotkacha,
in that battle, with his fists. Thus struck, Ghatotkacha
trembled like a mountain with its trees and creepers
and grass at the time of an earthquake. Then
Bhimasena’s son, mad with rage, raising his
own foe-slaying arm that resembled a spiked mace, dealt
a severe blow on Jatasura’s son. Crushing
him then in rage, Hidimva’s son quickly threw
him down, and seizing him with his two arms he began
to press him with great force upon the earth.
Then Jatasura’s son freeing himself from Ghatotkacha,
rose up and assailed Ghatotkacha with great impetuosity.
Alamvusha also, dragging and throwing down the Rakshasa
Ghatotkacha, in that battle, began to crush him in
rage on the surface of the earth. The battle
then that took place between those two roaring and
gigantic warriors, viz., Ghatotkacha and Alamvusha,
became exceedingly fierce and made the hair stand
on end. Endeavouring to prevail over each other
by means of their powers of illusion, those two proud
warriors, endued with great energy, fought with each
other like Indra and Virochana’s son. Becoming
fire and ocean, and, once more, Garuda and Takshaka,
and once again, a cloud and a tempest, and then thunder
and a large mountain, and once again, an elephant
Page 1225
and then Rahu and the sun, they thus displayed a hundred
different kinds of illusion, solicitous of destroying
each other. Indeed, Alamvusha and Ghatotkacha
fought most wonderfully, striking each other with
spiked clubs and maces and lances and mallets and axes
and short clubs and mountain-cliffs. Riding on
horseback or on elephants, on foot or on car, those
foremost of Rakshasas, both endued with large powers
of illusion, fought with each other in battle.
Then Ghatotkacha, O king, desiring to slay Alamvusha,
roared aloft in rage and then alighted with great
quickness like a hawk. Seizing then that gigantic
prince of Rakshasas, viz., Alamvusha, who thus
struggled with him, he pressed him down on the earth,
like Vishnu slaying (the Asura) Maya in battle.
Taking a scimitar of wonderful appearance, Ghatotkacha,
of immeasurable prowess, then cut off from his trunk,
O king, his fierce and mighty foe’s terrible
head that was still uttering awful roars. Seizing
that blood-dyed head by the hair, Ghatotkacha quickly
proceeded towards Duryodhana’s car. Approaching
(the Kuru king), the mighty-armed Rakshasa, smiling
the while, threw upon Duryodhana’s car that
head with frightful face and hair. Uttering then
a fierce roar, deep as that of the clouds in the season
of rains, he addressed Duryodhana, O king, and said,
’This thy ally is now slain, he, that is, whose
prowess thou hadst beheld! Thou shalt see the
slaughter of Karna again, and then thy own. One
that is observant of these three, viz., morality,
profit and pleasure, should never see with empty hands
a king, a Brahmana, or a woman.[230] Live cheerfully
till that time when I slay Karna.’ Having
said these words, he then, O king, proceeded towards
Karna, shooting hundreds of keen arrows upon the head
of Karna. The battle then that took place between
that human warrior and that Rakshasa, was fierce and
terrible, O king, and exceedingly wonderful.’”
SECTION CLXXV
“Dhritarashtra said, ’How, indeed, did
that battle take place when at dead of night Vikartana’s
son, Karna, and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha encountered
each other? What aspect did that fierce Rakshasa
then present? What kind of car did he ride, and
what was the nature of his steeds and what of his
weapons? What was the size of his steeds, of the
standard of his car, and of his bow? What was
the kind of armour he wore, and what head-gear had
he on? Asked by me, describe all this, for thou
art skilled in narration, O Sanjaya!’
“Sanjaya said, ’Of blood-red eyes, Ghatotkacha
was of gigantic form. His face was of the hue
of copper. His belly was low and sunken.
The bristles on his body all pointed upwards.
His head was green. His ears were like arrows.
His cheek-bones were high. His mouth was large,
extending from ear to ear. His teeth were keen,
and four of these were high and pointed. His
tongue and lips were very long and of a coppery hue.
Page 1226
His brows were long-extending. His nose was thick.
His body was blue, and neck red. Tall as a hill,
he was terrible to behold. Of gigantic frame,
gigantic arms, and gigantic head, he was endued with
great might. Ugly and of hard limbs, the hair
on his head was tied upwards in a frightful shape.
His hips were large and his navel was deep. Of
gigantic frame, the circumference of his body, however,
was not great. The ornaments on his arms were
proportionate. Possessed of great powers of illusion,
he was decked also in Angadas. He wore a cuirass
on his breast like a circle of fire on the breast
of a mountain. On his head was a bright and beautiful
diadem made of gold, with every part proportionate
and beautiful, and looking like an arch. His
ear-rings were bright as the morning sun, and his
garlands were made of gold and exceedingly bright.
He had on his body a gigantic armour of brass of great
effulgence. His car was decked with a hundred
tinkling bells, and on his standard waved numerous
blood-red banners. Of prodigious proportions,
and of the measure of a nalwa, that car was covered
with bear-skins. Equipped with all kinds of mighty
weapons, it possessed a tall standard and was adorned
with garlands, having eight wheels, and its clatter
resembled the roar of the clouds. His steeds
were like infuriated elephants, and possessed of red
eyes; of terrible aspect, they were variegated in
hue, and endued with great speed and might. Above
all fatigue, and adorned with long manes and neighing
repeatedly, they bore that hero to battle. A Rakshasa
of terrible eyes, fiery mouth, and blazing ear-rings,
acted as his driver, holding the reins, bright as
the rays of the sun, of his steeds in battle.
With that driver he came to battle like Surya with
his driver Aruna. Looking like a high mountain
encircled with a mighty cloud, a very tall standard,
that touched the heavens, was set up on his car.
A carnivorous and awful vulture of blood-red body
perched on it. He came, forcibly drawing his
bow whose twang resembled the thunder of Indra, and
whose string was very hard, and which measured a dozen
cubits in length and one cubit in breadth.[231] Filling
all the points of the compass with shafts of the measure
of the Aksha of a car, the Rakshasa rushed against
Karna on that night that was so destructive of heroes.
Staying proudly on his car, as he stretched his bow,
the twang that was heard resembled that sound of the
roaring thunder. Frightened by him, O Bharata,
all thy troops trembled like the surging waves of
the ocean. Beholding that frightful Rakshasa
of horrible eyes advancing against him, Radha’s
son, as if smiling, withstood him speedily. And
Karna proceeded against the smiling Rakshasa, smiting
him in return from a near point, like an elephant
against an elephant or the leader of a bovine herd
against the leader of another herd. The collision
that took place between them, i.e., Karna and
the Rakshasa, O king, became terrible and resembled
Page 1227
that between Indra and Samvara. Each taking a
formidable bow of loud twang, struck and covered the
other with powerful shafts. With straight shafts
sped from bows drawn to their fullest stretch, they
mangled each other, piercing their coats of mail made
of brass. With darts of the measure of Akshas,
and shafts also they continued to mangle each other,
like a couple of tigers or of mighty elephants with
their teeth or tusks. Piercing each other’s
body, aiming shafts at each other, scorching each other
with clouds of arrows, they became incapable of being
gazed at. With limbs pierced and mangled with
shafts, and bathed in streams of blood, they looked
like two hills of chalk with rivulets running down
their breasts. Those two mighty car-warriors,
both struggling vigorously, both with limbs pierced
with keen-pointed shafts, and each mangling the other,
failed, however to make each other tremble For a long
time, that nocturnal combat between Karna and the
Rakshasas in which both seemed to sport, making life
itself the stake, continued equally. Aiming keen
shafts and shooting them to the utmost measure of his
might, the twang of Ghatotkacha’s bow inspired
both friends and foes with fear.[232] At that time,
O king, Karna could not prevail over Ghatotkacha.
Seeing this, that foremost of all persons acquainted
with weapons, invoked into existence celestial weapons.
Beholding a celestial weapon aimed at him by Karna,
Ghatotkacha, that foremost of Rakshasas invoked into
existence his Rakshasa illusion. He was seen
surrounded by a large force of terrible-looking Rakshasas,
armed with lances, large rocks and hills and clubs.[233]
Beholding Ghatotkacha advancing with a mighty weapon
uplifted (in his hands) like unto the Destroyer himself
of all creatures armed with his fierce and fatal club,
all the kings there were struck with fear. Terrified
at the leonine roars uttered by Ghatotkacha, the elephants
passed urine all the combatants trembled with fear.
Then there fell on all sides a thick rain of rocks
and stones poured incessantly by the Rakshasas, who
had, in consequence of midnight, became inspired with
greater strength.[234] Iron wheels and Bhusundis, and
darts, and lances and spears and Sataghnis and axes
also began to fall incessantly. Beholding that
fierce and terrible battle, all the kings, as also
thy sons and the combatants, fled away in fear.
Only one amongst them, viz., Karna, proud of
the power of his weapons, and feeling a noble pride,
trembled not. Indeed, with his shafts he destroyed
that illusion invoked into existence by Ghatotkacha.
Beholding his illusion dispelled, Ghatotkacha, filled
with rage began to shoot deadly shafts from desire
of slaying the Suta’s son. Those shafts,
bathed in blood, piercing through Karna’s body
in that dreadful battle, entered the earth like angry
snakes. Then the valiant son of the Suta, filled
with rage and possessed of great lightness of hands,
prevailing over Ghatotkacha, pierced the latter with
Page 1228
ten shafts. Then Ghatotkacha, thus pierced by
the Suta’s son in his vital parts and feeling
great pain, took up a celestial wheel having a thousand
radii. The edge of that wheel was sharp as a razor.
Possessed of the splendour of the morning sun, and
decked with jewels and gems, Bhimasena’s son
hurled that wheel at the son of Adhiratha, desirous
of making an end of the latter. That wheel, however,
of great power and hurled also with great might, was
cut off into pieces by Karna with his shafts, and
fell down, baffled of its object, like the hopes and
purposes of an unfortunate man. Filled with rage
upon beholding his wheel baffled, Ghatotkacha covered
Karna with showers of shafts, like Rahu covering the
sun. The Suta’s son, however, endued with
the prowess of Rudra or of Indra’s younger brother
or of Indra, fearlessly shrouded Ghatotkacha’s
car in a moment with winged arrows. Then Ghatotkacha,
whirling a gold-decked mace, hurled it at Karna.
Karna, however, with his shafts, cutting it off, caused
it to fall down. Then soaring into the sky and
roaring deep like a mass of clouds, the gigantic Rakshasa
poured from the welkin a perfect shower of trees.
Then Karna pierced with his shafts Bhima’s son
in the sky, that Rakshasa acquainted with illusions,
like the sun piercing with his rays a mass of clouds.
Slaying then all the steeds of Ghatotkacha, and cutting
also his car into a hundred pieces, Karna began to
pour upon him his arrows like a cloud pouring torrents
of rain. On Ghatotkacha’s body there was
not even two finger’s breadth of space that
was not pierced with Karna’s shafts. Soon
the Rakshasa seemed to be like a porcupine with quills
erect on his body. So completely was he shrouded
with shafts that we could not in that battle, any longer
see either the steeds or the car or the standard of
Ghatotkacha or Ghatotkacha himself. Destroying
then by his own weapon, the celestial weapon of Karna,
Ghatotkacha, endued with the power of illusion, began
to fight with the Suta’s son, aided by his powers
of illusion. Indeed, he began to fight with Karna,
aided by his illusion and displaying the greatest
activity. Showers of shafts fell from an invisible
source from the welkin. Then Bhimasena’s
son, endued with great prowess of illusion, O foremost
of the Kurus, assumed a fierce from, aided by those
powers, began to stupefy the Kauravas, O Bharata!
The valiant Rakshasa, assuming many fierce and grim
heads, began to devour the celestial weapons of the
Suta’s son. Soon again, the gigantic Rakshasa,
with a hundred wounds on his body seemed to lie cheerlessly,
as if dead, on the field. The Kaurava bulls then,
regarding Ghatotkacha deed, uttered loud shouts (of
joy). Soon, however, he was seen on all sides,
careering in new forms. Once more, he was seen
to assume a prodigious form, with a hundred heads and
a hundred stomachs, and looking like the Mainaka mountain.[235]
Once again, becoming small about the measure of the
thumb, he moved about transversely or soared aloft
Page 1229
like the swelling surges of the sea. Tearing
through the earth and rising on the surface, he dived
again into the waters. Once seen here, he was
next seen at a different place. Descending then
from the welkin, he was seen standing, clad in mail,
on a car decked with gold, having wandered through
earth and sky and all the points of the compass, aided
by his powers of illusion. Approaching then the
vicinity of Karna’s car, Ghatotkacha, with his
ear-rings waving, fearlessly addressed the Suta’s
son, O monarch, and said, ’Wait a little, O
Suta’s son. Whither shalt thou go with life,
avoiding me. I shall today, on the field of battle,
quell thy desire of fight.’ Having said
those words, that Rakshasas, of cruel prowess and eyes
red like copper in wrath, soared aloft into the sky
and laughed aloud. Like a lion smiting a prince
of elephants, he began to strike Karna, pouring upon
him a shower of shafts, each of the measure the Aksha,
of a car. Indeed, he poured that arrowy shower
upon Karna, that bull among car-warriors, like a cloud
pouring torrents of rain on a mountain, Karna destroyed
that shower of arrows from a distance. Beholding
his illusion destroyed by Karna, O bull of Bharata’s
race, Ghatotkacha once more created an illusion and
made himself invisible. He became a high mountain
with many summits and abounding with tall trees.
And from that mountain incessantly issued streams
of lances and spears and swords and clubs. Seeing
that mountain, which resembled a mighty mass of antimony,
with its streams of fierce weapons, on the welkin,
Karna was not at all agitated. Smiling the while,
Karna invoked into existence a celestial weapon.
Cut off with that weapon, that huge mountain was destroyed.
Then he fierce Ghatotkacha, becoming a blue cloud
with a rainbow, in the welkin, began to pour upon
the Suta’s son a shower of stones. Vikartana’s
son, Karna, who was called also Vrisha, that foremost
of all persons acquainted with weapons, aiming a Vayavya
weapon, destroyed that dart-cloud. Then covering
all the points of the compass with innumerable shafts,
he destroyed a weapon that had been aimed at him by
Ghatotkacha. The mighty son of Bhimasena then
laughing loudly in that battle, once more invoked into
existence an all-powerful illusion against the mighty
car-warrior Karna. Once more beholding that foremost
of warriors, viz., Ghatotkacha, fearlessly approaching
him, surrounded by a large number of Rakshasas that
resembled lions and tigers and infuriated elephants
in prowess, some riding on elephants, some on cars,
and some on horseback, all armed with diverse weapons
and clad in diverse kinds of mail and diverse kinds
of ornaments; in fact, beholding Ghatotkacha surrounded
by those fierce Rakshasas like Vasava by the Maruts,
the mighty bowman Karna began to battle with him fiercely.
Then Ghatotkacha piercing Karna with five shafts, uttered
a terrible roar frightening all the kings. Once
more shooting an Anjalika weapon, Ghatotkacha quickly
Page 1230
cut off the bow of Karna’s hand along with the
arrowy shower the latter had shot. Karna then
taking out another bow that was strong and capable
of bearing a great strain and that was as large as
Indra’s bow, drew it with great force. Then
Karna shot some foe-slaying shafts of golden wings
at those sky-ranging Rakshasas. Afflicted with
those shafts, the large foes of broad chested Rakshasas
looked agitated like a herd of wild elephants afflicted
by a lion. Destroying with his shafts those Rakshasas
along with their steeds and diverse elephants, the
puissant Karna looked like the divine Agni consuming
all creatures at the time of the universal dissolution.
Having destroyed that Rakshasa host, the Suta’s
son looked resplendent like the god Maheswara in heaven
after having consumed the triple city (of the Asuras).
Among those thousands of kings on the Pandava side,
O sire, there was not a single one, O monarch, that
could even look at Karna then, save the mighty Ghatotkacha,
that prince of Rakshasas, who was endued with terrible
energy and strength, and who, inflamed with rage,
then looked like Yama himself. From his eyes,
as he was excited with wrath, flames of fire seemed
to emit, like blazing drops of oil from a couple of
burning brands. Striking his palm against palm
and biting his nether lip, the Rakshasa was once more
seen on a car that had been created by his illusion,
and unto which were yoked a number of asses, looking
like elephants and having the faces of Pisachas.
Excited with wrath, he addressed his driver, saying,
‘Bear me towards the Suta’s son.’
Then that foremost of car-warriors proceeded on that
terrible-looking car of his, for once more fighting
a single combat with the Suta’s son, O king!
The Rakshasa, excited with rage, hurled at the Suta’s
son an Asani of Rudra’s workmanship, terrible
and furnished with eight wheels. Karna, placing
his bow on his car, jumped down on the earth and seizing
that Asani hurled it back at Ghatotkacha. The
latter, however, had quickly descended from his car
(before the weapon could reach it). The Asani,
meanwhile, of great effulgence, having reduced the
Raksha’s car to ashes, with it steeds, driver,
and standard, piercing through the earth, disappeared
within its bowels, at which the gods were filled with
wonder. Then all creatures applauded Karna, who,
having jumped down from his car, had seized that Asani.
Having achieved that feat, Karna once more ascended
his car. The Suta’s sort, that scorcher
of foes, then began to shoot his shafts. Indeed,
O giver of honours, there is none else amongst all
living creatures who can accomplish what Karna accomplished
in that frightful battle. Struck by Karna with
shafts like a mountain with torrents of rain, Ghatotkacha
once more disappeared from the field of battle like
the melting forms of vapour in the sky. Contending
in this way, the gigantic Rakshasa, that slayer of
foes, destroyed the celestial weapons of Karna by
means of his activity as also his power of illusion.
Page 1231
Seeing his weapons destroyed by the Rakshasa, aided
by his powers of illusion, Karna, without being inspired
with fear, continued to fight with the cannibal.
Then, O monarch, the mighty son of Bhimasena excited
with wrath, divided his own self into many parts, frightening
all the mighty car-warriors (of the Kuru army).
Then there came on the field of battle lions, and
tigers, and hyenas, and snakes with fiery tongues,
and birds with iron beaks. As regards Ghatotkacha.
himself, struck with the keen arrows that were sped
from Karna’s bow, that huge Rakshasa, looking
like (Himavat) the prince of mountains, disappeared
then and there. Then many Rakshasas and Pisachas
and Yatudhanas, and large numbers of wolves and leopards,
of frightful faces rushed towards Karna for devouring
him. These approached the Suta’s son, uttering
fierce howls for frightening him. Karna pierced
every one of those monsters with many swift-winged
and terrible shafts that drank their blood. At
last, using a celestial weapon, he destroyed that
illusion of the Rakshasa. He then, with some
straight and fierce shafts, struck the steeds of Ghatotkacha.
These, with broken and maimed limbs, and their backs
cut by those shafts, fell down on the earth, in the
very sight of Ghatotkacha. The son of Hidimva,
seeing his illusion dispelled, once more made himself
invisible, saying unto Karna, the son of Vikartana,
’I will presently compass thy destruction.’”
SECTION CLXXVI
“Sanjaya said, ’During the progress of
that battle between Karna and the Rakshasa, the valiant
Alayudha, that prince of Rakshasa, appeared (on the
field). Accompanied by a large force, he approached
Duryodhana. Indeed, surrounded by many thousands
of frightful Rakshasas of diverse forms and endued
with great heroism, he appeared (on the field) recollecting
his old quarrel (with the Pandavas). His kinsmen,
that valiant Vaka, who ate Brahmanas, as also Kirmira
of great energy, and his friend Hidimva, had been
slain (by Bhima). He had waited for a long time,
brooding over his old quarrel. Learning now that
a nocturnal battle was raging, he came, impelled by
the desire of slaying Bhima in fight, like an infuriated
elephant or an angry snake. Desirous of battle,
he addressed Duryodhana and said, ’It is known
to thee, how my kinsmen, the Rakshasa Vaka and Kirmira
and Hidimva have been slain by Bhima. What shall
I say more, the virgin Hidimva was formerly deflowered
by him, disregarding us and the other Rakshasas.
I am here, O king, to slay that Bhima with all his
followers, steeds, cars, and elephants, as also that
son of Hidimva with friends. Slaying today all
the sons of Kunti, Vasudeva and others that walk before
them, I will devour them with all their followers.
Command all thy troops to desist from battle.
We will fight with the Pandavas.’
Page 1232
“Hearing these words of his, Duryodhana became
very glad. Surrounded by his brothers, the king,
accepting the words of the Rakshasa, said, ’Placing
thee with thine in the van, we will fight the foe.
My troops will not stand as indifferent spectators
since their enmity has not cooled.’ That
bull amongst Rakshasa, saying, ‘Let it be so,’
unto the king, speedily proceeded against Bhima, accompanied
by his cannibal force. Endued with a blazing
form, Alayudha rode a car bright like the sun.
Indeed, O monarch, that car of his was similar to Ghatotkacha’s
car. The rattle also of Alayudha’s car
was as deep as that of Ghatotkacha’s, and it
was decked with many arches. That large car was
covered with bear-skins, and its measure was a nalwa.
His steeds, like those of Ghatotkacha, were endued
with great speed, resembled elephants in shape, and
had the voice of asses. Subsisting on flesh and
blood and gigantic in size, a hundred of them were
yoked unto his vehicle. Indeed, the rattle of
his car, like that of his rival, was loud and strong,
and its string was as hard. His shafts also,
winged with gold and whetted on stone, were as large
as Ghatotkacha’s, being of the measure of Akshas.
The heroic Alayudha was as mighty-armed as Ghatotkacha,
and the standard of his car, endued with the splendour
of the sun or fire, was, like Ghatotkacha’s,
pierced upon by vultures and ravens. In form,
he was more handsome than Ghatotkacha, and his face,
agitated (with wrath) looked blazing. With blazing
Angadas and blazing diadem and garlands, decked with
floral wreaths and headgear and sword armed with mace
and Bhushundis and short clubs and ploughs and bows
and arrows, and with skin black and hard as that of
the elephant, riding on that car possessed of the splendour
of fire, he looked, while employed in afflicting and
routing the Pandava host, like a roving cloud in the
welkin, decked with flashes of lighting. (As
Alayudha came to battle), the principal kings of the
Pandava army endued with great might, and armed with
(sword and) shield, and clad in mail, engaged in fight,
O king, with joyous hearts.’”
SECTION CLXXVII
“Sanjaya said, ’Beholding Alayudha of
terrible deeds come to battle, all the Kauravas became
filled with delight. Similarly, thy sons having
Duryodhana for their head, (were filled with delight)
like raftless men desirous of crossing the ocean when
they meet with a raft. Indeed, the Icings in
the Kuru army then regarded themselves as persons reborn
after death.[236] They all offered a respectful welcome
to Alayudha, During the progress of that terrible
and superhuman battle between Karna and the Rakshasa
at night,—a battle which though fierce was
yet delightful to behold,—the Panchalas,
with all the other Kshatriyas, smilingly looked on
as spectators. Meanwhile, thy soldiers, O king,
though protected (by their leaders) all over the field
and Drona and Drona’s son and Kripa and others,
Page 1233
uttered loud wails, saying, ‘All is lost!’
Indeed, beholding those feats of Hidimva’s son
on the field of battle, all thy warriors were agitated
with fear, and uttering cries of woe became almost
deprived of their senses. Thy troops, O king,
became hopeless of Karna’s life. Then Duryodhana,
beholding Karna fallen into great distress, summoned
Alayudha and said unto him, ’Yonder Vikartana’s
son, Karna, is engaged with the son of Hidimva, and
is accomplishing such feats in battle as are worthy
of his might and prowess. Behold those brave kings
slain by the son of Bhimasena, struck with diverse
kinds of weapons (and lying on the field) like trees
broken by an elephant. Amongst all my royal warriors,
let this be thy share in battle, allotted by me, with
thy permission, O hero, displaying thy prowess, slay
thou this Rakshasa. O crusher of foes, see that
this wretch viz., Ghatotkacha, may not, relying
on his powers of illusion, slay Karna, the son of
Vikarana, before thou finishest him.’ Thus
addressed by the king, that Rakshasa of fierce prowess
and mighty arms, saying, ‘So be it,’ rushed
against Ghatotkacha. Then Bhimasena’s son,
O lord, abandoning Karna, began to grind his advancing
foe with arrows. The battle that took place then
between those angry Rakshasa princes, resembled that
between two infuriated elephants in the forest, fighting
for the sake of the same she-elephant in her season.
Freed then from the Rakshasa, Karna, that foremost
of car-warriors, rushed against Bhimasena, riding
on his car of solar effulgence. Beholding Ghatotkacha
engaged with Alayudha in battle and afflicted like
the leader of a bovine herd when engaged with a lion,
Bhima, that foremost of smiters, disregarding the
advancing Karna, rushed towards Alayudha, riding on
his car of solar effulgence and scattering clouds
of shafts. Seeing Bhima advance, Alayudha, O
lord, abandoning Ghatotkacha, proceeded against Bhima
himself. Then Bhima, that exterminator of Rakshasas,
impetuously rushed towards him, O lord, and covered
that prince of the Rakshasas with shafts. Similarly,
Alayudha, that chastiser of foes, repeatedly covered
the son of Kunti with straight shafts whetted on stone.
All the other Rakshasas also, of terrible forms and
armed with diverse weapons solicitous for the victory
of thy sons, rushed against Bhimasena. The mighty
Bhimasena, thus assailed by them, pierced each of them
with five whetted shafts. Then those Rakshasas
of wicked understanding, thus received by Bhimasena,
uttered loud wails and fled away on all sides.
The mighty Rakshasa, beholding his followers frightened
by Bhima, rushed impetuously against Bhima and covered
him with shafts. Then Bhimasena, in that battle,
weakened his foe by means of many keen-pointed arrows.
Amongst those arrows sped at him by Bhima, Alayudha
speedily cut off some and seized others in that battle.
Then Bhima of terrible prowess, looking steadily at
that prince of the Rakshasas, hurled at him with great
Page 1234
force a mace endued with the impetuosity of thunder.
That mace, coursed towards him like a flame of fire,
and the cannibal struck it with a mace of his own,
where-upon the latter (baffling the former) proceeded
towards Bhima. Then, the son of Kunti covered
that prince of Rakshasas, with showers of shafts.
The Rakshasa, with his own keen shafts, baffled all
those shafts of Bhima. Then all those Rakshasa
warriors, of terrible forms, rallying and returning
to battle, at the command of their leader, began to
slay the elephants (of Bhima’s force).
The Panchalas and the Srinjayas, the steeds and huge
elephants (of Bhima’s army), exceedingly afflicted
by the Rakshasas, became much agitated. Beholding
that terrible battle (fought between Bhima and the
Rakshasa), Vasudeva, that foremost of men addressing
Dhananjaya, said these words, ’Behold, the mighty-armed
Bhima is succumbing to that prince of Rakshasas.
Quickly proceed in Bhima’s wake, without thinking
of anything else, O son of Pandu. Meanwhile, let
Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin, and Yudhamanyu and Uttamaujas,
these mighty car-warriors, uniting with the son of
Draupadi, proceed against Karna. Let Nakula and
Sahadeva and the valiant Yuyudhana, O son of Pandu,
at thy command, slay the other Rakshasas! As
regards thyself, O mighty armed one, do thou resist
this division having Drona at its head. O thou
of mighty arms, great is the danger that threatens
us now.’ After Krishna had said so, those
foremost of car-warriors, as commanded, proceeded
against Karna, the son of Vikartana, and against the
other Rakshasas (fighting for the Kurus). Then
with some shafts resembling snakes of virulent poison
and sped from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch,
the valiant prince of the Rakshasas cut off Bhima’s
bow. The mighty cannibal next, in the very sight
of Bhima, O Bharata, slew the latter’s steeds
and driver with some whetted shafts. Steedless
and driverless, Bhima, descending from the terrace
of his car, uttered a loud roar and hurled a heavy
mace at his foe. That heavy mace, as it coursed
impetuously towards him with a terrible sound, the
mighty cannibal baffled with a mace of his own.
The latter then uttered a loud roar. Beholding
that mighty and terrible feat of that prince of Rakshasas,
Bhimasena filled with joy, seized another fierce mace.
The battle then that took place between that human
warrior and that Rakshasa, became dreadful. With
the clash of their descending maces, the earth trembled
violently. Casting aside their maces, they once
more encountered each other. They struck each
other with their clenched fists, failing with the
sound of thunder. Excited with rage, they encountered
each other with car-wheels, and yokes, and Akshas
and Adhishthanas, and Upaskaras, in fact, with anything
that came in their way. Encountering each other
thus and both covered with blood, they looked like
a couple of infuriated elephants of gigantic size.
Then, Hrishikesa, ever devoted to the good of the
Pandavas, beholding that combat, despatched Hidimva’s
son for protecting Bhimasena.’”
Page 1235
SECTION CLXXVIII
“Sanjaya said, ’Seeing Bhima in that battle
assailed by the cannibal, Vasudeva, approaching Ghatotkacha,
said unto him these words, ’Behold, O mighty-armed
one, Bhima is violently assailed by the Rakshasa in
battle, in the very sight of all the troops and of
thyself, O thou of great splendour! Abandoning
Karna for the present, quickly slay Alayudha, O mighty
armed one! Thou can afterwards slay Karna.’
Hearing these words of him of Vrishni’s race,
the valiant Ghatotkacha, abandoning Karna, encountered
Alayudha, that prince of cannibals and brother of Vaka.
The battle then that took place at night between those
two cannibals, viz., Alayudha and the son of
Hidimva became fierce and dreadful, O Bharata.
Meanwhile, the mighty car-warrior Yuyudhana, and Nakula,
and Sahadeva, pierced with keen shafts the warriors
of Alayudha, those terrible-looking and heroic Rakshasas,
armed with bows. The diadem-decked Vibhatsu, O
king, in that battle, shooting his arrows on all sides,
began to overthrow many foremost of Kshatriyas.
Meanwhile, Karna, O king, in that battle agitated
many kings and many mighty car-warriors amongst the
Panchalas headed by Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin and
others. Beholding them slaughtered (by Karna),
Bhima, of terrible prowess, rushed speedily towards
Karna, shooting his shafts in that battle. Then
those warriors also, viz., Nakula and Sahadeva
and the mighty car-warrior,
Satyaki, having slain the Rakshasas, proceeded to
that place where the Suta’s son was. All
of them, then, began to fight with Karna, while the
Panchalas encountered Drona. Then Alayudha, excited
with rage, struck Ghatotkacha, that chastiser of foes,
on the head, with a gigantic Parigha. With the
stroke of that Parigha, the mighty son of Bhimasena,
endued with great prowess, seemed to be in a state
of partial swoon and sat down motionless. Recovering
consciousness, the latter, then, in that encounter,
hurled at his foe a gold-decked mace adorned with a
hundred bells and looking like a blazing fire.
Hurled forcibly by that achiever of fierce feats,
that mace crushed into pieces the steeds, the driver,
and the loud-rattling car of Alayudha. Having
recourse to illusion, the latter, then, jumped down
from that car of his, whose steeds and wheels and
Akshas and standard and Kuvara had all been crushed
into pieces. Relying on his illusion, he poured
a copious shower of blood. The sky then seemed
to be overspread with a mass of black clouds adorned
with flashes of lightning. A thunder-storm was
then heard, accompanied with loud reports and loud
roars of clouds. Loud sounds also of chat, chat,
were heard in that dreadful battle. Beholding
that illusion created by the Rakshasa Alayudha, the
Rakshasa Ghatotkacha, soaring aloft, destroyed it
by means of his own illusion. Alayudha, beholding
his own illusion destroyed by that of his foe, began
to pour a heavy shower of stones on Ghatotkacha.
Page 1236
That terrible shower of stones, the valiant Ghatotkacha
dispelled by means of a shower of arrows. They
then rained on each other diverse weapons, such as
iron Parighas and spears and maces and short clubs
and mallets, and Pinakas and swords and lances and
long spears and Kampanas, and keen shafts, both long
and broad-headed, and arrows and discs and battle-axes,
and Ayogudas and short-arrows, and weapons with heads
like those of kine, and Ulukhalas. And they struck
each other, tearing up many kinds of large-branched
trees such as Sami and Pilu and Karira and Champaka,
O Bharata, and Inguidi and Vadari and flowering Kovidara
and Arimeda and Plaksha and banian and peepul, and
also with diverse mountain-summits and diverse kinds
of metals. The clash of those trees and mountain-summits
became very loud like the roar of driving thunder.
Indeed, the battle that took place between Bhima’s
son and Alayudha, was, O king, dreadful in the extreme,
like that in days of old, O monarch, between Vali
and Sugriva, those two princes among the monkeys.
They struck each other with shafts and diverse other
kinds of fierce weapons, as also with sharp scimitars.
Then the mighty Rakshasas, rushing against each other,
seized each other by the hair. And, O king, those
two gigantic warriors, with many wounds on their bodies
and blood and sweat trickling down, looked like two
mighty masses of clouds pouring rain. Then rushing
with speed and whirling the Rakshasas on high and dashing
him down, Hidimva’s son cut off his large head.
Then taking that head decked with a pair of ear-rings,
the mighty Ghatotkacha uttered a loud roar. Beholding
the gigantic brother of Vaka, that chastiser of foes,
thus slain, the Panchalas and the Pandavas began to
utter leonine shouts. Then, upon the fall of
the Rakshasa, the Pandavas beat and blew thousands
of drums and ten thousands of conchs. That night
then clearly indicated the victory of the Pandavas.
Illumined with torches all around, and resounding
with the noise of musical instruments, the night looked
exceedingly resplendent. Then the mighty son of
Bhimasena threw down the head of the slain Alayudha
before Duryodhana. Duryodhana, beholding the
heroic Alayudha slain, became, O Bharata, filled with
anxiety, for all his troops. Alayudha, having
come to Duryodhana of his own accord. remembering
his former quarrel, had said unto him that he would
slay Bhima in battle. The Kuru king had regarded
Bhima’s slaughter to be certain, and had believed
that his brothers would all be long-lived. Beholding
that Alayudha slain by Bhimasena’s son, the king
regarded Bhima’s vow (about the slaughter of
himself and his brothers) already fulfilled.’”
SECTION CLXXIX
Page 1237
“Sanjaya said, ’Having slain Alayudha,
the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha became filled with delight.
Standing at the head of the army he began to utter
diverse kinds of shouts. Hearing those loud roars
of his that made elephants tremble, a great fear,
O monarch, entered into the hearts of thy warriors.
Beholding the mighty son of Bhimasena engaged with
Alayudha, the mighty-armed Karna rushed against the
Panchalas. He pierced Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin,
each with ten strong and straight shafts sped from
his bow drawn to its fullest stretch. With a number
of other powerful shafts, the Suta’s son then
caused Yudhamanyu and Uttamaujas, and the great car-warrior
Satyaki to tremble. The bows of those warriors
also, O king, while they were engaged in striking Karna
from all sides, were seen to be drawn into circles.
On that night, the twang of their bow-strings and
the rattle of their car-wheels (mingling together),
became loud and deep as the roar of the clouds at the
close of summer. The nocturnal battle, O monarch,
resembled a gathering mass of clouds. The twang
of bow-string and the rattle of car-wheels constituted
its roar. The bows (of warriors) constituted
its lightning flashes; and showers of shafts formed
its downpour of rain. Standing immovable like
a hill and possessed of the strength of a prince of
mountains, that grinder of foes, viz., Vikartana’s
son, Karna, O king, destroyed that wonderful shower
of arrows shot at him. Devoted to the good of
thy sons, the high-souled Vaikartana, in the battle,
began to strike his foes with lances endued with the
force of thunder, and with whetted shafts, equipped
with beautiful wings of gold. Soon the standard
of some were broken and cut down by Karna, and the
bodies of others pierced and mangled by him with keen
arrows; and soon some were deprived of drivers, and
some of their steeds. Exceedingly afflicted by
the Suta’s son in that battle, many of them
entered the force of Yudhishthira. Beholding them
broken and compelled to retreat, Ghatotkacha became
mad with rage. Mounted on that excellent car
of his that was decked with gold and jewels, he uttered
a leonine roar and approaching Vikartana’s son,
Karna, pierced him with shafts endued with the force
of thunder. Both of them began to cover the welkin
with barbed arrows, and cloth-yard shafts, and frog-faced
arrows, and Nalikas and Dandas and Asanis and arrows
bearing heads like the calf’s tooth or the boar’s
ear, and broad-headed shafts, and shafts pointed like
horns, and others bearing heads like razors. The
welkin, covered with that arrowy shower, looked, in
consequence of those gold-winged shafts of blazing
splendour coursing horizontally through it, as if
hung with garland of beautiful flowers. Each endued
with prowess equal to that of the other, they struck
each other equally with powerful weapons. None
could, in that battle, find any mark of superiority
in either of those excellent heroes. Indeed,
that battle between the son of Surya and Bhima’s
son, characterised by a thick and heavy shower of
weapons, looked exceedingly beautiful and presented
almost an unrivalled sight like the fierce encounter
between Rahu and Surya in the welkin.’
Page 1238
“Sanjaya continued, ’When Ghatotkacha,
O king, that foremost of all persons conversant with
weapons, found that he could not prevail over Karna,
he invoked into existence a fierce and mighty weapon.
With that weapon, the Rakshasa first slew the steeds
of Karna and then the latter’s driver.
Having achieved that feat, Hidimva’s son quickly
made himself invisible.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’When the Rakshasa
fighting by deceitful means thus disappeared, tell
me, O Sanjaya, what the warriors of my army thought.’
“Sanjaya said, Seeing the Rakshasa disappear,
all the Kauravas loudly said, Appearing next, the
Rakshasa, fighting deceitfully, will certainly slay
Karna.’ Then Karna, endued with wonderful
lightness in the use of weapons, covered all sides
with showers of shafts. The welkin being covered
with the darkness caused by that thick arrowy shower,
all creatures became invincible. So great was
the lightness of hand displayed by the Suta’s
son, that none could mark when he touched his quivers
with his fingers, when he fixed his arrows on the
bowstring, and when he aimed and sped them off.
The entire welkin seemed to be shrouded with his arrows.
Then a fierce and terrible illusion was invoked into
existence by the Rakshas in the welkin. We beheld
in the sky what appeared to us to be a mass of red
clouds resembling the fierce flame of a blazing fire.
From that cloud issued flashes of lightning, and many
blazing brands, O Kuru king! And tremendous roars
also issued therefrom, like the noise of thousands
of drums beat at once. And from it fell many shafts
winged with gold, and darts, lances and heavy clubs,
and other similar weapons, and battle-axes, and scimitars
washed with oil, and axes of blazing edges, and spears,
and spiked maces emitting shining rays, and beautiful
maces of iron, and long darts of keen points, and
heavy maces decked with gold and twined round with
string’s, and Sataghnis, all around. And
large rocks fell from it, and thousands of thunderbolts
with loud report, and many hundreds of wheels and
razors of the splendour of fire. Karna shooting
showers of shafts, failed to destroy that thick and
blazing downpour of darts and lances and clubs.
Loud became the uproar then of falling steeds slain
by those shafts, and mighty elephants struck with
thunder, and great car-warriors deprived of life by
other weapons. Afflicted by Ghatotkacha with
that terrible shower of arrows all around, that host
of Duryodhana was seen to wander in great pain over
the field. With cries of Oh and Alas, and exceedingly
cheerless, that wandering host seemed on the point
of being annihilated. The leaders, however, in
consequence of the nobility of their hearts, fled not
away with faces turned from the field. Beholding
that exceedingly frightful and awful shower of mighty
weapons, caused by the Rakshasa’s illusion, failing
upon the field, and seeing their vast army incessantly
slaughtered, the sons became inspired with great fear.
Page 1239
Hundreds of jackals with tongues blazing like fire
and terrible yells, began to cry. And, O king,
the (Kaurava) warriors beholding the yelling Rakshasas,
became exceedingly distressed. Those terrible
Rakshasas with fiery tongues and blazing mouths and
sharp teeth, and with forms huge as hills, stationed
in the welkin, with darts in grasp looked like clouds
pouring torrents of rain. Struck and crushed
with those fierce shafts and darts and lances and maces
and spiked clubs of blazing splendour; and thunder-bolts
and Pinakas and Asanis and disci and Sataghnis, the
(Kaurava) troops began to fall down. The Rakshasas
began to pour upon the warriors of thy son long darts,
and treacle and Sataghnis, and Sthunas made of black
iron and twined with strings of jute. Then all
the combatants became stunned. Brave warriors,
with weapons broken or loosened from their grasp,
or deprived of heads, or with fractured limbs began
to fall down on the field. And in consequence
of the failing rocks, steeds and elephants and cars
began to be crushed. Those Yatudhanas of terrible
forms created by Ghatotkacha with the aid of his powers
of illusion pouring that thick shower of mighty weapons
spared neither those that were terrified nor those
that begged for quarter. During that cruel carnage
of Kuru heroes, brought on by Death himself, during
that extermination of Kshatriyas the Kaurava warriors
suddenly broke and fled with speed, crying aloud,
’Fly, ye Kauravas! All is lost! The
gods Indra at their head are slaying us for the sake
of the Pandavas!’ At that time there was none
that could rescue the sinking Bharata troops.
During that fierce uproar and rout and extermination
of the Kauravas, the camps losing their distinctive
features, the parties could not be distinguished from
each other. Indeed, during that terrible rout
in which the soldiers showed no regard for one another,
every side of the field, when looked at, seemed to
be empty. Only Karna, O king, could be seen there,
drowned in that shower of weapons. Then Karna
covered the welkin with his shafts, contending with
that celestial illusion of the Rakshasa. The
Suta’s son, endued with modesty and achieving
the most difficult and noble feats, did not lose his
senses in that battle. Then, O king, all the
Saindhavas and Valhikas affrightedly looked at Karna
who kept his senses in that fight. And they all
worshipped him, while they looked at the triumph of
the Rakshasa. Then a Sataghni equipped with wheels,
hurled by Ghatotkacha, slew the four steeds of Karna
simultaneously. These. dropped down on the ground,
on their knees, deprived of life, teeth, eyes, and
tongues. Then jumping down from his steedless
car and seeing the Kauravas flying away, and beholding
his own celestial weapon baffled by the Rakshasa illusion,
Karna, without losing his senses, turned his mind inwards
and began to reflect on what he should next do.
At that time all the Kauravas, beholding Karna and
that terrible illusion (of the Rakshasa) cried out
Page 1240
saying, ’O Karna, slay the Rakshasa soon with
thy dart. These Kauravas and the Dhartarashtras
are on the point of being annihilated. What will
Bhima and Arjuna do to us? Slay this wretched
Rakshasa at dead of night, who is consuming us all.
They that will escape from this dreadful encounter
to-day will fight with the Parthas in battle.
Therefore, slay this terrible Rakshas now with that
dart given thee by Vasava. O Karna, let not these
great warriors, the Kauravas, these princes that resemble
Indra himself, be all destroyed in this nocturnal battle.’
Then Karna, seeing the Rakshasa alive at dead of night,
and the Kuru army struck with fear, and hearing also
the loud wails of the latter set his heart upon hurling
his dart. Inflamed with rage like a wrathful lion
and unable to brook the assaults of the Rakshasa,
Karna took up that foremost of victory-giving and
invincible darts, desirous of compassing the destruction
of Ghatotkacha. Indeed, that dart, O king, which
he had kept and adored for years for (achieving) the
slaughter of Pandu’s son in battle, that foremost
of darts which Sakra himself had given to the Suta’s
son in exchange for the latter’s ear-rings, that
blazing and terrible missile twined with strings and
which seemed to thirst for blood, that fierce weapon
which looked like the very tongue of the Destroyer
or the sister of Death himself, that terrible and effulgent
dart, Naikartana, was now hurled at the Rakshasa.
Beholding that excellent and blazing weapon capable
of piercing the body of every foe, in the hands of
the Suta’s son, the Rakshasa began to fly away
in fear assuming a body gigantic as the foot of the
Vindhya mountains. Indeed, seeing that dart in
Karna’s hand, all creatures in the sky, O king,
uttered loud cries. Fierce winds began to blow,
and thunders with loud report began to fall on the
earth. Destroying that blazing illusion of Ghatotkacha
and piercing right through his breast that resplendent
dart soared aloft in the night and entered a starry
constellation in the firmament. Having fought,
using diverse beautiful weapons, with many heroic
Rakshasa and human warriors, Ghatotkacha, then uttering
diverse terrible roars, fell, deprived of life with
that dart of Sakra. This also is another exceedingly
wonderful feat that the Rakshasa accomplished for
the destruction of his foes, that at a time when his
heart was pierced by that dart, he shone resplendent,
O king, like a mighty mountain or a mass of clouds.
Indeed, having assumed that terrible and awful form,
Bhimasena’s son of frightful deeds fell down.
When dying, O king, he fell upon a portion of thy
army and pressed those troops down by the weight of
his own body. Quickly falling down, the Rakshasa
with his gigantic and still increasing body, desirous
of benefiting the Pandavas, slew a full Akshauhini
of thy troops while he himself breathed his last.
Then a loud uproar arose there made up of leonine
shouts and blare of conchs and the beat of drums and
cymbals. The Kauravas indeed, beholding the illusion
of the Rakshasa destroyed and the Rakshasa himself
slain uttered loud shouts of joy. Then Karna,
worshipped by the Kurus as Sakra had been by the Maruts
upon the slaughter of Vritra, ascended behind the car
of thy son, and becoming the observed of all, entered
the Kuru host.’”
Page 1241
SECTION CLXXX
“Sanjaya said, ’Beholding Hidimva’s
son slain and lying like a riven mountain, all the
Pandavas became filled with grief and began to shed
copious tears. Only Vasudeva filled with transports
of delight, began to utter leonine shouts, grieving
the Pandavas. Indeed, uttering loud shouts he
embraced Arjuna. Tying the steeds and uttering
loud roars, he began to dance in a transport of joy,
like a tree shaken by a tempest. Then embracing
Arjuna once more, and repeatedly slapping his own armpits,
Achyuta endued with great intelligence once more began
to shout, standing on the terrace of the car.
Beholding those tokens of delight that Kesava manifested,
Dhananjaya, O king, with heart in grief, addressed
him, saying, ’O slayer of Madhu, thou showest
great joy at a time scarcely fit for it, indeed on
an occasion for sorrow caused by the death of Hidimva’s
son. Our troops are flying away, beholding Ghatotkacha
slain. We also are filled with anxiety in consequence
of the fall of Hidimva’s son. O Janardana,
the cause must be very grave when at such a time thou
feelest such joy. Therefore, O foremost of truthful
men, asked by me, tell me truly (what that cause is).
Indeed, if it be not a secret, it behoveth thee, O
chastiser of foes, to say it unto me. O slayer
of Madhu, tell me what has removed thy gravity today.
This act of thine, O Janardana, this lightness of
heart, seems to me like the drying up of the ocean
or the locomotion of Meru.’
“Vasudeva said, Great is the joy I feel.
Listen to me, Dhananjaya! This that I will tell
thee will immediately dispel thy sorrow and infuse
delight into thy heart. O thou of great splendour,
know, O Dhananjaya, that Karna, his dart being baffled
through Ghatotkacha, is already slain in battle.
The man does not exist in this world that could not
stay before Karna armed with that dart and looking
like Kartikeya in battle. By good luck, his (natural)
armour had been taken away. By good luck, his
earrings also had been taken away. By good luck,
his infallible dart also is now baffled, through Ghatotkacha.
Clad in (natural) coat of mail and decked with his
(natural) ear-rings, Karna, who had his senses under
control, could singly vanquish the three worlds with
the very gods. Neither Vasava, nor Varuna the
lord of the waters, nor Yama, could venture to approach
him. Indeed, if that bull among men had his armour
and ear-rings, neither thyself, bending the Gandiva,
nor myself, uplifting my discus, called Sudarsana,
could vanquish him in battle. For thy good, Karna
was divested of his ear-rings by Sakra with the help
of an illusion. Similarly was that subjugator
of hostile towns deprived of his (natural) armour.
Indeed, because Karna, cutting off his (natural) armour
and his brilliant car-rings, gave them unto Sakra,
it is for that he came to be called Vaikartana.
Karna now seems to me to be like an angry snake of
virulent poison stupefied by power of incantation,
Page 1242
or like a fire of mild flames. From that time,
O mighty-armed one, when the high-souled Sakra gave
that dart unto Karna in exchange for the latter’s
ear-rings, and celestial armour, that dart, viz.,
which has slain Ghatotkacha, from that time, Vrisha,
having obtained it, had always regarded thee as slain
in battle! But though deprived of that dart, O
sinless one, I swear to thee that hero is still incapable
of being slain by anybody else save thee. Devoted
to Brahmanas, truthful in speech, engaged in penances,
observant of vows, kind even unto foes, for these
reasons Karna is called Vrisha. Heroic in battle,
possessed of mighty arms and with bow always uplifted,
like the lion in the forest depriving leaders of elephantine
herds of their pride, Karna always deprives the greatest
car-warriors of their pride on the field of battle,
and resembles the mid-day sun at whom none can gaze.
Contending with all the illustrious and foremost of
warriors of thy army, O tiger among men, Karna, while
shooting his arrowy showers, looked like the autumnal
sun with his thousand rays. Indeed, incessantly
shooting showers of shafts like the clouds pouring
torrents of rain at the end of summer, Karna is like
a pouring cloud charged with celestial weapons.
He is incapable of being vanquished in battle by the
gods, he would mangle them in such a way that their
flesh and blood would fall copiously on the field.
Deprived, however, of his armour as also of his car-rings,
O son of Pandu, and divested also of the dart given
him by Vasava, Karna is now like a man (and no longer
like a god). There win occur one opportunity
for his slaughter. When his car-wheels will sink
in the earth, availing thyself of that opportunity,
thou shouldst slay him in that distressful situation.
I will make thee a sign beforehand. Warned by
it, thou shouldst act. The vanquisher of Vala
himself, that foremost of heroes, wielding his thunder,
is incapable of slaying the invincible Karna while
the latter stands weapon in hand. Indeed, O Arjuna,
for thy good, with the aid of diverse contrivances
I have slain, one after another, Jarasandha and the
illustrious ruler of the Chedis and the mighty-armed
Nishada of the name of Ekalavya. Other great Rakshasas
having Hidimva and Kirmira and Vaka for their foremost,
as also Alayudha, that grinder of hostile troops,
and Ghatotkacha, that crusher of foes and warrior of
fierce deeds, have all been slain.’”
SECTION CLXXXI
“Arjuna said, ’How, O Janardana, for our
good, and by what means, were those lords of the earth,
viz., Jarasandha and the others, slain?’
Page 1243
“Vasudeva said, If Jarasandha, and the ruler
of the Chedis, and the mighty son of the Nishada king,
had not been slain, they would have become terrible.
Without doubt, Duryodhana would have chosen those
foremost of car-warriors (for embracing his side).
They had always been hostile to us, and, accordingly,
they would all have adopted the side of the Kauravas.
All of them were heroes and mighty bowmen accomplished
in weapons and firm in battle. Like the celestials
(in prowess), they would have protected Dhritarashtra’s
sons. Indeed, the Suta’s son, and Jarasandha,
and the ruler of the Chedis, and the son of the Nishada
adopting the son of Suyodhana, would have succeeded
in conquering the whole earth. Listen, O Dhananjaya,
by what means they were slain. Indeed, without
the employment of means, the very gods could not have
conquered them in battle. Each of them, O Partha,
could fight in battle with the whole celestial host
protected by the Regents of the world. (On one occasion),
assailed by Valadeva, Jarasandha, excited with wrath,
hurled for our destruction a mace capable of slaying
all creatures. Endued with the splendour of fire,
that mace coursed towards us dividing the welkin like
the line on the head that parts the tresses of a woman,
and with the impetuosity of the thunder hurled by
Sakra. Beholding that mace thus coursing towards
us the son of Rohini hurled the weapon called Sthunakarna
for baffling it. Its force destroyed by the energy
of Valadeva’s weapon, that mace fell down on
the earth, splitting her (with its might) and making
the very mountains tremble. There was a terrible
Rakshasa of the name Jara, endued with great prowess.
She, O prince, had united that slayer of foes, and,
therefore, was the latter called Jarasandha.
Jarasandha had been made up of two halves of one child.
And because it was Jara that had united those two
halves, it was for this that he came to be called
Jarasandha.[237] That Rakshasa woman, O Partha, who
was there within the earth, was slain with her son
and kinsmen by means-of that mace and the weapon of
Sthunakarna. Deprived of his mace in that great
battle, Jarasandha was afterwards slain by Bhimasena
in thy presence, O Dhananjaya.[238] If the valiant
Jarasandha had stood armed with his mace, the very
gods with Indra at their head could not have slain
him in battle. O best of men! for thy good, the
Nishada’s son also, of prowess incapable of
being baffled, was, by an act of guile, deprived of
his thumb by Drona, assuming the position of his preceptor.
Proud and endued with steady prowess, the Nishada’s
son, with fingers cased in leathern gloves, looked
resplendent like a second Rama. Undeprived of
thumb, Ekalavya, O Partha, was incapable of being vanquished
in battle by the gods, the Danavas, the Rakshasas,
and the Uragas (together). Of firm grasp, accomplished
in weapons, and capable of shooting incessantly day
and night, he was incapable of being looked at by mere
men. For thy good, he was slain by me on the
Page 1244
field of battle. Endued with great prowess, the
ruler of the Chedis was slain by me before thy eyes.
He also was incapable of being vanquished in battle
by the gods and the Asuras together. I was born
to slay him as also the other enemies of the gods,
with thy assistance, O tiger among men, from desire
of benefiting the world. Hidimva and Vaka and
Kirmira have all been slain by Bhimasena. All
those Rakshasas were endued with might equal to that
Ravana and all of them were destroyers of Brahmanas
and sacrifices. Similarly, Alayudha, possessed
of large powers of illusion, had been slain by Hidimva’s
son. Hidimva’s son also, I have slain by
the employment of means, viz., through Karna
with his dart. If Karna had not slain him with
his dart in great battle, I myself would have had
to slay Bhima’s son Ghatotkacha. From desire
of benefiting you, I did not slay him before.
That Rakshasa was inimical to Brahmanas and sacrifices.
Because he was a destroyer of sacrifices and of a
sinful soul, therefore hath he been thus slain.
O sinless one, by that act as a means, the dart given
by Sakra, hath also been rendered futile. O son
of Pandu, they that are destroyers of righteousness
are all slayable by me. Even that is the vow made
by me, for establishing righteousness. Whither
the Vedas and truth and self-restraint and purity
and righteousness and modesty and prosperity and wisdom
and forgiveness are always to be met with, thither
I myself always remain. Thou needst not be at
all anxious about Karna’s slaughter. I
will tell you the means by which you will slay him.
Vrikodara also will succeed in slaying Suyodhana.
I will tell thee, O son of Pandu, the means by which
that will have to be compassed. Meanwhile, the
uproar made by the hostile army is increasing.
Thy troops also are flying away on all sides.
Having achieved their objects, the Kauravas are destroying
thy host. Indeed, Drona, that foremost of all
smiters, is scorching us in battle.’”
Section CLXXXII
“Dhritarashtra said, ’When the Suta’s
son had such a dart as was sure to slay one person,
why did he not hurt it at Partha, to the exclusion
of all others? Upon Partha’s slaughter
by means of that dart, all the Srinjayas and the Pandavas
would have been slain. Indeed, upon Phalguna’s
death, why should not the victory have been ours?
Arjuna has made a vow to the effect that summoned
to battle he would never refuse to accept the challenge.
The Suta’s son should have, therefore, summoned
Phalguna to battle. Tell me, O Sanjaya, why did
not Vrisha then engaging Phalguna in single combat,
slay the latter with that dart given him by Sakra?
Without doubt, my son is destitute of both intelligence
and counsellors? That sinful wretch is constantly
baffled by the foe. How should he then succeed
in vanquishing his enemies? Indeed, that dart
which was such a mighty weapon and upon which rested
his victory, alas, that dart, hath, by Vasudeva, been
made fruitless through Ghatotkacha. Indeed, it
Page 1245
hath been snatched from Karna, like a fruit from the
hand of a cripple, with a withered arm, by a strong
person. Even so hath that fatal dart been rendered
fruitless through Ghatotkacha. As in a fight between
a boar and a dog, upon the death of either, the hunter
is the party profited, I think, O learned one, that
even so was Vasudeva the party to profit by the battle
between Karna and Hidimva’s son. If Ghatotkacha
had slain Karna in battle, that would have been a
great gain for the Pandavas. If, on the other
hand, Karna had slain Ghatotkacha, that too would have
been a great gain to them in consequence of the loss
of Karna’s dart. Endued with great wisdom,
that lion among men, viz., Vasudeva, reflecting
in this way, and for doing what was agreeable to and
good for the Pandavas, caused Ghatotkacha to be slain
by Karna in battle.’
“Sanjaya said, ’Knowing the feat that
Karna desired to achieve, the slayer of Madhu, the
mighty-armed Janardana, O king, commanded the prince
of the Rakshasas, Ghatotkacha of mighty energy, to
engage in single combat with Karna for rendering,
O monarch, the latter’s fatal dart fruitless.
All this, O king, is the result of thy evil policy!
We would certainly have achieved success, O perpetuator
of Kuru’s race, if Krishna had not (thus) rescued
the mighty car-warrior Partha from Karna’s hands.
Indeed, Partha would have been destroyed with his steeds,
standard, and car, in battle, Oh Dhritarashtra, if
that master, that lord of Yogins, viz., Janardana
had not saved him. Protected by diverse means,
O king, and well-aided by Krishna, Partha approaching
his foes, vanquished that fatal dart, otherwise that
weapon would have quickly destroyed the son of Kunti
like the lightning destroying a tree.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’My son is fond of
quarrel. His advisers are foolish. He is
vain of his wisdom. It is for that, that this
certain means of Arjuna’s death hath been baffled.
Why, O Suta, did not Duryodhana, or that foremost
of all wielders, viz., Karna, possessed of great
intelligence, hurl that fatal dart at Dhananjaya?
Why, O son of Gavalgana, didst thou too forget this
great object, possessed as thou art of great wisdom,
or why didst not thou remind Karna of it?’
“Sanjaya said, ’Indeed, O king, every
night this formed the subject of deliberation with
Duryodhana and Sakuni and myself and Duhsasana.
And we said unto Karna, ’Excluding all other
warriors, O Karna, slay Dhananjaya. We would
then lord it over the Pandu’s and the Panchalas
as if these were our slaves. Or, if upon Partha’s
fall, he of Vrishni’s race appoints another
amongst the sons of Pandu (in this place for carrying
on the fight), let Krishna himself be slain.
Krishna is the root of the Pandavas, and Partha is
like their risen trunk. The other sons of Pritha
are like their branches, while the Panchalas may be
called their leaves. The Pandavas have Krishna
for their refuge, Krishna for their might, Krishna
Page 1246
for their leader. Indeed, Krishna is their central
support even as the moon is of the constellations.
Therefore, O Suta’s son, avoiding the leaves
and branches and trunk, slay that Krishna who is everywhere
and always the root of the Pandavas. Indeed, if
Karna had slain him of Dasarha’s race, viz.,
that delighter of the Yadavas, the whole earth, O
king, would, without doubt, have come under thy control.
Truly, O monarch, if that illustrious one, that delighter
of both the Yadavas and the Pandavas, could be made
to lie down on the earth, deprived of life, then certainly,
O monarch, the entire earth with the mountains and
forests would have owned thy supremacy. We rose
every morning, having formed such a resolution in
respect of that Lord of the very gods, viz.,
Hrishikesa of immeasurable energy. At the time
of battle, however, we forget our resolution.
Kesava always protected Arjuna, the son of Kunti.
He never placed Arjuna before the Suta’s son
in battle. Indeed, Achyuta always placed other
foremost of car-warriors before Karna, thinking how
that fatal dart of ours might be made fruitless by
ourselves. O lord! When, again, the high-souled
Krishna protected Partha in this manner from Karna,
why, O monarch, would not that foremost of beings protect
his own self? Reflecting well, I see that there
is no person in the three worlds who is able to vanquish
that chastiser of foes, viz., Janardana, that
hero bearing the discus in hand.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’That tiger among
car-warriors, viz., Satyaki of prowess incapable
of being baffled, asked the mighty-armed Krishna about
the great car-warrior, Karna, saving, ’O Janardana,
even this had been Karna’s firm resolution,
viz., that he would hurl that dart of immeasurable
energy at Phalguna. Why, however, did not the
Suta’s son actually hurt it then at him?’
“Vasudeva said, ’Duhsasana and Karna and
Sakuni and the ruler of the Sindhus, with Duryodhana
at their head, had frequently debated on this subject.
Addressing Karna, they used to say, ’O Karna.
O great bowman, O thou of immeasurable prowess in
battle, O foremost of all victors, this dart should
not be hurled at any one else than that great car-warrior,
viz., Kunti’s son, Partha or Dhananjaya.
He is the most celebrated amongst them, like Vasava
amongst the gods. He being slain, all the other
Pandavas with the Srinjayas will be heartless like
fireless celestials![239]’ Karna having assented
to this, saying ‘So be it’ (the desire
of) slaughtering the wielder of Gandiva, O bull amongst
the Sinis, was ever present in Karna’s heart.
I, however, O foremost of warriors, always used to
stupefy the son of Radha. It was for this that
he did not hurl the dart at Pandu’s son, owning
white steeds. As long as I could not baffle that
means of Phalguna’s death, I had neither sleep,
nor joy in my heart, O foremost of warriors!
Beholding that dart, therefore, rendered futile through
Ghatotkacha, O bull amongst the Sinis, I regarded
Page 1247
Dhananjaya today to have been rescued from within the
jaws of Death. I do not regard my sire, my mother,
yourselves, my brothers, ay, my very life, so worthy
of protection as Vibhatsu in battle. If there
be anything more precious than the sovereignty of
the three worlds, I do not, O Satwata, desire (to
enjoy) it without Pritha’s son, Dhananjaya (to
share it with me). Beholding Dhananjaya, therefore,
like one returned from the dead, these transports
of delight, O Yuyudhana, have been mine. It was
for this that I had despatched the Rakshasa unto Karna
for battle. None else was capable of withstanding,
in the night, Karna in battle.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’Even thus did Devaki’s
son who is ever devoted to Dhananjaya’s good
and to what is agreeable to him, speak unto Satyaki
on that occasion.’”
SECTION CLXXXIII
“Dhritarashtra said, ’I see, O sire, that
this act of Karna and Duryodhana and Suvala’s
son, Sakuni, and of thyself, in especial, hath been
very much against the dictates of policy. Indeed,
when you knew that dart could always slay one person
in battle, and that it was incapable of being either
borne or baffled by the very gods with Vasava at their
head, why then, O Sanjaya, was it not hurled by Karna
at Devaki’s son, or Phalguna, while he was engaged
with this in battle before?’
“Sanjaya said, ’Returning from battle
every day, O monarch, all of us, O foremost one of
Kuru’s race, used to debate in the night and
say unto Karna. Tomorrow morning, O Karna, this
dart should be hurled at either Kesava or Arjuna.’
When, however, the morning came, O king, through destiny,
both Karna and the other warriors forgot that resolution.
I think destiny to be supreme, since Karna, with that
dart in his hands, did not slay in battle either Partha
or Devaki’s son, Krishna. Indeed, because
his understanding was afflicted by destiny itself,
it is for this that he did not, stupefied by the illusion
of the gods, hurl that fatal dart of Vasava, though
he had it in his hand, at Devaki’s son, Krishna
for his destruction or at Partha endued with prowess
like Indra’s, O lord!’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Ye are destroyed
by destiny, by your own understanding, and by Kesava.
Vasava’s dart is lost, having effected the slaughter
of Ghatotkacha who was as insignificant as straw.
Karna, and my sons, as all the other kings, through
his highly impolitic act, have already entered the
abode of Yama. Tell me now how the battle once
more raged between the Kurus and the Pandavas after
the fall of Hidimva’s son. How did they
that rushed against Drona, arrayed in order of battle
and well-skilled in smiting, viz., the Srinjaya
and the Panchalas, fight? How, indeed, did the
Pandus and Srinjaya withstand the smiting Drona, when
the latter proceeding against them, penetrated into
their host, excited with wrath at the slaughter of
Bhurisravas and Jayadratha, reckless of his very life,
Page 1248
and resembling a yawning tiger or the Destroyer himself
with wide open mouth? What also did they do in
battle, O sire, viz., Drona’s son and Karna
and Kripa and others headed by Duryodhana that protected
the preceptor? Tell me, O Sanjaya, how my warriors
in that battle covered with their shafts Dhananjaya
and Vrikodara who were solicitous of slaying Bharadwaja’s
son. How, indeed, did these excited with wrath
at the death of the ruler of the Sindhus, and those
at the death of Ghatotkacha, each side unable to brook
their loss, fight that nocturnal battle?’
“Sanjaya said, ’Upon the slaughter, that
night, O king, of the Rakshasa, Ghatotkacha, by Karna,
thy troops, filled with joy, uttered loud shouts.
In that dark hour of the night, they fell impetuously
upon the Pandava troops and began to slay them.
Seeing all this, king Yudhishthira became exceedingly
cheerless, O chastiser of foes. The mighty-armed
son of Pandu, then addressed Bhimasena and said, ’O
thou of mighty arms, resist Dhritarashtra host.
In consequence of the slaughter of Hidimva’s
son, a great stupefaction overwhelms me.’
Having ordered Bhimasena thus, he sat down on his
car. With tearful face and sighing repeatedly,
the king became exceedingly cheerless at the sight
of Karna’s prowess. Beholding him so afflicted,
Krishna said these words, ’O son of Kunti, let
not such grief be thine. Such cheerlessness does
not become thee, O chief of the Bharatas, as it does
an ordinary person. Rise, O king, and fight.
Bear the heavy burden, O lord! If cheerlessness
overtakes thee, our victory becomes uncertain.’
Hearing these words of Krishna, Dharma’s son,
Yudhishthira, wiping his eyes with his hands, replied
unto Krishna, saying, ’O thou of mighty arms,
the excellent path of duty is not unknown to me.
The dire consequences of a Brahmana’s slaughter
are his that forgets the services he receives at other’s
hands. Whilst we were living in the woods the
high-souled son of Hidimva, although then a mere child
did us many services, O Janardana! Learning that
Partha, having white steeds, had departed for the
acquisition of weapons, that great bowman (viz., Ghatotkacha),
O Krishna, came to me at Kamyaka. He dwelt with
us till Dhananjaya’s reappearance. Whilst
proceeding over many inaccessible fastnesses, he himself
carried on his back the tired princess of Panchala.
The feats he achieved, O lord, show that he was skilled
in all modes of warfare. Indeed, that high-souled
one accomplished many difficult feats for my benefit.
My affection for Ghatotkacha, that prince of the Rakshasas
is twice that, O Janardana, which I naturally bear
towards Sahadeva. That mighty-armed one was devoted
to me. I was dear to him and he was dear to me.
It is for this that, scorched by grief, O thou of
Vrishni’s race, I have become so cheerless.
Behold, O thou of Vrishni’s race, our troops
afflicted and routed by the Kauravas. Behold,
those mighty car-warriors, viz., Drona and Karna,
Page 1249
are contending earnestly in battle. Behold, the
Pandava host crushed at dead of night, like an extensive
forest of heath by a couple of infuriated elephants.
Disregarding the might of Bhimasena’s son, as
also the variety of weapon that Partha bears, the
Kauravas are putting forth their prowess, Yonder,
Drona and Karna and king Suyodhana, having slain the
Rakshasa in battle, are uttering loud roars.
How, O Janardana, when we are alive and thyself too,
could Hidimva’s son be slain while engaged with
the Suta’s son? Having caused a great slaughter
amongst us, and in the very sight of Savyasachin,
Karna, O Krishna, hath slain Bhimasena’s son
of great strength, the Rakshasa, Ghatotkacha.
When Abhimanyu was slain by the wicked Dhartarashtras,
the mighty car-warrior Savyasachin, O Krishna, was
not present in that battle. We also were all held
in check by the illustrious ruler of the Sindhus.
Drona, with his son (Aswatthaman), became the cause
of that act. The preceptor himself told Karna
the means of Abhimanyu’s slaughter. While
Abhimanyu was battling with the sword it was the preceptor
himself that cut off that weapon. And while fallen
into such distress, Kritavarman most cruelly slew
the steeds and the two Parshni drivers (of the boy).
Other great bowmen then despatched the son of Subhadra.
For a little offence, O Krishna, was the ruler of the
Sindhus slain by the wielder of Gandiva. O foremost
one among the Yadavas, that act did not give me great
joy. If the slaughter of foes is just and should
be achieved by the Pandavas, then Drona and Karna should
have been slain before this. This is what I think.
O bull among men, those two are the root of our woes.
Obtaining those two (as his allies) in battle, Suyodhana
has become confident. Indeed, when it was Drona
that should have been slain or the Suta’s son
with his followers, the mighty-armed Dhananjaya slew
the Sindhu king whose connection with the affair was
very remote. The punishment of the Suta’s
son should certainly by undertaken by me. I shall,
therefore, O hero, now fight for slaying the Suta’s
son. The mighty-armed Bhimasena is now engaged
with Drona’s division.’ Having said
these words, Yudhishthira quickly proceeded against
Karna, holding his formidable bow and blowing his conch
fiercely. Then, surrounded by a Panchala and
Prabhadraka force of a thousand cars, three hundred
elephants and five thousand horses,
Sikhandin speedily followed in the wake of the king.
Then the mail-clad Panchalas and the Pandavas headed
by Yudhishthira beat their drums and blew their conchs.
At this time Vasudeva of mighty arms, addressing Dhananjaya
said, ’Filled with wrath, yonder proceedeth Yudhishthira
with great speed from desire of slaying the Suta’s
son. It is not proper that thou shouldst rely
upon him in this.’ Having said these words,
Hrishikesa quickly urged the steeds. Indeed,
Janardana followed in the wake of the king who was
now at a distance. At that time, seeing Dharma’s
son, Yudhishthira, whose mind was afflicted by grief
and who seemed to be scorched as if by fire, rush
with speed from desire of slaying the Suta’s
son, Vyasa approached him and said these words.’[240]
Page 1250
“Vyasa said, By good luck, Phalguna liveth still
although he had encountered Karna in battle.
Indeed, Karna had kept his dart, desirous of slaying
Savyasachin, O bull of Bharata’s race, by good
luck Jishnu did not engage in single combat with Karna.
Each of them in that case challenging the other, would
have shot his celestial weapons on all sides.
The weapons of the Suta’s son would have been
destroyed by Arjuna. The former then afflicted
by the latter, would certainly have hurled Indra’s
dart in that battle. O Yudhishthira! O foremost
one of Bharata’s race, (if this had come to
pass), then great would have been thy grief. O
giver of honours, by good luck the Rakshasa hath been
slain in battle by the Suta’s son. Indeed,
Ghatotkacha hath been slain by death himself making
the dart of Vasava an instrument only. For thy
good it is, O sire, that the Rakshasa hath been slain
in battle. Do not yield to anger, O foremost
one of Bharata’s race, and do not set thy heart
on grief. O Yudhishthira, this is the end of
all creatures in this world. Uniting with thy
brothers and all the illustrious kings (of the host),
fight with the Kauravas in battle, O Bharata!
On the fifth day from this, the earth will be thine.
O tiger among men, always think of virtue. With
a cheerful heart, O son of Pandu, practise kindness
(to all creatures), penances, charity, forgiveness,
and truth. Victory is there where righteousness
is. Having said these words unto the son of Pandu,
Vyasa made himself invisible there and then.’"[241]
SECTION CLXXXIV
(Drona-vadha Parva)
“Sanjaya said, ’Thus addressed by Vyasa,
the heroic king Yudhishthira the just refrained, O
bull of Bharata’s race, from himself seeking
to slay Karna. In consequence, however of the
slaughter of Ghatotkacha by the Suta’s son that
night, the king became filled with grief and anger.
Beholding thy vast host held in check by Bhima, Yudhishthira,
addressing Dhrishtadyumna, said, ’Resist the
Pot-born! O scorcher of foes, thou hadst, clad
in mail, and armed with bow and arrows and scimitar,
sprung from fire, for the destruction of Drona!
Cheerfully rush thou to battle, thou needst have no
fear. Let also Janamejaya and Sikhandin and Durmukha’s
son and Yasodhara, rush in wrath against the Pot-born
on every side. Let Nakula and Sahadeva and the
sons of Draupadi and the Prabhadrakas, and Drupada
and Virata with their sons and brothers, and Satyaki
and the Kaikeyas and the Pandavas and Dhananjaya, rush
with speed against Bharadwaja’s son, from desire
of slaying him. Let also all our car-warriors
and all the elephants and horses we have, and all our
foot-soldiers, overthrow the mighty car-warrior Drona
in battle.’ Thus ordered by the illustrious
son of Pandu, all of them rushed impetuously against
the Pot-born from desire of slaughtering him.
Drona, however, that foremost of all wielders of arms,
received in battle all those Pandava warriors thus
Page 1251
rushing towards him suddenly with great force and
perseverance. The king Duryodhana, desiring to
protect Drona’s life, rushed, filled with wrath,
against the Pandavas, with great force and perseverance.
Then commenced the battle between the Kurus and the
Pandavas who roared at each other. The animals
of both hosts as also the warriors were all tired.
The great car-warriors also, O king, with eyes closing
in sleep and worn out with exertion in battle, knew
not what to do. That night of nine hours, so
terrible and awful[242] and so destructive of creatures,
appeared to them to be everything.[243] While they
were being thus slain and mangled by one another, and
while sleep sat heavy on their eyes, it became midnight.
All the Kshatriyas became cheerless. Thy troops,
as also those of the toe, had no more weapons and
arrows. Passing the time thus (most of), the warriors
(of both armies) endued with modesty and energy and
observant of the duties of their order, din not abandon
their divisions. Others, blind with sleep, abandoning
their weapons, laid themselves down. Some laid
themselves down on the backs of elephants, some on
cars, and some on horseback, O Bharata! Blind
with sleep, they became perfectly motionless, O king.
Other warriors (that were yet awake) in that battle,
despatched these to Yama’s abode. Others,
deprived of their senses, and dreaming in sleep, slew
themselves, that is, their own comrades, as also foes.
Indeed, these fought in that dreadful battle, uttering
various exclamations. Many warriors, O monarch,
of our army, desirous of continuing the fight with
the foe, stood with eyes drowsy with sleep. Some
brave warriors, during that terrible hour of darkness,
though blind with sleep, yet gliding along the field,
slew one another in that battle. Many amongst
the foe, entirely stupefied by slumber, were slain
without their being conscious (of the strokes that
launched them into eternity). Beholding this
condition of the soldiers, O bull among men, Vibhatsu
in a very loud voice, said these words: all of
you, with your animals, are worn out with exertion
and blind with sleep. Ye warriors, ye are enveloped
in darkness and with dust. Therefore, if ye like,
ye may rest. Indeed, here, on the field of battle
close your eyes for a while. Then when the moon
will rise, ye Kurus and Pandavas, ye may again, having
slept and taken rest, encounter each other for the
sake of heaven.’ Hearing these words of
the virtuous Arjuna, the virtuous warriors (of the
Kuru army) assented to the suggestion, and addressing
one another, loudly said, ’O Karna, O Karna,
O king Duryodhana, abstain from the fight. The
Pandava host hath ceased to strike us.’
Then at those words of Phalguna, uttered loudly by
him, the Pandava army as also thine, O Bharata, abstained
from battle. Indeed, these noble words of Partha
were highly applauded by the gods, the high-souled
Rishis, and all the gladdened soldiers. Applauding
those kind words, O Bharata, all the troops, O king,
Page 1252
worn out with exertion, laid -themselves down for
sleep, O bull of Bharata’s race. Then that
army of thine, O Bharata, happy at the prospect of
rest and sleep, sincerely blessed Arjuna saying, ’In
thee are the Vedas as also all weapons! In thee
are intelligence and prowess! In thee, O mighty
armed one, are righteousness and compassion for all
creatures, O sinless one! And since we have been
comforted by thee, we wish thy good, O Partha!
Let prosperity be to thee! Soon do thou get,
O hero, those objects that are dear to thy heart!’
Blessing him thus, O tiger among men, those great
car-warriors, overcome with sleep, became silent, O
monarch! Some laid themselves down on horseback,
some on the car-boxes, some on the necks of elephants,
and some on the bare ground. Many men, with their
weapons and maces and swords and battle axes and lances
and with their armours on, laid themselves down for
sleep, apart from one another. Elephants, heavy
with sleep, made the earth cool with the breath of
their nostrils, that passed through their snake-like
trunks spotted with dust. Indeed, the elephants,
as they breathed on the ground, looked beautiful like
hills scattered (on the field of battle) over whose
breasts hissed gigantic snakes. Steeds, in trappings
of gold and with manes mingling with their yokes,
stamping their hoofs made even grounds uneven.
Thus every one, O king, slept there with the animal
he rode. Thus steeds and elephants and warriors,
O bull of Bharata’s race, very much worn out
with exertion, slept, abstaining from battle.
That slumbering host, deprived of sense and sunk in
sleep, then looked like a wonderful picture drawn on
canvas by skilful artists. Those Kshatriyas,
decked in ear-rings and endued with youth, with limbs
mangled by shafts, and immersed in sleep, having laid
themselves down on the coronal globes of elephants,
looked as if they were lying on the deep bosom of
beautiful ladies. Then the moon, that delighter
of eye and lord of lilies, of hue white as the checks
of a. beautiful lady, rose, adorning the direction
presided over by Indra.[244] Indeed, like a lion of
the Udaya hills, with rays constituting his manes
of brilliant yellow, he issued out of his cave in the
east, tearing to pieces the thick gloom of night resembling
an extensive herd of elephants.[245] That lover of
all assemblage of lilies (in the world), bright as
the body of Mahadeva’s excellent bull, full-arched
and radiant as Karna’s bow, and delightful and
charming as the smile on the lips of a bashful bride,
bloomed in the firmament.[246] Soon, however, that
divine lord having the hare for his mark showed himself
shedding brighter rays around. Indeed, the moon,
after this seemed to gradually emit a bright halo
of far-reaching light that resembled the splendour
of gold. Then the rays of that luminary, dispelling
the darkness by their splendour, slowly spread themselves
over all the quarters, the welkin, and the earth.
Soon, therefore, the world became illuminated.
Page 1253
The unspeakable darkness that had hidden everything
quickly fled away. When the world was thus illuminated
into almost daylight by the moon, amongst the creatures
that wander at night, some continued to roam about
and some abstained. That host, O king, awakened
by the rays of the sun. Indeed, that sea of troops
was awakened by the rays of the moon bloomed (into
life) like an assemblage of lotuses expanded by the
rays of the sun. Indeed, that sea of troops was
awakened by the risen moon like the ocean swelling
up in agitated surges at the rise of that luminary.
Then, O king, the battle once more commenced on earth,
for the destruction of the earth’s population,
between men that desired to attain to heaven.’”
SECTION CLXXXV
“Sanjaya said, ’At this time Duryodhana,
under the influence of wrath, approached Drona and
addressing him said these words, for inspiring him
with joy and provoking his anger.’
“Duryodhana said, ’No mercy should have
been shown to our foes while they were heartless and
worn out with toil and taking rest, especially when
they are all of sure aim. Desirous of doing what
is agreeable to thee, we showed them kindness by then
letting them alone. The tired Pandavas, however
(having taken rest), have become stronger. As
regards ourselves, we are, in every respect, losing
in energy and strength. The Pandavas, protected
by thee, are constantly gaining prosperity. All
weapons that are celestial and all those that appertain
to Brahma exist in thee. I tell thee truly, that
neither the Pandavas, nor ourselves, nor any other
bowmen in the world, can be a match for thee while
thou art engaged in battle. O foremost of regenerate
ones, thou art acquainted with all weapons. Without
doubt, by means of thy celestial weapons thou art
capable of destroying the (three) worlds with the gods,
the Asuras, and the Gandharvas. The Pandavas
are all afraid of thee. Thou, however, forgivest
them, remembering that they were thy pupils, or, perhaps,
owing to my ill luck.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’Thus rebuked and
angered by thy son, Drona, O king, wrathfully addressed
Duryodhana and said these words: ’Although
I am so old, O Duryodhana, I am still exerting myself
in battle to the utmost extent of might. All
these men are unacquainted with weapons. I am,
however, well-versed in them. If, from desire
of victory, I slay these men, there can be no more
ignoble act for me to do. That, however, which
is in thy mind, be it good or bad, I will accomplish,
O Kaurava, at thy command. It will not be otherwise.
Putting forth my prowess in battle and slaying all
the Panchalas, I will doff my armour, O king!
I swear this to thee truly. Thou thinkest that
Arjuna, the son of Kunti, was worn out in battle.
O mighty-armed Kaurava! Listen to what I truly
say regarding his prowess. If Savyasachin’s
wrath is excited, neither Gandharvas, nor Yakshas
nor Rakshasas can venture to bear him. At Khandavas,
Page 1254
he encountered the divine chief of the celestials
himself. The illustrious Arjuna, with his shafts
baffled the pouring Indra. Yakshas, and Nagas,
and Daityas, and all others proud of their might, were
slain by that foremost of men. That also is known
to thee. On the occasion of the tale of cattle,
the Gandharvas headed by Chitrasena and others were
vanquished by him. That firm bowman rescued you,
while you were being carried away by those Gandharvas.
Nivatakavachas also, those enemies of the celestials,
that were unslayable in battle by the celestials, themselves,
were vanquished by that hero. Thousands of Danavas
dwelling in Hiranyapura, that tiger among men vanquished.
How can human beings then withstand him? O monarch,
thou hast seen with thy own eyes how this host of
thine, although exerting themselves so heroically,
hath been destroyed by the son of Pandu.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’Unto Drona who was
thus applauding Arjuna, thy son, O king, angered thereat,
once more said these words: ’Myself and
Duhsasana, and Karna, and my maternal uncle, Sakuni,
dividing this Bharata host into two divisions (and
taking one with us), shall to-day slay Arjuna in battle.’
’Hearing these words of his, Bharadwaja’s
son, laughing, sanctioned that speech of the king
and said, ’Blessings to thee! What Kshatriya
is there that would slay that bull amongst Kshatriyas,
that unslayable one, viz., the bearer of Gandiva,
that hero blazing forth with energy? Neither
the Lord of treasures, nor Indra, nor Yama, nor the
Asuras, the Uragas, and the Rakshasas can stay Arjuna
armed with weapons. Only they that are fools
say such words as those thou hast said, O Bharata!
Who is there that would return home in safety, having
encountered Arjuna in battle? As regards thyself,
thou art sinful and cruel and suspicious of everybody.
Even them that are employed in thy welfare, thou art
ready to rebuke in this way. Go thou against the
son of Kunti, for withstanding him for thy own sake.
Thou art a well-born Kshatriya. Thou seekest
battle. Why dost thou cause all these unoffending
Kshatriyas to be slain? Thou art the root of this
hostility. Therefore, go thou against Arjuna.
This thy maternal uncle is possessed of wisdom and
observant of Kshatriya duties. O son of Gandhari,
let this one addicted to gambling proceed against
Arjuna in battle. This one, skilled in dice,
wedded to deception, addicted to gambling, versed in
cunning and imposture, this gambler conversant with
the ways of deceiving, will vanquish the Pandavas
in battle! With Karna in thy company, thou hadst
often joyfully boasted, from folly and emptiness of
understanding, in the hearing of Dhritarashtra, saying,
’O sire, myself, and Karna, and my brother Duhsasana,
these three, uniting together, will slay the sons of
Pandu in battle.’ This thy boast was heard
in every meeting of the court. Accomplish thy
vow, be truthful in speech, with them. There thy
mortal foe, the son of Pandu, is staying before thee.
Observe the duties of a Kshatriya. Thy slaughter
at the hands of Jaya would be worthy of every praise.
Thou hast practised charity. Thou hast eaten (everything
ever desired by thee). Thou hast obtained wealth
to the measure of thy wish. Thou hast no debts.
Thou hast done all that one should do. Do not
fear. Fight now with the son of Pandu.’
These words said, the battle commenced.’”
Page 1255
SECTION CLXXXVI
“Sanjaya said, ’When three-fourths of
that night had worn away, the battle, O king, once
more commenced between the Kurus and the Pandavas.
Both sides were elated with joy. Soon after, Aruna,
the charioteer of Surya, weakening the splendour of
the moon, appeared, causing the welkin to assume a
coppery hue. The east was soon reddened with the
red rays of the sun that resembled a circular plate
of gold. Then all the warriors of the Kuru and
the Pandava hosts, alighting from cars and steeds and
vehicles borne by men, stood, with joined hands, facing
the sun, and uttered the prayers of the twilight of
dawn. The Kuru army having been divided into
two bodies, Drona, with Duryodhana before him, proceeded
(with one of those divisions) against the Somakas,
the Pandavas, and the Panchalas. Beholding the
Kuru host divided into two bodies, Madhava addressed
Arjuna and said, ’Keeping thy foes to thy left,
place this division (commanded by Drona) to thy right.
Obedient to the counsels of Madhava in respect of
the Kurus, Dhananjaya moved to the left of those two
mighty bowmen, viz., Drona, and Karna. Understanding
the intentions of Krishna, that subjugator of hostile
cities, viz., Bhimasena, addressing Partha who
was then staying at the van of battle, said these
words.
“Bhimasena said, ’O Arjuna, O Vibhatsu,
listen to these words of mine. The time for that
object for which Kshatriya ladies bring forth sons
has now come. If at such a time thou dost not
strive to win prosperity, thou shalt then act meanly
like a veritable wretch. Putting forth thy prowess,
pay the debt thou owest to Truth, Prosperity, Virtue,
and Fame! O foremost of warriors, pierce this
division, and keep these to thy right.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’Thus urged by Bhima
and Kesava, Savyasachin prevailing over Drona and
Karna, began to resist the foe all round. Many
foremost of Kshatriyas (among the Kurus), putting forth
all their prowess, failed to withstand Arjuna who
advanced at the very van of his troops, and who, like
a raging conflagration, was consuming the foremost
ones among his foes. Then Duryodhana and Karna,
and Sakuni, the son of Suvala, covered Kunti’s
son, Dhananjaya, with showers of shafts. Baffling
the weapons of all those warriors, that foremost of
all persons well-skilled in weapons, O monarch, covered
them (in return) with his shafts. Aiming at their
weapons with his (and thus baffling them all), Arjuna,
endued with great lightness of hand and possessing
a complete control over his senses, pierced every
one of those warriors with ten keen-pointed shafts.
The welkin was then covered with dust. Thick showers
of arrows fell. Darkness set in, and a loud and
terrible uproar arose. When such was the state
of things, neither the welkin, nor the earth, nor
the points of the compass, could any longer be seen.
Stupefied by the dust, all the troops became blind.
Page 1256
Neither the foe, O king, nor we, could distinguish
each other. For this reason, the kings began to
fight, guided by conjecture and the names they uttered.
Deprived of their cars, car-warriors, O king, encountering
one another, lost all order and became a tangled mass.
Their steeds killed and drivers slain, many of them,
becoming inactive, preserved their lives and looked
exceedingly affrighted. Slain steeds with riders
deprived of lives were seen to lie on slain elephants
as if stretched on mountain-breasts. Then Drona,
moving away from that battle towards the north took
up his station there., and seemed to resemble a smokeless
fire. Beholding him move away from the battle
towards the north, the Pandava troops, O king, began
to tremble. Indeed, beholding Drona resplendent
and handsome and blazing with energy, the enemy, inspired
with fright became pale and wavered on the field,
O Bharata! While summoning the hostile army to
battle, and looking like an elephant in rut, the enemy
became perfectly hopeless of vanquishing him, like
the Danavas hopeless of vanquishing Vasava. Some
among them became perfectly cheerless, and some, endued
with energy, became inspired with wrath. And
some were filled with wonder, and some became incapable
of brooking (the challenge). And some of the kings
squeezed their hands, and some deprived of their senses
by rage, bit their lips. And some whirled their
weapons, and some rubbed their arms; and some, possessed
of great energy and souls under complete control,
rushed against Drona. The Panchalas particularly,
afflicted with the shafts of Drona, O monarch, though
suffering great pain, continued to contend in battle.[247]
Then Drupada and Virata proceeded, in that battle,
against Drona, that invincible warrior, who was thus
careering on the field. Then, O king, the three
grandsons of Drupada, and those mighty bowmen, viz.,
the Chedis, also proceeded against Drona in that encounter.
Drona, with three sharp shafts, took the lives of the
three grandsons of Drupada. Deprived of lives,
the princes fell down on the earth. Drona next
vanquished in that battle the Chedis, the Kaikeyas,
and the Srinjayas. That mighty car-warrior, viz.,
the son of Bharadwaja, then vanquished all Matsyas.
Then Drupada, filled with wrath, and Virata, in that
battle, shot showers of shafts, O king, at Drona.
Baffling that arrowy shower, Drona, that grinder of
Kshatriyas, covered both Drupada and Virata with his
shafts. Shrouded by Drona, both those warriors,
with rage, began to pierce him on the field of battle
with their arrows. Then Drona, O monarch, filled
with wrath and desire of revenge, cut off, with a
couple of broad-headed shafts, the bows of both his
antagonists. Then Virata, filled with wrath,
sped in that encounter ten lances and ten shafts at
Drona from desire of slaying him. And Drupada,
in anger, hurled at Drona’s car a terrible dart
made of iron and decked with gold and resembling a
large snake. Drona cut off, with a number of sharp
Page 1257
and broad-headed arrows, those ten lances (of Virata),
and with certain other shafts that dart (of Drupada)
decked with gold and stones of lapis lazuli.
Then that grinder of foes, viz., the son of Bharadwaja,
with a couple of well-tempered and broad-headed shafts,
despatched both Drupada and Virata unto the abode
of Yama. Upon the fall of Virata and Drupada,
and the slaughter of the Kshatriyas, the Chedis, the
Matsyas, and the Panchalas, and upon the fall of those
three heroes, viz., the three grandsons of Drupada,
the high-souled Dhrishtadyumna, beholding those feats
of Drona, became filled with rage and grief, and swore
in the midst of all the ear-warriors, saying, ’Let
me lose merits of all my religious acts as also my
Kshatriya and Brahma energy, if Drona escape me today
with life, or if he succeed in vanquishing me!’[248]
Having taken that oath in the midst of all the bowmen,
that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the prince
of the Panchalas, supported by his own division, advanced
against Drona. The Panchalas then began to strike
Drona from one side, and Arjuna from another.
Duryodhana, and Karna, and Sakuni, the son of Suvala,
and the uterine brothers of Duryodhana (stationed),
according to their precedence, began to protect Drona
in battle. Drona being thus protected in battle
by those illustrious warriors, the Panchalas though
struggling vigorously, could not even gaze at him.
Then Bhimasena, O sire, became highly angry with Dhrishtadyumna
and, O bull among men, that son of Pandu pierced Dhrishtadyumna
with these fierce words:[249]
“Bhimasena said, ’What man is there who
being regarded as a Kshatriya and who taking his birth
in the race of Drupada and who being the foremost of
all persons possessing a knowledge of weapons, would
only thus look at his foe stationed before him?
What man having seen his sire and son slain, and especially,
having sworn such an oath in the midst of the king,
would thus be indifferent to his enemy? Yonder
stands Drona like a fire swelling with its own energy.
Indeed, with bow and arrows constituting his fuel,
he is consuming with his energy all the Kshatriyas.
Soon will he annihilate the Pandava army. Stand
ye (as spectators) and behold my feat. Against
Drona himself will I proceed. Having said these
words, Vrikodara, filled with rage, penetrated into
Drona’s array, began to afflict and rout that
host. Then the Panchalaprince Dhrishtadyumna,
also, penetrating into that large host, engaged himself
with Drona in battle. The battle became furious.
Such a fierce encounter we had never seen or heard
of before, O king, as that which now took place at
sunrise of that day. The cars, O sire, were seen
to be entangled with one another. The bodies of
embodied creatures deprived of lives were scattered
all over the field. Some, while proceeding towards
another part of the field, were, on the way, assailed
by others. Some, while flying away, were struck
on their backs, and others on their sides. That
general engagement continued to rage fiercely.
Soon, however, the morning sun rose.’
Page 1258
SECTION CLXXXVII
“Sanjaya continued, ’The warrior, O king,
thus clad in mail on the field of battle, adored the
thousand-rayed Aditya as he rose at morn. When
the thousand-rayed luminary, of splendour bright,
as burning gold, arose, and the world became illumined,
the battle once more commenced. The same soldiers
that were engaged with each other before the sunrise,
once more fought with each other, O Bharata, after,
the rise of the sun. Horsemen engaged with car-warriors,
and elephants with horsemen, and foot-soldiers with
elephants and horsemen with horsemen, O bull of Bharata’s
race. Sometimes, unitedly and sometimes separately,
the warriors, fell upon one another in battle.
Having fought vigorously in the night, many, tired
with exertion, and weak with hunger and thirst became
deprived of their senses. The uproar made of
the blare of conchs, the beat of drums, the roar of
elephants, and the twang of out-stretched bows drawn
with force touched the very heavens, O king!
The noise made also by rushing infantry and falling
weapons, and neighing steeds and rolling cars, and
shouting and roaring of warriors, became tremendous.
That loud noise increasing every minute, reached the
heavens. The groans and wails of pain, on falling
and fallen foot-soldiers and car-warriors and elephants,
became exceedingly loud and pitiable as these were
heard on the field. When the engagement became
general, both side slew each other’s own men
and animals. Hurled from the hands of heroes
upon warriors and elephants, heaps of swords were
seen on the field, resembling heaps of cloths on the
washing ground. The sound, again, of uplifted
and descending swords in heroic arms resembled that
of cloths thrashed for wash. That general engagement
then, in which the warriors encountered one another
with swords and scimitars and lances and battle-axes,
became exceedingly dreadful. The heroic combatants
caused a river there, that ran its course towards
the regions of the dead. The blood of elephants
and steeds and human beings formed its current.
Weapons formed its fish in profusion. It was
miry with blood and flesh. Wails of grief and
pain formed its roar. Banners and cloth formed
its froth. Afflicted with shafts and darts, worn
with exertion, spent with toil on the (previous) night,
and exceedingly weakened, elephants and steeds, with
limbs perfectly motionless, stood on the field.
With their arms (in beautiful attitudes) and with their
beautiful coats of mail, and heads decked with beautiful
ear-rings, the warriors, adorned with implements of
battle, looked exceedingly resplendent.[250] At that
time, in consequence of the carnivorous animals and
the dead and the dying, there was no path for the cars
all over the field. Afflicted with shafts steeds
of the noblest breed and high mettle, resembling elephants
(in size and strength), worn out with toil, were seen
to tremble with great effort, as they drew vehicles
Page 1259
whose wheels had sunk in the earth. The whole
of that host, O Bharata, resembling the ocean for
vastness, then became agitated, and afflicted, inspired
with terror, with the exception only of Drona and
Arjuna. Those two became the refuge, these two
became the saviours, of the warriors of their respective
sides. Others, encountering these two proceeded
to the abode of Yama. Then the vast host of the
Kurus became greatly agitated, and the Panchalas,
huddled together, became no longer distinguishable.
During that great carnage of the Kshatriyas on earth,
on that field of battle, enhancing the terrors of
the timid and looking like a crematorium neither Karna,
nor Drona, nor Arjuna, nor Yudhishthira, nor Bhimasena,
nor the twins, nor the Panchala prince, nor Satyaki,
nor Duhsasana, nor Drona’s son, nor Duryodhana
nor Suvala’s son, nor Kripa, nor the ruler of
the Madras, nor Kritavarman, nor others, nor my own
self, nor the earth, nor points of the compass, could
be seen, O king, for all of them, mingled with the
troops, were shrouded by clouds of dust. During
the progress of that fierce and terrible battle, when
that dusty cloud arose, all thought that night had
once more come over the scene. Neither the Kauravas,
nor the Panchalas, nor the Pandavas, could be distinguished,
nor the points of the compass, nor the welkin, nor
the earth, nor even land nor uneven land. The
warriors, desirous of victory, slew foes and friends,
in fact, all whom they could perceive by the touch
of their hands. The earthly dust that had arisen
was soon dispelled by the winds that blew, and drenched
by the blood that was shed. Elephants and steeds
and car-warriors and foot-soldiers, bathed in blood,
looked beautiful like the (celestial) forest of Parijata.
Then Duryodhana, Karna, Drona and Duhsasana, these
four (Kauravas) warriors engaged in battle with four
of the Pandava warriors, Duryodhana and his brothers,
encountered the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva).
And Radha’s son engaged himself with Vrikodara,
and Arjuna with the son of Bharadwaja, all the troops,
from every side, looked on that terrible encounter.
The car-warriors (of both armies quietly) beheld that
beautiful, that superhuman engagement between those
fierce and foremost of car-warriors conversant with
every mode of warfare, riding on their own beautiful
cars that performed diverse delightful evolutions.
Endued with great prowess, struggling vigorously,
and each solicitous of vanquishing the other, they
covered each other with showers of shafts, like the
clouds at the close of summer (pouring torrents of
rain). Those bulls among men, riding on their
cars of solar effulgence, looked beautiful like congregated
masses of clouds in the autumnal sky. Then those
warriors, O monarch, filled with wrath and desire
of revenge, mighty bowmen all, challenging, rushed
at one another with great vigour like infuriated leaders
of elephantine herds. Verily, O king, death does
not take place till its hour comes, since all those
Page 1260
warriors did not simultaneously perish in that battle.
Strewn with lopped off arms and legs, and heads decked
with beautiful ear-rings, and bows and arrows and
lances and scimitars and battle-axes and (other kinds
of) axes, and Nalihas and razor-headed arrows and
cloth-yard shafts and darts and diverse kinds of beautiful
armour, and beautiful cars broken into pieces, and
slain elephants and standardless cars broken like cities,
and vehicles dragged hither and thither with the speed
of the wind by driverless steeds in great fright,
and a large number of well-decked warriors of great
courage, and fallen fans and coats of mail and standards,
and ornaments and robes and fragrant garlands, and
chains of gold and diadems and crowns and head-gears
and rows of bells, and jewels worn on breasts, and
cuirasses and collars and gems that adorn head-gears,
the field of battle looked beautiful like the firmament
bespangled with stars.’
’Then there occured an encounter between Duryodhana,
filled with wrath and desire of revenge, and Nakula
filled with the same feelings. Madri’s
son cheerfully shooting hundreds of shafts, placed
thy son on his right. At this loud cheers were
bestowed upon him. Placed on the right by his
cousin-brother in wrath, thy son king Duryodhana, filled
with rage, began, in battle, to wonderfully counteract
Nakula from that very side. Thereupon, Nakula,
endued with great energy and acquainted with the diverse
course (in which a car may be conducted), began to
resist thy son who was engaged in counteracting him
from his right. Duryodhana, however, afflicting
Nakula with showers of shafts and resisting him on
every side, caused him to turn back. All the
troops applauded that feat (of thy son). Then
Nakula, addressing thy son, said, ’Wait, Wait,
recollecting all his woes caused by thy evil counsels.’”
SECTION CLXXXVIII
“Sanjaya said, ’Then Duhsasana, filled
with wrath, rushed against Sahadeva, causing the earth
to tremble with the fierce speed of his car, O Madri’s
son, however, that crusher of foes, with a broad-headed
arrow, quickly cut of the head, decked with the head-gear
of his rushing antagonist’s driver. From
the celerity with which that act was accomplished
by Sahadeva, neither Duhsasana nor any of the troops
knew that the driver’s head had been cut off.
The reins being no longer held by anybody, the steeds
ran at their will. It was then that Duhsasana
knew that his driver had been slain. Conversant
with the management of steeds, that foremost of car-warriors,
himself restraining his steeds in that battle fought
beautifully and with great activity and skill.
That feat of his was applauded by friends and foes,
since riding on that driverless car, he careered fearlessly
in that battle. Then Sahadeva pierced those steeds
with keen shafts. Afflicted with those shafts,
they quickly ran away, careering hither and thither.
For catching hold of the reins, he once laid aside
Page 1261
his bow, and then he took up his bow for using it,
lying aside the reins. During those opportunities
the son of Madri covered him with arrows. Then
Karna, desirous of rescuing thy son, rushed to that
spot. Thereupon, Vrikodara, with great care, pierced
Karna in the chest and arms with three broad-headed
shafts sped from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch.
Struck with those shafts like a snake with a stick,
Karna stopped and began to resist Bhimasena, shooting
keen shafts. Thereupon, a fierce battle took
place between Bhima and Radha’s son. Both
of them roared like bulls, and the eyes of both were
expanded (with rage). Excited with wrath, and
rushing towards each other, with great speed, they
roared at each other. Those two delighters, in
battle were then very close to each other. So
near were they that they could not easily shoot their
shafts at each other. Thereupon, an encounter
with maces happened. Bhimasena speedily broke
with his mace the Kuvara of Karna’s car.
That feat of his, O king, seemed highly wonderful.
Then the valiant son of Radha, taking up a mace, hurled
it at Bhima’s car. Bhima, however, broke
it with the mace of his own. Then taking up a
heavy mace, once more, Bhima hurled it at Adhiratha’s
son. Karna struck that mace with numerous shafts
of beautiful wings, sped with great force, and once
again with other shafts, Thus struck with Karna’s
shafts, the mace turned back towards Bhima, like a
snake afflicted with incantations. With the rebound
of that mace, the huge standard of Bhima, broke and
fell down. Struck with that same mace, Bhima’s
driver also became deprived of his senses. Then
Bhima, mad with rage, sped eight shafts at Karna, and
his standard and bow, and leathern fence, O Bharata.
The mighty Bhimasena, that slayer of hostile heroes,
with the greatest care, O Bharata, cut off, with those
keen shafts, the standards, the bow, and the leathern
fence of Karna. The latter then, viz., the
son of Radha, taking up another invincible and gold-decked
bow, shot a number of shafts, and quickly slew Bhima’s
steeds of the hue of bears, and then his two drivers.
When his car was thus injured, Bhima, that chastiser
of foes, quickly jumped into the car of Nakula like
a lion jumping down upon a mountain summit.’
“Meanwhile, Drona and Arjuna, those two foremost
of car-warriors, preceptor and pupil, both skilled
in weapon, O monarch, fought with each other in battle,
stupefying the eyes and minds of men with their lightness
in the use of weapons and the sureness of their aim,
and with the motions of their cars. Beholding
that battle, the like of which had never been witnessed
before, between preceptor and pupil, the other warriors
abstained from fighting with each other and trembled.
Each of those heroes, displaying beautiful revolutions
of his car, wished to place the other on his right.
The warriors present there beheld their prowess and
became filled with wonder. Indeed, that great
battle between Drona and the son of Pandu resembled
Page 1262
that, O monarch, between a couple of hawks in the
welkin for the sake of a piece of meat. Whatever
feats Drona performed for vanquishing the son of Kunti,
were all counteracted by Arjuna’s performing
similar feats. When Drona failed to gain any
ascendency over the son of Pandu, the son of Bharadwaja,
that warrior acquainted with the course of all weapons,
invoked into existence the Aindra, the Pasupata, the
Tvashtra, the Vayavya, and the Yamya weapons.
As soon as those weapons, issued from Drona’s
bow, Dhananjaya destroyed them quickly. When
his weapons were thus duly destroyed by Arjuna with
his own weapons, Drona shrouded the son of Pandu with
the mightiest of celestial weapons. Every weapon,
however, that Drona shot at Partha from desire of
vanquishing the latter, was shot by Partha in return
for baffling it. Seeing all his weapons, even
the celestial ones, duly baffled by Arjuna, Drona
applauded the latter in his heart. That chastiser
of foes, O Bharata, regarded himself superior to every
person in the world acquainted with weapons, in consequence
of Arjuna having been his pupil. Thus resisted
by Partha in the midst of all those illustrious warriors,
Drona, struggling with vigour, cheerfully resisted
Arjuna (in return), wondering all the while. Then
the celestials and Gandharvas in thousands, and Rishis
and bodies of Siddhas, were seen on all sides in the
welkin. Filled with (those as also with) Apsaras
and Yakshas and Rakshasas, it once more seemed that
the welkin was darkened by gathering clouds.
An invisible voice, fraught with the praises of Drona
and the high-souled Partha, was heard to repeatedly
course through the firmament. When in consequence
of the weapons shot by Drona and Partha all sides
seemed ablaze with light, the Siddhas and the Rishis
that were present, said, ’This is no human nor
Asura, nor Rakshasa, nor celestial, nor Gandharva
battle. Without doubt this is a high Brahma encounter.
This battle is exceedingly beautiful and highly wonderful.
We have never seen or heard of its like. Now,
the preceptor prevails over the son of Pandu, and
then the son of Pandu prevails over Drona. No
one can find any difference between them. If
Rudra, dividing his own self into two portions, fights,
himself with himself, then may an instance be had
to match this. Nowhere else can an instance be
found to match it. Science, gathered in one place,
exists in the preceptor; science and means are in
the son of Pandu. Heroism, in one place, is in
Drona; heroism and might are in the son of Pandu.
None of these warriors can be withstood by foes in
battle. If they wish, both of them can destroy
the universe with the gods. Beholding those two
bulls among men, all invisible and visible creatures
said these words. The high-souled Drona then,
in that battle, invoked into existence the Brahma weapon,
afflicting Partha and all invisible beings. Thereupon,
the earth with the mountains and waters and trees
trembled. Fierce winds began to blow. The
Page 1263
seas swelled in agitation. The combatants of the
Kurus and the Pandava armies, as also all other creatures,
became inspired with fear, when that illustrious warrior
uplifted that weapon. The Partha, O monarch,
fearlessly baffled that weapon by a Brahma weapon of
his own, at which all that agitation in nature was
speedily pacified. At last, when none of them
could vanquish his antagonist in combat, a general
engagement took place between the hosts, causing a
great confusion on the field. During the progress
of that dreadful battle between Drona and the son of
Pandu (as also of that general engagement), once more,
O king, nothing could be distinguished. The welkin
became covered with dense showers of shafts, as if
with masses of clouds, and creatures ranging in the
air could no longer find a passage through their element.”
SECTION CXC
“Sanjaya said, ’During that fearful carnage
of men and steeds and elephants, Duhsasana, O king,
encountered Dhrishtadyumna. Mounted upon hi,
golden car and exceedingly afflicted with the shafts
of Duhsasana, the Panchala prince wrathfully showered
his shafts upon thy son’s steeds. Covered
with the shafts of Prishata’s son, O king, Duhsasana’s
car, with standard and driver, soon became invisible.
Afflicted with those showers of arrows, Duhsasana,
O monarch, became unable to stay before the illustrious
prince of the Panchalas. Forcing, by means of
his shafts, Duhsasana to turn back Pritha’s
son, scattering his arrows, proceeded against Drona
in that battle. At the time Hridika’s son,
Kritavarman, with three of his uterine brothers, appeared
on the scene and attempted to oppose Dhrishtadyumna.
Those bulls among men, however, viz., the twins,
Nakula and Sahadeva following in the wake of Dhrishtadyumna
who was thus proceeding like a blazing fire towards
Drona, began to protect him. Then, all those
great car-warriors, endued with might and excited
with rage, began to strike one another, making death
their goal. Of pure souls and pure conduct, O
king, and keeping heaven in view, they fought according
to righteous methods, desirous of vanquishing one another.
Of stainless lineage and stainless acts, and endued
with great intelligence, those rulers of men, keeping
heaven in view, fought fair battles with another.
There was nothing unfair in that fight and no weapon
was used that was regarded as unfair. No barbed
arrows, nor those called nalikas, nor those that are
poisoned, nor those with heads, made of horns, nor
those equipped with many pointed heads, nor those made
of the bones of bulls and elephants, nor those having
two heads, nor those having rusty heads, nor those
that are not straight going, were used by any of them.[251]
All of them used simple and fair weapons and desired
to win both fame and region of great blessedness by
fighting fairly. Between those four warriors
of thy army and those three of the Pandava side, the
battle that took place was exceedingly dreadful but
Page 1264
divested of everything unfair. Then Dhrishtadyumna,
exceedingly quick in the use of weapons, beholding
those brave and mighty car warriors of thy army checked
by the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva), proceeded towards
Drona. Checked by those two lions among men,
those four heroic warriors encountered the former
like the wind assailing a couple of mountains (standing
on their way). Each of the twins—those
great car-warriors—was engaged with a couple
of arrows against Drona. Beholding the invincible
prince of the Panchalas proceeding against Drona, and
those four heroes (of his own army) engaged with the
twins, Duryodhana, O monarch, rushed to that spot,
scattering showers of blood-drinking arrows. Seeing
this, Satyaki quickly approached the Kuru king.
Those two tigers among men, viz., the two descendants
of Kuru and Madhu, approaching each other, became
desirous of striking each other in battle. Recalling
to mind their behaviour towards each other in childhood
and reflecting with pleasure on the same, they gazed
at each other and smiled repeatedly. ’Then
king Duryodhana (mentally), blaming his own conduct,
addressed his ever dear friend Satyaki, and said,
’Fie on wrath, O friend, and fie on vindictiveness!
Fie on Kshatriya usage, and fie on might and prowess,
since thou aimest thy weapons at me, and I too am aiming
at thee, O bull of Sini’s race! In those
days thou wert dearer to me than life itself, and
I also was such to thee! Alas, all those acts
of childhood that I remember, of both thyself and
mine, became quite insignificant in the field of battle!
Alas, moved by wrath and convetousness, we are here
to-day for fighting against each other, O thou of the
Satwata race!’ Unto him who said those words,
O king, Satyaki, conversant with high weapons, taking
up some keen arrows, smilingly replied, ’This
is no assembly, O prince, nor the abode of our preceptor,
where in former days we sported together.’
Duryodhana answered, ’Where have those sports
of our childhood gone, O bull of Sini’s race,
and, alas, how has this battle now come upon us?
It seems that the influence of Time is irresistible.
(Urged though we are) by desire of wealth, what use,
however, have we of wealth that, assembled together,
we are now engaged in battle, moved by the avarice
of wealth.’
“Sanjaya said, ’Unto king Duryodhana who
said so, Satyaki replied, ’This has always been
the usage of the Kshatriyas that they have to fight
even against their preceptors. If I am dear to
thee, O king, then slay me without any delay.
Through thee, O bull of Bharata’s race, I shall
then enter the region of the righteous. Exhibit,
without delay, all thy might and prowess. I do
not desire to witness this great calamity of friends.’
Having replied and reasoned thus, Satyaki, O monarch,
fearlessly and in utter disregard of life, quickly
advanced against Duryodhana. Beholding him advance,
thy son received him; indeed, O king, thy son poured
on him of Sini’s race a perfect shower of arrows.
Page 1265
Then commenced a terrible battle between those lions
of Kuru’s and Madhu’s races, resembling
an encounter between an elephant and a lion.
Then Duryodhana, filled with wrath, pierced the invincible
Satyaki with many keen arrows, shot from his bow drawn
to its fullest stretch. Satyaki quickly pierced
the Kuru prince in return with fifty keen shafts in
that battle and once more with twenty, and again with
ten shafts. Then, in that encounter, O king, thy
son, smiling the while, pierced Satyaki in return with
thirty arrows shot from his bowstring drawn to his
ear. Shooting then a razor-headed arrow, he cut
off in twain the bow, with arrow fixed thereon, of
Satyaki. Endued with great lightness of hand,
the latter then, taking up a tougher bow, shot showers
of shafts at thy son. As those lines of arrows
advanced for compassing the death of Duryodhana, the
latter, O king, cut them in pieces, at which the troops
shouted loudly. With great swiftness, the Kuru
king afflicted Satyaki with three and seventy shafts,
equipped with wings of gold and steeped in oil and
shot from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch.
All those arrows of Duryodhana, as also his bow, with
arrow fixed thereon, Satyaki quickly cut off.
The Satwata hero then poured showers of shafts on
his antagonist. Deeply pierced by Satyaki and
feeling great pain, Duryodhana, O king, in great distress,
sought shelter in another car. Having rested
awhile and refreshed himself, thy son once more advanced
against Satyaki, shooting showers of shafts at the
latter’s car. Smilingly, O king, Satyaki
ceaselessly shot multitudes of shafts at Duryodhana’s
car. The shafts of both mingled with one another
in the welkin. In consequence of those arrows
thus shot by both, falling fast on every side, loud
sounds, like those of a raging fire consuming a mighty
forest, arose there. With thousands of arrows
shot by both, the earth was densely covered.
The welkin also became filled therewith. Beholding
then that foremost of car-warriors, viz., that
hero of Madhu’s race, to be mightier than Duryodhana,
Karna rushed to that spot, desirous of rescuing thy
son. Mighty Bhimasena, however, could not brook
that attempt of Karna. He, therefore, quickly
proceeded against Karna, shooting innumerable shafts.
Cutting off all those shafts of Bhima with the greatest
ease, Karna cut off Bhima’s bow, arrows and driver
also, with his own shafts. Then, Pandu’s
son, Bhima, filled with rage, took up a mace and crushed
the bow, standard, and driver of his antagonist in
that encounter. The mighty Bhima also broke one
of the wheels of Karna’s car. Karna, however,
stood on that car of his, which had one of his wheels
broken, immovable as (Meru), the king of mountains.
That beautiful car of his which had now only one wheel,
was borne by his steeds, like the single wheeled car
of Surya, drawn by the seven celestial steeds.
Incapable of brooking the feats of Bhimasena, Karna
continued to fight with the latter, using diverse
Page 1266
kinds of shafts in profusion and diverse kinds of
other weapons in that encounter. Bhimasena also
filled with wrath, continued to fight with the Suta’s
son. When the engagement became general ant confused,
(Yudhishthira) the son of Dharma, addressing all the
foremost of warriors among the Panchalas and the Matsyas,
said, ’They that are our life, they that are
our heads, they amongst us that are endued with great
strength, those bulls among men are all engaged with
the Dhartarashtras. Why do ye then stand thus,
as if stupefied and deprived of your senses?
Proceed thither where those car-warriors of my army
are fighting. Driving away your fears and keeping
in view the duties of Kshatriyas (engage in fight),
for then conquering or slain ye will gain desirable
goals. If you prove victors, you may perform diverse
sacrifices with profuse gifts to Brahmanas. If,
on the other hand, you are slain, becoming then equals
of the celestials, you will win many regions of blessedness.
Thus urged by the king, those heroic and mighty car-warriors
engaged in battle, observant of Kshatriya duties, quickly
proceeded against Drona. The Panchalas then, from
one side, assailed Drona with innumerable arrows,
while others headed by Bhimasena began to resist him
from another side. The Pandavas had three crooked-minded
mighty car-warriors amongst them. They were Bhimasena
and the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva). These addressed
Dhananjaya loudly and said, ’Rush, O Arjuna,
with speed and drive away the Kurus from Drona’s
vicinity. If the preceptor can be derived of
his protectors, the Panchalas may then slay him easily.’
Thus addressed, Partha suddenly rushed against the
Kauravas, while Drona rushed against the Panchalas
headed by Dhrishtadyumna. Indeed, on that the
fifth day (of Drona’s command) those heroic
combatants, O Bharata, were grounded and crushed with
great-celerity (by Bharadwaja’s son.)”
SECTION CXCI
“Sanjaya said, ’Then Drona caused a great
carnage among the Panchalas, like the slaughter caused
by Sakra himself in rage amongst the Danavas in the
days of yore. The great car-warriors of the Pandava
army, endued with might and energy, though slaughtered,
O king, by Drona’s weapons, were not yet afraid
of Drona in that battle. Indeed, O monarch, those
mighty car-warriors, viz., the Panchalas and
the Srinjayas, all rushed against Drona himself, for
fighting with him. Loud and fierce were the yells
they uttered as they rushed towards Drona for encompassing
him on all sides and were slaughtered by him with
shafts and darts. Beholding the slaughter of
the Panchalas in that battle by the illustrious Drona,
and seeing his, weapons overwhelm all sides, fear
entered the hearts of the Pandavas. Beholding
that dreadful carnage of steeds and human beings in
that battle, the Pandavas, O monarch, became hopeless
of victory. (They began to say unto each other) ’Is
it not evident that Drona, that warrior conversant
Page 1267
with the mightiest of weapons, will consume us all
like a raging conflagration consuming a heap of straw
in the season of spring? There is none competent
to even look at him in battle. Conversant with
the ways of morality, Arjuna (who alone is a match
for him) will not fight with him.’ Beholding
the sons of Kunti afflicted with the shafts of Drona
and inspired with fear, Kesava, endued with great intelligence
and, devoted to their welfare, addressed Arjuna and
said, ’This foremost of all bowmen is incapable
of being ever vanquished by force in battle, by the
very gods with Vasava at their head. When, however,
he lays aside his weapons, he becomes capable of being
slain on the field even by human beings. Casting
aside virtue, ye sons of Pandu, adopt now some contrivance
for gaining the victory, so that Drona of the golden
car may not slay us all in battle. Upon the full
of (his son) Aswatthaman he will cease to fight, I
think. Let sonic man, therefore, tell him that
Aswatthaman, hath been slain in battle.’
This advice, however, O kin was not approved by Kunti’s
son, Dhananjaya. Others approved of it. But
Yudhishthira accepted it with great difficulty.
Then the mighty-armed Bhima, O king, slew with a mace
a foe-crushing, terrible and huge elephant named Aswatthaman,
of his own army, belonging to Indravarman, the chief
of the Malavas. Approaching Drona then in that
battle with some bashfulness Bhimasena began to exclaim
aloud, ’Aswatthaman hath been slain.’
That elephant named Aswatthaman having been thus slain,
Bhima spoke of Aswatthaman’s slaughter.
Keeping the true fact within his mind, he said what
was untrue, Hearing those highly disagreeable words
of Bhima and reflecting upon them, Drona’s limbs
seemed to dissolve like sands in water. Recollecting
however, the prowess of his son, he soon came to regard
that intelligence as false. Hearing, therefore,
of his slaughter, Drona did not become unmanned.
Indeed, soon recovering his senses, he became comforted,
remembering that his son was incapable of being resisted
by foes. Rushing towards the son of Prishata and
desirous of slaying that hero who had been ordained
as his slayer, he covered him with a thousand keen
shafts, equipped with kanka feathers. Then twenty
thousand Panchala car-warriors of great energy covered
him, while he was thus careering in battle, with their
shafts. Completely shrouded with those shafts,
we could not any longer see that great car-warrior
who then resembled, O monarch, the sun, covered with
clouds in the season of rains. Filled with wrath
and desirous of compassing the destruction of those
brave Panchalas, that mighty car-warrior, that scorcher
of foes, viz., Drona, dispelling all those shafts
of the Panchalas, then invoked into existence the
Brahma weapon. At that time, Drona looked resplendent
like a smokeless, blazing fire. Once more filled
with rage the valiant son of Bharadwaja slaughtering
all the Somakas, seemed to be invested with great
Page 1268
splendour. In that dreadful battle, he felled
the heads of the Panchalas and cut off their massive
arms, looking like spiked maces and decked with golden
ornaments. Indeed, those Kshatriyas, slaughtered
in battle by Bharadwaja’s son fell down on the
earth and lay scattered like trees uprooted by the
tempest. In consequence of fallen elephants and
steeds, O Bharata, the earth, miry with flesh and blood,
became impassable. Having slain twenty thousand
Panchala car-warriors, Drona, in that battle, shone
resplendent like a smokeless, blazing fire. Once
more filled with rage, the valiant son of Bharadwaja
cut off, with a broad-headed arrow, the head of Vasudana
from his trunk. Once more slaying five hundred
Matsyas, and six thousand elephants, he slew ten thousand
steeds. Beholding Drona stationed on the field
for the extermination of the Kshatriya race, the Rishis
Viswamitra, and Jamadagni, and Bharadwaja, and Gautama,
and Vasishtha, and Kasyapa, and Atri, and the Srikatas,
the Prisnis, Garga, the Valkhilyas, the Marichis,
the descendants of Bhrigu and Angiras, and diverse
other sages of subtle forms quickly came thither,
with the Bearer of sacrificial libations at their
head, and, desirous of taking Drona unto the region
of Brahman, addressed Drona, that ornament of battle,
and said, ’Thou art fighting unrighteously.
The hour of thy death is come. Laying aside thy
weapons in battle, O Drona, behold us stationed here.
After this, it behoveth thee not to perpetrate such
exceedingly cruel deeds. Thou art versed in the
Vedas and their branches. Thou art devoted to
the duties enjoined by truth, especially, thou art
a Brahmana. Such acts do not become thee.
Lay aside thy weapons. Drive away the film of
error that shrouds thee. Adhere now to the eternal
path. The period for which thou art to dwell in
the world of men is now full. Thou hast, with
the Brahma weapon, burnt men on earth that are unacquainted
with weapons. This act that thou hast perpetrated,
O regenerate one, is not righteous. Lay aside
thy weapons in battle without delay, O Drona, do not
wait longer on earth. Do not, O regenerate one,
perpetrate such a sinful act.’ Hearing these
words of their as also those spoken by Bhimasena,
and beholding Dhrishtadyumna before him, Drona became
exceedingly cheerless in battle. Burning with
grief and exceedingly afflicted, he enquired of Kunti’s
son Yudhishthira as to whether his son (Aswatthaman)
had been slain or not. Drona firmly believed
that Yudhishthira would never speak an untruth even
for the sake of the sovereignty of the three worlds.
For this reason, that bull among Brahmanas asked Yudhishthira
and not any body else. He had hoped for truth
from Yudhishthira from the latter’s infancy.
Page 1269
“Meanwhile, O monarch, Govinda, knowing that
Drona, that foremost of warriors, was capable of sweeping
all the Pandavas off the face of the earth, became
much distressed. Addressing Yudhishthira he said,
’If Drona fighteth, filled with rage, for even
half-a-day, I tell thee truly, thy army will then
be annihilated. Save us, then, from Drona. under
such circumstances, falsehood is better than truth.
By telling an untruth for saving a life, one is not
touched by sin. There is no sin in untruth spoken
unto women, or in marriages, or for saving king, or
for rescuing a Brahmana.’[252] While Govinda
and Yudhishthira were thus talking with each other,
Bhimasena (addressing the king) said, ’As soon,
O monarch, as I heard of the means by which the high-souled
Drona might be slain, putting forth my prowess in
battle, I immediately slew a mighty elephant, like
unto the elephant of Sakra himself, belonging to Indravarman,
the chief of the Malavas, who was standing within
thy army. I then went to Drona and told him,
’Aswatthaman has been slain, O Brahmana!
Cease, then, to fight. Verily, O bull among men,
the preceptor did not believe in the truth of words.
Desirous of victory as thou art, accept the advice
of Govinda. Tell Drona, O King, that the son
of Saradwat’s daughter is no more. Told
by thee, that bull among Brahmanas will never fight.
Thou, O ruler of men, art reputed to be truthful in
the three worlds.’ Hearing those words
of Bhima and induced by the counsels of Krishna, and
owing also to the inevitability of destiny, O monarch,
Yudhishthira made up his mind to say what he desired.
Fearing to utter an untruth, but earnestly desirous
of victory, Yudhishthira distinctly said that Aswatthaman
was dead, adding indistinctly the world elephant (after
the name), Before this, Yudhishthira’s car had
stayed at a height of four fingers’ breadth
from the surface of the earth; after, however, he had
said that untruth, his (vehicle and) animals touched
the earth. Hearing those words from Yudhishthira,
the mighty car-warrior Drona, afflicted with grief,
for the (supposed) death of his son, yielded to the
influence of despair. By the words, again, of
the Rishis, he regarded himself a great offender against
the high-souled Pandavas. Hearing now about the
death of his son, he became perfectly cheerless and
filled with anxiety; upon beholding Dhrishtadyumna,
O king, that chastiser of foes could not fight as
before.’”
SECTION CXCII
“Sanjaya said, ’Beholding Drona filled
with great anxiety and almost deprived of his senses
by grief, Dhrishtadyumna, the son of the Panchala
king, rushed at him. That hero had, for the destruction
of Drona, been obtained by Drupada, that ruler of
men, at a great sacrifice, from the Bearer of sacrificial
libations. Desirous of slaying Drona, he now took
up a victory-giving and formidable bow whose twang
resembled the roll of the clouds, whose string was
Page 1270
possessed of great strength, and which was irrefragable
and celestial. And he fixed on it a fierce arrow,
resembling a snake of virulent poison and possessed
of the splendour of fire. That arrow, resembling
a fire of fierce flame, while within the circle of
his bow, looked like the autumnal sun of great splendour
within a radiant circle. Beholding that blazing
bow bent with force by Prishata’s son, the troops
regarded that to be the last hour (of the world).
Seeing that arrow aimed at him, the valiant son of
Bharadwaja thought that the last hour of his body
had come. The preceptor prepared with care to
baffle that shaft. The weapons, however, of that
high-souled one, O monarch, no longer appeared at
his bidding.[253] His weapons had not been exhausted
although he had shot them ceaselessly for four days
and one night. On the expiry, however, of the
third part of that of the fifth day, his arrows became
exhausted. Seeing the exhaustion of his arrows
and afflicted with grief on account of his son’s
death, and in consequence also of the unwillingness
of the celestial weapons to appear at his bidding,
he desired to lay aside his weapons, as requested
by the words of the Rishis also. Though filled
with great energy, he could not however, fight as
before. Then taking up another celestial bow that
Angiras had given him, and certain arrows that resembled
a Brahmana’s curse, he continued to fight with
Dhrishtadyumna. He covered the Panchala prince
with a thick shower of arrows, and filled with rage,
mangled his angry antagonist. With his own keen
shafts he cut off in a hundred fragments those of the
prince as also the latter’s standard and bow.
He then his antagonist’s driver. Then Dhrishtadyumna,
smiling, took up another bow, and pierced Drona with
a keen shaft in the centre of the chest. Deeply
pierced therewith and losing his self-possession in
that encounter, that mighty bowman, then, with a sharp
and broad-headed arrow, once more cut off Dhrishtadyumna’s
bow. Indeed, the invincible Drona then cut off
all the weapons, O king, and all the bows that his
antagonist had, with the exception only of his mace
and sword. Filled with rage, he then pierced
the angry Dhrishtadyumna, O chastiser of foes, nine
keen arrows, capable of taking the life of every foe.
Then the mighty car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna, of immeasurable
soul, invoking into existence the Brahma weapon, caused
the steeds of his own car to be mingled with those
of his foes. Endued with the speed of the wind,
those steeds that were red and of the hue of pigeons,
O bull of Bharata’s race, thus mingled together,
looked exceedingly beautiful. Indeed, O king,
those steeds thus mingled together on the field of
battle, looked beautiful like roaring clouds in the
season of rains, charged with lightning. Then
that twice-born one of immeasurable soul cut off the
shaft-joints, the wheel-joints, and (other) car-joints
of Dhrishtadyumna. Deprived of his bow, and made
carless and steedless and driverless, the heroic Dhrishtadyumna,
Page 1271
fallen into great distress, grasped a mace. Filled
with rage, the mighty car-warrior, Drona, of unbaffled
prowess, by means of a number of keen shafts, cut off
that mace, while it was on the point of being hurled
at him. Beholding his mace cut off by Drona with
arrows, that tiger among men, (viz., the Panchala
prince), took up a spotless sword and a bright shield
decked with a hundred moons. Without doubt, under
those circumstances, the Panchala prince determined
to make an end of that foremost of preceptors, that
high-souled warrior. Sometimes, sheltering himself
in his car-box and sometimes riding on his car-shafts,
the prince moved about, uplifting his swords and whirling
his bright shield. The mighty car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna,
desirous of achieving, from folly, a difficult feat,
hoped to pierce the chest of Bharadwaja’s son
in that battle. Sometimes, he stayed upon the
yoke, and sometimes under the haunches of Drona’s
red steeds. These movements of his were highly
applauded by all the troops. Indeed, while he
stayed amid the trappings of the yoke or behind those
red steeds, Drona found no opportunity to strike him.
All this seemed exceedingly wonderful. The movements
of both Drona and Prishata’s son in that battle
resembled the fight of hawk careering through the welkin
for a piece of meat. Then Drona, by means of
a dart pierced the white steeds of his antagonist,
one after another, not striking, however, the red ones
amongst them (that belonged to himself)[254].
Deprived of life, those steeds of Dhrishtadyumna fell
down upon the earth. Thereupon, the red steeds
of Drona himself, O king, where freed from the entanglements
of Dhrishtadyumna’s car. Beholding his
steeds slain by that foremost of Brahmanas, Prishata’s
sons, that mighty car-warrior, that foremost of fighters,
could not brook it. Though deprived of his car,
still that foremost of all swordsmen, armed with his
sword, sprang towards Drona, O monarch, like Vinata’s
son (Garuda) making a swoop at a snake. The form,
O king, of Dhrishtadyumna at that time, when he sought
to slay the son of Bharadwaja, resembled the form
of Vishnu himself in days of yore when at the point
of slaying Hiranyakasipu. He performed diverse
evolutions, in fact. O Kauravya, the son of Prishata,
careering in that battle, exhibited the well-known
one and twenty different kinds of motion. Armed
with the sword, and shield in hand, Prishata’s
son wheeled about and whirled his sword on high, and
made side thrusts, and rushed forward, and ran sideways,
and leapt high, and assailed the flanks of his antagonists
and receded backwards, and closed with his foes, and
pressed them hard. Having practised them well,
he also showed the evolutions called Bharata, Kausika
Satwata, as he careened in that battle for compassing
the destruction of Drona, Beholding those beautiful
evolutions of Dhrishtadyumna, as he careered on the
field, sword and shield in hand, all the warriors,
as also the celestials assembled there, were filled
Page 1272
with wonder. The regenerate Drona then, shooting
a thousand arrows in the thick of fight, cut off the
sword of Dhrishtadyumna as also his shield, decked
with a hundred moons. Those arrows that Drona
shot, while fighting from such a near point, were
of the length of a span. Such arrows are used
only in close fight. None else have arrows of
that kind, except Kripa, and Partha, and Aswatthaman
and Karna, Pradyumna and Yuyudhana; Abhimanyu also
had such arrows. Then the preceptor, desirous
of slaying his disciple who was unto him even as his
own son, fixed on his bow-string a shaft endued with
great impetuosity. That shaft, however, Satyaki
cut off by means of ten arrows, in the very sight of
thy son as also of the high-souled Karna, as thus
rescued Dhrishtadyumna who was on the point of succumbing
to Drona. Then Kesava and Dhananjaya beheld Satyaki
of prowess incapable of being baffled, who, O Bharata,
was thus careering in the car-tracks (of the Kuru
warriors) and within the range of the shafts of Drona
and Karna and Kripa. Saying. ’Excellent,
Excellent!’ both of them loudly applauded Satyaki
of unfading glory, who was thus destroying the celestial
weapons of all those warriors. Then Kesava and
Dhananjaya rushed towards the Kurus. Addressing
Krishna, Dhananjaya said, ’Behold, O Kesava,
that perpetuator of Madhu’s race, viz.,
Satyaki of true prowess, sporting before the preceptor
and those mighty car-warriors and gladdening me and
the twins and Bhima and king Yudhishthira. With
skill acquired by practice and without insolence,
behold that enhancer of the fame of the Vrishnis, viz.,
Satyaki, careering in battle, sporting the while with
those mighty car-warriors. All these troops,
as also the Siddhas (in the welkin), beholding him
invincible in battle, are filled with wonder, and applauding
him, saying, ‘Excellent, Excellent!’ Indeed,
O king, the warriors of both armies all applauded
the Satwata hero, for his feats.’”
SECTION CXCIII
“Sanjaya said, ’Beholding those feats
of the Satwata hero, Duryodhana and others, filled
with rage, quickly encompassed the grandson of Sini
on all sides. Kripa and Karna, of also thy sorts,
O sire, in that battle, quickly approaching the grandson
of Sini, began to strike him with keen arrows.
Then king Yudhishthira, and the two other Pandavas,
viz., the two sons of Madri and Bhimasena of
great might surrounded Satyaki (for protecting him).
Karna, and the mighty car-warrior Kripa, and Duryodhana
and others, all resisted Satyaki, pouring showers of
arrows on him. The grand son of Sini, however,
contending with all those car-warriors, baffled, O
monarch, that terrible downpour of arrows, so suddenly
created by his foes. Indeed, in that dreadful
battle, Satyaki, by means of his own celestial weapons,
duly resisted all those celestial weapons aimed at
him by those illustrious warriors. The field of
battle became full of many cruel sights upon that
Page 1273
encounter of those royal combatants, resembling that
scene of yore when Rudra, filled with rage, had destroyed
all creatures. Human arms and heads and bows,
O Bharata, and umbrellas displaced (from cars), and
yak-tails, were seen lying in heaps on the field of
battle. The earth became quickly strewn with broken
wheels and cars, and massive arms lopped off from
trunks, and brave horsemen deprived of life.
And, O foremost one among the Kurus, large number of
warriors, mangled with falling arrows, were seen in
that great battle to roll and writhe on the ground
in agony of the last spasms of death. During
the progress of that terrible battle, resembling the
encounter in days of old between the celestials and
the Asuras, king Yudhishthira the just, addressing
his warriors, said, Putting forth all your vigour,
rush, ye great car-warriors, against the Pot-born!
Yonder the heroic son of Prishata is engaged with
Drona! He is endeavouring to the utmost of his
might, to slay the son of Bharadwaja. Judging
from the aspect he is presenting in this great battle,
it is evident that filled with rage, he will today
overthrow Drona. Uniting together, all of you
fight with the Pot-born.’ Thus ordered
by Yudhishthira, the mighty car-warriors of the Srinjayas
all rushed with great vigour to slay the son of Bharadwaja.
That mighty car-warrior, viz., Bharadwaja’s
son, quickly rushed against those advancing warriors,
knowing for certain that he would die. When Drona,
of sure aim, thus proceeded, the earth trembled violently.
Fierce winds began to blow, inspiring the (hostile)
ranks with fear. Large meteors fell, seemingly
issuing out of the sun, blazing fiercely as they fell
and foreboding great terrors. The weapons of Drona,
O sire, seemed to blaze forth. Cars seemed to
produce loud rattles, and steeds to shed tears.
The mighty car-warrior, Drona, seemed to be divested
of his energy, His left eye and left hand began to
twitch. Beholding Prishata’s son, again,
before him, and bearing in mind the words of the Rishis
about his leaving the world for heaven, he became
cheerless. He then desired to give up life by
fighting fairly. Encompassed on all sides by the
troops of Drupada’s son, Drona began to career
in battle, consuming large numbers of Kshatriyas.
That grinder of foes, having slain four and twenty
thousand Kshatriyas, then despatched to Yama’s
abode ten times ten thousand, by means of his shafts
of keen points. Exerting himself with care, he
seemed to stand in that battle like a smokeless fire.
For the extermination of the Kshatriya race, he then
had recourse to the Brahma weapon. Then the mighty
Bhima, beholding the illustrious and irresistible
prince of the Panchalas carless and weaponless, quickly
proceeded towards him. Beholding him striking
at Drona from a near point, that grinder of foes took
up Dhrishtadyumna on his own car and said unto him,
’Save thee there is no other man that can venture
to fight with the preceptor. Be quick to slay
Page 1274
him. The burden of his slaughter rests upon thee.’
Thus addressed by Bhima, the mighty-armed Dhrishtadyumna
speedily took up a strong, a new and a superb bow
capable of bearing a great strain. Filled with
rage, and shooting his arrows in that battle at the
irresistible Drona, Dhrishtadyumna covered the preceptor,
desirous of withstanding him. Those two ornaments
of battle then, both foremost of fighters and both
filled with rage, invoked into existence the Brahma
and diverse other celestial weapons. Indeed,
O king, Dhrishtadyumna covered Drona with many mighty
weapons in that encounter. Destroying all the
weapons of Bharadwaja’s son, the Panchala prince,
that warrior of unfading glory, began to slay the
Vasatis, the Sivis, the Valhikas and the Kurus, that
is, them, who protected Drona in that battle.
Indeed, O king, shooting showers of arrows on all
sides, Dhrishtadyumna at that time looked resplendent
like the sun himself shedding his thousands of rays.
Drona, however, once more cut off the prince’s
bow and pierced the vitals of the prince himself with
many arrows. Thus pierced, the prince felt great
pain. Then Bhima, of great wrath, holding the
car of Drona, O monarch, slowly said these words unto
him: If wretches amongst Brahmanas, discontented
with the avocations of their own order, but well-versed
in arms, did not fight, the Kshatriya order then would
not have been thus exterminated. Abstention from
injury to all creatures hath been said to be the highest
of all virtues. The Brahmana is the root of that
virtue. As regards thyself, again, thou art the
foremost of all persons acquainted with Brahma.
Slaying all those Mlecchas and other warriors, who,
however, are all engaged in the proper avocations of
their order, moved thereto by ignorance and folly,
O Brahmana, and by the desire of wealth for benefiting
sons and wives; indeed, for the sake of an only son,
why dost thou not feel ashamed? He for whom thou
hast taken up weapons, and for whom thou livest, he,
deprived of life, lieth today on the field of battle,
unknown to thee and behind thy back. King Yudhishthira
the just hath told thee this. It behoveth thee
not to doubt this fact.’ Thus addressed
by Bhima, Drona laid aside his bow. Desirous
of laying aside all his weapons also, Bharadwaja’s
son of virtuous soul said aloud, ’O Karna, Karna,
O great bowman, O Kripa, O Duryodhana, I tell you
repeatedly, exert yourselves carefully in battle.
Let no injury happen to you from the Pandayas.
As regards myself, I lay aside my weapons.’
Saying these words, he began loudly to take the name
of Aswatthaman. Laying aside his weapons then
in that battle, and sitting down on the terrace of
his car, he devoted himself to Yoga and assured all
creatures, dispelling their fears. Beholding that
opportunity, Dhrishtadyumna mustered all his energy.
Laying down on the car his formidable bow, with arrow
fixed on the bow-string, he took up a sword, and jumping
down from his vehicle, rushed quickly against Drona.
Page 1275
All creatures, human beings and others, uttered exclamation
of woe, beholding Drona thus brought under Dhrishtadyumna’s
power. Loud cries of Oh and Alas were uttered,
as also those of Oh and Fie. As regards Drona
himself, abandoning his weapons, he was then in a
supremely tranquil state. Having said those words
he had devoted himself to Yoga. Endued with great
effulgence and possessed of high ascetic merit, he
had fixed his heart on that Supreme and Ancient Being,
viz., Vishnu. Bending his face slightly
down, and heaving his breast forward, and closing his
eyes, and resting ort the quality of goodness, and
disposing his heart to contemplation, and thinking
on the monosyllable Om, representing. Brahma,
and remembering the puissant, supreme, and indestructible
God of gods, the radiant Drona or high ascetic merit,
the preceptor (of the Kurus and the Pandavas) repaired
to heaven that is so difficult of being attained even
by the pious. Indeed, when Drona thus proceeded
to heaven it seemed to us that there were then two
suns in the firmament. The whole welkin was ablaze
and seemed to be one vast expanse of equal light when
the sun-like Bharadwaja, of solar effulgence, disappeared.
Confused sounds of joy were heard, uttered by the
delighted celestials. When Drona thus repaired
to the region of Brahman, Dhrishtadyumna stood, unconscious
of it all, beside him. Only we five amongst men
beheld the high-souled Drona rapt in Yoga proceed
to the highest region of blessedness. These five
were myself, Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha, and Drona’s
son, Aswatthaman, and Vasudeva of Vrishni’s
race, and king Yudhishthira the just, the son of Pandu.
Nobody else, O king, could see that glory of the wise
Drona, devoted to Yoga, while passing out of the world.
In fact, all human beings were unconscious of the
fact that the preceptor attained to the supreme region
of Brahman, a region mysterious to the very gods, and
one that is the highest of all. Indeed, none
of them could see the preceptor, that chastiser of
foes, proceed to the region of Brahman, devoted to
Yoga in the company of the foremost of Rishis, his
body mangled with arrows and bathed in blood, after
he had laid aside his weapons. As regards Prishata’s
son, though everybody cried fie on him, yet casting
his eyes on the lifeless Drona’s head, he began
to drag it. With his sword, then, he lopped off
from his foe’s trunk that head,—his
foe remained speechless the while. Having slain
Bharadwaja’s son. Dhrishtadyumna was filled
with great joy, and uttered leonine shouts, whirling
his sword. Of a dark complexion, with white locks
hanging down to his ears, that old man of five and
eighty years of age, used, for thy sake only, to career
on the field of battle with the activity of a youth
of sixteen. The mighty-armed Dhananjaya, the
son of Kunti, (before Drona’s head was cut off)
had said, ’O son of Drupada, bring the preceptor
alive, do not slay him. He should not be slain.’
Even thus all the troops also had cried out.
Page 1276
Arjuna, in particular, melted with pity, had cried
out repeatedly. Disregarding, however, the cries
of Arjuna as also these of all the kings, Dhrishtadyumna
stew Drona, that bull among men, on the terrace of
his car. Covered with Drona’s blood, Dhrishtadyumna
then Jumped from the car down upon the ground.
Looking red like the sun, he then seemed to be exceedingly
fierce. Thy troops beheld Drona slain even thus
in that battle. Then Dhrishtadyumna. that great
bowman, O king, threw down that large head of Bharadwaja’s
son before the warriors of thy army. Thy soldiers,
O monarch, beholding the head of Bharadwaja’s
son, set their hearts on flight and ran away in all
directions. Meanwhile Drona, ascending the skies,
entered the stellar path. Through the grace of
the Rishis Krishna (Dwaipayana), the son of Satyavati,
I witnessed, O king, the (true circumstances about
the) death of Drona. I beheld that illustrious
one proceeding, after he had ascended the sky, like
a smokeless brand of blazing splendour. Upon
the fall of Drona, the Kurus, the Pandavas and the
Srinjayas, all became cheerless and ran away with
great speed. The army then broke up. Many
had been slain, and many wounded by means of keen
shafts. Thy warriors (in particular), upon the
fall of Drona, seemed to be deprived of life.
Having sustained a defeat, and being inspired with
fear about the future, the Kurus regarded themselves
deprived of both the worlds. Indeed, they lost
all self-control.[255] Searching for the body of Bharadwaja’s,
son, O monarch, on the field covered with thousands
of headless trunks, the kings could not find it.
The Pandavas, having gained the victory and great
prospects of renown in the future, began to make loud
sounds with their arrows and conchs and uttered loud
leonine roars. Then Bhimasena, O king, and Dhrishtadyumna,
the son of Prishata, were seen in the midst of the
(Pandava) host to embrace each other. Addressing
the son of Prishata, that scorcher of foes, viz.,
Bhima said, ’I will again embrace thee, O son
of Prishata, as one crowned with victory, when that
wretch of a Suta’s son shall be slain in battle,
as also that other wretch, viz., Duryodhana.’
Having said these words, Bhimasena, the son of Pandu,
filled with transports of joy, caused the earth to
tremble with slaps on his armpits. Terrified
by that sound, thy troops ran away from battle, forgetting
the duties of the Kshatriyas and setting their hearts
on flight. The Pandavas, having become victors,
became very glad, O monarch, and they felt great happiness,
derived from the destruction of their foes in battle.’”
SECTION CXCIV
Page 1277
“Sanjaya said, ’Upon the fall of Drona,
O king, the Kurus, afflicted with weapons, deprived
of their leader, broken and routed, became filled with
exertion, and deprived of energy through grief.
Uttering loud wails, they grief, Seeing their foes
(the Pandavas) prevailing over them, they repeatedly
trembled. Their eyes filled with tears, and hearts
inspired with fear, they became, O king, melancholy
an cheerless, and destitute of gathered round thy
son. Covered with dust, trembling (with fear),
casting vacant looks on all sides, and their voice
choked with fear, they resembled the Daityas after
the fall of Hiranyaksha in the days of yore.
Surrounded by them all, as if by small animals struck
with fear, thy son, unable to stay in their midst,
moved away. Afflicted with hunger and thirst,
and scorched by the sun, thy warriors, then, O Bharata,
became exceedingly cheerless. Beholding the fall
of Bharadwaja’s son, which was like unto the
dropping of the sun down upon the earth, or the drying
up of the ocean, or the transplantation of Meru, or
the defeat of Vasava, beholding that act, incapable
of being quietly witnessed, the Kauravas, O king,
fled away in fear,—terror lending them greater
speed. The ruler of the Gandharas Sakuni, beholding
Drona of the golden car slain, fled with the car-warriors
of his division, with speed that was much greater.
Even the Suta’s son fled away in fear, taking
with him his own vast division, that was retreating
with great speed with all its standards. The ruler
of the Madras, viz., Salya, also, casting vacant
looks around, fled away in fear, taking with him his
division, teeming with cars and elephants and steeds.
Saradwat’s son, Kripa, too, fled away, saying,
‘Alas. Alas,’ taking with him his
division of elephants and foot-soldiers, the greater
part thereof having been slain. Kritavarman, O
king, also fled away, borne by his swift steeds, and
surrounded by the remnant of his Bhoja, Kalinga, Aratta,
and Valhika troops. Uluka, O king, beholding Drona
slain, fled away with speed, afflicted with fear and
accompanied by a large body of foot-soldiers.
Handsome and endued with youth, and reputed for his
bravery, Duhsasana, also, in great anxiety, fled away
surrounded by his elephant division. Taking with
him ten thousand cars and three thousand elephants,
Vrishasena also fled with speed at the sight of Drona’s
fall. Accompanied by his elephants and horses
and cars, and surrounded also by foot-soldiers, thy
son, the mighty car-warrior, Duryodhana, too, fled
away, O king, taking with him the remnant of the Samsaptakas
whom Arjuna had not yet slaughtered. Susarman,
O king, fled away, beholding Drona slain. Riding
on elephants and cars and steeds, all the warriors
of the Kaurava army fled away from the field, seeing
Drona, of golden car, slain. Some urging their
sires on, some their brothers, some their maternal
uncles, some their sons, some their friends, the Kauravas
fled away. Others urging on their brethren in
Page 1278
arms or, their sisters’ sons, their kinsmen,
fled away on all sides. With dishevelled hair,
and accoutrements loosened, all fled away in such a
manner that even two persons could not be seen running
together.—The Kuru army has been totally
destroyed,—even this was the belief of every
body. Others amongst thy troops, fled away, O
king, throwing off their coats of mail. The soldiers
loudly called upon one another, O bull of Bharata’s
race, saying,—’Wait, Wait, do not
fly,’ but none of them that said so themselves
stood on the field. Abandoning their vehicles
and cars decked with ornaments, the warriors, riding
on steeds or using their legs, fled away with great
speed.
“While the troops, deprived of energy, were
thus flying away with speed, only Drona’s son,
Aswatthaman, like a huge alligator coming up against
the current of a stream, rushed against his foes.
A fierce battle took place between him and many warriors
headed by Sikhandin and the Prabhadrakas, the Panchalas,
the Chedis, and the Kaikeyas. Slaying many warriors
of the Pandava army that were incapable of being defeated
with ease, and escaping with difficulty from the press
of battle, that hero, possessed of the tread of an
infuriated elephant, saw the (Kaurava) host running
away, resolved on flight. Proceeding towards Duryodhana,
Drona’s son, approaching the Kuru king, said,
’Why, O Bharata, are the troops flying away
as if in fear? Although flying away, thus, O monarch,
why dost thou not yet rally them in battle? Thyself,
too, O king, dost not seem to be in thy usual frame
of mind. Upon the slaughter of that lion among
car-warriors, O monarch, hath thy force fallen into
this plight. O Kaurava, O king, all these that
are headed (even) by Karna, wait not on the field.
In no battle fought before did the army fly away thus.
Hath any evil befallen thy troops, O Bharata?’
Hearing these words of Drona’s son on that occasion,
Duryodhana, that bull among kings, felt himself unable
to impart the bitter intelligence. Indeed, thy
son seemed to sink into an ocean of grief, like a
foundered boat. Beholding Drona’s son on
his car, the king became bathed in tears. Suffused
with shame, O monarch, the king then addressed Saradwat’s
son, saying, ’Blessed be thou, say thou, before
others, why the army is thus flying away’.
Then Saradwat’s son, O king, repeatedly feeling
great anguish, told Drona’s son how his sire
had been slain.’
“Kripa said, ’Placing Drona, that foremost
of car-warriors, at our head, we commenced to fight
with only the Panchalas. When the battle commenced,
the Kurus and the Somakas, mingled together, roared
at one another and began to strike down one another
with their weapons. During the progress of that
battle the Dhartarashtras began to be thinned.
Seeing this, thy sire, filled with rage, invoked into
existence a celestial weapon. Indeed, Drona,
that bull among men, having invoked the Brahma weapon,
slew his enemies with broad-headed arrows, by hundreds,
Page 1279
and thousands.[256] Urged by fate, the Pandavas, the
Kaikeyas, the Matsyas, and the Panchalas, O foremast
of regenerate ones, approaching Drona’s car,
began to perish. With his Brahma weapon, Drona
despatched unto Yama’s abode a thousand brave
warriors and two thousand elephants. Of a dark
complexion, with his gray locks hanging down to his
ears, and full five and eighty years old, the aged
Drona used to careen in battle like a youth of sixteen,
When the enemy’s troops were thus afflicted and
the kings were being slain, the Panchalas, though
filled with desire of revenge, turned back from the
fight. When the enemy, turning back, partially
lost their order, that vanquisher of foes, (viz., Drona),
invoking celestial weapons into the existence, shone
resplendent like the risen sun. Indeed, thy valiant
sire, getting into the midst of the Pandavas, and
having arrows for the rays that emanated from him,
resembled the midday sun at whom none could gaze.
Scorched by Drona, as if by the blazing sun, they
became cheerless and deprived of their energy and
senses. Beholding them thus afflicted by Drona
with his shafts, the slayer of Madhu, desirous of
victory to the son of Pandu, said these words:
’Truly, this foremost of all wielders of arms,
this leader of the leaders is incapable of being vanquished
in battle by the slayer of Vritra himself. Ye
sons of Pandu, laying aside righteousness, take care
of victory, so that Drona of the golden car may not
slay all of you in battle. I think he will not
fight after the fall of Aswatthaman. Let some
man falsely tell him that Aswatthaman has been slain
in battle.’ Hearing these words Kunti’s
son, Dhananjaya, approved them not. The advice,
however, met with the approval of all others, and even
of Yudhishthira with some difficulty. Then, Bhimasena,
with a tinge of bashfulness, said unto thy sire, ‘Aswatthaman
hath been slain.’ Thy sire, however, did
not believe him. Suspecting the intelligence
to be false, thy father, so affectionate towards thee,
enquired of Yudhishthira as to whether thou wert really
dead or not. Afflicted with the fear of a lie,
solicitous at the same time of victory, Yudhishthira,
beholding a mighty elephant, huge as a hill and called
Aswatthaman, belonging to the Malava chief, Indravarman,
slain on the field by Bhima, approached Drona and answered
him, saying, ’He for whom thou wieldest weapons,
he, looking upon whom thou livest that ever dear son
of thine, viz., Aswatthaman, hath been slain,
Deprived of life he lieth on the bare ground like a
young lion.’ Aware fully of the evil consequences
of falsehood, the king spoke those words unto that
best of Brahmans, indistinctly adding elephant (after
Aswatthaman). Hearing of the fall of his son,
he began to wail aloud, afflicted with grief, Restraining
(the force of) his celestial weapons, he fought not
as before. Beholding him filled with anxiety,
and almost deprived of his senses by grief, the son
of the Panchala king, of cruel deeds, rushed towards
Page 1280
him. Seeing the prince who had been ordained as
his slayer, Drona, verse in all truths about men and
things, abandoned all his celestial weapons and sat
in Praya on the field of battle. Then Prishata’s
son, seizing Drona’s head with his left hand
and disregarding the loud admonitions of all the heroes,
cut off that head.’ Drona should not be
slain, even these were the words uttered from every
side. Similarly, Arjuna also, jumping down from
his car, quickly ran towards Prishata’s son,
with arms upraised and repeatedly saying, ’O
thou that art acquainted with the ways of morality,
do not slay the preceptor but bring him alive.’
Though thus forbidden by the Kauravas as also by Arjuna,
Dhrishtadyumna killed thy father. For this, afflicted
with fear, the troops are all flying away. Ourselves
also, for the same reason, in great cheerlessness,
O sinless one, are doing the same.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’Hearing of the slaughter
of his sire in battle, Drona’s son, like a snake
struck with the foot, became filled with fierce wrath.
And filled with rage, O sire, Aswatthaman blazed up
in that battle like a fire fed with a large quantity
of fuel. As he squeezed his hands and ground
his teeth, and breathed like a snake, his eyes became
red as blood.’”
SECTION CXCV
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Hearing, O Sanjaya,
of the slaughter, by unrighteous means, of his aged
sire, by Dhrishtadyumna, what, did the valiant Aswatthaman
say, he, that is, in whom human and Varuna and Agneya
and Brahma and Aindra and Narayana weapons are always
present? Indeed, learning that the preceptor,
that foremost of virtuous men, had been unrighteously
slain by Dhrishtadyumna in battle, what did Aswatthaman
say? The high-souled Drona, having obtained the
science of weapons from Rama have imparted (a knowledge
of) all the celestial weapons unto his son desirous
of seeing the latter adorned with all the accomplishments
(of a warrior). There is only one person in this
world, viz., the son, and none else, whom people
desire to become superior to themselves. All
high-souled preceptors have this characteristic, viz.,
that they impart all the mysteries of their science
unto either sons or devoted disciples. Becoming
his sire’s pupil. O Sanjaya, and obtaining
all those mysteries with every detail, the son of
Saradwat’s daughter has become a second Drona,
and a great hero. Aswatthaman is equal to Karna
in knowledge of weapons, to Purandara in battle, to
Kartavirya in energy, and Vrihaspati in wisdom.
In fortitude, that youth is equal to a mountain, and
in energy to fire. In gravity, he is equal to
an ocean, and in wrath, to the poison of the snake.
He is the foremost of all car-warriors in battle, a
firm bowman, and above all fatigue. In speed
he is equal to the wind itself and he careens in the
thick of fight like Yama in rage. While his engaged
in shooting arrows in battle, the very earth becomes
Page 1281
afflicted. Of prowess incapable of being baffled,
hero is never fatigued by exertions. Purified
by the Vedas and by vows, he is a thorough master of
the science of arms, like Rama, the son of Dasharatha.
He is like the ocean, incapable of being agitated.
Hearing that the preceptor, that foremost of righteous
persons, had been unrighteously slain in battle by
Dhrishtadyumna, what, indeed, did Aswatthaman say?
Aswatthaman hath been ordained to be the slayer of
Dhrishtadyumna, even as Yajnasena’s son, the
prince of the Panchalas, was ordained to be the slayer
of Drona. What, Oh, did Aswatthaman say, hearing
that his sire, the preceptor, had been slain by the
cruel, sinful, and mean Dhrishtadyumna of little foresight?’”
SECTION CXCVI
“Sanjaya said.. ’Hearing of the slaughter
of his sire by Dhrishtadyumna, of sinful deeds, Drona’s
son was filled with grief and rage, O bull among men.
Filled with rage, O king, his body seems to blaze forth
like that of the Destroyer while engaged in slaughtering
creatures at the end of Yuga. Repeatedly wiping
his tearful eyes, and breathing hot sighs in rage,
he said unto Duryodhana, I have now learnt how my
sire has been slain by those low wretches after he
laid aside his weapons, and how also has a sinful
act been perpetrated by Yudhishthira disguised in the
grab of virtue![257] I have now heard of that unrighteous
and exceedingly cruel act of Dharma’s son.
Indeed, to those engaged in battle, either of the
two things must happen, viz., victory or defeat.
Death in battle is always to be applauded. That
death, in battle, of a person engaged in fight, which
takes place under circumstances of righteousness, is
not deserving of grief, as has been observed by the
sages. Without doubt, my sire has gone to the
region of heroes. He having met with such a death,
I should not grieve for him. The humiliation,
however, of a seizure of his locks, that he sustained
in the very sight of all the troops, while he was
righteously engaged in battle, is tearing the very
core of my heart. Myself alive, my sire’s
locks were seized, why should sonless people then
entertain a desire of offspring?[258] People perpetrate
unrighteous acts or humiliate others, moved by lust
or wrath or folly or hatred or levity. The cruel
and wicked-souled son of Prishata hath perpetrated
this exceedingly sinful act in total disregard of
me Dhrishtadyumna, therefore, shall surely suffer
the dreadful consequence of that act, as also the
false-speeched son of Pandu, that has acted so wrongly.
Today, the earth shall certainly drink the blood of
that king Yudhishthira the just, who caused the preceptor,
by an act of deceit to lay aside his weapons.
I swear by truth, O Kauraveya, as also by my religious
acts, that I shall never bear the burden of life if
I fail to exterminate the Panchalas. By every
means I contend with the Panchalas in dreadful strife.
I shall certainly slay in battle Dhrishtadyumna, that
Page 1282
perpetrator of unrighteous deeds. Mild or violent,
let the means be what they will, I shall effect the
destruction of all the Panchalas before peace becomes
mine. O Kaurava! O tiger among men, persons
desire children so that obtaining them they may be
rescued from great fears both here and hereafter.
My sire, however, fell unto that plight, like a friendless
creature, although myself am alive, his disciple and
son, resembling a mountain (in might). Fie on
my celestial weapons. Fie on my arms. Fie
on my prowess. Since Drona, although he had a
son in me, had his locks seized! I shall, therefore,
O chief of the Bharatas, now achieve that by which
I may be freed from the debt I owe to my sire, now
gone to the other world. He that is good never
indulges in self-praise. Unable, however, to
brook the slaughter of my sire, I speak of my prowess.
Let the Pandavas, with Janardana among them, behold
my energy today, while I grind all their troops, achieving
what is done (by the destroyer himself) at the end
of the Yuga. Neither the gods, nor the Gandharvas,
nor the Asuras, the Uragas, and the Rakshasas, nor
all the foremost of men, shall today be able to vanquish
me on my car in battle. There is none in the
world equal to me or Arjuna in knowledge of weapons.
Entering into the midst of the troops, like the sun
himself in the midst of his blazing rays, I shall
today use my celestial weapons. Today, applied
by me, innumerable shafts, sped from my bow in dreadful
battle, displaying their terrible energy, I shall
grind the Pandavas. Today, all the points of the
compass, O king will be seen by the warriors of our
army shrouded with my winged arrows of keen points,
as if with torrents of rain. Scattering showers
of shafts on all sides with a loud noise, I shall overthrow
my foes, like a tempest felling trees. Neither
Vibhatsu, nor Janardana, nor Bhimasena, nor Nakula,
nor Sahadeva, nor king Yudhishthira, nor Prishata’s
wicked-souled son (Dhrishtadyumna), nor Sikhandin,
nor Satyaki, O Kauravya, knoweth that weapon which
I have, along with the mantras, for hurting and withdrawing
it. Formerly on one occasion, Narayana, assuming
the from of a Brahmana, came to my father. Bowing
unto him, my father presented his offerings unto him
in due form. Taking them himself, the divine
Lord offered to give him a boon. My father then
solicited that supreme weapon called Narayana.
The divine Lord, the foremost of all gods, addressing
my sire, said, No man shall ever become thy equal
in battle. This weapon, however, O Brahmana, should
never be used in haste. It never comes back without
effecting the destruction of the foe. I know
none whom it may not slay, O lord! Indeed, It
would slay even the unslayable. Therefore, it
should not be used (without the greatest deliberation).
This mighty weapon, O scorcher of foes, should never
be hurled upon persons that abandon their cars or weapons
in battle, or upon those that seek for quarter or
those that wield themselves up. He who seeketh
Page 1283
to afflict in battle the unslayable with it, is himself
exceedingly afflicted by it![259]’—My
sire thus received that weapon. Then Lord Narayana,
addressing myself also, said, ’With the aid
of this weapon, thou too shalt pour diverse showers
of celestial weapons in battle and blaze with energy
in consequence of it. Having said these words,
the divine Lord ascended to heaven. Even this
is the history of the Narayana weapon which has been
obtained by my sire’s son. With that I
will rout and slay the Pandavas, the Panchalas, the
Matsyas, and the Kaikeyas, in battle, like Sachi’s
lord routing and slaying the Asuras. My shafts,
O Bharata, will fall upon the contending foes, in
those particular forms which I shall wish them to assume.
Staying in battle, I will pour showers of weapons
as I desire. I will rout and slay all the foremost
of car warriors with sky-ranging arrows of iron-points.
Without doubt, I will shower innumerable battle-axes
upon the foe. With the mighty Narayana weapon,
a scorcher of foes that I am, I will destroy the Pandavas,
causing an immense carnage amongst them. That
wretch amongst the Panchalas, (viz., Dhrishtadyumna),
who is an injurer of friends and Brahmanas and of
his own preceptor, who is a deceitful wretch of the
most reprehensible conduct, shall never escape from
me today with life.’ Hearing these words
of Drona’s son, the (Kuru) army rallied.
Then many foremost of men blew their gigantic conchs.
And filled with delight, they beat their drums and
dindimas by thousands. The earth resounded with
loud noises, afflicted with the hoofs of steeds and
the wheels of cars. That loud uproar made the
earth, and the firmament also echo with it. Hearing
that uproar, deep as the roll of the clouds, the Pandavas,
those foremost of car-warriors, uniting together,
took counsel of one another. Meanwhile, Drona’s
son, having said those words, O Bharata, touched water
and invoked the celestial weapon called the Narayana.’”
SECTION CXCVII
“Sanjaya said, ’When the weapon called
Narayana was invoked, violent winds began to blow
with showers of rain, and peals of thunder were heard
although the sky was cloudless. The earth trembled,
and the seas swelled up in agitation. The rivers
began to run in a contrary course. The summits
of mountains, O Bharata, began to split. Diverse
animals began to pass by the left side of the Pandavas.[260]
Darkness set in, the sun became obscure. Diverse
kinds of carnivorous creatures began to alight on
the field in joy. The gods, the Danavas, and the
Gandharvas, O monarch, all became inspired with fear.
Beholding that tremendous agitation (in nature), all
began to ask one another loudly about its cause.
Indeed, seeing that fierce and terrible weapon invoked
by Drona’s son, all the kings, inspired with
fear, felt great pain.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’Tell me, O Sanjaya,
what counsel was adopted by the Pandavas for the protection
of Dhrishtadyumna when they saw the Kauravas once
more advance to battle, rallied by Drona’s son
who was scorched by grief and unable to brook the
slaughter of his sire?’
Page 1284
“Sanjaya continued, ’Having behold before
the Dhartarashtras fly away, Yudhishthira, seeing
them once more prepared for furious battle, addressed
Arjuna, saying, ’After the preceptor Drona had
been slain in battle by Dhrishtadyumna, like the mighty
Asura, Vritra, by the wielder of the thunderbolt,
(the Kurus), O Dhananjaya, becoming cheerless, gave
up all hopes of victory. Desirous of saving themselves,
all of them fled away from battle. Some kings
fled, riding on cars borne along irregular course
without Parshni drivers, and divested of standards
and banners and umbrellas, and with their Kuvaras
and boxes broken, and all their equipments displaced.
Others, struck with panic and deprived of their senses,
themselves striking the steeds of their cars with their
feet, fled precipitately. Others, riding on cars
with broken yokes and wheels and Akshas, fled afflicted
with fear. Others on horseback were carried away,
their bodies half displaced from their saddles.
Others, dislodged from their seats, and pinned by
shafts to the necks of elephants, were quickly carried
away by those animals. Others wore trodden to
death all around by elephants, afflicted and mangled
with arrows. Others, deprived of weapons and
divested of armour, fell from their vehicles and animal
down upon the earth. Others were cut by car-wheels,
or crushed by steeds and elephants. Others loudly
calling after their sires and sons, fled away in fear,
without recognising one another, deprived of all energy
by grief. Some, placing their sons and sires
and friends and brothers (on vehicles) and taking
off their armour, were seen washing them with water.
After the slaughter of Drona, (the Kuru) army, fallen
into such a plight, fled away precipitously.
By whom then hath it been rallied? Tell me, if
thou knowest. The sound of neighing steeds and
trumpeting elephants, mingled with the clatter of
car-wheels, is heard loud. These sounds, so fierce,
occuring in the Kuru ocean, are repeatedly swelling
up and causing my troops to tremble. This terrific
uproar, making the hair stand on end, that is now
heard, would, it seems, swallow the three worlds with
Indra at their head. I think this terrible uproar
is uttered by the wielder of the thunderbolt himself.
It is evident that upon the fall of Drona, Vasava
himself is approaching (against us) for the sake of
the Kauravas. Our hairs have stood on their ends,
our foremost of car-warriors are all afflicted with
anxiety. O Dhanaujaya, hearing this loud and
terrible noise, I ask thee who is that mighty car-warrior,
like the lord of the celestials himself, that rallying
this terrible and swelling host, is causing it to
return?’
Page 1285
“Arjuna said, ’He, relying upon whose
energy the Kauravas, having addressed themselves to
the accomplishment of fierce feats, are blowing their
conchs and staying with patience, he about whom thou
hast thy doubts. O king, as to who he may be
that is roaring so loud, having rallied the Dhartarashtras
after the fall of the disarmed preceptor, he, who
is endued with modesty, possessed of mighty arms, has
the tread of an infuriated elephant, owns a face like
that of a tiger, always achieves fierce feats, and
dispels the fears of the Kurus, he upon whose birth
Drona gave away a thousand kine unto Brahmanas of high
worth, he O king, that is roaring so loud, is Aswatthaman.
As soon as he was born, that hero neighed like Indra’s
steed and caused the three worlds to tremble at that
sound. Hearing that sound, an invisible being,
O lord, (speaking audibly) bestowed upon him the name
of Aswatthaman (the horse-voiced). That hero,
O son of Pandu, is roaring today. Prishata’s
son, by an exceedingly cruel act, assailed Drona and
took his life as if the latter was without a preceptor.
Yonder stayeth the preceptor of that Drona. Since
of the prince of the Panchalas seized my preceptor
by the hair, Aswatthaman, confident of his own prowess,
will never forgive him. Thou, O monarch, hath
told thy preceptor a falsehood for the sake of kingdom!
Although thou art acquainted with the dictates of righteousness,
thou hast yet perpetrated a very sinful act.
Thy ill fame, in consequence of the slaughter of Drona,
will be eternal in the three worlds with their mobile
and immobile creatures, like Rama’s in consequence
of the slaughter of Bali![261] About thyself, Drona
had thought, ’The son of Pandu is possessed
of every virtue; he is, besides, my disciple.
He will never speak an untruth to me.’
Thinking so, he gave credence to what thou hadst said.
Although in speaking of Aswatthaman’s death thou
hadst added the world elephant, yet thy answer to
the preceptor was, after all, an untruth in the garb
of truth. Thus told by thee, the puissant Drona
laid aside his weapons and, as thou sawest, became
indifferent (to everything), exceedingly agitated,
and almost deprived of his senses. It was even
a disciple who, abandoning all morality, thus slew
his own preceptor, full of affection for his son,
while, indeed, that preceptor was filled with grief
and unwilling to fight. Having caused him, who
had laid his weapons to be unrighteously slain, protect
the son of Prishata if thou canst, with all thy counsellors.
All of us, uniting together, shall not be able to
protect Prishata’s son today, who will be assailed
by the preceptor’s son in wrath and grief.
That superhuman being who is in that habit of displaying
his friendship for all creatures, that hero, hearing
of the seizure of his sire’s locks, will certainly
consume us all in battle today. Although I cried
repeatedly at the top of my voice for saving the preceptor’s
life, yet, disregarding my cries and abandoning mortality,
Page 1286
a disciple took the life of that preceptor. All
of us have passed the greater part of our lives.
The days that remain to us are limited. This
exceedingly unrighteous act that we have perpetrated
has stained that remnant. In consequence of the
affection he bore to us, he was a sire unto us.
According to the dictates of the scriptures also, he
was a sire unto us. Yet he, that preceptor of
ours, has been slain by us for the sake of short-lived
sovereignty. Dhritarashtra, O king, had given
unto Bhishma and Drona the whole earth, and what was
still more valuable, all his children. Though
honoured by our foe thus, and though he had obtained
such wealth from him, the preceptor still loved us
as his own children. Of unfading energy and prowess,
the preceptor has been slain, only because, induced
by thy words he had laid aside his weapons. While
engaged in fight he was incapable of being slain by
Indra himself. The preceptor was venerable in
years and always devoted to our welfare. Yet
unrighteous that we are, and stained with a levity
of behaviour, we scrupled not to injure him.
Alas, exceedingly cruel and very heinous has been
the sin that we have committed, for, moved by the desire
of enjoying the pleasures of sovereignty, we have
slain that Drona. My preceptor had all along
been under the impression that in consequence of my
love for him, I could, (for his sake) abandon all,—sire,
brother, children, wife and life itself. And
yet moved by the desire of sovereignty, I interfered
not when he was about to be slain. For this fault,
O king, I have, O lord, already sunk into hell, overcome
with shame. Having, for the sake of kingdom,
caused the slaughter of one who was a Brahmana, who
was venerable in years, who was my preceptor, who
had laid aside his weapons, and who was then devoted,
like a great ascetic, to Yoga, death has become preferable
to me to life!’
SECTION CXCVIII
“Sanjaya said, ’Hearing these words of
Arjuna, the mighty car-warriors present there said
not a single word, O monarch, agreeable or disagreeable,
unto Dhananjaya. Then the mighty-armed Bhimasena,
filled with wrath, O bull of Bharata’s race,
reproaching Kunti’s son, Arjuna, said these
words, ’Thou preachest truths of morality like
an anchorite living in the woods or a Brahmana of
rigid vows and senses under complete control.
A person is called a Kshatriya because he rescues others
from wounds and injuries. Being such, he must
save himself from wounds and injuries. Showing
forgiveness towards the three that are good (viz.,
the gods, the Brahmanas, and preceptor), a Kshatriya,
by doing his duties, soon wins the earth as also piety
and fame and prosperity.[262] Thou, O perpetuator
of thy race, art endued with every attribute of a Kshatriya.
It does not, therefore, look well for thee to speak
like an ignorant wight. O son of Kunti, thy prowess
is like that of Sakra himself, the lord of Sachi.
Thou dost not transgress the bounds of morality like
Page 1287
the ocean that never transgresses its continents.
Who is there that would not worship thee, seeing that
thou seekest virtue, having abandoned the wrath cherished
by thee for thirteen years? By good luck, O sire,
thy heart today followeth in the wake of virtue.
O thou of unfading glory, by good luck, thy understanding
inclineth towards compassion. Though, however,
thou art inclined to adopt the path of virtue, thy
kingdom was snatched from thee most unrighteously.
Dragging the wife Draupadi to the assembly, thy foes
insulted her. Clad in barks of trees and skins
of animals, all of us were exiled to the woods, and
though we were undeserving of that plight, our foes
nevertheless compelled us to endure it for thirteen
years. O sinless one, thou hast forgiven all these
circumstances, every one of which demands the exhibition
of wrath. Wedded as thou art to duties of a Kshatriya,
thou hast quietly borne these. Remembering all
those acts of unrighteousness, I came here with thee
for avenging myself of them. (When, however, I see
that thou art so indifferent, why), I myself will
slay those low wretches that despoiled us of our kingdom.
Thou hadst formerly said these words, viz., Addressing
ourselves to battle, we will exert to the utmost extent
of our abilities. Today, however, thou reproachest
us. Thou now seekest, virtue. Those words,
therefore, that thou saidst formerly were untrue.
We are already afflicted with fear. Thou cuttest,
however, the very core of our hearts with these thy
words, O crusher of foes, like one pouring acid upon
the sores of wounded men. Afflicted with thy
wordy darts, my heart is breaking. Thou art virtuous,
but thou dost not know in what righteousness truly
consists, since thou applaudest neither thyself nor
us, though all of us are worthy of applause.
When Kesava himself is here, praisest thou the son
of Drona, a warrior that does not come up to even a
sixteenth part of thyself, O Dhanajaya, confessing
thy own faults, why dost thou not feel shame?
I can rend asunder this earth in rage, or split the
very mountains in whirling that terrible and heavy
mace of mine, decked with gold. Like the tempest,
I can break down gigantic trees looking like hills.
I can, with my arrows, rout the united celestials with
Indra at their head, together with all the Rakshasas,
O Partha, and the Asuras, the Uragas and human beings.
Knowing me, thy brother, to be such, O bull among
men, it behoveth thee not, O thou of immeasurable prowess,
to entertain any fear about Drona’s son.
Or, O Vibhatsu, stand thou here, with all these bulls
amongst men. Alone and unsupported, I shall, armed
with my mace, vanquish this one in great battle.’
After Bhima had ended, the son of the Panchala king,
addressing Partha, said these words, like Hiranyakasipu
(the leader of the Daityas) unto the enraged and roaring
Vishnu,[263] ’O Vibhatsu, the sages have ordained
these to be the duties of Brahmanas, viz., assisting
at sacrifices, teaching, giving away, performance
Page 1288
of sacrifices, receiving of gifts, and study as the
sixth. To which of these six was that Drona devoted
who has been stain by me? Fallen off from the
duties of his own order and practising those of the
Kshatriya order, that achiever of wicked deeds used
to stay us by means of superhuman weapons. Professing
himself to be a Brahmana, he was in the habit of using
irresistible illusion. By an illusion itself hath
he been slain today. O Partha, what is there
that is improper in this? Drona having been thus
punished by me, if his son, from rage, uttereth loud
roars, what do you lose by that? I do not think
it at all wonderful that Drona’s son, urging
the Kauravas to battle, will cause them to be slain,
unable to protect them himself. Thou art acquainted
with morality. Why then dost thou say that I
am a slayer of my preceptor? It was for this
that I was born as a son to the king of the Panchalas,
having sprung from the (sacrificial) fire. How,
O Dhananjaya, you call him a Brahmana or Kshatriya,
with whom, while engaged in battle, all acts, proper
and improper, were the same? O foremost of men,
why should not he be slain, by any means in our power,
who, deprived of his senses in wrath, used to slay
with the Brahma weapons even those that were unacquainted
with weapons? He that is unrighteous is said
by those that are righteous to be equal to poison.
Knowing this, O thou that art well versed with the
truths of morality, why dost thou, O Arjuna, reproach
me? That cruel car-warrior was seized and slain
by me. I have done nothing that is worthy of
reproach. Why then, O Vibhatsu, dost thou not
congratulate me? O Partha, I have cut off that
terrible head, like unto the blazing sun or virulent
poison or the all-destroying Yuga fire, of Drona.
Why then dost thou not applaud an act that is worthy
of applause? He had slain in battle only my kinsmen
and not those of any one else. I say that having
only cut off his head, the fever of my heart hath not
abated. The very core of my heart is being pierced
for my not having thrown that head within the dominion
of the Nishadas, like that of Jayadratha![264] It
hath been heard, O Arjuna, that one incurreth sin by
not slaying his foes. Even this is the duty of
a Kshatriya, viz., to slay or be slain.
Drona was my foe. He hath been righteously slain
by me in battle, O son of Pandu, even as thou hast
slain the brave Bhagadatta, thy friend. Having
slain thy grandsire in battle, thou regardest that
act to be righteous. Why then shouldst thou regard
it unrighteous in me for my having slain my wretched
foe? In consequence of our relationship, O Partha,
I cannot raise my head in thy presence and am like
a prostrate elephant with a ladder against his body
(for helping puny creatures to get on his back).
It, therefore, behoveth thee not to reproach me.
I forgive all the faults of thy speech, O Arjuna,
for the sake of Draupadi and Draupadi’s children
and not for any other reason. It is well known
that my hostility with the preceptor has descended
from sire to son. All persons in this world know
it. Ye sons of Pandu, are ye not acquainted with
it? The eldest son of Pandu hath not been untruthful
in speech. I myself, O Arjuna, am not sinful.
The wretched Drona was a hater of his disciples.
Fight now. Victory will be thine.’”
Page 1289
SECTION CXCIX
“Dhritarashtra said, ’That illustrious
person who had duly studied the Vedas with all their
branches, he, in whom the entire science of arms and
modesty had dwelt, he through whose grace many foremost
of men are still capable of achieving superhuman feats
which the very gods cannot achieve with care, alas,
when he, viz., that Drona, that son of a great
Rishi was insulted in the sight of all by the low,
wicked, mean minded and sinful Dhrishtadyumna, that
slayer of his own preceptor, was there no Kshatriya
who felt called upon to display his wrath? Fie
on the Kshatriya order, and fie on wrath itself!
Tell me, O Sanjaya, what the sons of Pritha, as also
all the other royal bowmen in the world, hearing of
Drona’s slaughter, said unto the prince of Panchala.’
“Sanjaya said, ’Hearing these words of
Drupada’s son, of crooked deeds, all the persons
present there, O monarch, remained perfectly silent.
Arjuna, however, casting oblique glances upon Prishata’s
son, seemed, with tears and sighs, to reproach him,
saying, ‘Fie, fie.’ Yudhishthira
and Bhima and the twins and Krishna and the others
stood bashfully. Satyaki, however, O king, said
these words, ’Is there no man here that would,
without delay, slay this sinful wight, this lowest
of men, who is uttering such evil speeches? The
Pandavas are all condemning thee for this sinful act
of thine, like Brahmanas condemning a person of the
Chandala class. Having committed such a heinous
act, having incurred the censures of all honest men,
art thou not ashamed to open thy lips in the midst
of such a respectable assembly? O despicable wretch,
why did not thy tongue and head split into a hundred
fragments while thou wert about to slay thy own preceptor?
Why wert thou not struck down by that act of sin?
Since, having perpetrated such a sinful act, again
applauding thyself in the midst of human beings, thou
incurrest the censures of the Parthas and all the
Andhakas and the Vrishnis. Having perpetrated
such an atrocious act, thou art again displaying such
hatred towards the preceptor. For this thou deservest
death at our hands. There is no use in keeping
thee alive for even a single moment. Who is there,
save thee, O wretch, that would cause the death of
the virtuous preceptor, seizing him by his locks?
Having obtained thee, O wretch, thy ancestors, for
seven generations and thy descendants also for seven
generations, deprived of fame, have sunk into hell,
Thou hast charged Partha, that bull among men, with
the slaughter of Bhishma. The latter, however,
viz., that illustrious personage, himself accomplished
his own death. Truly speaking, the uterine brother,
(viz., Sikhandin), that foremost of all sinners, was
the cause of Bhishma’s death. There is none
in the world that is more sinful than the sons of
the Panchala king. Thy father had created Sikhandin
for the destruction of Bhishma. As regards Arjuna,
Page 1290
he had only, protected Sikhandin while Sikhandin became
the cause of the illustrious Bhishma’s death.
Having got thee that is condemned by all righteous
men, and thy brother, amongst them, the Panchalas have
fallen off from righteousness, and stained with meanness,
have become haters of friends and preceptors.
If thou again speakest such words in my presence,
I shall then break with this mace of mine that is as
strong as the thunderbolt. Beholding thee that
art the slayer of a Brahmana, since thou art guilty
of nothing less than the slaughter of a Brahmana.,
people have to look at the sun for purifying themselves.
Thou wretch of a Panchala, O thou of wicked conduct,
speaking all of my preceptor first and then of my
preceptor’s preceptor, art thou not ashamed?[265]
Wait, wait! Bear thou but one stroke of this
my mace! I myself will bear many strokes of thine.’
Thus rebuked by the Satwata hero, Prishata’s
son, filled with rage, smilingly addressed the angry
Satyaki in these harsh words.’
“Dhrishtadyumna said, ’I have heard thy
words, O thou of Madhu’s race, but I have forgiven
thee. Being thyself unrighteous and sinful, desirest
thou to rebuke them that are righteous and honest?
Forgiveness is applauded in the world. Sin, however,
does not deserve forgiveness. He that is of sinful
soul regards the forgiving person powerless. Thou
art a wretch in thy behaviour. Thou art of sinful
soul. Thou art wedded to unrighteousness.
Thou art censurable in every respect, from the tip
of thy toe to the end of their hair. Desirest
thou still to speak ill of others? What can be
more sinful than that act of thine, viz., thy
slaughter of the armless Bhurisravas while sitting
in Praya, although thou wert with the aid of celestial
weapons. He had laid aside his weapons and I
slew him. O thou of crooked heart, what is there
in that act that is improper? How can he, O Satyaki,
blame such an act who himself has in Praya like an
ascetic, and whose arms had been cut off by another?
That valiant enemy of thine had displayed his prowess
having struck thee with his foot and thrown thee down
on the earth. Why didst thou not then slay him,
showing thy manliness? When Partha, however, had
already vanquished him, it was then that thou, acting
most unrighteously, didst kill the brave and valiant
Somadatta’s son. When Drona had sought
to rout the forces of the Pandavas, then I proceeded,
shooting thousands of arrows. Having thyself
acted in such a way, like a Chandala, and having thyself
become worthy of reproach, desirest thou to reproach
me in such harsh words? Thou art a perpetrator
of evil deeds, and not I, O wretch the Vrishni race!
Thou art the abode of all sinful deeds. Do not
again blame me. Be silent. It behoveth thee.
Don’t say anything unto me after this.
This is the reply I give thee with my lips. Don’t
say anything more. If, from folly, thou repeatest
such harsh words, I shall then, in battle, despatch
thee, with my arrows, to Yama’s abode. By
Page 1291
righteousness alone, O fool, one cannot vanquish his
enemies. Listen now to the unrighteous acts of
the Kurus also. Pandu’s son, Yudhishthira
was some time back unrighteously deceived by them.
O Satyaki, Draupadi also was persecuted by them unrighteously.
The Pandavas, with Krishna in their company, were
also exiled and they were robbed of their all, O fool,
most unrighteously. By an act of unrighteousness,
again, has the ruler of the Madras been withdrawn
from us by the enemy. By an act of unrighteousness
also was the son of Subhadra slain. On this side,
it was by an act of unrighteousness that Bhishma,
the Kuru grandsire, was slain. Bhurisravas, too,
was, by an act of unrighteousness, slain by thee that
art so acquainted with righteousness. Even thus
have the enemy, as also the Pandavas, acted in this
battle. Possessed of courage and acquainted with
morality, all of them, O Satwata, have acted thus,
for gaining victory. High morality is difficult
of ascertainment. Similarly, immorality also
can with difficulty be comprehended. Fight now
with the Kauravas, without returning to the home of
thy fathers.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’Hearing these harsh
and cruel words (from Dhrishtadyumna’s lips),
the blessed Satyaki began to tremble from head to
foot. With rage his eyes assumed the hue of copper.
Keeping his bow then upon his car, he grasped his
mace, sighing like a Snake. Rushing, then, towards
the prince of the Panchalas, he said unto him in great
wrath, ’I will not speak harshly to thee, but
I will slay thee, deserving as thou art of slaughter.’
Seeing the mighty Satyaki rushing, from wrath and
desire of revenge, at the Panchala prince, like Yama
against one like his own self, the mighty Bhima, urged
by Vasudeva, quickly jumped down from his car and
seized him with his arms. Endued with great strength,
Satyaki, who was rushing in great wrath, proceeded
for a few steps, forcibly dragging after him the mighty
son of Pandu who was endeavouring to hold him back.
Then Bhima firmly planting his feet stopped at the
sixth step that foremost of strong men, viz.,
that bull of Sini’s race. Then Sahadeva,
O king, jumping down from his own car, addressed Satyaki,
thus held fast by the strong arms of Bhima, in these
words, ’O tiger among men, O thou of Madhu’s
race, we have no friends dearer to us than the Andhakas,
the Vrishnis and the Panchalas. So also the Andhakas
and the Vrishnis, particularly Krishna, cannot have
any friends dearer than ourselves. The Panchalas,
also, O thou of Vrishni’s race, even if they
search the whole world to the confines of the sea,
have no friends dearer to them than the Pandavas and
the Vrishnis. Thou art even such a friend to
this prince; and he also is a similar friend to thee.
Ye all are to us even as we are to you. Acquainted
as thou art with all duties, remembering now the duties
thou owest to friends, restrain this wrath of thine,
that has the prince of the Panchalas for its object.
Be calm, O foremost one of Sini’s race!
Forgive the son of Prishata, and let Prishata’s
son also forgive thee. Ourselves also will practise
forgiveness. What is there that is better than
forgiveness?’
Page 1292
“While the scion of Sini, O sire, was thus being
pacified by Sahadeva, the son of the Panchala king,
smiling, said these words, ’Release Sini’s
grandson, O Bhima who is so proud of his prowess in
battle. Let him come at me like the wind assailing
the mountains, till, with my keen arrows, O son of
Kunti, I quell his rage and desire for battle and take
his life. Yonder come the Kauravas. I shall
(after staying Satyaki) achieve this great task of
the Pandavas that has presented itself. Or let
Phalguna resist all the enemies in battle. As
regards myself, I will fell this one’s head
with my arrows. He taketh me for the armless Bhurisravas
in battle. Release him. Either I will slay
him or he will slay me.’ Hearing these
words of the Panchala prince, the mighty Satyaki held
fast in Bhima’s clasp, sighing like a snake,
began to tremble. Both of them, endued with great
might and possessed of powerful arms, began to roar
like a couple of bulls. Then Vasudeva, O sire,
and king Yudhishthira the just, with great effort,
succeeded in pacifying those heroes. Having pacified
those two great bowmen, those two heroes, whose eyes
had become blood-red with rage, all the Kshatriyas
(of the Pandava) army proceeded against the warriors
of the hostile army for battle.’
SECTION CC
“Sanjaya said, ’Then Drona’s son
began to cause a great carnage amongst his foes in
that battle, like the Destroyer himself at the end
of the Yuga. Slaying his enemies by means of
his broad-headed arrows, Aswatthaman soon piled a
mountain there of the dead. The standards of
cars formed its trees; and weapons its pointed summits;
the lifeless elephants formed its large rocks; the
steeds, its Kimpurushas; and bows, its creepers and
plants. And it resounded with the cries of all
carnivorous creatures, that constituted its feathery
population. And the spirits that walked there
formed its Yakshas[266]. Then roaring aloud, O
bull of Bharata’s race, Aswatthaman once more
repeated his vow in the hearing of thy son, thus,
’Since Kunti’s son, Yudhishthira, assuming
only the outward garb of virtue, had caused the preceptor
who was (righteously) engaged in battle to lay aside
his weapons, I shall, in his very sight, rout and
destroy his army. Having mangled all his troops,
I shall, then, slay the sinful prince of the Panchalas.
Indeed, I shall slay all of them, if they contend
with me in battle. I tell thee truly, therefore,
rally thou thy troops.’ Hearing these words
of Aswatthaman, thy son rallied the troops, having
dispelled their fears with a loud leonine, roar.
The encounter, then, O king, that once more took place
between the Kuru and the Pandava armies, became as
terrible as that of two oceans at full tide.
The terrified Kauravas had their fears dispelled by
Drona’s son. The Pandus and the Panchalas
had become fierce in consequence of Drona’s
slaughter. Great was the violence of that collision,
on the field of battle, between those warriors, all
Page 1293
of whom were cheerful and filled with rage and inspired
with certain hopes of victory. Like a mountain,
striking against a mountain, or an ocean against an
ocean, O monarch, was that collision between the Kurus
and the Pandavas. Filled with joy, the Kuru and
the Pandava warriors beat thousands of drums.
The loud and stunning uproar that arose from among
those troops resembled that of the ocean itself while
churned (of old by the gods and the Danavas).
Then Drona’s son, aiming at the host of the
Pandavas and the Panchalas, invoked the weapon called
Narayana. Then thousands of arrows with blazing
mouths appeared in the welkin, resembling snakes of
fiery mouths, that continued to agitate the Pandavas.
In that dreadful battle, those shafts, O king, like
the very rays of the sun in a moment shrouded all
the points of the compass, the welkin, and the troops.
Innumerable iron balls also, O king, then appeared,
like resplendent luminaries in the clear firmament.
Sataghnis, some equipped with four and some with two
wheels, and innumerable maces, and discs, with edges
sharp as razor and resplendent like the sun, also
appeared there. Beholding the welkin densely shrouded
with those weapons, O bull of Bharata’s race,
the Pandavas, the Panchalas, and the Srinjayas, became
exceedingly agitated. In all those places, O ruler
of men, where the great car-warriors of the Pandavas
contended in battle, that weapon became exceedingly
powerful. Slaughtered by the Narayana weapon,
as if consumed by a conflagration, the Pandava troops
were exceedingly afflicted all over the field in that
battle. Indeed, O lord, as fire consumeth a heap
of dry grass in summer, even so did that weapon consume
the army of the Pandus. Beholding that weapon
filling every side, seeing his own troops destroyed
in large numbers, king Yudhishthira the just, O lord,
became inspired with great fright. Seeing his
army in course of flight and deprived of its senses,
and beholding Parthas standing indifferent, Dharma’s
son said these words, ’O Dhrishtadyumna, fly
away with your Panchala troops. O Satyaki, you
also go away, surrounded by the Vrishnis and the Andhakas.
Of virtuous soul, Vasudeva will himself seek the means
of his own safety. He is competent to offer advice
to the whole world. What need is there of telling
him what he should do? We should not any longer
fight. I say so unto all the troops. As regards
myself, I will, with all my brothers ascend a funeral
pile. Having crossed the Bhishma and the Drona
oceans in this battle, that are incapable of being
crossed by the timid, shall I sink with all my followers
in the vestige, represented by Drona’s son,
of a cow’s hoof? Let the wishes of king
Duryodhana be crowned with success today, for I have
today slain in battle the preceptor, that always cherished
such friendly feelings towards us, that preceptor,
who, without protecting, caused that child unacquainted
with battle, viz., the son of Subhadra, to be
slain by a multitude of wicked warriors, that preceptor,
Page 1294
who with his son, sat indifferently, without answering,
when Krishna in such distress, dragged into the assembly
and sought to be made a slave, asked him to say the
truth, that preceptor, who, white all the other warriors
were fatigued, cased Duryodhana in invulnerable armour
when the latter desired to slay Phalguna and who,
having cased him so, appointed him to protect Jayadratha,
who, being acquainted with the Brahma weapon, scrupled
not to exterminate the Panchalas, headed by Satyajit,
that had exerted themselves for my victory, that preceptor,
who, whilst we were being unrighteously exiled from
our kingdom, freely told us to go into the woods although
he had been solicited by our friends to withhold his
permission[267]. Alas, that great friend of our
hath been slain! For his sake, I will, with my
friends, lay down my life. After Kunti’s
son, Yudhishthira had said this, he of Dasarha’s
race, (viz., Kesava) quickly forbidding the troops,
by motion of his arms, to fly away said these words,
Speedily lay down your weapons, all of you, and alight
from your vehicles. Even this is the means ordained
by the illustrious one, (viz., Narayana himself) for
baffling this weapon. Come down on the earth,
all of you from your elephants and steeds and cars.
If you stand weaponless on the earth, this weapon
will not slay you. In those places where you
will fight for quelling the force of this weapon the
Kauravas will become more powerful than you.
Those men, however, that will throw down their weapons
and alight from their vehicles, will not in this battle,
be slain by this weapon. They, however, that
will, even in imagination, contend against this weapon,
will all be slain even if they seek refuge deep beneath
the earth’. The warriors of the Pandava
army, hearing, O Bharata, these words of Vasudeva,
threw their weapons and drove away from their hearts
all desire of battle. Then Bhimasena, the son
of Pandu, beholding the warriors about to abandon
their weapons, said these words, O king, gladdening
them all: ’None should lay down his weapons
here. I shall, with my shafts, oppose this weapon
of Drona’s son. With this heavy mace of
mine, that is decked with gold, I shall career in this
battle like the Destroyer himself, quelling this weapon
of Drona’s son. There is no man here that
is equal to me in prowess, even as there is no luminary
in the firmament that is equal to the sun. Beholding
these two strong arms of mine like unto the trunks
of a couple of mighty elephants, capable of pulling
down the mountain of Himavat. I am the one person
here that possesses the might of the thousand elephants.
I am without a peer, even as Sakra is known to be
in heaven among the celestials. Let people witness
today the prowess of these two arms of my broad-chested
self, while engaged in baffling the bright and blazing
weapon of Drona’s son. If there be none
(else) capable of contending against the Narayana
weapon, even I shall contend against it today in the
very sight of all the Kurus and the Pandavas.
Page 1295
O Arjuna, O Vibhatsu, thou shouldst not lay Gandiva
aside. A stain will then attach to thee like that
of the moon.’ Thus addressed Bhima, Arjuna
said, O Bhima, even this is my great vow, viz.,
that my Gandiva shall not be used against the Narayana
weapon, kine, and Brahmanas. Thus answered by
Arjuna, Bhima, that chastiser of foes, riding on his
car of solar effulgence, whose rattle, besides, resembled
the roar of the clouds, rushed against the son of Drona.
Endued with great energy and prowess, the son of Kunti,
in consequence of his extreme lightness of hand, within
the twinkling of an eye, covered Aswatthaman with
a shower of weapons. Then Drona’s son, smiling
at the rushing Bhima and addressing him (in proper
words) covered him with arrows, inspired with mantras
and equipped with blazing points. Shrouded with
those shafts that vomited fire and resembled snakes
of blazing mouths, as if covered with sparks of gold.
The form, O king, of Bhimasena in that battle looked
like that of a mountain in the evening when covered
with fire. That weapon of Drona’s son, directed
against Bhimasena increased in energy and might, O
king, like a conflagration assisted by the wind.
Beholding that weapon of terrible energy thus increasing
in might, a panic entered the hearts of all the combatants
of the Pandava army with the exception of Bhima.
Then all of them, throwing down their weapons on the
earth, alighted from their cars and steeds. After
they had thrown their weapons and alighted from their
vehicles, that weapon of exceeding energy fell upon
the head of Bhima. All creatures, especially
the Pandavas, uttered cries of Oh and Alas, beholding
Bhimasena overwhelmed by the energy of that weapon.’”
SECTION CCI
“Sanjaya said, “Beholding Bhimasena overwhelmed
by that weapon, Dhananjaya, for baffling its energy,
covered him with the Varuna weapon. In consequence
of the lightness of Arjuna’s arms, and owing
also to the fiery force that shrouded Bhima, none
could see that the latter had been covered with the
Varuna weapon. Shrouded with the weapon of Drona’s
son, Bhima, his steeds, driver, and car became incapable
of being gazed at, like a fire of blazing flame in
the midst of another fire. As at the close of
the night, O king, all the luminaries run towards the
Asta hill, even so the fiery shafts (of Aswatthaman)
all began to proceed towards Bhimasena’s car.
Indeed, Bhima himself, his car, steeds, and driver,
O sire, thus shrouded by Drona’s son seemed
to be in the midst of a conflagration. As the
(Yuga) fire consuming the entire universe with its
mobile and immobile creatures when the hour of dissolution
comes, at last enters the mouth of the Creator, even
so at the weapon of Drona’s son began to enter
the body of Bhimasena. As one cannot perceive
a fire if it penetrates into the sun or the sun if
it enters into a fire, even so none could perceive
that energy which penetrated into Bhima’s body.
Page 1296
Beholding that weapon thus investing Bhima all around,
and seeing Drona’s son swelling with energy
and might, the latter being then without an antagonist,
and observing also that all the warriors of the Pandava
army had laid down their weapons and that all the
mighty car-warriors of that host headed by Yudhishthira
had turned away their faces from the foe, those two
heroes, viz., Arjuna and Vasudeva, both endued
with great splendour, quickly alighting from their
car, ran towards Bhima. Those two mighty men,
diving into that energy born of the might of Aswatthaman’s
weapon, had resorted to the power of illusion.
The fire of that weapon consumed them not, in consequence
of their having laid aside their weapons, as also
in consequence of the force of the Varuna weapon, and
owing also to the energy possessed by themselves.
Then Nara and Narayana, for the pacification of Narayana
weapon, began forcibly to drag Bhima and all his weapons.
Thus dragged by them, Kunti’s son, that mighty
car-warrior, began to roar aloud. Thereupon, that
terrible and invincible weapon of Drona’s son
began to increase (in might and energy). Then
Vasudeva, addressing Bhima, said, ’How is it,
O son of Pandu, that though forbidden by us, thou,
O son of Kunti, dost not yet abstain from battle?
If the Kurus could now be vanquished in battle, then
we, as also all these foremost of men, would certainly
have continued to fight. Behold, all the warriors
of thy host have alighted from their cars. For
this reason, O son of Kunti, do thou also come down
from thy car.’ Having said these words,
Krishna brought Bhima down from his car. The latter,
with eyes red as blood in rage, was sighing like a
snake. When, however, he was dragged down from
his car and made to lay aside his weapons, the Narayana
weapon, that scorcher of foes, became pacified.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’When, by this means,
the unbearable energy of that weapon became stilled,
all the points of the compass, cardinal and subsidiary,
became clear. Sweet breezes began to blow and
birds and animals all became quiet. The steeds
and elephants became cheerful, as also all the warriors,
O ruler of men! Indeed, when the terrible energy
of that weapon, O Bharata, became stilled, Bhima. of
great intelligence, shone resplendent like the morning
sun. The remnant of the Pandava host, beholding
the pacification of the Narayana weapon, once more
stood prepared on the field for compassing the destruction
of thy sons. When, after that weapon had been
baffled, the Pandava host, stood arrayed, Duryodhana,
O king, addressing Drona’s son, said, O Aswatthaman,
once more use that weapon speedily since the Panchalas
are once more arrayed, desirous of victory.’
Then addressed by thy son, O sire, Aswatthaman, sighing
cheerlessly, replied unto the king in these words,
’That weapon, O king, cannot be brought back.
It cannot be used twice. If brought back, it
will without doubt, slay the person calling it back.
Vasudeva, hath, by what means thou hast seen, caused
Page 1297
it to be baffled. For this, O ruler men, the
destruction of the foe hath not been compassed in battle.
Defeat and death, however, are the same. Rather,
defeat is worse than death. Lo, the enemy, vanquished
and compelled to lay down his arms, looks as if deprived
of life’. Duryodhana then said, ’O
preceptor’s son, if it be so, if this weapon
cannot be used twice, let those slayers of their preceptor
be slain with other weapons then, O foremost one of
all persons acquainted with weapons! In thee
are all celestial as well as in the Three eyed (Siva)
of immeasurable energy. If thou wishest it not,
even Purandara in rage cannot escape thee.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’After Drona had
been slain with the aid of fraud, and the Narayana
weapon baffled, what, indeed, did Drona’s son,
thus urged by Duryodhana then, do, beholding the Parthas
once more arrived for battle freed from the Narayana
weapon, and careering at the head of their divisions?’
“Sanjaya said, ’Remembering the slaughter
of his sire, Drona’s son, owning the device
of the lion’s tail on his banner, filled with
rage and casting of all fears, rushed against the
son of Prishata. Rushing at him, O bull among
men, that foremost of warriors, with great impetuosity,
pierced the Panchala prince with five and twenty small
arrows. Then Dhrishtadyumna, O King, pierced
Drona’s son that resembled a blazing fire, with
four and sixty shafts. And he pierced Aswatthaman’s
driver also with twenty arrows whetted on stone and
equipped with wings of gold, and then his four steeds
with four sharp arrows. Repeatedly piercing Drona’s
son, and causing the earth to tremble with his leonine
roars. Dhrishtadyumna then seemed to be employed
in taking the lives of creatures in the world in dreadful
battle. Making death itself his goal, the mighty
son of Prishata, O king, accomplished in weapons and
endued with sureness of aim, then rushed against Drona’s
son alone. Of immeasurable soul, that foremost
of car-warriors, viz., the prince of Panchala,
poured upon Aswatthaman’s head a shower of arrows.
Then Drona’s son, in that battle, covered the
angry prince with winged shafts. And once more,
he pierced the latter with ten shafts, remembering
the slaughter of his father. Then cutting off
the standard and bow of the Panchala prince with a
couple of well-shot shafts, equipped with heads like
razors. Drona’s son began to grind his foe
with other arrows. In that dreadful battle, Aswatthaman
made his antagonist steedless and driverless and carless,
and covered his followers also with thick showers
of shafts. At this, the Panchala troops, O king,
mangled by means of those arrowy showers fled away
in fear and great affliction. Beholding the troops
turning away from battle and Dhrishtadyumna exceedingly
afflicted, the grandson of Sini quickly urged his car
against that of Drona’s son. He then afflicted
Aswatthaman with eight keen shafts. And once
more striking that angry warrior with twenty shafts
Page 1298
of diverse kinds, he pierced Aswatthaman’s driver,
and then his four steeds with four shafts. With.
great deliberations and displaying a wonderful lightness
of hand, he cut off Aswatthaman’s bow and standard,
Satyaki then cut into fragments the gold-decked car
of this foe together with its steeds. And then
he deeply pierced Aswatthaman in the chest with thirty
arrows in that battle. Thus afflicted, O king,
(by Satyaki), and shrouded with arrows, the mighty
Aswatthaman knew not what to do. When the preceptor’s
son had fallen into that plight, thy son, that car-warrior,
accompanied by Kripa and Karna and others began to
cover the Satwata hero with arrows. All of them
began quickly to pierce Satyaki from every side with
keen shafts, Duryodhana pierced him with twenty, Saradwat’s
son, Kripa, with three. And Kritavarman pierced
him with ten, and Karna with fifty. And Duhsasana
pierced him with a hundred arrows, and Vrishasena
with seven. Satyaki, however, O king, soon made
all those great car-warriors fly away from the field,
deprived of their cars. Meanwhile, Aswatthaman,
O bull of Bharata’s race, recovering consciousness,
and sighing repeatedly in sorrow, began to think of
what he should do. Riding then upon another car,
that scorcher of foes, viz., the son of Drona,
began to resist Satyaki, shooting hundreds of arrows.
Beholding Aswatthaman once more approaching him in
battle, the mighty car-warrior, Satyaki, once more
made him careless and caused him to turn back.
Then the Pandavas, O king, beholding the prowess of
Satyaki, blew their conchs with great force and uttered
loud leonine roars. Having deprived Aswatthaman
of his car thus, Satyaki, of unbaffled prowess, then
slew three thousand mighty car-warriors of Vrishasena’s
division. And then he slew fifteen thousand elephants
of Kripa’s force and fifty thousand horses of
Sakuni. Then, the valiant son of Drona, O monarch,
riding upon another car, and highly enraged with Satyaki,
proceeded against the latter, desirous of slaying
him. Beholding him approach again, the grandson
of Sini, that chastiser of foes, once more pierced
and mangled him with keen shafts, fiercer than those
he had used before. Deeply pierced with those
arrows of diverse forms by Yuyudhana, that great bowmen,
viz., the angry son of Drona, smilingly addressed
his foe and said, ’O grandson of Sini, I know
thy partiality for Dhrishtadyumna, that slayer of
his preceptor, but thou shalt not be able to rescue
him or your own self when attacked by me. I swear
to thee, O grandson of Sini, by truth and by my ascetic
austerities, that I shall know no peace till I slay
all the Panchalas. You may unite the forces of
the Pandavas and those of the Vrishnis together, but
I shall still slay the Somakas. Saying this,
the son of Drona shot at Satyaki an excellent and straight
arrow possessed of the effulgence of the sun, even
as Sakra had hurled in days of yore his thunder at
the Asura Vritra. Thus shot by Aswatthaman, that
Page 1299
arrow, piercing through the armour of Satyaki, and
passing through his body, entered the earth like a
hissing snake entering its hole. His armour pierced
through, the heroic Satyaki, like an elephant deeply
struck with the hook, became bathed in blood that flowed
from his wound. His bow, with arrow fixed thereon,
being then loosened from his grasp, he sat down on
the terrace of his car strengthless and covered all
over with blood. Seeing this his driver speedily
bore him away from Drona’s son. With another
shaft, perfectly straight and equipped with goodly
wings that scorcher of foes, viz., Aswatthaman,
struck Dhrishtadyumna between his eyebrows. The
Panchala prince had before this been much pierced;
therefore, deeply wounded by that arrow, he became
exceedingly weak and supported himself by seizing
his flag-staff. Beholding Dhrishtadyumna thus
afflicted by Aswatthaman, like an infuriated elephant
by a lion, five heroic car-warriors of the Pandava
army, viz., Kiritin, Bhimasena, Vrihatkshatra
of Puru’s race, the youthful prince of the Chedis,
and Sudarsana, the chief of the Malavas, quickly rushed
against Aswatthaman. Armed with bows, all these
rushed with cries Oh and Alas. And those heroes
quickly encompassed the son of Drona on all sides.
Advancing twenty paces, all of them, with great care,
simultaneously struck the angry son of the preceptor
with five and twenty arrows. Drona’s son,
however, with five and twenty shafts, resembling snakes
of virulent poison, cut off, almost at the same time,
those five and twenty arrows shot at him. Then
Aswatthaman afflicted the Paurava prince with seven
sharp shafts. And he afflicted the chief of the
Malavas with three, Partha with one, and Vrikodara
with six shafts. Then all those great car-warriors,
O king, pierced Drona’s son unitedly and separately
with many shafts, whetted on stone equipped with wings
of gold. The youthful prince of the Chedis pierced
Drona’s son with twenty and Partha pierced him
with three. Then Drona’s son struck Arjuna
with six arrows, and Vasudeva with six, and Bhima
with five, and each of the other two viz., the
Malava and the Paurava, with two arrows. Piercing
next the driver of’ Bhima’s car with six
arrows, Aswatthaman cut off Bhimasena’s bow and
standard with a couple of arrows. Then piercing
Partha once more with a shower of arrows, Drona’s
son uttered a leonine roar. With the sharp, well-tempered,
and terrible arrows shot by Drona’s son, the
earth, the sky, the firmament, and the points of the
compass, cardinal and subsidiary, all became entirely
shrouded both in his front and rear. Endued with
fierce energy and equal to Indra himself in prowess,
Aswatthaman with three arrows, almost simultaneously
cut off the two arms, like unto Indra’s poles,
and the head of Sudarsana, as the latter was seated
on his car. Then piercing Paurava with a dart
and cutting off his car into minute fragments by means
of his arrows, Aswatthaman lopped off his antagonist’s
Page 1300
two arms smeared with sandal-paste and then his head
from off his trunk with a broad-headed shaft.
Possessed of great activity, he then pierced with
many arrows resembling blazing flames of fire in energy,
the youthful and mighty prince of the Chedis who was
of the hue of the dark lotus, and despatched him to
Yama’s abode with his driver and steeds.
Beholding the chief of the Malavas, the descendant
of Puru, and the youthful ruler of the Chedis slain
in this very sight by the son of Drona.. Bhimasena,
the mighty-armed son of Pandu, became filled with
rage. The scorcher of foes then covered Drona’s
son in that battle with hundreds of keen arrows resembling
angry snakes of virulent poison. Endued with
mighty energy, the angry son of Drona then destroying
that arrowy shower, pierced Bhimasena with sharp shafts.
The mighty-armed Bhima then, possessed of great strength,
cut off with a broad-headed arrow the bow of Drona’s
son and then pierced Drona’s son himself with
a powerful shaft. Throwing away that broken bow,
the high-souled son of Drona took up another and pierced
Bhima with his winged shafts. Then those two,
viz., Drona’s son and Bhima, both possessed
of great prowess and might, began to shower their
arrowy downpours like two masses of rain-charged clouds.
Gold-winged arrows, whetted on stone and engraved
with Bhima’s name shrouded Drona’s son,
like gathering masses of clouds shrouding the sun.
Similarly, Bhima was soon shrouded with hundreds and
thousands of strong arrows shot by Drona’s son.
Though shrouded in that battle by Drona’s son,
that warrior of great skill, Bhima yet felt no pain,
O monarch, which seemed exceedingly wonderful.
Then the mighty-armed Bhima sped ten gold-decked arrows,
of great keenness and resembling the darts of Yama
himself, at his foe. Those shafts, O sire, failing
upon the shoulders of Drona’s son, quickly pierced
his body, like snakes penetrating into an ant-hill.
Deeply pierced by the high-souled son of Pandu, Aswatthaman,
closing his eyes, supported himself by seizing his
flagstaff. Recovering his senses within a moment,
O king, Drona’s son bathed in blood, mustered
all his wrath. Forcibly struck by the high-souled
son of Pandu, Aswatthaman, endued with mighty arms,
rushed with great speed towards the car of Bhimasena.
And then, O Bharata, he sped at Bhimasena, from his
bow drawn to its fullest stretch, a hundred arrows
of fierce energy, all looking like snakes of virulent
poison. Pandu’s son Bhima also, proud of
his prowess in battle, disregarding Aswatthaman’s
energy, speedily showered upon him dense arrowy downpour.
Then Drona’s son, O king, cutting off Bhima’s
bow by means of his arrows, and filled with rage,
struck the Pandava in the chest with many keen shafts.
Incapable of brooking that feat, Bhimasena took up
another bow and pierced Drona’s son in that
battle with five keen shafts. Indeed, showering
upon each other their arrowy downpours like two masses
of clouds at the close of summer, two warriors, with
Page 1301
eyes red as copper in rage, completely covered each
other in that battle with their shafts. Frightening
each other with the terrible sounds they made by their
palms, they continued to fight with each other, each
counteracting the feats of the other. Then bending
his formidable bow adorned with gold, Drona’s
son began to gaze steadfastly at Bhima who was thus
shooting his shafts at him. At that time, Aswatthaman
looked like the meridian sun of blazing rays in an
autumnal day. So quickly then did he shoot his
shafts that people could not see when he took them
out of his quiver when he fixed them on the bowstring
when he drew the string, and when he let them off.
Indeed, when employed in shooting his arrows, his bow,
O monarch, seemed to be incessantly drawn to fiery
circle. Shafts in a hundred thousands, shot from
his bow, seemed to course through the welkin like a
flight of locusts. Indeed, those terrible shafts
adorned with gold, shot from the bow of Drona’s
son, coursed incessantly towards Bhima’s car.
The prowess, O Bharata, that we then beheld of Bhimasena,
and his might, energy, and spirit, were exceedingly
wonderful, for, regarding that terrible shower of
arrows thick as a gathering mass of clouds, failing
around him to be nothing more than a downpour of rain
at the close of summer. Bhima of terrible prowess,
desirous of slaying the son of Drona, in return poured
his arrows upon the latter like a cloud in the season
of rains. Bhima’s large and formidable
bow of golden back, incessantly drawn in that battle,
looked resplendent like a second bow of Indra.
Shafts in hundreds and thousands, issuing from it,
shrouded Drona’s son, that ornament of battle
in that encounter. The showers of shafts, shot
by both of them were so dense, O sire, that the very
wind, O king, could not find room for coursing through
them. Then Drona’s son, O king, desirous
of slaying Bhima, sped at him many gold-decked arrows
of keen points steeped in oil. Showing his superiority
to Drona’s son Bhimasena cut off each of those
arrows into three fragments before they could come
at him. The son of Pandu then said, ‘Wait
Wait.’ And once more, the mighty son of
Pandu filled with rage, and desirous of slaying the
son of Drona, shot at him a terrible shower of fierce
arrows. Then Drona’s son that warrior acquainted
with the highest weapons, quickly destroying that arrowy
shower by the illusion of his own weapons, cut off
Bhima’s bow in that encounter. Filled with
rage, he then pierced Bhima himself with innumerable
shafts in that battle. Endued with great might,
Bhima then, after his bow had been cut off, hurled
a dart at Aswatthaman’s car, having whirled
it previously with great impetuosity. The son
of Drona, displaying the lightness of his hand in
that encounter, quickly cut off, by means of sharp
shafts, that dart as it coursed towards him with the
splendour of a blazing brand. Meanwhile, terrible
Vrikodara, taking up a very strong bow, and smiling
the while, began to pierce the son of Drona with many
Page 1302
arrows. Then Drona’s son, O monarch, with
a straight shaft, pierced the forehead of Bhima’s
driver. The latter, deeply pierced by the mighty
son of Drona, fell into a swoon, O king, abandoning
the reins of the steeds. The driver of the Bhima’s
car having fallen into a swoon, the steeds, O king,
began to fly away with great speed, in the very sight
of all the bowmen. Beholding Bhima carried away
from the field of battle by those running steeds,
the unvanquished Aswatthaman joyfully blew his huge
conch. Beholding Bhimasena borne away from the
field, all the Panchalas, inspired with fear, abandoning
the car of Dhrishtadyumna, fled away on every side.
Then Drona’s son, shooting his shafts fiercely,
pursued those broken troops, causing a great carnage
among them. Thus slaughtered in battle by the
son of Drona, those Kshatriyas fled away in all directions
from fear of that warrior.
“Sanjaya said, ’Beholding that force broken,
Kunti’s son, Dhananjaya, of immeasurable soul,
proceeded against Aswatthaman from desire of slaying
him. Those troops then, O king, rallied with effort
by Govinda and Arjuna, stayed on the field of battle.
Only Vibhatsu, supported by the Somakas and the Matsyas,
shot his arrows at the Kauravas and checked their
onset.[268] Quickly approaching Aswatthaman, that great
bowman having the mark of the lion’s tail on
his banner, Arjuna addressed him, saying, ’Show
me now the might thou hast, the energy, the knowledge,
and the manliness, that are in thee, as also thy affection
for the Dhartarashtras and thy hatred for us, and
the high mettle of which thou art capable. Even
Prishata’s son, that slayer of Drona, will quell
thy pride today. Come now and encounter the Panchala
prince, that hero resembling the Yuga fire and like
the Destroyer himself with Govinda. Thou hast
displayed thy pride in battle, but I shall quell that
pride of thine.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ’The preceptor’s
son, O Sanjaya, is possessed of might and worthy of
respect. He beareth great love to Dhananjaya and
the high-souled Dhananjaya also loveth him in return.
Vibhatsu had never addressed Drona’s son before
in this way. Why then did the son of Kunti address
his friend in such words?’
“Sanjaya said, ’Upon the fall of the youthful
prince of the Chedis, of Vrihatkshatra of Puru’s
race, and of Sudarsana, the chief of the Malavas,
who was well-accomplished in the science of arms, and
upon the defeat of Dhrishtadyumna and Satyaki and
Bhima, and feeling great pain and touched to the quick
by those words of Yudhishthira, and remembering a his
former woes, O lord, Vibhatsu, in consequence of his
grief, felt such wrath rise within him the like of
which he had never experienced before. It was
for this that like a vulgar person, he addressed the
preceptor’s son who was worthy of every respect,
in such unworthy, indecent, bitter, and harsh language.
Addressed, from wrath, in such harsh and cruel words
by Partha, O king, Drona’s son, that foremost
Page 1303
of all mighty bowmen, became highly angry with Partha
and especially with Krishna. The valiant Aswatthaman,
then, staying resolutely on his car, touched water
and invoked the Agneya weapon incapable of being resisted
by the very gods. Aiming at all his visible and
invisible foes, the preceptor’s son, that slayer
of hostile heroes, inspired with mantras a blazing
shaft possessed of the effulgence of a smokeless fire,
and let it off on all sides, filled with rage.
Dense showers of arrows then issued from it in the
welkin. Endued with fiery flames, those arrows
encompassed Partha on all sides. Meteors flashed
down from the firmament. A thick gloom suddenly
shrouded the (Pandava) host. All the points of
the compass also were enveloped by that darkness.
Rakshasas and Pisachas, crowding together, uttered
fierce cries. Inauspicious winds began to blow.
The sun himself no longer gave any heat. Ravens
fiercely croaked on all sides. Clouds roared in
the welkin, showering blood. Birds and beasts
and kine, and Munis of high vows and souls under complete
control, became exceedingly uneasy. The very
elements seemed to be perturbed. The sun seemed
to turn. The universe, scorched with heat, seemed
to be in a fever. The elephants and other creatures
of the land, scorched by the energy of that weapon,
ran in fright, breathing heavily and desirous of protection
against that terrible force. The very waters
heated, the creatures residing in that element, O
Bharata, became exceedingly uneasy and seemed to burn.
From all the points of the compass, cardinal and subsidiary,
from the firmament and the very earth, showers of
sharp and fierce arrows fell and issued with the impetuosity
of Garuda or the wind. Struck and burnt by those
shafts of Aswatthaman that were all endued with the
impetuosity of the thunder, the hostile warriors fell
down like trees burnt down by a raging fire.
Huge elephants, burnt by that weapon, fell down on
the earth all around, uttering fierce cries loud as
the rumblings of the clouds. Other huge elephants,
scorched by that fire, ran hither and thither, and
roared aloud in fear, as if in the midst of a forest
conflagration. The steeds, O king, and the cars
also, burnt by the energy of that weapon, looked,
O sire, like the tops of trees burnt in a forest-fire.
Thousands of cars fell down on all sides. Indeed,
O Bharata, it seemed that the divine lord Agni burnt
the (Pandava) host in that battle, like the Samvarta
fire consuming everything at the end of the Yuga.
’Beholding the Pandava army thus burning in
that dreadful battle, thy soldiers, O king, filled
with joy, uttered leonine shouts. Indeed, the
combatants, desirous of victory and filled with joy,
speedily blew thousands of trumpets, O Bharata, of
diverse kinds. Darkness having enveloped the
world during that fierce battle, the entire Pandava
army, with Savyasachin, the son of Panda, could not
be seen. We had never before, O king, heard of
or seen the like of that weapon which Drona’s
Page 1304
son created in wrath on that occasion. Then Arjuna,
O king, invoked into existence the Brahma weapon,
capable of baffling every other weapon, as ordained
by the Lotus-born (Brahma) himself. Within a moment
that darkness was dispelled, cool winds began to blow,
and all the points of the compass became clear and
bright. We then beheld a wonderful sight, viz.,
a full Akshauhini (of the Pandava troops) laid low.
Burnt by the energy of Aswatthaman’s weapon,
the forms of the slain could not be distinguished.
Then those two heroic and mighty bowmen, viz.,
Kesava and Arjuna, freed from that darkness, were
seen together, like the sun and the moon in the firmament.
Indeed, the wielder of Gandiva and Kesava were both
unwounded. Equipped with its banners and standards
and steeds, with the Anukarsa unjoined; and with all
the mighty weapons stored on it remaining uninjured,
that car, so terrible to thy warriors, freed from
that darkness, shone resplendent on the field.
And soon there arose diverse sounds of life mingled
with the blare of conchs and the beat of drums, from
among the Pandava troops filled with joy. Both
hosts thought that Kesava and Arjuna had perished
Beholding Kesava and Arjuna, therefore (freed from
darkness and the energy of that weapon) and seeing
that reappear so quickly, the Pandavas were filled
with joy, and the Kauravas with wonder. Unwounded
and full of cheerfulness, those two heroes blew their
excellent conchs. Indeed, seeing Partha filled
with joy, thy soldiers became exceedingly melancholy.
Seeing those two high-souled ones (viz., Kesava and
Arjuna), freed (from the energy of his weapon) the
son of Drona became very cheerless. For a moment
he reflected, O sire, on what had happened. And
having reflected, O king, he became filled with anxiety
and grief. Breathing long and hot sighs, he became
exceedingly cheerless. Laying aside his bow, then,
the son of Drona speedily alighted from his car, and
saying, ’O fie, fie! Every thing is untrue,’
he ran away from the fight. On his way he met
Vyasa, the abode of Saraswati, the compiler of the
Vedas, the habitation of those scriptures, unstained
by sin, and of the hue of rain-charged cloud.
Beholding him, that perpetuator of Kura’s race,
standing on his way, the son of Drona with voice choked
in grief, and like one exceedingly cheerless, saluted
him and said, ’O sire, O sire, is this an illusion,
or is it a caprice (on the part of the weapon)?
I do not know what it is. Why, indeed, hath my
weapon become fruitless? What breach (has there
been in the method of invocation)? Or, is it
something abnormal, or, is it a victory over Nature
(achieved by the two Krishnas) since they are yet
alive? It seems that Time is irresistible.
Neither Asuras, nor Gandharvas, nor Pisachas, nor
Rakshasas, nor Uragas, Yakshas, and birds, nor human
beings, can venture to baffle this weapon shot by me.
This fiery weapon, however, having slain only one
Akshauhini of troops, hath been pacified. This
exceedingly fierce weapon shot by me is capable of
slaying all creatures. For what reason then could
it not slay Kesava and Arjuna, both of whom are endued
with the attributes of humanity? Asked by me,
O holy one, answer me truly. O great Muni, I desire
to hear all this in detail.’
Page 1305
“Vyasa said, ’O highly significant is
this matter that thou enquirest of me from surprise.
I will tell thee everything; listen attentively.
He that is called Narayana is older than the oldest
ones. For accomplishing some purpose, that creator
of the universe took his birth as the son of Dharma.
On the mountain of Himavat he underwent the severest
ascetic austerities. Endued with mighty energy,
and resembling fire or the sun (in splendour), he
stood there with arms upraised. Possessed of eyes
like: lotus-petals, he emaciated himself there
for sixty-six thousand years, subsisting all the while
upon air alone. Once more undergoing severe austerities
of another kind for twice that period, he filled the
space between earth and heaven with his energy.
When by those austerities, O sire, he became:
like Brahma[269] he then beheld the Master, Origin,
and Guardian of the Universe, the Lord of all the gods,
the Supreme Deity, who is exceedingly difficult of
being gazed at, who is minuter than the minutest and
larger than, the largest, who is called Rudra,[270]
who is the lord of all the superior ones, who is called
Hara and Sambhu, who has matted locks on his head,
who is the infuser of life into every form, who is
the First cause of all immobile: and mobile things,
who is irresistible and of frightful aspect, who is
of fierce wrath and great Soul, who is the All-destroyer,
and of large heart; who beareth the celestial bow
and a couple of quivers, who is cased in golden armour,
and whose energy is infinite, who holdeth Pinaka, who
is; armed with thunderbolt, a blazing trident, battle
axe, mace, and a large sword; whose eye-brows are
fair, whose locks are matted, who wieldeth the heavy
short club, who hath the moon on his forehead, who
is clad in tiger-skin, and who is armed with the bludgeon;
who is decked with beautiful angadas, who hath snakes
for his sacred thread, and who is surrounded by diverse
creatures of the universe and by numerous ghosts and
spirits, who is the One, who is the abode of ascetic
austerities, and who is highly adored by persons of
venerable age; who is Water, Heaven, Sky, Earth, Sun,
Moon, Wind and Fire, and who is the measure of the
duration of the universe. Persons of wicked behaviour
can never obtain a sight of that unborn one, that
slayer of all haters of Brahmanas, that giver of emancipation.[271]
Only Brahmanas of righteous conduct, when cleansed
of their sins and freed from the control of grief,
behold him with their mind’s eye. In consequence
of his ascetic austerities, Narayana obtained a sight
of that unfading one, that embodiment of righteousness,
that adorable one, that Being having the universe
for his form. Beholding that supreme Abode of
all kinds of splendour, that God with a garland of
Akshas round his neck, Vasudeva, with gratified soul,
became filled with delight which he sought to express
by words, heart, understanding, and body. Then
Narayana worshipped that Divine Lord, that First cause
of the universe, that giver of boons, that puissant
Page 1306
one sporting with the fair-limbed Parvati, that high-souled
Being surrounded by large bands of ghosts, spirits,
that Unborn one, that Supreme Lord, that Embodiment
of the unmanifest, that Essence of all causes, that
One of unfading power. Having saluted Rudra,
that destroyer of the Asura Andhaka, the lotus eyed
Narayana, with emotion filling his heart, began to
praise the Three-eyed one (in these words), ’O
adorable one, O first of all the gods, the creator
of everything (viz., the Prajapatis) who are the regents
of the world, and who having entered the earth,—thy
first work,—had, O lord, protected it before,
have all sprung from thee. Gods, Asuras, Nagas,
Rakshasas, Pisachas, human beings, birds, Gandharvas,
Yakshas and other creatures: with the entire
universe, we know, have all sprung from thee.
Everything that is done for propitiating Indra, and
Yama, and Varuna, and Kuvera and Pitris and Tvashtri,
and Soma, is really offered to thee. Form and
light, sound and sky, wind and touch, taste and water,
scent and earth,[272] time, Brahma himself, the Vedas,
the Brahmanas and all these mobile objects, have sprung
from thee. Vapours rising from diverse receptacles
of water, becoming rain-drops, which failing upon the
earth, are separated from one another. When the
time of the Universal dissolution comes those individual
drops, separated from one another, once more unite
together and make the earth one vast expanse of water.
He that is learned, thus observing the origin and
the destruction, of all things, understands thy oneness.
Two birds (viz., Iswara and Jiva), four Aswatthas
with their wordy branches (viz., the Vedas), the seven
guardians (viz., the five essences or elements and
the heart and the understanding), and the ten others
that hold this city (viz., the ten senses that constitute
the body), have all been created by thee, but thou
art separate from and independent of them. The
Past, the Future, and the Present, over each of which
none can have any sway, are from thee, as also the
seven worlds and this universe. I am thy devoted
adorer,—be graceful unto me. Do not
injure me, by causing evil thoughts to penetrate my
heart. Thou art the Soul of souls, incapable of
being known. He that knows thee as the Universal
Seed, attaineth to Brahma. Desiring to pay thee
respects, I am praising thee, endeavouring to ascertain
thy real nature, O thou that art incapable of being
understood by the very gods. Adored by me, grant
me the boons I desire but which are difficult of acquisition.
Do not hide thyself in thy illusion.’
“Vyasa continued, ’The blue-throated God,
of inconceivable soul, that wielder of Pinaka, that
divine Lord ever praised by the Rishis, then gave
boons unto Vasudeva who deserved them all. The
great God said, ’O Narayana, through my grace,
amongst men, gods, and Gandharvas, thou shalt be of
immeasurable might and soul. Neither gods, nor
Asuras, nor great Uragas, nor Pisachas, nor Gandharvas,
nor men, nor Rakshasas, nor birds, nor Nagas, nor
Page 1307
any creatures in the Universe, shall ever be able to
bear thy prowess. No one amongst even the celestials
shall be able to vanquish thee in battle. Through
my grace, none shall ever be able to cause thee pain
by the weapon of thunderbolt or with any object that
is wet or dry, or with any mobile or immobile thing.
Thou shalt be superior to myself if thou ever goest
to battle against me.’ Thus were these boons
acquired by Sauri in days of yore. Even that
God now walketh the earth (as Vasudeva), beguiling
the universe by his illusion. From Narayana’s
asceticism was born a great Muni of the name of Nara,
equal to Narayana himself. Know that Arjuna is
none else than that Nara. Those two Rishis, said
to be older than the oldest gods, take their births
in every Yuga for serving the purposes of the world.
Thyself also, O thou of great heart, hast been born
as a portion of Rudra, by virtue of all thy religious
acts and as a consequence of high ascetic austerities,
endued with great energy and wrath. Thou wert
(in a former life) endued with great wisdom and equal
to a god. Regarding the universe to consist only
of Mahadeva, thou hadst emaciated thyself by diverse
vows from desire of gratifying that God. Assuming
the form of a very superior person, that blazes fourth
with splendour, thou hast, O giver of honours, worshipped
the great god with mantras, with homa, and with offerings.
Thus adored by thee in thy former life, the great
god became gratified with thee, and granted thee numerous
boons, O learned one, that thou hadst cherished in
thy heart. Like Kesava’s and Arjuna’s
thy birth acts, and ascetic austerities are also superior.
Like them, in thy worship, thou hast, in every Yuga,
adored the great God in his Phallic form. Kesava
is that devoted worshipper of Rudra who has sprung
from Rudra himself. Kesava always worship the
Lord Siva, regarding his Phallic emblem to be the
origin of the universe. In Kesava is always present
that knowledge, in consequence of which he views the
identity of Brahman with the: universe and that
other knowledge by which the Past, the Present and
the Future, the near and the remote, are all seen,
as if the whole are before his eyes. The gods,
the Siddhas and the great Rishis, adore Kesava for
obtaining that highest object in the universe, viz.,
Mahadeva. Kesava is the creator of everything.
The Eternal Krishna should be adored with sacrifices.
The Lord Kesava always worshippeth Siva in the Phallic
emblem as the origin of all creatures. The God
having the bull for his mark cherisheth greater regard
for Kesava.’
“Sanjaya continued, ’Hearing these words
of Vyasa, Drona’s son, that mighty car-warrior,
bowed unto Rudra and regarded Kesava as worthy of the
highest regards. Having his soul under complete
control, he became filled with delight, the marks
whereof appeared on his body. Bowing unto the
great Rishi, Aswatthaman then, casting his eyes on
the (Kuru) army, caused it-to be withdrawn (for nightly
rest). Indeed, when, after the fall of Drona,
the cheerless Kurus retired from the field, the Pandavas
also, O monarch, caused their army to be withdrawn.
Having fought for five days and caused an immense
carnage, that Brahman well-versed in the Vedas, viz.,
Drona, repaired, O king, to the region of Brahma!’.”
Page 1308
SECTION CCII
“Dhritarashtra said, Upon the slaughter of the
Atiratha, viz., Drona, by Prishata’s son,
what did my sons and the Pandavas next do?’
“Sanjaya, said, ’After the rout of the
Kuru army, upon the slaughter of that Atiratha, viz.,
Drona, by Prishata’s son, Dhananjaya, the son
of Kunti beholding a wonderful phenomenon in connection
with his own victory, asked Vyasa, O bull of Bharata’s
race, who came thither in course of his wanderings,
saying, ’O great Rishi, while I was engaged in
slaying the foe in battle with showers of bright shafts,
I continually beheld before me, proceeding in advance
of my car, a person of blazing hue, as if endued with
the effulgence of fire. Whithersoever he proceeded
with his uplifted lance, all the hostile warriors were
seen to break before him. Broken in reality by
him, people regarded the foe to have been broken by
me. Following in his wake, I only destroyed those,
already destroyed by him. O holy one, tell me
who was that foremost of persons, armed with lance,
resembling the sun himself in energy, that was thus
seen by me? He did not touch the earth with his
feet, nor did he hurl his lance even once. In
consequence of his energy, thousands of lances issued
out of that one lance held by him.’
“Vyasa said, ’Thou hast, O Arjuna, seen
Sankara, that First cause from which have sprung the
Prajapatis, that puissant Being endued with great
energy, he that is the embodiment of heaven, earth
and sky, the Divine Lord, the protector of the universe,
the great Master, the giver of boons, called also
Isana. O, seek the protection of that boon, giving
Deity, that lord of the universe. He is called
Mahadeva (the Supreme Deity), of Supreme Soul, the
one only Lord, with matted locks (on head), the abode
of auspiciousness. Of three eyes and mighty arms,
he is called Rudra, with his locks tied in the shape
of a crown, and his body attired in skins. That
boon-giving lord of the universe, that Supreme Deity,
is also called Hara and Sthanu. He is the foremost
of every being in the universe, he is incapable of
being vanquished, he is the delighter of the universe
and its supreme ruler. The first cause, the light
and refuge of the universe, he is ever victorious.
The Soul and the creator of the universe, and having
the universe for his form, he is possessed of great
fame. The Lord of the universe, and its great
Ruler, that puissant one, is also the master of all
actions. Called also Sambhu, he is self-born,
he is the lord of all creatures, and the origin of
the Past, the Future, and the Present. He is
Yoga and the lord of Yoga; he is called Sarva, and
is the Lord of all the worlds. He is superior
to everything. The foremost of everything in
the universe, and the highest of all, he is called
also Parumesthin. The Ordainer of the three worlds,
he is the sole refuge of the three worlds. Incapable
of being vanquished, he is the protector of the universe,
Page 1309
and abode (the necessity of) birth, decay, and death.
The Soul of knowledge, incapable of being compassed
by knowledge, and the highest of all knowledge he
is unknowable. Through grace, he giveth unto
his worshippers the boons they desire. That Lord
hath for his companions celestial beings of diverse
forms, some of whom are dwarfs, some having matted
locks, some with bald heads, some with short necks,
some with large stomachs, some with huge bodies, some
possessed of great strength and some of long ears.
All of them, O Partha, have deformed faces and mouths
and legs and strange attires. That Supreme Deity,
called Mahadeva, is worshipped by followers that are
even such. Even that Siva, O son, endued with
such energy, proceedeth through kindness, in advance
of thee. In that fierce battle, O Partha, making
the very hair stand on end, who else, O Arjuna, than
the divine Maheswara, that foremost of all bowmen,
that Deity of divine form, could even in imagination
venture to vanquish that force which was protected
by those great smiters and bowmen, viz., Aswatthaman
and Karna and Kripa? None can venture to stay
before the warrior that hath Maheswara walking before
him. There is no being in the three worlds that
is equal to him. And the very scent of the enraged
Mahadeva, foes in battle tremble and become senseless
and fall in large numbers. For this, the gods
in heaven adore and bow to him. Those men in
this world and those other men of pious conduct, that
devoutly worship the boon-giving, divine, and auspicious
Rudra, obtain happiness here and attain to the highest
state hereafter. O son of Kunti, bow down unto
him that is peace, unto him, called Rudra of blue
throat, exceedingly subtle, and of great effulgence,
unto him called Kapardin, him that is terrible, him
that of tawny eyes, him that is boon-giving; unto that
great ordainer, of red locks and righteous conduct;
unto him that always does auspicious acts; unto him
that is an object of desire; him that is of tawny
eyes; him that is called Sthanu; him that is called
Purusha; unto him that is of tawny hair; him that
is bold, him that is exceedingly subtle and of great
effulgence; unto him that is the giver of light; him
that is the embodiment of all sacred waters; him that
is the God of gods; and him that is endued with great
impetuosity; unto him that is of manifest form; him
that is called Sarva; him that is of agreeable attire;
unto him that has an excellent head-gear, him that
is of handsome face; him that has the mountains for
his habitation; him that is peace; him that is the
protector; him that has barks of trees for his attire;
him whose arms are decked with ornaments of gold,
him who is fierce, him that is the lord of all the
points of the compass; him that is the lord of the
clouds and of all created beings; him that is the lord
of all trees and of all kine; him that has his body
shrouded with trees; him who is the celestial generalissimo;
him who inspires all thought; him who has the sacrificial
Page 1310
ladle in his hand; him who is blazing; him who wields
the bow; him who is Rama’s self, him who has
diverse forms; him who is the lord of the universe;
him who had the munja grass for his attire; him who
has a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand arms,
and a thousand legs. O son of Kunti, seek the
protection of that boon-giving Lord of the universe,
the lord of Uma, that God of three eyes, that destroyer
of Daksha’s sacrifice; that guardian of all
created things, that being who is always cheerful,
that protector of all beings, that God of unfading
glory; that one with matted locks; that mover of all
superior beings, that one whose navel is like that
of a bull and who hath the bull for his symbol; that
one who is proud like the bull, who is the lord of
bulls; who is represented by the horns of the bull;
and who is the bull of bulls; that one who hath the
image of the bull on his banner; who is liberal to
all righteous persons; who can be approached by Yoga
only; and whose eyes are like those of a bull; who
owneth very superior weapons: who hath Vishnu
himself for his arrow; who is the embodiment of righteousness;
and who is called Maheswara; who is of vast stomach
and vast body; who hath a leopard’s skin for
his seat; who is the lord of the worlds; who is devoted
to Brahma and who loveth Brahmanas; who is armed with
trident; who is boon-giving; who wieldeth the sword
and the shield, and who is highly auspicious, who
wieldeth the bow called Pinaka, who is divested of
the battle axe,[273] and who is the protector and lord
of the universe. I place myself in the hands
of that divine Lord, that grantor of protection, that
God attired in deer-skins. Salutations, to that
Lord of the celestials who hath Vaisravana for his
friend. Salutations ever to him of excellent
vows; to him who hath excellent bowmen for his companions;
to him who himself wieldeth the bow; to that God with
whom the bow is a favourite weapon; who is himself
the shaft impelled by the bow; who is the bowstring
and the bow; and the preceptor teaching the use of
the bow. Salutations to the God whose weapons
are fierce; and who is the foremost of all the gods.
Salutations to him of diverse forms; to him who hath
many bowmen around him. Salutations ever to him
who is called Sthanu and who has a large number of
excellent bowmen for his companions. Salutations
to him who destroyed the triple city. Salutations
to him who slew (the Asura) Bhaga. Salutations
to him who is the lord of trees and of men. Salutations
to him who is the lord of the (celestial), Mothers,
and of those tribes of spirits known by the name of
Ganas. Salutations ever to him who is the lord
of kine and of sacrifices. Salutations ever to
him who is the lord of the waters and the lord of the
gods, who is the destroyer of Surya’s teeth,
who is of three eyes, who is the grantor of boons;
who is called Hara, who is blue-throated, and who is
of golden locks. I will now tell thee, according
to my knowledge and as I have heard of them, all the
Page 1311
divine deeds of Mahadeva of Supreme wisdom. If
Mahadeva becomes angry, neither gods, nor Asuras, Gandharvas,
nor Rakshasas, even if they hide themselves in deep
oceans, can have peace. In the days of yore,
Daksha, for performing a sacrifice, had collected
the necessary articles. Mahadeva destroyed that
sacrifice in wrath. Indeed, He became very stern
on that occasion. Shooting an arrow from his
bow, he uttered terrible roars. The celestials
then became filled with anxiety and fright. Indeed,
when Mahadeva became angry and the Sacrifice (in its
embodied form) fled away, the gods became exceedingly
frightened at the twang of Mahadeva’s bow and
the sound of his palms. The gods and Asuras all
fell down and submitted to Mahadeva. All the waters
swelled up in agitations and the earth trembled.
The mountains split, and all the points of the compass
and the Nagas became stupefied. The universe,
enveloped in a thick darkness, could no longer be seen.
The splendour of all luminaries, with the sun was
destroyed. The Rishis, filled with fear, became
agitated, and desirous of their own good as also of
all creatures, performed propitiatory rites.
Surya was then eating the principal oblation.
Smilingly Sankara approached him and tore out his teeth.
The gods then, humbling themselves to him, fled away,
trembling. Once more, Mahadeva aimed at the gods
a shower of blazing and keen arrows resembling flames
of fire mixed with smoke, or clouds with lightning.
Beholding that arrowy shower, all the gods bowing
down unto Maheswara, assigned to Rudra a substantial
share in sacrifices. In fright, the gods, O prince,
sought his protection. His wrath being dispelled,
the great God then restored the sacrifice. The
gods that had fled away came back. Indeed, they
are to this day afraid of Maheswara. Formerly,
the valiant Asuras had, in heaven, three cities.
Each of those cities was excellent and large.
One was made of iron, another of silver, and the third
of gold. The golden city belonged to Kamalaksha,
the silver city to Tarakaksha, and the third, made
of iron, had Vidyunmalin for its lord. With all
his weapons, Maghavat (Indra) was unable to make any
impression on those cities. Afflicted (by the
Asuras), all the gods sought the protection of Rudra.
Approaching him, all the gods with Vasava at their
head, said, ’These terrible dwellers of the
triple city have received boons from Brahma.
Filled with pride in consequence of those boons, they
are greatly afflicting the universe, O Lord of the
gods, none, save thee, is competent to slay them.
Therefore, O Mahadeva, slay these enemies of the gods:
O Rudra, creatures slain in every sacrifice shall then
be thine. Thus addressed by the gods, Mahadeva
thus accepted their request, moved by the desire of
benefiting them, and said, ’I will overthrow
these Asuras. And Hara made the two mountains,
viz., Gandhamadana and Vindhya, the two poles
of his car. And Sankara made the earth with her
oceans and forests his battle car. And the three-eyed
Page 1312
deity made that prince of snakes, viz., Sesha,
the Aksha, of that car. And that God of gods,
the wielder of Pinaka, made the moon and the sun the
two wheels of that vehicle. And the triple-eyed
Lord made Elapatra and Pushpadanta, the two pins of
the yoke. And the valiant Mahadeva made the Malaya
mountains the yoke, and the great Takshaka the string
for tying the yoke to the poles, and the creatures
about him the traces of the steed. And Maheswara
made the four Vedas his four steeds. And that
lord of the three worlds made the supplementary Vedas
the bridle-bits. And Mahadeva made Gayatri and
Savitri the reins, the syllable Om the whip, and Brahma
the driver. And making the Mandara mountains
the bow, Vasuki the bowstring, Vishnu his excellent
shaft, Agni the arrow-head, and Vayu the two wings
of that shafts, Yama the feathers in its tail, lightning
the whetting stone, and Meru the standard, Siva, riding
on that excellent car which was composed of all the
celestial forces, proceeded for the destruction of
the triple city. Indeed, Sthanu, that foremost
of smiter, that Destroyer of Asuras, that handsome
warrior of immeasurable prowess, adored by the celestials,
O Partha, and by Rishis possessing wealth of asceticism,
caused an excellent and unrivalled array called after
his own name, and stood immovable for a thousand years.
When, however, the three cities came together in the
firmament, the lord Mahadeva. pierced them with that
terrible shaft of his, consisting of three knots.
The Danavas were unable to gaze at that shafts inspired
with Yuga-fire and composed of Vishnu and Soma.
While the triple city commenced to burn, the goddess
Parvati repaired thither to behold the sight.
She had then on her lap, a child having a bald head
with five clumps of hair on it. The goddess asked
the deities as to who that child was. Sakra,
through ill-feeling endeavoured to strike that child
with his thunderbolt. The divine lord Mahadeva
(for the child was none other), smiling, quickly paralysed
the arm of the enraged Sakra. Then god Sakra,
with his arm paralysed accompanied by all the celestials,
speedily repaired to the lord Brahma of unfading glory.
Bowing unto him with their heads, they addressed Brahma
with joined hands and said, ’Some wonderful
creature, O Brahma, lying on the lap of Parvati, in
the form of a child, was behold by us but not saluted.
We have all been vanquished by him. We, therefore,
desire to ask thee as to who he may be. Indeed,
that boy, without fighting, hath with the greatest
ease vanquished us all with Purandara at our head.’
Hearing these words of theirs, Brahma. that foremost
of all persons, acquainted with Brahma, reflected
for a moment and understood that boy of immeasurable
energy to be none else than the divine Sambhu, Addressing
then, those foremost of celestials with Sakra at their
head, Brahma said, ’That child is the divine
Hara the Lord of the entire mobile and immobile universe.
There is nothing superior to Maheswara. That
Page 1313
Being of immeasurable splendour who was beheld by
you all with Uma, that divine lord, had assumed the
form of a child for Uma’s sake. Let us
all go unto him. That divine and illustrious
one is the Supreme Lord of the world. Ye gods,
ye could not recognise that master of the universe.’
Then all the gods with the Grandsire repaired to that
child, endued with the effulgence of the morning sun.
Beholding Maheswara, and knowing that he was the Supreme
Being, the Grandsire Brahma thus adored him: Thou
art Sacrifice, O lord, thou art the stay and refuge
of the universe. Thou art Bhava, thou art Mahadeva,
thou art the abode (of all things), and thou art the
highest refuge. This whole universe with its
mobile and immobile creatures, is pervaded by thee.
O holy one, O lord of the past and the future, O lord
of the world, O protector of the universe, let Sakra,
afflicted with thy wrath, have thy grace.’
“Vyasa continued, ’Hearing these words
of the lotus-born Brahma, Maheswara became gratified.
Desirous of extending his grace, he laughed aloud.
The celestials then gratified (with praise) both Uma
and Rudra. The arm of the thunder-wielding Sakra
re-got its natural state. That foremost one of
all the gods, that destroyer of Daksha’s sacrifice,
that divine lord having the bull for his sign, became
gratified with the gods. He is Rudra he is Siva,
he is Agni, he is everything, and he hath knowledge
of everything. He is Indra, he is the Wind, he
is the twin Aswins, and he is the lighting. He
is Bhava, he is Parjanya, he is Mahadeva, he is sinless.
He is the Moon, he is Isana, he is Surya, he is Varuna.
He is Kala, he is Antaka, he is Mrityu, he is Yama.[274]
He is the day, and he is the night. He is the
fortnight, he is the month, he is the seasons.
He is the morning and evening-twilights, he is the
year. He is Dhatri, he is Vidhatri, he is the
Soul of the universe, and he is the doer of all acts
in the universe. Though himself without body,
it is he who is the embodied celestial. Endued
with great splendour he is adored and praised by all
the gods. He is One, he is Many, he is hundred
and thousand. Brahmanas versed in the Vedas say
that he hath two forms. These are the terrible
and the auspicious. These two forms, again, are
multifarious. His auspicious forms are water,
light, and the moon. Whatever is highly mysterious
in the several branches of the Vedas, in the Upanishads,
in the Puranas, and in those sciences that deal with
the soul, is that God, viz., Maheswara, Mahadeva
is even such. That God is, again, without birth.
All the attributes of that God are not capable of
being enumerated by me even if, O son of Pandu, I were
to recite them continually for a thousand years.
Even unto those that are afflicted by all the evil
planets, even unto those that are stained with every
sin, that great protector, if they seek him, becomes
gratified with them and granteth them salvation.
He granteth, and taketh away life and health and prosperity
Page 1314
and wealth and diverse kinds of objects of desire.
The prosperity is his that is seen in Indra and other
gods. He is ever engaged in the good and evil
of men in this world. In consequence of his supremacy,
he can always obtain whatever objects he desires.
He is called Maheswara and is the lord of even the
supreme ones. In many forms of many kinds he
pervadeth the universe. The mouth which that God
has is in the ocean. It is well-known that mouth,
assuming the form of a mare’s head, drinketh
the sacrificial libation in the shape of water.
This god always dwelleth in crematoriums. Men
worship that Supreme lord in that place where none
but the courageous can go. Many are the blazing
and terrible forms of this God that men speak of and
worship in the world. Many also are the names,
of truthful import, of this Deity in all the worlds.
Those names are founded upon his supremacy, his omnipotence,
and his acts. In the Vedas the excellent hymn
called Sata Rudriya, hath been sung in honour of that
great God called the infinite Rudra. That God
is the lord of all wishes that are human and heavenly.
He is omnipotent, and he is the supreme master.
Indeed, that God pervadeth the vast universe.
The Brahmanas and the Munis describe him as the First-born
of all creatures. He is the First of all the
gods; from his mouth was born Vayu (the wind).
And since he always protecteth the creatures (of the
universe) and sporteth with them, and since also he
is the lord of all creatures, therefore is he called
Pasupati. And since his Phallic emblem is always
supposed to be in the observance of the vow of Brahmacharya,
and since he always gladden the world, therefore he
is called Maheswara. The Rishis, the gods, the
Gandharvas, and Apsaras, always worship his Phallic
emblem which is supposed to stand upright. That
worship maketh Maheswara glad. Indeed, Sankara
(at such worship) becomes happy, pleased, and highly
glad. And since with respect to the past, the
future, and the present, that God has many forms,
he is, on that account, called Vahurupa (many-formed).
Possessed of one eye he blazeth forth in effulgence,
or he may be regarded to have many eyes on every side
of his body. And since, he possesseth the worlds,
he is for that reason called Sarva. And since
his form is like that of smoke, he is for that reason
called Dhurjjati. And since those deities, viz.,
the Viswedevas are in him, he is for that reason called
Viswarupa. And since three goddesses adore and
have recourse to that Lord of the universe, viz.,
Firmament, Water and Earth, he is for that reason
called Tryamvaka. And since he always increaseth
all kinds of wealth and wisheth the good of mankind
in all their acts, he is for that reason called Siva.
He possesseth a thousand eyes, or ten thousand eyes,
and hath them on all sides. And since he protecteth
this vast universe, he is for that reason called Mahadeva.
And since he is great and ancient and is the source
of life and of its continuance, and since his Phallic
Page 1315
emblem is everlasting, he is for that reason called
Sthanu. And since the solar and the lunar rays
of light that appear in the world are spoken of as
the hair on the Three-eyed one, he is for that reason
called Vyomakesa. And since, afflicting Brahma
and Indra and Varuna and Yama and Kuvera, he destroyeth
them ultimately, he is for that reason called Hara.
And since, he is the Past, the Future, and the Present,
and, in fact, everything in the universe, and since
he is the origin of the past, the future, and the
present, he is for that reason called Bhava.
The word Kapi is said to mean supreme, and Vrisha is
said to mean righteousness. The illustrious God
of gods, therefore, is called Vrishakapi. And
since Maheswara by means of his two eyes closed (in
meditation), created through sheer force of will a
third eye on his forehead, he is for that reason called
the Three-eyed. Whatever of unsoundness there
is in the bodies of living creatures, and whatever
of soundness there is in them, represent that God.
He is the wind, the vital airs called Prana, Apana
(and the others) in the bodies of all creatures, including
even those that are diseased. He who adoreth any
image of the Phallic emblem of that high-souled God,
always obtaineth great prosperity by that act.
Downwards fiery, and half the body, that is auspiciousness
is the moon. His auspiciousness is the moon.
So also half his soul is fire and half the moon.
His auspicious from, full of energy, is more blazing
than the forms of the gods. Among men, his blazing
and terrible form is called fire. With that auspicious
form he practiseth Brahmacharya. With that other
terrible form he as supreme Lord devoureth everything.
And since he burneth, since he is fierce, since he
is endued with great prowess, and since he devoureth
flesh and blood and marrow, he is for this called
Rudra. Even such is the deity called Mahadeva,
armed with Pinaka, who, O Partha, was seen by thee
engaged in slaying thy foes in advance of thy car.
After thou hadst vowed to slay the ruler of the Sindhus,
O sinless one, Krishna showed thee this God, in thy
dream, sitting on the top of that foremost of mountains.
This illustrious God proceedeth in advance of thee
in battle. It is he who gave thee those weapons
with which thou didst slay the Danavas. The hymn
approved of the Vedas, and called Sata-Rudriya, in
honour of that God of gods, that excellent, famous,
life-enhancing, and sacred hymn, has now, O Partha,
been explained to thee. This hymn of four divisions,
capable of accomplishing every object, is sacred,
destructive of all sins, and competent to drive away
all stains and to kill all sorrows and all fears.
The men that always listen to this succeeds in vanquishing
all his foes and is highly respected in the region
of Rudra. The person who always attentively reads
or listens to the recitation of this excellent and
auspicious account, appertaining to battle, of the
illustrious Deity, and he worships with devotion that
illustrious Lord of the universe, obtaineth all the
objects of desire, in consequence of the three-eyed
God being gratified with him. Go and fight, O
son of Kunti, defeat is not for thee, that hast Janardana.
on thy side for thy adviser and protector.’
Page 1316
“Sanjaya said, ’Having addressed Arjuna
in these words, the son of Parasara, O chief of the
Bharatas, went away to the place he had come from,
O chastiser of foes.’
SECTION CCIII
“Sanjaya said, ’Having battled fiercely
for five days, O king, the Brahmana (Drona) endued
with great strength, fell and repaired to the region
of Brahma. The fruits that arise from a study
of the Vedas arise from a study of this Parva also.
The great achievements of brave Kshatriyas have been
described here. He who readeth or listeneth to
the recitation of this Parva every day is freed from
heinous sins and the most atrocious acts of his life.
Brahmanas may always obtain herefrom the fruits of
sacrifices. From this, Kshatriyas may obtain victory
in fierce battle. The other orders (Vaisyas and
Sudras) may obtain desirable sons and grandsons and
all objects of desire!’”
The end of Drona Parva.
FOOTNOTES
1. Literally, like an oration teeming with unrefined
expressions.
2. i.e., deprived of robes and ornaments because
of her widowhood.
3. A Sarabha is a fabulous animal of eight legs
supposed to be stronger than the lion.
4. The sense seems to be, that when such an one
hath been slain, what is there on earth that is not
subject to destruction? Ye, should, therefore,
grieve for your wealth, children etc. as things
already gone.
5. There is a slight difference of reading in
this sloka as it occurs in the Bombay text. The
sense seems to be, that since everything is destined
to die, why should I fear to do my duty.
6. The last line is read incorrectly, I think,
in the Bombay text.
7. The second fine of 12 is read incorrectly
in the Bengal text. Instead of tathapi the true
reading (as in the Bombay edition) is tavapi.
8. Kula-samhanana-jnana, i.e., ’knowledge
of Kula, as also of samhanana, which latter, as Nilakantha
explains, means the body. A knowledge of the
body, of vital and other limbs, was possessed by every
accomplished warrior who wanted to smite effectually.
9. i.e., who will feel it humiliating for him
to walk behind Drona?
10. A substantial difference of reading occurs
here between the Bengal and the Bombay texts.
Both have defects of their own. It seems to me
that Drona, as leader, proceeded in the van.
Karna, when described as proceeding at the head of
all bowmen, must be taken marching at the head of
the whole rear guard. In the case, his position
would be immediately behind Drona’s.
11. Lit, “placed army to their right,”
i.e., these birds wheeled to the left of thy
host, which is an evil omen.
12. The first line of 23 is read with a slight
variation in the Bengal text. The words ‘nothing
could be seen save Drona’s arrows’ are
added here to make the sense clear.
Page 1317
13. Probably, a ready instrument.
14. The sense seems to be that having carefully
attained Arjuna in arms he has got the fruit of his
care and labour in the form of defeat and death at
the hands of, or, at least, through, his own pupil.
15. This sentence comprises 7. 8 and the first
line of 9. I have followed the exact order of
the original. The peculiarity of the Sanskrit
construction is that the Nominative Pronoun is made
to stand in apposition with a noun in the objective
case. The whole of this Section contains many
such sentences.
16. 10 and 11 also refer to Ajatasatru.
17. Ghatotkacha was the son of Hidimva by Bhimasena.
Rakshasi women bring forth the very day they conceive,
and their offspring attain to youth the very day they
are born!
18. Hayaraja, lit., the prince of steeds.
He was an Asura, otherwise called Kesi, in the form
of a steed.
19. i.e., without weapons of any kind.
20. Kaliprasanna Singha, in his Bengali translation,
makes a mess of this Sloka.
21. Jarasandha, the powerful king of the Magadhas,
and the sworn foe of Krishna, was slain by Bhima through
Krishna’s instigation.
22. viz., the transplantation of the Parijata
from Amaravati to the earth.
23. Though gods, they have taken their births
as men, and, they must achieve their objects by human
means. It is for this that they do not, by a
fiat only of their will, destroy this host.
24. The Bengal Texts read this verse incorrectly.
For Prataptam, the correct reading is satatam; and
for anukarinas, the correct word is asukarinas.
25. The Bengal reading is Sura-vyala. The
Bombay texts reads Sulav-yala. I adopt the latter.
Vajinas, in Prani-vaji-nishevitam, is explained by
Nilakantha to mean fowl or bird.
26. It is evident that the very minuteness with
which the comparison is sought to be sustained, destroys
the effect. Regarding the repetition, they are
just such as one may expect to find in verses composed
extempore.
27. This verse is read incorrectly in the Bengal
texts. For hayan read Dhanus.
28. The word “heroic” occurs in the
next verse.
29. The word in the original are Sampata, Abhighata,
and Nipata.
30. Nishka, literally, a golden coin, whose weight
is diversely stated by diverse authorities.
31. I adopt the Bengal reading which is Vidhayaivam.
The Bombay reading is Vihayainam, meaning ‘leaving
Yudhishthira.’
32. Soldiers sworn to conquer or die. Instead
of using a long-winded phrase each time the word occurs,
it is better to repeat it in this form.
33. The second line reads differently in the
Bombay text.
34. It seems that the text here is vicious.
It certainly requires settling. One complete
Sloka seems to be wanting.
35. The second line of this verse is certainly
vicious.
Page 1318
36. Ekacharas is explained by Nilakantha as ’unable
to bear the sight of others of their species,’
i.e., walking by themselves, or solitarily or
singly. Some of the vernacular translators are
for taking this word as implying the Rhinoceros.
37. Literally, ‘thought in his mind that
his hour was come.’
38. Literally, half-moon-shaped.’
39. Cruel because it was a Brahmana with whom
Satanika was fighting.
40. The Bengal reading Vahupellava is a mistake.
The correct reading is Vahupannaga as in the Bombay
text.
41. Using even these as implements for striking,
for Bhima’s might was superhuman.
42. Hemadandais is a mistake of the Bengal texts
for Hemabhandiers.
43. The first line of 20 is vicious as it occurs
in the Bengal texts. The Bombay reading is correct.
44. ’This seems to be a repetition of the
6th verse.
45. i.e., not to abandon their comrades in distress.
46. The last word of the first line of 74 is
vicious as printed in the Bengal texts.
47. The custom, when one warrior attacked another,
was invariably to give his name and lineage before
striking.
48. All the printed texts, not excepting that
of Bombay, read Drupadeyas. There can be no doubt,
however, that it should be Draupadeyas.
49. The first line of 54 is read incorrectly
in the Bengal texts. I follow the Bombay reading.
50. After 19 occurs a complete sloka in the Bombay
text which does not appear to be genuine.
51. The second line of 46 is omitted in the Bengal
texts.
52. The Bengali translators have made a mess
of these two verses. Among others, K. P. Singha
makes Ruchiparvan follow Bhima and suppose Suvarchas
to be some Pandava warrior who slew Ruchiparvan.
The reading Suvarchas is vicious. The correct
reading is Suparva, meaning, as Nilakantha explains,
“of beautiful limbs.” Parvatapati
is Bhagadatta himself.
53. The Bengal reading abhitas is incorrect.
It should be Kshubitas.
54. I render 16 and 17 rather freely, as otherwise
the sense would not be clear.
55. The Bengal texts read,—“he
is either the first or the second, on the earth, I
think.”
56. The Bombay reading paritas is vicious.
The Bengal texts read twaritas.
57. The Bengal texts read the second line differently.
Lokam (accusative). For Gharmancubhis the Bengal
reading is Gharmamvubhis. Nilakantha explains
that varsha (whence varshika) means season. Hence
Nigadavarshikau masau would mean the two months of
summer. If the Bengal reading were adopted, the
meaning would be “like summer and the rainy
seasons afflicting the world with sweat and rain.”
58. The Bengal reading Samprapte is vicious.
The Bombay reading Sambhrante is evidently correct.
59. I render 5 a little freely, and expand it
slightly to make the sense clear.
Page 1319
60. The Bengal reading Purvabhilashi is better
than Purvabhilbhashi. Between Nila and Aswatthaman
existed a rivalry since some time.
61. The word in the original is dhumaketu.
Elsewhere I have rendered it comet. It would
seem, however, that is wrong. In such passages
the word is used in its literal sense, viz.,
“(an article) having smoke for its mark,”
hence fire.
62. The first half of the first line of 21 seems
to be grammatically connected with 20.
63. The last half of the second line of 4 is
vicious as occuring in the Bengal texts. The
correct reading is ayuduha-viarada.
64. Janghas, etc., are diverse limbs of
cars used in battle.
65. ’The second half of the second line
of 2 is vicious in the Bengal texts.
66. I omit the names as they occur in the text.
These are: (1) Kshurupras, i.e., arrows
sharp as razors, (2) Vatsadantas, i.e., arrows
having heads like the calf-tooth, (3) Vipathas, i.e.,
long arrows having stout bodies, (4) Narachas, long
arrows; Ardhachandrabhais, i.e., looking like
shafts furnished with heads of the form of the half-moon;
it is an adjective qualifying Narachis, (5) Anjalikas
were broad-headed shafts.
67. There are the names of diverse kinds of drums
small and large.
68. I adopt the Bombay reading of the 1st line
of 4.
69. The fruit being the present encounter with
Abhimanyu in which Duhsasana, according to Abhimanyu,
shall have to lay down his life.
70. Pravanddiva is explained by Nilakantha as
nimnadeeam prapya. The meaning seems to be, as
I have put it, “like an elephant in a low land,
i.e., land covered with mud and water.”
71. These words occur in 17 lower down.
72. ’These are limbs of cars.
73. The Bombay reading is slightly different.
74. Literally, “like another son of the
Lord of Treasure”.
75. I confess I do not understand what the meaning
is of asiva vachvz Srijatam. The rendering I
offer is tentative.
76. I follow the numbering of the Bengal texts.
23 consists of three lines.
77. I expand the 5th a little to make the sense
clear.
78. I expand the 5th a little to make the sense
clear.
79. In the first fine of 3, the correct reading
is Karnanchapy akarot kradha, etc., the reading
in the Bengal text is vicious and unmeaning.
80. Bengal text read Taru-tringani i.e.,
tree-tops.
81. The correct reading is Mahavalan Mahavalat.
82. The Bombay reading which I accept, is Valabudhischa.
Of course Bengal reading is Avalabudhischa.
83. During the days of mourning a person is regarded
as unclean, being unable to perform his ordinary worship
and other religious rites. After the obsequies
are performed the mourning is ended, he is supposed
to be cleansed.
Page 1320
84. The first line of 6 is read differently in
the Bombay edition. The Bengal reading, however,
seems to me to be preferable.
85. Both the Bengal and Bombay editions, in the
first line of 12, read prita, i.e., gratified.
There can be no doubt, however, that the correct reading
is Bhita, i.e., affrighted, as I have put it.
I find that some of the Bengali translators have also
made this correction.
86. Devas, in the first line of 46, means the
senses, Vrittas, as explained by Nilakantha, means
Vritavantus.
87. Verse 55, as occuring in both the Bengal
and the Bombay text, requires corrections, 55 is incomplete.
For the words tada Raja, therefore, I read Sokam tyaja,
as suggested by K. P. Singha. Then the Visarga
after Yudhishthira must be dropped to make it a vocative.
Similarly, Pandavas in 58 should be Pandava, a vocative
and not a nominative upakramat should be upakrama.
The last two corrections are made in the Bombay text.
The fact, is, are 55 to 58 the words of Vyasa, or
of Sanjaya? Evidently, it is Vyasa that speaks,
and, hence the necessity of the corrections noted.
88. I follow Nilakantha in rendering these two
verses.
89. Of golden excreta.
90. The Bengal reading is Samvartam. The
Bombay text makes Samvarta a nominative. I have
adopted the Bengal reading. If the Bombay reading
be accepted, the meaning would be that Samvarta himself,
piqued with Vrihaspati, caused Marutta to perform
a sacrifice. K. P. Singha makes a ludicrous blunder
in supposing Samvarta to have been a kind of sacrifice.
91. The word in the original Atavika, literally
meaning one dwelling in the woods. It is very
generally used in the sense of thieves or robbers,
thus showing that these depredators from the earliest
times, had the woods and the forests for their home.
92. Vahinyas rivers. Swairinyas, open to
every body. The Bengal reading is abhavan; the
Bombay reading Vyatahan. If the former reading
be, adopted, it would mean the rivers were of liquid
gold.
93. i.e., sacrifices ordained for Kshatriyas.
94. Siksha, one of the six branches of Vedas;
it may be called the orthoepy of the Vedas. Akshara,
letters of the alphabet. The sense seems to be
that these Brahmanas were good readers of the Vedas.
95. The word in the original Murddhabhishikta,
which literally means one whose coronal locks have
undergone the ceremony of the sacred investiture.
Hence, it is used to denote Kshatriyas or persons of
the royal order.
96. Havisha mudamavahat; or havisham udam avahat,
which would mean, he poured libations unto Indra as
copious as water.
97. Because juniors pre-deceased their seniors.
The causative form of akarayan is a license.
98. The four kinds of creatures that owned Rama’s
sway were (1) those that were oviparous, (2) those
that were viviparous, (3) those born of filth, and
(4) the vegetables.
Page 1321
99. These were ghats for facilitating access
to the sacred stream.
100. Both 5 and 6 are difficult slokas.
But for Nilakantha I could never have understood their
sense. The reading Jalaughena, occuring in both
the Bengal and the Bombay editions, is a mistake for
Janaughena. The construction of 5 is this:
Dakshina Bhuyasirdadat: tena hetuna Janaughena
akaranta. The story of the salvation of Bhagiratha’s
ancestors is a beautiful myth. King Sagara (whence
Sagara or the Ocean) had sixty thousand sons.
They were all reduced to ashes by the curse of the
sage Kapila, an incarnation of Vishnu himself.
Bhagiratha, a remote descendant, caused the sacred
Ganga to roll over the spot where the ashes of his
ancestors lay, and thus procured their salvation.
101. The correct reading is Valguvadinas, and
not the form in the genitive plural.
102. In the Bombay edition some verses occur
after the 3rd.
103. Literally “Having me for his sustainer.”
104. Instead of Suna, the Bombay text gives Puru.
105. The Bengal text reads this verse differently.
106. The words in italics are names of Indian
confectionery, prepared with wheat or barley, milk,
and sugar or honey.
107. These are the methods by which he sought
knowledge of the Vedas.
108. ’Nakshatra-dakshina is explained by
Nilakantha as Nakshatra vihitro-Dakshina.
109. The Bengal reading of the second line of
the second verse is vicious. At any rate, the
Bombay reading is better.
110. Animals slain in sacrifices are believed
to go to heaven.
111. Identified with the modern Chumbal.
112. A kind of vessel used by Brahmanas and others
for begging.
113. Vaswoksara means made ‘of gold.’
It is a feminine adjective. The substantive is
omitted. I think the passage may mean—’The
city of Rantideva is made of gold.’
114. A Vyama is the space between the two arms
extended at their furthest.
115. Literally, a Kshatriya is one that rescues
another from wounds and injuries.
116. A raja is one who enjoys the affection of
his people, and with whom they are delighted.
117. The bow of Siva, otherwise called Pinaka.
118. Aklishtakarman, literally, one who is never
fatigued with work; hence one capable of obtaining
the results of action by a mere fiat of the will.
It may also mean, of unspotted acts.
119. Parthivas, i.e., relating to the earth.
120. The first line of the verse, I think, has
been correctly explained by Nilakantha. The paraphrase
is ya imam bhumim sukham kurvan adyam i.e. adyam
yugam anuparyeti sma.
121. The Bombay text adds some verses here which
do not occur in the Bengal texts.
122. K. P. Sinha makes a ludicrous blunder in
reading this line.
123. Sannahikas, i.e., clad in mail.
Page 1322
124. The Bengal reading Dwijaidhitam is certainly
better than the Bombay reading Dwijochitam although
Nilakantha explains uchitam as abhimatam.
125. Twilight is herself the goddess who is supposed
to be adored by certain prayers and on the occasion.
126. These slaps mark the cadences.
127. Literally, ‘in crossing.’
128. The Bengal reading Satyavrataiv in the first
line of 9 is vicious. I adopt the Bombay reading
Satyaratas, qualifying tara. To suppose that
Krishna paid such a complement to the Kauravas as is
implied by the Bengal reading is an absurdity.
129. i.e. added his voice to that of Jayadratha,
requesting Drona to protect the latter.
130. A kind of car or vehicle.
131. Nilakantha supposes that tasmai here refers
to the Three-eyed and not to Krishna. This seems
to be right.
132. The second note of the Hindu gamut.
133. Vasavamiva is a mistake for Vasavasyeva.
134. Apavrittam is explained by Nilakantha as
endangered or made doubtful. What Sanjaya says
is that if it is not so, thou shalt then have to undergo
the bitterness of ruling over the whole world bestowed
upon thee by the Pandavas. Either the Pandavas
will snatch away thy kingdom or make thee ruler of
the whole after slaying thy sons. Either of these
alternatives would be bitter to thee.
135. The original is pleonastic.
136. This verse obviously needs correction.
Instead of “golden coats of mail,” I think
some such correction is needed, viz. coats of
mail, of black iron, decked with gold and dyed with
blood, etc.
137. The original is pleonastic.
138. This Sloka occurs in all the texts.
It would seem, therefore, that Sanjaya was not always
a witness only of the battle for narrating what he
saw to Dhritarashtra, but sometimes at least he took
part in the battle.
139. The words tatsainyanyabhyapujayan seem to
be unmeaning in this connection. The Bengali
translators, unable to do anything with them, have
left them out.
140. The celestial weapons were forces dependent
on mantras. Ordinary shafts, inspired with these
mantras, were converted into celestial weapons.
141. In other words. Arjuna’s car
shot as quickly through the enemy as the arrows themselves
sped from it.
142. The Bengal reading of the first line is
vicious. The Bombay reading is Vamatkum Vipathum,
Vanan. The first word means the froth in the mouth
of the steeds.
143. i.e., his funeral obsequies. The vernacular
translators do not see the intended joke.
144. I give the sense of this verse, without
giving a closely literal version.
145. Avabhritha is the final bath undergone,
on completion of as sacrifice by the person performing
the sacrifice. The slaughter of Duryodhana would
according to Krishna, be the avabhritha of the sacrifice
of battle.
Page 1323
146. Praviddham means fallen down or loosened
from its usual place. Thus Nilakantha.
147. Tripura means the three cities constructed
by the Asura artificer Maya. The Asura, however,
who owned those cities is also called Tripura.
It was Mahadeva who destroyed the three cities with
all their population vide the close of the Harivansa.
148. The true reading is alohita and not lohita.
Arka here is crystal and not the sun. It was
a silvern boar, which could not, evidently, be like
the sun.
149. Owners of golden cars.
150. Nidas were niches or drivers boxes.
151. Many of the opening slokas of this section
are nearly the same as those of section 76 of Bhishma
Parva, vide ante. In a few instances I have adopted
the readings of the Bombay edition.
152. I prefer the reading Samakulam to Jhashakulam.
153. i.e., using cars and elephants as weapons
for destroying cars and elephants.
154. The fear behind them was from the Pandava
army. The fear before them was from the car-warriors
who had succeeded in penetrating the Kuru host.
155. Many of the Bengal texts have Calabhairiva.
This is a mistake, the word being Calada, and not
Calabha which would be unmeaning here.
156. I render the second line of 4 too freely.
The sense seems to be that when two persons fight,
one cannot say beforehand who will succeed. Both
have chances of success, as, indeed, both have chances
of defeat.
157. The genius of the two languages being entirely
different, I give the sense of the first line of 14
separately, without seeking to connect it, in the
assertive form, with the second half of 13.
158. Literally, ‘disregard of Krishna.’
159. The Bombay reading, which I adopt, seems
to be better than the Bengal one.
160. I think that both Vrikodaram and nisitais
in this verse as given in the Bombay text are incorrect.
I read Vrikodaras and navavhis following the Bengal
texts.
161. The sense seems to be that Karna and Bhima
were like fire and wind.
162. Verse 28 is a triplet. The second line
is obscure. It seems that a line has been omitted.
163. Literally, mustered all his rage.
164. In the first line of the 62 the Bengal reading
Ayastam is better than the Bombay reading Ayastas.
165. Literally, ’a mountain overgrown with
medicinal herbs of great efficacy.’ Of
course, the allusion is to Hanumat’s removal
of Gandhamadana for the cure of Lakshmana.
166. i.e., the little indent caused by a cow’s
hoof.
167. The sense is that he that will slay me will
always be victorious in battle, will always slay the
warriors with whom he may be engaged in battle.
Defeat will never be his.
168. do not render 55 literally. Satyaki is called
‘Satyavikrama,’ i.e., of true prowess’
or ‘of prowess incapable of being baffled.’
If he sustains a defeat today at Bhurisrava’s
hand, that title of his will be falsified. This
is all that Krishna means.
Page 1324
169. Verse 20 is incomplete. I supply the
words,—’Why then should I not protect’
in order to make the meaning intelligible. The
first line of 21 is grammatically connected with 20.
To avoid an ugly construction I render it separately.
170. Literally, ’who could witness with
indifference Satyaki reduced to that plight?’
171. Generally, to die, abstaining from all food.
It is a method of freeing the soul from the body by
Yoga.
172. Literally, ‘near the place assigned
for the sacrificial butter.’
173. Nilakantha explains chakram as Pratapam.
174. The second line of 94 I render a little
freely to make the sense clearer.
175. A Kavandha is a headless trunk moving about
as if endued with life. Tales are told of these
headless beings drinking the blood of victims falling
within their grasp.
176. The second of the seven notes of the Hindu
gamut.
177. The printed editions and the manuscripts
do not agree with one another in respect of the order
and numbering of the last dozen verses. The Bombay
edition omits a few of the verses.
178. Everything even the inanimate creation,
exists and adores the Supreme deity.
179. This is a triplet in the Calcutta edition.
180. Literally, ’the fact of the Dhartarashtras
having sunk (into distress).’
181. Literally, ’of persons whose coronal
locks have undergone the sacred bath.’
182. Praluvdhas is explained by Nilakantha differently.
He supposes that Duryodhana here characterises Sikhandin
to be a deceitful fowler or hunter in consequence
of the deceit with which he caused Bhishma’s
fall. This is far-fetched.
183. I adopt the Bombay reading.
184. The Bombay edition reads this verse differently
and introduces another after it which does not occur
in the Bengal texts.
185. I am not sure whether I have rendered the
31st and the first half of 32nd correctly. The
vernacular translators have made a mess of the passage.
The difficulty lies with Surhittamais. I take
it to mean that Duryodhana says, ’Karna, Sakuni,
Duhsasana, with myself, had taken thee, O preceptor,
for a friend, and had engaged thee in this battle.
We did not, however, then know that thou art an enemy
in disguise.’
186. i.e., ’he should, by very means in
his power, avenge himself on the Somakas, those enemies
of mine.’
187. This is a triplet in the Bengal texts.
188. I render the second line freely, following
Nilakantha.
189. Literally, ‘with shafts resembling
his rays.’
190. Or, ’as a lake overgrown with lotuses
is agitated on every side by an elephant.’
191. Sixteen lines, occurring after this in the
Bombay edition, have been omitted in the Calcutta
edition.
192. Drums of diverse kinds and sizes.
193. The Bombay reading is apalavam and not viplatam.
Page 1325
194. This is a triplet in all the editions.
195. The brother of the Kalinga prince.
196. Patanipam is explained by Nilakantha as
something that causes the patana or downfall of a
person hence sin. [There is no reference for this
note in the body of this page, so I have placed it
in a likely location.—JBH]
197. A nalwa measured four hundred cubits.
198. Nilakantha explains that there were Pisachas.
199. Aswatthaman and the Pandavas were like brothers,
for both were disciples of Drona Ghatotkacha, therefore,
having been Bhima’s son was Aswatthaman’s
brother’s son.
200. i.e., the weapon endued with the force of
the thunder.
201. Different species of Rakshasas.
202. Tripura, belonging to an Asura of the same.
203. Asani literally means the thunder.
Probably, some kind of iron mace.
204. The Bengal texts read Utkrisha-vikramas.
The correct reading seems to be Aklivhtavikramas.
Then again Sahanujam seems to be inaccurate. I
follow the Bombay reading Sahanugam.
205. Achyuta, when used as a proper noun, refers
to Krishna. It means of unfading glory and ‘the
immortal.’
206. Sight differences are observable between
the Bengal and the Bombay texts as regards the last
three verses.
207. This is a triplet.
208. This is a triplet.
209. In the second line of 4, utsedha and not
udvrita is the true reading. So also kanchit
and not kinchit. The paraphrase, according to
Nilakantha, in kanchit dhanurdharam na ganayan, etc.
210. 147 is a triplet.
211. The Bengal reading sudakshinas at the end
of 49 dose not seem to be correct. I adopt the
Bombay reading sudarnnam.
212. The Bombay edition reads the first line
of 3 differently. The Bengal reading is also
defective. The correct reading seems to be Rathanaga
instead of Naranaga.
213. This is a Triplet.
214. Instead of mattagaje, the Bombay edition
reads tatragaje.
215. There seems to be a mistake in this sloka
in its reference to the Pandavas. The reading,
however, that occurs in all the printed edition, is
the same. In one manuscript I find Kamrava-yodhavurgais
(which I adopt) for Pandava-Kauraveyais.
216. The second line of 30, as it occurs in the
Bengal texts, is adopted by me. A slight difference
of reading occurs between the Bengal and the Bombay
editions.
217. As regards almost every one of these slokas,
differences of reading are observable between the
Bengal texts and the Bombay edition. The readings
of the Bombay edition are almost uniformly better.
Then, again, many of those verses are disfigured with
syntactical pleonasms and other grave errors.
Abounding with tiresome repetitions that scarcely attract
notice amid the variety of synonyms with which the
language of the original abounds and amid also the
melodious flow of the rhythm, the defects become glaring
in translation. At the latter, however, of faithfulness,
I have been obliged to sacrifice elegance, in rendering
this section.
Page 1326
218. The Bengal reading tatha loka is incorrect.
The Bombay text correctly reads tadaloka. Then
also, instead of the Bengal reading rajasacaa samavrite
(which is faulty), the true reading is raja tamasa
vrite.
219. Lokanamabhave is explained by Nilakantha
as pralaya-kale.
220. A different reading occurs in the Bombay
edition.
221. Nalikas, as used here, appear to have been
some species of shafts. In an earlier note, relying
on other authorities, I took it to mean some kind
of air-gun.
222. Vaikartana may also mean one who has peeled
off his skin of natural armour. To preserve dramatic
propriety, the Hindu commentators explain it in this
sense when it occurs in any such passage, for the real
origin of Karna, viz., his procreation by the
deity of the sun, became known after his death.
223. ’The second line of 9 is read differently
in the Calcutta edition. I adopt the Bombay reading.
224. In the second line of 13, Avyayatturnam
instead of Maharaja is the correct reading.
225. This sloka seems to be a vicious one.
226. Yena and tena here are equal to yatra and
tatra.
227. In the first line of 30 Vaganais and not
Vanaganan is the true reading.
228. The second line of 30 is read differently
in the Calcutta edition. In consequence also
of some differences between two printed editions, 30
of the Calcutta text is 32 of the Bombay text.
229. In the Bengal texts this is a triplet.
230. It is for this that I see thee with this
head as a tribute.
231. An arani is a cubit measuring from the elbow
to the end of the little figure.
232. Both reading, viz., asaktam and asaktam
are correct. The former means engaged’
the latter, ‘to the measure of his might!’
233. The second line of 85 is differently in
the Bombay edition.
234. Rakshasas at certain hours were believed
to be inspired with greater strength.
235. Mainaka the son of Himavat, has a hundred
heads.
236. i.e., they thought they obtained a new lease
of life.
237. Literally means, “united by Jara.”
238. Nilakantha thinks that Sagadaya in one word,
meaning ’deprived of the both Rakshasas and
the mace.’ This is far-fetched.
239. Fire being the mouth of the celestials,
without fire, the celestials become mouthless.
Thus Nilakantha.
240. This is a triplet in the Bengal texts.
241. 66 is a triplet in the Bengal texts.
242. Triyama, literally, consisting of three
Yamas, a Yama being a watch of three hours. The
first hour and a half of the night and the last hour
and a half, being regarded as twilight, the night,
truly as such, with the ancient Hindoos, consisted
of only nine hours.
243. Literally, ‘of a thousand Yamas.’
244. The moon is called the lord of lilies because
the water-lily is seen to bloom at moonrise, just
as the sun is called the lord of the lotuses because
the lotus blooms at sun-rise, The direction presided
over by Indra means the East.
Page 1327
245. Dasatakasha-kkupa means the Kakup or direction
presided by him of a thousand eyes; hence the East.
246. Instead of Vrishodara, the Bombay text reads
Vrishottama, which I adopt.
247. In the first line of 31, the Bengal texts
read Rajanam probably referring to Drupada. The
correct reading, however, is Rujendra in the vocative
case as in the Bombay edition.
248. I render this a little too freely.
The form of the oath is, “Let that man lose,
etc. whom Drona escapes today with life or whom
Drona vanquishes today.”
249. This, in the Bengal texts, is a triplet.
250. I adopt the Bombay reading of the first
line of this verse.
251. All these arrows inflicted had wounds and
could not be easily extracted. Shafts of crooked
courses were condemned because the combatants could
not easily baffle them, not knowing at whom they would
fall.
252. This verse is omitted in the Bombay text.
There can be no doubt, however, about its genuineness.
253. The celestial weapons were all living agents
that appeared at the bidding of him who knew to invoke
them. They abandoned, however, the person whose
death was imminent, although invoked with the usual
formulae.
254. I adopt the Bombay reading.
255. Deprived of both the worlds, having sustained
a defeat, they lost this world, and flying away from
the field, they committed a sin and lost the next
world.
256. Celestial weapons were invoked with mantras,
as explained in a previous note. They were forces
which created all sorts of tangible weapons that the
invoked desired. Here the Brahma weapon took the
form of broad-headed arrows.
257. Dharmadhwajin literally means a person bearing
the standard of virtue, hence, hypocrite, sanctimoniously
talking only virtue and morality but acting differently.
258. I think the correct reading is aputrinas
and not putrinas. If it is putrinas, literally
rendered, the meaning is, ’Why should persons
having children, feel any affection for the latter?’
It the worthy of remark that the author of Venisamhara
has bodily adopted this verse, putting it in the mouth
of Aswatthaman when introduced in the third Act.
259. The last line of 37 is read differently
in the Bombay edition. Nilakantha accepts that
reading, and explains it in his gloss remarking that
the grammatical solecism occuring in it is a license.
The Bengal reading, however, is more apposite.
260. Literally, “the animals kept the Pandavas
to their right.”
261. Dasaratha’s son Rama, during his exile,
slew the monkey-chief Bali, the brother of Sugriva,
while Bali was engaged with Sugriva in battle.
Bali had not done any injury to Rama. That act
has always been regarded as a stain on Rama.
262. I expand the original to make the sense
clear.
263. The first line of the 23rd verse in the
Bengal editions, is made the second line of that verse
in the Bombay text. There seems to be a mistake,
however, in both the texts. Vishnu slew Hiranyakasipu
without allowing, the latter to say anything unto
him. Vide Vishnu Purana, if instead of Hiranyakasipu
Harim, the rendering be Hiranyakasipu Haris, the line
may then be connected with Bhima’s speech, and
the comparison would become more apposite.
Page 1328
264. The Nishadas were and to this day are the
lowest caste in India.
265. The Bengal reading is vicious, I adopt the
Bombay reading which is Surorgurunsha bhuyopi, meaning,
“this preceptor again.” The fact is,
Arjuna was Satyaki’s preceptor; Drona, therefore,
was the latter’s preceptor’s preceptor.
266. Kimpurushas were fabled creatures, half
men and steeds. Not a mountain but had its Kimpurushas,
according to the Hindu belief. Yakshas were a
sort of superhuman beings inhabiting inaccessible halls
and mountains.
267. I adopt the Bombay reading of the 2nd line
of 35 and think that Nilakantha explains it correctly.
268. I adopt the Bombay reading.
269. Nilakantha explains this to mean that when
he became unconnected with the world, rising superior
to everything connected with the world.
270. The terrible.
271. Amritasya yonim, literally, the origin or
cause of immortality, i.e., he from whom immortality
springs. Hence, as explained by Nilakantha, the
phrase means the source of salvation, for those only
that are emancipate became immortal as the Supreme
Soul itself.
272. i.e., the five attributes perceivable by
the five senses, with the five objects of Nature with
which they are directly connected or in which they
manifest themselves.
273. Having given it away to Rama, his disciple.
274. All these terms imply Death or the Destroyer.